microsoft

I don't know where these have come from.

I don't even know if they're official Windows 8 videos. [Note: They are. See update at end of story.]

But I do know that these are works of utter, thorough, and complete genius.

Microsoft's Windows 8 has struggled to project an image that is anything that might be described as entirely relevant.

It doesn't mean Windows 8 has failed. But it does mean that it has inspired about as much excitement as the Kansas City Chiefs of late, the Kansas City Royals (until this season), or the authorities at the Heights High School … Read more

TechCrunch is reporting that Microsoft is mulling the idea of buying out the Nook Media venture in which Microsoft invested $300 million last year. TechCrunch says it has obtained "internal documents" that indicate Microsoft may pay $1 billion for the assets of Nook Media.

Does this make any sense? Given I thought rumors of Microsoft buying Skype and Yammer (both of which Redmond ended up purchasing) were pretty ludicrous, I'd say I'm probably not the best one to judge.

Microsoft officials, as one might expect, are saying they have no comment on rumors or speculation involving … Read more

Microsoft has reportedly offered to pay as much as $1 billion to buy out the digital assets of Nook Media, the e-book joint venture between the software giant and bookseller Barnes & Noble.

Under the plan, according to internal documents obtained by TechCrunch, Microsoft would purchase preferred units in the joint venture, which includes a college textbook division, while leaving Nook Media with the e-book and e-reader operations.

The documents also reportedly outline plans to discontinue its Android-based tablet business next year as it transitions to a strategy that focuses on licensing content to third-party developers. The bookseller had acknowledged … Read more

Microsoft promoted Amy Hood to chief financial officer Wednesday, replacing Peter Klein, who announced plans to leave the software giant last month.

Hood, 41, joined Microsoft in 2002 and worked most recently as the chief financial officer of Microsoft's Business Division, a job she held for a little more than 3 years. There, she handled financial strategy for the $24.1 billion unit and was deeply involved in the acquisitions of both Skype and Yammer. Prior to that job, Hood was chief of staff in Microsoft's Server and Tools group.

"I'm excited to step into this … Read more

Microsoft's brick-and-mortar store expansion is increasingly happening via "specialty stores," which are kiosks and small storefront-type outlets, typically located in shopping centers and malls.

On May 8, Microsoft announced it will be opening four new specialty stores in May and June. The four newest locales: Roseville, Calif.; Arlington, Texas; Novi, Mich.; and Seattle. In April, Microsoft opened five new specialty stores.

According to Microsoft's Store locator page, there are a total of 34 specialty stores in the U.S. and Canada that are open now and/or opening soon. That's out of a total of … Read more

The latest update to Microsoft Office addresses a number of critical bugs with the program and offers new integration with Office 365, Microsoft's next-generation Office suite for both the Mac and Windows platforms. The update is available either through the Office 2011 AutoUpdate utility, or from the updater's Web page as a 113MB download that will bring the latest version of Office to 14.3.4.

If you have not yet installed any updates for Office 2011, this update requires that you have Service Pack 1 installed, so some people may see two consecutive updates for Office available … Read more

Like the rest of the Microsoft Office unit, the Office Web Apps team seems to be on a path to deliver more new updates more frequently.

This week, the Web Apps team (which also internally goes by WAC, or Web Applications Companion) blogged about some of the new features coming to Office Web Apps "over the next year and beyond." These include official support for Chrome on Android tablets and real-time co-authoring (instead of "same time" authoring), starting with PowerPoint Web App.

Microsoft executives also previously have said that Yammer integration will be coming to Office Web Apps, … Read more

Microsoft's strategy to push both Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets has confused the market, according to a Toshiba executive.

In a Toshiba product launch on Wednesday in Sydney, Australia, Mark Whittard, managing director of Toshiba Australia, criticized Microsoft's dual operating system approach. Marketing two types of tablets -- one line with Windows 8, the other with Windows RT -- confused consumers, Whittard said, according to The Australian.

"I think one of the challenges is, there was a lot of confusion with Windows 8, my personal view is that they (Microsoft) confused the market with a couple … Read more

Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead said on Wednesday that there remains an importance place for both Windows Phone and BlackBerry, the two aspiring mobile operating systems trying to eat into the dominant positions of Apple and Google.

On Windows Phone (which he mistakenly referred to as Windows Mobile 8), Mead said he has been encouraged with what he has seen, noting that the OS has gotten good engagement from the handset manufacturers.

Likewise, there's a vital role for BlackBerry, he said during an investor conference today.

Both Windows Phone and BlackBerry are attempting to stage their respective comebacks, and … Read more