microsoft

An upcoming revamp of Microsoft's search engine Bing will allow users to pose queries on Facebook. It's the first visible partnership of its type between the two Internet companies. The new tools will come in the form of a separate sidebar. As long ... as users are signed in to Facebook (meaning they must have an account), the sidebar will be active each time a Bing search is made. Bing, Facebook Coordinate Search Results Once users have typed in their query, the sidebar will come up with a list of Facebook friends that Bing believes may be able to help out. For example, if users search on a ... (view more)

Last week Microsoft shocked many observers by revealing that the standard version of its upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS) will not include DVD support. In order to get that support, customers will have to upgrade to the more expensive ... version: Windows 8 Pro. Since announcing this news, Microsoft has responded to widespread criticism of its decision. At first, Microsoft claimed that the absence of DVD support was related to the emergence of ultrabooks and tablet computers. The software giant stated that the limitations of these hardware devices (they lack optical disc drives) would ... (view more)

Amid rumours that a new Xbox has recently entered production, Microsoft is attempting to maintain interest in its current video game console with a special promotion. Under the terms of the deal, customers who sign on for a two-year Xbox Live ... membership will receive a 4GB Xbox 360 and Microsoft Kinect peripheral for just $99. Purchased separately, the 4GB Xbox 360 retails for $199.99, the Kinect attachment for $149.99. That means that buying the two systems together would cost roughly $350, or $251 more than the price of this specially-priced hardware package. Xbox Live Membership Adds Up But ... (view more)

There was a time when Microsoft's Bing search engine, launched in mid-2009, was one of the hottest pages on the world wide web. But Bing's popularity has cooled since the days of its high-profile release. Today, Microsoft is 'searching' for ways to ... draw web users away from Google search and toward Bing. As part of this effort, Microsoft has introduced a major overhaul of the ways Bing displays its search results on its main page. The new strategy aims to "de-clutter" Bing's search results by getting rid of what the Redmond-based firm characterized as 'unnecessary distractions.' (Source: cnet. ... (view more)

Motorola has won a court ruling that bans the distribution of most major Microsoft products in Germany. However, it's not yet clear if the landmark ban will actually be enforced. A German court granted Motorola an injunction covering distribution of ... Windows 7, Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer, and the Xbox 360 video game console in that country. If the ban is ever enforced, it would prevent those software and hardware products from being sold in Germany -- presumably until the patent dispute between Microsoft and Motorola is finally settled. However, a U.S. court has issued a ruling ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch an Xbox-branded, cross-platform music streaming service along with its new Windows 8 operating system. Current expectations point to an unveiling of the new service at this year's E3 (Electronic ... Entertainment Expo) convention set for June, in Los Angeles. Microsoft is calling its new service 'Woodstock' and promises to offer its customers many more features than the music service's predecessor, Zune Music Pass. Rival Device Compatibility While 'Woodstock' will have an Xbox branding, it will not be limited to the video game console. Rather, the music ... (view more)

Weak security passwords and overlooked security updates have kept Conficker, a malware 'worm' first reported in 2008, alive and well. According to Microsoft, Conficker has not only survived, it is steadily infecting more corporate networks all the ... time. The Conficker worm was first detected in November, 2008. It targeted networks and tried to penetrate them by guessing at their login passwords. At this, it was surprisingly successful. The main reason for its success was that so many business users employ extremely weak passwords, including '12345', the word 'Password' and the default password ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly taking a more active role than ever before in the development of hardware for planned touchscreen Windows 8 ultrabooks. It's a change of strategy for a company that usually keeps to the software side of the business. ... Ultrabooks are slowly emerging as a popular new form factor for consumers who are showing remarkable interest in a light, portable laptop but who are not willing to compromise on performance and storage space. Although Apple's MacBook Air fits the description, the term 'ultrabook' is most often associated with Windows-based computer systems. Clamshell ... (view more)

Microsoft is rumored to be working on a web version of Skype that users could access directly through their browsers without needing to download and install software. According to Liveside.net, a number of new Microsoft job postings have popped up ... in recent weeks asking for job applications from developers with experience building HTML5-based apps for a project called "Skype for Browsers". (Source: webmonkey.com ) Because of its affiliation with Facebook, Skype (which was acquired by Microsoft last year) is already accessible through a browser, technically speaking. The Facebook version of ... (view more)

Microsoft SkyDrive 16.4 The new, free SkyDrive from Microsoft gives you automatic access to your files from almost every device: PCs, Macs, tablet computers and mobiles. Download the software now and you'll also get easy access to a variety of ... Microsoft programs, including OneNote, Handyscan, and Xobni. http://apps.live.com All-in-One Sidebar 0.7.15 All-in-One Sidebar (AiOS) is an ingenious control tool that makes the Firefox web browser far more powerful and convenient. Once it's installed on your computer, you can simply click on the left edge of your browser window to display downloads, ... (view more)