Tag Archives: Internet Explorer

Computers

Malware campaign strikes Asian, European governments

Leave a comment

Trend Micro says it detected a targeted attack that sent malware-laden emails to representatives of 16 European countries and some Asian governments.

The bogus emails purported to come from China’s defense ministry and contained a malicious attachment that exploited a now-patched vulnerability in Microsoft Office versions 2003 to 2010, wrote Jonathan Leopando, a technical communications specialist with Trend Micro. 

Microsoft patched the vulnerability in Office, CVE-2012-0158, more than a year ago although attackers are still frequently targeting it, including in the Safe and Taidoor campaigns, Leopando wrote.

If the email attachment is opened on an unpatched computer, a “backdoor” program is then installed that steals login credentials for websites and email credentials from Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook, Leopando wrote.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

Computers

IE10 captures second place among Microsoft's browsers

Leave a comment

Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) jumped into second place among Microsoft’s browsers last month, pushing past IE9 through an enforced upgrade.

IE10’s user share climbed from 16.5 percent to a record 24 percent of all copies of Internet Explorer in June, according to Web measurement firm Net Applications.

Among Microsoft’s five supported browsers, IE10 was the second-most-used, leapfrogging the two-year-old IE9, which shed user share to end June with 20.9 percent of all copies of Internet Explorer. The 12-year-old IE6 was fourth with 10.9 percent, while 2009’s IE8 remained in first with 40.4 percent.

IE10’s climb has accelerated: June’s user share increase was the largest since the browser’s introduction on Windows 7 in February. As in previous months, June’s jump was fueled by the automatic update from IE9 to IE10 on Windows 7 that kicked in last winter.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Microsoft's New Toy Is a Preemptive Attack on Apple

Leave a comment

By Rick Munarriz, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

A lot has been said about Microsoft‘s Xbox One since it was introduced on Tuesday. However, here’s something that you probably haven’t heard: Xbox One is a preemptive strike on Apple .

Think about it. Apple is working on a smart television. Shortly before his death, Steve Jobs told his biographer that he had cracked the problem with smart TVs. CEO Tim Cook told NBC’s Brian Williams — on primetime television — that it’s an area of “intense interest” at Apple.

Let’s dream out loud. What would an Apple smart TV do?

Well, thanks to the popularity of Siri, it’s a safe bet that there would be some degree of voice recognition. Xbox One has that. “Watch TV” switches to live TV. “Watch AMC” switches the channel. “What’s on HBO?” pulls up the channel’s listings guide.

Apple’s device would also probably incorporate FaceTime video chat. Yes, Microsoft’s all over that. The Xbox One allows for Skype video chats — with multiple users at the same time.

Naturally, there would be some App Store integration with live content, but Xbox One is there already. You can pull up personalized fantasy stats during NBA and NFL games. You can be playing a Blu-ray disc and switch to a split screen to pull up Internet Explorer to figure out where you know that actress from through IMDB or pull up movie ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.

App Store integration naturally means playing games on your TV, and Xbox One naturally will have Apple beat on that front.

The clincher here is that Microsoft already has tens of millions of active Xbox Live users. They all won’t hop on the Xbox One platform right away, but they will over time as prices get cheaper.

However, as expensive as the Xbox One will be, a full blown Apple HDTV will probably cost more than a Microsoft console with an existing flat screen. Now that we know that Microsoft will have its new toy out in time for this year’s holiday shopping season, it’s not as if Apple can get a head start here.

The more you think about it, the more you may start to realize that Apple may already be too late.

The only way Apple could realistically have a game-changer in an Xbox One world would be to revolutionize pay TV. Rolling out a piecemeal service in which consumers pay only for the channels that they watch — or the content that they watch — would more than justify Apple’s inevitably high price.

The problem, unfortunately, is that cable networks have every reason to be uncooperative here. They stand to lose big money if Apple disrupts cable and satellite television providers. If Apple hasn’t been able to get iRadio off the ground as negotiations with the music labels have been reportedly rough, how is Apple going to talk studios and content creators to disrupt a model that will save consumers money at their expense?

