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Microsoft News: Windows and Beyond
News and reviews about Microsoft latest products and developments, including information about Windows, Office, Xbox 360, Windows Phone 7 and Windows Live online services.
Start button confirmed to make a comeback in Windows 8.1, sort of
- We first heard rumors about a possible comeback of the Start menu button in Windows 8.1 last week, but now sources speaking to The Verge have confirmed that this will indeed be the case, only it’s probably not what most…
Microsoft rolls out optional two-factor authentication for user accounts
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If you care about the security of your Microsoft account enough to click a few buttons in exchange for an extra layer of safety, you may want to head here. That'll bring you to straight to the security section of your account page where you can enable two-factor authentication, a feature Microsoft...
A fourth of all PCs are unprotected from virus and malware threats
- Nearly a quarter of all PCs in the world are unprotected from virus, malware and other malicious threats according to Microsoft’s latest Security Intelligence Report. In it, Redmond said computers without any protection are 5.5 times more likely to become…
Extend your Office 365 free trial up to 180 days with this trick
- A relatively little known trick to extend Microsoft Office’s 30-day trial period up to six months has been around for several years. The process in question revolves around a rearm command, aimed at enterprise administrators who use a single copy…
Microsoft yields: boot to desktop, Start menu options in Windows 8.1?
- Microsoft may be ready to address two of the most common complaints about Windows 8 with its upcoming “Blue” update. Specifically, The Verge cites sources familiar with the company’s plans who claim builds of Windows 8.1 are being tested with…
Microsoft is also working on a smartwatch project, says WSJ
- Apple is supposedly working on some sort of smart watch that will interact with iDevices -- so says word from the grapevine. But even though the company has yet to acknowledge the rumors, they have already prompted many in the…
Microsoft pulls the plug on buggy security update
- Microsoft has pulled the plug on a buggy security update released as part of Patch Tuesday earlier this week. The issue first came to light a couple of days ago when some PCs in Brazil were rendered unbootable after installing…
Windows Update bug renders some Win7 PCs unbootable in Brazil
- If your computer is running the 32-bit of Windows 7 and you just so happen to be reading this from Brazil, you may want to disable automatic Windows Updates if you haven't already downloaded and installed the latest round of…
Surprise: Internet connection not required to play 'Xbox 720' games
- There’s been no shortage of Xbox rumors as we move closer to the console’s unveiling next month -- well, technically, that’s also a rumor. Although I was hoping to steer clear of further hearsay until official details were shared, I…
Microsoft launching a 7-inch Surface later this year, says WSJ
- Microsoft Surface sales have been rather modest so far, with recent estimates putting the number at 1.5 million since the device launched in October 2012 -- 400,000 of them for the more expensive Surface Pro unit which launched in February.…
Next Xbox to feature AMD processor, not compatible with 360 titles
- Sources close to Bloomberg report that Microsoft has signed a deal with Advanced Micro Devices to manufacturer processors for its yet to be named, next-generation Xbox "720" console. This confirms previous rumors of an AMD-made "Jaguar" APU which would purportedly…
Microsoft to unveil next Xbox May 21, subsidized version for $300?
- Speculation about Microsoft's next-generation console continues to mount as we approach its inevitable unveiling this spring or summer -- likely the former, according to new details from separate sources. It was previously believed that the company was preparing to introduce…
Microsoft rumored to be working on a Google Glass competitor
- Microsoft could be working on a connected device similar to Google’s Project Glass that would debut sometime next year according to a note to investors from analyst Brian White. What’s more, he believes that Google has made significant breakthroughs around…
Microsoft creative director on always-on console: #dealwithit (Update)
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We’ve been hearing for some time now that Microsoft’s next generation game console could require an always-on Internet connection and that games must be installed to the hard drive. We’ve been skeptical of such a requirement as recent as late last month but...
Windows Blue to be named Windows 8.1, improves Windows search
- Microsoft is expected to discuss and possibly even release a public preview version of Windows Blue at its Build developer conference in San Francisco this June. But thanks to a couple of leaks we already have some ideas about what…
Microsoft reduces prices on multiple Windows 8 tablets and hybrids
- If you’re in the market for a Windows 8 tablet or hybrid, now may be as good of time as any to pull the trigger. That’s because Microsoft recently slashed prices on a number of systems in the Microsoft Store.…
Windows Phone sales up thanks in part to BlackBerry's decline
- Microsoft isn’t exactly close to surpassing Android or iOS in terms of smartphone sales but they are gaining ground thanks largely in part to BlackBerry’s recent downfall. According to recent data published by analytics firm Kantar, Windows Phone claimed 4.1…
Microsoft to reward gamers for playing Xbox Live Arcade titles
- Microsoft is launching a new feature starting April 1 that will reward gamers for doing what they love most: playing games. It’s called MyPunchcard and it works by rewarding players with freebies or incentives for playing select titles via Xbox…
Microsoft's next Office update codenamed Gemini, could ship this fall
- Microsoft is reportedly on the verge of a major shift in how it delivers operating system releases. Rather than releasing a RTM every three or four years and hoping OEMs have time to get everything tested for launch a few…
Windows Blue public preview planned for Build conference in June
- We’ve heard rumors about a public preview of Windows Blue being planned for the summer, and if a recently leaked milestone build is any indication, it seems Microsoft is well on its way of delivering an early version of the…
Microsoft under fire in Europe over Windows 8 UEFI Secure Boot
- Fresh from a €561 million fine for failing to comply with a previous antitrust agreement, Microsoft is once again being targeted in Europe over their allegedly anti-competitive business practices. This time the complaint focuses on Microsoft’s implementation of UEFI Secure…
Windows 8 Mail app gains desperately needed features, breaks Google Calendar support
- As promised, Windows 8 and Windows RT's native productivity apps have finally received some update love. Although severely spartan in both design and features, Mail, Calendar and People now boast a number of new tricks which aim to make your…
Microsoft's transparency report details law enforcement requests
- Microsoft is following in the footsteps of other tech giants like Google and Twitter by releasing a transparency report that outlines requests for information from law enforcement officials. In it, Redmond said they received 75,378 requests for customer information across…
FUD alert: "always connected" Xbox 720 rumors are mostly paranoia
- Rumors about some sort of anti-used game protection being planned for the next-generation Xbox have surfaced on several occasions over the past year. Although I’ve always been skeptical about an “always on, always connected” requirement for the console, today a…
Windows 7 SP1 now being distributed via automatic update
- Microsoft is rolling out Windows 7 Service Pack 1 as an automatic update starting this week to anyone that hasn’t yet installed the patch. The process is expected to take a couple of weeks at which time most legacy users…
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