Microsoft

The signs of doom are all aligned for Windows RT, which looks like it could soon inhibit the same plane of oblivion currently occupied by Microsoft Bob. Ars Technica’s Peter Bright has written a thorough pre-obituary for the current incarnation of Microsoft’s first attempt at creating a tablet-centric operating system, which he calls “a lemon” Continue Reading →

There’s been some worry that Microsoft’s Windows team may be waiting until the “Blue” upgrade to Windows 8 and Windows RT to refresh the Microsoft-developed, first-party apps that are bundled with the operating system. I’m hearing from my contacts that this is not the case. In fact, updates to the Windows Mail, Calendar, Music, and Continue Reading →

Ah, exclusivity. Typically the domain of movie theaters and premium cable subscriptions, now everyone’s giving it a go. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is also joining the fray and has launched Pulp, a British indie comedy. The movie has already been shortlisted at several respectable film festivals but creator, Adam Hamdy, citing the high costs of marketing Continue Reading →

Microsoft struck a nerve with customers when it revealed that smartphones running Windows Phone 7 could not be updated to Windows Phone 8. This will not be the case for Windows Phone 8 with the company’s rumored Blue update, however. Greg Sullivan, a senior marketing manager at Microsoft, confirmed to PCWorld that the company has Continue Reading →

After weeks of speculation and leaks, Facebook announced it will buy the Atlas Advertiser Suite away from Microsoft. The Seattle-based Atlas team will stay put, but Facebook plans to invest in back-end scaling and better measurement to help advertisers “close the loop” and understand how their spend earns them money. Discussions between the tech giants Continue Reading →

As the industry prepares for a highly anticipated Microsoft press conference in which it will showcase a new console for the first time in eight years, publisher Electronic Arts is preparing to step on stage to announce a key exclusivity agreement. Peter Moore, a former Xbox executive, is now second-in-command at EA CVG has learned Continue Reading →

With Sony jump-starting the next-generation console hype train with its PlayStation 4 reveal this week, it seems Microsoft might not be willing to wait for June’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) to unveil its follow-up to the Xbox. Computer & Video Games is reporting that Microsoft is planning a “one-off media event” to show off its Continue Reading →

It’s no secret that copies of Office 2013 bind themselves to a single computer, but Microsoft has now confirmed to Computerworld that the software’s license can’t be reassigned to another PC, as is possible with Office 2010. When asked whether a license could be transferred to another machine if the original rig was destroyed, lost Continue Reading →

Nielsen may finally be embracing 21st century TV viewing habits. Nielsen is planning to overhaul its TV rating system to include ratings data for videos viewed on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon, and streamed on devices like Xbox, Playstation and iPad, according to a report in The Hollywood Reporter, citing “several sources” familiar with Continue Reading →

Although Microsoft hasn’t been considered “cool” since the heyday of Pogs and “The Macarena,” a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that things may be changing.  As Reuters reports, the poll shows that roughly 50% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 think Microsoft is cooler than it was a year ago, a positive result Continue Reading →