Business

Microsoft is currently developing a new English-to-Chinese translation tool that is said to dramatically improve on previous offerings of its kind. Even more exciting, some observers believe the software giant may also be working on a Star Trek-like ... 'universal translation tool.' In a recent blog post, Microsoft Chief Research Officer Rick Rashid discussed the new translation software and the challenges the company faces in developing it. Rashid indicated the solution to the combined difficulties of replacing English words with their Chinese equivalents and then correctly adjusting for Chinese ... (view more)

Apple's new iPad Mini is receiving a ringing endorsement from physicians. According to a recent poll conducted by medical app developer Epocrates, one in three doctors have made the decision to purchase the device. Contemporary competitors like ... Microsoft (with their Surface line of tablets released last month) have invested tremendous resources in beefing up their display and touch features. However, the small size of the iPad Mini has become the biggest selling point for 90 per cent of the Epocrates survey's respondents. The other advantage of owning an iPad Mini, according to doctors ... (view more)

Steven Sinofsky, chief of Microsoft's Windows division, is leaving the company. His former position will now be shared by two other Microsoft executives. Sinofsky had been in his position since 2009, and has been with Microsoft since 1989. He spent ... much of his career working on the Microsoft Office suite, then later spearheaded development of Windows 7, an operating system widely considered a major success. During his work on both Windows 7 and Windows 8, Sinofsky took a very distinctive approach to communication. He blogged regularly about the development process, giving the massive software ... (view more)

In a recent interview with French publication Le Parisien, Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer admitted that sales of the company's Surface tablet have proceeded only "modestly." Ballmer was reluctant to disclose any precise sales ... figures. It's hard not to assume that Microsoft is therefore concerned about the public's early reception of the Surface. At first, demand for the Surface , Microsoft's first tablet computer, was impressive. In fact, the device sold out online and in some retail outlets during its first few days of availability. (Source: cnet.com ) However, in the weeks ... (view more)

Windows 8 and Windows RT will get their first security fixes this Patch Tuesday, November 13, 2012. For Windows 8, three of the fixes have been marked "critical," Microsoft's highest security rating. The fixes address zero-day vulnerabilities ... reported by security firm Vupen last week. Vupen recently announced it had found "multiple vulnerabilities" in Windows 8 and also in Microsoft's newest web browser, Internet Explorer 10. Remote Code Flaws Found in Windows 8 The "critical" fixes will address remote code execution vulnerabilities that, theoretically, could allow a hacker to install malware ... (view more)

A new version of Google's popular Chrome Internet browser reportedly reduces power consumption and extends the life of a portable device's battery. According to Google, the updated browser now uses a new video decoding technique that puts a device's ... dedicated graphics processing unit (GPU) to work instead of its central processing unit (CPU). The firm says that because graphics chips require less power than CPUs, this approach significantly reduces power consumption and extends battery life by as much as 25 per cent. (Source: computerworld.com ) Google says it has tested the system ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly working on bringing its Office software to the Android and Apple mobile platforms. The reported plan would involve offering a free viewing app for users, and light editing tools for subscribers. At the moment, Office ... functionality on mobile devices varies widely. Handsets running Windows Phone have a limited range of viewing and editing tools, while Microsoft's Surface tablet comes with Office pre-installed. Now, a combination of leaked screenshots and a press release from Microsoft's subsidiary in the Czech Republic make it clear that Office is coming to devices ... (view more)

Microsoft is getting ready to ditch its instant messaging service. Now that it owns Skype, according to reports, Microsoft will be switching off the Windows Live Messenger service in March, 2013. Windows Live Messenger first became available back in ... 1999, when it was known as MSN Messenger. Back then it was designed as a rival to AOL's highly popular messaging services. The original MSN Messenger service allowed users to chat with other users via text messages in real time without a public chat room, or even email. Over the years, Microsoft added more complicated features, including video and ... (view more)

Microsoft is being accused of failing to display a court-mandated option screen that would allow users of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) to select their own Internet browser. Although Microsoft has already remedied the issue, the problem has ... apparently caused Mozilla to lose millions of potential Firefox users. As a result of a European Union antitrust settlement, Microsoft had agreed to present new Windows users with a screen that allowed them to choose a different web browser instead of (or in addition to) Internet Explorer. Microsoft offered the choice screen to new and existing Windows ... (view more)

It's been available for only a week but already Microsoft's Surface tablet is one of Oprah Winfrey's "Favorite Things." That means two things: 1) Oprah will be giving away a whole bunch of Surfaces in an upcoming two-hour special, and 2) The Surface ... is about to receive a lot of positive media attention. Every year, Oprah Winfrey dedicates an entire show to discussing her Favorite Things and then giving away those things to each of her audience members. Oprah's items vary widely, but in the past have included everything from Williams-Sonoma cupcakes to Josh Groban albums. Sometimes they're big ... (view more)