Latest on Microsoft: News, Features, Opinions and More  Microsoft boosts Japan Azure offering, adds data centers
Microsoft will boost its Azure cloud offering in Japan, adding two domestic data centers to speed response times and improve reliability in the face of natural disasters. Google engineer bashes Microsoft's handling of security researchers, discloses Windows zero-day
A Google security engineer accused Microsoft of treating outside researchers with "great hostility" days before posting details of an unpatched vulnerability in Windows that could be used to crash PCs or gain additional access rights. Citrix links cloud-based storage to Microsoft SharePoint and Azure
Citrix Systems is making its cloud-based storage service ShareFile more Microsoft-friendly with SharePoint integration and the ability to store data on Azure. Microsoft makes a play for the living room with Xbox One
Microsoft is making a big play for the living room with a new Xbox console that marries games with live TV, Internet browsing, music and Skype. The whole enchilada: Integrated compute platforms steamroll across IT
Vendors are rebuilding the mainframe with converged infrastructure, collapsed kit or integrated compute platforms -- whatever you want to call it. And customers are loving it. Microsoft software satisfaction slumps
Customer satisfaction with Microsoft's software, primarily Windows, dropped slightly in the last year, likely part of the fallout over Windows 8, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Senate report: Apple claims subsidiaries with no taxing jurisdiction
Apple has set up three foreign subsidiaries that the company claims are not resident in any nation for taxing purposes, in an effort to avoid paying tens of billions of dollars in taxes to the U.S. and other countries, according to a new report from a U.S. Senate subcommittee. How to Prepare for Windows 8 Even Though It's Not Coming to Enterprises
Windows 8 won't be adopted as a standard at your business anytime soon, according to a new Forrester report. But that doesn't mean IT shouldn't prepare for it to sneak through the BYOD side door. Here are five ways to be ready for Windows 8. IntegriCell's Aaron Turner: Security managers still don't get mobile security
For the past several months, security veteran Aaron Turner has been making the rounds at industry events presenting some pretty disturbing information about the state of mobile security. Boutique PC seller laughs all the way to the bank on the back of Windows 7
A boutique system builder has bucked the industry trend of slumping PC sales by continuing to focus on selling Windows 7 machines. Smartphones take center stage in two-factor authentication schemes
We all know that relying on a simple user ID and password combination is fraught with peril. One alternative is to use one of the single sign-on solutions we reviewed last year, but there are less expensive options that could also be easier to install. Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are secret backers behind European Privacy Association
Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have been confirmed as the secret backers behind the European Privacy Association (EPA) which was accused of a lack of transparency by an independent watchdog on Thursday. Dell replays Windows 8 blame card as PC sales slide
Dell last week again blamed Windows 8 for contributing to a decline in PC sales revenue during the quarter that ended May 3. Windows 8 is an enterprise 'non-starter' because IT sees no value in changes
Windows 8 faces a number of hurdles in the enterprise, but the biggest reason it won't replace the current corporate champion, Windows 7, is simple: IT shops don't think it's worth the upgrade hassle. In a sea of malware, viruses make a small comeback
The computer virus seems to be making a subtle comeback. Advocates call for legal protections for copyright consumers
The U.S. Congress should consider a "safe harbor" from legal action for consumers using works protected by copyright as it launches a long-term effort to revamp copyright law, some advocates said Thursday. Google steals march on Apple in music subscription
Google beat Apple to the music subscription service punch this week, perhaps the doing of record labels who wanted to put Apple in its place, an analyst said Google issues YouTube ultimatum to Microsoft as Hatfield-McCoy feud heats up
Google yesterday sent a cease-and-desist letter to Microsoft, demanding that its rival remove the YouTube app built for the Windows Phone platform. How to keep the feds from snooping on your cloud data
A growing number of SaaS providers offer secure encryption log-in to Dropbox and other cloud storage vendors, meaning even they can't access the data you store. And neither can the government. Windows 8 isn't New Coke, says top Microsoft exec; it's Diet Coke
