Thursday, March 18, 2010 5:27 PM/CST
Microsoft's first ad for its Windows Phone 7 Series plays it very safe, showing how devices running the new smartphone OS can be used in "real life." This represents a marketing approach similar to Microsoft's successful "Laptop Hunters" and "I'm a PC" ad campaigns, perhaps a wise move considering Microsoft's lack of success with "hip" ads such as its Bill Gates-and-Jerry Seinfeld series.
Thursday, March 18, 2010 1:32 PM/CST
Umang Dokey's Windows Phone 7 Series tablet design, while purely hypothetical, shows that the upcoming smartphone operating system's user interface would be well-suited to a broader touch-screen. A smartphone OS may actually prove a tighter fit for a tablet-form factor than Windows 7, which includes tap-and-swipe functionality for multi-touch devices.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 5:00 PM/CST
Around 10 percent of Microsoft employees apparently use the iPhone, according to a recent report in The Wall Street Journal, much to the irritation of certain executives such as CEO Steve Ballmer. While it seems natural that a company would want its employees to use its own products, the presence of the iPhone on the Redmond campus seems, well, not so shocking considering the presence of the device on the smartphone market.
Monday, March 08, 2010 5:11 PM/CST
More video and photos have leaked of what's purportedly Microsoft's Courier tablet PC, a dual-screen device that not only allows Web surfing and e-reading, but also functions like a traditional paper notebook. However, given Microsoft's oft-stated desire to play in high-volume market arenas, the eventual release of a Courier device will likely be determined by whether tablet PCs succeed as a segment, something that may be determined by the upcoming Apple iPad and its competitors.
Thursday, March 04, 2010 3:48 PM/CST
Opera Software announced the launch of the Opera Mini 5 beta for Windows Mobile 5.x and 6.x smartphones on March 4, suggesting that this particular version of the mobile browser would run particularly fast on those operating systems. With Windows Phone 7 Series approaching by the end of the year, will third-party developers continue to build products for Windows Mobile?
Monday, March 01, 2010 1:22 PM/CST
Microsoft showed off the prototype for its first Windows Phone 7 Series device, manufactured by LG and featuring a sliding physical keyboard, at The Engadget Show on Feb. 27. The phone apparently includes a 5-megapixel camera with flash, a headphone...
Thursday, February 11, 2010 2:21 PM/CST
Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates supposedly made comments about the iPad in a recent interview, citing devices with a combination of pen, physical keyboard and voice functionality as being more likely to succeed in the mainstream marketplace. However, Microsoft has already partnered with manufacturers to create tablets that share many attributes with the iPad. If customers don't flock to tablet PCs, then Apple, Microsoft and those manufacturers could all be negatively affected.
Monday, February 01, 2010 5:00 PM/CST
Those users still running the Windows 7 Release Candidate on their machines, as opposed to the retail version, will start to experience shutdowns every 2 hours starting on March 1. Microsoft plans on issuing a "The End Is Nigh" notification on Feb. 15, with the shutdowns starting two weeks after that unless the user does a clean install of the retail version of Windows 7. During those automatic shutdowns, work in progress on the user's PC will not be saved.
Thursday, January 28, 2010 4:29 PM/CST
Bing now offers an "Investor Data" tab that gives users a granular view of a company's stock performance and finances, replicating features available on Yahoo and Google. The paralleling of features between the search engines on the market is ultimately beneficial for consumers, allowing them multiple avenues for pursuing information.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 4:22 PM/CST
Microsoft and Kia have announced Uvo, an in-car system based on the Windows Embedded Auto software platform that will allow drivers to make and receive calls and text messages, as well as access music and other media. Microsoft has been exploring similar vehicle-based systems, notably Sync, which it created in partnership with Ford. Putting so much functionality in a vehicle raises the potential for distraction, however.
