Business

Things just keep getting worse for Microsoft's Windows RT operating system (OS), which is designed specifically for mobile devices like tablet computers. Now, it appears Apple has no plans to construct an iTunes app for the OS. The news won't be a ... big deal for people running Windows 8-based devices, like the Surface Pro tablet. After all, they can simply download iTunes to the desktop. However, for people who own the Surface RT (or anything else running the Windows RT OS), that's impossible. They can only access applications (like iTunes) via Microsoft's own Windows Store. No iTunes in ... (view more)

A report in the Wall Street Journal suggests that Microsoft may be implementing two significant new initiatives when it comes to Windows development: 1) Cheaper licensing costs for manufacturers (and by extension, consumers); and 2) Less emphasis on ... touch screen functionality. The Wall Street Journal says that it has learned from several Asia-based PC industry executives that Microsoft is slowly changing its attitude towards Windows. These PC industry insiders also told the WSJ that Microsoft has been progressively more receptive to feedback on how to improve the Windows user experience. ... (view more)

Microsoft says it expects to phase out boxed software within the next decade or so. The firm feels confident that, over the course of the next ten years, people will become more comfortable with downloading their favorite software. "We think ... subscription software-as-a-service is the future," Microsoft noted in a recent blog on its official Office website. "Within a decade, we think everyone will choose to subscribe because the benefits are undeniable." (Source: pcworld.com ) Subscription-based Office 365: A Sign of What's to Come Microsoft has already initiated the process of moving away from ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly bidding to take over control of the Nook eReader from Barnes ... (view more)

Microsoft says it has now sold 100 million Windows 8 licenses. That includes licenses shipped with a new tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. It also includes all upgrades from earlier Windows operating systems, such as Windows Vista and Windows 7. ... It took just over six months for Windows 8 to reach the 100 million licenses plateau. That means Windows 8 sales have remained steady since January 2013, when Microsoft announced it had sold 60 million licenses. Number of Windows 8-based Devices Continues to Grow Tami Reller, who is Microsoft's chief marketing officer and Windows division chief ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced several improvements to its free, online edition of Office, Office Web Apps. It's also announced that, for the first time ever, editing tools will be available to users of the Android operating system. Office Web Apps has ... been available since 2010. It includes online editions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, though it only offers each program's basic features. In contrast, Office 365 boasts complete online editions of the these programs. (Source: pcworld.com ) The advantage of Office Web Apps is that you don't have to install any software but can simply access ... (view more)

A top Microsoft executive has hinted that the Redmond, Washington-based firm may implement significant changes to Windows 8 with Windows Blue, the first major update to Microsoft's newest operating system (OS). Those changes could include making it ... easier for users to access the traditional desktop. In a recent interview with the New York Times, Microsoft Windows business and marketing strategy chief Tami Reller (who replaced Steven Sinofsky last year) said that Microsoft was carefully evaluating the feedback it has received since the launch of Windows 8 in the fall. "The Desktop is ... (view more)

Google has failed to overturn a Russian ban on a YouTube video that allegedly offers tips on how to commit suicide. Google insists the clip actually offers advice on how to properly apply make up. The clip was taken down by Google last November ... after receiving an order from Russia's Federal Consumer Protection Service (FCPS). It was among the first takedowns under a new law that gives the government the right to block any websites deemed harmful to children. Blacklisted pages can include any sites that promote drug use or suicide. Officials said those guidelines certainly applied to the ... (view more)

Is there room in the crowded tablet computer market for Microsoft's Surface? Sales figures would indicate that there may not be. However, Microsoft chairman and co-founder Bill Gates thinks many consumers will opt for the Windows-based Surface ... because they're frustrated with Apple's ubiquitous iPad. In a recent interview with CNBC's Warren Buffett, Gates took the opportunity to promote Microsoft's Surface and its newest operating system (OS), Windows 8, while slamming Apple's tablet device. Windows 8 and Surface: The Best of Both Worlds? According to Gates, Windows 8 "is revolutionary in that ... (view more)

In a new report, tech industry analysts suggest that the world's major electronics retailers have contributed to slow sales of Microsoft's newest operating system (OS), Windows 8 . The problem: retailers didn't make Windows 8's changes clear to ... consumers or do enough to try and help those consumers understand the OS' new user interface. "Windows 8 brought a brand new UI [user interface] that had not fundamentally changed since DOS," noted Moor Insights & Strategy analyst, Patrick Moorhead. "[So] how did big-box retail respond? The same way they have for the last 20 years." "Massive ... (view more)