Stuart J. Johnston

Microsoft is ramping up its social efforts with the preview of new features for its Bing search engine that will provide enhanced integrations with popular social applications, such as Facebook and Foursquare. Included in the update are overhauled Bing apps for Android-powered devices and Apple’s iPhone that include new integrations with dining ordering and reservation […]

Microsoft is doing what it can to gin up enthusiasm for the next iteration of its Internet Explorer browser, touting a study that analyzed the ability of Internet Explorer 9 and other browsers to fend off socially engineered malware. IE 9, still in beta, led the pack with a 99 percent success rate, ahead of […]

When it comes to Web search, Google is the default gateway for a great majority of users. As it looks to extend that dominance to the mobile sector, Google is looking to improve its voice-recognition technology to allow users to search more accurately on the go. To that end, Google has rolled out a personalization […]

There’s never a dull moment in the cat-and-mouse PC and Internet security game. Either the bad guys are attacking or the good guys are responding. Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) monthly Patch Tuesday release was something special this December, one of the largest ever. In total, the latest slew of patches are designed to address a total […]

Wondering what’s next in mobile? Just wait a day. That’s not that much of an exaggeration as new smartphones and tablet releases are making news at least several times a week as of late. Every since Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) reignited the market for tablet or slate devices, companies have been scrambling to bring out competitive […]

Google must be starting to feel Microsoft’s pain. For years it seems like the software’s giant’s every move has received regulatory scrutiny and complaints from one vested interest or another — mainly competitors. Now Microsoft has company, one of its fiercest rivals As Datamation reports, Microsoft is joining a group opposing Google’s planned acquisition of […]

Paul Allen’s patent-infringement lawsuit against some of the biggest names in the tech industry was dealt a setback at the hands of a federal judge, who on Friday ruled that the charges aren’t specific enough. At the same time, Allen, who charged iconic companies such as Google, AOL, Facebook and Yahoo with patent infringement, is […]

Microsoft might prefer to keep the public’s attention on its Windows 7 operating system ahead of the holiday season, but like day follows night, tech enthusiasts have been on the hunt for signs of what’s to come in the next version of the operating system. The latest batch of rumors comes courtesy of an Italian […]

As the mobile market heats up, Microsoft finds itself in the unfamiliar role of upstart challenger, now that it’s overhauled its earlier mobile efforts with the recently released Windows Phone 7. But in the fast-paced mobile game, you’re only as good as your recent release and while companies like Apple (NASDAQ AAPL) and RIM (NASDAQ: […]

Microsoft is planning to keep security managers on the hop next week with its monthly Patch Tuesday release, giving notice that it plans to release 17 fixes for an array of security vulnerabilities. Microsoft has not yet divulged how many threats it is addressing, though the company has said that only two are critical. Additionally, […]

An intellectual property company headed by Nathan Myhrvold, who previously served as CTO and chief strategy officer with Microsoft, has filed three patent-infringement lawsuits against nine technology companies, including four of the biggest names in security software. Intellectual Ventures is alleging that the companies infringed on four of its security-related patents, as well as patents […]

Privacy has become a hot topic in Washington lately, with lawmakers and regulators considering the notion of requiring browser makers to include a mechanism for users to opt out of behavioral tracking and ad targeting. The major Web browsers have already experimented with such a technology, and Microsoft said this week that it plans to […]