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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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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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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Does it make sense for Microsoft to continue to release consumer and enterprise versions of Windows simultaneously, as the company speeds up its product delivery pace? That possibility was raised by Terry Myerson, the Microsoft Executive Vice President in charge of the company unified operating system engineering group, during his remarks at the Credit Suisse 2013 Technology Conference on December 4. Myerson noted that the needs of consumers, who tend to be interested in having their operating...

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In November, paid downloads of games on the Windows Store grew 34.12 percent, while free game downloads grew a more modest 13.41 percent. In the month, the Windows Store assortment of games saw 1,311,209 paid downloads and 16,744,484 free downloads. Microsoft has released a partial dataset for its Windows Store app platform performance in the month of November. The company previously reported download rates concerning all app categories, for both free and paid applications. However, for the...

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If you talk to any high ranking person inside Microsoft these days, a pretty strong scenario is trumping all others for who will take over from outgoing CEO Steve Ballmer. And that is that Ford CEO Alan Mulally remains in the pole position for the job, with the idea is that he will be more a caretaker type CEO, whose deep experience and inspirational charisma will get the company on the right path, while also training up a number of internal candidates to eventually take over from him. The top...

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Microsoft researchers have designed a smart bra that can detect stress. The prototype contains removable sensors that monitor heart and skin activity to provide an indication of mood levels. The aim was to find out if wearable technology could help prevent stress related over eating. Mood data was provided to the wearer via a smartphone app in order to highlight when emotional eating was likely to occur. A team from Microsofts visualisation and interaction research group embedded an...

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