Microsoft

A Microsoft special offer has unintentionally made it much easier for software pirates to run bogus copies of Windows 8. But the loophole works only for particularly determined pirates. The loophole centers around the way Windows users activate ... their software. Each copy of Windows has a unique "key," which Microsoft checks to ensure the software copy is valid and not already in use by another registered owner. If the software's key passes these checks, the software copy is activated. Without activation within a certain period, Windows will begin to severely limit its functionality, mostly to ... (view more)

Getting Windows 7 users to make the switch to Windows 8 continues to be a difficult challenge for Microsoft, despite an aggressive marketing blitz. Now the company is hoping to entice more prospective users to upgrade their computers to the new ... operating system by allowing them to escape worrying about any long-term commitments. Windows to Go is a feature in Windows 8 Enterprise that allows the operating system to boot and run from mass storage devices like USB flash drives and external hard disk drives. All that is needed to start computing with Windows 8 in this manner is to plug the pre- ... (view more)

According to a new report, just one in four enterprise users are planning to upgrade to Microsoft's new Windows 8 any time soon. In fact, these users are only half as excited about Windows 8 as they were about Windows 7 in 2009. Enterprise software ... is used in large organizations, such as private corporations and government agencies. A huge part of Microsoft's Windows revenue depends on these kinds of organizations buying Windows licenses in bulk. Only 24% of Enterprise Users Plan to Upgrade to Windows 8 That's why it's bad news to hear that of 1,200 North American and European information ... (view more)

Microsoft's chief executive officer has finally weighed in on the recent departure of Steven Sinofsky , former president of the firm's Windows division. In a recent interview at Silicon Valley's Churchill Club, Steve Ballmer had only good things to ... say about Sinofsky. The departing executive had been with Microsoft for more than two decades. Since 2009, he was in charge of Microsoft's Windows unit, and played a key role in the development of both Windows 7 and Windows 8. Ballmer: Sinofsky Made "Amazing Contributions" In his interview, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer credited Sinofsky ... (view more)

Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer says businesses are reacting well to the Windows 8 operating system (OS). He also suggested that the company's Surface tablet won't be its last home-grown hardware device. Speaking at a business and ... technology event at the Churchill Club in California, Ballmer said that's he's been surprised by how well business users have reacted to the way Windows 8 focuses on touchscreen users. Before Microsoft released the new operating system, many analysts argued that businesses would be frustrated and angry with the its new interface, tailored to ... (view more)

Microsoft is currently developing a new English-to-Chinese translation tool that is said to dramatically improve on previous offerings of its kind. Even more exciting, some observers believe the software giant may also be working on a Star Trek-like ... 'universal translation tool.' In a recent blog post, Microsoft Chief Research Officer Rick Rashid discussed the new translation software and the challenges the company faces in developing it. Rashid indicated the solution to the combined difficulties of replacing English words with their Chinese equivalents and then correctly adjusting for Chinese ... (view more)

Steven Sinofsky, chief of Microsoft's Windows division, is leaving the company. His former position will now be shared by two other Microsoft executives. Sinofsky had been in his position since 2009, and has been with Microsoft since 1989. He spent ... much of his career working on the Microsoft Office suite, then later spearheaded development of Windows 7, an operating system widely considered a major success. During his work on both Windows 7 and Windows 8, Sinofsky took a very distinctive approach to communication. He blogged regularly about the development process, giving the massive software ... (view more)

In a recent interview with French publication Le Parisien, Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer admitted that sales of the company's Surface tablet have proceeded only "modestly." Ballmer was reluctant to disclose any precise sales ... figures. It's hard not to assume that Microsoft is therefore concerned about the public's early reception of the Surface. At first, demand for the Surface , Microsoft's first tablet computer, was impressive. In fact, the device sold out online and in some retail outlets during its first few days of availability. (Source: cnet.com ) However, in the weeks ... (view more)

Windows 8 and Windows RT will get their first security fixes this Patch Tuesday, November 13, 2012. For Windows 8, three of the fixes have been marked "critical," Microsoft's highest security rating. The fixes address zero-day vulnerabilities ... reported by security firm Vupen last week. Vupen recently announced it had found "multiple vulnerabilities" in Windows 8 and also in Microsoft's newest web browser, Internet Explorer 10. Remote Code Flaws Found in Windows 8 The "critical" fixes will address remote code execution vulnerabilities that, theoretically, could allow a hacker to install malware ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly working on bringing its Office software to the Android and Apple mobile platforms. The reported plan would involve offering a free viewing app for users, and light editing tools for subscribers. At the moment, Office ... functionality on mobile devices varies widely. Handsets running Windows Phone have a limited range of viewing and editing tools, while Microsoft's Surface tablet comes with Office pre-installed. Now, a combination of leaked screenshots and a press release from Microsoft's subsidiary in the Czech Republic make it clear that Office is coming to devices ... (view more)