Microsoft

Most of us shudder thinking about last year’s “Store Wars” and would really like to give close friends and family members a unique, personal gift this season without braving the weather, fighting the crowds, or standing in long lines.

Something that’s affordable.

Something they’ll thank you for - and really mean it!

You probably already have the most important parts of a truly memorable gift right on your computer, camera card, or CD. The photos you’ve been taking at reunions, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and past holidays are the key components…for personalized photo gifts.

Great idea, but who has the time???

Fortunately, now that we have digital photos, truly unique gifts are just a few clicks away. Read more

Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For more than a decade, Microsoft Corp. has been committed to providing intuitive and easy-to-use mapping solutions that help consumers plan ahead and drive with confidence once on the road. Microsoft has taken its commitment to the next level with the launch today of Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 Standard and Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 with GPS Locator, which combines the No. 1 best-selling(1) travel and mapping software for the U.S. with a Pharos Science & Applications Inc. Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that plugs into the Universal Serial Bus port on a PC. The updated versions deliver the trip-planning and driving tools that consumers have come to love and expect, along with several new and enhanced features that will help consumers save even more time and money while on the road.

As fuel prices skyrocket, more and more travelers cancel or look for affordable alternatives to scheduled family vacations. Many opt for "staycations" -- or take time off work to enjoy the sights and places close to home that they may have overlooked or never made the time to go see. Read more

September 9, 2008 -- Microsoft Corp. today raised the style stakes with the unveiling of a revolutionary crescent-moon-shaped mouse designed to be just as fashionable as it is functional — the Arc Mouse. With its unique foldable design, Arc reduces by almost half for portability when it is snapped shut, but provides complete comfort when opened to its full size.

Microsoft today also introduced the Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000, a notebook mouse with stunning color offerings at an affordable price, based on the design of the No. 1 best-selling notebook mouse in the U.S.1

Fashion Meets PC — What to Wear

The Arc Mouse allows consumers to flaunt their personal style with its sleek, thin crescent shape and two color options — black and red. It is truly an accessory, adding to the fashion PC trend that is taking the technology industry by storm. In a June 2007 report, “The Age of Style in Consumer PCs,” Forrester Research Inc. predicted that between now and 2012 will be the “age of style” with consumer choice and personalization becoming an important factor in a purchase decision. With a high demand for style, consumers value look and feel more than any other product features. Read more

September 9, 2008 -- Today, Microsoft Corp. unveils two new webcams — LifeCam Show and LifeCam VX-5500 — featuring stunning new designs that not only look great but also provide versatility for use on a laptop or desktop monitor, or sitting next to your PC. No matter where these LifeCams are used, they will make a statement. LifeCam Show is ultra sleek — one of the thinnest webcams on the market— while the LifeCam VX-5500 takes a more sassy approach with switchable faceplates in three colors and an innovative, collapsible design. These LifeCams deliver high-end audio and video performance, groundbreaking new video effects, and Video Messages — a new service for sending and receiving video messages from friends and family.

LifeCam Show: Good Things Come in Small Packages

LifeCam Show features a sleek, mirrored finish and ultrathin design. It looks great with any PC, attaching with ease to a desktop or laptop computer, or even sitting on top of your desk. The LifeCam Show ships with a complete attachment system to make setting up and using the webcam a snap in a variety of different scenarios. Versatile attachment options include the following:

• Laptop clip. LifeCam Show magnetically attaches to a clip snapped right onto a laptop.
• Desktop stand. LifeCam Show magnetically attaches to an 11-inch-tall desktop stand, which users can position anywhere around the desk for the perfect viewing angle.
  
• Two attachment discs. Attachment discs allow users to attach the adhesive disc to the back of their laptop, giving them the ability to close their laptop easily with the webcam still attached for greater portability.
  

