Microsoft

Interested in trading in your iPad, Macbook, or older Windows device for a Windows 8-based computer? Then head on over to Staples, where the retailer is offering up to $400 for older Microsoft and Apple devices. Here's how the deal, which Staples ... calls "Trade up to touch," works: People who buy a Windows 8-equipped touch screen device -- including tablets, all-in-one PCs, or laptops -- from Staples can qualify to trade in an older computer and receive up to $400 off the purchase of their new Windows 8 device. Windows, Apple Devices Qualify for Trade-In Those interested in the deal will need ... (view more)

Microsoft has finally released the latest version of its very own web browser, Internet Explorer 10, for its still-popular Windows 7 operating system (OS). The browser has been available for Windows 8 since that OS launched late last year. Releasing ... Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) as a Windows 8 exclusive was part of an attempt by Microsoft to promote its newest OS. However, with more than 700 million people using Windows 7, the idea of shirking an IE10 release seemed ludicrous. Internet Explorer 10 brings a number of important technical advancements to the table. For one, it offers wider support ... (view more)

Microsoft has acknowledged that its Mac software business unit was recently infected with malware. However, the company insists that the infection did not result in any customer data being compromised. Microsoft Trustworthy Computing Security chief ... Matt Thomlinson recently made this statement on the firm's security blog: "During our investigation, we found a small number of computers, including some in our Mac business unit, that were infected by malicious software using techniques similar to those documented by other organizations." No Customer Data Compromised Thomlinson went on to say that ... (view more)

In a recent interview with CBS This Morning, Microsoft chairman and former chief executive officer Bill Gates said he's "not satisfied" with Microsoft's level of innovation in recent years. However, the comment was not so much a criticism of current ... Microsoft executives, including CEO Steve Ballmer, than a push for the company to achieve greater things. Gates Admits Microsoft Made "A Mistake" in Mobile Market Much of Gates' interview revolved around Microsoft's recent attempt to make a bigger splash in the mobile market -- a sector of the technology industry largely ignored (or ... (view more)

A new report finds that Microsoft's newly-released Surface Pro tablet computer is tougher to repair than an Apple iPad. The device, which officially launched on February 9, 2013, is reportedly built in a way that makes it very tough for an owner to ... perform their own hardware maintenance. The report comes to us from consumer technology hardware blog ifixit, which after performing a teardown of the Microsoft Surface Pro reports that "Microsoft has essentially glued down anything that could be glued, making it incredibly difficult for a user to repair on their own." Battery-Gluing Arouses Anger ... (view more)

Industry insiders are warning potential buyers of Microsoft Office 2013 to carefully read the software's licensing agreement. According to reports, users of the popular software package could be prevented from installing programs like Excel, ... PowerPoint, and Word on more than a single PC. In a recent report, InfoWorld's Woody Leonhard notes that, according to the Microsoft Office 2013 licensing terms, users may have to re-purchase the software if their computer (the PC they originally installed the Office software on) breaks down. (Source: infoworld.com ) New Terms of Service for Home Users ... (view more)

A former Microsoft executive insists that the firm has "lost its coolness." As a step towards improving the situation, Joachim Kempin is calling for Microsoft chief financial officer Steve Ballmer to resign. Kempin formerly led Microsoft's OEM ... group, where he played a key role in overseeing the firm's relationship with its many hardware partners. Kempin left Microsoft in 2002 and has since turned to writing about his experiences in the consumer technology business. Microsoft's "Secret Power Broker" Speaks Out His most recent book, "Resolve and Fortitude: Microsoft's 'Secret Power ... (view more)

An analyst believes Microsoft may be passing up $2.5 billion a year by refusing to make its Office software package available for Apple's iPad tablet computer. The Redmond, Washington-based firm is trying to use the software to make its own Surface ... tablet devices more desirable -- a strategy critics are calling short-sighted. Part of the thinking at Microsoft seems to be that keeping Office off the iPad gives many customers who like to work on their devices a reason not to buy the Apple tablet. That makes them more likely to stick with Windows laptops or to try out Microsoft's own tablet, the ... (view more)

Microsoft has revealed that its newly-released Surface Pro tablet computer will receive hardware support for roughly four-and-a-half years. However, the firm says it will support the Windows 8 Pro software for much longer. Microsoft's announcement ... that it will support Surface Pro hardware until July 2017 is in line with a similar announcement made about the Surface RT tablet last year. The Surface RT will be supported until April 2017. Hardware Repairs to End in 2017 Microsoft says that it will offer hardware repairs for the Surface Pro during that 4.5-year window. Those repairs won't cost ... (view more)

As part of its monthly Patch Tuesday security update, yesterday Microsoft released several fixes for its various software products. At the top of the list: fixes for five security flaws that could allow hackers to bypass system security and take ... remote control of a computer. Microsoft has rated five of the security vulnerabilities 'critical,' which is the firm's highest security rating. Two of these updates address flaws in the Internet Explorer (IE) web browser, including versions IE6 through IE10 (the latter being available for Windows 8- and Windows RT-based machines exclusively). IE ... (view more)