Microsoft

Right now tech companies fight about the phone you use. The next battle could be over the glasses you wear. Microsoft is working on a device that delivers information about live events to a person wearing a head-mounted display. One of the drawings included in Microsoft's patent application shows the device could come in the form of eyeglasses. "The information is provided about actions and objects occurring within an event and within the user's field of view," the application says.  The Microsoft device would connect to a processing unit that you could wear on your wrist like a band.

It has the hallmarks of a colossal clash between two gaming titans. Microsoft Corp. and Sony Computer Entertainment separately unveiled details about their new game consoles Monday, ahead of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the big video game industry conference that starts Tuesday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. But some analysts say the new consoles may instead represent last-gasp attempts by the electronics giants to fend off smartphones and tablets, which have made video games more accessible and cheaper.

Microsoft should stop playing Monopoly and grow up. EDWARD H. ROMAN Victorville

The battle for control of the living room just became more fierce. Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday unveiled the Xbox One, a next-generation video game console that aspires to be more than just a plaything. Not only will the Xbox One deliver an amped-up game experience, but it also will let users watch live TV, rent a movie and listen to music. Viewers can use their voice and gestures to control the TV too. Want to change the channel? Just tell the Xbox One to turn on ESPN for a baseball game, check out a movie on HBO or launch an on-demand service such as Netflix.

For months, Microsoft has been going after Google with its Scroogled ad campaign , but a new ad that reportedly came from Microsoft is the harshest yet. [Updated, 2:46 p.m. May 17: A spokesman for Microsoft has confirmed that the company did make the video, but it was for internal purposes. ] Right in the middle of Google's annual developers conference in San Francisco this week, a new ad made its way onto YouTube, criticizing Google's Chrome browser. The ad, which can be seen above, closely mimics Google's real Chrome ads , but instead of playing up the browser's features, the ad warns users that Chrome tracks everything they do. PHOTOS: The top smartphones of 2013 "Everything everywhere is tracked to target you with ads, to monetize your personal info," the ad says.

For months, Microsoft has been going after Google with its Scroogled ad campaign , but a new ad that reportedly came from Microsoft is the harshest yet. [Updated, 2:46 p.m. May 17: A spokesman for Microsoft has confirmed that the company did make the video, but it was for internal purposes. ] Right in the middle of Google's annual developers conference in San Francisco this week, a new ad made its way onto YouTube, criticizing Google's Chrome browser. The ad, which can be seen above, closely mimics Google's real Chrome ads , but instead of playing up the browser's features, the ad warns users that Chrome tracks everything they do. PHOTOS: The top smartphones of 2013 "Everything everywhere is tracked to target you with ads, to monetize your personal info," the ad says.

Jaron Lanier has a research job with Microsoft. He won't go into specfics, but it has something to do with imagining the future and asking questions. Lanier is a longtime Silicon Valley insider whose primary occupation has been to imagine, think and ask questions. What if we could enter a simulated electronic world? Answer: Virtual reality, a term he coined. What if computers could recognize faces? The company Eyematic Interfaces, which has been absorbed by Google. What if your computer could trace your movements in real time, putting them on screen?

Microsoft Corp. is partnering with Paramount Pictures on a promotional effort for the studio's "Star Trek Into Darkness. " It represents the biggest such undertaking ever for the software giant. The Redmond, Wash., company's campaign isn't short on whimsy: Bing, Microsoft's Internet search engine, was updated Tuesday to include the "Star Trek" language Klingon in its online translation service. But there also is strategic significance to the marketing venture, because it leverages so many Microsoft services, devices and platforms in a way not previously attempted by the company for a movie promotion.

Earlier this month, Barnes & Noble stocks jumped at reports that its Nook unit would be sold to Microsoft for $1 billion . The website Techcrunch reported that it had obtained documents that outlined Microsoft's offer. Now there is a counter-rumor: That Microsoft has no plans to make such a bid. That comes from the lower-profile tech website InsiderMonkey. According to its unnamed source, Microsoft has made no moves to buy the Nook and none will be forthcoming, because of the different operating systems.

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman  is pressing leading cellphone manufacturers to do more to help stem a growing tide of mobile phone thefts.  On Monday, Schneiderman's office sent letters to Apple, Samsung, Google and Microsoft, asking for details about what they are doing to deter such crimes.  "Cracking down on violent and dangerous cell phone thefts is important for New Yorkers," Schneiderman said in a statement....

In the face of mounting criticisms and sluggish PC sales, Microsoft continues to insist that its gamble on the radically redesigned Windows 8 operating system is paying off, if slowly.  Tami Reller, the Windows division's chief marketing officer and chief financial officer, said in a blog post on Tuesday that Microsoft has sold  100 million licenses for Windows 8, up from 60 million sold by January. The new operating system launched in October. The new operating system failed to provide the boost to PC sales many in the industry had hoped to see, causing critics to label Windows 8 a disappointment.

Like many of its rivals, Microsoft may be working on a wristwatch that could double as a computer and a smartphone. The Redmond, Wash., company has reached out to its suppliers for parts that would be used in a smartwatch, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal . But one of the sources, an unnamed executive at an unnamed supplier, says it's unclear if Microsoft will indeed decide to get into the smartwatch business. PHOTOS: The top smartphones of 2013 In the meantime, though, the company has requested 1.5-inch displays that could be used for the rumored device.

Microsoft, looking to catch up to rivals, could soon be putting out its own 7-inch tablet. The Wall Street Journal says the Redmond, Wash., company plans to launch a smaller version of its Surface tablet later this year.  The report, which cites unnamed sources, says that making a small tablet wasn't an original part of Microsoft's strategy, but that the company is seeking to adapt to a changing market.  PHOTOS: The top smartphones of...