Frank X. Shaw, Microsoft's head of corporate communications, defended his company's Windows information disclosure strategy, denying that Microsoft has adopted Apple's "cone of silence" approach to imparting news. Dell slashes its Windows RT tablet price by $200; XPS 10 now sells for $300
Dell drastically cut the online price of its Windows RT tablet, reducing the price by $200 to $299.99 for Dell XPS 10. Mozilla to Firefox: 'Browser, heal thyself'
Mozilla on Tuesday released Firefox 21, adding more social media connections, tweaking the Do Not Track privacy setting and rolling out a new tool that long term, aims to create a self-healing browser. Mobile management morphs
Customers are pushing the limits of the software -- asking it to manage and do many more things than it was originally created to do -- and vendors are happy to oblige. Microsoft votes for free Windows 8.1, collects kudos
Microsoft today announced that Windows 8.1, the update later this year for Windows 8, will be free to current users of the operating system, confirming analysts' expectations. Microsoft rushes Internet Explorer 8 patch release
Just 11 days after issuing an advisory, Microsoft has released a patch for a bug in Internet Explorer 8 that bedeviled the U.S. Department of Labor earlier this month. Windows Blue will be free upgrade for Windows 8 customers
Microsoft's Windows 8 update, code-named Windows Blue, will be formally released as Windows 8.1 and will be free for customers who have the new OS installed. Windows 8 app store fails Top 10 test
Microsoft's Windows 8 app store failed a test touted by a former Microsoft manager and distinguished engineer as a way to determine an ecosystem's relevance. BlackBerry Messenger is expanding to iOS and Android
BlackBerry's free Messenger service is being expanded to work with iOS and Android devices, the company announced today at its BlackBerry Live event. 7 steps to securing Java
Java, the popular OS-independent platform and programming language, runs on just about every kind of electronic device imaginable, including computers, cell phones, printers, TVs, DVDs, home security systems, automated teller machines, navigation systems, games and medical devices. Outlook.com to let users engage in IM chats with Gmail users
Microsoft is upgrading its new Outlook.com webmail service so that its users can communicate with Gmail users via instant messaging. Does your cloud vendor protect your rights?
When an organization's data is in the cloud, requests to provide access to it for legal reasons are more complicated. Microsoft to squeeze more devs into BUILD
Microsoft today said it has increased the head count for its June developers conference, and will sell the extra tickets Wednesday. Microsoft boosts photo management in SkyDrive
Microsoft is rolling out changes to SkyDrive to enhance management of photos in the cloud storage service, including more efficient viewing and uploading of files. Google triples free storage to 15GB
Google said it is increasing the amount of free storage for users of its Google Drive cloud storage service to 15 GB. Microsoft's counter-attack against Windows 8 coverage makes it 'look weak'
Microsoft on Friday called some media coverage of its plans to update Windows 8 sensationalist and an effort to drive website page views. Why Microsoft won't charge for Windows 'Blue' ... this time
Sometime soon, Microsoft will tell Windows 8 users whether they will have to pay for the upgrade code-named "Blue," and if so, how much. Analysts don't expect it to charge anything for the update. Block rogue apps with Windows Server -- for free
It is a lot of work to set up policies; it takes trial and some error, too. But the payoffs are huge. Wall Street Beat: Rise in markets could fuel tech M&A
Increasing confidence in the economy and a rising stock market could lay the groundwork for a revival in tech-sector mergers and acquisitions as companies embrace cloud technology and pursue game-changing software, particularly for the mobile market. Microsoft sends gamblin' Pete Rose to the plate in swing at Google Docs
Microsoft today took another shot at rival Google, calling its rival's online application suite, Google Docs, "too big a gamble." Bing adds more Facebook to search
Bing is adding some new social features to its search engine, by letting users comment and "like" their Facebook friends' posts directly on the site. Analysts challenge Microsoft's commitment to Windows RT
One of Microsoft's top Windows executives this week said the company remains bullish about Windows RT, but analysts remain suspicious of RT's chances unless Microsoft makes changes. Microsoft says Yammer sales are booming
