What’s at stake in Oracle v. Google
As the software industry waits for the jury to come back with a decision in the copyright phase of the Oracle vs. Google trial, there has been increasing focus on…
Linux, Open Source, & anti Microsoft news
Microsoft raises UK prices by a third and can’t rule out future hikes
Microsoft has revealed that it will increase volume licencing prices in the UK by an average of 29 percent to adjust for the ‘sustained currency differences between European countries’.
Globe-spanning patent bombs touted by Euro, UN pen-pushers
The European and UN patent-handling bodies have agreed to join forces to encourage companies and inventors to file their designs under an improved worldwide Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
Microsoft hikes volume prices by more than a third
Microsoft will ramp up the cost of volume licensing by as much as a third from the start of July when it aligns list prices across Europe to the Euro…
After legal tussle, Google beats Microsoft for large US contract
The U.S. Department of the Interior has picked Google Apps to provide cloud-based email and collaboration applications to about 90,000 staffers, choosing Google’s services over Microsoft’s Office 365.
Skype replaces P2P supernodes with Linux boxes hosted by Microsoft (updated)
Microsoft has drastically overhauled the network running its Skype voice-over-IP service, replacing peer-to-peer client machines with thousands of Linux boxes that have been hardened against the most common types of…
Slow Uptake of Windows 8 Preview Hints at Users’ Lack of Interest
Windows users appear half as interested in trying out the new Windows 8 as they did three years ago when they jumped at the chance to test drive Windows 7,…
Microsoft’s ads target young users, haters
Microsoft’s deal with Barnes & Noble, with its emphasis on education, could help the company target the college market — which dovetails nicely with Microsoft’s new advertising plan.
Microsoft invests in Barnes and Noble’s Nook e-books
Microsoft has invested $300m (£185m) in a digital venture with US bookseller Barnes and Noble. The deal could make Barnes and Noble’s Nook e-book reader available to millions of new…
Google launches assault on Microsoft
With the launch of Google Drive, the company’s productivity suite formerly known as Docs, Google is giving every user 5Gb of free storage space “in the cloud” to access whenever…
Why Big Sites Run Drupal
Instead of buying another proprietary package, Georgia chose an open solution that’s quickly gaining favor among state and federal agencies. “As we dug in, all the obvious best choices were…
Redmond man unmasked: UK.gov open standards stalled
Microsoft is accused of trying to exert clandestine influence on a UK government consultation which could slash the software giant’s £700m income from the UK’s public sector.
Microsoft accused of trying to secretly influence government consultation
Microsoft is accused of trying to exert clandestine influence on a UK government consultation which could slash the software giant’s £700m income from the UK’s public sector.
Report: Microsoft tried and FAILED to offload Bing on Facebook
MS wonks – without any official backing from boss Steve Ballmer – apparently approached Facebook with the idea of acquiring Microsoft’s loss-making Bing, which is dwarfed by Google’s search engine.
Microsoft to support ODF 1.2 open document standard in Office 15
Microsoft has demonstrated support for the Open Document Format (ODF) 1.2 standard in a technical preview of the forthcoming Office 15 productivity suite, and plans to release a beta version…