Microsoft

Microsoft is now warning Windows XP users that it will only support the aging operating system (OS) for one more year. Beyond that point, anyone still using it will be at risk. To get people off the old OS, Microsoft is offering a 15 per cent price ... reduction for businesses upgrading to Windows 8. April 8, 2014, will mark the end of extended support for people running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3), the last of the major updates to the system. Those who didn't apply the service packs are already out of the support window, though there's no charge to download these updates. Extended ... (view more)

Big fixes are now available for virtually every Microsoft operating system (OS), including the new Windows 8 and Windows RT. April's Patch Tuesday release addresses 'critical' vulnerabilities found in most versions of Windows. The first critical ... flaw focuses on Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser and applies to versions 6 through 10. The fix will address a flaw that could allow for a drive-by hack, meaning hackers could use the hole to attack machines by leading victims to websites laced with malware. Windows XP Through Windows 8 Systems Affected This means that virtually every ... (view more)

Microsoft communications leader Frank Shaw has taken a swipe at Facebook over 'Home,' its new mobile application for the Android platform. According to Shaw, it's an old idea. Home was recently unveiled by Facebook. It turns an Android device's ... screen into one big Facebook News Feed, thereby limiting applications to the background. Overall, it's designed to make accessing news easier than before. According to Facebook chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg, it's part of Facebook's plan to put people ahead of apps. Idea Two Years Old, Microsoft Exec Says But Microsoft's Frank Shaw thinks the ... (view more)

Microsoft may very well be the most recognizable name in the technology industry. But a new report suggests that the company could be virtually irrelevant in just four years' time unless a major change is made. The report comes from well-known ... analyst firm Gartner. Specifically, Gartner's report says that by 2017 shipments of Microsoft devices, or devices running Microsoft software (such as Windows and Office), could pale by comparison to shipments of similar goods based on Google properties. Beyond that, the report suggests that Apple hardware and software could be just as prevalent as ... (view more)

Several manufacturers of Windows RT tablet computers, including Amazon.com, have begun cutting the price of that hardware. But Microsoft is holding firm on the cost of its own tablet, the Surface. The price cuts are for tablet devices running ... Windows RT, an edition of Windows 8 specially designed for ARM processors that can usually be found in smartphones and not desktop or laptop computers. At first glance Windows RT devices look and feel like Windows 8 devices. However, they have a couple of big limitations: you can't switch to the traditional desktop mode used in previous editions of ... (view more)

Microsoft has hinted that smaller Surface tablet computers could be released in the near future. The hint comes in the form of new Windows 8 certification guidelines. According to these new guidelines, Microsoft will soon be able to support compact ... resolutions (and screen sizes), allowing manufacturers to create Surface tablet displays measuring between 7- and 8-inches in diameter. The document goes on to suggest that support will be offered for resolutions as low as 1024x768. Coincidently, this is one of the most popular resolutions for smaller tablet screens. In comparison, current ... (view more)

A Canadian woman whose son was the victim of an Xbox hack says Microsoft refused to offer any assistance in the matter. Instead, it was the game's publisher, Electronic Arts (EA), that offered to compensate Jennifer Stubbs for the hack. Stubbs' ... 11-year-old son Dylan recently alerted his mother to some strange activity on his Xbox Live account. Upon further review, it appeared someone had hacked her son's account and purchased about $300 in virtual goods. Hacker Access Account, Makes Purchases "I wasn't aware that these purchases were happening," Stubbs said. "Someone had gone into our device ... (view more)

A new study commissioned by Microsoft and carried out by researchers at IDC has found that most counterfeit software includes some kind of malware. The researchers also estimate that the total value of the counterfeit software market now exceeds ... $100 billion. IDC recently published its findings in a report titled "The Dangerous World of Counterfeit and Pirated Software: How Pirated Software Can Compromise the Cybersecurity of Consumers, Enterprises, and Nations ... and the Resultant Costs in Time and Money." Most Counterfeit Software Laced with Malware In that report (which can be viewed in ... (view more)

Recently, an analyst for prominent research firm IDC indicated that Microsoft's decision to introduce two operating systems at the same time -- Windows 8 and Windows RT -- had "resulted in confusion on the consumer side." That led some insiders to ... suggest it was time for Microsoft to dump the feature-poor Windows RT and focus exclusively on pushing Windows 8. However, Microsoft has come out to say definitively that Windows RT is here to stay. ARM Development Keeps Microsoft Optimistic In a recent interview, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Windows Planning, Hardware, and PC Ecosystems ... (view more)

Microsoft's Windows Store has hit a new plateau: 50,000 applications. It's an impressive start for the Windows Store, though there's a long way to go to match similar stores from Apple and Google. Although the 50,000 app level is impressive, ... statistics show that the number of applications being submitted by developers each day has actually declined from late last year. (Source: venturebeat.com ) Back in December 2012, shortly after the Windows 8 launch, the Windows Store received about 400 new applications each and every day. However, by February 2013 that number was closer to 150. Microsoft ... (view more)