Beyond Binary

A Microsoft job posting suggests that Office is the latest of Redmond's products that will get its own app store.

Already there are marketplaces for Zune, Xbox, and Windows Mobile. Windows Phone 7 will have one and Microsoft is adding one to its CRM product. A leaked planning document suggests that Windows 8 may get one. Now a job posting for a product manager suggests that Office, too, may get an app store.

"As we launch Office 2010, we are beginning the process of planning for Office 15 and are looking for a product manager to drive Office … Read more

Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Phone 7 won't act as a hot spot, after all.

A Microsoft official recently suggested that it would be up to cellular carriers whether to allow so-called "tethering," but Microsoft confirmed to CNET on Friday that Windows Phone 7 doesn't support the feature at all. Microsoft won't say if future versions might allow for tethering.

It's another technical limitation for Microsoft's re-entry into the phone market, adding to a list of features supported on other platforms including full multitasking and copy/paste functionality. And, as CNET reported last week, … Read more

Aiming to continue having its Windows Live services play nice with others, Microsoft today said it is adding LinkedIn and Facebook chat ties to Hotmail and Messenger.

In a blog post, Microsoft said that the LinkedIn connection will allow users of both services to more easily keep tabs on their activities.

Among the added features are auto-contact linking, being able to use Messenger to get updates on what LinkedIn contacts are doing, and making it easy to use Messenger to share updates with one's LinkedIn network. Hotmail is also getting the ability to chat with Facebook friends, a feature … Read more

The tough economic conditions of the last few years have strained efforts to achieve global goals such as reducing poverty, improving health, and addressing environmental concerns, says Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

"Realistically in a recessionary time people do pull inward and I think it does become more difficult for certain," Gates said in a telephone call with reporters last week, held as the world marks 10 years since it set the Millennium Development Goals.

Gates said the goals she and the Gates Foundation are focused on--the ones related to reducing poverty and … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--Long Zheng has had what would be a pretty impressive last couple of years for anyone at Microsoft.

In one 24-hour period last April, the 22-year-old built a version of Bing that offers instant results quite similar to the instant search results that Google introduced last week. He also created Metrotwit, a slick Twitter client for Windows using the Metro styling used in Windows Phone 7. All the while, he has maintained a well regarded Microsoft blog, I Started Something.

But Zheng doesn't work for Microsoft. He's a hobbyist. His impetus for building Metrotwit was that he … Read more

When Windows Phone 7 arrives later this year, it will be sold globally, but only for GSM networks. Microsoft has opted to delay until next year the CDMA version as it works to finish work on its major rewrite of its phone operating system.

"We had to make some trade-offs," senior product manager Greg Sullivan told CNET today. "Even Microsoft doesn't have unlimited resources. We had to prioritize doing fewer things, really, really well."

The company made the decision to delay the CDMA version earlier this year but had declined to publicly confirm it until … Read more

Microsoft today detailed a number of the third-party apps that will be available this holiday season in conjunction with the release of Windows Phone 7: Netflix, Twitter, OpenTable, Flixster, and Travelocity have all confirmed plans for their Windows Phone 7 apps.

"Some of the biggest names in apps and games are working to bring the right mix of high quality content to Windows Phone 7," Microsoft's Brandon Watson said in a blog post.

The software maker also announced plans for its own bid-based mobile ad exchange and said it is ready with a final version of the … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--Although he wasn't on stage for the launch of the Internet Explorer 9 beta yesterday, Windows unit president Steven Sinofsky was paying close attention to the product's release and to initial public reaction.

It's a sign of just how important the browser has become to the overall success of Windows. By any measure--and Microsoft does plenty of research--Web browsing is one of the main things that people do with their computers. Although Internet Explorer still is the most used browser, it has been ceding share in recent years to Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers.

In a … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--Among the many partners touting the new version of Internet Explorer on Wednesday was the rock band The Killers, which has a new HTML 5-based Web site that screams in Microsoft's latest browser.

But the Killers haven't always been such big fans of Redmond's work.

Naveen Jain, CEO of Oakland-based Sparkart, which designs the band's Web site, says a huge chunk of his time in the past was spent testing and tweaking the site to make sure it worked with Internet Explorer.

"Historically, as Web developers, my team hasn't had the best relationship … Read more