microsoft

Microsoft has reportedly begun showing U.S. automakers Tellme, an alternative software for in-car navigation and assistance currently being offered exclusively by General Motor Corp.'s OnStar communications service. The technology was obtained by ... Microsoft in May, when the company acquired Tellme Networks Inc., a phone software company. Microsoft recently displayed the voice-recognition software, which allows mobile phone users to receive spoken data from a database, at an auto industry conference. Please, 'Tellme': How does it work? The Tellme service would connect through a Bluetooth- ... (view more)

Two American powerhouses are looking to improve the national health care system in the United States, surprising when you consider the two "powerhouses" are not political, but technological. By combining more effective Internet search tools, the ... vast resources of the web, and a host of online personal health records, Google and Microsoft are finding new ways of helping the average U.S. citizen make better choices concerning their medical care and personal health habits. (Source: nytimes.com ) Industry analysts are not completely confident that either company will make significant steps ... (view more)

A new study by Forrester Research shows that businesses that had been thinking of making a quick move to Microsoft Windows Vista seem to be doing an about-face and delaying deployment. In a report issued this week, Forrester analyst Benjamin Gray ... said "IT managers are finding themselves pulling back their initial Windows Vista deployment plans." Forrester did note that it's not like most businesses are really going to skip over Vista. "For the vast majority of businesses, Windows Vista is a matter of when and how, not if. This is thanks in large part to Microsoft's dominance in the corporate ... (view more)

Microsoft's Halo 3 is on a roll. Together, retailers Amazon, Best Buy, Wal-Mart and GameStop have so far exceeded over 1 million pre-orders for the game. This statistic can now be etched in the book of video game world records, seeing as how Halo 3 ... is now the fastest selling pre-ordered video game in history. The record is just what Microsoft needs right now. After Xbox 360 profits recently declined, Microsoft has high hopes that Halo 3 will revive the console's popularity. According to Microsoft's director of creative marketing, Chris Di Cesare, "Halo 3 will push video game entertainment ... (view more)

Apple has just released iWork 2008. New additions, such as a spreadsheet called "Numbers", are impressive but the real excitement is over iWork's ability to handle the Open XML file format. This particular format is native to Microsoft's Office 2007 ... application suite. Until now, no application has been more important for the long-term survival of Mac than Microsoft Office. However, Apple's new iWork may change this fact. Why is Microsoft no longer the only drug that can keep Mac healthy? Quick answer: the Redmond-based company contracted its own illness; Microsoft faced problems in ... (view more)

A lawsuit filed in April alleging that Microsoft misled consumers with labels on Windows XP machines touted as "Windows Vista Capable" will be allowed by a federal judge to proceed. The suit alleges many of the computers labelled by the ... Redmond-based company as "Windows Vista Capable" couldn't run some of the highly touted features of Vista. After listening to oral arguments in Seattle, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman denied Microsoft's motion to dismiss two of the law suits claims: allegations that Microsoft's marketing violated Washington state's Consumer Protection ... (view more)

Want a dirt-cheap version of Windows Vista? Move to China. Microsoft has posted an extremely low price for the new operating system in that country, with hopes of drastically improving sales. The Chinese will see a price reduction North Americans, ... for now, can only dream of. Vista Home Basic there will plummet from over 1,500 renminibi to just 499 renminibi ($66 USD). Home Premium will similarly drop, from 1,800 renminibi to 800 renminibi. That means Home Basic and Premium will drop 67% and 50%, respectively. For the record, China's Vista price is now less than a third of that charged to ... (view more)

If you're one of the many people who still own and play the original Xbox video game console, keep a close eye on the system's power supply cord. Recalled a few years ago, it has cost one infant his life. In February of 2005, Microsoft recalled the ... power cord for its Xbox, amidst fears that it could overheat and engulf a home in flames. Although the problem sounds similar to overheating issues with the newer Xbox 360, the latter's issues simply affect the console's ability to function, and pose no threat of combustion. Unfortunately for a Warsaw, Illinois couple, the original Xbox power cord ... (view more)

It seems we'll all be celebrating the one year anniversary of Windows Vista by the time Microsoft releases the Mac version of Office. It seems the Redmond-based company has decided to push back Mac Office 2008's release, now appropriately set for ... mid-January next year. It's already the second major delay for the software. Unfortunately, it seems as though the Mac edition of Office was nowhere near ready. According to development group General Manager Craig Eisler, "It was clear from our June and July quality checkpoints that no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't release our product in time ... (view more)

In one of the least surprising moves in recent gaming history, Microsoft has slashed the price of its popular Xbox 360 console. Given the growing affection for Nintendo's Wii, a much cheaper system, the announcement is hardly shocking. It has been ... rumored for months that Microsoft may lower the price of its Xbox 360, released in November of 2005, in order to stay competitive. (Source: seattletimes.com ) How cheap will it go? According to reports, the standard "Premium" edition of the console will drop from $399 US to just $350. The Premium version boasts a 20 GB hard drive, wireless ... (view more)