Microsoft

A new study commissioned by Microsoft and carried out by researchers at IDC has found that most counterfeit software includes some kind of malware. The researchers also estimate that the total value of the counterfeit software market now exceeds ... $100 billion. IDC recently published its findings in a report titled "The Dangerous World of Counterfeit and Pirated Software: How Pirated Software Can Compromise the Cybersecurity of Consumers, Enterprises, and Nations ... and the Resultant Costs in Time and Money." Most Counterfeit Software Laced with Malware In that report (which can be viewed in ... (view more)

Recently, an analyst for prominent research firm IDC indicated that Microsoft's decision to introduce two operating systems at the same time -- Windows 8 and Windows RT -- had "resulted in confusion on the consumer side." That led some insiders to ... suggest it was time for Microsoft to dump the feature-poor Windows RT and focus exclusively on pushing Windows 8. However, Microsoft has come out to say definitively that Windows RT is here to stay. ARM Development Keeps Microsoft Optimistic In a recent interview, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Windows Planning, Hardware, and PC Ecosystems ... (view more)

Microsoft's Windows Store has hit a new plateau: 50,000 applications. It's an impressive start for the Windows Store, though there's a long way to go to match similar stores from Apple and Google. Although the 50,000 app level is impressive, ... statistics show that the number of applications being submitted by developers each day has actually declined from late last year. (Source: venturebeat.com ) Back in December 2012, shortly after the Windows 8 launch, the Windows Store received about 400 new applications each and every day. However, by February 2013 that number was closer to 150. Microsoft ... (view more)

A secret Microsoft video shows us what we can expect from 'Windows Blue,' Microsoft's next major update to the Windows platform. The internal video was recorded at Microsoft's recent TechFest, an annual gathering of Microsoft researchers to discuss ... their latest developments. The video first appeared on the independent blog site 'MSFTKitchen'. Interactive Touch Comes to Windows 8 Among the most important improvements made to Windows 8: better touch capabilities. In the video, Microsoft's chief technical staff operator, Eric Rudder, says that his team is "really excited to work, now that the ... (view more)

Two weeks ago Google revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had been spying on its customers using National Security Letters that don't even require the approval of a U.S. judge. Now, Microsoft says the FBI is using the same ... strategy to snoop on its customers. National Security Letters (NSLs) are written documents issued by the FBI that force companies, including Internet Service Providers (ISPs), to hand over various types of information, including credit card details, banking data, and addresses, phone numbers, etc. NSLs Used to Access Microsoft User Accounts According to ... (view more)

According to reports, United States federal officials are investigating claims that people with ties to Microsoft paid foreign officials to use Microsoft software. The United States Department of Justice and the Security and Exchange Commission are ... reportedly investigating these bribery allegations, which pertain to Microsoft activity in China, Italy, and Romania. The allegations were originally shared with U.S. officials last year. Business Partner Told to Bribe Chinese Officials At the time, a Chinese citizen with business ties to Microsoft was told by a representative of the Redmond, ... (view more)

Microsoft has shared its vision of what the future home might look like. In a recently released YouTube video, Microsoft revealed cutting-edge voice- and motion-enabled innovations. Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer has long been an ... advocate for touch screen displays and voice-recognition technology. The YouTube video appears to indicate that these concepts could realistically be put into practice, with some estimating that the technology could hit retailers in as little as three years' time. Microsoft's Fully Connected Home The video, titled "Microsoft's Future Vision: Live, ... (view more)

Microsoft has rolled out Service Pack 1 (SP1) for its Windows 7 operating system (OS) as an automatic update. The firm is also encouraging those with automatic updates turned off to manually download SP1 as soon as possible. A 'Service Pack' is a ... collection of important security and functionality updates for a particular operating system. Microsoft first rolled out Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 just over two years ago, in February 2011. SP1 Automatically Downloaded and Installed However, since that time Microsoft has only made SP1 available via manual installation, meaning Windows 7 users were ... (view more)

Reports indicate that Microsoft has sold just 1.5 million Surface tablet computers since the device launched late last year. Surprisingly, it appears consumers prefer the newer and more expensive Surface Pro to the cheaper Surface RT. The Bloomberg ... financial news agency says three separate sources have provided it with Surface sales figures. Though not confirmed by Bloomberg, it appears these sources may be Microsoft staff. The sources claim the company has sold just 1.5 million Surface tablets so far, including 1.1 million Surface RTs and 400,000 Surface Pros. (Source: bloomberg.com ) It's ... (view more)

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has had his credit information exposed by hackers. It's only the latest in a string of similar attacks launched against celebrities in recent weeks. According to reports, Gates' personal financial information was ... acquired by hackers and then shared online. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is currently trying to figure out how the data was accessed and who was responsible for the attack. Somewhat ironically, the attack occurred on the same day that Bill Gates discussed pressing cyber security threats with the Washington Post newspaper. Security Answers Found ... (view more)