Leak implicates Microsoft, Google and others in NSA snooping — but they deny it

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A classified training document, reported Thursday by the Washington Post and the Guardian, says a secret U.S. government program called PRISM has been accessing the servers of Microsoft, Google, Apple, Facebook and other tech giants for years to collect data including customer emails, audio and other documents as part of U.S. intelligence operations. However, many… Read More…

Microsoft addresses Xbox One used games, always-on, privacy policies

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Microsoft today cleared up some of the questions surrounding Xbox One issues, including those about always-on requirements, used game policies and Kinect privacy. Some of the newsworthy tidbits: The console will need to be connected to the Internet at least once every 24 hours for games to work, or else you won’t be able to play… Read More…

Microsoft’s big reorg: What to watch, and what it means

Steve Ballmer at the Microsoft CEO Summit 2013. (Microsoft Photo).

Reports this week that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is close to finalizing a giant reorganization — reshaping the company’s divisions and internal reporting structures — might seem like odd timing. It’s practically summer, after all. But actually, it makes perfect sense. Microsoft’s new fiscal year begins in July, and the company would need to get… Read More…

Bing Translator App out for Windows 8, lets you understand foreign words with a camera

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Microsoft launched the Bing Translator for Windows Phone last November, but today it’s now available on Windows 8 and supports more than 40 languages. The Windows 8 version includes several of the same features, like text translation, text-to-speech and offline support. My personal favorite is how the app combines augmented reality with a camera and speech/text translation so that you… Read More…

‘Xbox One: Space Odyssey’ parody video pokes fun at console’s apparent shortcomings

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Some gamers are undoubtedly disappointed with what Microsoft has shown thus far for its next-generation console, the Xbox One. If you’re one of them, you’ll certainly like this hilarious parody video a Seattle video production company just put out today to illustrate these frustrations. The clip, produced by the creative three-man team at Cinesaurus, is called “Xbox… Read More…

Microsoft shows Windows 8.1 in action for first time

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Microsoft just released this video tour of Windows 8.1, the upcoming revamp of the operating system that will bring back the Start button to the traditional Windows desktop, introduce a new universal search function, and add new multitasking and personalization features. The video actually doesn’t show the Start button in action, but it makes a… Read More…

Outlook finally arriving on Windows RT as Microsoft tries to sweeten Surface

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First the Start button and now this. Microsoft will release a version of Outlook for Windows RT, giving users of its Surface RT and other ARM-based Windows machines an alternative to the company’s minimalist (and much-maligned) built-in mail program. Outlook’s absence has beeen one of the biggest complaints about Windows RT. It could help Microsoft… Read More…

Crowdfund your next PC? Microsoft touts new Chip In program to woo students

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As a student in this day and age, a computer is almost a necessity when heading off to college, right after twin extra-long sheets and a shower caddy. But earning enough to purchase a laptop can be a tall order. While the process can be uncomfortable, contributions from family and friends are often the best… Read More…

Halo meets touch screens with ‘Spartan Assault’ for Windows 8, Windows Phone

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Halo has been a huge boon to Microsoft’s Xbox franchise over the years. Can it help bring new fans to Windows, too? Microsoft is bringing Halo to Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 with the first installment in the blockbuster franchise designed for touch devices. It’s an all-new game, not a port of one of… Read More…

Take that, This American Life? Here is Microsoft’s feel-good video about patents

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Radio listeners around the country were given an inside look at the dark underbelly of the U.S. patent system this week in a fascinating and thorough report on This American Life, with new details from its investigation of Intellectual Ventures, the company run by former Microsoft technology chief Nathan Myhrvold. For the other side of… Read More…

Verizon exec: Big opportunity for Windows Phone in business market

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Microsoft’s Windows Phone certainly trails Apple and Android by a substantial amount in terms of smartphone market share, but one Verizon exec thinks the Redmond software giant can cut into that deficit by making moves in the enterprise market. In an interview with IDG News Service, John Stratton, president of Verizon Enterprise Solutions, said that there’s room for… Read More…

Here is the first-ever 8-inch Windows 8 tablet — starting at $380, running on Intel

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Acer this morning officially unveiled its long-rumored Iconia W3 tablet, billed as the first 8-inch tablet to run Windows 8. This is not a Windows RT device running on an ARM processor. It’s a Windows 8 machine, using an Intel Atom chip, that can run traditional Windows programs and comes with a version of Microsoft… Read More…

Microsoft CIO Tony Scott leaves to ‘focus on personal projects’

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[Updated below with Microsoft confirmation and statement.] Tony Scott, who oversaw Microsoft’s internal IT operations for more than five years as the company’s CIO, has exited the position, based on the word leaking out of the company this weekend. Scott’s personal LinkedIn profile now lists him as Microsoft’s “former” CIO, and we’re hearing separately that… Read More…

Mobile manners: The top 5 most annoying cell phone pet peeves

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Smartphones, for the most part, are pretty awesome tech tools. But they also pissed us off sometimes just as much as they help. A Microsoft Safer Online Facebook poll found the top-five mobile pet peeves: Checking phones constantly Talking loudly Using or not silencing phones when appropriate Using phones during face-to-face conversation Delaying traffic by using phones What… Read More…

Ex-Microsoft manager acquiring medical cannabis dispensaries for national pot business

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When he formally announced Diego Pellicer last December, Jamen Shivley said he wanted his marijuana business to be a “first-mover.” Now he’s starting to make that happen. The former Microsoft corporate manager held a press conference today in downtown Seattle that included former Mexico president Vicente Fox. Shively announced that his company has acquired the rights… Read More…

Picture: IE11 is coming for Windows 8.1 — confirmed by Internet Explorer window

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Windows 8 isn’t the only window getting an upgrade at Microsoft. Drivers passing by the Internet Explorer headquarters in Redmond today will notice something new — a reference to IE11, the new version of Internet Explorer that will be released along with Windows 8.1. Microsoft confirmed plans to release the new browser version as it… Read More…

Windows Phone gets new Shazam app with Start screen song tagging

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Shazam is rolling out a redesigned Windows Phone app with features including the ability to start identifying songs directly from the Start screen, using the operating system’s Live Tile feature. The app, which recognizes music out of the air, is already a longstanding staple on other smartphones. The new release is part of Microsoft’s effort… Read More…

Microsoft’s $1M Vringo patent settlement comes with a Google twist

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Microsoft will pay Vringo subsidiary I/P Engine $1 million to settle a patent infringement lawsuit over technology originally developed by the Lycos search engine, according to a regulatory filing this morning. The settlement also includes a provision for Microsoft to pay up to 5 percent of what Google ultimately pays for the patents in a… Read More…