Computerworld Microsoft News

EU to 'remain vigilant' on Microsoft's browser commitments

(Loek Essers) — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:34:00 GMT

Regulators in Europe said Tuesday they will watch closely to make sure Microsoft complies with its commitments to ensure competition in the browser market, after Mozilla complained its Firefox browser is being excluded from Windows RT.

Microsoft to charge $15 for Windows 8 upgrade deal

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:30:00 GMT

Microsoft plans to charge users who buy a new Windows 7 PC $14.99 for an upgrade to Windows 8. The upgrade program is expected to kick off alongside the delivery of Windows 8 Release Preview in June.

Consumer love for mobile sparks discontent with Microsoft's software

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:39:00 GMT

Satisfaction with Microsoft's software slipped last year, part of an industrywide downturn driven by U.S. consumer discontent with traditional PC programs, a national survey said today.

Lenovo working with Intel on ThinkPad Windows 8 tablet

(Agam Shah) — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:06:00 GMT

Lenovo is working with chip maker Intel on a future ThinkPad tablet based on Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system, a Lenovo executive said.

About 600,000 L.A. Community College students to get Microsoft Live@EDU

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:48:00 GMT

The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) will provide email and collaboration applications to about 600,000 students via Microsoft's Live@EDU cloud suite, a project for which it also considered Google Apps for Education.

Microsoft: Win8 simplifies, improves parental monitoring

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:34:00 GMT

Microsoft has designed Windows 8 to make parental monitoring and control of children's computer activities simpler and more effective, the company said on Monday.

MacBook Pro refreshes may be imminent, say reports

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:41:00 GMT

Hints that Apple will soon refresh its iMac desktop and MacBook Pro laptop lines accumulated today as several Mac-centric blogs revealed new details gleaned from the Web and unnamed sources.

Is November Win 8 tablet release too late?

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:08:00 GMT

If Intel-based Windows 8 tablets launch in November, as one informed source expects, Microsoft would face a narrow window to play a role in the important holiday sales period.

Microsoft System Center 2012 review: Streamlined cloud service management

(Jonathan Hassell) — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

With System Center 2012, Microsoft delivers tools to help customers wring more efficiency, uptime and performance out of their existing hardware and software.

Senate to look at Mozilla's browser competition allegations

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:30:00 GMT

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee plans to look into accusations by Mozilla that Microsoft is restricting access to important programming tools for browsers that will run in Windows RT.

Microsoft Bing goes social in search war with Google

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:02:00 GMT

Microsoft's move to boost Bing's social networking feaures could finally give it an opportunity to truly take on Google's dominant search engine, analysts say.

Microsoft preps Windows 8 upgrade deal for early June debut, says report

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:52:00 GMT

Microsoft will reportedly kick off a Windows 8 upgrade program for buyers of Windows 7 PCs in early June.

IllumiShare project connects physical desktops

(Nick Barber) — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:56:00 GMT

Attendees at the Conference on Human Factors in Computer Systems (CHI) this week saw a device that looks something like a lamp shade and houses a projector and camera, designed to let a worker share a physical desktop with another, allowing the two to collaborate on a project in ways not otherwise possible.

Samsung launches low-end Windows Phone with 4-inch display

(Mikael Ricknäs) — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:06:00 GMT

Samsung Electronics Friday announced the Samsung Omnia M, a Windows Phone with a 4-inch Super AMOLED display that will first become available in Europe.

Infringement case suspended; Samsung tests Apple's 'pinch-to-zoom' claim

(Loek Essers) — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:38:00 GMT

Samsung Electronics may challenge the validity of Apple's intellectual property claims before the Regional Court in Mannheim, Germany, rules on whether the company has infringed them, the court said on Friday. It is the second time in two weeks that the Mannheim court has decided to wait for a validity verdict from the Federal Patent Court before ruling on an infringement case.

Microsoft touts Windows 8's ability to detect, fix hard disk problems

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:46:00 GMT

Microsoft has revamped the way Windows 8 monitors hard disk operations and detects problems in an effort to make the diagnostic and repair process less intrusive and disruptive, even as disk capacity continues to balloon.

