Microsoft

Christmas Lumia sales collapse, Nokia schedules media event to – unveil Android device?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 9, 2016

After reading a Forbes article two days ago highlighting 24 countries where Windows Phones outsells the iPhone - which disregards the fact that Microsoft is gaining traction in markets where the iPhone doesn’t compete because Windows Phone sales are most in the low-end - I wanted to write a reality check type of an article.

Today, both Nokia and Microsoft were served a reality check after the struggling Finnish handset maker reported a whopping 29 percent lower handset revenue in the Christmas quarter. Worse, sales are decelerating at an alarming clip: Nokia said it sold 8.2 million phones during the Christmas quarter versus Wall Street consensus of ten million units. And they only sold 30 million handsets during 2013.

The company has now scheduled a press conference at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in February amid persisting rumors of a budget Android phone with the Nokia logo on it, the ambitious project apparently code-named Normandy...

Apple’s ‘Rockstar Consortium’ considering Nortel patent sale

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

In 2011, Apple teamed up with a number of tech companies including Microsoft and BlackBerry to form what many called the 'Rockstar consortium' to purchase a collection of over 4,000 patents from Nortel, a communications company that went bankrupt in 2009.

Bloomberg is now reporting that the consortium is currently holding discussion regarding a potential sale of a portion of the patents—which it paid in upwards of $4.5 billion for—after several attempts to land large licensing deals from other companies have failed...

Bing for iPad updated with new iOS 7 design, SkyDrive bookmarks and more

Cody Lee ∙ December 7, 2013

Microsoft has posted a significant update for Bing for iPad this evening, bringing the app to version 2.0. The update includes a number of improvements, including an all-new design for iOS 7 and new SkyDrive bookmarks.

The new design features flat images and text, and a lot of open space (good news though, it's not all white). And with the new bookmarks feature, you can now save bookmarks and images, and access them via SkyDrive...

Skype updated with redesigned sign-in screen and other improvements

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Microsoft has updated its iOS Skype client today, bringing the app to version 4.1.5. The update brings about a number of improvements including a redesigned sign-in screen, performance enhancements and bug fixes.

The new sign-in screen was designed to reduce startup time so you can start chatting quicker. And it accomplishes this by making it much easier for folks to login to the service with their Skype ID or Microsoft account...

Microsoft doubles down on iPad bashing with a pair of new Surface ads

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 26, 2013

In what's now become a recurring theme, Windows maker Microsoft just fired the latest salvo of television commercials that predictably portray Apple's iPad as a lesser tablet. Posted on the official Surface blog, a pair of holiday-themed advertisements highlight one hardware and one software feature of the Microsoft tablet: a built-in kickstand and multi-account support.

The Redmond giant doesn't shy away from mentioning the iPad brand name in the videos. "Free apps on the iPad don’t offer the same hands-free technology," says the voiceover in the first ad that highlights a Food & Drink app which come preloaded with Windows 8.1. The other ad lambasts Apple's device because it "doesn’t allow for multiple accounts and does not have the ability to monitor usage"...

New Nokia Lumia 2520 ad lambasts iPad for lack of keyboard

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Microsoft has built up quite the library of iPad-bashing TV spots. And now that it's buying out Nokia's mobile hardware business, it's getting them in on the gag. Today, Nokia launched a new TV commercial taking potshots at Apple's popular tablet.

The ad is supposed to be about Nokia's new Lumia 2520 slate, which launched last week, but you only see it for about 5 seconds at the very end of the 1 minute and 18 second-long video. For the other 72 seconds, it shows a user defending his iPad...

YouTube’s iOS app can send videos to Xbox One

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 21, 2013

Google's recent tightening of YouTube restrictions in respect to third-party clients has not sat well with Microsoft, whose unofficial YouTube client for Windows Phone is barebones again - as in, it's been reduced to an icon which launches into the mobile YouTube interface at m.youtube.com. Remarkably enough, the Xbox One console is a different story.

The Redmond-based Windows giant announced yesterday that the Xbox One will include YouTube when it launches tomorrow, Friday 22. It will be an actual app, not a glorified web page and it seems Apple users will be able to send videos from YouTube for iPhone and iPad directly to the console...

Microsoft’s SkyDrive app redesigned for iOS 7

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Continuing with today's line of app updates, Microsoft has posted a new version of its SkyDrive client for the iPhone and iPad. The update brings the app to version 4.0, and includes a handful of improvements and an all new design for iOS 7.

The client itself allows you to upload photos, videos and other files to Microsoft's cloud service. And today's release adds Camera Backup for automatic media uploads, improved integration with Office Mobile for iPhone and OneNote, and more...

Microsoft releases new ‘Xbox One SmartGlass’ app for iOS

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

Ahead of its big Xbox One launch later this week, Microsoft has released a new companion app for the console called ‘Xbox One SmartGlass.’ Microsoft says it's "the perfect companion app for your Xbox One, both in your living room and on the go."

In the living room, the app will allow your iOS device to connect to your Xbox One console and do things like browse the web, navigate the dashboard, and control content. And on the go, the app will let you track achievements, messages and more...

Microsoft boosts Office Web Apps, could accelerate Office for iOS if Elop named CEO

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Seemingly responding to Apple's recent iWork suite upgrade (or should I say downgrade?), Windows giant Microsoft has rolled out a series of improvements to Office Web Apps. Akin to iWork which now allows for collaborative editing and has full file compatibility across the web, OS X and iOS, the significant Office Web Apps refresh has enabled real-time co-authoring and brought out new formatting controls, the find and replace feature in web-based Word app and lots more.

Additionally, Bloomberg reported today that former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, who is viewed as one of the candidates for the outgoing Steve Ballmer's CEO seat, is open to the idea of accelerating development of the full-on Office suite for competing platforms, including Apple's iOS...

Skype gaining better sign in experience, faster startup and iOS 7 mic permissions

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Microsoft-owned Skype app for the iPhone and iPad is about to get bumped to version 4.14, gaining under-the-hood tweaks for faster startup time and iOS 7-specific permissions for microphone access.

The update has been officially announced on the Skype blog earlier in the morning and should drop later during the course of the day.

Over the past two months, Skype's mobile app has received its iOS 7 style visual makeover and gained the ability to make HD quality 720p video calls from the fourth-generation iPad and later and the iPhone 5 and later...

Microsoft’s Bing gets its iOS 7 revamp and flat icon

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 28, 2013

I'm not using Microsoft's Bing search engine much on the web, but really meant to fall in love with the iPhone and iPad app, and long before Google's Search iOS software became sleek. The problem is, Redmond was rolling out those updates way too slow for my taste.

I last checked Bing out some time last year and was disappointed that it still had certain non-Retina elements to it, such as the logo graphics. Today, Bing for the iPhone and iPad has gotten a fresh coat of paint, a nice new flattened logo and a completely revamped user interface re-created from scratch with iOS 7 in mind...