microsoft

Microsoft is reminding everyone today that the free promotion for Windows 10 upgrades is finishing soon. The software maker first released Windows 10 as a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 machines on July 29th last year, giving everyone a year to upgrade at no cost. Many had assumed...

Microsoft is closing off one of the easiest ways to Google search in Windows 10. The company has announced in a blog post that starting today, it will block the ability to perform third-party searches through the Cortana digital assistant, as part of an effort to maintain an "integrated search...

2016 is proving to be the year of privacy debates between the tech world and the US government. In the latest clash, Microsoft has sued the US Government over the right to tell its users when federal agencies request access to private data. Reuters reports that Microsoft has opened a suit...

A major tech company and the US government are at odds once again. Microsoft has filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department, claiming that it's "unconstitutional" to force the company to remain silent and not inform customers when their cloud data has been searched or inspected by...

The future is going to be full of people talking to chatbots, says Microsoft, and it wants to help you build one. Today at the Build developer conference, the company unveiled what it calls the Microsoft Bot Framework — a set of tools that will let anyone create a bot that they (and their...

Microsoft's chatbot Tay may have suffered a racist meltdown last week, but the company is not giving up on AI. According to a report from Bloomberg Businessweek, Microsoft plans to unveil several prototype bots at its annual Build conference later today. These AI-powered programs will further...

Microsoft is reaching out to Linux developers in a way that the company never has before. "The Bash shell is coming to Windows. Yes, the real Bash is coming to Windows," said Microsoft's Kevin Gallo on stage at today's Build 2016 keynote. The announcement received an uproarious applause from the...

During its keynote address at the Build 2016 conference today, Microsoft announced that there are now 270 million computers running Windows 10. The latest version of Windows was released publicly last summer, after a prolonged public test period. Since launch, Microsoft has regularly issued...

Microsoft held a party with overtly sexist themes at GDC 2016 this week — one that Xbox chief Phil Spencer today called "unequivocally wrong." It's a troubling incident in a long history of sexism at professional conferences and events in the gaming industry, especially considering Microsoft's...

Microsoft today retreated from an earlier retirement date for Windows 7 and 8.1 support on newer hardware, saying that it would now support those OSes on PCs running Intel's Skylake silicon until July 2018. The decision is a partial rollback of a January announcement that Microsoft called a...

Microsoft is ready for Windows 10 testers to start using Edge browser extensions. After an extended wait for the beta feature, Microsoft is releasing Windows 10 build 14291 today with browser extensions support for Edge. Microsoft will offer three extensions to test, including Microsoft...

Microsoft has asked a federal judge permission to serve Comcast with a subpoena to identify alleged software pirates who have activated thousands of copies of Windows 7 and Office 2013 using stolen or abused codes, according to court filings. "For an unknown period of time -- but for at least...

Bitcoin was almost dealt a major blow today when it seemed Microsoft would stop accepting the cryptocurrency for digital purchases through customer accounts. But the company now says an update to a support page was posted erroneously and contained "inaccurate" information. Bitcoin, Microsoft...

Microsoft has stopped accepting Bitcoin payments for apps and content in its Windows 10 store for desktop and mobile, reveals an updated support page spotted by Softpedia. That’s a bummer for fans of the cryptocurrency hoping for it to gain more mainstream traction. The company announced...

If you've got a Windows 7 or Windows 8x computer that is not owned and managed by your company, and you haven't upgraded it to Windows 10 yet, Microsoft has come up with another way to nag you to upgrade: an ad in your Internet Explorer browser. The company has added the ability through a...

When you think of Microsoft, what product first comes to mind? Windows, you say? How quaint. Yes, you’re probably reading this on a Windows-based PC, but Windows itself matters less and less to Microsoft. Ed Bott recently broke down Microsoft’s latest 10-Q, its quarterly report to the...

Do you remember the WebTV? You may not have even known anyone who used them, but they were a device that turned a regular TV into a slow Internet terminal. Some people who find computers intimidating really liked the idea. However, they should not pick up this unit that Liz found on the shelf at...

Antivirus tools are the aircraft flotation devices of PCs: They give you a false sense of security. Despite efforts by security companies to thwart cyber attacks, hackers keep finding new ways into unsuspecting people's computers and systems. That's why Microsoft is adding a new feature to...

Ahead of the Oscars, Microsoft has started airing a series of ads that focus on Windows 10, gross bugs, and the features Windows machines have that Macs don't. The spots all feature a pair of women discussing how Windows 10 helps their business — they highlight Cortana, touchscreens, and Windows...

There is no such thing as a free lunch” has been the mantra of those cynical about the true cost of ‘free’ Windows 10. But as Microsoft increases pressure on users to upgrade, it turns out the real cost of Windows 10 lies somewhere far less expected… Windows 7 and Windows 8. Yes, the...