Business

Windows 8 has a totally new look and feel. But one company says it's not all that original and is suing Microsoft for copyright infringement. Portland tech firm SurfCast is suing Microsoft over its use of "live tiles" on the main display screen, the ... one that appears whenever a user starts up Windows. The tiles are the large rectangular blocks that link to various tools and applications; they're designed to make them easier to use on touchscreen devices. The tiles don't actually have a fixed image or text and they update automatically by using Internet resources. For example, a weather tile ... (view more)

Apple's chief executive officer has publicly criticized Microsoft's new tablet computer, the Surface. However, he admits that he has never actually used the device. Microsoft's Surface tablet launched last Friday. Priced at $399 and up, it's seen by ... many experts as a major threat to Apple's iPad, which has dominated the tablet market for several years. The Surface runs Microsoft's Windows RT operating system, a slimmed-down version of Windows 8. Versions of the Surface running fully-featured editions of Windows 8 are expected to hit the market in the coming months. Cook: Microsoft's Surface ... (view more)

According to a new Associated Press survey of 1,200 U.S. adults, 52 per cent of respondents haven't heard of Microsoft's Windows 8, which officially launched on October 26, 2012. But the numbers may soon increase. Some experts are suggesting the ... results are due to Microsoft's late start in running national television ads. For example, the first Windows 8 TV spot debuted October 15 during a Monday Night Football telecast. In addition, Microsoft has only started its push to convince consumers to upgrade from previous versions of the Windows operating system (OS). The software giant is ... (view more)

Yahoo has confirmed it will not honor "Do Not Track" requests from Microsoft's Internet Explorer 10 web browser. Do Not Track is designed to protect web browser users from having their Internet activity tracked. Experts say the Yahoo decision is ... based on the way Microsoft has implemented Do Not Track and is not a sign that Yahoo stands opposed to the basic concept. Do Not Track is designed to stop websites from passing details of a web browser's online activity to advertisers. It works by voluntary compliance with the Do Not Track request, not by any enforcement method. Advertisers argue that ... (view more)

Apple has announced that the people in charge of iOS and its retail store business are leaving the company. Surprisingly, industry analysts aren't concerned about the departures. Apple iOS chief Scott Forstall and retail executive John Browett have ... both announced they are leaving the Cupertino, California-based firm. Browett, who is leaving immediately, has been on the job only six months. Forstall has been with Apple for fifteen years. The company has previously said it considers him one of the lead architects of the firm's popular Mac OS X operating system. (Source: bostonherald.com ) Maps ... (view more)

Pricing has been announced for a new version of Microsoft Office 365 tailored specifically to university students, staff, and scholars. Microsoft says the software is available as a four-year subscription for $79.99. That works out to about $1.67 ... per month. Microsoft also says any student who continues their education beyond four years (say, by entering a graduate program) can renew their subscription to the software for four more years at the same price. Documents Automatically Saved to the Cloud Office 365 University automatically saves its documents to Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud storage ... (view more)

Windows 8, Microsoft's newest operating system (OS), launches today along with the firm's first tablet computer: the Surface. Yesterday, the company's chief executive officer Steve Ballmer appeared in New York to discuss the much-anticipated debut. ... "With Windows 8, we have brought together the best of all worlds, the PC and the tablet, your work and your life," Ballmer said in a presentation that was live-streamed across the Internet. "You log in once and see the device light up with your life, everything and everybody you care about," Ballmer said. "Picture your start screen filled with ... (view more)

Apple is facing a new kind of challenge to its popularity overseas: a group of Russian Orthodox Christians are calling the company's corporate logo "sacrilegious." The group bases this judgment on its spiritual standards and claims to have made it ... their mission to stop the iconic image from appearing in their region. The Apple logo, you may remember, was first created in 1976 by graphics designer Rob Janoff. Since then, the image has been emblazoned on many high-tech innovations, from the original Macintosh personal computer to the newest iPhone 5. Logo Conveys 'Forbidden Fruit' Imagery To ... (view more)

Early reviews of Microsoft's Surface tablet computer are beginning to appear online. Though they are mixed, a common theme is that the hardware design is impressive, but the software is a concern. Microsoft's Surface is designed for a niche between ... an iPad and a Windows-based laptop. It ships with only a touchscreen, but with a $100 carry case that includes a physical keyboard it can expand to function like a conventional laptop. The Surface goes on sale October 26, the day Windows 8 is officially released. The first models will run Windows RT, the special version of Windows 8 designed ... (view more)

Apple finally unveiled the long-rumored iPad Mini at a press event in San Jose, California, on Tuesday, October 23. The firm also showed off new versions of the standard iPad and a revamped MacBook Pro. The iPad Mini was clearly the star of this ... show, however. Despite former Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs having once dismissed 7-inch tablets, the firm has long been developing a device to compete in the rapidly growing lower-end tablet niche. 7.9-Inch Screen, No Retina Display, $329 The iPad Mini weighs just 0.68 pounds and measures only 7.2 millimeters thick. The screen is 7.9- ... (view more)