Microsoft reveals ARM-powered Windows 8 prototypes (eyes-on)

Remember how Microsoft unveiled that whole "Windows 8" thing earlier today? It's back for more: here at Computex 2011 in Taipei, prototype ARM-based Windows 8 slates and smartbooks are coming out of the woodwork. Foxconn, Wistron and Quanta all unveiled early hardware for the new OS, with chips from Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and NVIDIA powering their live tiles -- including NVIDIA's upcoming Kal-El, which got both a tablet and a super-slim prototype notebook to call its own. Dell's also got a XPS development station up on stage, which Microsoft used to demo the UI -- it's bulky and ugly as such things are, but it suggests that Dell's also likely to have a portable Windows 8 machine at some point. For its part, Qualcomm is promising a chip that can instantly wake from sleep, and one of the devices showed that USB host support works fine and dandy. Unfortunately, none of these machines will make their way to market, but it's nice to know that the OEMs care enough to show their solidarity here.

The 'oh sh_t' moment that Nokia decided to abandon MeeGo

Bloomberg Businessweek just published an amazingly thorough piece on Nokia, pre- and post-Elopcalypse. We've long wondered how MeeGo, an OS that Stephen Elop himself said "inspires both confidence and excitement" in October 2010, could be cast aside so quickly in favor of Windows Phone, an OS still struggling to find traction in the heated smartphone market. Well, now we know. Bloomberg recounts a January 3rd meeting between Nokia's Chief Development Officer Kai Oistämö and Nokia's freshman CEO. After Kai expressed his concern with MeeGo's ability to effectively respond to Apple's iOS and Android operating systems, the two decided to interview two dozen "influential employees" about MeeGo, ranging from execs to engineers.More after the break...

Eldar Murtazin: Microsoft will enter negotiations to buy Nokia's mobile division next week

Yes, this is a rumor, and by golly it strains the limits of credulity, but take note of its source. Firstly, the details: according to Eldar Murtazin, Microsoft and Nokia will enter talks next week to discuss the potential for the American software giant to purchase the Finnish company's mobile arm, meaning the part that makes all those delectable smartphones. Eldar's not been able to dig up any further intel, but expects a deal could be closed as early as the end of this year.Update & more after the break...

ITS OFFICIAL - MICROSOFT BUYS SKYPE FOR 8.5$ BILLION

Microsoft  and Skype today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Skype, the leading Internet communications company, for $8.5 billion in cash from the investor group led by Silver Lake. The agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype.More after the break...

Microsoft's next major release of Windows Phone will be previewed on May 24th

Been jonesing for more news about Microsoft's upcoming Mango OS update? So have we, and now all of us, VIPs and commoners alike, can circle the 24th of May as the date when Redmond will dish the full details of its next major software release. Notably, the mango(ish)-colored invite makes no mention of Windows Phone 7 anywhere, leading us to suspect that Microsoft will likely upgrade its mobile nomenclature as well as feature set.

Shocker! Microsoft commands 79 percent of worldwide OS revenue

Everyone knows that Windows is installed on the vast majority of computers, but it's always interesting to be reminded of what a cash cow the OS has been for Redmond. According to Gartner, Microsoft owned 78.6 percent of the global market revenue share for desktop operating systems at the end of 2010 -- revenue up almost 9 percent from 2009. That means, of the $30.4 billion in revenue that various companies generated, $23.8 billion lined Microsoft's coffers. But while Windows remains the kingpin, Mac OS X and -- wait for it -- Red Hat, posted more substantial gains. Apple's market revenue shot up almost 16 percent to 1.7 percent, Red Hat surged 18 percent, while dark horse Oracle leaped from ninth place to fourth, with a 7,683 percent growth in income -- no small thanks to its 2009 acquisition of Sun Microsystems. Only one question remains, then -- who's the loser here? Update after the break...

