windows

Analyst firm Gartner has both good and bad news for Microsoft. The good news: Gartner thinks Windows 8.1 (otherwise known as 'Windows Blue' ) represents a major improvement for the firm's Windows 8 operating system (OS). The bad news: PC sales ... continue to slump, and it's unlikely Windows 8.1 will do much to right the sinking ship. In a recent report called "Windows 8.1 Could Become What Windows 8 Should Have Been," Gartner says Windows 8.1 effectively addresses all of the problems preventing the new OS from becoming a runaway success. Analysts Appreciate Windows 8.1's New Features What did ... (view more)

Microsoft says it's willing to pay security researchers $100,000 for helping them discover and prevent attacks on the firm's upcoming Windows 8.1 (otherwise known as 'Windows Blue' ). The reward is part of a new campaign designed to beef up the ... security defenses of Microsoft products. One part of this new campaign is being called "BlueHat Bonus for Defense," which is based on a 2011 contest where Microsoft rewarded security researchers with a "BlueHat Prize". The new BlueHat Bonus for Defense project will offer up to $50,000 for new security ideas related to Microsoft products. (Source: ... (view more)

It's not a mystery: Microsoft is having a hard time selling its Surface RT tablet computer. To help boost sales, the firm is now offering previously very pricey peripherals for free with the purchase of the original device. Microsoft's Surface RT ... was released alongside Windows 8 last fall. However, unlike most Windows 8-based laptops and the more recently released Surface Pro tablet PC, Surface RT runs Windows RT, a slimmed-down version of the Windows 8 operating system (OS). The big difference between Windows RT and Windows 8: the only way to get apps for the former is through Microsoft's ... (view more)

Having trouble adjusting to the new Windows 8 operating system (OS)? Microsoft says it's about to release new mice specially designed to make navigating the OS' user interface (UI) a whole lot easier. Actually, Microsoft has two new mice designed to ... make Windows 8 more accessible for desktop users. First, there's the Sculpt Mobile Mouse, which connects wirelessly to any Windows 8 device, including laptops, desktops, and tablet computers. Like most other wireless mice, the Sculpt Mobile Mouse features a dongle that can be stored inside when a user is on the move. Start Screen Button Makes ... (view more)

A recent study by Gartner found that Microsoft's Windows Phone mobile platform has now surpassed BlackBerry in smartphone market share. But there's hope yet for the Waterloo, Ontario-based firm: the company is rapidly preparing itself to take ... advantage of the 'connected' car revolution. It's expected that BlackBerry's mobile operating system, QNX, will be the key to connecting drivers' smartphones to their in-car infotainment systems. Inside the Car: QNX Eclipsing Windows QNX is slowly but steadily taking over as the dominant platform for connecting mobile devices to a vehicle. The reason: ... (view more)

A new report from Forrester Research says Windows 8 will not become an enterprise standard. In fact, the report says that by the time another version of Windows becomes available, Windows 7 will remain the enterprise crowd's chosen operating system ... (OS). Forrester analyst David Johnson says that means Windows 8 can be considered nothing less than a major letdown for Microsoft. "I have to believe Microsoft expected better enterprise adoption for Windows 8," noted Johnson, who acted as lead author on Forrester's report titled "IT Will Skip Windows 8 As The Enterprise Standard." (Source: pcworld ... (view more)

Microsoft earlier this week released a Patch Tuesday security update that addressed two 'critical' security flaws, one of which was found in its Internet Explorer browser. Now, Adobe has released its own security update package. The goal: to fix ... vulnerabilities in its Reader, Acrobat, and Flash Player products. Remote Code Execution a Concern Adobe's security update for its Reader and Acrobat software involves almost thirty different vulnerabilities. Most of those flaws are related to potential arbitrary code execution vulnerabilities that, if exploited successfully, could allow a hacker to ... (view more)

Microsoft has officially announced the first upgrade to Windows 8 operating system (OS) will be available on June 26, 2013. There will be no charge, so long as you already own the OS. According to a Microsoft blog post, the new software "will be a ... free update to Windows 8 for consumers through the Windows Store." That suggests users may need to manually install the update and that it won't be downloaded and installed automatically. (Source: windows.com ) The June 26 release will be a "public preview," meaning it won't be installed on new computers until later on. Update Known As Windows 8.1 ... (view more)

Microsoft's communications chief has described criticism of Microsoft as "a trend to the extreme." The comments appear to have been made in response to articles in two high-profile publications. Frank Shaw, Microsoft's vice president of corporate ... communications, has written a blog post in which he takes issue with the way people criticize people and products in an online setting. "In this world where everyone is a publisher, there is a trend to the extreme -- where those who want to stand out opt for sensationalism and hyperbole over nuanced analysis," Shaw said. "In this ... (view more)

Microsoft executive Tami Reller recently took the opportunity to boast that her firm has now sold 100 million licenses of the new Windows 8 operating system (OS). On the surface, it appears impressive that Microsoft has sold so many licenses in just ... a six-month time frame. (Source: windows.com ) However, industry insiders have suggested that many of those licenses aren't being used. According to Patrick Moorhead, lead analyst at Moor Insights ... (view more)