Microsoft (MSFT) News

Windows 10 market share passes 50% as Microsoft continues to dominate traditional PC market

by Nat Levy on September 3, 2019September 3, 2019 at 6:53 amComment

More than half of all PCs are now on Windows 10, according to new figures from Net Applications. It’s an important milestone for the operating system, even as Microsoft continues… Read More

Microsoft, Dell and Samsung double down on foldable devices, whether people want them or not

by Nat Levy on September 3, 2019September 3, 2019 at 6:48 amComment

Some of the world’s biggest technology companies are pushing forward with foldable phones and hybrid dual-screen devices that could represent the next evolution in personal electronics. However, it’s unclear how… Read More

Dark Mode coming to Microsoft Outlook on Android and iOS as part of broader rollout of popular feature

by Nat Levy on August 28, 2019August 28, 2019 at 11:04 am1 Comment

Microsoft is doubling down on Dark Mode, bringing the popular option to switch from a white background to a black or grey one to more of its core services. The… Read More

How Microsoft and Oracle became cloud buddies, and what’s next for their improbable partnership

by Todd Bishop on August 28, 2019August 28, 2019 at 8:29 amComment

Splashy partnerships between big tech companies can be hard to take seriously. Implementing them with success is much harder than announcing them with fanfare. Sticking with them for the long… Read More

New York Times report calls out LinkedIn as an ‘ideal’ vehicle for China to recruit spies

by Kurt Schlosser on August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 at 11:43 amComment

Add LinkedIn to the list of social media platforms being used for nefarious purposes by a foreign government. A New York Times report on Tuesday called the Microsoft-owned site, with… Read More

Microsoft event on Oct. 2 expected to feature new Surface devices

by Nat Levy on August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 at 10:49 amComment

Microsoft today sent out invites for an Oct. 2 event in New York City that is expected to focus on new Surface devices. Per The Verge, the heavily rumored dual-screen… Read More

Microsoft aims to juice Xbox Game Pass subscriptions with new Mixer tie-in

by Nat Levy on August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 at 10:28 amComment

Microsoft is leveraging its Twitch competitor Mixer to drive more subscriptions for Xbox Game Pass. Starting today, Mixer Partners, the people who stream games for audiences, will get $3 for… Read More

Oracle to appeal court ruling on Pentagon cloud contract as Microsoft and Amazon vie for $10B deal

by Todd Bishop on August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 at 3:27 pmComment

Oracle’s JEDI fight isn’t over. The company will appeal a Court of Federal Claims ruling that rejected its attempt to get back into the running against Amazon and Microsoft for… Read More

Microsoft’s Your Phone app is down after partnership with Samsung ties service to new Galaxy Note10

by Nat Levy on August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 at 11:42 amComment

The Your Phone app that lets Android smartphones connect to Windows — a centerpiece of the new alliance with Samsung and the Galaxy Note10 — is down. This morning, Microsoft… Read More

Google and Dell team up on new Chromebook Enterprise devices, targeting Microsoft’s bread-and-butter

by Nat Levy on August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 at 11:12 amComment

Google is taking on the enterprise institution that is Microsoft’s Windows operating system with a series of new laptops targeting business customers. Google is launching new Chromebook Enterprise devices, teaming… Read More

Report reveals new details about Bezos’ influence on Amazon bid for Pentagon cloud contract

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 22, 2019August 22, 2019 at 1:36 pm 4 Comments

Amazon’s bid to build the Pentagon’s war cloud has been mired in accusations of favoritism since the beginning. But a new ProPublica investigation reveals how close Amazon and its CEO… Read More

Tech Moves: Apple’s former Siri chief jumps to Microsoft; Halo Infinite creative director departs

by James Thorne on August 19, 2019August 19, 2019 at 2:34 pmComment

— Bill Stasior, the former head of Apple’s Siri digital assistant product, is heading to Microsoft in the latest example of tech giants dueling for top AI talent. In a… Read More

