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Have a pirated version of Windows? You’ll also get a free upgrade to Windows 10

Mar 182015

Microsoft just dropped a bomb that will echo through the world of software piracy for a long time: Windows 10 will be a free upgrade even for non-genuine versions of Windows.

“We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10,” Windows operating systems chief Terry Myerson told Reuters on Wednesday.

This means that all users running a pirated copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8 will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 — a stark contrast to Microsoft’s anti-piracy measures in the past, which included an activation system as well as warnings and reduced functionality for Windows systems that were determined to be non-genuine.

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Outlook.com Officially Replaces Hotmail, Boasts 60M Users

interface, Internet News, Tech News 287 Responses »

Feb 192013

Outlook.com officially launched Tuesday, marking the demise of its predecessor, Hotmail.

Nearly seven months after unveiling a preview of the email service last July, Microsoft announced the end of its beta run in a blog post.

Microsoft, which acquired Hotmail in 1997, said it will switch users to the new service “soon,” but won’t force them to change their emails to an “outlook.com” address. It added that all users should expect to see the change take place by this summer.

“Everything from their @hotmail.com email address, password, messages, folders, contacts, rules, vaation replies, etc. will stay the same, with no disruption in service.”

The software giant also revealed that over 60 million people are actively using Outlook.com.

Microsoft Officially Ditching Messenger, Switching Users to Skype in March

Internet News, Tech News 526 Responses »

Jan 092013

On March 15, all users will be switched over to Skype, which the software giant acquired for $8.5 billion in October 2011.

“We are retiring the existing Messenger service globally … and bringing the great features of Messenger and Skype together,” Microsoft said, adding that Messenger will continue to be available in mainland China. Last November, Skype president Tony Bates confirmed in a blog post that Messenger would be shuttered in the first quarter of 2013.

The company also encouraged users to “update to Skype,” and sign in using their Microsoft account (formerly known as a “Windows Live ID”), which includes an email address and password. All Messenger contacts will be included in Skype upon sign-in, the email said.

MORE: Microsoft Officially Ditching Messenger, Switching Users to Skype in March.

VLC Offers a Free DVD Player, Why Can’t Microsoft?

Tech News 399 Responses »

May 082012

We’ve recommended VLC on more than one occasion, and for good reasons. It’s the swiss army knife of the video playback world. It supports more formats and codecs then we can count, installs quickly, and is updated frequently. With the upcoming release of Windows 8 however, it will start offering a new killer feature most people probably didn’t care about before – DVD playback. Microsoft’s decision to not support DVD playback in Windows 8 unless you shell out the extra cash for media center has created a ton of vitriol in comment feeds around the web, but also a pretty obvious question. If a free and open source app can offer the feature, why can’t Microsoft? ZDNet blogger Ed Bott set out to answer the question, and his findings may surprise you.

Before we get to the answer it is important to understand that DVD playback is made possible by way of two core software components. First you need an MPEG-2 decoder, and second you need Dolby Digital audio support. The cost of adding these to Windows 7 is estimated to be somewhere in the range of $2-$3, so how does VLC do this for free? It helps to be French.

SOURCE: Maximum PC | VLC Offers a Free DVD Player, Why Can’t Microsoft?.

Online Marketing Trends: Microsoft Controls 77% US Web Traffic, Android,iOS struggles

Internet News 253 Responses »

Apr 072012

Despite the growth of mobile platforms, Windows remains the number one operating system by a long shot, according to data from comScore.

Stepping back further, six years ago it controlled 90% of the market. And there doesn’t seem to be any reason to believe Windows is going to reverse the trend anytime soon.

Microsoft’s Wicked See-Through 3D Display

Design, interface, Tech News 361 Responses »

Mar 222012

Right now we all use computers the same way: Moving from the back of your desk to the front, you’ve got the screen first, then your hands on the keyboard or mouse, and then your head taking it all in. Now imagine swapping the order so that back-to-front we have your hands first, then the screen, then your head.

Researchers Jinha Lee and Cati Boulanger of the Microsoft Applied Sciences Group have developed a prototype called the See-Through 3D Desktop where the user reaches behind the screen to interact with objects in virtual 3D space. Check it out:

via Microsoft’s Wicked See-Through 3D Display – Core77.