Windows' cut of Microsoft revenue drops to two-year low Windows' contribution last quarter to Microsoft's revenue hit its lowest point since Vista's swan song more than two years earlier, according to figures released by the company Thursday.
At CES, Microsoft sets stage for lower Windows revenue Microsoft executives this week hinted at lowered expectations for Windows revenues in the fourth quarter of 2011, citing data from research firms that point to a stall in PC shipments at the end of 2011.
Microsoft patches critical Windows drive-by bug Microsoft today shipped seven security updates that patched eight vulnerabilities in Windows and a code library used to protect Web applications from cross-site scripting attacks.
Microsoft plans big January Patch Tuesday Microsoft today said it would deliver seven security updates next week -- tying the record for January -- to patch eight vulnerabilities in Windows and its developer tools.
Chrome nears 20% share, IE resumes slide After a one-month pause, Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) resumed its usage share slide in December, dropping to a new low and setting the stage for a fall below 50% as early as March.
Top tech stories of 2011: From Jobs to Android, Anonymous to Egypt In 2011, the increasingly mobile and socially networked world of technology became more intertwined than ever with politics and the law. Patent wars shaped competition in tablets and smartphones, hacktivists attacked a widening array of political and corporate targets, repressive regimes unplugged citizens from the Internet, and the U.S. government moved to block the giant merger of AT&T and T-Mobile USA. With the passing of Steve Jobs, the world lost a technology icon who redefined the computer, entertainment and consumer electronics industries. These are the IDG News Service's picks for the top 10 technology stories of the year:
How to Stream Digital Media From Your Windows 7 PC With the immense popularity of digital cameras, smartphones, and tablets for taking pictures and capturing video, and the wide availability of affordable digital music and movies, many people have amassed enormous collections of digital media. Much of that media typically finds its way onto a PC or mass-storage device of some sort--and, unfortunately, it can sometimes go unused for ages. Flipping through pictures or videos and relaxing with some good tunes is always appealing, but sitting in front of a PC isn't the ideal way to enjoy such content.
Fix Your Windows 7 Network Setting up and maintaining your home PC network is easier than ever before with Windows 7--but that's not saying much. Many networking issues still aren't easily fixed from Windows 7's control panels. That's why we've compiled a list of common networking problems and their quick fixes.
RSA security lapse led to March hack, says researcher The attack that hacked RSA Security's network earlier this year succeeded because the company failed to take a basic security precaution, a researcher said today.
Microsoft slashes upgrade times for Windows 8 Microsoft claimed yesterday that users will be able to complete a Windows 8 upgrade much faster, in some cases in one-tenth the time it took similar-configured PCs to upgrade to Windows 7.
Mozilla makes progress on Firefox silent updates Mozilla is making progress on adding a silent update mechanism to Firefox, with plans to integrate the new service in Firefox 10 early next year.
Fixes for Outlook General Failure Error, Unwanted Windows Reboots Back in July I promised to help track down a solution to the "General failure" error that appears in Microsoft Outlook when you click a link embedded in an e-mail. Judging from the number of pleas for help I continue to get from readers, this problem hasn't gone away. And it appears to affect users of all browsers, not just Firefox or Internet Explorer.
Microsoft to streamline Windows 8's patch process Microsoft will reduce the number of distracting restarts for updates to Windows 8, part of its plan to simplify how people interact with the upcoming OS, a company manager said today.
How to Repair a Corrupt Windows 7 Installation Every operating system needs an occasional repair job, and Windows 7 is no exception. Whether the source of the problem is corrupt data, a particularly brutal piece of malware, or some other serious issue, you'll occasionally have to reinstall your copy of Windows.
Windows XP loses record share as decline quickens Windows XP's decline has accelerated and the decade-old operating system shed its largest ever chunk of market share in October, according to data from a Web measurement company.
Windows 7 is on a (slow) roll The economy has done a number on enterprises' Windows 7 deployment plans. If you're behind, take heart -- you're not alone.
Survey results: Economy delays Windows 7 implementation The uncertain economy has put a ding in many corporate Windows 7 implementation plans, although a good number of shops plan to keep running XP even after the support deadline passes. Here are our most recent survey results.
Windows Intune 2.0: Four New Features An update of Microsoft's Windows Intune offers a batch of new features meant to simplify how administrators track and manage company-owned PCs and software.
Microsoft slates IE bug fix for next week Microsoft today said it will ship eight security updates next week to patch 23 vulnerabilities in Windows, Internet Explorer (IE) and several other products in its portfolio.
Mozilla aims to add silent updating to Firefox 10 A year after it pulled the plug on silent updates in Firefox 4, Mozilla said it will debut most of the behind-the-scenes feature by early next year.