Leaked setup wizard reveals Microsoft’s plan to turn Xbox One into personal xCloud game streaming server

by Nat Levy on August 19, 2019August 19, 2019 at 8:37 amComment

Microsoft’s Project xCloud — a new cloud gaming initiative that will let people play high-powered Xbox titles on smartphones — has the potential to upend the gaming world. But one… Read More

Podcast

Goodbye, iPhone: How Microsoft convinced me to switch to Android and the Samsung Galaxy Note10

by Todd Bishop on August 17, 2019August 17, 2019 at 1:32 pm 13 Comments

Ever since switching from an Apple MacBook to a Windows 10-powered Lenovo ThinkPad last year, I’ve kept using my iPhone. I’ve struggled without the seamless connection between smartphone and laptop,… Read More

Microsoft workers listen to some Skype calls and Cortana recordings, company admits in privacy update

by Nat Levy on August 14, 2019August 14, 2019 at 3:32 pmComment

Microsoft today updated its privacy policies to disclose that employees and contractors are listening to audio from some Skype calls and conversations with the tech giant’s digital assistant The change… Read More

Video

Bill Nye swears, and Microsoft Windows is cursed, in new promotion videos for Google’s Chromebook

by Kurt Schlosser on August 13, 2019August 14, 2019 at 8:36 am 9 Comments

Bill Nye is cursing (again) in the name of climate change. But this time he’s swearing by the need to change out your laptop, specifically for Google’s Chromebook — and… Read More

Today on GeekWire: Satya and the Sounders; Cray goes nuclear; new Seattle startup fundings

by Todd Bishop on August 13, 2019August 13, 2019 at 12:00 pmComment

Highlights from today’s top stories. Subscribe here to receive this rundown daily. Satya Nadella owns a soccer team. At least, he owns a piece of one. An all-star roster of Seattle tech… Read More

Xbox Chief Phil Spencer denies rumors of future streaming-only console to support Project xCloud

by Nat Levy on August 13, 2019August 14, 2019 at 10:04 am 4 Comments

Rumors have persisted for a while now that Microsoft is working on a low-cost console to complement its upcoming Project xCloud streaming service. However, Xbox Chief Phil Spencer took the… Read More

Podcast

Platform Power: Amazon, Facebook, Google, and the hidden forces driving the world’s top businesses

by Todd Bishop on August 13, 2019August 13, 2019 at 8:48 amComment

Amazon, Uber, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and many other big companies have something in common. They’re all platforms, providing underlying technologies that others use to build or facilitate their own businesses.… Read More

Microsoft’s Cortana will soon disappear from the Johnson Controls smart thermostat via a software update

by Nat Levy on August 12, 2019August 12, 2019 at 3:57 pm1 Comment

Microsoft’s Cortana will soon be removed from the Johnson Controls GLAS smart thermostat, a device once thought to be a flagship smart home product for the digital assistant when it… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: Microsoft’s Samsung surprise, inside ReachNow’s shutdown, and ‘The Great Hack’

by Todd Bishop on August 10, 2019August 10, 2019 at 8:22 amComment

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s surprise appearance at Samsung’s big event unveiling signals a new era for Windows users. We go inside the shutdown of… Read More

Video

Here’s why Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella just showed up on stage at Samsung’s big event

by Taylor Soper on August 7, 2019August 10, 2019 at 11:10 amComment

Follow up: Microsoft has finally found its smartphone: Why the Samsung Galaxy partnership is so promising Actors and musicians usually make special celebrity appearances at big tech press events. Samsung… Read More

Report: Microsoft contractors review some private Skype calls and Cortana recordings

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 7, 2019August 7, 2019 at 10:27 amComment

Microsoft contractors listen to certain types of Skype calls and Cortana recordings, Motherboard reported on Wednesday. The discovery adds to growing consumer unease about tech employees listening to conversations thought… Read More

Tech companies step up to fund affordable housing, but experts say it’s not enough to curb shortages

by Jake Goldstein-Street on August 7, 2019August 6, 2019 at 5:26 pm 3 Comments

Microsoft pledged $500 million for affordable housing in January. Five months later, Google said it would invest $1 billion to help the Bay Area housing crisis. Amazon and Salesforce also announced… Read More

