Microsoft

Microsoft sources have confirmed that the online edition of Microsoft Office, dubbed "Office 365," will officially launch June 28, 2011. The software package is designed to rival online services such as Google Apps. The cost of using the service is ... rumored to be $72 per year for basic access, with a more featured business package at a currently unconfirmed higher price. (Source: thetechherald.com ) Cheaper Microsoft Office, Automatic Updates To put that into context, the most basic version of Office (Home and Student) currently retails for $149.99 while a Home and Business Package ( ... (view more)

Android smartphone sales are considerably stronger than those for Windows Phone 7 -- but does it spell disaster for Microsoft? Perhaps not. A new report shows that the skyrocketing Android sales are a blessing in disguise for Microsoft, with ... projected figures indicating that the Redmond-based software giant is actually making more money off Android than they are with Windows Phone 7. Microsoft Gets $5 for Every HTC Android Sold Citi analyst Walter Pritchard revealed that Microsoft gets five times more money from Android than it does from Windows Phone 7 due to an intellectual property (IP) ... (view more)

On Thursday, Microsoft gave its first major public demonstration of Windows 8, and showed how it would be used to bridge the gap between PCs and mobile devices. To the surprise of many guests attending the event, Microsoft says that the new ... operating system's hardware requirements will actually be less than the requirements to run Windows 7. Windows 8 Optimized for Varying Screen Sizes and Processors Microsoft recently confirmed that Windows 8 would run on the ARM processor : a low-powered CPU (central processing unit) commonly used on mobile devices such as tablets, and mobile phones. In ... (view more)

David Einhorn's scathing criticism of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer made headlines in recent days when it was suggested that Ballmer was responsible for driving Microsoft stock into the ground. Now, another sign that Microsoft's CEO may be in trouble ... has emerged: it seems his own employees are losing confidence in him. The findings come to us from Glassdoor.com, a business analysis site that tracks vital statistics on big-name U.S. companies, including Intel, IBM and Boeing. In 2008, Glassdoor.com began asking employees from many of these major firms to anonymously rate their CEOs. It seems ... (view more)

A recent poll conducted by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) shows that public satisfaction with Microsoft software continues to rise, large due to the success of the Windows 7 operating system (OS). Microsoft scored a record high 79 ... points in the latest poll figures, marking the culmination of steady increases in each of the last three years. The three-point increase (representing a 7 per cent gain) helped Microsoft attain its highest level since ACSI first began asking Americans for feedback concerning the quality of their computer software nearly five years ago. (Source: idg. ... (view more)

David Einhorn, President of hedge fund Greenlight Capital, has publicly encouraged Microsoft to fire CEO Steve Ballmer, going so far as to criticize the big-name exec for what Einhorn believes has been a "Charlie Brown" management style. The ... comments were made about Microsoft's Steve Ballmer at this month's Ira Sohn Research Conference, held to raise money towards combating childhood diseases. Einhorn has made headlines of late for offering $200 million for a minority stake in baseball's New York Mets. Although the setting wasn't quite where one might expect to hear a tirade about Microsoft ... (view more)

An Italian security researcher has found a new security flaw in Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser that could allow hackers to steal login information and passwords. The threat comes in the form of a 'cookiejacking' scheme (related to session ... hijacking ), which allows hackers to review website history and then use that to enter protected domains. Rosario Valotta recently demonstrated his cookingjacking findings at security conferences in Switzerland and Amsterdam. He acknowledged that exploiting the flaw isn't particularly easy, requiring a hacker to convince an online user to drag and ... (view more)

Microsoft is working on a covert overhaul of Windows Live SkyDrive, their popular file hosting service that allows users to upload documents and access them from a web browser. The new SkyDrive will be featured as part of the Windows Live Wave 5 set ... of services. Included in the proposed changes is an HTML5 version of its image viewer alongside a refreshed interface to view documents and files uploaded to the free service. (Source: frostapps.com ) HTML5 Ensures Cross-Platform Support The reason that the Windows team is relying a little more on HTML5 is to ensure cross-platform support for ... (view more)

According to a new report from Microsoft, 1 in every 14 PC programs found on the web are laced with malware . The statistics come courtesy of the Redmond-based firm's Internet Explorer SmartScreen filter, which is designed to figure out a program's ... reputation before proceeding with a download. The SmartScreen filter first appeared in Internet Explorer 7 and continues to be developed with Internet Explorer 9. The latest edition of SmartScreen now checks the reputation of downloads. (Source: betanews.com ) "Using reputation helps protect users from newly released malware programs -- pretending ... (view more)

Microsoft is gearing up to help university students get homework done while also getting their game on by offering a free Xbox 360 game console with the purchase of a $699 Windows 7 PC. It's a very good deal, indeed. In its recent announcement of ... the offer, Microsoft revealed that between May 22 and September 3, 2011, students with a .edu email address confirming their student status will be able to get an Xbox 360 if they buy a computer running Windows 7 priced at $699 or more through Microsoft.com, Dell.com, HP.com, or a number of brick and mortar retail locations like Best Buy. (Source: ... (view more)