Microsoft Talk

"Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang claims that Windows Phone apps will run on Windows 8. This gives hope to Windows Phone app developers who were not too sure about developing for a dieing platform. If true, these developers are also developing for Microsoft's next generation operating system, Windows 8." - LANjackal

"Based on its history, you probably wouldn’t expect to see Windows Phone take off like a rocket. But apparently that’s what it’s going to do. Research out of Gartner and IDC says that Mango may grab a whopping 20 percent of the market by 2015, with the help of hardware partners like HTC and a little extra effort in the marketing department." - LANjackal

"With Windows 8, we have eliminated this last step – you can simply access the contents of the ISO file without needing either needing to burn a new disc or needing to find/download/install additional software just to logically access the ISO." - LANjackal

"As the social integration in Windows Phone 7 is proving to be a practical and useful differentiator of the platform, it would make a lot of sense for Microsoft to bring similar functionality into Windows 8 as well, and Socialite might be at the heart of it." - LANjackal

"Researchers at Microsoft have been quietly finding — and helping to fix — security defects in products made by third-party vendors, including Apple and Google. This month alone, the MSVR (Microsoft Security Vulnerability Research) team released advisories to document vulnerabilities in WordPress and Apple’s Safari browser and in July, software flaws were found and fixed in Google Picasa and Facebook." - LANjackal

"If you've entered simple formulas in Excel, such as adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing numbers, you know that the formula it creates looks a bit like what you're doing on a calculator...but Excel saves your work, and is much more forgiving. In an Excel formula, instead of having to start over if you make a minor mistake, you can just fix a thing or two without losing what you've typed." - LANjackal

"this isn't about proving that a tablet can do one or two things; it's about the limitations and awkwardness of using one that no one seems to talk about." - LANjackal

"First, let’s look at the numbers. Apple has sold about 28.7 million iPads since the device hit the market in March 2010. That’s an impressive figure, to be sure, and Apple is clearly dominant in the tablet PC market. But compare that to the 400 million licenses of Windows 7 that Microsoft has sold since its July 2009 release. Moreover, those iPads don’t seem to be replacements for desktop or laptop devices. Owners of iPads are “not likely to report they’re making tradeoffs on purchases,” says Sarah Rotman Epps, consumer analyst with Forrester Research, who also notes that owners tend to be “relatively wealthy individuals.”" - LANjackal

"Earlier this year, we released some exciting new functionality that lets you extend your Excel skills to the web, by embedding an Excel spreadsheet on websites and blogs. This week, the Seattle Times is reporting the local 2011 primary election with the latest results displayed in an embedded Excel spreadsheet." - LANjackal

"will a future Windows be booting from the Internet? Quite possibly, especially since this patent application is not just targeted at enterprise environments, but virtually every type of computing device including mobile phones, set-top boxes and personal computers. Is it just me or could Microsoft be working on a much more integrated operating system that is driven by the cloud?" - LANjackal

"For weeks I've been thinking about writing a commentary about how Apple has become a patent bully -- that its behavior answers an ongoing question of discussion going on for years. Drummond's blog post tipped me to doing it." - LANjackal

Actually I'm a bit jaded listening to Google whining whenever it loses whatever game it's playing. If Google really were standing aloof from this scrummage then I, might, have some sympathy for them. I don't. - JSLeFanu

"Even though it is still the most used operating system on the planet today, it’s market share has finally dipped below the 50 percent last month according to the latest stats out courtesy of Net Applications." - LANjackal

This is bullshit. Are you telling me All linux distributions, all Mac versions other than 10.6 and all ANDROID devices are under 6.36 ? WHO prepared this? - Aykın Çakaloz

"Today Bing added 400 shopping mall maps as part of a larger “venue maps” (indoor mapping) effort. A minor but useful addition to Bing Maps (especially if the initiative expands), users can now zoom in on any of the included malls and see the stores and related details for the various tenant retailers." - LANjackal

"Watch Out Apple, Google: Windows Phone's Next Big Update Is An Absolute Home Run" - LANjackal

"In its attempt to portray itself as a victim of an anti-Android campaign from Microsoft and Apple, Google has ended up with a self-inflicted black eye. After all, why would companies on an anti-Android campaign extend an invitation to Google to join the consortium?" - LANjackal

That's just how clever and devious they are. MS knew Google wouldn't join so they made the offer as a cover play. At least that's how will go in the screenplay treatment... - Todd Hoff

