News

• Citrix links cloud-based storage to SharePoint and Azure

  Citrix Systems is making its cloud-based storage service ShareFile more Microsoft-friendly with SharePoint integration and the ability to store data on Azure.

• Microsoft unveils new generation XBox

  Attempting to replace all your living room devices with a single unit, Microsoft has launched its new gaming console, the Xbox One, at Microsoft HQ in Seattle.

• Microsoft makes a play for the living room with Xbox One

  Microsoft is making a big play for the living room with a new Xbox console that marries games with live TV, Internet browsing, music and Skype.

• Microsoft launches local region for Azure cloud

  Microsoft is in the process of rolling out a new Australian region for its Windows Azure family of cloud services.

• Senate report: Apple claims subsidiaries with no taxing jurisdiction

  Apple has set up three foreign subsidiaries that the company claims are not resident in any nation for taxing purposes, in an effort to avoid paying tens of billions of dollars in taxes to the U.S. and other countries, according to a new report from a U.S. Senate subcommittee.

• How VMware will try to shake up the Cloud market this week

  There have been rumors and speculation. There have been whispers and rumblings. But this week VMware is expected to release details about its plans to launch a public Ccloud offering, the central part of its new hybrid Cloud strategy.

• Smartphones take center stage in two-factor authentication schemes

  We all know that relying on a simple user ID and password combination is fraught with peril. One alternative is to use one of the single sign-on solutions we reviewed last year, but there are less expensive options that could also be easier to install.

• Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are secret backers behind European Privacy Association

  Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have been confirmed as the secret backers behind the European Privacy Association (EPA) which was accused of a lack of transparency by an independent watchdog on Thursday.

• Microsoft's $300M Nook investment hasn't paid off -- yet

  Microsoft has gotten next to nothing from its $300 million investment in Barnes & Noble, analysts said, but it may reap some rewards as it prepares to ship smaller tablets.

• Newvem expands to monitor Azure and Amazon clouds

  Newvem, which sells a tool that allows users to track and optimize their use of cloud computing resources, has expanded its software's functionality to monitor not just Amazon Web Services, but now Microsoft Azure now as well.

• Forrester: Windows 8 faces uphill battle as corporate desktop

  Windows 8 faces an uphill battle to become a standard corporate operating system because many businesses are in the midst of or have recently completed the move from Windows XP to Windows 7 and don't have the stomach for another transition anytime soon.

• Bill Gates to front Q&A debate on health

  Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates will take part in a special version of the ABC's Q&A program during a visit to Australia later this month.

• In a sea of malware, viruses make a small comeback

  The computer virus seems to be making a subtle comeback.

• Advocates call for legal protections for copyright consumers

  The U.S. Congress should consider a "safe harbor" from legal action for consumers using works protected by copyright as it launches a long-term effort to revamp copyright law, some advocates said Thursday.

• Microsoft responds to Larry Page remarks, but Oracle is quiet

  Microsoft has responded to a high-profile put-down by Google CEO Larry Page, but Oracle, at least for now, won't be drawn into a public fight with the executive.