Consumer software and hardware

Microsoft Surface Pro hoarders try to make a quick buck

The 128GB Surface Pro is a rare commodity at the moment. And stiff eBay asking prices reflect this.

In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that some eBay vendors are hoarding the device, trying to cash in on the scarcity.

Though pretty common with hard-to-get Apple products, it's unusual to see this with a Windows product -- and it's Microsoft's first PC, to boot.

One seller, with a stack of at least 10 Pros, is asking $1,300 for the 128GB model. Other sellers are asking $1,399 and even $1,499. The regular … Read more

Microsoft fine-tunes shift from Messenger to Skype

Microsoft is moving ahead with its aggressive plans to move users on its Messenger instant-messaging service to Skype.

Late last year, officials said to expect Microsoft to retire Messenger in all countries in the first quarter of 2013 with the exception of mainland China. The new timetable is slightly lengthier, but not much.

Officials are now saying they plan to discontinue Messenger for a "test group" comprising about one percent of the installed base of "tens of millions" on March 15. Starting April 8, Microsoft will begin phasing out Messenger for the remaining users, starting with … Read more

Skype breaks records, traffic grows by 44 percent

Microsoft's Skype is making some serious headway into the international phone traffic scene. New data (PDF) from telecom market research firm TeleGeography shows that Skype broke records in 2012 by hosting the same amount of calls as one third of the world's phone traffic.

International phone traffic typically grows slowly, for example in 2012 it increased by 5 percent to 490 billion minutes. However, voice and messaging call apps are growing at a breakneck pace. Skype voice and video traffic grew 44 percent to 167 billion minutes in 2012. This increase is more than twice that of all … Read more

Questions remain about Nvidia's traction in mobile

Nvidia has pretty strong ambitions for its Tegra mobile chip business, but the operations still aren't enough to move the needle for the company.

Nvidia today reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that were better than analysts expected, and its revenue for the period ended January 27 was in line with its earlier projection. However, Nvidia's revenue forecast for the current quarter -- $940 million, plus or minus 2 percent -- was less than the $1.07 billion analysts had been expecting.

"The guide clearly isn't all that great for them...and a part of that is definitely … Read more

Skype 6.2 arrives for Windows, Mac

Microsoft's Skype team today rolled out two new updates, both labeled as version 6.2, for Windows and Mac.

The Windows version includes a redesigned top toolbar that brings together main actions, like calling phones, creating groups, and adding contacts. It also includes "eGifting," or the ability to send Skype credits to users on their birthday which the recipients can use anytime.

Another feature in the Skype 6.2 for Windows release includes the option to send an instant message using ctrl+enter. This version drops support for PCs using Intel Pentium 3 or similar CPUs which … Read more

Surface Pro as a gaming rig? It's ready and able

Microsoft's new Intel-powered tablet isn't being advertised as a gaming platform, but maybe it should.

The Surface Pro handles Diablo III and Portal 2 at near-maximum settings, according to a post by Jason Evangelho at Forbes.com.

Gamers "represent an important -- and arguably sizable -- potential demographic for Microsoft. As the company knows from its wildly successful Xbox platform," he wrote.

At the moment, Microsoft is marketing Surface as a business tool, with no mention of its gaming chops.

The closest it gets is ad copy about Intel's laptop-class Core i5 processor and the … Read more

BlueStacks brings a boatload of Android apps to the Surface Pro

Hunting around the Windows store for your favorite apps can sometimes be a sad and demoralizing experience, particularly if you just dropped about a grand for that slick new Surface Pro from Microsoft.

Enter the startup BlueStacks on its multicolored digital steed prepared to liberate the Surface with its Android app player, shouting "Freedom!" at the top of its lungs a la Mel Gibson in "Braveheart."

Actually, you can just download a version of the BlueStacks App Player optimized for the Surface Pro that was just released today, but I do recommend at least donning a bit of blue war paint before clicking to make for a more memorable experience.… Read more

Could Dell boost its takeout bid by 10 percent to $15 a share?

Dell's plans to go private haven't pleased all of its shareholders, but investment banking firm Jefferies believes the PC maker could win them over with a sweetened bid.

The firm says it's likely that Dell CEO and founder Michael Dell and partner Silver Lake, a private equity firm, will raise Dell's takeout bid by nearly 10 percent to $15 a share to "satisfy agitated shareholders."

"Our conversations with investors lead us to believe that most want a raised bid, but that they are also cognizant of the lack of competing bidders and of … Read more

Windows Live Mesh users must switch by Wednesday

Still using Windows Live Mesh? You won't be much longer.

Come Wednesday, the online storage and syncing service will draw its final breath, leaving Mesh users without a home. So, where can you go if you're currently using Mesh to back up, store, and synchronize your files?

A variety of online storage sites are available. Microsoft's SkyDrive is one obvious choice since it already offers some, but not all, of the features of Live Mesh.

How do you switch from Live Mesh to SkyDrive? And what are the potential pitfalls? Let's go through the process.

First, … Read more

Microsoft's next Patch Tuesday to fix 57 security bugs

Microsoft is deploying a larger bunch of bug fixes this month than usual.

Next week's Patch Tuesday will address 57 different security vulnerabilities through 12 separate updates.

The bugs stretch across a range of programs, including Windows, Internet Explorer, Windows Server, Microsoft Exchange, and Microsoft's .Net Framework.

Five of the 12 patches are rated critical, so they're designed to patch holes that could allow someone to execute malicious code on an unprotected PC. Two of the critical patches are aimed at all versions of Internet Explorer from 6 through 10. That means all current versions of Windows … Read more