"Microsoft announces support for raw files from 120 DSLR cameras in Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Explorer. Makes them as easy to use as JPEGs." - LANjackal

"Microsoft is slowly but surely making good on its plans to diversify beyond its two biggest successes. Server and Tools is where the future Microsoft cloud action is centered. And its home to several of Microsoft’s current $1 billion+ businesses (System Center and SQL Server are both in this category)." - LANjackal

"Twitter stands to lose a lot of clout -- and money -- if it flubs its social search deal with Microsoft's Bing like it did with Google." - LANjackal

"Bing hit all-time high market shares in June for both “core search” and “explicit search” according to the latest comScore figures out today. But, Bing’s gains aren’t coming at Google’s expense; Google maintained its share in explicit search and made gains of its own in core search." - LANjackal

"At this year's Worldwide Partner Conference, head honcho Steve Ballmer took great pleasure in announcing that said figure has now swollen to beyond 400 million in under two years. Not surprisingly, that makes Win7 the fastest-selling operating system in history" - LANjackal

"Both companies are seeking as much as a $20 licensing fee per device from handset makers that choose to use Android. That'd be roughly double the amount that Google makes in search revenue, on average, from every Android device, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Jonathan Goldberg. Google gives away the Android operating system in hopes of generating that revenue." - LANjackal

"legal documents filed last October in the ongoing case against Motorola and in March of this year against Barnes & Noble detail more than a dozen patents Microsoft claims Android devices violate." - LANjackal

"the Redmond software giant is building closer and closer ties to Facebook. The Facebook-Skype deal today is more evidence that Microsoft and Facebook are in lockstep as they fight their mutual foe, Google. And it comes even while Microsoft awaits regulatory approval to conclude its Skype acquisition." - LANjackal

"Microsoft’s 2012 CES will be full of Windows 8 according to company insiders. Microsoft is expected to deliver a beta copy of the next-generation operating system at its BUILD developer conference in September this year. Microsoft should be ready to deliver a second test copy of Windows 8 to the public at CES 2012. Ballmer will likely demo a number of ARM and Intel based Windows 8 tablets that will hit the market later in 2012 when Windows 8 is generally available." - LANjackal

"Microsoft's Android patent-licensing streak continues. Marking the fourth agreement in nine days, the latest company to sign with the Redmond software giant is Wistron, a Taiwanese original design manufacturer." - LANjackal

"Microsoft have confirmed that Windows 8 will be formally unveiled at the BUILD conference in September." - LANjackal

"RemoteFX, a new technology that debuted with Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 SP1. Basically, it allows Remote Desktop clients to use the graphics hardware on the remote server. You might be connecting from a netbook with the most awful of integrated graphics solutions, but if the remote server has a juicy graphics card, you can actually use RemoteFX to run 3D games inside a Remote Desktop connection." - LANjackal

"Given the history, it's not surprising to see Microsoft take the offensive by offering up source code from its own 'managed driving' program: the cars that collect WiFi, GPS and cell tower data. With the code out in the open, MS can easily side-step allegations of personal data-mining and continue its focus on improving local search services. The move is further evidence that the Ballmer-led company intends to take user privacy very seriously, having already stopped the tracking of individual Windows Phone handsets last May." - LANjackal

"If the trend continues, and everything that we have seen and heard suggests that, we might see Windows 7 at the top in 12 months time." - LANjackal

"Skype clearly believes that developers (and the awesome new services they build which will require Skype) will be key to bringing in new users. The pressure to grow may also be behind Skype’s decision to add XMPP support to the most recent beta version of its Windows client, letting it interoperate with other IM networks. Skype needs to grow especially as it faces more competition from Facebook, Google, Apple and any number of other companies building out video conferencing and chatting capabilities into their services and devices." - LANjackal

"French search engine 1PlusV is suing Google for 295m euros (£264m), the largest damage claim the search engine has faced in Europe. It claims that Google used its market dominance to block the development of rival services. An earlier complaint from 1PlusV and others, including Microsoft, triggered a European Commission investigation." - LANjackal

All this stuff regarding Google and anti-trust is just ridiculous. It's not like there aren't other options for finding stuff on the Internet. Same goes for their services. Google rose to dominance because people prefer them. All the other companies can just live with it. - Kevin L

A company shouldn't be penalized for being innovative. Market dominance can't block product development, but product development shouldn't be pursued if it can't become profitable in a reasonable period of time. - James Stratford