Microsoft

Earlier this year a number of privacy organizations raised alarms about the way Microsoft shared Skype users' private information. Now, a new report suggests that Microsoft itself is closely monitoring messages sent between Skype users. Technology ... blog Ars Technica says it has learned that Microsoft is actively scanning messages containing HTTPS URLS, or URLs associated with secure websites. Microsoft Monitoring, Storing Links Ars writer Dan Goodin says he's also learned that Microsoft is scanning these messages as a form of fraud prevention and that the firm is logging the results for an ... (view more)

A new report from Forrester Research says Windows 8 will not become an enterprise standard. In fact, the report says that by the time another version of Windows becomes available, Windows 7 will remain the enterprise crowd's chosen operating system ... (OS). Forrester analyst David Johnson says that means Windows 8 can be considered nothing less than a major letdown for Microsoft. "I have to believe Microsoft expected better enterprise adoption for Windows 8," noted Johnson, who acted as lead author on Forrester's report titled "IT Will Skip Windows 8 As The Enterprise Standard." (Source: pcworld ... (view more)

Microsoft has officially announced the first upgrade to Windows 8 operating system (OS) will be available on June 26, 2013. There will be no charge, so long as you already own the OS. According to a Microsoft blog post, the new software "will be a ... free update to Windows 8 for consumers through the Windows Store." That suggests users may need to manually install the update and that it won't be downloaded and installed automatically. (Source: windows.com ) The June 26 release will be a "public preview," meaning it won't be installed on new computers until later on. Update Known As Windows 8.1 ... (view more)

Microsoft's communications chief has described criticism of Microsoft as "a trend to the extreme." The comments appear to have been made in response to articles in two high-profile publications. Frank Shaw, Microsoft's vice president of corporate ... communications, has written a blog post in which he takes issue with the way people criticize people and products in an online setting. "In this world where everyone is a publisher, there is a trend to the extreme -- where those who want to stand out opt for sensationalism and hyperbole over nuanced analysis," Shaw said. "In this ... (view more)

Microsoft is fixing more than thirty security vulnerabilities with its May 2013 Patch Tuesday security update package. All in all, this Patch Tuesday includes ten security updates, two of which have been marked 'critical'. The most significant of ... Microsoft's fixes addresses a zero-day bug that could allow hackers to exploit a security vulnerability in the firm's Internet Explorer 8 web browser. The flaw has been used by cyber criminals to attack United States government websites and steal information related to government employees. Most recently, the vulnerability was exploited by hackers ... (view more)

Microsoft executive Tami Reller recently took the opportunity to boast that her firm has now sold 100 million licenses of the new Windows 8 operating system (OS). On the surface, it appears impressive that Microsoft has sold so many licenses in just ... a six-month time frame. (Source: windows.com ) However, industry insiders have suggested that many of those licenses aren't being used. According to Patrick Moorhead, lead analyst at Moor Insights ... (view more)

A report in the Wall Street Journal suggests that Microsoft may be implementing two significant new initiatives when it comes to Windows development: 1) Cheaper licensing costs for manufacturers (and by extension, consumers); and 2) Less emphasis on ... touch screen functionality. The Wall Street Journal says that it has learned from several Asia-based PC industry executives that Microsoft is slowly changing its attitude towards Windows. These PC industry insiders also told the WSJ that Microsoft has been progressively more receptive to feedback on how to improve the Windows user experience. ... (view more)

Microsoft says it expects to phase out boxed software within the next decade or so. The firm feels confident that, over the course of the next ten years, people will become more comfortable with downloading their favorite software. "We think ... subscription software-as-a-service is the future," Microsoft noted in a recent blog on its official Office website. "Within a decade, we think everyone will choose to subscribe because the benefits are undeniable." (Source: pcworld.com ) Subscription-based Office 365: A Sign of What's to Come Microsoft has already initiated the process of moving away from ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly bidding to take over control of the Nook eReader from Barnes ... (view more)

Microsoft says it has now sold 100 million Windows 8 licenses. That includes licenses shipped with a new tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. It also includes all upgrades from earlier Windows operating systems, such as Windows Vista and Windows 7. ... It took just over six months for Windows 8 to reach the 100 million licenses plateau. That means Windows 8 sales have remained steady since January 2013, when Microsoft announced it had sold 60 million licenses. Number of Windows 8-based Devices Continues to Grow Tami Reller, who is Microsoft's chief marketing officer and Windows division chief ... (view more)