Microsoft

"Don't get too used to the way Windows looks" was the message relayed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at a recent Houston Technology Center luncheon. Ballmer says he figures the Windows operating system (OS) found on most PCs right now will look a ... whole lot different in just five years time. Windows "will look a lot different and it will run different applications," Ballmer told members of the local business community during a presentation at Union Square in Houston's Minute Maid Park. With many new technology innovations making their way into mainstream, MS Windows needs to keep up ... (view more)

The Microsoft Zune media player is officially dead. Amidst steadily declining sales, Microsoft has reportedly decided to stop producing the handheld MP3 player, once characterized as an 'iPod Killer' by the hopeful Redmond-based firm. Released in ... 2006, the Zune initially had techies excited for several reasons. For one, the design and build quality was top-notch. Others liked the subdued colors, such as brown. But most interesting about the Zune was the ability to share music across different Zune players. For instance, if one Zune owner downloaded a song, he or she could share that tune with ... (view more)

Microsoft is in some hot water after one of their latest Twitter posts was misconstrued as a ploy to use the horrific natural disasters in Japan to promote the Bing search engine. Since the now-upgraded 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck last week, the ... media has reported hundreds of people killed, and thousands more missing. A subsequent tsunami, which slammed parts of northeastern Japan, has sent the death toll skyrocketing still higher. In the aftermath of such devastation, Microsoft sent out the following tweet early Saturday morning: "How can you #SupportJapan -- http://binged.it/fEh7iT ? ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) will be released on Monday, March 14, 2011. However, both the date and the chosen venue for the official launch are a little surprising. The final version of the new browser will be available to ... download from 9PM PST (Pacific Standard Time) March 14th. To mark the occasion, Microsoft is holding an official launch part in Austin, Texas as part of the SXSWi (South by Southwest Interactive) Festival. (Source: windowsteamblog.com ) The setting is a surprising choice. For one, the festival is a tech-based spinoff from a better-known ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that its Kinect Xbox 360 add-on has surpassed the 10 million unit sales mark. According to Guinness World Records, that makes it officially the fastest-selling electronics device in history. Microsoft's Kinect is a hands-free ... gaming device that attaches to the company's Xbox 360 video game console. It sells for $150 independently, or $399.99 bundled with the Xbox 360 Elite. The console is required for it to work. Kinect Officially the "Fastest-Selling Consumer Electronics Device" The considerable cost involved in purchasing a Kinect bundle apparently hasn't ... (view more)

In a break from the ordinary, this month's Microsoft Patch Tuesday features relatively few fixes for the software giant's many products. There are just three security bulletins for the month of March, covering about four distinct security flaws in ... various software. The lull is somewhat unexpected after several months of record-breaking patch releases by Microsoft. By comparison, February had a total of twelve security bulletins , three of which were marked "critical", the company's highest threat warning. One 'Critical' Security Bulletin Issued for March This month, just one of the three ... (view more)

A Microsoft executive is raising a few eyebrows after making the controversial claim that everyone in the computer industry should own an Apple notebook. The statement came via a Twitter.com post in which Rahul Sood suggested that "Every executive ... in the PC industry should use an Apple notebook. Apple doesn't just design products, they designed their business and process (as well)." (Source: engadget.com ) While it's most certainly a bold statement to make for a Microsoft employee, the situation is further bewildering considering the fact that Sood has only held the title of Microsoft's ... (view more)

Using Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) to browse the Internet is one of the worst decisions someone can make. It's the browser equivalent of Swiss cheese, used by hackers and malware goons time and time again to circumvent its extremely weak ... security controls and infect users with malicious software. Thus, it's no surprise that Microsoft has announced a deathwatch for the decade-old Internet Explorer 6, which surprisingly still maintains a 12 per cent share of global usage (with half of that number coming from China). Microsoft says it wants to drive down IE6's share of the browser pie ... (view more)

In an effort to capitalize on the rising popularity of smartphone apps, Microsoft is now allowing their employees to moonlight as self-directed entrepreneurs to help improve the image of the company in the mobile market. To make smartphones that ... house their Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system more marketable in an industry dominated by iPhone and Android-based devices , Microsoft is planning to offer their prospective customers more apps than any other smartphone on the market. App Rules Relaxed in Light of Development While an admirable endeavor, putting the plan into practice still ... (view more)

For the most part, Microsoft has kept a tight lid on its plans for Windows 8. It's not surprising, since the Redmond-based firm remains committed to its current operating system (OS), Windows 7. But recent rumors suggest that could change in June, ... when Microsoft will reportedly unveil a special Windows 8 tablet OS. The report comes from Business Insider, which says its evidence is based on a source within Microsoft. According to Business Insider, "Microsoft is taking a more Apple-like approach to interface design this time around, and will also be using concepts from the 'Metro' interface ... (view more)