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‘Microsoft’ Stories

Google slaps Microsoft over “Gmail Man” privacy snark

Chris Davies, Feb 2nd 2012 Discuss [0]

Google has gone back on the offensive over criticisms of its updated privacy policy, taking on Microsoft’s “Putting People First” sniping campaign with a fresh round of myth debunking. The search company took to its Public Policy Blog to shoot down rivals’ claims, paying particular attention to suggestions that the policy tweaks are to make better advertising use of personal information. Meanwhile, Microsoft has resurrected its “Gmail Man” skit, an anti-Google video drawing attention to how AdWords uses email keywords.

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Apple grabs Xbox LIVE chief for App Store marketing

Chris Davies, Feb 2nd 2012 Discuss [0]

Apple has poached another Microsoft exec, with ex-Xbox LIVE chief Robin Burrowes jumping to the Cupertino company where he will lead App Store marketing in Europe. Burrowes spent seven years in the Xbox division, MCV reports, and before that worked for MSN and media retailer HMV. Read The Full Story

Nokia warns major changes will affect most of 2012 results

Shane McGlaun, Feb 2nd 2012 Discuss [0]

Nokia is currently in the midst of huge change for its smartphone business and is warning 2012 may be a tough year. Profits and revenue at the company have sagged, and much of the blame is on the lackluster sales of Nokia branded smartphones. Nokia continues to sell hoards of low-end and midrange mobile phones where profits are low, but has been unsuccessful in competing in the profitable high-end smartphone market. Nokia is changing that with the major tie up with Microsoft that will see numerous Windows Phone smartphones come to market this year. Read The Full Story

Microsoft revisits #DROIDRAGE bash Android “malware” incident

Chris Burns, Feb 1st 2012 Discuss [0]

Over the past few weeks, the folks at Symantec have gathered and released a "malware" warning for millions of Android Market users, and today Microsoft is taking advantage of the breakdown. Though the idea that the spread of what Symantec said was malware might NOT have been malware in the first place, just a powerful advertisement bit of software, Microsoft isn't about to let an opportunity like this slide. This week Ben Rudolph, aka @BenThePCGuy has laid down a challenge for future Windows Phone users: tell them their #DROIDRAGE stories of how bad "adware" is on Android. Read The Full Story

Windows 8 has tablet advantage over Android says ARM chief

Chris Davies, Feb 1st 2012 Discuss [0]

ARM processors and Microsoft's Windows may not be commonly found cohabiting the same device, but ARM CEO Warren East reckons Windows 8 could have the edge over Android in tablets thanks to the platform's brand recognition. "Consumers are familiar with Microsoft and very familiar with Windows and they're less familiar with an Android environment" East said during the company's financial results call this week, CNET reports. "Microsoft has an awareness advantage with consumers that the Android folks didn't have." Read The Full Story

Kinect for Windows ships today; SDK v1.0 released

Chris Davies, Feb 1st 2012 Discuss [0]

Microsoft's Kinect for Windows hardware has shipping from today, along with v1.0 of the Kinect Windows SDK and runtime, bringing motion-sensing from the Xbox 360 to the desktop. The sensor bar is priced at $249 - with an educational discount of $100 promised in the pipeline - while the software supports up to four bars plugged into a single computer and delivers "significantly improved skeletal tracking" than the earlier beta. Read The Full Story

Barnes & Noble claims against Microsoft apparently tossed out ahead of trial

Shane McGlaun, Feb 1st 2012 Discuss [0]

In November of last year, Barnes & Noble called for a US investigation of Microsoft over the use of Android patents. The call for investigation had to do with patent licensing fees for Android and kicked off shortly after Barnes & Noble entered the Android market with the Nook Tablet. Barnes & Noble decided to go at Microsoft with a patent misuse defense. Barnes & Noble didn't make it to court with that claim, an ITC judge has seemingly thrown those claims out before an evidentiary trial even started. Read The Full Story

Windows 8 Kinect leaks again: Power hungry but plenty of potential

Chris Davies, Jan 31st 2012 Discuss [0]

Microsoft's experiments with Kinect-style motion tracking technology for Windows 8 laptops could streamline the login experience as well as be used for games, though battery concerns might initially see the camera system offered as a self-powered add-on rather than fully integrated. After prototypes were reportedly caught in the wild earlier this month, sources inside Microsoft tell The Daily that the company is indeed readying a motion control licensing push, though there are hurdles to be overcome before that can happen. Read The Full Story

Microsoft Office 15 released for Technical Preview

Chris Burns, Jan 30th 2012 Discuss [0]

One of the most famous suites of software on earth, Microsoft's Office, has been released in its 15th iteration this morning as a Technical Preview. As JP Hough, CVP of Development for Microsoft's Office Division notes, Office 15 is the codename of the next generation of Microsoft's Office products, and this Technical Preview is the first Phase of release for a limited group of customers under non-disclosure agreements. This release does not currently have any semblance of a price or release date, and this early build will not be released to the public. Read The Full Story

Xbox 720 set for two versions, 2013 release, E3 reveal

Chris Burns, Jan 30th 2012 Discuss [0]

Microsoft France has revealed that there are no plans to release a brand new Xbox inside 2012, saying that they’re not “convinced” that the device we’ve been calling the Xbox 720 will be happening this year. This information comes from the marketing director for Microsoft in France Cedrick Delmas interviewing with Lepoint and brought to us by Eurogamer. Delmas notes that the proof of this notion comes in the lack of a price drop in the Xbox 360 thus far, he then noting that the life cycle for the Xbox 360 is far from over.

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Windows 8 on ARM stable release in February tip developers

Chris Davies, Jan 30th 2012 Discuss [0]

Microsoft's stable Windows 8 on ARM release will be distributed among developers in February, sources claim, while previous suggestions the platform won't arrive until mid-2013 could well be untrue. There's no obvious reason that ARM-version of Windows 8 - expected to run on iPad-rivaling tablets as well as ultraportable notebooks - should be "staggered" from the traditional x86 build, an insider told CNET, with the claim that ARM alternatives to Intel and AMD based Windows 8 machines could undercut them by "hundreds of dollars less." Read The Full Story