Six Big Windows 8 Features for Small Business With Microsoft's big BUILD conference right around the corner on September 12, people are buzzing about the Windows 8 news that's sure to come, and for the last couple of weeks, Microsoft has been parceling out information. So far, the features we’ve seen look colorful, fast, flashy, and flexible—but how much of a difference will they make for small business users?
Microsoft 'ribbonizes' Windows 8 file manager Microsoft on Monday said it will "ribbonize" the file manager in next year's Windows 8, adding Explorer to the short list of integrated applications that already sport the interface in Windows 7.
Windows XP turns 10 Windows XP quietly turned 10 years old Wednesday, a milestone for the still-popular operating system that powers nearly half the world's PCs.
Windows 7 rollouts without the pain Migrating to the next version of Windows can be a painful exercise for enterprise IT departments. That said, with support for Windows XP ending and with hardware refresh cycles kicking in, the move to Win 7 is unavoidable for most enterprises.
Microsoft patches final Pwn2Own IE bug Microsoft on Tuesday patched the last vulnerability in IE that was used by a researcher in March to win $15,000 at the annual Pwn2Own hacking contest.
Malware turns off Windows' UAC, warns Microsoft Microsoft this week urged users to keep an oft-criticized Windows security feature turned on, even as it said that more malware is disabling the tool.
Tweak Your Favorite Tools There's a lot to love about Gmail, but its built-in task manager is pretty weak. In fact, it's little more than a glorified checklist.
OS X Lion requires Windows 7 for Boot Camp Boot Camp, the Mac OS X utility that lets Mac owners run Windows in a separate partition, now requires Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows 7.
Windows XP's share falls below 50% Microsoft's Windows XP has slipped under the 50% share mark for the first time since Web measurement company Net Applications began tracking operating system usage.
Windows XP PCs breed rootkit infections Computers running the decade-old Windows XP make up a huge reservoir of infected PCs that can spread malware to other systems, a Czech antivirus company said today.
How to View Any File in Windows Right out of the box, Windows 7 and Vista let you preview most mainstream and multimedia file types. To find and activate the preview function, go to Windows Explorer (click Start and type explorer.exe in the "Search programs and files" box) and click the Preview icon in the upper right corner.
Patch Tuesday fixes critical Bluetooth flaw in Windows 7 Patch Tuesday has arrived. As expected, Microsoft released a relatively small number of patches for July, but that is no reason for IT admins to let their guard down--especially when one of the patches is a Critical update for Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
Microsoft patches 'sexy' Bluetooth bug in Vista, Windows 7 Microsoft today patched 22 vulnerabilities in Windows and Office, including a bug in the Bluetooth technology within Vista and Windows 7 that could be used to hijack a nearby PC.
Microsoft revs dump-XP campaign, says 'time to move on' Microsoft made its most aggressive move yet to convince customers to drop Windows XP and adopt Windows 7, telling them that there were only 1,000 days of support life left in the older operating system.
How to Set Up Your Network for PCs and Macs With Windows 7, you can easily share files and printers across a network via the HomeGroups feature. Here's how to set up your network to share files and printers with Macs.
Windows 7 posts enterprise gains, but XP retains 60% share Although enterprises are in the midst of migrating more machines to Microsoft's Windows 7, the aged Windows XP still accounts for nearly 6-in-10 PCs in corporations, according to a recent report by research firm Forrester.
How to upgrade to OS X Lion On Monday, Apple said it would sell OS X 10.7, aka 'Lion,' next month through its own Mac App Store for $29.99. Here's what you need to know to upgrade.
Microsoft unveils touch-oriented Windows 8 Microsoft today showed the next version of its Windows OS at a press event in Taipei, unveiling a completely new tile-based interface that it hopes will be better suited for the emerging world of tablet PCs.
Microsoft unveils touch-oriented Windows 8 Microsoft showed Thursday the next version of its Windows OS at a press event in Taipei, unveiling a completely new tile-based interface that it hopes will be better suited for the emerging world of tablet PCs.
HTC Trophy: Windows Phone 7 Comes To Verizon The Trophy ($150 with new 2-year contract) is the first Windows Phone 7 device on Verizon, and it does a pretty good job at showing off what the platform is all about. The Trophy is great for handling multimedia, but the phone feels dated next to other current generation smartphones.
Google patches critical Chrome bugs Google on Tuesday patched several vulnerabilities in Chrome, including two a French security company said could be used to bypass the browser's anti-exploit technology.
Microsoft backpedals from Ballmer's Windows 8 comments Microsoft is backing away from comments by CEO Steve Ballmer, who had told Japanese software developers that the next version of Windows would be dubbed Windows 8 and launch in 2012.
