Microsoft

Microsoft has revealed that poor sales of its Surface RT tablet computer will cost it $900 million -- making a significant dent in the company's quarterly profits. Earlier this week Microsoft revealed price cuts across the full range of its Surface ... RT devices. That's the type of Surface running Windows RT, a special, slimmed-down version of Windows 8. Microsoft has now published its accounts for the three months ending in June and has included a $900 million writedown for Surface RT "inventory adjustments." (Source: cnet.com ) A writedown is where a company decides one of its assets -- in ... (view more)

New rumors suggest Microsoft is planning to develop its own touchscreen watch employing the 'Surface' brand used by the firm's first tablet computer . The watch would reportedly use a modified version of Microsoft's newest operating system (OS), ... Windows 8. The first rumors about a Microsoft smartwatch emerged earlier this year when The Wall Street Journal reported that the Redmond, Washington-based firm was working with Asian electronics suppliers to secure components for such a device. Surface Watch to Use Extremely Durable Materials Now, technology blog The Verge says it has learned that ... (view more)

First, Microsoft threw in a portable keyboard that previously cost over $100. Now, the firm is trying to persuade consumers to buy the Surface RT tablet computer by cutting the price by $150. The Surface is Microsoft's first tablet computer based on ... the Windows 8 operating system (OS). There are two versions -- the Surface RT, which runs the slimmed-down Windows RT OS, and the Surface Pro, which runs a full-fledged version of Windows 8. Surface RT's Limitations a Problem for Consumers As you might expect, the Surface RT is much cheaper -- roughly $500 compared to the Surface Pro's $1,000 ... (view more)

Microsoft is hoping to increase consumers' trust in its new Windows Store by unveiling a strict policy for uploaded apps. According to the firm, it will remove any applications that it finds may be vulnerable to hackers. Specifically, Microsoft says ... that any apps with critical security vulnerabilities will be placed on probation for 180 days (though Microsoft admits that this window could be extended in special cases). If the app's maker has not fixed the problem within that time period, Microsoft says it will remove the app from the Windows Store. (Source: windowsitpro.com ) In ... (view more)

On Thursday Microsoft unveiled its long-rumored restructuring plan , which will involve breaking Microsoft divisions into two major categories: devices and services. The restructuring plan also involves giving additional powers to a short list of ... talented managers. "Going forward, our strategy will focus on creating a family of devices and services for individuals and businesses that empower people around the globe at home, at work and on the go, for the activities they value most," noted Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer in his announcement about the plan. The ... (view more)

A new report suggests Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer will introduce major restructuring plans as early as this week. It's expected the reorganization scheme will involve giving some of the company's core units more independence. The ... report, which comes from The Wall Street Journal's AllThingsD technology blog, says Ballmer could unveil the restructuring plans in a meeting with company leaders this Thursday, July 11, 2013. Rumors of an impending Microsoft restructuring have been buzzing for some time. It's likely this upcoming announcement is designed to give investors a boost ... (view more)

One of Microsoft's leading executives has been acquired by a social media game company. Don Mattrick, who until recently headed Microsoft's Xbox division, will receive a $5 million signing bonus and stock awards totaling $40 million from Zynga. The ... 49-year-old Mattrick has been a major presence in the video game industry for many years now. He started his own game company at the age of 17 and subsequently sold the firm to Electronic Arts, where he worked until 2007. Xbox One Mired in Controversy Mattrick then made the jump to Microsoft, where he became a Senior Vice President and oversaw the ... (view more)

The Windows chief Microsoft fired just a month after the launch of Windows 8 is getting a big stock payout from the Redmond, Washington-based firm. The only condition: he can't say bad things about his former company. Steven Sinofsky was President ... of Microsoft's Windows division from 2009 until late last year. Prior to that time he had contributed to the development of several other Microsoft products, including the Office software suite. Sinofsky was also partly responsible for Microsoft's Surface tablet computer, the SkyDrive cloud storage service, and Outlook.com. He originally joined the ... (view more)

Another Patch Tuesday, another 'critical' update for Internet Explorer. This month's Patch Tuesday provides fixes for a total of seven security issues, the most important of which involves Microsoft's popular web browser. Microsoft says its Patch ... Tuesday fixes affect most versions of the Windows operating system, the .NET Framework, Silverlight, the Office software suite, Visual Studio, and Internet Explorer (IE). Each of these security bulletins is marked 'critical,' which is Microsoft's highest security rating. A seventh bulletin has been marked 'important' and is associated with Microsoft' ... (view more)

Microsoft officially unveiled its first major update to Windows 8, Windows 8.1, at the recent Build 2013 developer conference in San Francisco, California. Leading the presentation was company chief executive officer Steve Ballmer , who also ... discussed Internet Explorer 11 and new Windows 8.1-based hardware. Although there was much for Ballmer to talk about, the focus was clearly Windows 8.1 , otherwise known as 'Windows Blue.' The first big update to the Windows 8 platform will bring back the Start button and also offers users the option of booting directly to the desktop. Microsoft Sets Out ... (view more)