 Offering top audio and video performance, LifeCam Show is not just about good looks and versatility: Read more

September 9, 2008 -- Microsoft Corp. today unveiled the world’s most advanced tracking technology, Microsoft BlueTrack Technology, which allows consumers to take their mice anywhere and work with confidence on more surfaces than before. Microsoft’s new proprietary tracking technology combines the width and power of optical technology with the precision of laser tracking to allow consumers to mouse on virtually any surface — from a granite kitchen countertop to the living room carpet.

BlueTrack Technology will debut in two new top-of-the-line mice, Microsoft Explorer Mouse and Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse, available this fall at BestBuy.com and in Best Buy stores. Read more

August 21, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First there was the snapshot, and then came video. Now there is Microsoft Photosynth, a new service from Microsoft Live Labs that goes far beyond how you now view, experience and share photos.

You can share or relive a vacation destination or explore a distant museum or landmark; with a digital camera and your own creativity and inspiration, you can use Photosynth to transform regular digital photos into a three-dimensional, 360-degree experience. Anybody who sees your "synth" is put right in your shoes, sharing in the same sense of exhilaration and wonder that you did at the time, with detail, clarity and scope impossible to achieve in conventional photos or videos. Read more

May 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, Microsoft Corp. reshapes the webcam experience with the LifeCam VX-5000, a webcam with a unique bendable attachment base that molds to virtually any surface -- from a notebook to a desktop -- so users can take it anywhere.

For personalized flair, the LifeCam VX-5000 features a brightly colored ring around the front of the webcam in the colors Cool Blue, Lucky Green and Fire Red, allowing consumers to choose their favorite to suit their style. To complement the fresh, new look, the LifeCam VX-5000 features MSN Photo Swap,(1) a special feature that lets consumers share digital photos in midvideo conversation and see real-time reactions as both callers view the pictures. The new webcam arrives just in time to help share summer vacation memories and keep consumers connected throughout the year. Read more

March 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. brings the beauty of Windows Aero from the PC to the devices that surround it with its latest keyboard and mouse desktop set, the Wireless Laser Desktop 7000, designed to complement the Windows Vista operating system with its striking design. The new desktop set includes an ultrathin Comfort Curve keyboard and rechargeable mouse, delivering ultimate performance and comfort. The keyboard features a Windows Aero-inspired translucent design, floating Hot Keys and instant access to Windows Flip 3D, making this desktop a perfect companion for today's Windows Vista-based PC. Read more

Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. today added two new desktop mice to its line of award-winning input devices with the new Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 and Wireless Laser Mouse 7000, giving consumers more choice and flexibility in their computing experience. The Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 debuts a new desktop mouse design, combining a full-size mouse for supreme comfort with a portable snap-in transceiver for easy mobility. Microsoft also announced the Wireless Laser Mouse 7000, offering top-notch technology and recharging at an affordable price point. Both mice come packed with high-end technology features in sleek designs to deliver supreme performance and comfort.

Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 - Desktop Comfort Meets Mobile Design
The Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 offers a unique concept in computer peripherals, blurring the lines between desktop and notebook mice by creating a full-size mouse with a portable snap-in transceiver for easy storage and mobility. With more than one-third of consumers buying full-sized desktop mice for their notebook computers, this mouse delivers on a growing computing need: moving easily from on the desk to on the go, without compromising on size and comfort. Read more

January 24, 2008 --Dell and Microsoft Corp. will offer customers a simple way to make a difference in the fight against AIDS in Africa through the purchase of unique (PRODUCT) RED branded personal computers and a printer. Adding to the premium experience, all Dell (PRODUCT) RED PCs are powered by Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED. Dell is the exclusive partner for PCs and peripherals of (PRODUCT) RED.

Dell (PRODUCT) RED products are now available at www.dell.com/joinred and at Best Buy stores throughout the United States by the end of the week. Beginning Jan. 31, they also will be available through Dell in nearly 30 additional countries.

(RED), launched in 2006, is a brand designed to engage business and consumer power in the fight against AIDS in Africa. To date, (RED) partners have contributed more than $57 million to the Global Fund based on the sale of (PRODUCT) RED products. (RED) funds are at work on the ground in Rwanda, Swaziland and Ghana. Read more