Microsoft

Ohio-based firm Impulse Technology has sued Microsoft for allegedly ripping off the idea behind the Xbox Kinect, Microsoft's new and very popular hands-free gaming peripheral for the Xbox 360 video game console. According to Impulse, Microsoft ... infringed on its patents for motion-sensing technology. The lawsuit was filed earlier this month in the U.S. District Court in Delaware, says Law 360, an American online media company that tracks and publishes legal news. Big-Time Game Companies Named in Suit The suit also names a number of popular video game makers, including Ubisoft (responsible for ... (view more)

Microsoft might be experimenting with its own take on social networking after an image resembling a new platform was accidentally leaked to the public. Called "Tulalip" after the name of a group of Native American tribes in Washington state, the ... social networking service is designed to enable users to "find what you need and share what you know easier than ever." These images were first found on the Microsoft-owned domain socl.com. Microsoft did not reveal whether the images of the platform suggested a social network or a social search site, which would mean some kind of association with the ... (view more)

Microsoft has released a new tool to help scientists and other researchers access the power of cloud computing . Project Daytona could help them analyze data in a more efficient and affordable manner. Cloud System Uses Decentralized Computing The ... project builds on Microsoft's could-based Windows Azure system. That doesn't simply mean storing information online, but also using remote computers to carry out tasks. Cloud computing can range from relatively simple tasks, such as accessing email on services such as Hotmail, to more complex tasks, such as the way some websites run through databases ... (view more)

Microsoft is offering a $250,000 reward for information regarding the owners of the Rustock spam botnet , despite the fact the it has already been neutralized. Rustock at one point infected an estimated one million computers. Those behind it used ... the network to send as many as 30 million spam messages a day, most commonly selling counterfeit drugs. (Source: latimes.com ) Although the botnet has been brought under control, there's still a threat because its creators remain at large. As a result, Microsoft has issued a bounty. The reward is $250,000 and will be paid to anyone who provides "new ... (view more)

There's a rumor floating around that Microsoft may drop the "Windows" name altogether. But few are putting much stock in it. The claim comes from a story covering this week's Worldwide Partner Conference, at which a Microsoft representative said ... that while Windows 8 is being targeted to run on desktops, notebooks, netbooks and tablets alike, the system after that may be designed to run on all types of hardware, including smartphones and even the Xbox 360 video game console. The report claims that insider sources suggest there's more to the announcement: "Microsoft is seriously considering ... (view more)

It's not exactly been a well-kept secret, but Microsoft appears to have confirmed the next edition of its operating system (OS) will indeed be called Windows 8. The news comes as a date emerges for the first public beta of the system, as well as a ... way for users to take a look at its design right now. To date, Microsoft has not given an official name to the new system, often taking great care to avoid doing so. However, in a newly published promotional website for a hardware and software developer conference this September, the company specifically uses the term 'Windows 8', specifically in ... (view more)

Tomorrow is the second Tuesday of the month, which means it's Microsoft Patch Tuesday . This month's patches address 22 software vulnerabilities and are associated with four security updates that address flaws in Microsoft Windows and Visio 2003. ... Without applying the patches, PCs remain vulnerable to attacks. Only one of the security updates has been marked "critical." So far, this is the third-most number of fixes offered in a single month for 2011. The number of fixes this month (22) is behind 34 patches issued in June and the record-breaking 64 vulnerabilities addressed in April ... (view more)

Microsoft security experts are having their credentials called into question after sending out premature warnings to users urging them to protect themselves against a new form of covert malware. The Trojan was believed to be so indestructible that ... only a reinstallation of the entire Windows operating system would remove its presence. Microsoft first took notice of the Trojan (called Win32/Popureb.E.) sometime last week. After weighing its potential for harm, security officials reasoned that it contained a rootkit hiding beneath an infected machine's boot sector. Trojan Swaps Write Operation ... (view more)

Microsoft has released a software development kit (SDK) for its hands-free Xbox 360 peripheral, Kinect, on Windows. It means software developers of all kinds will be able to use the Xbox 360 motion control system on PC applications. Kinect was ... originally designed as Microsoft's answer to the Nintendo Wii games console, which became popular with family audiences by letting them use simple hand gestures rather than complex button combinations. Microsoft Kinect Uses Motion without Controller Unlike the Nintendo Wii, and a similar system developed by Sony called 'Move', Kinect did away with ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly planning to integrate Skype into the online edition of the Microsoft Office suite. But there's controversy over a Microsoft patent that would allow government officials the ability to monitor calls made by Skype users. ... Microsoft Office 365 Launches June 28, 2011 Office 365 officially launched this week. It works the same way as the traditional Office package but the software runs on Microsoft servers and is accessed via an Internet connection (this is an example of " cloud computing ", which uses the " centralized computing " model to share ... (view more)