Microsoft

Microsoft has just announced that the Release Preview edition of its upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS) is now available for download. This is generally considered the last build of the OS prior to its official launch, expected this fall. But ... don't confuse this version of the new OS with the Consumer Preview, which Microsoft released back in February, 2012. The Release Preview is generally considered much closer to the final product that will actually hit store shelves. Performance Improved, Apps Added There have been a few additions and improvements to the new OS since the Consumer ... (view more)

Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer probably has a lot of tech toys that fans would love to get their hands on. But one of the most enviable must be his 80-inch tablet computer. According to a new report, devices similar to the 80-inch ... tablet PC which Ballmer has in his office will eventually be available to high-end business users who can afford it. If the giant-screen tablet proves popular enough, the device could make its way into the wider marketplace. Ballmer Does Email On Giant Tablet In an interview with Wired.co.uk, Microsoft vice president Frank Shaw had a startling ... (view more)

Right now there are a lot of people wondering whether an upgrade from Windows 7 to the soon-to-be-released Windows 8 operating system (OS) is worth the hassle. You may be one of them. To combat this apprehension, Microsoft has been trying to build ... consumer interest in and desire for the new OS by highlighting its various new tools, features, and improvements. As part of this campaign, Microsoft is making much of another Windows 8 improvement: better support for using multiple monitors. Microsoft: 1 in 7 Desktop Users Employ Multiple Screens With the price of PC monitors dipping in recent ... (view more)

The 'Aero' interface was one of the few features of Windows Vista that people appreciated. It featured slick-looking translucent windows, and brought serious style first to Vista and later to Windows 7. Now it appears that Microsoft is dropping the ... Aero interface entirely from its newest operating system (OS), Windows 8 . Often known as 'Aero Glass,' the interface first shipped with the earliest versions of Vista some six years ago. Covering window borders and taskbars with a glassy look, Aero set the appearance of Vista and then Windows 7 apart from Microsoft's older OS, Windows XP. ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that child safety measures built into the new Windows 8 operating system (OS) will be significantly different from those in Windows 7. It insists the new strategy will be more effective in keeping kids safe. According to the ... company, both Microsoft and third-party software developers have often been unsuccessful at helping parents and guardians to control exactly what children in their care can and can't do online. That's because such systems can be complicated and require constant parental involvement. For example, some children who sought to access certain websites ... (view more)

Earlier this week, reports emerged suggesting that consumers who buy a Windows 7 PC after June, 2012, would be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for a fee . Now there's more clarification on the offer: a new report indicates that the upgrade will ... cost those who can't wait and who buy a computer with the older operating system just $14.99. For some, the $15 charge won't seem like a lot of money. However, it's $15 more than what Microsoft charged buyers of new PCs to upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7, in similar circumstances back in 2009. There was also no charge to buyers of Windows XP ... (view more)

According to a recent report, consumers who buy a Windows 7 PC between early June and next January will be given the opportunity to upgrade that operating system (OS) to Windows 8 Pro. At the moment, however, it appears that this opportunity to ... upgrade will not be free. Back in 2009, Microsoft offered a similar deal when it released Windows 7 . At that time, buyers of PCs running the company's previous OS, Windows Vista, were allowed to upgrade to Windows 7, provided they purchased their PC between June and the end of 2009. Microsoft also offered this same kind of upgrade opportunity in 2006 ... (view more)

Last week Microsoft shocked many observers by revealing that the standard version of its upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS) will not include DVD support. In order to get that support, customers will have to upgrade to the more expensive ... version: Windows 8 Pro. Since announcing this news, Microsoft has responded to widespread criticism of its decision. At first, Microsoft claimed that the absence of DVD support was related to the emergence of ultrabooks and tablet computers. The software giant stated that the limitations of these hardware devices (they lack optical disc drives) would ... (view more)

Microsoft's most recent security update includes fixes for a total of 22 flaws affecting the Windows operating system (OS), the Microsoft Office program suite, and the .Net Framework. The 22 fixes are spread across seven security bulletins, three of ... which Microsoft has ranked 'critical,' the company's highest security rating. Another four have been rated 'important,' which is one step down from 'critical.' Remote Code Execution Flaws Rampant All but two of the security bulletins address issues related to remote code execution vulnerabilities. Problems like these can put a computer system at ... (view more)

There was a time when Microsoft's Bing search engine, launched in mid-2009, was one of the hottest pages on the world wide web. But Bing's popularity has cooled since the days of its high-profile release. Today, Microsoft is 'searching' for ways to ... draw web users away from Google search and toward Bing. As part of this effort, Microsoft has introduced a major overhaul of the ways Bing displays its search results on its main page. The new strategy aims to "de-clutter" Bing's search results by getting rid of what the Redmond-based firm characterized as 'unnecessary distractions.' (Source: cnet. ... (view more)