Business

Microsoft wasn't the only firm to report significant revenue losses last week. Advanced Micro Devices, popularly known as AMD, revealed that its revenue recently hit a three-year low. In response, the firm says it must cut costs by eliminating close ... to 1,800 jobs worldwide. AMD is a major producer of computer microprocessors. A few years ago it was neck-and-neck with Intel in the race for market leadership. Today it's still in second place, but much farther behind. Overall PC sales are down throughout the industry, leaving the entire personal computer market to face an uncertain future. Part ... (view more)

According to Microsoft, Windows 8 will be available on 1,000 different computer models. The firm says it has certified that number of unique systems and there are more to come. Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Peter Klein revealed this information ... in a recent conference call. The call was primarily intended to discuss Microsoft's last fiscal quarter (which ended September 30). It was a disappointing period: According to the Redmond-based software giant, overall revenue dropped eight per cent to $16 billion. That's a significant decline from quarterly revenue numbers during the same period ... (view more)

Microsoft is giving the music scene another try, this time using its popular Xbox franchise to compete with the likes of Apple and Google. The new service includes an international catalog of about 30 million songs. Consumers can listen to any song ... for free on computers and tablets running Windows 8. Or, they can use their Xbox 360 console. Music Marketplace Vastly Different Microsoft's last foray into the digital media distribution arena went poorly. The firm's hardware device, called the 'Zune', was eventually taken off the market after being unable to compete with Apple's iPod. Zune ... (view more)

After months of speculation, we finally know how much Microsoft's soon-to-be-released Surface tablet will cost: $499 and up. The device goes on sale October 26, the same day Microsoft launches its new operating system (OS), Windows 8. Last week ... industry insider Sameer Singh grabbed media attention by suggesting that Microsoft's entry-level version of the Surface running a slimmed-down edition of Windows 8 known as Windows RT would retail for $399 and up. Surface's Storage, Screen Size Compares Favorably with iPad It appears Singh's prediction was somewhat close to the actual price. Microsoft ... (view more)

Apple has released exciting new versions of its iPod Touch and iPod Nano. So far, critics are raving over the devices, with the consensus being that they're some of the best digital media players yet released. The new, 5th generation iPod Touch is ... very similar to the iPhone 5. Compared to the 4th generation Touch (and like the new iPhone), it's both taller (4.86 inches), thinner (0.24 inches) and surprisingly light. It's also more colorful. In the past, the iPod Touch came only in black and white. Now it's available in pink, red, blue, yellow, silver, and grey, as well as black and white. New ... (view more)

Be careful when using Bing, Microsoft's search engine, says a security expert. According to the expert's report, Bing is more likely than other search engines to offer users links to malicious websites. The report comes from Fraser Howard, a ... computer security researcher with SophosLabs. In the report, Howard suggests that users of Bing are twice as likely as users of Google to find malicious links on their results pages. Bing Bad, Google Less Bad That's a startling number, given that Google has more than four times the market share of Bing. However, it remains unclear how accurate and ... (view more)

According to a new report from Microsoft, Windows 7 and Windows XP users are now facing more malware threats than ever before. Meanwhile, the number of malware programs designed to infect Vista machines is decreasing. Microsoft released these ... findings in its semi-annual Security Intelligence Report, which provides a review of security threats and infections faced by users of Microsoft products during the first half of 2012. Threats to Windows 7, XP On the Increase In the report, Microsoft says the average number of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) machines infected by malware rose by 23 per ... (view more)

Windows 8 is less than three weeks away but as of last week there were just two thousand applications in Microsoft's Windows Store, the company's new digital media distribution system that's similar to app stores from Google and Apple. However, with ... the clock ticking down Microsoft is working furiously to improve its Windows Store offerings. First off, the company recently announced how apps will be updated. "The Store tile will notify you when updates are available, and you can open it and click the updates link in the top right corner to see the list and install the ones you want," noted ... (view more)

Apple hasn't unveiled the iPad Mini tablet computer yet, and already there are reports of significant production problems. According to one analyst, the complex construction requirements of the iPad Mini could cause shortages lasting for months ... after the product's launch. It has been rumored for some time that Apple is preparing to unveil a smaller version of the 10.1-inch iPad. The iPad Mini reportedly features a 7.85-inch display, and will retail for $250 to $300. (Source: cnet.com ) That price point should give Apple an opportunity to compete with lower-priced tablets like Google's Nexus 7 ... (view more)

Last week Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he finds Windows 8 "very exciting" and suggested that packaging the new operating system (OS) with innovative hardware devices (like tablet computers) would greatly increase consumer interest. Now, ... another Microsoft co-founder has offered a different review of Windows 8. Paul Allen believes Windows 8 is "bold and innovative," but also finds some parts of the OS "puzzling." In a blog post written earlier this week, Allen wrote he believes Windows 8 is a "snappier and more responsive" operating system than its predecessors, and that its tile- ... (view more)