Microsoft

A new app for Apple's iPad will allow users to run Windows applications, including Microsoft Office. The Windows applications are available via OnLive, an online digital media distribution service. The Windows environment and applications don't run ... on the user's own iPad; instead, they are available through streaming services from OnLive's cloud computing platform , which is a form of centralized computing . Though the iPad user doesn't have a physical keyboard and mouse, they are able to use genuine Windows 7 controls specially designed by Microsoft for tablet computers accessing the Windows ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced it will include two single-button options in Windows 8 to help users cope with a serious computer crash. Both will reinstall Windows, including one option that allows users to retain some data. The buttons will be accessible ... within normal Windows operations. But if problems with Windows 8 become serious enough that a user can't get into the operating system, the two new system recovery buttons will also be available in Windows RE (recovery environment). The recovery environment is a standalone menu that PCs can load even when they aren't able to boot the full Windows ... (view more)

Microsoft will soon introduce its own social networking site, according to industry observers. Called 'So.cl' (pronounced "social"), the new service is designed to appeal to US-based college students. So.cl is part of a movement on many US ... university campuses to offer courses that investigate the rapid rise of online social media. It is designed to target a very specific niche market: post-secondary students looking to share research and information across various institutions. Students can create or join "video parties" for face-to-face interaction, or they can decide to share their content ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that 2012 will be its last appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. But the reason remains hotly disputed. The Consumer Electronic Show is one of the biggest events in the global tech calendar, often ... used to unveil new technologies, such as the video cassette recorder, the Nintendo Entertainment System, HDTV, and Blu-ray players. Microsoft first showed the Xbox console at CES in 2001, and in 2008 Bill Gates announced his retirement. For the past 14 years, Microsoft has delivered a keynote address on the first night of the multi-day show, ... (view more)

A federal jury has failed to reach a verdict in the $1 billion case of Novell versus Microsoft. Novel has charged that Microsoft falsely encouraged it to develop WordPerfect, a legacy word processing program, then reneged on its assurances. The ... Utah-based company originally filed suit in 2004. The case has not only dragged on for seven years -- it also brought Bill Gates to the witness stand for two days of testimony. Microsoft Wanted More Market Share Novell claims in the suit that Microsoft tricked Novell into committing vital resources to development of the software it never really wanted ... (view more)

Picking a password that is both memorable and resistant to cracking is a difficult task. It seems easy to forget a random series of letters and numbers, and it's just as easy to guess (or 'crack') memorable passwords, such as your birthplace, your ... dog's name, or your favorite ball club. So it's helpful that Microsoft is expanding password management in Windows 8 by introducing "picture-based account unlocking," which allows PC users to draw circles, lines, and dots in place of text passwords. Drawing Passwords Hard to Guess Microsoft suggests that accessing an account via a ... (view more)

Millions of users now running outdated versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) web browser will soon be forced by Microsoft to use newer versions of its proprietary browser. Older versions of Internet Explorer -- especially IE6, which was the ... default Internet Explorer that was bundled with Windows XP -- are extremely vulnerable to serious security threats and should not be used. Users who accept automatic updates of Windows, including its monthly security patches, will find their copy of Internet Explorer updated to a newer edition. Windows Vista or Windows 7 users will receive the ... (view more)

Microsoft has reassigned the man responsible for its mobile phone division during the past three years. Whether it's a snub for poor performance or a major change in the way the company serves desktop and mobile markets remains open to debate. Andy ... Lees, who was President of the Windows Phone division and oversaw all the company's work in the smartphone market has now been reassigned to work directly with Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer. His replacement, Terry Myerson, had been in charge of the division's engineering. Lees retains the title "President," while Myerson remains a corporate vice- ... (view more)

Microsoft has fixed a major vulnerability exploited by the nasty Duqu Worm with its most recent Patch Tuesday series of security updates, which started rolling out yesterday. The total number of patches fix 17 vulnerabilities in Windows. (Source: ... eweek.com ) Unfortunately, the company still hasn't issued a fix for a serious browser flaw ominously known as BEAST (Browser Exploit Against SSL/TLS). The BEAST exploit was first discovered in September of this year and was responsible for cracking Paypal encrypted browser cookies. (Source: theregister.co.uk ) Of the 17 vulnerabilities noted, ... (view more)

Windows 8 is said to include a new 'app store', where users can browse and install software for their PCs and mobile devices through Microsoft. The news is welcomed by many, as the apps will be under strict regulations. Microsoft, however, will ... retain the ability to delete or remove software programs ("apps") that it deems necessary. The ability to remotely delete software on whim, critics say, gives too much power to Microsoft. Microsoft Offers "Try Before You Buy" Software developers using Microsoft's new app store will be able to offer trial copies of their software ... (view more)