Business

Microsoft has released a software development kit (SDK) for its hands-free Xbox 360 peripheral, Kinect, on Windows. It means software developers of all kinds will be able to use the Xbox 360 motion control system on PC applications. Kinect was ... originally designed as Microsoft's answer to the Nintendo Wii games console, which became popular with family audiences by letting them use simple hand gestures rather than complex button combinations. Microsoft Kinect Uses Motion without Controller Unlike the Nintendo Wii, and a similar system developed by Sony called 'Move', Kinect did away with ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly planning to integrate Skype into the online edition of the Microsoft Office suite. But there's controversy over a Microsoft patent that would allow government officials the ability to monitor calls made by Skype users. ... Microsoft Office 365 Launches June 28, 2011 Office 365 officially launched this week. It works the same way as the traditional Office package but the software runs on Microsoft servers and is accessed via an Internet connection (this is an example of " cloud computing ", which uses the " centralized computing " model to share ... (view more)

According to a new rumor making its way through the industry, Microsoft will release its RTM (Release to Manufacturing) version of Windows 8 next spring -- April 2012, to be exact. That would correspond with another recent rumor which suggest that ... the full release of Windows 8 will be on store shelves come the fall or holiday of 2012 . The most recent report comes courtesy of Mary Jo Foley, a prominent tech blogger and Microsoft expert for ZDNet. According to Foley's source, who she says is a trusted one, Microsoft is on track to release to manufacturing all versions of Windows 8 by April ... (view more)

Mozilla last week launched the new Firefox version 5 web browser, but with it comes the news that Firefox 4 will be retired. The move to release Firefox 5 only a few months after version 4 (released in March this year) is a surprise to many users. ... The plan is to keep the open-source web browser current with new technologies; this follows with the 'rapid-release' business model, similarly used by Google Chrome and Apple. (Source: pcworld.com ) Firefox 5 is the first release as part of Mozilla's new rapid release plan. (Source: wikipedia.org ) Slow And Steady Versus Rapid Release While rapid ... (view more)

The idea of an "interactive advertisement" has long been associated with those online sidebars that ask users to answer an obvious trivia question or "shoot" a moving target. But Microsoft is now investing in an advertising protocol that would allow ... consumers to use voice and motion controls to make investigating advertisements pitched at them a truly interactive experience. NUAds Allow Users to Interact with TV Advertisements The new medium (called NUads) allows people to interact with their televisions and activate all of the virtual components an advertiser has to offer. NUads was ... (view more)

Microsoft has unveiled several changes to its online storage service, SkyDrive. It should mean very noticeable improvements to the speed at which it responds to commands. Share, Access up to 25GB of Free Online Storage SkyDrive offers users 25 GB of ... free online storage, meaning files can be accessed from any machine. Users can decide whether to make files publicly available, in which case the service can be used as a simpler alternative to running a website to host documents or media files, or to make them private and only accessible with a Windows Live log-in. There's some debate over ... (view more)

A few weeks back Microsoft announced an enticing plan whereby students purchasing a Windows 7 PC valued at $699 or more would also walk home with a free Xbox 360 (valued at $199). Now, Apple is trying to lure consumers in a different direction, ... offering a $100 iTunes gift card to anyone buying a MacBook. The promotion, which runs until September 20, 2011 gives students, parents, teachers and staff members a $100 gift card when they purchase any of the following: an iMac, a MacBook Pro, a regular MacBook, or a MacBook Air. Unfortunately, those buying refurbished MacBooks or the Mac Mini won't ... (view more)

As Research in Motion (RIM) stock continues its free-fall, speculation about a possible acquisition of the Canadian company by Microsoft persists. RIM insists it remains a profitable firm; however, recent criticisms of the company's strategy have ... experts wondering if the firm needs a little help moving forward. "RIM's business is profitable and remains solid overall with growing market share in numerous markets around the world and a strong balance sheet with almost $3 billion in cash," said Jim Balsillie, RIM's co-CEO, in a recent presentation. "We believe that with the new products ... (view more)

Apple has once again lashed out against Amazon in the midst of their ongoing litigation battle, this time calling Amazon's idea for an appstore "inferior" by comparison to the established Apple offering. Issues arose back in mid-March when Apple ... filed for a lawsuit against Amazon over trademark infringement concerning the term "appstore". Amazon says the label was generic and that Apple had only sought litigation to hurt their competition. In January of this year, Microsoft filed a petition for similar reasons. Apple Looks to Monopolize "App Store" Label Apple has since countered these claims ... (view more)

A Microsoft executive has hinted that Windows 8 could be released next fall. But it's not clear if the comments are based on genuine insider information or if they merely represent speculation. The comments came from Dan'l Lewin, a corporate vice ... president responsible for Microsoft's relationships with other businesses, both major firms and start-up companies. Regarding the Windows timescale he said, " ... if you look at the crystal ball and just say what happened in the past is a reasonable indicator of what our forward looking timelines will be .... we've made the point about having a ... (view more)