Sign up for a new account or log in here:
also @ TechSpot: Intel says Haswell will improve battery life by 50 percent
TechSpot News
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.
Open source project catalogues Windows Store apps: 25,539 total
- The contents of Microsoft's Windows Store are now accessible via web browser thanks to the efforts of @vlkodotnet, the developer responsible for MetroStore Scanner. The project is purportedly open source and allows users without Windows 8 to slalom through thousands of…
Microsoft introduces browser-based Windows 8 app creator
- A recent Microsoft Research Connections blog post outlines some changes that have been made with regards to the tools that developers can use to create apps for Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8. Up to this point, developers were required…
Bing Maps gets 121 terabytes of new satellite and aerial imagery
- Microsoft has once again updated Bing Maps to include even more satellite and Global Ortho imagery. The company announced on their official blog that 121 terabytes of new data have been loaded into Bing Maps, which is of course also…
Surface Pro pricing revealed: $899 for 64GB and $999 for 128GB
- Following the release of the Surface with Windows RT last month, Microsoft has finally announced a release date and pricing details for the Intel-based variant equipped to run the full-fledge version of the operating system. As expected, it won’t be…
Microsoft Security Essentials bombs tests, loses AV-Test certificate
- Microsoft Security Essentials was the only entry to fail AV-Test's certification between September and October -- an embarrasing slip for the once well-regarded virus protection solution. MSSE received a total of 10.5 out of 18 possible points, most notably falling short…
Next Windows may be free, yearly upgrades, possible 2013 launch
- Tired of using the same operating system for years? Microsoft certainly hopes so. The Redmond-based software maker is hoping "Windows Blue" will change how consumers perceive Windows by introducing frequent, periodic upgrades (e.g. annual releases), akin to Apple's aggressive Mac…
Microsoft is investigating Windows Phone 8 reboot and sync issues (Updated)
- Update (11/28): Microsoft has acknowledged a random rebooting issue on Windows Phone 8 and has promised an over-the-air fix during December. It's yet unclear what's the source of the reboots and so far no clear pattern (or third party app)…
Microsoft sells 750,000 Xbox 360 consoles during Thanksgiving week
- Sales of Microsoft’s venerable Xbox 360 gaming console continue to climb despite the fact that it recently celebrated its seventh birthday on November 22. Xbox Live director of programming Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb has announced that Redmond managed to sell…
Microsoft: 40 million Windows 8 licences sold so far, 85% launch the desktop on day one
- Microsoft has sold 40 million Windows 8 licenses after the operating system's first month of retail availability. Tami Reller, corporate vice president for Windows and Windows Live, revealed the number at a recent investor conference held by Credit Suisse but…
Windows Store crack turns trial apps into full versions
- A tool of questionable ethical value has surfaced, allowing Windows 8 users to transform trial apps into their full-fledged, paid-for counterparts. Wsservice_crk has actually been available for at least a month -- most notably at the MyDigitalLife forums -- but only…
Microsoft commits to Surface, offers 4.5 years of support
- If you've refrained from buying a Surface tablet due to fears it would disappear like The Kin, then it may now be time to reconsider. It appears Surface RT tablet owners will receive four and a half years of "mainstream"…
Microsoft patent application describes augmented reality glasses
- A patent application published yesterday suggests Microsoft may be cooking its own version of Google's Project Glass. The document points to a head-mounted system that combines an integrated camera with a transparent display for overlaying information on objects within the…
Microsoft to launch Xbox TV next year, focuses on streaming and casual games
- Microsoft has been hard at work making the Xbox 360 more than just a gaming console, adding a host of video options and apps alongside features such as the new SmartGlass and a web browser. According to a report from…
Loophole enables anyone to get a Windows 8 license for free
- Copies of Windows 8 Pro are freely available from Microsoft’s website for anyone who wants to try out the operating system. Normally, the software would expire after 180 days, a period that is meant to allow Volume Licensing customers to…
Windows 8 user interface ripped apart by Nielsen Norman Group
- Windows 8 has once again come under fire over its questionable user interface. This time, it’s Jakob Nielsen from the Nielsen Norman Group voicing an opinion based on a recent case study conducted by the company. Simply put, Nielsen’s words…
Paul Thurott: Windows 8 sales "well below" Microsoft's projections
- Despite Microsoft's excitement at selling four million Windows 8 upgrades in four days, well-known industry blogger Paul Thurott says sales of the OS are "well below" Microsoft's internal projections. Get your salt shakers ready, but Thurott cites ones of his…
Final issue of Xbox World reveals details on Microsoft's Xbox 720
-
Editor in chief Dan Dawkins told CVG that his publication has been at the cutting edge of Durango (codename for the 720) coverage for the past 12 months. He feels that unless something drastic happens, everything they reveal in the magazine’s final issue will be what we see at...
Microsoft launches 60-day trial for Office Professional Plus 2013
- Microsoft signed off on the release to manufacturing build of Office 2013 last month, meaning the coding and testing phase ahead of the productivity suite’s launch is over. Although general availability is slated for the first quarter of 2013, those…
LA lawyer files suit against Microsoft over Surface storage capacity
- Los Angeles-based lawyer Andrew Sokolowski has filed a suit against Microsoft due to the fact the company’s Surface RT tablet ships with less free space than advertised. The attorney believes Microsoft intentionally buried details about the actual amount of usable…
Microsoft celebrates Xbox Live 10 year anniversary with free game
- It may be hard for some to believe but Microsoft’s Xbox Live service just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Microsoft launched the online gaming service on November 15, 2002, exactly one year to the day after the original Xbox first hit…
Steve Ballmer: Android is too wild and iOS is too tightly controlled
- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer recently sat down with LinkedIn co-founder and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman at a Churchill Club event to discuss a wide variety of tech topics. Of particular interest during the chat were Ballmer’s comments on the top…
Microsoft has "no plan" to release DirectX 11.1 for Windows 7 (Updated)
-
According to a reply from an engineer on Microsoft's Developer Network forum, DirectX 11.1 will be available exclusively for flavors of Windows 8 only. There are apparently no plans to release 11.1 for Windows 7 or Vista. "DirectX 11.1 is…
Skype pulls password reset page over major security hole
-
Reports have emerged about a security hole in Skype's password recovery mechanism that allowed any account to be hijacked knowing only the username and email address. The Next Web first reported the issue...
Most Popular
| Trending | Featured |
Subscribe to TechSpot
Get free exclusive content, learn about new features and breaking tech news.
TechSpot on: