12/05, 10:39am
Aereo launching cloud DVR service in Baltimore on December 16
Aereo has revealed that it will be launching its cloud-based DVR service in Baltimore in time for Christmas. Residents in the Baltimore metropolitan area, including 11 central Maryland counties, will be able to sign up and subscribe to the service when it goes live on December 16th, though this will still leave Aereo considerably short of its goal of expanding to 22 US cities before the end of this year.
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12/04, 2:00pm
European Commission finds minimal overlap between Microsoft, Nokia
Microsoft has been given the all-clear to acquire Nokia's mobile phone business by the European Commission (EC). The clearance by the regulatory body comes just one day after the US Department of Justice approved the deal, two weeks after Nokia's shareholders made a similar decision, leaving little in the way of obstructions left for the $7.2 billion deal.
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12/02, 3:55pm
New Eminem album free, others discounted
Microsoft is giving hip-hop loving users of its Xbox Music service the chance to download a free copy of Eminem's Marshal Mathers LP2. The company's Major Nelson announced the giveaway on Monday, saying that it is open to Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Phone users. Downloading the album on any one Windows device will grant access to it across all of one's Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Phone 8 devices, as well as on one's Xbox console.
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12/02, 3:19pm
DOJ approval effectively leaves European regulators as last major acquisitions hurdle
The acquisition of Nokia's Devices and Services section by Microsoft has taken one more step towards completion. The US Department of Justice approval in a Federal trade Commission filing has effectively completed the deal's regulatory processes in the United States, effectively leaving just the European regulators standing in its way.
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12/02, 2:02pm
Microsoft continues rapid update strategy with Windows 'Threshold'
Microsoft's follow-up to Windows 8.1 will is said to be codenamed "Threshold." This according to ZDNet, which cites sources within the company as saying that the next major Windows update will come in the year 2015. The "Threshold" update is said to cover not only Windows and Windows Phone devices, but also Microsoft's recently released Xox One console.
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12/01, 8:02pm
Windows Phone to get Mega cloud storage service in 2014
Windows Phone 8 users won't be left out of access to the Mega cloud storage service, the Kim Dotcom-helmed company revealed last week. A Reddit user posted confirmation from Mega, with the company saying it plans to build an app for Microsoft's smartphone platform. The company was not very specific regarding a launch date for the Windows Phone 8 Mega app, but it did point to early 2014 as a launch window.
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11/29, 6:26pm
One year on, most Windows Phone devices are WP8
Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 platform is by far the predominant install among owners of Windows Phone devices, with three-quarters of Windows Phone devices worldwide running Windows Phone 8. This according to figures from AdDuplex, which earlier pointed to Nokia's dominance among Windows Phone manufacturers. The new figures seem to indicate that at least some Windows Phone users were upgrading within the ecosystem after it was revealed last year that devices running Windows Phone 7.X would not be receiving an update to the latest Windows Phone version.
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11/29, 2:22pm
Microsoft soon to hold three-quarters of own mobile destiny
Nokia's Lumia line of smartphones now accounts for more than three out of four total Windows Phone devices in the hands of consumers, according to Ad Duplex. ZDNet reported this week on Nokia's increasing dominance over the Windows Phone environment, revealing numbers indicating that the soon-to-be Microsoft-owned line of devices has only grown its share as the platform has gradually expanded. Most of Nokia's growth, though, has come in the low-end handset market, an arena where competition is increasing rapidly.
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11/28, 6:58am
AT&T killing support for U-Verse on Xbox 360 at end of 2013
AT&T will stop supporting the Xbox 360 under its U-Verse service after December 31st of this year. The service, which allowed the game console to act as a secondary set-top box for watching TV, with a representative advising Polygon that it was being pulled due to "low customer demand," and that it will not appear on the Xbox One. An e-mail sent out to a number of subscribers details a $99 credit to cover part of the cost of Xbox Live Gold membership, as well as the required conversion kit.
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11/27, 1:51pm
Skype traffic in China flows directly through Microsoft servers
Microsoft has moved to a new partner for providing Skype in China, one that could help improve privacy in the region. The messaging service will now be operated by Guangming Founder instead of TOM Online, with some reports suggesting that the move could potentially offer greater protections to users in China from monitoring by the country's government.
