Microsoft confirms ‘Blue’ updates, sets next Build developer event for June

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Microsoft this morning confirmed plans for an upcoming wave of product updates known inside the company as “Blue,” and announced plans to hold its next Build developer conference in June, where it will provide a first look at what’s next from the company. The company didn’t provide any details about the Blue updates, which have… Read More…

VIDEO: Ballmer amps up developer crowd with Microsoft Surface giveaway

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No, he didn’t yell “developers, developers, developers” — maybe that’s too old-school at this point — but Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had another trick up his sleeve at the Build conference in Redmond this morning: A giveaway of Microsoft Surface tablets for the thousands of developers in attendance. See the video above, to give you… Read More…

Windows 8: Microsoft wants to trademark the word ‘Charm’

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Look out, Harry Potter: Microsoft seems to be serious about its new charms. Showing off Windows 8′s features for the first time last week, Microsoft used the words “charms” to describe the five icons that pop up in the right sidebar on touch screens (or the lower left when using a traditional keyboard and mouse)…. Read More…

Microsoft’s Ballmer: 500,000 downloads of Windows 8

Ballmer on stage at Build this morning.

Posting from Anaheim: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, in town for the company’s annual meeting with financial analysts this afternoon, is making a surprise appearance right now at the companion Build conference for hardware and software developers at the Anaheim Convention Center. Talking about the reception so far for Windows 8, Ballmer shared a bit of… Read More…

How Microsoft interns blazed a trail for Windows 8 apps

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Posting from Anaheim: Microsoft today is announcing a new toolkit to help independent software developers connect Windows 8 apps to services from the company’s Windows Azure cloud computing infrastructure — allowing a news app, for example, to easily receive and display a notification on its tile on the Windows 8 Start screen when an important bulletin… Read More…

How to get Windows 8 right now — at your own risk

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Posting from Anaheim: Following its preview of Windows 8 for hardware and software developers here yesterday, Microsoft last night released a very preliminary version of the new operating system for them to download, complete with the new “Metro” user interface. It’s not actually meant for widespread public use yet — that won’t be the case until the… Read More…

Windows 8: Microsoft’s sexy new … Task Manager

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Windows 8′s new tile-based interface is getting lots of attention today, but here’s some real eye candy for us computer nerds. Microsoft is overhauling the old-fashioned Windows Task Manager with new features, capabilities and graphics in Windows 8, providing some interesting new tools to people who like to tinker around under the hood of their… Read More…

Windows Store to be exclusive channel for new ‘Metro’ apps

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Posting from Anaheim: On stage right now at Microsoft’s Build conference, Microsoft Windows president Steven Sinofsky is previewing Windows 8 and demonstrating how to create apps in Microsoft’s new “Metro” style — full-screen, web-friendly PC programs that rely heavily on touch-oriented gestures and leverage new features of the upcoming operating system. Sinofsky also just confirmed… Read More…

This is Windows 8: Hands-on with Microsoft’s radically different operating system

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Posting from Anaheim: Microsoft isn’t kidding when it says Windows 8 will be the biggest overhaul of its flagship operating system since the landmark Windows 95 release. Application tiles will replace icons, touch-oriented gestures will control major elements of the experience, and users will be able to summon up a menu of “charms” to help them along… Read More…

Picture: On the scene at Microsoft Build in Anaheim

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Posting from Anaheim: Microsoft’s Build conference doesn’t officially begin until Tuesday morning, but people have started to arrive, and the picture below at the Anaheim Convention Center gives you a sense for the balance Microsoft will be attempting to strike as it lifts the curtain on Windows 8. The motto is a reminder that, for… Read More…