Stuart J. Johnston

For Microsoft’s last two operating systems, 64-bit was a sideshow. But with Windows 7, some 46 percent of PCs are running the 64-bit version of the OS, the company claims. The rapid uptick can be at least partially explained by the fact that more and more PCs are built to support 64-bit operating systems. Microsoft […]

It’s an axiom of business these days that you need a website. But not every small-business owner is technically savvy, and setting up an online presence can be an intimidating process. Seeing a need, Microsoft has unveiled WebMatrix, a free new Web development toolkit for inexperienced users to set up a site. Small Business Computing […]

Microsoft can reliably be counted upon to release fixes to its software on the second Tuesday of every month, and next Tuesday is no exception. According to eSecurity Planet, this month’s fix includes three critical fixes, the most severe rating Microsoft has in its security rating system. As the dog days of summer arrive in […]

The pool of qualified tech professionals may get bigger thanks to a new Microsoft certification program. As Datamation reports, a new Microsoft technology certification program is being made available to non-IT majors. The Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) program is designed to give students a start to a career in technology. The program includes testing in […]

Microsoft SharePoint has clearly established itself as a major player in the collaboration and document-sharing software space. But a new study by the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) finds that in many instances, actually deploying SharePoint is done without much advance planning, like a business case or financial planning. That’s potentially troublesome considering […]

Hell hath no fury like a hacker scorned. In response to perceived hostility from Microsoft and others to the work of white-hat researchers who disclose security vulnerabilities, a band of hackers has joined forces under the auspices of the Microsoft-Spurned Researcher Collective, a playful jab that apes the acronym of the software giant’s own security […]

Security issues continue to surface related to Microsoft’s venerable Windows XP, the desktop operating system used by millions who haven’t upgraded to Windows 7 or other newer alternatives. Just how serious the latest vulnerability is remains to be seen, but as eSecurityPlanet reports, Microsoft is looking into the issue which potentially affects both Windows 2000 […]

Knowledge workers have more data than ever on sales, customers and market trends. Problem is, the explosion of data can be hard to manage effectively. As DevX reports, researchers at Microsoft have added a new visualization tool to its Silverlight media player. The new PivotViewer may especially be of interest to website developers looking for […]

We’ve all done it. Installing a battery upside down is just part of the splendor of playing with electronic devices. But what if you were spared that twinge of uncomprehending frustration that comes just before the “duh” moment of realizing that, again, you mixed up positive with negative? Microsoft would like to make that a […]

Sometimes, you just can’t buy market share. Judging by the latest analysis from Net Applications, that seems to be the lesson Microsoft is learning with its search engine. Bing, debuted just over a year ago, has only marginally improved Microsoft’s share of the search market over its previous iteration. That comes despite a major advertising […]

Microsoft and its Internet Explorer browser have been losing out to rivals like Mozilla Firefox and Google’s Chrome steadily over the past year, who have been successful in quickly rolling out new releases and new features. But new research from Net Applications suggests that the slide in Microsoft’s market share may be a thing of […]

A newly uncovered vulnerability in Windows XP has Microsoft scrambling to work up a patch. In the meantime, however, attacks based on the security hole in Windows XP’s Help and Support Center are multiplying quickly, topping 10,000 earlier this week, according to the company. eSecurity Planet takes a look at the threat, and the public […]