microsoft

When Old Spice deodorant commercials launched earlier this year, they featured actor and former National Football League (NFL) player Isaiah Mustafa. Using quick-witted, edgy writing with cutting-edge computer-generated images, the ads brought lots ... of attention to the long-time and well-known deodorant company. Now, Microsoft is cashing in on the Mustafa fanfare, which they hope will bring the same attention to Windows Phone 7 in Australia. Windows Phone 7 Commercials "Too Weird" Some say the Mustafa ad is a reaction to complaints that Microsoft's first Windows Phone 7 placements ... (view more)

A report this week from industry analyst Gartner suggests Microsoft may face resistance to Windows 8 if the operating system is released in 2012, as planned. Given how many people have desperately clung to the decade-old Windows XP , it's no ... surprise. Gartner: Consumers Have Their Limits According to Gartner researcher Michael Silver, the public's issue with Windows 8 probably won't have much to do with the operating system (OS) itself, but merely exhaustion with being told over and over to upgrade -- in 2006 to Vista, in 2009 to Windows 7, and again, it's expected, in 2012 to some other ... (view more)

Although it continues to languish well behind Windows XP in overall usage, Windows 7 is now the fastest-growing, most widely-adopted operating system in history. A new study has found that a vast majority of new PCs ship with Windows 7 ... pre-installed, helping it vault past its immediate predecessor. Microsoft proudly announced earlier this year that Windows 7 had surpassed Windows Vista. That was expected: Windows 7 has been part of Microsoft's crusade to redeem itself for Vista's many problems, which included -- amongst other things -- compatibility issues and overall poor performance. In the ... (view more)

Microsoft has formally unveiled the most comprehensive online version of its MS Office software to date. "Office 365," as it's called, is currently being beta tested in 13 countries and it's expected to be publicly available in 40 countries next ... year. MS Office 365 Uses Cloud Computing Technology The idea behind Office 365 is that it uses cloud computing technology. It's a service that allows businesses to access Office tools over the Internet, rather than have to physically install the software on a per-machine basis. The concept also means employees can access Office from any ... (view more)

The death knell tolls for Windows XP. The decade-old operating system is no longer being shipped to PC makers -- otherwise known as original equipment manufacturers, or "OEMs". The kill date came officially on October 22nd, which was Windows 7's ... first birthday. The news comes as little surprise to most, given that Microsoft had already cut off options to pre-install Windows XP back in 2008 . (Source: pcmag.com ) Windows 7, Vista Can Be Downgraded to XP Some fans have continued to enjoy access to the uber-popular Windows XP -- particularly users of low-end PCs like netbooks, and ... (view more)

After four years of relative quiet, the video game console market is once again heating up. Nearly half a decade after Nintendo set the standard for motion-sensitive gameplay with its Nintendo Wii console, Microsoft is countering with the Kinect ... peripheral for its Xbox 360, and the Redmond-based firm is spending big, big bucks on advertising in hopes that it will be a success. Microsoft to Spend $500 Million On Kinect Advertising According to reports, Microsoft will spend an estimated $500 million on marketing alone in promoting Kinect, a system add-on for its Xbox 360 console. The peripheral ... (view more)

On Tuesday, Microsoft unveiled Windows Embedded Automotive 7, a Windows platform specially built for use in new vehicles. The system includes several new features that should drastically enhance the driving experience, including speech recognition ... operations, touch screen controls, hands-free Bluetooth, and perhaps most unique of all, entertainment and information options ranging from satellite maps to music and third-party applications. Bringing Tech Together Behind the Wheel Gartner Industry Advisory Service Manufacturing group vice president Thilo Koslowski says the use of a Windows 7 ... (view more)

High-profile executive and software visionary Ray Ozzie has announced he is leaving Microsoft. It's a move that has prompted great speculation in the tech industry, including whether or not the company will remain effective in its plans for online ... computing. Ray Ozzie a Key Figure of Microsoft Ozzie was Microsoft's Chief Software Architect. That's not a precisely defined term, but one could draw conceptual parallels with the work of a traditional architect: a software architect makes the key design decisions about how software should be built and how it will operate. Given Microsoft's line of ... (view more)

After weeks of wreaking financial havoc on web users around the world, the dreaded Zeus Trojan is finally showing signs of weakness. Microsoft this week announced that their free malware cleaning tool has targeted the virus, going so far as to ... report the removal of Zeus from 275,000 Windows computers in less than 7 days. Zeus, also referred to as Zbot, is a devious collection of software (a " crimeware kit") that allows hackers to create customized malware that can be used to infect PCs. Zeus is most commonly programmed to target usernames, passwords and other information needed to ... (view more)

According to a recent report from Microsoft, the Redmond-based software company removed 6.5 million botnets from Windows machines during the first period of 2010 -- which is more than double the number eliminated by the firm over the same period in ... 2009. Botnets Used to Spam, Spread Malware, Steal Secrets In simple terms, a botnet (or "robot network") is a group of infected PCs that are under control of a few (or 1) individual. Typically, a PC becomes infected by visiting a malicious website, or by opening a malicious file or email. Once a computer is infected with botnet malware, ... (view more)