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11/27, 12:38pm
Microsoft takes Xbox Video service live on web
Microsoft has rolled out a new web portal for its Xbox Video service, allowing users to stream video content through a browser when not at their computer, Xbox console, or mobile device. The new service relies on Microsoft's Silverlight web plug-in, and it streams content in a resolution lower than HD. That means users won't get the quality of video that they can get on Windows 8.1 and Xbox One versions of the service, though they will still have access to their entire Xbox Video libraries.
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11/26, 8:08pm
Initial impressions of Nokia's first Lumia tablet
Even as its mobile division gets swallowed by Microsoft, Finnish manufacturer Nokia has released a new tablet, the Lumia 2520. The new device makes Nokia one of the few manufacturers still supporting Microsoft's struggling tablet platform, with the other being Microsoft itself. We've gotten our hands on Nokia's new tablet, and have formed a few initial impressions on the Lumia 2520.
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11/26, 3:24pm
Redmond continues anti-Google ad campaign
Microsoft has released a new "Scroogled" ad, enlisting the Pawn Stars reality TV crew to deride a Chromebook as a worthless "brick." The online video begins with a woman entering a pawn shop to sell her Chromebook for cash to buy a "ticket to Hollywood," however shop co-owner Rick Harrison explains how the device is "not a real laptop" because it "doesn't do much at all" when disconnected from a Wi-Fi network.
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11/26, 2:55pm
Microsoft says three Windows platforms not ideal long term
Microsoft is working to bring the number of Windows platforms on the market down to at most two in over the next few years. This according to Microsoft executive Julie Larson-Green, who spoke at the UBS Global Technology Summit recently, saying that the company definitely plans to winnow the number of platforms it has, but that that process will likely take some time. Larson-Green neglected to specify exactly how Microsoft will accomplish the task.
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11/25, 1:33pm
Nokia pokes fun at Apple's new iPad in new tablet ads
Nokia is pulling no punches in its first ad for the recently released Lumia 2520, taking direct aim at Apple's new iPad Air. The Finnish firm, which recently sold its hardware arm to Microsoft, pokes fun at Apple's thin and light tablet in a new video ad before touting the Lumia 2520's capabilities as a productivity device. The new Windows RT tablet, Nokia says, also bests the iPad Air in a number of other features, including battery life.
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11/25, 12:42pm
Call states, message notifications to synchronize in Skype in future
Microsoft will be making some changes to Skype, in order to address a number of problems on the messaging platform. Skype product manager Jeff Kunins revealed that the company is testing updates that will allow for full message synchronization across multiple devices, among a number of other items set to improve the service overall.
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11/23, 6:28pm
Console war kicks off anew as Xbox matches Sony
Microsoft's Xbox One game console has sold more than one million units in the first 24 hours since its release. Microsoft announced the sales milestone on Saturday, confirming to Reuters that its new console was off to a fast sales start. The launch of the Xbox One signals the real commencement of the next generation of the "console wars," with Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo now all having released their home console entries.
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11/23, 5:03pm
Microsoft Nokia buy nears EU approval
Microsoft's bid to buy Nokia's mobile phone business will likely gain approval from the European Union, according to sources close to the approval process. Persons familiar with the matter told Reuters this week that the European Commission is close to clearing the Nokia buy without any preconditions. The $7.2 billion transaction will remove Nokia from the mobile device manufacturing segment, while securing Microsoft as a company that makes not only software but computing hardware as well.
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11/22, 6:16am
Microsoft Xbox One delivers a slick, engaging user experience
The console wars have begun in earnest with the launch of the Microsoft Xbox One. The new console promises to be a one-stop shop for all of your entertainment needs, from gaming and socializing, through to watching Blu-ray discs, TV and streaming entertainment apps. In this first look at the Microsoft Xbox One, we take a quick look at its user interface and its gaming chops. Microsoft may have had its hiccups ahead of the launch of the Xbox One, but all of that will quickly be forgotten now that it is in the hands of consumers. So how is shaping up so far?
