Microsoft

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Microsoft profits dip in fiscal 2Q

Microsoft Corp. reported a dip in quarterly profit Thursday as sales of personal computers lagged expectations and Apple Inc.’s iPad began to eat away at the fringes of its core market.

The world’s largest maker of software, which powers more than 90 percent of the world’s computers, reported fiscal second-quarter profit of $6.63 billion, or 77 cents per share. That compared with $6.66 billion, or 74 cents per share, a year earlier. The per share figure was higher due to a reduction in shares outstanding from last year. Get the full story »

Court gives Google another shot at Microsoft deal

A federal judge has sided with Google Inc. in a lawsuit alleging the U.S. Department of Interior improperly favored Microsoft Corp. in a deal that could have had ripple effects on future software contracts with other federal government agencies. Get the full story »

Microsoft says lost Hotmail e-mails now restored

Microsoft Corp. said it has resolved a glitch that caused some Hotmail users to temporarily lose all of their e-mails. Get the full story »

Microsoft co-founder relaunches tech patent suit

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen relaunched a wide-ranging patent lawsuit against Apple, Google, Facebook and others with specific allegations that the companies are illegally using technology owned by his company. Get the full story »

Microsoft said to plan new Windows for tablets

Microsoft Corp. is working on a version of its core Windows operating system for devices such as tablets, according to media reports, and the company said its Windows Phone 7 software is making headway in the booming smartphone market. Get the full story »

Trade panel to take up Xbox patent dispute

Bloomberg News | The International Trade Commission has agreed to review a patent and licensing dispute between Motorola Mobility and Microsoft that could result in an import ban on the latter’s  Xbox game system.

New Bing draws on Facebook to take on Google

Microsoft Corp. is hoping its Bing search engine can gain more ground on Google with a little more help from Facebook and its other Internet friends. As part of an extensive upgrade, Bing will feature more recommendations and other information from people’s social circles on Facebook to help distinguish its results from Google’s. Get the full story »

Xbox leads video-game sales in November

From Bloomberg | Microsoft’s Xbox 360 was the best-selling video-game console in the U.S. for the sixth consecutive month, the company said Thursday. Sales were helped by Microsoft’s Kinect motion-capture controller. The company said separately that Wii sales gained 0.8 percent to 1.27 million units.

Mansueto joins billionaires giving away half of wealth

Joe and Rika Mansueto at their home in Chicago on May 9, 2008. (Handout)

Another 17 U.S. billionaires, including Facebook co-founders Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz as well as Morningstar’s Joe Mansueto, have pledged to give away at least half their fortunes in a philanthropic campaign led by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.

A total of 57 billionaires now have joined The Giving Pledge, which was launched by Microsoft founder Gates and investor Buffett in June. The campaign announced the new pledges in a statement late Wednesday.

Gates, his wife Melinda, and Buffett have asked U.S. billionaires to give away at least half their wealth during their lifetime or after their death, and to publicly state their intention with a letter explaining their decision. Get the full story »

Google nips Microsoft as govt. moves to the cloud

Google won a share of a federal government contract last week that the company hopes will give it a boost over rival Microsoft as they race to convert government agencies to cloud computing. Get the full story »

Microsoft plans ‘do not track’ feature in browser

Microsoft plans to introduce a new “tracking protection” feature in the next version of its Internet Explorer browser, which will let users filter out sites they don’t want to share information with. Get the full story »

Motorola countersues Microsoft on patents

Motorola Mobility, the division of Motorola Inc. that makes mobile devices and television set-top boxes, has countersued Microsoft Corp. over patent infringement. Get the full story »

Microsoft sues Motorola over Xbox patent issue

Microsoft Corp stepped up its legal battle with Motorola Inc on Tuesday, as the software company accused the phone maker of charging excessive royalties on network technology used in Microsoft’s Xbox game system. Get the full story »

Windows 7 smartphones hit market

Smartphones running Microsoft Corp.’s new software are now available for AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA customers. Get the full story »

Motorola aims new Droid Pro at business execs

(Motorola)

Motorola is launching a new Android-based smart phone for globe-trotting executives later this month at Verizon Wireless.

The Droid Pro, unveiled Monday, is the latest device in Verizon’s Droid line-up, its portfolio of premier Android-based smart phones. Motorola has been an important maker of Android devices for the carrier and its other phones for the Droid line include the Droid, the Droid 2 and the Droid X.

The Droid Pro is designed for business users and comes with QuickOffice, a mobile software suite for editing Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. The phone also has a physical keyboard and is global-ready, meaning it is compatible with wireless service in different countries. Motorola said the device can tap into voice service in more than 220 countries and will have data coverage in more than 200 countries. Get the full story »