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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.
Xbox Music to launch on October 26 alongside Windows 8
- Microsoft is getting ready to launch a new subscription-based music service on October 26 to coincide with Windows 8’s release, according to a report by The Verge. Dubbed Xbox Music, the service is expected to replace Microsoft’s existing Zune Pass…
Microsoft rumored to be developing its own smartphone to run WP8
- Rumors are surfacing (no pun intended) once again that Microsoft is developing their own smartphone to run Windows Phone 8. A report published yesterday from China Times reignited rumors although no evidence or sources were mentioned. Today, however, WPCentral and…
Microsoft willing to pay for the right to hire more foreign workers
- Microsoft has come up with a solution that they think could help divert a potential employment crisis: pay the government for the right to hire more highly skilled foreigners. Redmond is petitioning Congress to grant 20,000 new H-1B visas and…
Minecraft creator 'Notch' is the latest to speak out against Windows 8
- Minecraft fans might want to think twice about upgrading to Windows 8 next month. According to tweets from creator and developer Markus “Notch” Persson, Microsoft asked him to help certify the game for Windows 8. Persson declined in a roundabout…
Bill Gates gives Windows 8 his stamp of approval
- Microsoft’s most famous face has given Windows 8 his stamp of approval. During a recent interview with the Associated Press to discuss the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s participation in a global mission to end polio, Bill Gates made a…
Intel CEO believes Microsoft is releasing Windows 8 before it's ready
- Microsoft will be releasing Windows 8 in one month but if you’re Intel CEO Paul Otellini, that’s too early. The chief told employees during a recent company event in Taiwan that Microsoft is releasing Windows 8 before it’s fully ready…
Microsoft wins injunction against Motorola in Germany
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Microsoft has won an injunction against certain Motorola Android devices after a regional court in Munich ruled that the phone maker is infringing on a software keyboard patent. Microsoft won two separate cases: one against Motorola Mobility Inc. and another against its German...
Microsoft licenses exFAT file system patents to RIM
- Research in Motion has entered into an agreement with Microsoft that will allow them to use the software maker’s Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT) file system on select BlackBerry devices. RIM joins a number of other electronics manufacturers that have…
Microsoft hires former CBS executive to create original Xbox content
- Micosoft is moving forward with plans to produce original content for the Xbox 360 by hiring former CBS Network Television Entertainment Group president Nancy Tellem. Redmond’s latest hire will be responsible for overseeing the launch of a new production studio…
Asus price leak reveals Windows 8 tablets from $599 to $1299
- Today, a supposedly leaked roadmap slide has given us a glimpse of Asus' upcoming Windows 8 tablet line-up but more importantly: their prices. The three models -- Asus Vivo Tab RT, Vivo Tab and Taichi -- will weigh in at…
Microsoft Office 2013 pricing and packages announced
- Microsoft has announced pricing details for its upcoming Office 2013 packages as well as the subscription rates for the cloud-based Office 365. Interestingly, the company seems to be steering customers towards the latter, saying the online solution will be updated…
Internet Explorer hit by zero-day exploit, temporary fix issued
- Microsoft is urging users of Internet Explorer to download a free security tool, enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET), as an interim measure against a previously unknown zero-day exploit in its web browser software that is under active malware attack by hackers. …
Ballmer: Surface "sweet spot" $300-$800, Windows 8 biggest thing since 95
- In an interview with The Seattle Times, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sat down with technology reporter Janet Tu to discuss the company's future. Surface, Windows 8 and Microsoft's rivalry with Google and Facebook are just a few items which were touched…
Microsoft giving employees free Surface, Windows Phone 8, new PC
- Christmas will be coming early this year for more than 94,000 Microsoft employees. The company is reportedly giving full-time staffers a technology package that includes a free Surface tablet, new work computers and Windows Phone 8 devices to use at…
Microsoft disrupts botnet malware that was preinstalled on new PCs
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Microsoft has disrupted an emerging botnet along with more than 500 strains of malware after taking control of a malicious.org domain this week. Last August, Microsoft learned that many systems sold in China were preloaded with malware, including strains linked to Nitol...
Microsoft launching Office 2013 upgrade program next month
- Microsoft is preparing to launch their Office 2013 upgrade guarantee program next month. Much like what the company offers with Windows, customers that purchase a copy of Office 2010 between the specified guarantee dates will be able to upgrade to…
Microsoft to open 32 new "pop-up" stores before the holidays
- Today Microsoft announced its plan to open 32 holiday pop-up stores for consumers who prefer a more tangible shopping experience. These stores are called "pop-up" stores because they are temporary, strategic installments intended to give shoppers more options for purchasing…
Embedded Flash puts Windows 8 users at risk until Oct 26
- Are you running the Windows 8 RTM yet? If you are, you may want to be careful out there, suggests Ed Bott from ZDNet. Internet Explorer 10's embedded Flash component suffers from a number of critical vulnerabilities which allow hackers…
Microsoft's "Bing It On" search-off pits Bing against Google
- Firmly believing in the power of Bing, Microsoft is daring skeptics to compare its own search results against those of its arch nemesis, Google. The company's "Bing it On" initiative provides a blind, side-by-side challenge between the rivals, selecting the…
Thinix RetroUI eliminates the Windows 8 user interface
- Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 operating system has been the talk of the tech town for the past several months as the October 26 launch date quickly approaches. Much of that talk, however, hasn’t been in a positive tone as many…
Kinect for Windows coming to seven new markets this fall
- Microsoft will be releasing an update to the Kinect for Windows runtime and software development kit just a few weeks before Windows 8 drops. The October 8 update will provide further access to sensor data in order to inspire developers…
Windows 8 Pro OEM will allow for downgrades to Win 7 and Vista
- It has been revealed that Microsoft’s Windows 8 Pro edition will allow customers to downgrade to an older version of Windows if you aren’t entirely happy with the latest iteration. Users can elect to install Windows 7 or Windows Vista…
Net Applications: Windows 7 overtakes XP, OS X passes Vista
- More than three years after its debut Windows 7 has finally overtaken Windows XP as the world’s most widely used operating system, according to market research firm Net Applications. Market share for the decade-old XP steadily declined from 61.91% in…
Microsoft announces first set of Xbox games for Windows 8 app
- Microsoft has revealed the first set of games that will debut alongside the Xbox app for Windows 8 later this year. Gameloft, Glu Mobile, Halfbrick Studios, Microsoft Studios, Miniclip, Rovio and ZeptoLab will all have games launching for the app…
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