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11/21, 4:40pm
Nokia will be moving to nearby building from old HQ
As part of the deal that sold off its mobile operations, Nokia will also be handing over its massive headquarters in Espoo, Finland, to Microsoft. TechCrunch reported on Thursday that Nokia is "quietly preparing to move out" of its Espoo headquarters, with Microsoft taking over the facility when the deal as the deal is completed over the next few months. The staff remaining with Nokia, though, won't be moving too far away, as the company will relocate to a building nearby in Karaportti.
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11/21, 1:18pm
Allows easier editing of Office documents
Microsoft has released a v4.0 iOS client update for SkyDrive, its cloud storage service. The centerpiece of the update is Camera Backup, which like Dropbox or Google+ can now automatically upload new images saved to a device's Camera Roll. The app has also been given a visual overhaul, bringing it into line with iOS 7.
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11/20, 7:13pm
Solves crashing issue in Polish edition of Word, more
Microsoft on Wednesday updated its flagship Mac program, Office for Mac - bringing the current version to 14.3.9. The update fixes numerous bugs in Outlook and Word, including a crashing issue that would happen when starting up the Polish version of Word for Mac 2011 under OS X 10.9 Mavericks. The fixes not only apply the desktop version of Office 2011, but also on-premises versions of Microsoft Exchange Server (2007, 2010 and 2013 Cumulative Update 3) and MS Exchange Online in Office 365.
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11/19, 9:46pm
App interfaces with console rather than Microsoft server, limiting latency
Preceding the Xbox One console release, Microsoft has rolled out a new SmartGlass app for iOS. Simply titled "Xbox One SmartGlass," the new app will carry the same basic features as the current version for the Xbox 360. Gamers will also be able to take advantage of multiplayer matchmaking from their mobile device on the new console, or tap a Help button to get contextually-aware assistance during a game.
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11/19, 5:42pm
ZTE to continue making Windows Phones, launch smartwatch
Chinese mobile device maker ZTE says it will launch a smartwatch device in the first quarter of 2014, according to a new report. He Shiyou, executive vice president and head of ZTE's handset business, told The Financial Times on Sunday that the firm will enter the burgeoning wearable technology market next quarter with a smartwatch, and he hinted that ZTE is also looking into connected eyewear like Google's Glass device. The ZTE exec also reaffirmed his company's commitment to making phones running Windows Phone 8 operating system, despite the fact that Microsoft has entered the phone hardware market with its purchase of Nokia's mobile operations.
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11/19, 10:58am
Transfer of Nokia division to Microsoft expected to complete in early 2014
Shareholders at Nokia have approved the sale of the company's Devices and Services arm to Microsoft. Those eligible to vote overwhelmingly accepted the deal, with 99.7 percent agreeing to take the 5.44 billion euro ($7.35 billion) deal, and removes one more hurdle in Microsoft's quest to own part of Nokia's hardware business.
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11/18, 5:18am
Tools, search query blocks follow after British Prime Minister speech
Google and Microsoft have been working together to block requests for indecent images and video of children from their search engines, Google chairman Eric Schmidt has announced. Blocks on specific requests as well as new tools have been created in response to a request for help from British Prime Minister David Cameron.
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11/17, 8:30am
Ballmer admits he may be holding the company back
Outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal this week that his occupation of the top spot at the software giant may in fact be holding Microsoft back from a fuller move into the new computing paradigm. The Microsoft chief expressed his love for the company that he helped build and has helmed since Bill Gates stepped down as CEO, but he admitted that it was time for a new leader to step in. "Maybe I'm an emblem of an old era," Ballmer said, "and I have to move on."
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11/14, 10:20am
Project brings awareness to botnets, other threats
Microsoft has built a new Cybercrime Center headquarters to highlight its fight against cybercrime. The Redmond-based project, which the company readily admits is a "CSI kind of place," appears to be focused on building awareness of potential threats and promoting Microsoft's efforts to combat cybercrime.
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11/12, 1:02pm
Windows daily downloads increase 38.56 percent since June
Microsoft's Windows 8 platform continues to see slow improvement, though it still lags far behind Android and iOS in terms of the new computing paradigm. The software giant revealed to developers this week that Windows and Windows 8.1 see roughly 1.7 million daily application downloads, according to TechCrunch. During the month of October, roughly 51.2 million paid and free applications were downloaded from the Windows Store.
