11/20, 5:40pm
Next Windows again on 3-year schedule
Microsoft should once again release its next mainstream version of Windows about three years after the last, a roadmap obtained this week reveals. The schedule has the major revision, tentatively titled "Windows 8," launching in 2012 or about three years after Windows 7. It will purportedly keep in step with a rhythm developed by Microsoft that has Microsoft launching major releases four years apart, as Windows Server 2008 is considered a major release where its R2 upgrade and even Windows 7 are both treated as "release updates."
more
11/20, 4:10pm
MS refutes talk of NSA-made security hole
Microsoft in a response late Thursday rejected assertions that it has put in a security "backdoor" at the request of the National Security Agency. The denial comes after the NSA's information assurance lead, Richard Schaeffer, told a US Senate terrorism subcommittee that the agency had worked with Microsoft to improve Windows 7's "security guide" and sparked fears that the government had deliberately left a secret window the NSA could use to spy on users.
more
11/20, 12:45pm
AbingtonIP launhces class action MS lawsuit
Texas-based law firm AbingtonIP has launched a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft for its large-scale ban of Xbox 360 users from the Xbox Live online gaming community who have illegally modified their consoles. The firm acknowledges that modification of the consoles is against the terms of use for Xbox Live, but argues that the timing of the bans generated Xbox Live revenues, thanks to the release of popular online titles such as Halo 3: ODST and the more recent Modern Warfare 2.
more
11/19, 4:45pm
MS shareholder meeting shows share worries
Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer today warned at a yearly shareholders' meeting that the company needed to improve the standing of Windows in the future. The executive was emphatic that Microsoft was still in a comfortable position with "96 out of 100" choosing Windows worldwide but acknowledged that Apple had cut into Microsoft's share in the past year. He downplayed the amount, labeling it a "a couple of tenths of a percent" but added that even the claimed amount was significant and worth fighting for.
more
11/19, 4:35pm
Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 coming soon
Microsoft announced on Thursday it will soon release Power Pack 3 for Windows Home Server. The update is meant to improve the integration of Windows Home Server with Windows 7 and Windows Media Center by allowing backup and restore of Windows 7 comptuers, Windows 7 Libraries integration, new features in Media Center and added support for netbooks. Windows Home Server is meant for network-attached storage devices.
more
11/18, 5:35pm
MS accidentally shows Win Mobile 7 shot
Microsoft today inadvertently previewed its next mobile OS through a preview of Office Mobile 2010. Point 5 in a description of the beta shows a screenshot of the productivity suite running in an environment clearly unrelated to Windows Mobile 6.5 and which is consistent with earlier shots that point to a more touchscreen-friendly interface. At the same time, it retains the familiar two-button options at the bottom of the screen and generates touch lists not unlike the current platform.
more
11/18, 4:45pm
Software to run HTML and protected H.264 video
Microsoft on Wednesday released an early beta version of the upcoming Silverlight software. Version 4 adds a variety of new features including the ability to integrate HTML content within applications, while Google's Chrome browser will also be supported. The company claims performance optimizations allow apps to start quicker and run up to twice as fast as they would with Silverlight 3.
more
11/18, 12:50pm
Internet Explorer 9 still early
Microsoft on the second day of its Professional Developers Conference by providing an early look at Internet Explorer 9. The new browser is just three weeks into development but is already expected to significantly outperform its predecessor. The new version will take advantage of hardware acceleration from graphics chipsets that support D2D in DirectX to offload many of the visual elements of browsing, such as maps or sub-pixel rendering. Microsoft's aim is to let the hardware "shine through" in the browser, chief software architect Steven Sinofsky said.
more
11/17, 11:30pm
MS' Ozzie claims mobile apps secondary
Mobile apps aren't an important factor in the success of a smartphone platform, Microsoft chief software architect Ray Ozzie claimed today. Interviewed at the company's Professional Developer Conference, the veteran developer tried to downplay apps as a lure and insisted that "all the apps that count" will be available on every smartphone as the time to write and port code is much shorter than on the desktop. Ozzie instead implied that it was the OS itself and its built-in features that would make the difference.
more
11/17, 5:55pm
Public Chrome OS preview soon
Google's rumored Chrome OS release should primarily center on its first public demo of the platform, a notice tonight. An event is said due on Thursday that should include a "complete overview" of the web-centric OS, including its technical underpinnings as well as demos. It's now thought by TechCrunch that a code release is possible but that a more formal release isn't coming until 2010.
more
11/17, 3:15pm
MS loses lawsuit over Windows fonts
Microsoft today lost a lawsuit that could temporarly block it from selling netbooks and other PCs in China (registration required). A Beijing Intermediary People’s Court determined on Tuesday that two fonts used in Windows 98 SE, 2000, XP and Server 2003 weren't properly licensed from Zhongyi Electronic and that Microsoft must pull sales of any of those releases from the Chinese market. The two companies already had a license agreement but have disagreed over what it covered.
more
11/17, 12:00pm
MOTO hopes to bring multi-touch tech to casinos
MOTO Development Group on Tuesday showed off its first round multi-touch casino gaming table prototype at the Global Gaming Expo 2010 in Las Vegas. Similar in concept to the Microsoft Surface, the touch table has Blackjack and Texas Hold ‘Em poker games built into it. The table has one large integrated touchscreen that supports multi-touch inputs from many players.
more
11/17, 9:35am
Sidekick back on sale with lower price
T-Mobile today restored the Sidekick to its lineup after having pulled it for more than a month after the results of its major data outage. Both the Sidekick 2008 and the newer Sidekick LX 2009 are back on sale and have been price-cut in a bid to renew interest. The LX 2009 has dropped by $25 to $150 on a two-year plan, while the older model now costs just $50 on the same terms.
more
11/16, 4:00pm
WM 6.0, 6.1 phones get Windows Marketplace
As promised, Microsoft has released the Windows Marketplace app for Windows Mobile handsets running on the older 6.0 and 6.1 build of the OS. Devices equipped with Windows Mobile 6.5 already have Windows Marketplace preloaded. The free-to-download application store is available for both touchscreen and traditional handsets, and will allow users to browse and download apps from the store.
more
11/13, 4:10pm
October sales number show Wii back on top
While Sony's PS3 has outsold Microsoft's Xbox 360 in October after the introduction of the lower-priced $300 slim PS3, Nintendo's Wii is back to the top of the sales charts, according to data collected by NPD. Still, the market is being saturated, as the Wii's sales in October of 2008 were nearly 300,000 units stronger. These numbers also came during an overall software sales slump, which fell 18 percent from the same period last year.
more
11/13, 10:35am
RIM's BBerry 9900 and WebKit browser
RIM's rumored BlackBerry 9900 and WebKit-based browser gained corroborating evidence today with a research note from Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu. He points to contacts in the industry and parts suppliers who say the touchscreen slider phone is in development and resembles a cross between the Storm2 and one of RIM's non-touch QWERTY devices. It's currently in the prototype stage and is likely to ship sometime in 2010.
more
11/12, 7:40pm
Tech used to elevate user rights
The USPTO recently granted Microsoft a patent, No. 7,617,530, which describes a method for running a command as an administrator. The filing has sparked outrage by many, including Groklaw blogger Pamela Jones, who believe the company has simply rebranded the sudo Unix command developed in the 1980s by members of the Computer Science department at SUNY/Buffalo.
more
11/12, 6:30pm
Xbox 360 fall update due next week
Microsoft today confirmed that its Xbox 360 fall update should go live for all users next week, on November 17th. The upgrade will give those outside of the preview program the major features promised in late spring, including Facebook and Twitter, Last.fm streaming and 1080p Zune Marketplace videos.
more
11/12, 4:40pm
Windows Mobile gets security, PC shopping update
Microsoft on Wednesday said it has released new updates to Windows Marketplace for Mobile, just over a month after its launch. Among them is stronger anti-piracy protection and improvements in the developer portal. To the average Windows Mobile user, however, the more important news is the newfound ability to browse for and buy apps from the web on a computer and then transfer the purchases to their handsets wirelessly.
more
11/12, 9:45am
Original claims deemed 'inaccurate'
The appearance of Windows 7 is not based on Mac OS X, says Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc, writing on the official Windows Blog. A Microsoft partner group manager, Simon Aldous, recently told the the press that the "look and feel" of the new OS was based deliberately on the "graphical and easy to use" nature of the Mac interface, allegedly one of its main draws. Windows 7 does feature elements strongly similar to Mac OS X, such as the Expose-like Aero Peek and a Dock-like taskbar.
