Users of the Kinect gaming system have been pulling off some nifty moves since the motion control hardware went on sale. But no move has been quite as sudden as the U-turn Microsoft just pulled.
The computer virus equivalent of a forensic analysts have been examining the code used in the Stuxnet worm. They says some sections were less sophisticated than first believed, but others were very specifically targeted, which may reveal more about its creators.
Microsoft has formally launched Lync, a software suite designed to make it easier for businesses to integrate multiple forms of communications. It claims the average company would make back the cost of the suite in increased efficiency within a year.
Microsoft has attempted to dissuade fears over the data it might collect from Kinect users and sell to advertisers. But quotes from a senior executive suggest that’s still on the cards.
Great as the concept of controller-free gaming may be, Microsoft made the Kinect to make cash rather than make people happy. And while it appears the unit itself is turning a tidy profit, the company is said to have found a more sinister source of revenue.
It’s been reported that consumers bought 40,000 Windows Phone 7 handsets on the system’s first on-sale date. That’s hardly a resounding start, but it may be too early to panic.
A gadgets manufacturer may have to pay out a $2,000 reward after a software enthusiast found a way to adapt the Kinect controller to work with a Windows 7 PC. “AlexP” posted a video of Windows reading and displaying data from the Xbox 360 motion control system.
Microsoft has added its Windows Security Essentials package to the list of optional downloads available through its automated updates. That’s prompted complaints from one security software manufacturer that such practice is uncompetitive.
A Microsoft president has clarified comments that had been interpreted as a death knell for Silverlight. Bob Muglia says he was accurately reported, but his comments may have been taken the wrong way.
With one year’s worth of usage figures now available, two things are clear about Windows 7′s effect. It’s getting people to upgrade from older systems at a pace that will delight Microsoft — but it’s doing nothing to win over users of non-Windows computers.
Microsoft has confirmed it’s giving a Windows Phone 7 handset to every employee. It’s given away a phone to everyone attending its Professional Developers Conference this week.
Ray Ozzie, Microsoft’s retiring chief software architect, has warned his colleagues they need to prepare for a post-PC World. In a lengthy memo he argues that complexity no longer guarantees a long lifespan when it comes to the tech world.
An apparent “leak” on Microsoft’s website in the Netherlands is pointing to a 2012 release for the next edition of Windows. That’s not exactly a shock timetable, but does suggest the company will need to make its mind up about any “risky” content soon.
Hewlett Packard has launched a Windows 7 tablet and most of its numbers leave the iPad standing. Including, unfortunately, the price.
Microsoft has announced it will be giving free software licenses to campaign groups in a dozen countries. It’s designed to prevent the problem of governments using alleged copyright infringements as an excuse to raid political opponents.
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