A couple of my contacts have confirmed that Microsoft Executive Vice President Terry Myerson recently mentioned the Threshold codename in an internal email about plans for his unified operating system engineering group. If all goes according to early plans, Threshold will include updates to all three OS platforms Xbox One, Windows and Windows Phone that will advance them in a way to share even more common elements. The codename Threshold, for those wondering, derives from the planet around which...

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The U.S. Department of Justice DOJ has given its approval to Microsoft pending acquisition of Nokia mobile devices and services business. The transaction got the DOJ nod on November 29, according to the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Competition notification on December 2. We look forward to the date when our partners at Nokia will become members of the Microsoft family, and are pleased that the Department of Justice has cleared the deal unconditionally, said a Microsoft spokesperson in a...

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Delivering on Microsofts commitment to provide businesses with powerful, flexible solutions to manage the devices and applications employees use every day, we are excited to announce the broad availability of Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack MDOP 2013 R2 for download. MDOP is a suite of virtualization, management and security technologies available as a subscription for Software Assurance customers that helps maximize the benefits offered by Windows.In addition to support for Windows 8.1 and...

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Microsoft currently has three different versions of Windows running on mobile devices. But Microsoft is working to reduce that number, Julie Larson Green, Executive Vice President of Devices and Studios, confirmed in an interview last week. At present, Microsoft offer plain old Windows for Intel based PCs and tablets. There Windows RT for ARM based PCs and tablets. And there the Windows Phone OS for Windows Phones. I reported earlier this year that one of my sources said Microsoft is planning to...

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While you’ll be able to create games that run on Xbox One from the beta version won’t launch on the Xbox One until early next year. Microsoft is rolling out in limited numbers, too. The app will soon be listed on the Windows Store it restricted to certain regions right now, but youll also need a special beta key once it downloaded to activate and start building games. The beta for Windows 8.1 is preparation for the beta launch on Microsoft new Xbox One console in January, ahead of a...

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Microsoft Executive Vice President Julie Larson Green recently told attendees of a UBS technology conference that Microsoft was not going to have three different Windows SKUs Windows Phone, Windows RT and Windows 8.x. She didnt say how many Microsoft ultimately plans to have, but some believe the answer is one, given Microsoft One Microsoft mission and creation this year of a unified operating system engineering team. Ive seen folks claiming Larson Green comments mean Windows RT is dead. Ive...

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Weve got so a lot of stuff on sale for the US Thanksgiving Holiday so we thought wed start . Well also have more deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday that youll see further down this post. Since Xbox Live has moved to local currency for Xbox Live Game store purchases, Ive just included the percent off for each offer. Check your local version of Xbox.com or your Dashboard for pricing in local currency.

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Former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is due to return to Microsoft post close to lead an expanded Devices team that encompasses Surface, Windows Phone devices, and the Xbox games consoles. Although recent speculation has centered on Elop as a CEO candidate to take over from Steve Ballmer, he’s reportedly now less likely to secure the position over other candidates. Microsoft is expected to name its CEO replacement shortly, possibly before the end of the year. Either way, Ballmer has previously...

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