NOKIA AND MICROSOFT SIGN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

Microsoft’s Tim McDowd chats with Nokia’s VP of Microsoft Alliance, Waldemar Sakalus, and Microsoft’s General Manager of Developer & Marketplace Experience, Matt Bencke, about Nokia and Microsoft signing a strategic alliance.

NOKIA AND MICROSOFT SIGN DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT

Nokia and Microsoft today announced the signing of a definitive agreement on a partnership that will result in a new global mobile ecosystem, utilizing the very complementary assets of both companies. Completed ahead of schedule, the definitive agreement is consistent with the joint announcement made on February 11.More after the break...

Microsoft asks state lawmakers to make domestic companies pay for foreign firms' software piracy

Microsoft's pirated software police have been going after companies abroad for years, but getting those far-away folks into US courtrooms isn't easy. What is easy, however, is suing the folks in your own back yard -- which is why Microsoft is lobbying to get laws passed in several states that'll put US businesses on the hook for the pirating ways of their foreign suppliers. For example, if a manufacturer uses pirated software in the "manufacture, distribution, marketing, or sales" of products sold in Washington, Microsoft could sue the vendor of those products and get an injunction to stop the goods from being sold. So Washington widget retailers would be liable for the piracy of their foreign widget manufacturers, even if the illicit act was merely creating the sales invoice on a counterfeit copy of Word. More after the break...

NOKIA PAYS ELOP $6M TO LEAVE MICROSOFT

Nokia Corp. will pay new Chief Executive Stephen Elop more than $6 million in one-off compensation for joining the world’s largest handset maker, according to documents filed Friday. Elop, recruited from Microsoft Corp to revive the ailing handset maker’s fortunes, received a one-off payment of EUR2.3 million in October and is entitled to another payment of $3 million in October 2011, according to Nokia’s 20-F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He also received EUR509,744 to reimburse fees paid to Microsoft and EUR312,203 in legal expenses.More after the break...

Microsoft taking 'extra time' to make sure Windows Phone 7 copy and paste update is solid, targeting late March

Eric Hautala -- the cog in the Microsoft machine responsible for Windows Phone 7's update mechanism -- has taken to the company's official Windows Phone blog today to deep-dive on some of the concerns, problems, and delays that have dogged the platform's updates so far. In brief, Hautala says that the glitches that hosed the small February update for a few customers has brought the company to pause and take the time to make sure everything's rock solid before proceeding with the so-called NoDo update -- which includes copy and paste, performance improvements, and CDMA support -- and had originally been scheduled for the early part of March. Now, they're looking at "the latter half of March," which lines up with what Microsoft France had reported yesterday. He goes on to say that the problems have zero effect on the timeline for awesome new features previewed at MWC last month, which would seem to allay fears that the Mango update had been pushed to 2012. Needless to say, Windows Phone's still got some catching up to do -- so that's good news.

Microsoft sells 10 million Kinects, 10 million Kinect games

First it was one, then two and a half, then eight, and now we're into double digits. Microsoft has announced that the company has sold its 10 millionth Kinect, surprising us all by making it the world's fastest selling consumer electronics device according to Guinness, finding buyers for somewhere north of 10 million games, too. Now, we know what you're thinking Mr. Cynical: "Each Kinect comes with a game and so of course M$ has sold 10 million titles!" Swallow that smug grin, because that's 10 million standalone games sold, and while a 1:1 tie ratio is hardly approaching PS2 territory it's certainly better than many had expected

ANGRY BIRDS TEAMS UP WITH MICROSOFT

Angry Birds, the mobile gaming phenomenon just got better. Bing is now the official decision engine of Angry Birds. You can find the promo videos after the break...

Windows phone 7 takes over the Times Square

Microsoft and Windows phone 7 takes over the Times Square with their latest ad.

VODAFONE GERMANY CEO SAYS MICROSOFT/NOKIA DEAL A GOOD THING

Nokia’s decision to adopt Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system is good for the smartphone market, Vodafone Germany’s CEO said Monday during an interview at the Cebit trade show in Hanover.Video after the break...

