microsoft

Home users have expressed dismay at news that Microsoft is to remove a key feature from its Windows Home Server software. Drive Extender, a handy options that allows users to add extra hard drives, will be axed from Windows Home Server's next ... edition. Share Files Easily with Windows Home Server Windows Home Server is designed as an easy way for with multiple computers to share files. One of the computers is designated a server, and the others are classified as clients, in much the same way as many large businesses operate their networks. However, the system is specially designed to be easy to ... (view more)

With Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system (OS) recent debut, experts are already debating whether or not it's a success. One source claims first-day sales were nowhere close to the release of other high-profile phone systems, ... while others report significant stock shortages. The sales figures come from an unnamed market research source speaking to a financial news website. The source claims a total of 40,000 handsets running Windows Phone 7 were sold the first day it went on sale. That compares poorly to the 1.7 million sales of the iPhone 4 in the first three days it was on ... (view more)

Microsoft's recent decision to offer its free Security Essentials software through Windows Update has caused a major uproar amongst antivirus developers . In what appears to be an effort to make at least one major security firm happy, Microsoft has ... partnered up with Symantec to offer that company's software at no charge, too. Retailer PC Mall is also a part of the deal, which involves offering small businesses the Symantec EndPoint Protection Small Edition software package when they buy a new copy of Microsoft's operating system (OS), Windows 7. The offer will be available until the last day ... (view more)

Microsoft's hands-free peripheral, the Kinect , has already proven a runaway hit amongst consumers. Shoppers bought up an estimated 1 million units during the product's first ten days of availability, in what proved to be a very busy week for the ... video game industry. According to a report from Microsoft released on Monday, Kinect's 1 million unit plateau puts the device on pace to beat a projected target of 5 million sales by year's end. For those who haven't been paying attention, Kinect is a video game peripheral for Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game console. It uses a camera to track a ... (view more)

Imagine sitting in front of your computer and using hand gestures to control your PC. In the 2002 blockbuster movie "Minority Report," Tom Cruise did just that as he sifted through wads of information using his hands and a 3D computer screen. Fast ... forward to the 2010, and we are on the brink of using similar technology at home, but it's still officially under wraps. Hands-Free Video Game Controller Used on Microsoft Windows Recently, two hackers have found a way to use Microsoft's new Kinect controller-free video game peripheral on a Windows computer rather than an Xbox 360. Whether ... (view more)

Although Microsoft is working hard to keep the public's attention squarely on Windows 7, it seems that the Redmond-based giant can't quite keep the lid closed on burgeoning Windows 8 hype. More details about the next Microsoft operating system (OS) ... have recently emerged, and they suggest even more integration with cloud-based services than in the past. By no means has Microsoft been forward with details about Windows 8, which analysts have pegged for a 2012 release. The firm has every reason to keep consumers interested in its current OS, Windows 7, given than reviews and sales are both hot ... (view more)

A prominent security firm has taken a stand against Microsoft's decision to offer its free antivirus software, Microsoft Security Essentials , as part of its recent Windows Update. A member of Trend Micro's management team not long ago referred to ... the move as one "commercializing Windows Update". Last week Microsoft began offering U.S. Windows users its free antivirus program, Microsoft Security Essentials, through the Windows operating system's built-in update service. The offering works like this: if Windows detects that a user is not using any antivirus software, the option of upgrading to ... (view more)

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is raising a few eyebrows within the tech industry after opting to release US $1.3 billion worth of shares in the company. The move reduces his overall shares by about 12 per cent and marks his first stock sale in the ... past seven years. Not surprisingly, many believe that the sale points to a lack of confidence in the company and creates a strong indicator that the 54-year-old executive is preparing to leave in the very near future. However, Ballmer says nothing could be further from the truth. Microsoft CEO "Fully Committed" In a statement posted on ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced a temporary workaround for users of older editions of Internet Explorer (IE) vulnerable to a new bug. The situation yet again highlights the importance of upgrading to the more secure, recent editions (IE8 and IE9) of the ... browser. The bug's dynamics are all-too-familiar: if a hacker persuades a user to visit a specially-crafted webpage, they'll be able to install and run malicious software on the user's computer. It's another zero day attack , meaning the problem is currently being exploited by hackers before Microsoft has a working fix. Browser Check First, Virus ... (view more)

There's no denying it: Windows 7 has been a runaway success for Microsoft. Tablets from virtually unknown companies merely running the new operating system (OS) sell out in days and most firms plan to upgrade from Windows XP and Vista in the next ... year or two. But all that success means there's a lot of pressure on Microsoft to produce another winner in a few years time. Windows 8 a 'Risky Product,' Says MS CEO In a recent presentation before an audience of industry analysts, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer noted that Windows 8 -- which some experts have predicted will ship in just two years -- ... (view more)