7 ways to work faster in Windows 7 Windows 7 contains a number of features to help you work more efficiently and increase productivity, but first you have to learn how to use them.
Free Sci-Fi Themepacks and Fonts Make your Windows 7 PC a window into the future--without compromising its actual function--with these science fiction themepacks. Whether you want cyberpunk or Cylons, dreamscapes or dystopias, Time Lords or tyrannical computers, you can immerse yourself in these images and sounds. We've combed through decades of sci-fi favorites from the silver screen and the small screen for these Windows 7 themes, and we've even tossed in a few fonts that sparked our imaginations. Each of these downloads is free.
Windows 7's malware infection rate climbs, XP's falls Data released today by Microsoft showed that Windows 7's malware infection rate climbed by more than 30% during the second half of 2010, even as the infection rate of the 10-year-old Windows XP fell by more than 20%.
Google engineers deny Chrome hack exploited browser's code Several Google security engineers have countered claims that a French security company found a vulnerability in Chrome that could let attackers hijack Windows PCs running the company's browser.
Security firm exploits Chrome zero-day to hack browser, escape sandbox French security company Vupen said today that it's figured out how to hack Google's Chrome by sidestepping not only the browser's built-in 'sandbox' but also by evading Windows 7's integrated anti-exploit technologies.
Microsoft issues first Windows Phone security update Microsoft has released the first security update for Windows Phone 7, replicating for smartphone users a patch the company gave Windows desktop users six weeks ago.
Mozilla patches Firefox 4, fixes programming bungle Mozilla has patched Firefox 4 for the first time, fixing eight flaws, including a major programming oversight that left the browser vulnerable to attack on Windows 7.
Prepare Your Website for IE 9 Websites designed to take advantage of the unique features in Internet Explorer 9 provide an immersive user experience that can increase customer loyalty and drive traffic. To obtain these benefits, though, you'll need to optimize your site to capitalize on IE 9.
Developers, not phones, driving mobile banking apps Banks must embrace mobile applications if they're to keep up with the hot trend in smartphones right now. And no phone is hotter for those applications than Apple's iPhone, even if it comes in third behind Android and BlackBerry phones.
Browser rivals mock Microsoft's 'native HTML5' claims Mozilla and Opera have mocked Microsoft's use of the term 'native HTML5' to describe IE9 and the upcoming IE10 as an oxymoron, an attempt to hijack an open standard and a marketing ploy.
Windows Vista: No IE10 for you Microsoft's new browser, Internet Explorer 10 (IE10), will not run on Windows Vista, either now in its developer preview form or when the software ships, the company confirmed today.
How to deploy Windows 7 right
From hardware to licensing, you need to make the right choices to smooth the transition and get the most out of Windows 7.
Microsoft has been trying to kill Windows XP for years, and it's finally paying off: XP market share has dipped below 50%, with Windows 7 sales more than taking up the slack. But Microsoft shouldn't rejoice, because the future is in mobile devices, and Windows Phone 7 has only a 1% market share of new smartphone sales, according to a just-released survey.
New Camera Codec Pack lets Windows Explorer generate image thumbnails from RAW files; Windows Live Photo Gallery 2011 will be able to edit those files as well.
Enterprise IT had a good business case for moving off of the nearly decade old Windows XP operating system and onto the more modern Windows 7. The case for Windows 8 will be more challenging.
More bad news for Microsoft in tablets --- Toshiba has apparently pulled the plug on its plans for a Windows 7-based tablet. Given that it was already available for pre-order, and slated to be shipped in June, this is very bad news for Microsoft. At this rate, will Windows ever become a significant presence in the tablet market?
Internet Explorer 10 won't run on Windows Vista -- the final version, as well as the recently released developer preview. It's a clear attempt to kill off Windows Vista, as Microsoft has been trying to do to XP for years. But why bother? Windows Vista has done a very good job of committing suicide, no external help needed.
Microsoft's most successful operating system in its history, Windows XP, refuses to die, no matter how many stakes Microsoft drives through its heart. But now it appears that Microsoft's work is paying off: For the first time, Windows 7 market share has topped that of XP in the U.S.
Should you stay or should you go? When it comes to Windows 7 SP1, stay. There is little to be gained by installing the service pack now. Eventually yes, but not now.
Since the first Macintosh hit the street in 1984, the PC experience has been about point-and-click interaction with a graphical user interface. There are times, however, where stopping what you're doing to use the mouse to perform simple tasks actually interrupts productivity and slows you down. Try using Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts to work more efficiently.
The Matrix runs on Windows
With Windows 7 is Microsoft's operating system is evolving toward perfection... to the point that it could endanger all of humanity?!