The Xbox One is bigger blow to …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Computers

How to restore Google Chrome's missing buttons in Windows 8

Leave a comment

Now that I’m running Windows 8 for at least part of my workday (much to my chagrin), I’m doing my best to make it hospitable. And for me, the first step is installing Google Chrome, my preferred Web browser.

So I dropped into Desktop, fired up Internet Explorer, downloaded and installed Chrome, and set it as my default browser.

Then I ran it, signed into my Google account, and smiled as my synced bookmarks appeared like magic. This is how the world should work.

But, wait, what’s this? Something’s missing. Three somethings, in fact. When I went to minimize Chrome, I discovered that the Minimize button was gone. And so were the Maximize and Close buttons. That whole area in the upper-right corner of the browser? Empty!

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

From: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2033800/how-to-restore-google-chromes-missing-buttons-in-windows-8.html#tk.rss_all

Computers

Patch Tuesday leaves Internet Explorer zero day untouched

Leave a comment

It’s Patch Tuesday time again. This month Microsoft has unleashed nine new security bulletins. Nine is a reasonably high number of updates, however, only two of them are rated as Critical. So, it’s actually a little more laid back than most months, but there’s still cause for concern.

There are seven security bulletins rated as Important, which affect a range of platforms and services including Active Directory, the Windows antimalware client, and the Windows Kernel. The two Critical security bulletins apply to Internet Explorer and Remote Desktop. Be prepared—most of the patches require a reboot.

Wolfgang Kandek, CTO of Qualys, suggests that IT admins focus on Internet Explorer first. “This month, the most important bulletin to apply to your infrastructure is MS13-028, which contains a new release of Internet Explorer (IE) covering all versions of the browser starting with IE6 going to IE10, and also including Windows RT, the operating system for mobile devices and tablets.”

Andrew Storms, director of security operations for nCircle (a Tripwire company), agrees that Internet Explorer deserves attention, but adds that Internet Explorer lacks its usual “patch immediately” urgency. Microsoft has assigned the underlying IE flaws with an exploit index rating of two, which indicates that Microsoft believes they are exceptionally difficult to exploit, and there’s not likely to be a successful exploit in the next 30 days.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Bard to Host Earnings Conference Call on April 23, 2013

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Bard to Host Earnings Conference Call on April 23, 2013

MURRAY HILL, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– C. R. Bard, Inc. (NYS: BCR) today announced that it will host a conference call on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 5:00 PM EDT, to discuss the company’s first quarter 2013 operating results, and to provide financial guidance for the second quarter of 2013. Bard is scheduled to issue an earnings press release after the market closes on April 23, 2013.

A live audio webcast of Bard’s investor conference will be accessible to all investors through Bard’s website at http://investorrelations.crbard.com. The webcast will also be available on the website for future on-demand replay.

The recommended browser is Internet Explorer 7+. Users also should have the most recent version of Windows Media Player™, which can be downloaded at: http://microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/en/download/. Users may experience varying levels of performance based on their connection speed, system capabilities and the presence of a system firewall.


C. R. Bard, Inc. (
 www.crbard.com ), headquartered in Murray Hill, NJ, is a leading multinational developer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative, life-enhancing medical technologies in the fields of vascular, urology, oncology and surgical specialty products.

C. R. Bard, Inc.
Investor Relations:
Todd W. Garner, 908-277-8065
Vice President, Investor Relations
or
Media Relations:
Scott T. Lowry, 908-277-8365
Vice President and Treasurer

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  New Jersey

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

The article Bard to Host Earnings Conference Call on April 23, 2013 originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

