Microsoft

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's personal email account has reportedly been hacked. According to some observers, security weaknesses in Microsoft's Hotmail email service allowed the hack to occur. In reality, however, slip-ups by both ... Romney and Microsoft facilitated the hack. The incident occurred after the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) obtained and printed several emails sent to and from Romney during his time as governor of Massachusetts. The newspaper did not hack the account to obtain the emails, but rather made a legal request for Romney's office to hand them over. The WSJ ... (view more)

Microsoft now says its Windows Defender program, which includes the free Security Essentials antivirus software, will ship as part of the standard Windows 8 package when the new operating system launches during the fall of 2012. However, the ... software giant cautions that the protection afforded by the Security Essentials antivirus software will be activated only in situations where no other antivirus software is installed on a PC. Windows 8, which reached its Release Preview stage just under two weeks ago, has long been anticipated to be delivered with the Windows Defender system included. ... (view more)

Microsoft has apologized for one of its software presentations that went beyond tongue-in-cheek all the way to borderline obscene. The show, which included adult-oriented song lyrics and dancing girls, was presented at the Norwegian Developers ... Conference in Oslo. The presentation was supposed to be about promoting cutting-edge advances in Microsoft's Azure cloud computing system. Before the show got into the technical mumbo-jumbo, however, its organizers attempted to grab the audience's attention with some risque dancing and house music. Lewd Song Fails to Impress Audience The song chosen for ... (view more)

Microsoft has unveiled new software capable of syncing its Xbox 360 video game console with popular portable devices, like the Apple iPhone or iPad, as well as with Android- and Windows-based handhelds. "Your devices aren't so smart because they ... aren't working together," said Marc Whitten of Xbox Live online entertainment service, at the press event that began the E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) video game gathering in Los Angeles on June 5, 2012. Microsoft's idea is to tie together all of these popular devices, even those produced by rivals like Apple and Google. (Source: com.lb ) Console ... (view more)

According to a new report, Microsoft will not allow HTC, a major hardware company, to use the upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS) on its newest tablet devices. Apparently, Microsoft has some concerns about the quality of HTC hardware. Back in ... April, reports suggested that Microsoft was working closely with several manufacturing firms to ensure that their new hardware met certain quality and usability standards set by the Redmond-based software giant. The idea was that Microsoft wanted to make sure its new operating system would make a positive impression on consumers from the very start ... (view more)

Microsoft has launched a website and mobile application service that allows users to program smartphone functions based on their locations and schedules. Microsoft has designed the product to run exclusively on the Android smartphone. This is not ... the first time Microsoft has designed a product that does not run on its very own Windows Phone mobile platform. Photosynth (a digital photograph analyzing software application), for example, ran only on the iPhone. This new service is called "on{X}". It's intended to offer a futuristic glimpse of smartphone use by allowing users to program ... (view more)

According to a new report, Windows 8 will provide the fastest boot time ever posted by any operating system (OS): about seven seconds. However, some observers appear unhappy about such a speedy load time. Generally speaking, older operating systems ... take far longer than seven seconds to start up. This is not necessarily a bad thing because the extended wait time provides users with opportunities to access a computer's boot menu, so they can attempt to repair any problems with their system. Windows 8 Boot Time Under One Second With Windows 8's new speedy loading routine, the amount of time ... (view more)

Microsoft has made significant changes to its Bing search engine, incorporating certain aspects of Facebook and Twitter to make its product a better social search platform. The company promises several improvements to the site layout, including ... features that offer users the ability to exchange ideas and share opinions. Microsoft likens this concept to bouncing ideas off a trusted friend. Facebook to Help Validate, Speed-Up Search According to the Bing community search blog, a recently conducted internal poll found that 75 per cent of respondents spend more time searching online for ... (view more)

Cyber-crooks have reportedly used fake Microsoft credentials to spread the new Flame malware. In response, Microsoft has issued an 'emergency security advisory', along with a guide telling people how to protect their computer systems and networks. ... The Flame virus is a bit unusual, in that it is designed to steal data rather than corrupt or take down computer systems. Described by researchers at Kaspersky Lab as a "complete attack toolkit," the Flame virus is considered by many to be an even bigger security threat than the massive Stuxnet worm, which it closely resembles. Flame Masquerades as ... (view more)

Two weeks ago Twitter made headlines by announcing a new "Do Not Track" feature that prevented the service from collecting information about the online behavior of its many users. Now, Microsoft has unveiled a similar plan for the next edition of ... its popular web browser, Internet Explorer. According to a blog entry written by Microsoft Chief Privacy Officer Brendon Lynch, Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) -- which is expected to launch alongside Windows 8 later this year -- will by default be set to avoid collecting data about the online activity of its users. Microsoft Says Privacy Setting Is ... (view more)