Microsoft

WASHINGTON -- European Union antitrust officials on Wednesday hit Microsoft Corp. with a $731-million fine for failing to live up to a promise to allow Windows users to easily choose a Web browser other than Internet Explorer. That promise was part of a 2009 settlement of a European Commission investigation into allegations that Microsoft abused its dominant position in desktop software by tying Internet Explorer to Windows. Microsoft agreed to include a browser choice screen in Windows.

So what's the difference between provocative and pornographic? Nothing, really, according to Microsoft guidelines for app developers for its Windows Phone platform. As the Windows Phone app ecosystem now gains a bit of momentum, Todd Brix, senior director of Windows Phone Marketplace, outlined in a recent post on the developer blog some new policies to be enforced. "Our content policies are clearly spelled out : We don't allow apps containing 'sexually suggestive or provocative' images or content," he wrote.

Some may wonder whether there's room for Microsoft to carve a niche for itself with a behemoth like Apple's iPad dominating the tablet market.  According to a  Bloomberg report , Microsoft is said to be preparing Windows 8, a touch-friendly operating system, for a fall launch. Although the iPad is a dominant critical and commercial success by most accounts, there's a sizable gap between it and the nearest comparable Android tablet, presenting...

It seems patents have been playing an increasingly crucial role in the business ecosystem. Microsoft just flipped to Facebook for $550 million a portion of its recent $1-billion bundle buy of patents from AOL. The companies said Facebook is buying about 650 of the 925 patents and patent applications.  "It is interesting to see that Microsoft paid $1.14 million per patent property while Facebook paid $850,000 for part of the...

Microsoft has released a temporary fix for its Internet Explorer browser, which the company says has a security hole that could allow hackers to take over a computer. The security hole, which Microsoft confirmed over the weekend, affects Internet Explorer versions 6, 7 and 8, and could allow malicious code, placed on some unsuspecting websites, to be embedded in a computer system after the browser visited the site.  “An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user,” Microsoft wrote in a security advisory released Saturday.

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.

AOL's surprising sale of 800 patents to Microsoft for about $1.06 billion gives the company a cash infusion that Wall Street seems to like. Although neither company is saying what the patents cover, what Microsoft actually bought was leverage. "Patents are nothing but a license to sue," to exclude others, said Alexander Poltorak, chairman and chief executive of General Patent Corp. A license to sue, but an opportunity to strike a deal. "Only [between] 3 and 4% of patent lawsuits end up in trial," with most ending up in an arrangement beneficial to both companies, he said.

Motorola was given bad news by the U.S. International Trade Commission, which banned several of its smartphones from coming into the country due to an infringement of a Microsoft patent. A total of 18 devices Motorola devices running Android, including the Droid, were affected by the ban, which was issued Friday. The ban affects Motorola's Blur devices as well as Google Experience mobile devices, a Microsoft spokeswoman told Bloomberg News. The decision goes back to a 2010 complaint filed by Microsoft claiming that Motorola violated nine of its patents, according to PCMag . Motorola said it will not be immediately impacted by the decision because of a 60-day presidential review period where it can continue to import the devices, but it must pay 33 cents for each unit it brings in. "Although we are disappointed by the commission's ruling that certain Motorola Mobility products violated one patent, we look forward to reading the full opinion to understand its reasoning," the company said in a statement.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Microsoft Corp. is taking another swipe at Gmail with a campaign to encourage people to dump Gmail for Outlook.com over privacy concerns. The Redmond, Wash., technology giant is drawing new attention to an old issue: Gmail scans the content of personal emails in order to better target ads. Microsoft is pushing a new poll it commissioned that found that nearly 9 in 10 Americans disapprove of the practice. Seven in 10 Americans said they didn't believe or didn't know that any major email service provider did that, according to the poll.

Microsoft today officially launched Windows 8 and the new Windows Store. The company said Windows 8, its latest operating system, will be available for purchase online and in stores today starting at $39.99. The operating system retains Windows' traditional desktop but also adds another view that is heavily geared toward touchscreen devices. Windows President Steven Sinofsky said that more than 1,000 computers have been certified for Windows 8 and that there will be some Windows 8 PCs that'll sell for less than $300.