Microsoft

Microsoft has chosen an unusual way of dealing with critics of its newest version of Internet Explorer (IE). In a new TV commercial, the company openly mocks a stereotypical critique of the new Internet browsing software. The ad involves a fictional ... character named "Eugene Finlon." The TV spot shows Finlon -- who is young, wears a cut-off shirt, and lives in a dark, dank apartment -- visiting sites that praise Internet Explorer. Finlon responds to the praise by leaving comments boldly attacking the browser's quality. (Source: youtube.com ) IE: Only Good for Downloading Other Browsers? For ... (view more)

Microsoft now promises it will support its new Windows RT operating system (OS) with security patches and updates for at least four-and-a-half years. While that may seem like a long time, it's only half as long as Microsoft generally provides ... support for many of its other software products. Windows RT is designed to power a number of portable devices, including Microsoft's own Surface tablet computer . RT is a trimmed-down version of Windows 8 that requires fewer, cheaper resources from a portable device. "Mainstream" Support Phase to Last Until April 2017 Microsoft says it will ... (view more)

A new 'cracking' tool reportedly allows users to take trial version applications they have downloaded from Microsoft's Windows Store and turn them into fully functional versions, and do it free of charge. According to reports, the tool is called ... 'Wsservice_crk' and has been available through several online forums -- including MyDigitalLife.info -- for more than a month. However, only recently has this tool caught the attention of the media. (Source: techspot.com ) Cracking Tool Brings Risks Using 'Wsservice_crk' entails several significant risks. For one thing, it's necessary to provide one's ... (view more)

Windows 8's uptake rate might be low by comparison to its predecessor, Windows 7, but a new report shows it's considerably higher than Windows Vista's adoption rate. Internet analyst firm Net Applications recently released a report examining user ... acceptance of each of these operating systems' during their first full month of availability. According to that report, Windows 8 was running on approximately 0.45 per cent of all Windows computers during the month of October, 2012. Windows 7 5X More Popular Than Windows 8 That's far lower than Windows 7's first month of availability back in 2009, ... (view more)

Microsoft's Windows Store is slowly growing in size. According to a recent report, the number of applications available has now surpassed the 20,000 mark. Of those 20,000 available apps, about 18,000 (or 90 per cent) are free. Of course, an ... inventory of 20,000 apps is still far short of the standard set by Google's Play store (600,000 apps) and the Apple Store (700,000 apps). But it's a start. Windows Store's App Growth Rate: 500 New Apps Per Day Microsoft's Windows Store app tally has recently begun mounting at an impressive rate. In early October critics raised concerns about the fact that ... (view more)

There are just 500 days left until Microsoft officially terminates all support for the incredibly popular Windows XP operating system (OS). When it happens, the event will mark a major transition for the software giant, and could present big ... problems for the half billion computers still running the aging OS. Once these 500 days come to an end, Windows XP will no longer be updated or have any security vulnerabilities patched by the Microsoft development team. Over time, that will tend to make the operating system highly vulnerable to hacker attack. You can think of this 'end to upgrades' much ... (view more)

In an effort to compete with Google's much-anticipated "Project Glass" headset, Microsoft is reportedly preparing its own brand of high-tech eyewear. The evidence for this notion comes from a recent patent application, in which Microsoft described a ... new device that includes a head-mounted display capable of presenting wearers with detailed information about an individual's immediate surroundings. As outlined in the patent application, an individual "wearing at least a partially see-through, head mounted display can view any live event while simultaneously receiving information on ... (view more)

A Microsoft special offer has unintentionally made it much easier for software pirates to run bogus copies of Windows 8. But the loophole works only for particularly determined pirates. The loophole centers around the way Windows users activate ... their software. Each copy of Windows has a unique "key," which Microsoft checks to ensure the software copy is valid and not already in use by another registered owner. If the software's key passes these checks, the software copy is activated. Without activation within a certain period, Windows will begin to severely limit its functionality, mostly to ... (view more)

Getting Windows 7 users to make the switch to Windows 8 continues to be a difficult challenge for Microsoft, despite an aggressive marketing blitz. Now the company is hoping to entice more prospective users to upgrade their computers to the new ... operating system by allowing them to escape worrying about any long-term commitments. Windows to Go is a feature in Windows 8 Enterprise that allows the operating system to boot and run from mass storage devices like USB flash drives and external hard disk drives. All that is needed to start computing with Windows 8 in this manner is to plug the pre- ... (view more)

According to a new report, just one in four enterprise users are planning to upgrade to Microsoft's new Windows 8 any time soon. In fact, these users are only half as excited about Windows 8 as they were about Windows 7 in 2009. Enterprise software ... is used in large organizations, such as private corporations and government agencies. A huge part of Microsoft's Windows revenue depends on these kinds of organizations buying Windows licenses in bulk. Only 24% of Enterprise Users Plan to Upgrade to Windows 8 That's why it's bad news to hear that of 1,200 North American and European information ... (view more)