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Microsoft playing catchup with Zune HD App Store?

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zune-hd-appsMicrosoft must be pretty pleased with the latest speculation over its new Zune HD media player, for although companies have to officially denounce any rumors that come out, behind closed doors they’re usually pretty pleased there’s any interest in the next big thing they’re releasing.

It’s something Apple thrives on, and perhaps Microsoft is hoping that the mere mention of an application store for its new PMP will make it more exciting than it is.

OK, so it’s been covered by Engadget without much (if any) MS snark, so it has a reasonable cool factor. [Read more…]

Originally posted on August 24, 2009 @ 12:01 pm

Microsoft partners impressed with Apple’s Snow Leopard

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mac-os-x-snow-leopardDon’t get too excited — nowhere do we see evidence of Microsoft itself being impressed with the next version of Apple’s operating system. However, channel partners do seem to be impressed with Snow Leopard, and they aren’t afraid to talk about it.

For example, the president of Global System Services, Ron Herardian, noted that Snow Leopard would likely far exceed Windows 7’s 64-bit and multicore hardware performance, while the president of Daystar Technology, Gary Dailey, said that Apple was still able to improve on a mature OS while Microsoft tried to recover from the Vista disaster.

Not every one of Microsoft’s friends is that impressed, of course, with the CEO of InterKnowlogy suggesting that some of Snow Leopard’s new technologies — including Grand Central and OpenCL — are features achievable using .Net. [Read more…]

Originally posted on August 26, 2009 @ 7:11 am

Microsoft launches OneApp software to enhance basic cellphones

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microsoft-oneappMicrosoft has announced a new piece of software that’s designed to allow users of more basic mobile handsets to access web services and more advanced applications than their handset would ordinarily be capable of. This includes a range of GPRS-enabled phones.

The lightweight application (150K) is quick to install and, once on the phone, appears as a single piece of software that users access the rest of their apps from.

It includes cloud services that allow processing and storage online instead of on the phone, and claims to use the mobile network more efficiently, thus reducing data charges.

OneApp is based on industry standards such as JavaScript and XML, with an SDK expected by the end of the year.

Originally posted on August 25, 2009 @ 6:25 am

Microsoft attempting Android/iPhone catchup with dual Windows Mobile development?

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If sources at Taiwanese mobile handset manufacturers can be believed, Microsoft plans to keep both Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Mobile 7 alive well into the next decade, in a bid to compete with Android-based cellphones and the iPhone.

windows-mobile-logoMicrosoft could attack Android phones with the launch of Windows Mobile 6.5, expected on October 1 this year with an upgraded touch interface available from February 2010.

A Windows Mobile 7 launch planned for the fourth quarter of 2010 and would potentially compete with the iPhone.

If true, that’s a seriously long lead time and makes me wonder just how serious Microsoft is about keeping and gaining mobile OS market share. [Read more…]

Originally posted on August 19, 2009 @ 6:48 am

Microsoft gets HD friendly with LifeCam Cinema webcam

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microsoft-lifecam-cinema-720p-hd-webcamMicrosoft has decided that there’s enough interest in high definition videos online now and has released what it claims is the first consumer webcam with a 720p sensor on board.

I know we don’t usually cover hardware at 901, but this is more about Microsoft’s attitude towards HD video online than it is about the webcam itself.

Microsoft Hardware systems engineer Stuart Milton said that Microsoft was “motivated by the fact that … top social networking sites were allowing widescreen video,” and that the new webcam would allow “uploading widescreen videos with amazing quality to social networking sites and soon chatting live with friends and family in widescreen format”. [Read more…]

Originally posted on August 20, 2009 @ 10:48 am