Have you patched your Internet Explorer yet? In case you missed it, Microsoft yesterday issued a rare "out-of-band" patch for its web browser, meaning that the situation is so critical that it can't wait until the company's regularly scheduled monthly security updates. You should receive it if you've activated the automatic updating feature on your Windows machine, or download it manually via this page.

"This is not a patch to put on the back burner," writes Craig Schmugar on the McAfee Labs blog.

Connecting the dots, this is the same IE vulnerability believed to have been exploited in the cyberattacks that led Google to declare it would no longer censor its search results in China. USA Today reporter Byron Acohido has a good summary of the situation on his Last Watchdog blog, and Ed Bott has stirred up a good discussion and debate in this post on ZDNet: Will switching from Internet Explorer make you safer?

Emil Protalinski of Ars Technica asks another good question: Could Microsoft have fixed 'Google hack' prior to attacks? "In short," he writes, "Microsoft did what it always does: work on a fix, but don't tell the public until it is absolutely necessary to warn them, and then release it as soon as possible."

Rodriguez

In other Microsoft news, the company has moved elements of its TV, video and media group -- including Zune software and Windows Media Center -- into its Interactive Entertainment Business, the same unit responsible for the Xbox and video-game business. Enrique Rodriguez, who led the reshuffled group, is leaving the company. Mary Jo Foley, who broke the news, has more on the implications in this post, including some speculation about the future of the Windows Mobile business. More from Joe Tartakoff of PaidContent.org.

On the legal front, a lawyer in Philadelphia has filed a proposed class-action suit against Microsoft over the points-based purchasing system used by Xbox Live and other online properties. According to Information Week, the lawyer alleges that he was wrongly charged for downloads that he attempted to make but was unable to complete because of problems with the system.

Interesting read from Joe Wilcox on BetaNews, running contrary to the sentiment among some Microsoft shareholders: Microsoft, don't give up on Steve Ballmer just yet.

And finally, for a Friday afternoon laugh, the Joy of Tech blog has a funny take on Bill Gates becoming a Twitter user.