Computerworld Microsoft News

Senate report: Apple claims subsidiaries with no taxing jurisdiction

(Grant Gross) — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:35:00 GMT

Apple has set up three foreign subsidiaries that the company claims are not resident in any nation for taxing purposes, in an effort to avoid paying tens of billions of dollars in taxes to the U.S. and other countries, according to a new report from a U.S. Senate subcommittee.

How to Prepare for Windows 8 Even Though It's Not Coming to Enterprises

(Shane O'Neill) — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:08:00 GMT

Windows 8 won't be adopted as a standard at your business anytime soon, according to a new Forrester report. But that doesn't mean IT shouldn't prepare for it to sneak through the BYOD side door. Here are five ways to be ready for Windows 8.

IntegriCell's Aaron Turner: Security managers still don't get mobile security

(Joan Goodchild) — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:20:00 GMT

For the past several months, security veteran Aaron Turner has been making the rounds at industry events presenting some pretty disturbing information about the state of mobile security.

Boutique PC seller laughs all the way to the bank on the back of Windows 7

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:46:00 GMT

A boutique system builder has bucked the industry trend of slumping PC sales by continuing to focus on selling Windows 7 machines.

Smartphones take center stage in two-factor authentication schemes

(David Strom) — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:30:00 GMT

We all know that relying on a simple user ID and password combination is fraught with peril. One alternative is to use one of the single sign-on solutions we reviewed last year, but there are less expensive options that could also be easier to install.

Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are secret backers behind European Privacy Association

(Jennifer Baker) — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:04:00 GMT

Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have been confirmed as the secret backers behind the European Privacy Association (EPA) which was accused of a lack of transparency by an independent watchdog on Thursday.

Dell replays Windows 8 blame card as PC sales slide

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:31:00 GMT

Dell last week again blamed Windows 8 for contributing to a decline in PC sales revenue during the quarter that ended May 3.

Windows 8 is an enterprise 'non-starter' because IT sees no value in changes

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:26:00 GMT

Windows 8 faces a number of hurdles in the enterprise, but the biggest reason it won't replace the current corporate champion, Windows 7, is simple: IT shops don't think it's worth the upgrade hassle.

In a sea of malware, viruses make a small comeback

(Jeremy Kirk) — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:24:00 GMT

The computer virus seems to be making a subtle comeback.

Advocates call for legal protections for copyright consumers

(Grant Gross) — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:05:00 GMT

The U.S. Congress should consider a "safe harbor" from legal action for consumers using works protected by copyright as it launches a long-term effort to revamp copyright law, some advocates said Thursday.

Google steals march on Apple in music subscription

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:34:00 GMT

Google beat Apple to the music subscription service punch this week, perhaps the doing of record labels who wanted to put Apple in its place, an analyst said

Google issues YouTube ultimatum to Microsoft as Hatfield-McCoy feud heats up

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:49:00 GMT

Google yesterday sent a cease-and-desist letter to Microsoft, demanding that its rival remove the YouTube app built for the Windows Phone platform.

How to keep the feds from snooping on your cloud data

lmearian@computerworld.com (Lucas Mearian) — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:49:00 GMT

A growing number of SaaS providers offer secure encryption log-in to Dropbox and other cloud storage vendors, meaning even they can't access the data you store. And neither can the government.

Windows 8 isn't New Coke, says top Microsoft exec; it's Diet Coke

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:47:00 GMT

Frank X. Shaw, Microsoft's head of corporate communications, defended his company's Windows information disclosure strategy, denying that Microsoft has adopted Apple's "cone of silence" approach to imparting news.

Dell slashes its Windows RT tablet price by $200; XPS 10 now sells for $300

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:32:00 GMT

Dell drastically cut the online price of its Windows RT tablet, reducing the price by $200 to $299.99 for Dell XPS 10.

Mozilla to Firefox: 'Browser, heal thyself'

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:39:00 GMT

Mozilla on Tuesday released Firefox 21, adding more social media connections, tweaking the Do Not Track privacy setting and rolling out a new tool that long term, aims to create a self-healing browser.

