Microsoft - SlashGear

‘Microsoft’ Stories

Windows 8 Firefox getting Metro-Style makeover

Chris Burns, Feb 13th 2012 Discuss [0]

This week the folks at Mozilla have revealed that they'll be making their biggest interface makeover ever with the launch of their Windows 8 inspired version of Firefox. This version will have a Windows 8 "Metro" styling and will provide and "entirely new" Firefox environment made specifically for the new Microsoft operating system. Mozilla has released a product vision and roadmap update today which noted that "the feature goal here is a new Gecko based browser built for an integrated with the Metro environment." Read The Full Story

Hackers breach Indian Microsoft Store, passwords exposed

Shane McGlaun, Feb 13th 2012 Discuss [0]

Anyone who signed up for an account or purchased items from the Microsoft Store in India has reason to be concerned today. Over the weekend, hackers were able to break into the Microsoft India store and compromised the store database. The database breach apparently happened last night and the home page of the site was replaced with one showing the photo you see below. Read The Full Story

Saber Interactive CEO says Xbox 720 shouldn’t ban used games

Mark Raby, Feb 12th 2012 Discuss [0]

After what seemed to be a flurry of developer support over rumors that Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console might prevent used games from being played, a second major developer has come forward objecting that idea. And it's a big one - Saber Interactive, the current developer of the Halo franchise. This comes after CD Projekt, developer of The Witcher 2, also slammed the anti-consumer idea. Read The Full Story

Microsoft’s Xbox 720 will have a touch-screen controller: report

Mark Raby, Feb 10th 2012 Discuss [0]

At last year's E3 trade show, Nintendo admittedly bungled the debut of its Wii U console. But if you were actually in the crowd when the company showed off the revolutionary new controller, which looks and feels more like an iPad than a bunch of joysticks and buttons, you would have seen a lot of excitement among the gaming establishment. Now it looks like Microsoft might be trying to tap into that excitement as well. Read The Full Story

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SlashGear 101: Windows 8 on ARM

Michael Crider, Feb 10th 2012 Discuss [0]

So, fellow Windows users, who among you can’t wait to run to your local electronics store this fall and install Windows 8 – on your three-year-old home built benchmark buster? As exciting as a new version of Windows can be, this time the excitement’s all about the ARM-based opportunities that an entirely new hardware and software platform can provide. Microsoft’s been a little squirrely on Windows 8 for ARM hardware (Which they’re referring to as “WOA” for short), but Steven Sinofsky, President of the Windows division broke it all down in a massive article at MSDN. If you’re a Windows developer it’s required reading, but we’re breaking it down here for the consumer side of things.

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Microsoft + Google = Apple

Shane McGlaun, Feb 10th 2012 Discuss [0]

If you aren't a big Apple fan, this is going to sting. As of yesterday morning, AppleInsider reports that Microsoft's market cap was about $256.7 billion. At the same time, Google's market cap was about $198.9 billion. If you flipped over and looked at Apple's market cap, it was at $456 billion. Yes, that meant that Apple was worth more than Google and Microsoft combined. Read The Full Story

Microsoft confirms Windows 8 ARM desktop support, previews Metro-styled Office 15

Rue Liu, Feb 9th 2012 Discuss [0]

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 8 for ARM-based devices will support full desktop applications following concerns that only Metro apps would be supported. Via the Buildings Windows 8 blog, Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky further detailed Windows 8 for ARM and previewed a Metro-styled Office 15. Read The Full Story

Foxconn hack releases Apple order data

Chris Davies, Feb 9th 2012 Discuss [0]

Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturer best known for producing the iPad and iPhone, has been the target of a server hack, with a group calling itself Swagg Security leaking login details for every user in the company, up to and including CEO Terry Gou. The security breach - done, it's suggested, to simply prove that it could be achieved, and for the pleasure of the ensuing mayhem - was eventually shut down by Foxconn, which cut external access to its servers. Read The Full Story

Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview announced for MWC 2012

Chris Burns, Feb 8th 2012 Discuss [0]

The consumer version of Microsoft's newest hero system Windows 8 will be previewed this year in Spain at Mobile World Congress 2012. We've been invited to the event, it taking place on the 29th of February at 3PM local time and will be bringing you all the action we can capture as it happens. This Consumer preview will likely let us know exactly what we'll be looking at in the release for Windows 8 to the broader market early this year, hopefully inside the end of February or soon after. Read The Full Story

Nokia: We’ve nowhere to go but Windows Phone

Chris Davies, Feb 8th 2012 Discuss [0]

Nokia has reiterated that it has no second strategy should its partnership with Microsoft around Windows Phone fail, with VP Victor Saeijes insisting that"Plan B is that Plan A must succeed." Although Nokia pushed out a Symbian update earlier this week, bringing its old platform up to speed with the latest Nokia Belle iteration, the only way forward is Windows Phone, Saeijes told Swedish paper Dagens Industri, even if that means playing catch-up in the smartphone industry. Read The Full Story

Motorola grabs for Microsoft’s Windows in patent dispute

Shane McGlaun, Feb 8th 2012 Discuss [0]

Microsoft has Android device makers by the short and curlies when it comes patent fees. Virtually all manufacturers who are creating Android smartphones and tablets license patents from Microsoft. It seems like Microsoft is set to get a taste of its own medicine from Motorola. Apparently, a German court appears set to side with Motorola in a patent dispute that has to do with patents used for video compression and decompression technology. Microsoft is allegedly using patented tech in some of its most important and popular products. Read The Full Story

Forza Motorsport 4 gets new American Le Mans series car pack

Shane McGlaun, Feb 8th 2012 Discuss [0]

If you are a fan of the Forza 4 racing game on Xbox 360, you'll be glad to hear that there's a new car pack now available. The new car pack launched yesterday and adds a bunch of new racing cars from the American Le Mans series. The pack includes 10 cars starting with the 2011 Audi Sport North America R8 TDI wearing #2 livery. Also included is the 2011 Panoz #050 Panoz Racing Abruzzi. Read The Full Story