Microsoft tapped former Clinton advisor and PR maven Mark Penn last week to lead a “SWAT team” focused on bolstering Microsoft’s consumer initiatives. The first target? Bing, Microsoft’s search engine.
Microsoft’s Drive for Simplicity Pares Down Windows Server 2012 Options
Microsoft continued its minimalistic approach to the latest versions of Windows, revealing Thursday that there will be only four versions of Windows Server 2012 – simplifying buying decisions but also eliminating some popular versions of the product’s previous incarnation.
“Google Now” Knows More About You Than Your Family Does – Are You OK With That?
The new Google Now feature unveiled this week at the Google I/O developers conference is designed to automatically present the information you need – even before you ask for it. The impressive results cover everything from helping you get to work to which sports teams you like – but they are possible only because Google knows so much about you. The…
Will Google’s New Nexus Q Kill Google TV?
When Google unveiled the combination of the Nexus 7 tablet and the otherworldly Nexus Q streaming device at the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco, observers couldn’t help but think, “But what about Google TV?”
Google Play: Developers Make More From In-App Purchases Than App Sales
In 2012, developers using Google Play have pulled in more revenue from in-app purchases than from the sales of the apps themselves, a validation of the “freemium” model and digital purchases.
7 Reasons Google Needs Its Own Steve Jobs
Tech folklore abounds with examples of Steve Jobs’ monomaniacal focus on the user experience, including this tale on Jobs’ obsession with the Apple calculator widget. Other tech companies, especially Apple archrival Google, could use some of Steve’s legendary attention to detail – as shown in these seven examples where the company’s focus seems…
Why Microsoft’s Surface Pro Will Be the First Real Business Tablet
The verdict on Microsoft’s new Surface tablet has been mostly positive. Reviewers have praised the device’s fit and finish, operating system and Touch Cover keyboards – not to mention Microsoft’s unusual willingness to try something new. But we haven’t heard as much about Surface Pro, Microsoft’s attempt to go beyond the consumer market…
Hands On with Microsoft’s New Surface Tablet
A few minutes spent actually handling a prototype of Microsoft’s new Surface tablet reveals a solid device, combining a slightly bulky chassis with a clever Touch Cover keyboard that appears to work well – all powered by a Windows RT operating system that seems to be a viable competitor to iOS and Android on these types of devices.