more
11/11, 9:30pm
Download also available for current owners
Garmin and Asus have announced that the nüvifone M20 has been updated with Microsoft's latest Windows Mobile 6.5 software. The software provides a revamped home screen, with touch-optimized icons and access to the variety of apps available through the Windows Marketplace for Mobile. Users can also take advantage of Facebook and Microsot's My Phone service.
more
11/11, 3:50pm
Study says Firefox 44% of web exploits
Despite stereotypes, Mozilla's Firefox is significantly more vulnerable to web attacks than any of its rivals, a Cenzic study (PDF) claimed late yesterday. About 44 percent of the 3,100 exploits tracked by the researchers attacked the open-source browser where only 15 percent of them would work in Internet Explorer. Safari is notably much closer to Firefox in vulnerability as 35 percent of exploits could affect the platform, while Opera's small market share left just 6 percent of attacks putting it at risk.
more
11/11, 12:15pm
Project Natal price, ship targets slip out
Microsoft hopes to price Project Natal low enough that virtually every gamer can add it, a major rumor claimed on Wednesday. Alleged sources of MCV's argue that the Xbox 360 motion controller is being designed with a price target of £50 (about $80) or less with 14 games, presumably mini-games, included in the box. The target is such that Microsoft hopes for "impulse buy" customers and may even drop to £30 ($50).
more
11/11, 11:35am
Also makes tweaks to specific features
Microsoft has posted a fresh update for Office 2008 for Mac, v12.2.3. The patch primarily addresses stability problems, such as one affecting the entire suite which could result in application crashes after a program was opened. Several unique crash scenarios have been fixed in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Document Connection. Security has also been upgraded, closing a hole which could be used to overwrite memory with malicious code.
more
11/11, 11:20am
WM7 to get special test program
Microsoft has sped up the release schedule for Windows Mobile 7 to less than a year after 6.5, a leak hinted today. The company is reportedly set to launch a test program in early 2010, codenamed "Maldives," that will let smartphone makers check the mobile OS against their hardware relatively early. Timing would be such that the OS would reach shipping phones by summer where 6.5 was unveiled this past winter but didn't ship until the fall.
more
11/10, 11:00am
X360 11n wireless adapter now available
After a premature release, Microsoft's 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter is now on sale through Newegg. It provides multiple times more bandwidth than the original 802.11g adapter and uses MIMO (multiple in, multiple out) through twin antennas to both provide a more reliable signal as well as to extend range. Microsoft claims up to twice the range of the earlier technology.
more
11/09, 11:25pm
Samsung bada to rival Android, Linux
Samsung today entered into the mobile OS arena with bada. The software, whose name is based on the Korean for "ocean," is designed to be open and will compete directly against rivals like Android or LiMo. It will be based on universal standards and won't consider even core aspects of the OS off-limits: developers can not only use contacts, the dialer and other utilities but extend them with new features of their own.
more
11/09, 4:15pm
ARM-based smartbooks won't get Windows 7 for now
Microsoft's corporate VP for the Windows Platform Strategy, Mike Nash, revealed in a Digitimes report that Windows 7 will not support ARM processors in the near future, as Microsoft will continue its close cooperation with Intel. This is significant as numerous manufacturers will be bringing out smartbook PCs powered by ARM CPUs in 2010. Nash did point out that Windows CE, which supports ARM processors, can be used to power smartbooks.
more
11/09, 8:25am
Barnes and Noble overwhelmed with orders
Barnes & Noble today alerted Nook buyers that new orders now won't ship until December 11th (subscription required). The delay from the original November 30th date follows a recent push back for some until December 7th and is credited by spokeswoman Ellen Keating to sales that have "surpassed our expectations." The book retailer hasn't said how many pre-orders it has taken.
more
11/07, 12:40pm
Zune 4.3 firmware arrives
Microsoft wrapped up the week with a significant firmware update to the Zune HD. The 4.3 patch sets the groundwork for upcoming 3D games and apps while also improving the web experience. Web browsing is now much faster and has the option of forcing it to show desktop websites and a better tap-to-zoom feature.