Microsoft revamps Bing to include interactive social sidebar

(Cameron Scott) — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:27:00 GMT

Bing will soon include a search interface that offers social search results in a separate column to the right of the returned links, Microsoft said on Thursday.

Intel CEO Otellini calls out ARM on Windows 8 tablets

(Agam Shah) — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:59:00 GMT

Intel CEO Paul Otellini on Thursday said that the company has an advantage over its rival ARM on Windows 8 for tablets because of decades of developing x86 chips that support the Windows operating system.

Gesture sensing alternatives use radio interference, Doppler Effect

(Nick Barber) — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:22:00 GMT

Two Microsoft Research projects presented at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems used unique methods, completely absent of any cameras, to sense gestures.

Apple's e-store satisfaction score jumps, thumps Microsoft's

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:15:00 GMT

Apple's online store scored the highest satisfaction rating of any computer-related company, and handily beat rival Microsoft, a consumer pollster said today.

Microsoft revamps UI on Visual Studio IDE upgrade

(Paul Krill) — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:37:00 GMT

Based on feedback from February beta release, revisions affect coloring, icons, and Metro style

Microsoft security patches include fixes for Word, Office, Windows

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:55:00 GMT

Microsoft has fixed 23 vulnerabilities in its software products, including several considered critical, the company said on Tuesday in its monthly security patch report.

Epicor to move its apps to Microsoft's Azure cloud

(Chris Kanaracus) — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:42:00 GMT

Epicor is planning to work with Microsoft to bring Epicor's ERP (enterprise resource planning) applications to the Azure cloud service, the companies announced Tuesday during Epicor's Insights conference in Las Vegas.

HP, F5 partner to speed delivery of cloud apps

(Jim Duffy) — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:51:00 GMT

HP this week unveiled several initiatives at Interop 2012 in Las Vegas to enhance the provisioning and performance of virtual applications over a network, including an alliance with application delivery controller leader F5.

US judge lets Microsoft continue to sell products with disputed patents

(Cameron Scott) — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:12:00 GMT

A U.S. judge has declined to lift an unusual order that prevents Motorola Mobility from enforcing a ban in Germany on the sale of Microsoft's Windows 7 OS and XBox 360.

Half of all Macs will lack access to security updates by summer

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:50:00 GMT

Unless Apple changes its security update practice, nearly half of all Mac users will be adrift without patches sometime this summer.

Office Live Small Business customers grapple with migration

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:48:00 GMT

The deadline to migrate email domains and websites hosted on the Microsoft Office Live Small Business (OLSB) online service suite passed on Monday, but customers continue to post a steady stream of complaints and problem reports, indicating that the number of businesses that haven't made the transition is considerable.

Microsoft boots Chinese firm for leaking Windows exploit

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:39:00 GMT

Microsoft identified a Chinese security partner as the source of a leak last March in its highly restricted vulnerability information-sharing program.

Bloggers plead for Windows Live Writer's life

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:08:00 GMT

A Windows developer, upset at the likely demise of Windows Live Writer as part of Microsoft's move to retire the Live brand, has launched an online petition drive to save the tool.

iPad share of tablet market jumps as Kindle Fire slumps

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:23:00 GMT

Apple's iPad reclaimed a larger share of the global tablet market last month, in part because of a more-serious-than-expected slump in sales of the hot Kindle Fire in the first quarter, IDC analysts said today.

Microsoft plans big May patch slate for next week

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Microsoft today said it would ship seven security updates next week, three critical, to patch 23 bugs in Windows, Office and its Silverlight and .Net development platforms.

At Interior Dept., Google Apps to co-exist with Outlook, Office -- for now

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:30:00 GMT

Although the U.S. Interior Department plans to replace its on-premise email servers with Google Apps' cloud-based Gmail, the agency will retain Microsoft Outlook and Office as its standard e-mail client and desktop office productivity software for end users.

Sage moves ERP apps to Microsoft's Azure cloud

(Chris Kanaracus) — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:58:00 GMT

Following an ongoing industry trend, Sage Group is moving a number of its ERP software products to Microsoft's Azure cloud service.

Nook deal lets Microsoft integrate e-bookstore with its software, services

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:38:00 GMT

Barnes & Noble will distribute its free Nook Metro app through Microsoft's Windows Store, putting to rest talk of Microsoft embedding the program in Windows 8.