Mobile management morphs

rmitchell@computerworld.com (Robert L. Mitchell) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Customers are pushing the limits of the software -- asking it to manage and do many more things than it was originally created to do -- and vendors are happy to oblige.

Microsoft votes for free Windows 8.1, collects kudos

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:34:00 GMT

Microsoft today announced that Windows 8.1, the update later this year for Windows 8, will be free to current users of the operating system, confirming analysts' expectations.

Microsoft rushes Internet Explorer 8 patch release

(Joab Jackson) — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:11:00 GMT

Just 11 days after issuing an advisory, Microsoft has released a patch for a bug in Internet Explorer 8 that bedeviled the U.S. Department of Labor earlier this month.

Windows Blue will be free upgrade for Windows 8 customers

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:13:00 GMT

Microsoft's Windows 8 update, code-named Windows Blue, will be formally released as Windows 8.1 and will be free for customers who have the new OS installed.

Windows 8 app store fails Top 10 test

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:50:00 GMT

Microsoft's Windows 8 app store failed a test touted by a former Microsoft manager and distinguished engineer as a way to determine an ecosystem's relevance.

BlackBerry Messenger is expanding to iOS and Android

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:10:00 GMT

BlackBerry's free Messenger service is being expanded to work with iOS and Android devices, the company announced today at its BlackBerry Live event.

7 steps to securing Java

(Susan Perschke) — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:32:00 GMT

Java, the popular OS-independent platform and programming language, runs on just about every kind of electronic device imaginable, including computers, cell phones, printers, TVs, DVDs, home security systems, automated teller machines, navigation systems, games and medical devices.

Outlook.com to let users engage in IM chats with Gmail users

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:53:00 GMT

Microsoft is upgrading its new Outlook.com webmail service so that its users can communicate with Gmail users via instant messaging.

Does your cloud vendor protect your rights?

(Thomas J. Trappler) — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:57:00 GMT

When an organization's data is in the cloud, requests to provide access to it for legal reasons are more complicated.

Microsoft to squeeze more devs into BUILD

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:53:00 GMT

Microsoft today said it has increased the head count for its June developers conference, and will sell the extra tickets Wednesday.

Microsoft boosts photo management in SkyDrive

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:28:00 GMT

Microsoft is rolling out changes to SkyDrive to enhance management of photos in the cloud storage service, including more efficient viewing and uploading of files.

Google triples free storage to 15GB

lmearian@computerworld.com (Lucas Mearian) — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:03:00 GMT

Google said it is increasing the amount of free storage for users of its Google Drive cloud storage service to 15 GB.

Microsoft's counter-attack against Windows 8 coverage makes it 'look weak'

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:27:00 GMT

Microsoft on Friday called some media coverage of its plans to update Windows 8 sensationalist and an effort to drive website page views.

Why Microsoft won't charge for Windows 'Blue' ... this time

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:10:00 GMT

Sometime soon, Microsoft will tell Windows 8 users whether they will have to pay for the upgrade code-named "Blue," and if so, how much. Analysts don't expect it to charge anything for the update.

Block rogue apps with Windows Server -- for free

(Jonathan Hassell) — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

It is a lot of work to set up policies; it takes trial and some error, too. But the payoffs are huge.

Wall Street Beat: Rise in markets could fuel tech M&A

(Marc Ferranti) — Fri, 10 May 2013 21:13:00 GMT

Increasing confidence in the economy and a rising stock market could lay the groundwork for a revival in tech-sector mergers and acquisitions as companies embrace cloud technology and pursue game-changing software, particularly for the mobile market.

Microsoft sends gamblin' Pete Rose to the plate in swing at Google Docs

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:54:00 GMT

Microsoft today took another shot at rival Google, calling its rival's online application suite, Google Docs, "too big a gamble."

Bing adds more Facebook to search

(Zach Miners) — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:22:00 GMT

Bing is adding some new social features to its search engine, by letting users comment and "like" their Facebook friends' posts directly on the site.

Analysts challenge Microsoft's commitment to Windows RT

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

One of Microsoft's top Windows executives this week said the company remains bullish about Windows RT, but analysts remain suspicious of RT's chances unless Microsoft makes changes.

