News to know: Microsoft Office 2010; Facebook; Patch day and data centers

Microsoft Office 2010's launch, Facebook's social plug-ins, patch day and ARM and Atom chips in the data center top today's headlines. Get the day’s rolling posts via Twitter,RSS, or email.

Here are the key themes for Wednesday, May 12:

Among today's key themes: Microsoft launches Office 2010 in New York and despite all the talk about cloud options the software giant is still king of the productivity software hill. Nevertheless, the competition is picking up and Google is already launching its Apps counter programming. More on Office:

• Forrester: Google still a distant Office competitor
• Office 2010: Microsoft to charge PC makers less for preloading more
• How is Microsoft planning to hawk Office 2010?
• Microsoft Office 2010 enterprise pricing: You win some, you lose some
• Office 2010: a deeper dive
• How to get Office 2010 at a rock-bottom price
• Google pushes Docs as MS prepares for launch of Office 2010

Worries abound about Facebook's privacy controls, but the company has signed up more than 100,000 sites for its "Like" social plug-in. So much for the backlash. If you're one of the folks that still think privacy exists---silly bear---you can check out Jason Perlow on whacking your Facebook account. See:

• Contemplating FaceBook Hara-Kiri
• Lock Down Your FaceBook Profile in 20 Minutes (Video)
• Facebook for Grownups: Can Microsoft, Apple or Google build one?
• Lockdown or Death for your FaceBook Profile: An Advanced User Guide to Social Networking Privacy

Microsoft delivered a patch that plugged a few worm holes. Not much to say about this one other than to make sure your system is up to date.

Also on the security front, Dancho Danchev raises an interesting question: Should countries that have suffered cyber attacks respond? The answers are quite complicated. Also there's a new attack that bypasses every Microsoft defense. These are fun times in security land folks.

Meanwhile, David Chernicoff ponders the role of ARM and Atom chips in the data center. The concept sounds crazy today, but tomorrow may be a different story.

And in the eye candy department, check out some of the mockups for Firefox 4. It's worth a look and a comment.