Microsoft acquires e-commerce marketing company PromoteIQ to bolster advertising business

by Nat Levy on August 5, 2019August 5, 2019 at 11:34 amComment

Microsoft scooped up New York-based PromoteIQ, a startup that helps retailers build digital advertising and e-commerce offerings, for an undisclosed amount. PromoteIQ brings with it a roster of big-name customers,… Read More

Windows no longer a ‘cornerstone’ for Microsoft, as company changes how it describes its business

by Nat Levy & Todd Bishop on August 2, 2019August 2, 2019 at 9:28 am 2 Comments

Microsoft marked a major shift in its business with a subtle but significant change in the way it describes one of its most important goals. The company’s 2019 Form 10-K… Read More

Esports star Ninja ditches Amazon’s Twitch, inks exclusive streaming deal with Microsoft’s Mixer

by Taylor Soper on August 1, 2019August 1, 2019 at 12:33 pm 2 Comments

It’s a huge day for Microsoft’s Mixer streaming platform. Esports star Tyler Blevins, a.k.a. “Ninja,” announced Thursday that he will stream exclusively on Mixer. Blevins had previously streamed on Twitch,… Read More

Video

Microsoft

Windows 10 market share passes 50% as Microsoft continues to dominate traditional PC market

Microsoft, Dell and Samsung double down on foldable devices, whether people want them or not

Dark Mode coming to Microsoft Outlook on Android and iOS as part of broader rollout of popular feature

How Microsoft and Oracle became cloud buddies, and what’s next for their improbable partnership

Microsoft event on Oct. 2 expected to feature new Surface devices

Microsoft aims to juice Xbox Game Pass subscriptions with new Mixer tie-in

Oracle to appeal court ruling on Pentagon cloud contract as Microsoft and Amazon vie for $10B deal

Microsoft’s Your Phone app is down after partnership with Samsung ties service to new Galaxy Note10

Google and Dell team up on new Chromebook Enterprise devices, targeting Microsoft’s bread-and-butter

Tech Moves: Apple’s former Siri chief jumps to Microsoft; Halo Infinite creative director departs

Leaked setup wizard reveals Microsoft’s plan to turn Xbox One into personal xCloud game streaming server

Goodbye, iPhone: How Microsoft convinced me to switch to Android and the Samsung Galaxy Note10

Microsoft workers listen to some Skype calls and Cortana recordings, company admits in privacy update

Bill Nye swears, and Microsoft Windows is cursed, in new promotion videos for Google’s Chromebook

Today on GeekWire: Satya and the Sounders; Cray goes nuclear; new Seattle startup fundings

Xbox Chief Phil Spencer denies rumors of future streaming-only console to support Project xCloud

Platform Power: Amazon, Facebook, Google, and the hidden forces driving the world’s top businesses

Microsoft’s Cortana will soon disappear from the Johnson Controls smart thermostat via a software update

GeekWire Podcast: Microsoft’s Samsung surprise, inside ReachNow’s shutdown, and ‘The Great Hack’

Here’s why Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella just showed up on stage at Samsung’s big event

Report: Microsoft contractors review some private Skype calls and Cortana recordings

Tech companies step up to fund affordable housing, but experts say it’s not enough to curb shortages

Microsoft acquires e-commerce marketing company PromoteIQ to bolster advertising business

Windows no longer a ‘cornerstone’ for Microsoft, as company changes how it describes its business

Esports star Ninja ditches Amazon’s Twitch, inks exclusive streaming deal with Microsoft’s Mixer

‘Mac vs. PC’ is back: New Microsoft ad touts Surface Laptop 2, roasts Apple’s MacBook

Microsoft, Amazon, other tech giants forge ahead on healthcare data sharing pledge

Microsoft to retire Skype for Business Online in 2021; Teams taking over as default Office 365 meeting tool

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