microsoft

Although yours truly reported a few days ago that the recently released specfications for the upcoming Nintendo Wii were a little modest -- and in some insiders' opinions, barely an improvement on the Gamecube -- the gaming industry's biggest ... developer is coming out in support of the system. Electronic Arts (EA), makers of everything from strategy to sports (including the massively popular Madden series) have gone public with not only their support for the Wii, but also candid statements about where it might finish in the next-gen showdown. Despite its reported sluggish specs, Nintendo's Wii ... (view more)

Recently, we reported the launch of Microsoft's new MSN Live Spaces , an upgrade to its previous MSN MySpace. Although the new Live Spaces is seeking to improve on the rampant popularity of MySpace by introducing a slew of new options (including ... quirky little gadgets, exclusive friends groups, blogs, and security measures to keep sickos away from kids), the launch day was reportedly a complete disaster. Even Microsoft has openly admitted that there were significant problems, and have publicly apologized to Spaces' junkies. In the first 12 hours of its launch, MSN Live Spaces experienced major ... (view more)

Just weeks after the European Union (EU) levied them with a hefty 280.5 million Euro (or $357 million) antitrust fine, Microsoft appears to be getting its act together. As discussed previously , the fine was issued because Microsoft refused to share ... information of its operating systems with foreign competitors. This was just one example of a rather infamous month or two for the Redmond-based company, which saw itself attacked in the media for a number of controversial decisions -- including its security program Windows Genuine Advantage . This was not the first time Microsoft has been found ... (view more)

Want to let everyone know what you think of your neighbor's barking dog or the latest episode of Lost? Microsoft has now made it easier for you to rant, this time in pretty colors. On Tuesday, August 1st, Microsoft launched its Windows Live Spaces: ... a revamped and updated version of its previous Spaces brand. The immensely popular MSN Space lets users showcase pictures of themselves, friends, pets, and pretty much anyone ever photographed/drawn. The new version upgrades these abilities, allowing users to present blogs, music lists, and, like, oh-so-many more photos. Although personalization ( ... (view more)

The next theatre of war for Google and Microsoft might be a realm previously and popularly unassociated with information technology: healthcare and medicine. Amidst rumors that Google is strongly considering the release of a Health search and/or ... service, Microsoft is apparently closing in on a constructive build of its Windows Live Healthcare. The exact message for the Redmond-based company is still unclear, as Microsoft executives, including corporate vice president of Health Solutions Peter Neupert, remain very hush when it comes to details. (Source: microsoft-watch.com ) For months, both ... (view more)

Oh, the irony. In the middle of an industry firestorm launched by Microsoft against software pirates, the tech world's most hardcore investigators have discovered that the Redmond-based company has been using cracked .wav files in its Windows Media ... Player. In its most recent operating system -- XP -- Microsoft is allegedly running hacked music files for its background sound. Microsoft has attracted intense scrutiny in recent weeks over the release of the Windows Genuine Advantage ( WGA ). WGA is Microsoft's pioneer program in the war against software piracy, as it rather forcefully "offers" ... (view more)

Last November, Microsoft faced intense criticism upon the release of its Xbox 360 console. Many die-hard Xbox "fanboys" -- gamers dedicated to Bill Gates' wares -- were unable to purchase the system due to massive production shortages. Those with ... their eye on the industry recognized a ridiculousness in Microsoft's pitiful attempt to attract Japanese gamers (who typically flock to Nintendo and Sony events) when the North American market was starving for more Xbox 360s. The end result? Millions in lost business on this side of the Pacific and thousands of 360s gathering dust in Japanese game ... (view more)

It seems Microsoft is nabbing software pirates the old fashioned way. Despite its much-publicized release of the anti-piracy program WGA ( Windows Genuine Advantage ), Microsoft has successfully nabbed 26 software pirates through "secret shopping." ... Secret shopping is the practice of sending a company representative -- dressed like the average citizen -- into retail businesses in the hopes of nabbing shoplifters, or in this case software pirates. Microsoft actually purchased random software and then tested its legitimacy. The Redmond-based company also used its "rat" phone line -- 1- ... (view more)

Now that Microsoft knows you want it, Office 2007 Beta 2 downloads are no longer a gratuity. Since its release two months ago, the extremely popular program has been downloaded a total of three million times, leading the Redmond-based company to ... start charging $1.50 USD, beginning August 2. According to Microsoft, the beta program -- 550 MB for the basic version, 2GB for the full suite -- and its explosive popularity have put a fantastic strain on the company's networks. Even Microsoft itself has been caught off guard by the intense downloading of the Office beta, stating that the 3 million ... (view more)

Microsoft Virtual Pc 2004 Virtual PC for Windows is a client based software virtualization application that allows you to simultaneously run multiple operating systems on a single PC. Each virtual machine emulates a complete hardware system -- from ... processor to network card -- in a self-contained, isolated software environment, enabling the simultaneous operation of otherwise incompatible systems. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx Peacefire Peacefire is a website that contains instructions for getting around blocking software, including an interesting program called ... (view more)