microsoft

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is reportedly poised to join Microsoft in its bid to takeover Yahoo. The talks between News Corporation and Microsoft are hush-hush, but insiders say an eventual deal might see Murdoch chip in some cash for the ... takeover and hand over his Interactive Media division, which owns MySpace. That could mean MySpace, the MSN network, and the Yahoo search engine would all be owned by the same group. Yahoo had already been talking with News Corporation themselves, but only in the hope of forming a partnership. They are trying to avoid the type of complete takeover ... (view more)

Two influential analysts have caused a media storm by claiming Microsoft Windows is in danger of collapsing. The claim came from Michael Silver and Neil McDonald, both vice presidents at Gartner, a prominent and profitable consulting firm. The VPs ... cited the increasing complexity of the Windows system, including Vista's 50 million lines of code. Such complexity has made release dates unpredictable and leaves many potential buyers sticking with older versions longer than Microsoft had budgeted. (Source: macdailynews.com ) This causes other problems; it takes too long for technical support ... (view more)

On April 5, Microsoft sent Yahoo an ultimatum to enter buyout negotiations or suffer a prolonged proxy contest for control. Less than 48 hours later, Microsoft received a response: sweeten the offer. Refuting Microsoft's claims that Yahoo was ... avoiding a takeover offer and that shareholders were interested in an agreement with Microsoft, CEO Jerry Yang wrote, "Contrary to statements in your letter, stockholders representing a significant portion of our outstanding shares have indicated to us that your proposal substantially undervalues Yahoo." (Source: shareholder.com ) However, Yang is not ... (view more)

Microsoft is applying the power of the microprocessor to a traditionally low-tech problem: traffic jams. The firm is launching a web service that will give driving directions specifically designed to avoid busy spots. It's based on a technology ... called 'Clearflow', which took researchers five years to develop. The idea is that every time traffic backs up, it causes an effect that spreads across adjoining roads. Clearflow can quickly measure and analyse the way live traffic problems affect side streets as well as major highways. The system will cover 72 cities and will be free to use as part of ... (view more)

We've all said it before, and this time I'll say it again -- if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. That's the phrase of the day for Microsoft, which appears to be developing its own 'Wiimote' for the Xbox 360. Thought it will undoubtedly raise the ire of ... Nintendo's ever-growing fanboy community, Microsoft's decision to launch a motion-sensitive controller with the likeness of the Wii's tiny remote makes perfect sense. Nintendo has long overtaken Microsoft in the console race, though the Xbox 360 still boasts an unmatched games library. Add some Wii to the equation -- ripped off or not -- and all ... (view more)

Microsoft's CEO Steven Ballmer sent a strongly worded letter to Yahoo's Board of Directors on Saturday declaring his frustration over the lack of progress on his company's offer to acquire the Internet portal. On Jan. 31, Microsoft made an offer to ... purchase Yahoo with a mix of cash and stocks worth $44.6 billion, 62 percent above Yahoo's market value. Since that time, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang has been busy considering alternatives to save the company including partnerships with Google, News Corp, and AOL. (Source: businessweek.com ) However, no substantive agreements have resulted and Microsoft's ... (view more)

In an effort to keep up with the special features available on the Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii, Microsoft has inked a deal with major Hollywood producer Peter Safran to post original shows for distribution exclusively on the company's own ... gaming console, the Xbox 360. This is not the first time that Microsoft has tried to present its audience with original digital entertainment using non-traditional systems. Two years ago, Microsoft was the brains behind the poorly received "MSN Originals" online television hotspot. (Source: nytimes.com ) But nothing could ever compare to the " ... (view more)

Not that it should come as any surprise, but Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1), Microsoft's first update to (the never ending nightmare known as) Windows Vista, has reportedly been causing more problems for users. When Windows Vista was ... released to the public over a year ago, a plethora of users found out that it was riddled with speed and compatibility issues. So much so that even Microsoft executives complained, as revealed by a pending class action lawsuit. As reported by our own John Lister, Microsoft recently released Windows Vista SP1 as a means to improve performance and ... (view more)

The first major update for Windows Vista is now available for download. Service Pack 1 can be manually downloaded from Microsoft's web site, or through Vista's built-in update facility. The download is between 434MB and 726MB depending on the type ... of computer, so many users will prefer to download it overnight. Those who choose not to install Service Pack 1 now will likely receive it through an automatic update in mid-April. Amazon will be stocking boxed copies of Vista with Service Pack 1 already installed after this week, though it's not clear when retail stores will do the same. Microsoft ... (view more)

The Supreme Court has ruled that Microsoft must defend itself against allegations it unfairly tried to undermine rivals as far back as the mid-1990s. The case stems from a 2004 lawsuit by software firm Novell, which claimed Microsoft "deliberately ... targeted and destroyed" its word processor WordPerfect and spreadsheet Quattro Pro. Novell alleges that Microsoft targeted the programs because they could run on non-Windows PCs. By making these programs less popular, Microsoft allegedly tried to make Windows a more attractive operating system. This week's case is the result of the 2004 lawsuit, ... (view more)