Business

Fans of Apple's Safari web browser will soon be able to mask their online activity from online marketers via a handy new Do Not Track feature. The tool will be available with the release of Lion, an upcoming version of the Mac OS X operating system ... (OS), currently only available to developers. The public will get their hands on Lion (and thus Do Not Track) this summer. We're learning of the browser feature through online discussions of Lion on Twitter and various online forums. Microsoft, Mozilla Beat Apple to Punch Apple is by no means the first company to bring a Do Not Track feature to its ... (view more)

Microsoft now has an app available for the Apple iPad based on the Bing search engine , with a few interesting features thrown in to make it unique. The iPad already comes with a built-in Safari browser that includes a search bar, but the Bing app ... makes this feature appear larger in comparison. Bing Features Exclusive to iPad With the exclusive iPad Bing app, Microsoft has added voice search to grab the attention of impartial users. (Source: cnet.com ) When conducting a search, a tile pops up on the right side of the screen acting as a tab. However, the tile features a highlight tool that ... (view more)

Credible reports suggest Microsoft users will be able to carry a copy of Windows 8 in their pocket. It also appears personal settings can be synchronized to the web to allow remote access when on the move. The details come through leaked screenshots ... of what's formally known as Build 7850, but commonly referred to as Milestone 1: the first full-fledged developmental edition of Windows 8. Windows 8 Build 7850 was released to developers late last year but details have only just leaked. Of course, Microsoft is keeping quiet about whether the leaks are genuine, so there's no cast-iron guarantee ... (view more)

A Microsoft executive has jumped ship to the company's bitter rival, Apple. Kevin Timmons, general manager of Microsoft's Datacenter Services unit, has reportedly announced plans to leave the Redmond-based firm with rumors suggesting he'll soon take ... a similar position at the Cupertino, California competitor. "Kevin Timmons, general manager of Datacenter Services, has decided to pursue other career opportunities and is no longer working at Microsoft," a Microsoft representative noted in an April 15 email to tech blog, eWEEK. "We appreciate the contributions he made to Microsoft during his time ... (view more)

Windows Vista users might have dodged a bullet when Microsoft decided to cut Internet Explorer 9 support from Windows XP. However, it's not the case with Internet Explorer 10. "Windows Internet Explorer Platform Preview (for Internet Explorer 10) ... does not support any operating system earlier than Windows 7," is the warning message that appears for those who don't run Windows 7 and attempt to install Internet Explorer 10 preview, which was just recently released to the public . Microsoft Imposes Forced Modernization In a release note published earlier this week, a spokeswoman for ... (view more)

Microsoft has signed a deal with Toyota to put WiFi Internet access in electric and hybrid vehicles. But the services will be less about surfing the web and more about improving the driving experience. The two companies plan to develop an ... electronics system for use in both all-electric and hybrid vehicles. The first vehicles to carry the system should be hybrid vehicles released next year, with a goal to have the system in all Toyota electronic vehicles worldwide by 2015. To develop the system, the two companies have invested a combined one billion yen (approximately US $12 million) into ... (view more)

A former Microsoft employee is being investigated for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Redmond-based firm. Reports vary, but the total amount allegedly stolen by the man ranges from $460,000 to $515,000. Robert Curry ... wasn't just an average Microsoft employee. As Director of Business Development in the company's Strategic Partnerships Unit (a division of the Online Audience Business Team), Mr. Curry was responsible for approving payments to various partners based on services rendered. Shell Company Used for Fraud It was in this role that Curry was able to make off ... (view more)

According to a new report, Windows 7 usage has now surpassed that of Windows XP in the United States. It's a major feat for Microsoft's newest operating system, especially considering that Windows Vista barely dented XP market share despite several ... years of availability. The report comes courtesy of market analyst StatCounter, which recently noted that as of April 10, Windows 7's average daily usage in the U.S. had peaked at 32.2 per cent, just above XP's 30.7 per cent. This marks the first time ever that Windows 7 usage has surpassed its ten-year-old predecessor. Down the line is Windows ... (view more)

Auburn, Maine school district's Auburn School Committee recently and unanimously voted to start a new pilot program that will give kindergarten kids a shiny new iPad 2. The program is all about changing -- and hopefully, advancing -- how children ... this age learn. iPad Program Called a "Game Changer" Speaking on the subject late last week, Auburn district school superintendent Tom Morrill called the plan a "game changer." "This is truly redefining how we're going to teach and learn. We're talking about a new tool, the iPad2. You begin to watch how young people jump on, jump in and ... (view more)

It's been less than a month since the release of Internet Explorer 9 . Nevertheless, Microsoft has already given a brief glimpse of Internet Explorer 10 and some of its nifty new features. Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) debuted on March 14 ... after months of anticipation. Despite the excitement surrounding its release, IE9 was quickly overshadowed by Mozilla's unveiling of Firefox 4 only five days later. In the hours that followed, Firefox demolished Microsoft's browser in total number of downloads. For some, the relatively lack-luster showing by Internet Explorer 9 is reflective of ... (view more)