Windows 8 beta for tablets at September PDC?

 You don't need us to tell you what you already know in your gut to be true: Redmond is working hard on its tablet strategy. How embarrassing is it for Microsoft, the company that pioneered tablets and the 7-inch UMPC, to be completely absent from the conversation in 2010 and 2011? That could change in September. Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley recently shared the slide above which she believes to be 99.99 percent genuine. The timeline shows the major milestone dates for a Windows 8 (aka, "Windows Next") release -- an OS that M. JoFo believes to be focused on tablets (aka, "Lap PCs" in Microsoft parlance) with its purpose-built touch-centric design. According to the slide, we're looking at an M2 milestone this month followed by M3 in July or August. Foley says that would put Microsoft on track for a Windows 8 beta release right around Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference (PDC) event in September followed by a second beta in 2012 before being released to manufacturing around the summer of 2012 -- just like we heard early last year and just in time for Dell's Hancock tablet. There are still many open questions including Microsoft's ARM vs. Intel priorities and how the company plans to scale across the enterprise and the "workhorse PC" and "Family Hub PC" in the home.

Nokia and Microsoft enter strategic alliance on Windows Phone, Bing, Xbox Live and more

It's happened. Former Microsoft exec and current Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has married his future and his past in the holy matrimony of a "strategic alliance." Windows Phone is becoming Nokia's "principal smartphone strategy," but there's a lot more to this hookup -- scope out the official press release just after the break. Microsoft's Bing and adCenter will provide search and ad services across Nokia devices, while Nokia will look to innovate "onShow all top of the platform" with things like its traditional strength in imaging. Ovi Maps will be a core part of Microsoft's mapping services and will be integrated with Bing, while Nokia's content store will be integrated into (read: assimilated by) Microsoft's Marketplace. Xbox Live and Office will also, as is to be expected, feature on these brave new Microkia handsets. Statement sfter the break...

WINNERS AND LOSERS OF THE NOKIA MICROSOFT TEAM UP

John from the My  Blog has published a post about the winners and the losers with the Nokia and Microsft alliance. I must admit that i agree with everything that John written in the blog post. The entire Nokia and Microsoft alliance makes me wonder if Ballmer planned this from the beginning (Like the story about the Trojan horse), Send over some  Microsoft guy to become CEO of Nokia and then you figure out the rest…

Nokias stock is down with 12% since this morning. Perhaps Microsoft is planning on buying Nokia? Let the stock fall down, then buy Nokia

Nokia, Microsoft announcing partnership next week, possibly involving Windows Phone 7?

As Nokia comes up on Capital Markets Day next Friday -- an event where the company has historically unveiled interesting things and launched important initiatives -- rumors are once again swirling that they're going to be announcing a major platform shift by way of a competitor. Both Android and Windows Mobile have come up in the past on multiple occasions, owing in no small part to the fact that Nokia's had an outward appearance of spinning its platform wheels on the backs of S60 and Maemo for far, far too long, but so far, nothing's materialized. This time around, it's said that Microsoft will be the partner announced on the 11th -- and though Nokia's uptake of Windows Phone 7 would be the obvious strategic shift, it's important to note that these companies have actually partnered before with pretty trivial consequences for the market; it's entirely possible they could be ramping up to do that again, sharing apps and services between Windows Phone 7 and S60 / MeeGo. We doubt it, but it's within the realm of reason.More after the break...

REVIEW MICROSOFT KIN ONE

Here’s an in-depth look at all of the features of the new KIN ONE for Verizon Wireless. The UI on the KIN is unlike any you’ve used before, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. The Microsoft KIN ONE has a slide-out portrait QWERTY keyboard and capacitive QVGA touchscreen, which will let you interact with the custom interface. It has a 5MP camera with flash and 4GB of internal storage space.