microsoft

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DOHS) has warned that users should switch away from Internet Explorer until a serious bug has been fixed. It's the first big security scare since Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP earlier this ... month. The bug doesn't have a glamorous nickname and is instead simply known as CVE-2014-1776. When triggered, the bug allows for remote code execution, which means a third party would have full control over a remote PC without the need for credentials or consent from the PC owner. By clicking on a malicious link or by visiting an infected ... (view more)

Microsoft is targeting school pupils with a special ad-free version of the Bing search engine . It says testing shows the software improves classroom performance, though critics suggest Microsoft's motives are far from charitable. The special ... edition of the search engine is called Bing in the Classroom. Microsoft initially tested it in five school districts last year and is now making it available nationwide. It will be available to all K-12 schools (meaning primary and secondary education) in the United States. According to Microsoft estimates, students using school computers see a total ... (view more)

Microsoft unveiled its future plan for Windows 8 at the 2014 Build developer conference this past weekend. The path appears to be backwards, with Microsoft introducing several new features that effectively revive Windows 7 functionality . For ... example, Microsoft executive vice-president of operating systems, Terry Myerson, showed off a new Start Menu that is fully integrated with Windows 8's "Modern" (formerly "Metro") interface. Myerson also said Windows 8 users will soon be able to launch Modern applications from the desktop interface. Myerson says the changes will be ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that its Office software suite is finally coming to Apple's iPad tablet. Microsoft's newest Chief Executive Officer, Satya Nadella, unveiled the iPad version of Office at a news conference last Thursday. Microsoft ... Apprehensive About Releasing Office for iPad It's a bit of a mystery as to why Microsoft waited so long to release Office for a tablet that first launched roughly four years ago. Some experts believe that Office for iPad has been ready for release for a number of years. It's speculated that Microsoft wanted to keep Office on its own tablet ... (view more)

Microsoft has revised its Hotmail / Outlook email privacy policy. It's in response to concerns after the company admitted to reading emails and instant messages of a blogger who allegedly tried to sell Microsoft intellectual property without ... permission. Former Microsoft employee Alex Kibkalo is currently being investigated for stealing Microsoft trade secrets. According to Microsoft, in 2012 Kibkalo acquired pre-release Windows 8 source code, which he emailed to a mysterious blogger who has not been named. It's the anonymous blogger who had his email and instant messages snooped. ... (view more)

Microsoft is hoping that its upcoming digital assistant, currently known as "Cortana", will be Windows Phone 8.1's must-have app. Although it's not yet known when the app will be available, rumors suggest it will be released as early as April 2014, ... and will likely be extended to run on the PC. The name "Cortana" is in reference to a female fictional artificially intelligent (AI) character in the Halo video game series for the Xbox / 360 platform, which was also created by Microsoft. In short: Cortana is Microsoft's answer to Apple's Siri application, which ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that it plans to release its first major update for Windows 8.1 this spring, and it's called "Update 1". The biggest improvement, according to the firm, is that Windows 8.1 will become easier to use with a mouse and keyboard. ... Microsoft's first significant update to Windows 8 was Windows 8.1, which was released last fall. Windows 8.1 Update 1 expands upon that, and has been rumored for a spring 2014 release for some time. To date, however, Microsoft has said very little about what's included in the package. Windows 8.1 Update 1: Easier for Mouse, ... (view more)

Microsoft has released a temporary fix to an important security bug affecting two recent versions of Internet Explorer. The exploit has been linked to attacks that compromised a website for US military veterans. The bug affects Internet Explorer ... versions 9 and 10. It does not affect version 11, nor anything previous to version 9. That said, using an earlier version Internet Explorer less than what is currently available (depending on which version of Windows you're running) is definitely not advised. JavaScript Bug Exploits Drive-by Download Attack The exploit involves JavaScript, a ... (view more)

A software designer who claims to have contributed to the creation of Windows 8's "Metro" interface has taken to Reddit.com in an effort to explain why Microsoft ultimately made the decision to implement its controversial new interface. The designer ... in question is Jacob Miller, who says he worked as a designer for Microsoft prior to the release of Windows 8. Miller says that Metro (which Microsoft now calls "Modern") was created with casual users in mind. Metro: Designed for Faster, Easier Access Miller says the goal of the design is to make it faster and easier to ... (view more)