(function(c,a){window.mixpanel=a;var b,d,h,e;b=c.createElement(“script”);
b.type=”text/javascript”;b.async=!0;b.src=(“https:”===c.location.protocol?”https:”:”http:”)+
‘//cdn.mxpnl.com/libs/mixpanel-2.2.min.js’;d=c.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];
d.parentNode.insertBefore(b,d);a._i=[];a.init=function(b,c,f){function d(a,b){
var c=b.split(“.”);2==c.length&&(a=a[c[0]],b=c[1]);a[b]=function(){a.push([b].concat(
Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0)))}}var g=a;”undefined”!==typeof f?g=a[f]=[]:
f=”mixpanel”;g.people=g.people||[];h=[‘disable’,’track’,’track_pageview’,’track_links’,
‘track_forms’,’register’,’register_once’,’unregister’,’identify’,’alias’,’name_tag’,
‘set_config’,’people.set’,’people.increment’];for(e=0;e<h.length;e++)d(g,h[e]);
a._i.push([b,c,f])};a.__SV=1.2;})(document,window.mixpanel||[]);
…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

LexisNexis Launches Web-Enabled Version of LexisNexis Early Data Analyzer

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

LexisNexis Launches Web-Enabled Version of LexisNexis Early Data Analyzer

Access to early-stage e-discovery software tool now possible from any location

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– LexisNexis® Legal & Professional (www.lexisnexis.com), a leading global provider of content and technology solutions, today announced the release of a new version of LexisNexis® Early Data Analyzer that enables users to access the software anytime and anywhere via the Internet.

LexisNexis Early Data Analyzer filters, indexes and searches data at its source location so that users can determine the nature and amount of relevant data in a lawsuit, rather than processing an entire data set that includes many duplicate and extraneous files. Using this tool, litigators can reduce the number of files for e-discovery processing and review by up to 80 percent – helping to save time and money.

With anywhere/anytime access, the new Web version of the solution offers the opportunity for this process to become even more efficient.

“Web-enabled LexisNexis Early Data Analyzer makes it possible for litigation teams to work even more collaboratively during the early stages of e-discovery from multiple locations,” said Josh Rosenberg, senior director of Litigation Tools & Professional Services at LexisNexis. “Litigation professionals can now have available their entire case dashboard and operate the software tool from any laptop or mobile device with access to the Internet.”

The new version of LexisNexis Early Data Analyzer is compatible with all major tablets and mobile devices, via Web browsers, including Safari®, Google Chrome™, Firefox® or Internet Explorer® 9.

In addition to the Web accessibility, the following features have also been added to LexisNexis Early Data Analyzer:

  • Visual analytics – Litigation professionals can now apply various filters to instantly see the cause and effect of data decisions and make adjustments on the spot.
  • Easy exports to third-party applications – Users can now export files directly into other applications. LexisNexis Early Data Analyzer customers can acquire and use the software as a standalone product that integrates with other early case assessment tools.
  • Faster performance – A more streamlined user interface and new 64-bit technology …read more

    Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Computers

Microsoft prepares to patch Windows 8 on Tuesday

Leave a comment

Windows 8 and Windows RT are subject to critical vulnerabilities that will be addressed on Microsoft‘s Patch Tuesday next week, both by virtue of supporting Internet Explorer 10.

The bulletin for the vulnerabilities addresses similar problems in all versions of Internet Explorer from IE6 through IE10. That means affected operating systems include XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

[ NAVIGATE: 12 essential Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts

HELP: Windows 8: How to solve the Start Button dilemma ]

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

The Battle for Privacy Online

Leave a comment

By Andrew Marder, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

With a track record that includes drive-by data capture, Google‘s history of privacy protection has come under fire again. This time, six European countries have said that they will be looking into whether the company violated data protection laws with its new privacy policy. As commenters have already pointed out, most of the fines that could be levied would have almost no impact on the search giant. French and British agencies combined could only hit it for a little over $1 million. Without a way to really punish Google, what chance do the investigations have of making a difference?

History of failure
The European Union has had a few high-profile cases in the past. Notably, it sued Microsoft  for the inclusion of Internet Explorer with the Windows operating system. The argument was that Microsoft wasn’t giving customers a chance to choose how they browsed the web. Microsoft was ordered to add a screen giving users the option to choose a browser in all of its future Windows releases.

