Consumer software and hardware

Windows RT hacked to run unsigned desktop apps

Microsoft's Windows RT can apparently run unsigned desktops app with a little bit of hacking.

In a blog posted yesterday, a hacker dubbed clrokr described how he was able to change a value in the Windows RT kernel to bypass certain restrictions set up by Microsoft. The blog details how clrokr tracked down the right value to open up the types of apps that RT can run. And it includes his code for other enterprising hackers.

The specific value can't be permanently altered on devices enabled with Secure Boot, but it can be changed in memory. As a … Read more

Maybe Microsoft should have shown up to CES 2013

LAS VEGAS--It's getting more popular for companies to bail on the Consumer Electronics Show, but at least one should reconsider: Microsoft.

When the Las Vegas gadget conference kicks off this week, it will be missing the longtime CES presenter that declared 2012 to be its last hurrah at the show.

Microsoft doesn't really need CES to get attention for its products, but the company should have stuck it out one more year. Sure, the show is big and noisy and expensive, but Microsoft is trying to turn itself into a major computer hardware vendor with its Surface tablet. … Read more

Microsoft's next Patch Tuesday won't resolve IE zero-day flaw

Microsoft's regular Patch Tuesday rolls around next week. But one flaw that won't be fixed in the mix is the latest zero-day exploit in Internet Explorer.

Last Saturday, Microsoft warned about the zero-day flaw in IE 6, 7, and 8 that could allow attackers to gain control of Windows computers to host malicious Web sites. In its advisory, the company noted that IE 9 and 10 are unaffected by the vulnerability and suggested a variety of workarounds to those running the older browser versions.

On Monday, the company issued a temporary fix that prevents the flaw from being … Read more

How Microsoft became a control freak with tablet makers

Microsoft wasn't taking chances.

The company was about to introduce one of its biggest operating system releases, and it needed its hardware partners to develop products that could genuinely rival the iPad and Android tablets.

Microsoft took control of partners working with the new Windows RT software that ran on low-power chips normally used for cell phones. It held regular meetings with the small group of companies in its development program and dictated to a large extent what the devices looked like. Details were everything. Microsoft even told one company to move the location of its Windows home key, … Read more

About that Microsoft Surface Pro release date

Microsoft Store salespeople expect Surface Pro to arrive at the end of the month. That jibes with the pretty explicit statements Microsoft itself has made in the past.

Calls to Microsoft stores around the country today invariably elicited a response of "end of the month." One store got very specific and said it expects the new tablet on January 26.

That actually makes some sense. When Microsoft announced Surface last year it said the following: "Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability of Windows 8, and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available … Read more

Apple's App Store gets top grade from research firm

Apple's App Store gets the nod as the best mobile app store, at least in the eyes of research firm ABI.

Ranking app stores for both innovation and implementation, ABI dubbed Apple the overall winner, with Google in second place and Microsoft's Windows Phone app store in third.

Apple soared ahead of the pack in terms of implementation, outshining Google Play and RIM's BlackBerry App World. The App Store was cited for its "effective approach to monetization, large market share over the app industry, and the ability to achieve a large inventory of titles while maintaining … Read more

Acer: Touch-screen laptops will be everywhere soon

Acer president Jim Wong said touch-screen laptops will eventually dominate the PC market, although he also warned that Windows 8 may take a while to win over computer users.

Touch-screen laptops -- now just trickling into the market -- will eventually become the dominant laptop design, Wong said in an interview with Taipei-based Digitimes. For instance, he noted internal Acer research showing that after using a product with a touch-screen for more than 20 minutes, users naturally gravitate to touch.

"This indicates that touchscreen control is an irreversible trend," he said.

Wong also had some wry comments for … Read more

Windows Phone store doubles to 150K-plus apps

Windows Phone users can now find a wider array of apps in Microsoft's online phone store.

A new Microsoft blog post touting the growth of the Windows Phone store in 2012 revealed the latest facts and figures. Over the past year, Microsoft has published more than 75,000 new apps and games (which more than doubled the total number). And more than 300,000 app updates were added.

The average Windows Phone user has downloaded around 54 apps, according to Microsoft. Live Apps in particular have drummed up a lot of interest. Based on customer feedback, 85 percent of … Read more

Microsoft forges ahead with retail store expansion plans

Microsoft unveiled the next six locations for its expanding network of retail stores.

The company has been in the middle of a broader transformation to further connect with consumers beyond its Windows software. That has included moving even further into the hardware business with its own tablet, the Surface, going beyond its Xbox 360 video game console and the ill-fated Zune media player. A key part of that strategy has been its growing chain of retail stores, which give it opportunities to interact directly with potential customers.

Geekwire was the first to spot the announcement. Here's a list:

The … Read more