Microsoft

Microsoft Security Essentials has put on a mediocre showing in a series of recent tests run by international examiners AV-Test.org. The results were deemed so poor that Microsoft actually placed 20th out of 22 antivirus products tested. MSE Strong ... at Detecting Known Variants Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0 (MSE) started off the testing procedures relatively strong when required to uncover malware drawn from industry-agreed Wildlist selection, including malware variants such as the Koobface virus . In this test, Microsoft Security Essentials finished with an impressive detection rate of 100 ... (view more)

Microsoft and Research in Motion (RIM) have announced a partnership that will see the Redmond-based firm's Bing search engine used on the BlackBerry. It's a surprise move that some are speculating might indicate an even deeper relationship in the ... future between the two tech giants. The Bing announcement was made at the recent BlackBerry World trade show, when RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis shocked the crowd by introducing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Together, the two revealed that Bing will soon be found on both the BlackBerry (and its various iterations) and the newly-released RIM PlayBook ... (view more)

A new poll suggests that adoption of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system by IT (information technology) organizations is proceeding slower than expected. The survey found that just one in four companies reported having already moved to the ... operating system, while more than half said they'd not made any progress in doing so. The poll comes courtesy of Unisys Corp., a Pennsylvania-based provider of IT services and technologies. It conducted the survey of 133 firms two months ago, and found that 53 per cent of all respondents reported that they either "haven't started" moving to Windows 7 or ... (view more)

Microsoft has been accused of patent abuse by Barnes & Noble by allegedly preventing manufacturers from using Google's Android operating system (OS), a product which competes with the Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system. The accusation comes ... just over a month after Microsoft filed suit against Barnes & Noble company for allegedly infringing on a number of patents with its new Nook e-reader device. Microsoft Declares 5 Ways Nook Infringes on Patent Back in March, Microsoft accused Barnes ... (view more)

Ron Markezich, the new Microsoft sales chief for enterprises and partners in the United States, recently told the media that he believes companies spend six times more than the original cost of Microsoft software in order to get it to operate ... properly. The controversial claim has lead many to believe that Markezich is downplaying the capabilities of the software his company provides. Said Markezich, "Every dollar you spend on software from Microsoft, you spend six dollars trying to get it to do anything." No doubt, this admission is quite surprising, especially considering that Markezich's ... (view more)

The Windows XP operating system is over a decade old, and Microsoft would love nothing more than to see all XP users world-wide upgrade to Windows 7 . To reinforce that message, the Redmond firm has recently released a desktop gadget that counts ... down the seconds to the day it will officially cease support for Windows XP once and for all. Microsoft Treats Windows XP as an Addiction It appears as if the software giant is casting XP users in the same light as those suffering from an addiction and in need of help. On the Microsoft download web site, the message reads as follows: "Looking to get ... (view more)

Microsoft now has an app available for the Apple iPad based on the Bing search engine , with a few interesting features thrown in to make it unique. The iPad already comes with a built-in Safari browser that includes a search bar, but the Bing app ... makes this feature appear larger in comparison. Bing Features Exclusive to iPad With the exclusive iPad Bing app, Microsoft has added voice search to grab the attention of impartial users. (Source: cnet.com ) When conducting a search, a tile pops up on the right side of the screen acting as a tab. However, the tile features a highlight tool that ... (view more)

Credible reports suggest Microsoft users will be able to carry a copy of Windows 8 in their pocket. It also appears personal settings can be synchronized to the web to allow remote access when on the move. The details come through leaked screenshots ... of what's formally known as Build 7850, but commonly referred to as Milestone 1: the first full-fledged developmental edition of Windows 8. Windows 8 Build 7850 was released to developers late last year but details have only just leaked. Of course, Microsoft is keeping quiet about whether the leaks are genuine, so there's no cast-iron guarantee ... (view more)

A Microsoft executive has jumped ship to the company's bitter rival, Apple. Kevin Timmons, general manager of Microsoft's Datacenter Services unit, has reportedly announced plans to leave the Redmond-based firm with rumors suggesting he'll soon take ... a similar position at the Cupertino, California competitor. "Kevin Timmons, general manager of Datacenter Services, has decided to pursue other career opportunities and is no longer working at Microsoft," a Microsoft representative noted in an April 15 email to tech blog, eWEEK. "We appreciate the contributions he made to Microsoft during his time ... (view more)

Windows Vista users might have dodged a bullet when Microsoft decided to cut Internet Explorer 9 support from Windows XP. However, it's not the case with Internet Explorer 10. "Windows Internet Explorer Platform Preview (for Internet Explorer 10) ... does not support any operating system earlier than Windows 7," is the warning message that appears for those who don't run Windows 7 and attempt to install Internet Explorer 10 preview, which was just recently released to the public . Microsoft Imposes Forced Modernization In a release note published earlier this week, a spokeswoman for ... (view more)