The company added the screen — and then took it out. In May 2011, it simply removed the screen and then didn’t put it back in. By that point it may not have mattered — Internet Explorer was splitting the market with Chrome and Firefox by that point — but it was still a violation of the settlement reached with the EU. As a result of the failure, Microsoft was recently fined $730 million. That’s a settlement, and will probably make the company think twice next time. But the real story isn’t that Microsoft broke its deal, it’s that no one bothered to even check.

Google and Microsoft aren’t the only companies in the spotlight. Recent proposals from inside the EU have called for stricter privacy policies across the board. Facebook and other social networking sites could soon be subject to a policy supporting the “right to be forgotten.” That would mean giving user a clear view of what information the business held on them, and then allow customers to remove any data they wished to purge.

The reaction from the tech companies has been firm, with Facebook’s CFO Sheryl Sandberg reminding the countries that Facebook generated “$15.3 billion in value [for] the European economy” in 2011.The statement came just after the announcement of the new legislation, last year. Now, it’s being put to test in the Google case.

The twist
There is a new piece of legislation being debated that would make changing Google’s mind a bit easier. While fines are currently limited, the new act would give countries the ability to fine a company for up to 2% of its global revenue. That’s a bigger chunk of change, and could be the fire that gets Google boiling. Unfortunately for regulators, the new fines aren’t expected to be in place until next year. For now, the smaller penalties will have to do.

There are things every investor needs to know about …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Computers

Google Chromium project leaves WebKit to work with Blink browser engine

Leave a comment

When Opera announced in February that it would switch to the WebKit browser engine, the same basic technology that powers Chrome and Safari, critics wondered if this was a bad move for the open Web.

The worry was that browser vendors were putting too much power in the hands of one rendering engine. Many, no doubt, were recalling the years when Internet Explorer dominated browser usage requiring Web developers to cater to IE‘s peculiarities.

Fears of a so-called WebKit monoculture may be over now that the Chromium Project is splitting with WebKit, an open source project created by Apple in 2001. Google will instead work on its own rendering engine called Blink, taking the new engine’s initial codebase from WebKit, a practice called forking. Chromium is the Google-led open-source browser project that supplies the code for the company’s Chrome Web browser.

With the addition of Blink, there are now four major Web engines including WebKit, Mozilla’s Gecko engine powering Firefox, and Microsoft’s Trident for Internet Explorer.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

News, Politics, Government

Microsoft Offers Windows 8 Pro and Parallels Desktop For Free

Leave a comment

By Kelly Clay, Contributor

In January, Microsoft launched modern.IE to enable developers on both Microsoft OS and Windows platforms to make the most of Internet Explorer 10 when developing projects. Today, Microsoft has announced new tools and resources to help developers test sites on not only IE 10 (as well as 9) but older versions of browsers. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why Microsoft's Tablet Is Officially a Flop

Leave a comment

By Caroline Bennett, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Remember when Microsoft unveiled the Surface last year? Ads for its answer to Apple‘s iPad seemed to be everywhere, with business-casual breakdancers flying across TV screens, the Internet, billboards, and pretty much any other place you can stick a commercial. Given how heavily plugged it was, you might think the slick new tablet would perform outstandingly since its October release.

You would be very wrong.

The Surface’s sales figures are out, and they’re far below Microsoft’s expectations. Should Microsoft be concerned, and will this affect its strength as an investment?

Breaking down the stats
According to Bloomberg, Microsoft originally purchased 3 million Surfaces from its manufacturers, and within the past five months, the company has sold only 1.5 million. Ouch.

Out of the total amount of Surfaces sold, 0.4 million units have been the Surface Pro, while 1.1 million have been the cheaper Surface RT. This might look like a depressing stat for the Pro, but the more expensive version was released four months after the RT, and so far the Pro is selling at a faster rate. The Pro has sold 0.4 million units in little over a month, while it took five months for the Surface RT to sell 2.75 times that amount.

