Microsoft

It's not a mystery: Microsoft is having a hard time selling its Surface RT tablet computer. To help boost sales, the firm is now offering previously very pricey peripherals for free with the purchase of the original device. Microsoft's Surface RT ... was released alongside Windows 8 last fall. However, unlike most Windows 8-based laptops and the more recently released Surface Pro tablet PC, Surface RT runs Windows RT, a slimmed-down version of the Windows 8 operating system (OS). The big difference between Windows RT and Windows 8: the only way to get apps for the former is through Microsoft's ... (view more)

We've known for some time that Microsoft is planning to update its newest operating system, Windows 8, with Windows Blue (otherwise known as Windows 8.1). Now, the firm has revealed the changes Windows Blue will bring. For one, the long-missed Start ... button is making a return. The bad news: the Start menu isn't coming with it. According to reports, clicking the Start button will bring users to Windows 8's new Start screen. That means they won't gain access to the list of recent and popular applications that popped up when someone clicked the Start button in Windows 7. Boot Directly to the ... (view more)

Microsoft now says that more than 1 million people have signed up for the firm's new Office 365 Home Premium service. The firm feels this is an indication that consumers are willing to forego physical software and embrace cloud-based services. On ... Wednesday Microsoft announced that the new Office "is officially the best-selling Office edition yet, with more than one sold every second on average since it launched." To reach that conclusion Microsoft is counting all sales of Office, not just Office 365. Office 365 the Fastest-Selling Office, Ever However, the firm did note that it has now sold ... (view more)

What's the best way for Microsoft to improve its financial outlook? Sell off two prominent properties: its Xbox video game division and its Bing search engine. At least, that's the opinion of Rick Sherlund, an analyst for Nomura Equity Research. In ... a report released earlier this week, Sherlund argues that selling off the Xbox and Bing properties could help Microsoft from a financial standpoint. Bing Division Consistently in the Red First, selling Bing does make some sense. After several years competing with industry heavyweight Google, Microsoft's online services division continues to report ... (view more)

Having trouble adjusting to the new Windows 8 operating system (OS)? Microsoft says it's about to release new mice specially designed to make navigating the OS' user interface (UI) a whole lot easier. Actually, Microsoft has two new mice designed to ... make Windows 8 more accessible for desktop users. First, there's the Sculpt Mobile Mouse, which connects wirelessly to any Windows 8 device, including laptops, desktops, and tablet computers. Like most other wireless mice, the Sculpt Mobile Mouse features a dongle that can be stored inside when a user is on the move. Start Screen Button Makes ... (view more)

Microsoft has officially unveiled the next version of its popular Xbox video game console. But the new 'Xbox One' is a whole lot more than just a gaming system: instead, it's a powerful machine that should draw the attention of gamers and non-gamers ... alike. First and foremost, the Xbox One features some impressive hardware specifications. It comes with an 8-core processor, 8GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, USB 3.0 ports, and WiFi Direct capabilities. Unlike the Xbox 360, the Xbox One comes equipped with a Blu-ray drive, meaning you can finally watch high-definition movies from a disc. An octacore (8- ... (view more)

A new report suggests that many Windows 8 users aren't using the new operating system's many touch-friendly applications. That finding suggests Microsoft's big gamble with Windows 8 -- building an operating system (OS) with touch screen devices in ... mind -- simply isn't paying off right now. If there's one thing that sets Windows 8 apart from its predecessors -- including Windows 7, Vista, and Windows XP -- it's the focus on touch-friendly applications. The operating system's new user interface (once known as 'Metro') is clearly designed for touch screen laptops and tablet computers. The best ... (view more)

Earlier this year a number of privacy organizations raised alarms about the way Microsoft shared Skype users' private information. Now, a new report suggests that Microsoft itself is closely monitoring messages sent between Skype users. Technology ... blog Ars Technica says it has learned that Microsoft is actively scanning messages containing HTTPS URLS, or URLs associated with secure websites. Microsoft Monitoring, Storing Links Ars writer Dan Goodin says he's also learned that Microsoft is scanning these messages as a form of fraud prevention and that the firm is logging the results for an ... (view more)

A new report from Forrester Research says Windows 8 will not become an enterprise standard. In fact, the report says that by the time another version of Windows becomes available, Windows 7 will remain the enterprise crowd's chosen operating system ... (OS). Forrester analyst David Johnson says that means Windows 8 can be considered nothing less than a major letdown for Microsoft. "I have to believe Microsoft expected better enterprise adoption for Windows 8," noted Johnson, who acted as lead author on Forrester's report titled "IT Will Skip Windows 8 As The Enterprise Standard." (Source: pcworld ... (view more)

Microsoft has officially announced the first upgrade to Windows 8 operating system (OS) will be available on June 26, 2013. There will be no charge, so long as you already own the OS. According to a Microsoft blog post, the new software "will be a ... free update to Windows 8 for consumers through the Windows Store." That suggests users may need to manually install the update and that it won't be downloaded and installed automatically. (Source: windows.com ) The June 26 release will be a "public preview," meaning it won't be installed on new computers until later on. Update Known As Windows 8.1 ... (view more)