more
11/06, 2:15pm
Nintendo head says Wii HD not happening
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has again taken time to deny rumors of an advanced Wii shipping next year. Following assertions by analyst Michael Pachter that a new model is due in 2010, Fils-Aime tells Gametrailers TV that Pachter is the only one making such claims and that the rumored console is "not happening." Fils-Aime doesn't talk about whether or not the Wii will be updated at any point in the future but is emphatic that a replacement isn't coming soon.
more
11/06, 10:30am
MS glass interface uses eyes, gestures, voice
Microsoft chief research officer Craig Mundie as part of his college tour this week demonstrated a unique concept for a future computing interface that would in many cases go without any touch input. Although it would support pens for precise input, the transparent glass display would also recognize voices and detect touch-free gestures, much as with the Xbox 360's upcoming Project Natal. The system can also detect eyes and navigate based on their gaze.
more
11/06, 8:10am
Vista PC users in no rush to replace
Windows 7 isn't having as large an impact on PC sales as initially thought, sources from manufacturers said on Friday. Although US retail sales were up 49 percent, those speaking to DigiTimes say they didn't see a major spike in late October and don't expect one for the rest of 2009. The turnout has been soft enough that some notebook producers are actually facing overstock as they ordered more portables than demand required.
more
11/05, 7:30pm
Adapter to replace current 802.11g model
Microsoft's 802.11n adapter for the Xbox 360 has surfaced in Costco's online store for a slightly discounted price of $88. The accessory previously popped up in GameStop's inventory slated for November 3rd, although the listing was later removed. Costco claims the adapter is scheduled for shipment a week later on November 10th.
more
11/05, 6:45pm
NPD says Win 7 units soar, cash modest
The NPD Group today revealed that initial Windows 7 sales were more than twice as strong as for Vista. Although declining to provide the number of copies estimated sold, the researchers note that boxed, retail unit sales of the new OS were 234 percent higher in the first few days than the 2007 release. The jump is credited to both to steep pre-order discounts, strong marketing and similar approaches that helped ship a large number of initial copies.
more
11/05, 5:30pm
Win 7 10-day sales best ever for MS
Sales of Windows 7 have broken Microsoft's sales records for an initial operating system launch, company CEO Steve Ballmer said at a Japanese press event today. The executive said early sales have been "fantastic" and that the new OS has generated more revenue in its first 10 days than any earlier version of Windows during a similar timeframe. He declined to provide specific revenue or unit numbers.
more
11/04, 3:05pm
Microsoft cuts go beyond planned 5K
Microsoft today confirmed late rumors and said it has cut 800 additional jobs. The positions are spread across many of the company's divisions and are above and beyond the 5,000 cuts planned at the start of the year. No direct explanation is given other than that the company says it still has to "manage [its] businesses closely" and watch for where it can trim costs.
more
11/04, 1:35pm
Courier gestures, UI explained
A new leak of internal documentation has provided a deeper explanation of the Microsoft Courier. The dual-screen tablet prototype has a fundamentally simple interface with two-finger multi-touch gestures: besides usual navigation, it would let users tap-and-hold to clip a photo or other object and a two-finger swipe left or right to move that object to the opposite page. The pen also has two buttons and an "eraser" to both switch between drawing styles as well as to remove recent changes.
more
11/04, 1:15pm
Microsoft finishes last despite Windows 7
Apple stock is said to have led the pack in Piqqem's October sentiment ratings, again excelling over Microsoft, which came in last amongst a group of six major technology companies. Apple achieved a score of 3.11, considered high in a scale of 0 to 4. Google was second with 2.88, while Intel ranked third at 2.70. Below the top three were Cisco (2.69), Amazon (2.53) and HP (2.53), followed by Microsoft at 2.27.
more
11/03, 10:35am
Windows 7 creates short PC sales boost
The launch of Windows 7 has triggered at least a temporary spike in PC sales, Morgan Stanley analyst Katheryn Huberty says in an investment note issued yesterday. Pointing to NPD sales data, the researcher notes that computer sales jumped about 40 percent during the week of Microsoft's OS launch compared to the same time a year earlier. The number is partly offset by buyers holding off on purchases during the previous two weeks, when sales dropped 29 percent and then 2 percent versus 2008, but is well above earlier weeks, when sales were up by at most 19 percent.