If the Pro and RT continue at this rate, Microsoft will be able to sell off the rest of its Surface inventory by October. But when Apple is selling 58.31 million iPads annually, Microsoft’s Surface is hardly taking a bite out of the market share.

But what I really want to do is make pens
Surface’s sales stats aren’t good news for Microsoft’s foray into hardware, but the tech giant’s CEO, Steve Ballmer, doesn’t appear to be worried. In a recent interview with MIT’s Technology Review, Ballmer said he was “super-glad [Microsoft] did Surface,” but that the company was trying to use this product as a gateway to a new idea: the computerized pen.

Huh?

“We’ve been talking about pen computing for years, but it was hard to do that with OEMs who were not equally incentivized,” Ballmer said. “Now we’re trying to lead a little bit with Surface Pro. We have a model that allows OEMs to move with us.” In other words, Microsoft created Surface to be a playing field for the company’s new ambitious device.

Going beneath the Surface
These disappointing Surface statistics are certainly a loss for Microsoft, but that’s no reason to rule out the company. Internet Explorer is still the dominant force in Web browsers, and Microsoft Office Suite is practically the default administrative tool belt for offices everywhere. And now, according to its CEO, the company’s tablet was less an attempt to rip off Apple’s iPad and more a springboard for a new innovation. We’ll see how this holds up in time. For now, it’s hard to deny that the Surface looks and acts like an iPad, but certainly doesn’t sell like one.

It’s been a frustrating path for Microsoft investors, who’ve …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Computers

Microsoft may have missed the leap on gesture control

Leave a comment

Microsoft used to rule the technology world.

Ten years ago, Windows, Office and Internet Explorer were the only “platforms” that really mattered.

Microsoft historically attained its glory by making end user products for the masses, and only later and secondarily going after enterprise and vertical markets.

But the rise of Apple as a consumer electronics company, Google‘s emergence as an everything company, and the advent of Web 2.0, the cloud and the social Internet have left Microsoft struggling to find a way to succeed in the markets of the future.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

Linux

We have the most secure TLS-enabled browser

Leave a comment

Heise (The H) today released an article about a TLS test site from the University of Hannover. They mentioned that even newer browser don’t support the 5 year old TLSv1.2 specification. Reason enough to fire up my collection of browsers and share the results.

  • Opera 12.14 (Build 1738): TLSv1, DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA
  • Firefox 19.0.2: TLSv1, DHE-RSA-CAMELLIA256-SHA
  • Chromium 27.0.1425.0 (185065): TLSv1.1, DHE-RSA-CAMELLIA256-SHA
  • Konqueror 4.10.1: TLSv1.2, DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384

The article suggests that with some fiddling you can get Internet Explorer to support TLSv1.1 and TLSv1.2, but I can’t test that because of the lack of a supported platform. So, out of the box we have the most secure TLS implementation available. We rock!

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Planet KDE

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi now available at Verizon Wireless

Leave a comment

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi now available at Verizon Wireless

TROY, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Together with Verizon Wireless, Delphi Automotive (NYS: DLPH) today released its Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi product that provides a groundbreaking car-to-cloud/cloud-to-car connectivity service.

Unveiled at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the product allows drivers to track, locate, access, secure and monitor their select vehicles over the Verizon Wireless network using their current smartphone, tablet or computer. The first-in-its-class product works in most vehicles sold in the United States from 1996 onward.

“For the first time, Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi allows drivers the chance to experience unique telematics and location-based features without purchasing a new car,” said Jeff Owens, Delphi chief technology officer. “Offered together with Verizon Wireless, this product not only offers convenience and connectivity but also peace of mind. For example, drivers can use a smartphone, laptop or tablet as a key fob for their car when they are locked out – regardless of where they are.”