With the backing of its new parent company, Yammer more than tripled its revenue year on year in the quarter that ended in March. Amazon may be working on a smartphone with hologram-like 3D
Amazon is reportedly developing a smartphone that sports a 3D screen that relies on retina-tracking technology to make images seem to float above the screen like a hologram. Microsoft rushes IE8 zero-day fix into next week's Patch Tuesday
Microsoft today said it will issue 10 security updates next week, two rated "critical," to patch 33 vulnerabilities, including the zero-day bug that has been used by cyber criminals to poison "watering hole" websites in attacks aimed at U.S. government workers. Best case, Mozilla's Firefox for Windows 8 will ship in October
Firefox for Windows 8's "Modern" user interface (UI) will likely wrap up development this fall, Mozilla said on its website in a best case-worst case schedule. Microsoft releases fix-it for Internet Explorer 8 vulnerability
Microsoft has released a temporary fix for a zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer 8, which was used by hackers in a prominent attack against the U.S. Department of Labor's website. More support for Windows RT, this time from Nvidia
Nvidia will stay on board with making Tegra ARM-based processors for Windows RT tablets despite sluggish early sales of the devices, making the same commitment that Qualcomm has made, an Nvidia executive said Microsoft won't guarantee buy-not-rent Office for next decade
Microsoft yesterday took a swipe at long-time partner Adobe for the latter's wholesale shift to rent-not-buy software subscriptions, and along the way seemed to promise it would Office as old-school perpetual licenses for the next 10 years. Start button's return to Windows 8? Probably, but there's no guarantee
Microsoft's head of Windows development on Tuesday came close to promising that the iconic Start button would return to the Windows 8 desktop, but never made a guarantee. Review: HP 3PAR conjures powerful storage magic
HP 3PAR StoreServe 7400 combines high scalability, high performance, and a big bag of tricks for easing storage management Microsoft extends revenue per search agreement with Yahoo
Microsoft has extended a search revenue guarantee agreement with Yahoo for one more year, amid reports that the Internet company is trying to break its 10-year agreement with Microsoft. Microsoft to boost Office Web Apps features
Microsoft plans to accelerate improvements in Office Web Apps, the browser-based version of the Office suite, adding features like real-time co-authoring of documents and the ability to run in Android tablets via mobile Chrome browser support. Windows Blue preview due at end of June
Microsoft plans to release a preview version of Windows 8's update, code-named Windows Blue, at the end of June, according to Julie Larson-Green, a corporate vice president in charge of the OS's development. Microsoft's drip-drip-drip Windows communications strategy dubbed a washout
Microsoft's Tami Reller, the CFO and head of marketing for the Windows division, went on a mini publicity spree today. But she didn't say very much. $300M investment in Nook delivers next to nothing for Microsoft
Microsoft has gotten little from a 2012 investment of $300 million with Barnes & Noble, analysts said, but it's poised to reap some rewards as it and its partners start to ship smaller tablets. Seagate unleashes first consumer SSD; enterprise version gets blazing fast 12Gbps SAS connectivity
Seagate Technology today announced its new portfolio of flash-memory devices, taking the wraps off its first consumer SSD and its next generation of enterprise models. Security pros cheer hint of hands-off updates in Windows Blue
Microsoft's apparent plan to automatically update its own Windows Store apps in the next version of Windows 8 is drawing praise from security experts. Microsoft's Windows Blue to be available later this year
Microsoft's update of its Windows 8 operating system, code-named Windows Blue, will be available later this year, supporting a variety of form factors and display sizes, and providing more options for both businesses and consumers. Gates sticks to company line on tablets, knocks iPad
Microsoft co-founder and chairman Bill Gates today stuck to the company line on tablets, and disparaged rival Apple's iPad for its lack of a keyboard and its inability to run Office. Researchers create zoomable display for smartwatches
As developers create tiny computer devices like smartwatches, one question they face is how to make tiny keyboards usable. Kinect sensor modified for wheelchair gaming
By modifying a Microsoft Kinect sensor, a research project at the Computer Human Interaction (CHI) conference demonstrated how gamers in a wheelchair could interact with motion games. Career advice: Are certs worthwhile?
