Business

Microsoft has introduced a brand new email service called Outlook.com. It features a look and feel very similar to that seen in the upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS). Although it introduces a number of new ideas and features, Outlook.com will ... likely be a comfortable fit for experienced users of Microsoft's Hotmail service. After all, mail folders are clearly displayed along the left side of the screen, while individual email messages are positioned in the middle. Advertisements show up on the right. Touch, Social Networking the New Focus Like Windows 8, Outlook.com is optimized for ... (view more)

A new Apple iOS app that transmits data via "virtual birdsong" is making file sharing between smart devices easier than ever. "Chirp" is the brainchild of Animal Systems, a company started by researchers in the Computer Science Department at the ... University College of London. Essentially, the app emits a two-second noise that sounds as if it were made by a robotic bird. The noise indicates that an instant download is being received from a trusted source. App Uses Sound to Transfer Data To send a chirp, an individual simply activates the app from their smartphone and selects the desired ... (view more)

One of the gaming industry's biggest names has offered a disparaging view of the upcoming Microsoft operating system (OS). Gabe Newell, co-founder and managing director at Valve, the video game development company responsible for massive hits like ... Half-Life, Portal, and Left 4 Dead, suggests that Windows 8 is, in his opinion, a threat to open platforms. Newell and Valve are also responsible for the Steam platform, an online distribution service for video games. Windows 8 a "Catastrophe" for PC Gaming Newell recently sat down for an interview with Casual Connect at a video game ... (view more)

Microsoft has acknowledged that its decision to build its very own tablet computer, Surface, could upset the companies that produce Windows PCs. The firm has also admitted that the rise of tablet devices could dramatically impact the traditional PC ... market. Both comments come in Microsoft's latest Form 10-K, which publicly traded companies must submit to the Securities and Exchange Commission as an annual report on the company's activity. The form contains a section where companies must detail any potential risks to their business. This helps existing and would-be stockholders to make more ... (view more)

There's no doubt that Microsoft's biggest hurdle in convincing people to buy Windows 8 is showing them why the new operating system (OS) is better than Windows 7. The software giant has been working hard for many months to accomplish this task. Now ... the firm has identified an important way Windows 8, which is officially due in retail stores on October 26, 2012, stands apart from its critically-acclaimed predecessor: better graphics performance. In a recent post on the Building Windows 8 blog, Microsoft graphics group program manager Rob Copeland carefully outlined the performance benefits ... (view more)

Microsoft last week finally revealed the official release date for its upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS): Friday, October 26, 2012. Unfortunately, few technology insiders or consumers appear excited about the product's launch. Now, one of the ... industry's most prominent analyst firms has referred to the desktop version of Windows 8 with one, ugly word: "Bad". Gartner Research Director Gunnar Berger recently tested Windows 8 and produced a five-part review. Windows 8 Great on Touchscreens Berger's findings: when used on touchscreen devices like smartphones, tablet computers, and all- ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced a $492 million loss between April and June of 2012. It's the first time the software giant has experienced a net loss in a quarter since its stock was first publicly traded in 1986. The good news for the company is that while ... its day-to-day business is slightly down overall, it is still fundamentally profitable. Most of the loss resulted from an accounting technicality linked to a bad investment. The quarterly loss comes because Microsoft took a $6.2 billion writedown to cover its acquisition of Aquantive, the online advertising business it bought in 2007. The purchase ... (view more)

A new study by third-party warranty supplier SquareTrade has shown that the Google Nexus 7 tablet is considerably more durable than Apple's iPad. The findings are based on drop tests and a water immersion experiment. SquareTrade, a leading vendor of ... after-market warranties on a wide variety of electronic gear, recently posted a video on YouTube showing Google's 7-inch Nexus 7 tablet taking more of a beating than the market-leading iPad. iPad Suffers Broken Display in Drop Tests SquareTrade's video shows two drop tests, with both tablet devices plopped onto concrete. In the first test, both ... (view more)

Google has announced it will sponsor a conference aimed at reducing illegal drug and human trafficking. The conference is part of Google Ideas, a project designed to examine how technology can help solve major world problems. The project's first ... major work came in 2011, when it held the Summit Against Violent Extremism (SAVE) in Dublin, Ireland. SAVE brought together 84 former extremists, ranging from gang members to violent nationalist and religious extremists, along with victims of gangs and terrorism. Virtual Community Created to Prevent Violence The SAVE conference led to the formation of ... (view more)

The European Union (EU) is investigating claims that Microsoft isn't providing other browser makers full access to Windows 8. It comes at the same time the EU is deciding whether to punish the company for breaching previous promises to offer new ... Windows users a "browser ballot" that promotes browsers like Safari and Firefox. The newest probe concerns two allegations: the first covers all versions of Windows 8, the accusation being that Microsoft isn't providing full access to application programming interfaces (APIs). Rival Browser Could Have Limited Windows 8 Access In this context, an API ... (view more)