devices

The audience at an Apple launch event was shocked to see a Microsoft executive on stage this week. It marks a closer collaboration between the former bitter rivals, centered on people using Microsoft Office on the move. The appearance came from Kirk ... Koenigsbauer, one of Microsoft's many corporate vice presidents. He's responsible for the various versions of Office 365, which allows users to have an ongoing subscription (plus all relevant updates) to Microsoft Office, rather than buy a particular edition outright. Koenigsbauer attended the event to show off how Office 365 will work on ... (view more)

According to Microsoft, 75 million devices are already running Windows 10. That's an impressive total, though the company still has a long way to go to hit its target of one billion users within the first three years. The figures came in a series of ... Twitter posts by Yusuf Mehdi, the Microsoft executive responsible for marketing Windows. The 75 million figure comes just under a month after Windows 10's release, with 14 million downloads alone on launch day. (Source: windows.com ) It's hard to compare the Windows 10 early adoption rate with Microsoft's previous operating system. While ... (view more)

Is there anything scarier than having your computer hacked? Absolutely there is, say security experts who predict that the growing "Internet of Things" could eventually allow hackers to remotely commit violent crimes. For decades we've associated ... the Internet with computers, from desktops and laptops to tablet devices and smartphones. But as time goes on, more and more devices are being connected to the web in an effort to give consumers more control. Want to lower your refrigerator's freezer temperature or start your car without getting off the couch? Chances are, there ... (view more)

Microsoft's decision to ditch Windows licensing fees for small-screen devices has led to a raft of ultra-cheap Windows-enabled gadgets. Approximately 50 new manufacturers have taken advantage of the offering, with some Windows devices sold in the ... far East now costing less than a copy of Windows itself. The move came earlier this year and is thought to be a response to the huge success of Google's Android operating system. Android is particularly popular with manufacturers because it's free to install onto their devices. That said, as tablet computers and smartphone prices have ... (view more)

A new report suggests that the personal computer may be on the verge of making a comeback. The report comes from industry analysts Gartner and IDC, which state that there was only a slight drop in demand for personal computers during the third ... quarter of 2014. While those figures don't sound too impressive, the outcome is quite startling when considering the trend over the last three years. Since 2011, PC sales have been steadily declining. Some experts went so far as to suggest that we were witnessing the 'death of the PC' , with consumers opting for mobile devices -- like ... (view more)

Security researchers have purposely unleashed tools that could help hackers use USB drives to secretly spread malware on computers, including mobile devices with USB ports. The goal in releasing such tools is to coerce USB drive manufacturers into ... doing more to protect consumers against such attacks. The attack vector was initially reported in early August of this year, and until now was only theoretical. The tools were released by security researchers Adam Caudill and Brandon Wilson. Their campaign is inspired by the unveiling of " BadUSB ," a type of attack that uses a USB thumb ... (view more)

Microsoft has revealed that the next edition of its flagship operating system will be known as Windows 10, rather than Windows 9. The new operating system represents a further blurring of the lines between full-size PCs and portable devices such as ... smartphones and tablets. The choice of new name is largely a marketing tactic. Microsoft wants to get across the idea that the system will be a major relaunch over the much-maligned Windows 8, rather than a small set of minor revisions. Two Major Differences in Windows 10 There will be two main differences in approach with Windows 10. The first is ... (view more)

A new report suggests that most USB flash drives (also known as thumb drives) have a critical security weakness that allows them to be reconfigured, giving hackers an opportunity to silently infect targeted computer systems with malware . The report ... comes from Germany's Security Research Labs, which says that most companies making USB flash drives fail to protect the firmware installed on their devices. That means attackers could easily hack and replace the firmware with a malicious version of the firmware, which is then capable of delivering a payload onto a victim's PC - usually with ... (view more)

If you could control the majority of your home and appliances with a smartphone, which devices would you want to control? Google has pondered that very question, and has recently announced plans to open up its 'Nest' technology to independent ... developers, so that household gadgets can easily communicate with one another. Nest, which Google bought for $3.2 billion in this past January, made its name with an "intelligent" thermostat system. The system automatically learns your patterns of activities in the home with preferred heating and cooling levels. It then automatically develops a ... (view more)

Facebook is said to be buying a company that makes airborne drones. It seems it's not an attempt to carry out snooping or attack rivals, but rather a plan to extend Internet access to places it's impossible to reach at the moment. The company in ... question is Titan Aerospace, which manufactures what it calls "atmospheric satellites." Unlike traditional satellites, they operate around 20 kilometers (12 miles) above Earth, which is just short of the point of being in orbit. Drones such as the Solara 50 look and operate similar to an airplane, but have solar panels on its wings, ... (view more)