Premier 100 IT Leader Gary Hensley also answers questions on transitioning to the security field and becoming a leader. Preston Gralla: Microsoft's smartwatch: Been there, didn't do that
Vendors are falling all over themselves to develop smartwatches. Will this be yet one more example of Microsoft getting to a market first and then failing to cash in? Amazon leaks evidence of first smaller, cheaper Windows 8 tablet
Details of what could be the first smaller Windows 8 tablet leaked Friday when Amazon briefly published a listing for an 8.1-in. Acer Iconia tablet. Microsoft admits zero-day bug in IE8, pledges patch
Microsoft late Friday confirmed that a "zero-day," or unpatched, vulnerability exists in Internet Explorer 8, the company's most popular browser. Acer waits for Windows RT 8.1 to make tablet decision
Acer is waiting for the next version of Windows RT, due in the second half of this year, before deciding whether to release a tablet that runs on that OS. Microsoft to grow Office 365's capacity to import contacts from third-party tools
Office 365 users will increasingly be able to import contacts from external applications after the suite's initial rollout of this capability for Facebook and LinkedIn. Retailers didn't do Windows 8 any favors
Retailers share part of the blame for poor Windows 8 sales and the ensuing decline of PC shipments, analysts contended today. H-1B reform debate pits tech firms against iT veterans
Many U.S. tech companies are pushing hard this year for an increase in the number of high-skill immigrants allowed into the country, but many veteran IT workers question their motives for wanting to increase the number of visas under the controversial H-1B program. Mobile Players Offer a Mix of Messages in TV Ads
Apple, Samsung and Microsoft take divergent paths to selling their smartphones via TV commercials. The winning approach: Focus on your own unique features, and resist potshots at the competition. Time to say goodbye to Windows RT tablets?
Windows RT tablets grabbed just 0.4% of the tablet market in the first quarter, a dismal result that led some tech experts to urge Microsoft to scrap the platform that's in its six-month infancy. Windows 8 grows slow, XP just won't go
Microsoft was hit with a double whammy last month as it made scant progress in either boosting the usage share of Windows 8 or depressing the share of Windows XP, data published today showed. Yes Siri, no Siri, for the Mac
Apple's next version of OS X will probably not include Siri, the digital, voice-activated assistant embedded in the iPhone and iPad, an analyst predicted. Microsoft previews Skype for Outlook.com
Microsoft is rolling out a preview version of Skype for Outlook.com, allowing users to make calls and send instant messages from within the webmail service using a browser plugin. Sandy begets tree-hugging companies
Severe weather shifts are forcing companies to rethink their energy strategies; they're using both technology and geography to become more energy independent. Review: Xamarin 2.0 brings C# to mobile development
Impressive Xamarin SDK brings native iPhone and Android development to C# programmers, Visual Studio Microsoft prevails in Xbox patent rift with Motorola Mobility
A U.S. judge ruled Thursday that Motorola Mobility is entitled to substantially less royalties than it wanted from Microsoft for the company's use of wireless and video-encoding patents in its Xbox products. Windows Blue won't solve all Microsoft's problems, analysts say
Microsoft's failure thus far to significantly spark PC and tablet sales with Windows 8 has put high expectations on an expected 2013 refresh of the OS, dubbed 'Blue.' Apple's WWDC sells out in under 3 minutes
Apple set a record today by selling out its annual developer conference in under three minutes. VirnetX targets Skype, Lync in new patent attack on Microsoft
Patent holding company VirnetX this week filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing Microsoft's Skype of infringing six of its patents. Motorola Android phones infringe on Microsoft SMS patent, German court rules
Motorola Mobility Android phones infringe on a Microsoft text messaging patent, the Higher District Court of Munich ruled on Thursday. How big data will save your life
Big data analytics is creating a world where doctors will eventually be able to do a Google-like query on a patients illness and instantly discover how 100,000 other doctors treated their patients. It's also driving new treatments through genomic profiling. Senator rips self-regulatory do-not-track efforts
The U.S. online advertising industry has not lived up to a promise to stop the online tracking of Internet users who ask advertisers to do so, a senior U.S. senator said Wednesday. Microsoft to announce next Xbox on May 21
Eight years after the first Xbox 360 units shipped, Microsoft will finally pull the curtains off its long-awaited successor on May 21. Review: Microsoft Hyper-V 2012 narrows the gap
Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V combines easy setup and management with new features that lower the entry barrier to highly available virtualization clusters Virtualization showdown: Microsoft Hyper-V 2012 vs. VMware vSphere 5.1
Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V brings advanced virtualization features to small shops, but VMware still reigns at the high end Review: VMware vSphere 5.1 looms large
VMware takes virtualization higher and deeper with rich storage automation and more advanced virtual networking tools ZTE agrees to Android, Chrome patent licensing from Microsoft
Microsoft has inked an agreement that adds ZTE to its Android and Chrome patent licensing program. Microsoft re-releases 'Blue Screen of Death' patch
Microsoft today re-released a security update that had crashed customers' PCs and crippled the machines with endless reboots, saying that the revised patch is now safe to install. Microsoft says Office 365 adoption accelerating, but questions remain
When Microsoft reported its third-quarter financial results last week, company officials trumpeted several metrics about sales and adoption of Office 365, the cloud subscription suite for email and collaboration. AV-TEST stands by claims that Bing shows more malware-infected links than Google
AV-TEST today stood by the results of its search engine investigation that claimed Microsoft's Bing shows five times the number of malware-hosting websites than Google in its results Five Ways to Improve Your Enterprise Social Networking Strategy
Enterprise social networking software, which offers social media capabilities adapted for workplace collaboration like employee profiles, activity streams, microblogging and document sharing, has evolved from a "nice to have" to a "should have" status in enterprises. SAP and Oracle winners as software growth slows, IDC says
A growing interest in big data, analytics and cloud computing helped propel a weak software enterprise market last year, according to research from IDC. SAP and Oracle fared the best among the large software vendors. Three quick ways to ease your transition to Windows 8
Over the past few weeks I've had the opportunity to test-drive a couple Windows 8 laptops, and even though I've used the OS intermittently for months now, I still find it jarring every time the Metro interface (a.k.a. Start screen) appears. Microsoft DirectAccess impresses
Available since Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsofts DirectAccess server role became fully integrated with the OS in Windows Server 2012. DirectAccess is designed to connect a VPN-type session automatically as soon as a compatible Windows client is connected to the Internet. Java security questions answered
Most of the products tested (except Windows Server 2012), use Oracle's Java in one form or another, at least for client access and also in some cases within the management interface. With numerous vulnerabilities recently discovered in Java, leading to guidance from Department of Homeland Security and others to disable it entirely, this raised some questions about usability and possibly even security of the devices tested. Office 365 subscriptions furnish 4% of Microsoft's Office division revenue
Microsoft's Business division, which manages the company's Office cash cow, recorded a 5% revenue bump in the first quarter over the same period in 2012, an increase driven by a surge in enterprises signing long-term licensing agreements. Easy XP-Windows 7 upgrades are over
The easy upgrades from Windows XP are done, migration experts said, predicting that a sizeable number of large enterprises will still be running the aged OS even after Microsoft stops supporting it. Next-gen USB SuperSpeed to eliminate power cords
USB SuperSpeed will move from 5Gbps bandwidth to 10Gbps in the coming year, but it's also leaping from 10 watts to 100 watts for charging, which could power monitors and even HDTVs. Microsoft to pay departing CFO Klein $2M for non-compete, secrecy promises
Microsoft's chief financial officer, Peter Klein, will receive $2 million in the year after he retires from the company, according to documents filed Thursday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
| Our bloggers on Microsoft Users tell Microsoft, keep your Windows 8 Metro apps, we don't want them
Microsoft's new-style "Metro" Windows 8 apps were supposed to draw people to the operating system in droves, but the exact opposite is happening. Just-published research shows that 60% of users don't bother to launch even a single Metro app a day.
Another way Apple beats Microsoft -- in sketchy tax dodges
When it comes to paying taxes, Apple certainly thinks different, using sketchy tax dodges and phantom offshore companies to avoid paying billions of dollars in U.S. taxes. Competitors like Microsoft have used similar tactics, but not nearly to the extent that does Apple. This is one more example of the way that Apple polishes a shiny public image, but acts in private in a less-than-stellar manner.