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11/09, 3:25pm
Lucky Xbox lovers get first crack at next-gen systems
A number of Xbox fans report that they have received the next-generation Xbox One console weeks before the new console's scheduled release date. At least one Twitter user, going by the handle @Moonlightswami, reports having received his pre-ordered Xbox One console, and others are said to have also received their units ahead of the November 22 launch. Reportedly, the cause of the early deliveries is the faulty – or fortuitous – pre-order system of Target, which has delivered a number of consoles ahead of time, leading to some showing up on eBay.
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11/08, 5:15pm
Tech giants considered picking off parts of BlackBerry
BlackBerry's board of directors rejected Apple, Microsoft, Lenovo, and other tech players' expressed interest in acquiring parts of the struggling Canadian phone maker's operations, according to a new report from Reuters. The news comes days after BlackBerry abandoned its plans to put itself up for sale and dismissed Thorsten Heins from his role as chief executive. The report is the first indicating that Apple was interested in securing portions of BlackBerry, as the iPhone maker was not regularly mentioned among potential suitors for the company.
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11/08, 11:36am
Elop would shift Office tactics as MS CEO
Former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, if named as the next Microsoft CEO, would reportedly consider spinning off the company's Xbox and Bing divisions. A report from Bloomberg cites sources familiar with Elop's thinking in claiming that he would strike out in a direction quite different from that of outgoing CEO Steve Ballmer. Under Elop, the report holds, Microsoft would refocus on its popular Office suite, but with the aim of pushing Office onto as many platforms as possible.
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11/07, 2:30pm
Real-time collaboration competes with Google
Microsoft has introduced a range of new features to its Office 365 web apps, strengthening the free productivity tools amid a growing rivalry with Apple's iWork suite. Real-time co-authoring is the focal point for the web-based utilities, enabling multiple users to simultaneously collaborate on the same project. The feature essentially catches up with the capabilities of iWork and Google Docs.
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11/07, 2:17pm
Apple beats out Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Google
Apple's ongoing sales successes have propelled the iPhone and iPad maker to a third straight year at the top of Forbes' list of the World's Most Valuable Brands. The mobile device maker's brand was valued at $104.3 billion, nearly twice the value of the second-place finisher, Microsoft. Rounding out the top five were Coca-Cola, IBM, and Google.
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11/07, 12:26pm
Call recording, Skype-specific hardware to continue working through API
Microsoft has altered its plan of ending support for its Skype Desktop API, following feedback from users. Compatibility with Skype-enabled hardware and call recording apps will continue to be offered in the communications tool, though the same reprieve will not be extended to chat via third-party applications, which will end in December as originally planned.
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11/07, 10:12am
Bug bounty offers up to $5,000 for vulnerabilities in server software
Microsoft is teaming up with Facebook to offer more bounties for bugs and flaws in software used to by a vast majority of websites. The Internet bug bounty, HackerOne, sees the two companies paying cash prizes of between $300 and $5,000 in exchange for details for vulnerabilities in server-based software and frameworks such as PHP, Ruby, Rails, OpenSSL, and Apache httpd.
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11/06, 11:43am
Eight candidates believed to remain in contention for top Microsoft role
Former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is now even closer to becoming the next chief executive of Microsoft, after the software producer narrowed its external candidate list to approximately five people, according to a report. Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Oracle president Mark Hurd are said to still be in the running alongside Elop, with the list severely cut down from the initial 40 names.
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11/04, 1:33pm
Nokia doubles down on Windows RT tablets with Illusionist
Nokia may release a Windows RT-powered 8-inch tablet in the near future, doubling down on its investment in Microsoft's troubled mobile Windows platform. Serial tech secret leaker @evleaks tipped the existence of a device code-named Illusionist on Monday, though the tweet did not give a time frame for the Illusionist's launch. An 8-inch device would complement Nokia's existing Windows RT-powered Lumia 2520, which is a 10.1-inch slate.
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11/04, 5:16am
Third-party apps, accessories will stop working with Skype in December
Third party applications, add-ons and accessories will soon cease to function with Skype, according to a new dialog box warning appearing when the app starts up. The change, which will take place in December, could end up rendering a large number of Skype-specific hardware either partly or entirely non-functional to users.
