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Latest by Geoff Duncan

Amazon To Offer Indie Films on HD DVD

Amazon and Microsoft are partnering to being 1,000 independent film titles to Amazon's CustomFlix DVD on Demand service in HD DVD format.

Microsoft to Sell PCs in India

Microsoft is launching a test program to sell AMD-powered personal computers in India, marking the company's first venture in PC sales.

Windows Live Gets Into Storage, Photos

Microsoft has announced beta versions of Windows Live Folders and Windows Live Photos, enabling users to store and back up documents and publish their photos.

Microsoft Holds Vista Virtualization Line

Microsoft looked like it might change its tune, but no: the company will not be changing its licensing to permit use of Vista Home editions under virtualization.

Microsoft Starts Rumble with Immersion

Microsoft has filed suit against haptics developer Immersion, claiming it's due money from the company's deal with Sony to bring rumble to the PS3.

Jerry Yang Takes Over as Yahoo CEO

Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang has been named Chief Executive Office of Yahoo, with former CEO Terry Semel taking the role of non-executive chairman of Yahoo's board.

Revamped MSN Mobile Taps Web, Windows Live

Microsoft has relaunched its MSN Mobile service for Internet-capable phones, offering email, news, maps, directions, and access to Windows Live services.

Supreme Court Sides with Microsoft

The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned a decision in favor of AT&T which held Microsoft liable for patent infringement on copies of Windows sold overseas.

Microsoft To Retire Windows XP in 2008

Microsoft is sticking to its plans to stop selling Windows XP to OEMs in January 2008, despite continuing issues with Windows Vista.

Microsoft Sued Over Vista-Capable Claims

Microsoft is facing a lawsuit over stickers which proclaimed PCs would be "Vista Capable" when they can only handle the most basic version of the operating system.

Microsoft Rushing Animated Cursor Patch

Microsoft is moving quickly to patch a security problem which lets Windows PCs be hijacked using animated cursors.

Xbox Live Expands Video Roster

Microsoft has adding new content from Paramount, Warner Bros., A&E, ADV Films, National Geographic, and TotalVid to Xbox Live, including high-def content.

Microsoft Taking Games for Windows Live

Microsoft has formalized plans to extend its Xbox Live gaming network to Windows Vista PCs, beginning May 8th with Halo 2.

Microsoft Takes on JPEG with HD Photo

Microsoft has formally announced HD PHoto, a new image format promising higher quality and better compression - but will the industry embrace a proprietary format?

Microsoft Lambasts Google Over Copyrights

Microsoft's general counsel warns publishers Google's "cavalier" stance towards copyright protection is bad for content creators.

Microsoft Bundles Up LifeCams

Microsoft hopes new "LifeCam Packs" will encourage people to tap into online video communication, whether at home or on the road.

Microsoft Grows Xbox Memory Unit To 512 MB

Microsoft has announced a new 512 MB Memory Unit for the Xbox 360, and tripled the size cap on games available via its Xbox Live Arcade.

Microsoft Ordered to Pay $1.52 Billion

A federal jury has ordered Microsoft to pay $1.52 billion in damages to Alcatel-Lucent for violating two patents related to digital music.

Ballmer: Vista Forecasts Overly Aggressive

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is excited about Vista, but says some sales forecasts for Microsoft's latest operating system may be "overly aggressive."

Microsoft Sued Over VPN Technology

California software company VirnetX has sued against Microsoft, alleging the software giant's VPN technology infringes on two patents.

Microsoft Settles Iowa Antitrust Suit

Microsoft has settled a long-running Iowa class-action antitrust lawsuit for an undisclosed amount.

Microsoft Announces New PlayReady DRM

Does the world need another digital rights management technology? Microsoft thinks so, announcing PlayReady, a new DRM system aimed at mobile media.

New Windows Live Services for Mobile Phones

Microsoft has announced three new Windows Live services for mobile phones: local searching, mapping and directions, and real-time traffic data for 25 U.S. cities.

Microsoft Tops Corporate Reputation Survey

Who'd have thought that after years of viruses, worms, and blue screens - and the Zune - Microsoft would come out tops in a survey measuring corporate reputations?

Microsoft’s J. Allard Takes Over Zune

Microsoft's Xbox golden boy J. Allard will be taking over business aspects managing the Zune brand as longtime Microsoft exec Bryan Lee steps aside.

For PC Makers, It’s Vista Day

Microsoft is now selling Windows Vista to consumers...but pretty much every computer maker wants you to know they're now selling new computers with Vista pre-installed.

Windows Home Server to Offer Backups, Media

Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Home Server will let customers centralize and remotely access their digital media...and backup and restore their Windows PCs.

Microsoft to Bring IPTV to the Xbox 360

Microsoft has announced plans to enable IPTV services on its Xbox 360 gaming console...but it's not expected to reach consumers until the end of 2007.

Microsoft and Ford Plan to Sync Up

Reports in the Wall Street Journal and other outlets have Microsoft teaming with U.S. automaker Ford to produce Sync, a Bluetooth-enabled in-car phone and Internet option.

Microsoft Ads via Search, Personal Details

Microsoft has begun linking users' search habits with personal demographic information to offer advertisers ways to reach more-defined market segments.

Xbox 360 Warranty Extended to One Year

Think of it as a holiday present: Microsoft has extended its Xbox 360 warranty from 90 days in the U.S. and Canada to one year from the date of purchase.

Vista Update Targets Frankenbuilds

An update to Microsoft's just-released Vista operating system shuts down versions of Vistas cobbled together from disparate software components.

Microsoft Releases XNA Game Studio Express

Microsoft has released XNA Game Studio Express, opening up game development on the Xbox 360, and launches a subscription-based XNA Creators Club for game developers.

Microsoft States Xbox 360, Zune Ship Goals

Microsoft says it expects to have shipped over 10 million Xbox 360 game consoles to retailers by the end of 2006 - and expects to sell a million Zunes by mid-2007.