Dell and enterprises diss Windows 8 big-time
If selling and buying operating systems were a football game, Dell and enterprises might be called for piling on, because within the last several days both of them have given big thumbs-downs to Windows 8. This is just the latest in a long series of bad news for the newest version of Windows.
It's a two-stepping day for Microsoft's Patch Tuesday
We are back at it again with 10 updates in Microsoft's May edition of Patch Tuesday. Two are rated Critical, with the remaining eight rated as Important. This month's Patch Tuesday is really a story of a few steps forward followed by a step back, after the release of a seriously flawed patch released in last month's April Patch Tuesday update, which caused Microsoft to revoke, and then subsequently re-release the update.
Can Microsoft's Surface Mini save Windows RT?
Reports say that Microsoft is readying a smaller, less-expensive version of its Window RT-based Surface tablet, and may announce it as early as June. Will that be enough to save the struggling Windows RT OS?
Windows Phone can finally brag, 'We're number 3!'
It might not seem like a victory to many people, but Windows Phone has finally climbed to number 3 on the smartphone popularity list, edging past BlackBerry. Even better news for Microsoft: Windows Phone shipments more than doubled in the past year.
Google CEO Larry Page says Microsoft's bad behavior 'is really sad.' Hypocrite.
Google CEO Larry Page zinged Microsoft for its "sad" behavior during his rambling remarks at Google I/O, complaining about the company's "us versus them" mentality. Yet only a few days earlier, Google had served Microsoft with a cease-and-desist letter to pull a Windows Phone YouTube app. Whose behavior is really sad here?
Europe to Microsoft: We hate Windows 8
PC sales in Western Europe plummeted in the first quarter in the biggest decline the continent has ever seen -- more than 20 percent. And one key reason for the drop is that European users simply don't like Windows 8.
Windows 8.1 preview release date: June 26 -- Blue will be FREE
'Free' as in beer, presumably. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) confirms rumors that Windows Blue will be called 8.1 and will be a free upgrade. But no news yet on whether the Start Menu is back. Speaking at a conference in New York, Windows co-honcho Tami Reller opened the kimono just a crack wider. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Windows chief: We're with ARM and RT for the long haul; Haswell-based tablets will be ready this fall
Windows RT tablets may have underwhelming sales, and some people believe RT is on a death watch, but a top Windows executive said today that Microsoft won't abandon RT-based tablets and the ARM platform on which they run. That being said, she pointed to this fall as the rollout time for full Windows 8 tablets based on Intel's low-power Haswell chips.
Can Nokia's good-not-great Lumia 925 stand up to Apple's new range when it hits US this summer?
It may be light, robust and made to a high specification, but the new Lumia 925 smartphone from Nokia has failed to impress industry-watchers, despite its relatively low price; will Stephen Elop's latest shiny shiny toy help turn the tide against Apple and Google's Android empire, or has Nokia missed its call?
Windows Blue shows why Microsoft may turn Windows into a subscription service
Windows Blue is likely to be available for free, but elements of it show that eventually Microsoft may turn Windows into an annual subscription service in the same way it's doing with Office.
Bill Gates 2.0: Friend of Steve Jobs (and Philanthropist)
Gates mourns Steve's lack of time to give back. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) co-founder Bill Gates was on CBS last night, and some of what was said has raised some eyebrows. 60 Minutes' Charlie Rose asked Gates about charity and his relationship with the last Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) co-founder, Steve Jobs. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers watch something called Tele-vision.
No iTunes for Windows 8? Who cares? What's really needed is Spotify.
Don't wring your hands about Apple refusing to build an iTunes app for Windows 8. Who needs it? What you should be hoping for is a Windows 8 Spotify app, because it's the present and future of digital music, while iTunes is the past.
Go on Microsoft: Give Office for iOS, take iTunes for Windows 8
Microsoft is doomed in its attempt to slow Apple'siPad sales by denying iOS users a mobile version of Office as the iPad maker controls the most searched for app on the Windows 8 store -- iTunes. Surely there's a deal in that?
| 