more
11/02, 10:40pm
Connection failures report on P55 components
Intel is reportedly investigating a compatibility issue involving the iPhone and certain chipsets, according to CNET News. A number of users have reported that iTunes 9 for Windows is able to recognize the iPhone, however the device cannot sync with certain machines utilizing Intel's P55 chipset and motherboards from certain manufacturers.
more
11/02, 9:55pm
Support added for Snow Leopard, Windows
Thursby Software Systems has announced ADmitMac 5 and DAVE 8, two updates in the company's line of Mac networking products. The apps are designed to connect Macs to Windows networks, enabling bi-directional file and printer sharing. The latest versions of both ADmitMac and DAVE provide multi-processor and multi-threaded optimizations for Apple’s newest Snow Leopard operating system, in both 64-bit and 32-bit modes, along with continued support for the older v10.5 OS.
more
11/02, 6:30pm
Microsoft rushing Win 7 service pack
Despite having launched less than two weeks ago, Windows 7 is already on track to have its first service pack ready in less than a year, a timetable posted today suggests. Wzor, one of the sites that slipped out pre-release betas of Windows 7 earlier this year, says Microsoft is already aiming to release its first beta of Service Pack 1 to testers by December and to offer a public beta by January. After this and a second beta, Microsoft is scheduled have two release candidates and to release to manufacturing (RTM) as early as June or as late as August.
more
11/01, 5:45pm
Windows share drops in Oct despite Win 7
The launch of Windows 7 in October did nothing to stop an increase in Mac share online, the latest data from Net Applications shows. Although the Microsoft OS was on sale for nine days last month, Windows' combined share of Internet traffic actually dropped to 92.52 percent while Mac OS X profited directly, reaching a new high of 5.27 percent. Windows 7 did gain share and represents 2.15 percent, but its gain was more than offset by a full percentage point of Windows users abandoning Windows XP, in many cases opting for the Mac or other platforms.
more
10/30, 5:50pm
Mission Viejo Microsoft store opens
Microsoft's second-ever official retail store opened to lines resembling those of Apple's, an early estimate says. More than 1,000 are believed by the OC Register to have queued up for the Mission Viejo, California opening, some of whom had entered the line as early as the previous afternoon. It's not known how long lines remained in front of the store or how floor traffic has proceeded since the debut at 10AM local time.
more
10/29, 11:05am
Nintendo Wii rumored to get Netflix streaming
Leaked images that were not made public reveal the Nintendo Wii will soon get Netflix streaming capabilities, StreamingMedia reported on Wednesday. The source is said to be someone involved with the project, who confirms the development is already in testing stages and the arrival of the service is due fairly soon.
more
10/28, 9:25pm
Spending still modest compared to competitors
Apple's ad budget for its 2009 fiscal year surpassed $500 million for the first time, as noted in the company's Form 10-K filing with the SEC. Spending from 2008 was closer to $486 million, while the 2007 budget was approximately $467 million. According to Fortune, the Mac maker's marketing spending is still modest compared to the $1.4 billion spent by Microsoft or the $811 million dished out by Dell.
more
10/28, 1:20pm
Microsoft Signature PCs arrive at retail
The Windows PCs at Microsoft's first retail stores are deliberately purged of the third-party apps they would normally carry, employees and eyewitnesses have confirmed. Product Advisor Jared Marino explains these systems, regardless of the brand, are considered Signature PCs and won't include any unnecessary third-party software. In exchange, they come preloaded with the normally optional Windows Live Essentials pack as well as extras like Bing 3D Maps, Security Essentials and the Zune client.
more
10/27, 4:55pm
Zune HD reported not to update play counts
Many Zune users, including Electronista, have discovered a fault with their Zune HD multimedia players, saying Zune software does not update song play counts from the Zune HD device. Another forum user who is also a Zune Device Product Team member was able to reproduce the problem, and the team is supposedly working on a fix for the issue. Only Zune HDs with firmware 4.1 are apparently affected, Microsoft says.
more
10/27, 4:10pm
Intel Pine Trail to double RAM, drop prices
Some of Intel's Pine Trail Atoms will finally escape Intel's 1GB RAM cap for netbooks even as they drop prices, a series of leaks have indicated in the past day. While the chip maker will still officially limit certain Atoms to 1GB of memory, the 1.83GHz Atom N470 will reportedly allow running 2GB of RAM. The limit should provide a large jump in performance for small systems, particularly those with more demanding operating systems like Windows 7.
more