Cloud computing gains in federal government

(Kenneth Corbin) — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

The federal government may not be renowned for its operational speed or agility, and certainly IT is no exception, but federal agency CIOs and their employees have gradually been warming to the new model of cloud computing, according to a panel of industry executives speaking at a conference on Wednesday.

Microsoft opens New York research lab, hires mainly Yahoo researchers

(John Ribeiro) — Thu, 03 May 2012 07:03:00 GMT

Microsoft is opening a research lab in New York City that aims to benefit from interaction with the academic and tech communities in the metropolitan area, as well as attract new talent to Microsoft, the company said.

Microsoft to retire Windows Live brand ahead of Windows 8 launch

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:43:00 GMT

Microsoft will retire the Windows Live brand as it gets ready to release what it describes as a more connected set of online consumer services with the launch of its Windows 8 operating system.

IE 'silent' upgrade helps put newest browser on Windows

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:05:00 GMT

Microsoft's decision late last year to switch on 'silent' upgrades for Internet Explorer (IE) has moved some Windows users to newer versions, but has had little, if any, impact on the oldest editions, IE6 and IE7, according to usage statistics.

Mozilla ponders major Firefox UI refresh

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:47:00 GMT

Mozilla is working on a revamp of Firefox to synchronize its various versions -- desktop, tablet, phone and Windows 8 Metro -- into a single visual style, according to documents posted by members of its UI design team.

German court grants Motorola an injunction against Windows 7 and Xbox

(Loek Essers) — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:33:00 GMT

Motorola Mobility won an injunction on Wednesday preventing distribution of Microsoft products including Windows 7 and the Xbox in Germany, but it can't enforce the injunction yet. Microsoft will appeal the case and is confident it can keep doing business in Germany, the company said.

Microsoft detects new malware targeting Apple computers

(Jeremy Kirk) — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:18:00 GMT

Microsoft has detected a new piece of malware targeting Apple OS X computers that exploits a vulnerability in the Office productivity suite patched nearly three years ago.

After legal tussle, Google beats Microsoft for large US contract

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:38:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of the Interior has picked Google Apps to provide cloud-based email and collaboration applications to about 90,000 staffers, choosing Google's services over Microsoft's Office 365.

IE on a rebound, browser share data shows

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:21:00 GMT

Microsoft's Internet Explorer in April again gained usage share, the third time in the year's first four months, to stay well above the 50% mark and remain the world's top browser, a Web analytics company said today.

Is Google Drive ready for prime time?

(Network World Staff) — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:49:00 GMT

In summing up the experts' thoughts, Network World's Brad Reed put it rather succinctly about the emergence of Google Drive: "We like it, but couldn't it have been released two years ago?" Insider (registration required)

Microsoft mute on Nook app's bundling with Windows 8

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:37:00 GMT

Microsoft on Monday declined to say whether Barnes and Noble's Nook app for Metro will be embedded into Windows 8 or Windows RT.

Microsoft to take closer look at "racy" apps on Marketplace

(Mikael Ricknäs) — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:16:00 GMT

Microsoft will from now on be paying more attention to the icons, titles, and content of apps on Marketplace, and expects them to get more subtle and modest in the imagery used, the company said in a blog post on Monday.

Review: Quickoffice Connect is a poor iCloud clone

(Galen Gruman) — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:12:00 GMT

Stick with the original Quickoffice HD app and either Dropbox or Box instead for a more reliable, cheaper alternative

Microsoft's Office Live Small Business closing today

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 23:09:00 GMT

Microsoft is sticking to its plan to shut down its Office Live Small Business (OLSB) suite of cloud-based services on Monday, even though it seems many customers are either unaware of the deadline or are having difficulties migrating.

Wait, is Linux on the desktop a flop? Readers weigh in

(Jon Gold) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:42:00 GMT

While one could be forgiven for expecting a flame war in the comments on an article entitled 'Why Linux is a desktop flop,' the discussion that followed its publication was, in the main, thought-provoking and respectful.

LG backs off Windows Phone for now, report says

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:46:00 GMT

Smartphone-maker LG Electronics has backed off producing Windows Phone devices for now and will instead focus on Android phones, according to a report.