Named a finalist in the 2013 Edison Awards in the transportation category, the Delphi car connectivity service enables drivers to carry out any of the following features remotely:

  • Locate and access family cars without having to tag the vehicle’s original location
  • Monitor overall vehicle health status
  • Receive e-mail alerts for select driving and vehicle performance issues
  • Set up geo-fences and receive e-mail alerts for entry and exit
  • Summarize all trips from engine start to stop (date, times, distance, starting and ending locations)
  • Connect your smartphone to your car via Bluetooth for key fob commands

The system operates through a downloadable Delphi smartphone application, available for Android 2.2 and later and Apple iOS 5.0 and later devices, as well as a Delphi website that is compatible with Internet Explorer 7 and later-version, Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Firefox browsers. Data transmitted through the Delphi connectivity system remains secure and encrypted when sent over the Verizon Wireless network.

To learn if a vehicle is compatible with Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi, please visit www.connectedcar.delphi.com.


About Delphi

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

The War for Your Next Web Browser Is Heating Up

Leave a comment

By Eric Bleeker, CFA, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Tech investors who lived through the dot-com crash can remember back to a time when Web browsers were seen as a killer technology. Microsoft made defeating Netscape its defining battle of the late ’90s; competition was so fierce that Microsoft’s tactics in the Web browser space was a central part of the antitrust case that aimed to break up the company. 

In the 2000s, the importance of Web browsers faded. Having defeated Netscape and with little revenue from the browser itself, Microsoft let a full five years pass between the release of Internet Explorer 6 and IE 7. Internet services such as search had become the real moneymakers of the online world, so Microsoft moved its resources elsewhere. 

Yet Microsoft‘s inaction in the browser space led to a host of new competitors such as Firefox and Google‘s Chrome. As these browsers proved faster and more reliable, Internet Explorer‘s share faded. 

In the following video, Motley Fool senior technology analyst Eric Bleeker looks at not only the history of mobile browsers, but also where the next evolution of the browser is headed. He notes that when Android chief Andy Rubin recently departed for a new challenge in the company, Google tapped Sundar Pichai, the senior VP of Chrome, to head up Android. 

Beyond Google‘s structuring of its mobile OS and Web browser under the same leadership, there are other signs of the fusing of browsers and mobile. For example, Mozilla, the organization behind Firefox, has created its own mobile operating system known as Mozilla OS. 

The key point? Right now the line between mobile and Web browsers is fading. Google has begun running ads highlighting how Chrome easily syncs between PCs, smartphones, and tablets. That’s a move that makes tremendous amounts of sense as we move toward a world where, instead of a single PC, users have several different computing devices. In that world, you’ll want a browser that seamlessly has the same settings and bookmarks and remembers passwords between devices. 

Even further out could be the dream of an operating system that bridges all of these devices itself. Even if Android and Chrome don’t “merge” together, as has recently been speculated, the overlap between the two is a sign that the Web browser wars have moved off the PC, and toward meeting the needs of users across all devices. 

To see Eric’s full thoughts, check out the video.

As one of the most dominant Internet companies ever, Google has made a habit of driving strong returns for its shareholders. However, like many other Web companies, it’s also struggling to adapt to an increasingly mobile world. Despite gaining an enviable lead with its Android operating system, the market isn’t sold. That’s why it’s more important than ever to understand each piece of Google’s sprawling empire. In The Motley Fool‘s new premium research report on Google, we break down the risks and potential rewards for Google investors. Simply click here now to unlock your copy of this …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Computers

Microsoft to host June BUILD dev conference on Apple's home turf

Leave a comment

Microsoft says that its BUILD 2013 developers conference will be held June 26-28 on Apple’s home turf, San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

Apple has hosted its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) at Moscone since 2003, and will likely again this year. The probable dates for this year’s WWDC, according to the venue’s calendar, are June 10-14.

BUILD 2013 will focus on Windows 8, according to the website Microsoft relaunched Tuesday, but it will also cover other technologies, ranging from Azure and Internet Explorer to Office 365 and Windows Phone.