Microsoft says Yammer sales are booming

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Thu, 09 May 2013 21:49:00 GMT

With the backing of its new parent company, Yammer more than tripled its revenue year on year in the quarter that ended in March.

Amazon may be working on a smartphone with hologram-like 3D

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:02:00 GMT

Amazon is reportedly developing a smartphone that sports a 3D screen that relies on retina-tracking technology to make images seem to float above the screen like a hologram.

Microsoft rushes IE8 zero-day fix into next week's Patch Tuesday

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:06:00 GMT

Microsoft today said it will issue 10 security updates next week, two rated "critical," to patch 33 vulnerabilities, including the zero-day bug that has been used by cyber criminals to poison "watering hole" websites in attacks aimed at U.S. government workers.

Best case, Mozilla's Firefox for Windows 8 will ship in October

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:48:00 GMT

Firefox for Windows 8's "Modern" user interface (UI) will likely wrap up development this fall, Mozilla said on its website in a best case-worst case schedule.

Microsoft releases fix-it for Internet Explorer 8 vulnerability

(Jeremy Kirk) — Thu, 09 May 2013 02:03:00 GMT

Microsoft has released a temporary fix for a zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer 8, which was used by hackers in a prominent attack against the U.S. Department of Labor's website.

More support for Windows RT, this time from Nvidia

mhamblen@computerworld.com (Matt Hamblen) — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:25:00 GMT

Nvidia will stay on board with making Tegra ARM-based processors for Windows RT tablets despite sluggish early sales of the devices, making the same commitment that Qualcomm has made, an Nvidia executive said

Microsoft won't guarantee buy-not-rent Office for next decade

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:45:00 GMT

Microsoft yesterday took a swipe at long-time partner Adobe for the latter's wholesale shift to rent-not-buy software subscriptions, and along the way seemed to promise it would Office as old-school perpetual licenses for the next 10 years.

Start button's return to Windows 8? Probably, but there's no guarantee

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:20:00 GMT

Microsoft's head of Windows development on Tuesday came close to promising that the iconic Start button would return to the Windows 8 desktop, but never made a guarantee.

Review: HP 3PAR conjures powerful storage magic

(Paul Ferrill) — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:15:00 GMT

HP 3PAR StoreServe 7400 combines high scalability, high performance, and a big bag of tricks for easing storage management

Microsoft extends revenue per search agreement with Yahoo

(John Ribeiro) — Wed, 08 May 2013 07:19:00 GMT

Microsoft has extended a search revenue guarantee agreement with Yahoo for one more year, amid reports that the Internet company is trying to break its 10-year agreement with Microsoft.

Microsoft to boost Office Web Apps features

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:13:00 GMT

Microsoft plans to accelerate improvements in Office Web Apps, the browser-based version of the Office suite, adding features like real-time co-authoring of documents and the ability to run in Android tablets via mobile Chrome browser support.

Windows Blue preview due at end of June

(Juan Carlos Perez) — Tue, 07 May 2013 22:03:00 GMT

Microsoft plans to release a preview version of Windows 8's update, code-named Windows Blue, at the end of June, according to Julie Larson-Green, a corporate vice president in charge of the OS's development.

Microsoft's drip-drip-drip Windows communications strategy dubbed a washout

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:03:00 GMT

Microsoft's Tami Reller, the CFO and head of marketing for the Windows division, went on a mini publicity spree today. But she didn't say very much.

$300M investment in Nook delivers next to nothing for Microsoft

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:53:00 GMT

Microsoft has gotten little from a 2012 investment of $300 million with Barnes & Noble, analysts said, but it's poised to reap some rewards as it and its partners start to ship smaller tablets.

Seagate unleashes first consumer SSD; enterprise version gets blazing fast 12Gbps SAS connectivity

lmearian@computerworld.com (Lucas Mearian) — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:59:00 GMT

Seagate Technology today announced its new portfolio of flash-memory devices, taking the wraps off its first consumer SSD and its next generation of enterprise models.