Microsoft

Self-proclaimed cranky technology and business journalist Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (whose articles have also appeared in the Washington Post, PC World and ZDNet) recently put together a list of five reasons not to upgrade to Microsoft's newest web ... browser, Internet Explorer 9 . Topping the list of reasons are operating system incompatibilities and performance issues. We've known for some time that Internet Explorer wouldn't be compatible with Windows XP, but that doesn't make it any easier for Vaughan-Nichols to swallow. Even though Windows XP is slowly declining in market share, it remains ... (view more)

More than two million people have downloaded Internet Explorer 9 in the first day of its public availability. Microsoft has welcomed the "enthusiastic reception", though Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) hasn't been received with quite as much fanfare as ... some previous web browsers. To put things into context, the 2.35 million downloads -- equivalent to 27 downloads per second -- is double that of the first day for the beta edition of IE9 and four times that of the IE9 release candidate (RC). Internet Explorer 9 Download Not Record Breaking The numbers are on par, as a finished browser is ... (view more)

Microsoft has launched a special feature in its Bing search engine intended to help users find bargains. To much surprise of many users, however, the mobile edition isn't available on Windows-based phones. Bing Deals to Partnership with Groupon The ... service, dubbed 'Bing Deals', doesn't bring any original offers, meaning it's not like Groupon or Living Social. Indeed, Microsoft says it's made a deliberate decision not to compete against such sites and instead plans to work in partnership with them. (Source: pcmag.com ) It's likely a smart decision. Services such as Groupon work by arranging ... (view more)

"Don't get too used to the way Windows looks" was the message relayed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at a recent Houston Technology Center luncheon. Ballmer says he figures the Windows operating system (OS) found on most PCs right now will look a ... whole lot different in just five years time. Windows "will look a lot different and it will run different applications," Ballmer told members of the local business community during a presentation at Union Square in Houston's Minute Maid Park. With many new technology innovations making their way into mainstream, MS Windows needs to keep up ... (view more)

The Microsoft Zune media player is officially dead. Amidst steadily declining sales, Microsoft has reportedly decided to stop producing the handheld MP3 player, once characterized as an 'iPod Killer' by the hopeful Redmond-based firm. Released in ... 2006, the Zune initially had techies excited for several reasons. For one, the design and build quality was top-notch. Others liked the subdued colors, such as brown. But most interesting about the Zune was the ability to share music across different Zune players. For instance, if one Zune owner downloaded a song, he or she could share that tune with ... (view more)

Microsoft is in some hot water after one of their latest Twitter posts was misconstrued as a ploy to use the horrific natural disasters in Japan to promote the Bing search engine. Since the now-upgraded 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck last week, the ... media has reported hundreds of people killed, and thousands more missing. A subsequent tsunami, which slammed parts of northeastern Japan, has sent the death toll skyrocketing still higher. In the aftermath of such devastation, Microsoft sent out the following tweet early Saturday morning: "How can you #SupportJapan -- http://binged.it/fEh7iT ? ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) will be released on Monday, March 14, 2011. However, both the date and the chosen venue for the official launch are a little surprising. The final version of the new browser will be available to ... download from 9PM PST (Pacific Standard Time) March 14th. To mark the occasion, Microsoft is holding an official launch part in Austin, Texas as part of the SXSWi (South by Southwest Interactive) Festival. (Source: windowsteamblog.com ) The setting is a surprising choice. For one, the festival is a tech-based spinoff from a better-known ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that its Kinect Xbox 360 add-on has surpassed the 10 million unit sales mark. According to Guinness World Records, that makes it officially the fastest-selling electronics device in history. Microsoft's Kinect is a hands-free ... gaming device that attaches to the company's Xbox 360 video game console. It sells for $150 independently, or $399.99 bundled with the Xbox 360 Elite. The console is required for it to work. Kinect Officially the "Fastest-Selling Consumer Electronics Device" The considerable cost involved in purchasing a Kinect bundle apparently hasn't ... (view more)

In a break from the ordinary, this month's Microsoft Patch Tuesday features relatively few fixes for the software giant's many products. There are just three security bulletins for the month of March, covering about four distinct security flaws in ... various software. The lull is somewhat unexpected after several months of record-breaking patch releases by Microsoft. By comparison, February had a total of twelve security bulletins , three of which were marked "critical", the company's highest threat warning. One 'Critical' Security Bulletin Issued for March This month, just one of the three ... (view more)

A Microsoft executive is raising a few eyebrows after making the controversial claim that everyone in the computer industry should own an Apple notebook. The statement came via a Twitter.com post in which Rahul Sood suggested that "Every executive ... in the PC industry should use an Apple notebook. Apple doesn't just design products, they designed their business and process (as well)." (Source: engadget.com ) While it's most certainly a bold statement to make for a Microsoft employee, the situation is further bewildering considering the fact that Sood has only held the title of Microsoft's ... (view more)