Microsoft has not yet posted an agenda for the conference, but it did peg the opening of registration for April 2 at 9 a.m. PDT. Developers should set an alarm to ring before the ticket kick-off; last year, BUILD sold out in under an hour. Registration will take place on the BUILD website.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

Computers

Make your website stand out in Windows 8

Leave a comment

Buried within Windows 8 are little-known features that can give your website a prominent presence alongside the apps on any user’s desktop. Exploiting these options can enhance your site’s visitor experience and give your business a competitive advantage. For example, people can pin your website to Windows 8’s new Start Screen, share your site with others via its Charms bar, and access shortcuts to your content.

Although Windows 8 remains controversial, it counts millions of early adopters, and Windows will likely remain the most popular operating system for the foreseeable future. That’s why it matters to optimize your website now for Microsoft’s newest OS. Luckily, all it takes is adding add some custom code to your website, and it doesn’t take heavy-duty developer skills. Read on to get started.

Customize your Windows 8 Start Screen tile

PCWorld’s red favicon

When visitors browse your website using the Internet Explorer app in the new Windows 8 interface, they can pin your site to the Windows Start Screen. This creates a “live tile” icon in Windows, serving as a shortcut to your site.

Make sure your website has a favicon—the Favorite or Bookmark icon that appears in your browser’s address bar or tab—since that icon appears in Windows 8’s tile. Otherwise, you’ll see the IE icon by default. Windows 8 extracts the dominant color from your favicon, if available, and uses it as the live tile’s background color. It uses your site’s HTML title tag for the name of the tile.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Is Microsoft One of the Best Companies in America?

Leave a comment

By Tim Beyers, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

The Motley Fool recently released its list of The 25 Best Companies in America, naming the best businesses the nation has to offer. Yet even among companies that didn’t make the final cut, some stocks distinguished themselves with their high quality and promise. Microsoft is one of those companies, and it definitely deserves at least an honorable mention for its achievements.

The case for Microsoft
Hacking has multiple meanings in the tech world. Most famously, it means to break into a secure system. But for Bill Gates and Paul Allen, hacking was just what they did. The pair, friends since childhood, were looking for a way to cash in on their programming skills when, in 1975, they pitched Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, or MITS, on a tool for helping its new Altair computer interpret commands written in the BASIC programming language.

The resulting deal introduced the world to Altair BASIC. Microsoft would later develop Windows and grow to dominate the market for personal computer operating systems so completely that, in 1998, the Justice Department sued to stop the company from what they asserted were abuses of monopoly power. The business hasn’t been the same since, which turns out to be good news for most of Microsoft’s stakeholders. Indeed, Mr. Softy garners an honorable mention for its commitment to investors, employees, and the world at large.

Employees
While Microsoft has lost its share of high-profile executives in recent years — former chief software architect Ray Ozzie, product marketing veteran Don Dodge, and one-time Windows chief Steven Sinofsky, to name three — workers tend to give the company high marks as a place to work. More than 77% would recommend Microsoft to a friend, according to Glassdoor.

But that’s also half the story. Workers are far less enthused by CEO Steve Ballmer. Only 48% approved of his performance as of this writing. “If there was a good performance measurement system then a forced stack ranking wouldn’t be necessary. Poor performers would be fired and good performers wouldn’t be forced out of their jobs,” wrote one employee identified as a “curriculum manager.” Another’s advice was simply to “fire” current CEO Steve Ballmer. Investors tend to agree.

And yet with so many executives gone, there appears little chance Microsoft will seek to replace Ballmer. Nevertheless, it’s troubling to see otherwise satisfied employees join a growing chorus of detractors.

Customers
Seeing once-hobbled competitors rise from the ashes can’t be helping improve Ballmer’s image. He famously derided Apple‘s iPhone, only to see it become one of the world’s most popular handheld devices. Google‘s Chrome browser has unseated Internet Explorer as top dog in certain regions.

Smartphones are more important than browsers to Microsoft’s fortunes — for now at least — which is why the company has teamed with Nokia for creating a compelling iPhone alternative. Trouble is, Samsung already has that position locked up thanks to the success of its Galaxy S series. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance