Microsoft

Microsoft will be hoping the second time's the charm for the firm's Surface line of tablet computers. New reports say the Redmond, Washington-based company will unveil the Surface 2 at a September 23, 2013 media event in New York City. It's not yet ... clear what Microsoft has planned for its second version of the Surface. However, early reports suggest the device will, like its predecessor, come in two different versions. New Surface, New Hardware Specifications That means a Surface 2 Pro will come equipped with Intel's new 'Haswell' Core processor, while a cheaper and less powerful version will ... (view more)

A new report reveals that Microsoft won't kill support for all Windows XP users. However, continuing to receive crucial security updates for the aging operating system won't be cheap. Microsoft has repeatedly insisted that users of Windows XP move ... away from the decade-old operating system (OS) by April 2014, when support for the OS officially ends. For most users, that means Microsoft will no longer make or distribute security patches designed to keep the OS safe from hackers. 'Custom Support' Extends XP's Life -- For a Price But not everyone is being cut off in April 2014. According to a new ... (view more)

Who will replace Steve Ballmer as Microsoft's chief executive officer? It's a tough question, but one many people are asking right now. That's why a British bookmaker, or 'bookie', is taking bets on Ballmer's replacement. Ladbrokes is one of the ... leading bookmakers in the United Kingdom. Recently the firm posted its list of the top picks for Microsoft CEO. According to Ladbrokes, it's likely the next Microsoft chief executive officer has already worked for the Redmond, Washington-based firm. Nokia CEO Given 5/1 Odds The current front runner is Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, who served as head of ... (view more)

Microsoft has released its first major update to the Windows 8 operating system, Windows 8.1 (or 'Windows Blue'), to manufacturers. That means the update is on track for its October 18, 2013 release. Microsoft's Windows SuperSite editor Paul ... Thurrott recently took to Twitter to announce that Windows 8.1 had been released to manufacturers (RTM). That means the update has reached Microsoft's quality standards and is ready to be installed on new PC systems. Microsoft had earlier stated that it would reach this milestone by the end of August, meaning the company is slightly ahead of schedule. ( ... (view more)

Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer has announced plans to leave the Redmond, Washington-based firm in the next twelve months. It's a monumental change for a firm going through a difficult period in its history. Ballmer, who is 57 years ... old and originally joined Microsoft in 1980, says his firm has already appointed a special committee to interview candidates for the position. Microsoft co-founder and current chairman Bill Gates is said to be on that special committee. Dramatic End to a Roller Coaster Career Ballmer's tenure as CEO has been a tumultuous one. Ballmer was named CEO ... (view more)

Microsoft's August Patch Tuesday is approaching and once again the company has plans to fix serious security vulnerabilities affecting its Internet Explorer (IE) web browser. This month's Patch Tuesday includes eight security updates -- that's one ... more update than last month . However, August's Patch Tuesday includes just three security updates marked "critical," Microsoft's highest security rating. Last month there were seven of these updates. Two of this month's critical updates are attracting plenty of media attention. All Versions of Internet Explorer Vulnerable The first affects every ... (view more)

A new report says Microsoft's own digital distribution center, the Windows Store, contains roughly half of the world's most popular applications. It's more bad news for Microsoft, which continues its struggle to lure mobile consumers away from the ... iOS and Android platforms. The study was conducted by Nick Landry, a product manager and Microsoft expert at New Jersey development firm Infragistics. Landry, whose company builds user interface development tools, based his "must-have" list on the top 100 iOS apps. He then went to the Google Play and Windows Store digital outlets to see how many of ... (view more)

With the back-to-school shopping season upon us, Microsoft is dropping the price of its Surface Pro tablet computer. The $100 price drop is less substantial than the $150 the firm knocked off its Surface RT tablet, but it should arouse interest in a ... device that has received better reviews than its cheaper counterpart. The Surface Pro launched early this year and several months after the Surface RT. Unlike the Surface RT, which runs Windows RT, the Surface Pro runs a full-blown version of Windows 8. That means Surface Pro users -- unlike their Surface RT counterparts -- can download apps from ... (view more)

Microsoft SkyDrive is no more. However, it's not a case of Microsoft phasing out its popular cloud storage service -- instead, the firm is simply being forced to rename it after losing a trademark case. British Sky Broadcasting (or BSkyB, as it's ... often called) originally filed suit against Microsoft in 2011. It argued that the "Sky" portion of its own name could easily be confused with Microsoft's SkyDrive . Therefore, BSkyB said Microsoft had infringed on its trademark. Microsoft fought the matter in the English High Court but lost the case in June 2013. Now, an appeal by the Redmond, ... (view more)

Microsoft has revealed it generated $853 million in revenue selling its Surface tablet computer. Embarrassingly, that's less than the amount it recently wrote off in stock it no longer expects to sell at full price. The revelations come just days ... after company chief executive officer Steve Ballmer reportedly told staff "we built a few more [Surface] devices than we could sell." That appears to be an understatement, to say the least. This is the first time Microsoft has publicly discussed Surface sales in any detail. The information was made available through a filing with the Securities and ... (view more)