Microsoft

September 27, 2006 -- Activision, Inc. today announced it will show off its roster of holiday titles for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft at this year’s X06 event held in Barcelona, Spain.

Media and retailers worldwide will have the chance to get closer than ever to the fury of combat with Call of Duty 3 and will experience the most realistic skateboarding game ever with the all-new Tony Hawk's Project 8, built from the ground up to take advantage of the advanced capabilities of Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Read more

Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Marking the next big milestone for its Connected Entertainment vision, Microsoft Corp. today unveiled details of the first products to be released under its Zune brand. Designed around the principles of sharing, discovery and community, Zune will create new ways for consumers to connect and share entertainment experiences. The Zune experience centers around connection -- connection to your library, connection to friends, connection to community and connection to other devices.

"The digital music entertainment revolution is just beginning," said J Allard, vice president, design and development, at Microsoft, who is leading the charge for building the family of Zune products. "With Zune, we are not simply delivering a portable device, we are introducing a new platform that helps bring artists closer to their audiences and helps people find new music and develop new social connections." Read more

Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At the opening of the show doors for the 2007 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, Microsoft Corp.'s booth was set to supply gamers with access to more than 130 playable game stations spanning more than 40 titles for Windows, Xbox 360 and the premier online gaming service, Xbox Live. Attendees had a chance to try out upcoming releases that are poised to top the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade charts, such as "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent," "Viva Pinata" and "Texas Hold 'em," as well as playing soon- to-be-released Windows games including "Flight Simulator X," "Hellgate: London" and "Crysis." The show floor also provided playable action for numerous other titles from first- and third-party publishers: Read more

July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nine out of 10 teachers agree that students who turn to technology for homework help perform better than those who do not, according to a recent independent survey commissioned by Microsoft Corp. However, 71 percent of teachers worry that students are not finding what they need on the Internet, and 85 percent wish there were more technology-based resources available.(1)

Today Microsoft released Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2007, a software package of integrated tools and trusted information that empowers middle-school through entry-level college students to create and complete accurate assignments that can lead to better grades and academic confidence. Read more

June 26, 2006 -- Samsill Corporation, one of the world’s largest privately held manufacturers of business cases, media storage, ring binders and sheet protectors, announced today an exclusive multi-year brand licensing agreement with Microsoft Corporation.

As part of the new deal, Samsill will manufacture, market and sell a broad assortment of computer bags and business accessories leveraging the Microsoft brand. Microsoft will assist Samsill in the development of these products, focusing on making them relevant to the digital lifestyle. Products will be distributed through retail and commercial channels including office and consumer electronics stores beginning the first quarter of 2007. Read more

Microsoft recently released the LifeCam to work seamlessly with Windows Live Messenger. The two models released are the LifeCam VX-6000 and VX-3000. The VX-6000 actually has a 5 MP still capability, and 1.3 MP video. All of this comes a 71-degree wide-angle fish-eye lens capability. This will make sure that you grab more then what is right in front of the camera. Looks like the home-made video sites like YouTube.com will enjoy this camera. This camera will have more clarity with the 640 x 480 VGA-quality video it produces.

The button on top of the camera will open the “Buddy Picker tool” allowing you to choose who you want to talk to. Choose your contact, and BAM! You are video conferencing with your buddies. This application will also be great with national and international offices. Helping those working hard all day put a little personal touch to their communication with co –workers. Read more

June 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Seeing your grandchild's first steps from miles away. Hearing your friend's laugh from across the country. Sharing your dorm room decorating skills with your parents back home. Those are the moments and experiences that will become the hallmark of Microsoft LifeCams, an innovative new line of webcams that dramatically simplifies the video communications experience to let people see, hear and share life's experiences in an extraordinary way. Read more

April 2006 – Palm has announced a software update for the Palm Treo 700w smartphone from Verizon Wireless that will enable the Windows Mobile Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP), which includes Direct Push Technology. The free update, which is expected to be available later this month, gives Treo 700w smartphone users fast, automatic wireless updates of their email, calendar items, contacts and tasks, allowing IT managers to deliver this information directly from Exchange Server 2003 SP2 without incurring additional third-party infrastructure costs.(1) Read more

All the truly tech savvy people know, the latest buzzword is "HD". As we move farther and farther into the digital age, HD, or High-Definition, becomes more and more important, as it is essentially the cream of the crop of digital technology.
Microsoft has announced three new wireless mice that incorporate High Definition technology.

The first model to be placed on the market is a refashioning of the Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse. The 3000 model works at 1,000 dpi and captures 6,000 frames per second. The receiver, which connects to a USB port, has been decreased in size to increase mobility. The receiver snaps into the mouse for storage, or to conserve battery power. Once the receiver and mouse are joined, the mouse automatically powers off. Other features include customizable buttons and the flexibility to comfortably use it with either hand. Currently available to customers, the suggested retail price on the Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 is $29.99. Read more

In the year 2000, mobile computing devices were essentially limited to laptop computers or PDA's. Today you'll find most of those in the business force are armed with a laptop and a mobile phone, the essentials for the business man or woman. Microsoft earlier this month at the CeBIT tradeshow in Germany formally unveiled the rumored Origami project which has been peaking everyone's interest lately. Rather then call them Origami's, Microsoft has decided to call them instead Ultra-Mobile PC's or UMPC's, an alternative to the laptop. Read more