microsoft

In recent months, it seems corporate entities have held the upper hand in the great war between big business and underground hackers. The best example of this shift in power has been in the music industry, where conglomerates of major names (i.e. ... Sony) and protectorate groups (International Federation of Phonographic Industries) have been routinely "cleaning up" the once lawless peer-to-peer landscape. However, the hackers have finally struck back, releasing two separate programs to whittle away at the digital rights management (DRM) systems put in place by Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft and ... (view more)

A number of events are pouring out of Microsoft headquarters as the Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) launch approaches. Giddy representatives from the Redmond-based company made a few big announcements at the Leipzig Game Convention in Germany, including a ... host of new peripherals. In addition, one significant rumor on the Xbox 360 isn't coming from Microsoft itself, but does concern the console's future in Europe. First off, Microsoft's Xbox 360 console will be the primary home of soccer -- sorry "football" -- in the future. Just recently, The Big M made an announcement that it had achieved exclusive ... (view more)

Apple announced this past Tuesday that Google CEO Eric Schmidt has been appointed to the company's board of directors. Schmidt will still remain CEO of Google. Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO praised both Schmidt and Google saying that "Eric is obviously ... doing a terrific job as CEO of Google, and we look forward to his contributions as a member of Apple's board of directors … Like Apple, Google is very focused on innovation and we think Eric's insights and experience will be very valuable in helping to guide Apple in the years ahead." (Source: eetimes.com ) Schmidt brings to Apple 20 years of ...<a href="/news/1535/googles-ceo-joins-apples-board-directors" class="more-link">view more

Maybe everyone is just bored, tired, and a little restless. There haven't been any monumental releases lately, and Sony's highly anticipated Playstation 3 is still -- at best -- another eleven weeks away. Personally, I'll be okay. It's September, ... and north of the border, which means that the next version of the NHL series is about to make its slightly-updated re-appearance into the gaming world. With that said, it seems many writers covering the video game industry are just a bit frazzled with the current dry spell, with many coming out to question Sony's entire future and the importance of ... (view more)

You want proof that the seemingly endless number of antitrust suits against Microsoft is actually having some effect? Look to South Korea, where the Redmond-based company is currently launching a version of its operating system XP that has seen many ... of its prominent features removed. Late last year, long after its legal troubles began in the United States, a South Korean court found Microsoft guilty of monopolistic actions. At that time, the South Korean Fair Trade Commission lashed out at the Big M for its bundling of media player software and instant messaging with its newest operating ... (view more)

Although many are eagerly anticipating the release of Microsoft's new operating system (OS), Windows Vista, don't expect to ring in the New Year with it. Although Microsoft has been working feverishly to get Vista out within the first few days of ... 2007, a post for the operating system on Amazon.com has the product listed for January 30. (Source: amazon.com ) Vista is of course Microsoft's number one project as it juggles goals for the coming year. The Redmond-based company recently assigned its upcoming personal digital music player, the "Zune", to Toshiba for manufacturing, perhaps as a ... (view more)

The most significant problem with Microsoft's Xbox 360 console was not the alleged disc-reading hiccups or the reportedly faulty systems. No, the real issue with the Xbox 360 when it launched was that very few people, even some with preorders, could ... actually get their hands on the console. The limited number of 360s in North America created a mass outcry over Microsoft's handling of the launch, and seriously hurt the Big M's console reputation. Having witnessed that little November 2005 debacle, Sony is assuring the media that the Playstation 3 (PS3) will not have such issues. Despite the ... (view more)

I'm so proud to be Canadian. ;-) Months before its highly anticipated release, Microsoft Canada has -- accidentally it seems -- given the media an inside glance at Vista's pricing. Although the list was quickly ripped down, Ed Bott of ZDNet was able ... to take down many of the upcoming packages, and we'll share some of them with you here. (Source: microsoft-watch.com ) As we've discussed a bit in the past, there are two different schemes for installing (and paying for) Microsoft's new operating system. Those who have an OS upgradeable to Vista will save some significant moolah. For instance, an ... (view more)

As the major release of Vista approaches, Microsoft has officially announced that it will be buying back $16.2 billion worth of its stock by June of 2011. The move comes just hours after the close of its first tender, which included 155 million ... shares at a rate of $3.6 billion. All of these moves are said to be for the sole purpose of stimulating a rather dormant stock in the quiet moments before the release of Microsoft's anxiously awaited Vista. By officially adding the $16.2 billion buyback to its stock plans, Microsoft has now grown its total future expenditure to $36 billion. The move ... (view more)

Despite their competition with one another in the world of web browsers, Microsoft has reportedly invited the folks from Mozilla to its headquarters in Redmond, Washington for an information session designed to make Firefox (and other software ... products) more compatible with Vista. Like any operating system (OS), Vista will be successful or unsuccessful depending on the software it can run problem-free. Although Mozilla and Microsoft provide a fierce rivalry for one another with Firefox and Internet Explorer, respectively, the Redmond-based company clearly realizes that more people will ... (view more)