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10/31, 7:50pm
Apple, Microsoft part of 'Rockstar' patent holding company
The patent "supergroup" Rockstar that includes Apple, Microsoft, Blackberry, Ericsson, and Sony is suing Google, Samsung, and Huawei over seven patents. The patents were purchased at auction by Rockstar, and involve technologies that helps to pair Internet search terms with advertising related to the search.
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10/29, 8:24pm
Problem with processors, motherboards supporting one instruction blocks update
Windows 8.1 brought with it a host of improvements to its core version, but a specific class of hardware is blocked from upgrading to the service pack from vanilla Windows 8. Adding to the problem is Microsoft's declaration that it will no longer provide security updates or other patches for the original Windows 8 release after 2015.
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10/29, 8:16am
Lumia sales improve year-on-year from 2.9M to 8.8M
Nokia has made an unexpected operating profit of 118 million euros ($162 million) for the third quarter, according to its latest financial results. The profit, stemming from net sales of 5.66 billion euros ($7.8 billion), is a marked turn-around from the $755 million lost for the same period last year, and helps to compensate for the $151 million operating loss it endured in the second quarter.
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10/28, 7:16am
Apps can be snapped to side of screen by verbal commands
Microsoft has shown off how its Xbox One game console will work for multitasking between games and apps. A short video demonstrating quick switching and actions by voice commands through Kinect also shows how game players will be able to use multiple apps at the same time, as well as sharing content with other users.
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10/25, 12:25pm
Dock being sold in limited numbers before wider availability in 2014
Microsoft has started selling a docking station for the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2, with sales said to be in limited quantities before wider availability next year. The dock's appearance is accompanied by Microsoft demonstrating one of its recently-announced Surface covers, one which is dedicated to music creation and playback.
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10/25, 5:13am
Twitter profile image redownloads fault in Windows Phone
A feature in Windows Phone is causing device owners to unexpectedly use high amounts of data, which could be potentially expensive for some phone users. An issue in the operating system's Twitter integration has devices frequently redownloading profile images from the service, an issue that Microsoft has been quick to confirm exists.
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10/24, 5:34pm
Positive financials driven by enterprise sales
Microsoft has posted its fiscal first-quarter financials, reaching a record revenue of $18.53 billion with a net profit of $5.24 billion. The company credits enterprise sales and improving consumer demand with helping to drive growth, however the disclosures point to a seven-percent slide in Windows OEM revenue.
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10/24, 8:10am
Surface 2 offers some key improvements over the original
The Microsoft Surface 2 is being positioned as a productivity tablet, and when it comes to Office productivity there can be little doubt that the Surface 2 delivers on this promise. However, so far it seems as though this is not entirely what consumers are looking for in tablet if sales of the original are any gauge. Yet at the same time, there is a very strong market for keyboard accessories for Apple’s iPad. So, given the reality that many iPad users are looking to use a keyboard with their iPad, is a tablet that makes a keyboard a more integral part of the overall design worth another look? Read on in our review of the Microsoft Surface 2.
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10/24, 5:59am
Microsoft cuts price of original Surface Pro by another $100
Microsoft has cut the price of its Surface Pro yet again, following the launch of its revised Windows tablet line. The original discounted price of $799 for the base 64GB model has been lowered by another $100 to $699, reports The Next Web, with the 128GB and 256GB versions selling for $799 and $999 respectively. This new discounted price, just like the earlier one, will only apply in the US and Canada and is said to expire at the end of this year, though Microsoft may choose to make it permanent again.
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10/23, 8:29pm
Frank Shaw blasts iPad event
Microsoft communications head Frank Shaw has blasted Apple's latest event and first impressions from attendees, claiming the "reality distortion field ... has extended beyond Cupertino." The executive argues that Microsoft's own Surface and Surface 2 devices represent cheaper alternatives to the new iPads, and, thanks to free Office software, are better suited to productivity tasks.
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10/23, 10:56am
Southwest complains over lack of approval for Microsoft-made app
A move by Microsoft to repackage popular mobile websites as apps for Windows Phone devices has hit some turbulence. A number of the Microsoft Web Apps under the initiative have been pulled from the service, with at least one company complaining about their web content being republished by Microsoft without its permission.
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