Microsoft Windows Cloud Computing News & Information | Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows

Jan. 10, 2013

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Skype 6.1 for Windows Adds Outlook Integration 14

Microsoft today released a beta version of Skype 6.1 for Windows (desktop), which adds integration with Microsoft Outlook 2013 or 2010, including presence, instant messaging, and click to call support....More
Jan. 10, 2013

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Skype Switcher Tip: Use Compact View 18

If you’re currently using Windows Live Messenger and are not too thrilled about the pending forced switch to Skype, you’re not alone. But there are a few things you can do to make Skype a more palatable—and Windows Live Messenger-like—experience. And the first thing you should do is enable Skype’s Compact View....More
Jan. 9, 2013

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SkyDrive.com Updated with Improved Sharing, Touch, and Drag and Drop 7

Microsoft this week provided a nice update to the SkyDrive web interface, SkyDrive.com, adding better support for sharing, touch-enabled devices, and drag and drop. This update follows a string of previous updates to the web service over the past several months....More
Jan. 9, 2013

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Microsoft to Kill Messenger on March 15 27

I had just heard from a source close to Microsoft that the impending death of Windows Live Messenger was perhaps a bit more serious than I had thought, and that the firm wouldn’t just be updating the software but would in fact be requiring users to stop using it. And now it’s official: Microsoft will shutter Windows Live Messenger and the Messenger service on March 15 and require customers to use Skype instead....More
Jan. 9, 2013

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Google Drops ITC Patent Infringement Claims Against Microsoft

In the wake of a back room agreement with the US Federal Trade Commission and what appeared to be an ever-escalating series of battles with Microsoft, Google abruptly and unexpected dropped its patent infringement claims against the software giant this week. Part of Google’s agreement with the FTC involved the standard-essential patents involved in the Microsoft case....More
Jan. 8, 2013

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Is Google Good Enough for IT?

Last week, Google successfully fooled the Federal Trade Commission into believing that it has somehow benefitted consumers by promoting its own services over those of competitors. The FTC wrist slap was quite a reversal of the Microsoft antitrust ruling from a decade earlier in which the software giant’s bundling of IE in Windows was declared illegal. And although I won’t bore you with my opinions about Google’s competitive practices, I do think this decision has some ramifications for all of us going forward....More
Jan. 4, 2013

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WinInfo Short Takes: January 4, 2013

An often irreverent look at this week's other news, including a Google antitrust victory against the ineffectual FTC, EU regulators present themselves as the world’s last chance for reigning in Google before it’s too late, one silver lining for Microsoft in Google victory, Yelp decries its missed opportunity, stating the obvious about Windows 8 market/usage share, Samsung to cripple Apple in smart phone market in 2013, and Google’s chairman heads off to sell ads to the North Koreans....More
Jan. 3, 2013

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Google Makes Small Changes to Avoid US Antitrust Charges

After a 19 month investigation of Google’s business practices, the US Federal Trade Commission did what it does best, caving to the online advertising monopoly and accepting a handful of small behavioral changes instead of forging ahead with formal antitrust charges. As was the case with Microsoft previously, we’ll need to wait for the US Department of Justice to step in before we see more stringent remedies against the firm....More
Jan. 2, 2013

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Windows 8 Tip: Pin the Facebook Web App 7

In some ways, this tip is kind of a bonbon, a lightweight trifle in the sense that it’s fairly obvious. But if you’re bemoaning the lack of a native Metro-style app for Facebook, your best alternative may be to skip the Facebook support in the People app and just use Facebook’s web experience....More
Dec. 30, 2012

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Amazon Book: Amazon Cloud Player for Web 0.2 2

While I’ve decided to focus on Windows Phone 8 for a full-length book and Xbox Music for a new mini-book, I figured I should at least finish what I started with the Amazon Cloud Player for Web chapter/mini-book. Here’s the first draft....More
Dec. 30, 2012

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Tech Resolutions to Consider for 2013 46

When you love this stuff as much as I do, technology is both the journey and the reward. But in deference to the needs of readers, who hopefully aren’t sitting in a “Sanford and Son”-like disaster like that in my office, I try to preach pragmatism. And taking stock of my own regularly-used technologies, I’m ready to make some changes again in 2013. Here are a few you might consider for yourself....More
Dec. 26, 2012

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Windows 8/RT App Pick: SlapDash Podcasts 16

We may never see this podcast support appear directly from Microsoft via an Xbox-branded app, but given the high quality of SlapDash Podcasts, and it’s paid but inexpensive sibling, SlapDash Podcasts Pro—which costs just $1.99 and is advertising free—we may never need such an app....More
Dec. 22, 2012

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Amazon Book: Amazon Cloud Player for Web 0.1 3

Last week, I wrote about the slow progress I’ve been making on Windows Phone Book, a massive, free book that I’m creating as a gift for the Windows Phone community. But I have ideas about other, shorter books. Here’s a peek at one of them....More
Dec. 19, 2012

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Microsoft Offers Outlook.com and Office 365 in Wake of Google Decision 33

In the wake of Google’s decision to “Scroogle” Windows 8 and Windows Phone users by removing support for standard Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) from free versions of Gmail and Google Calendar starting in early 2013, Microsoft is offering up its own Outlook.com and Office 365 accounts as alternatives. Both offerings have advantages: Outlook.com is free and easy to use, while Office 365 is powerful and enterprise-ready, and will soon come in versions that offer Office 2013 applications. But Microsoft still needs to address this issue with a real solution....More
Dec. 19, 2012

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Google Gets an Antitrust Holiday Reprieve from US, EU

According to various reports, separate US and European Antitrust investigations of Google will not wrap up until January. Both investigations were previously expected to conclude this month....More
Dec. 19, 2012

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Google Play Music Adds Matching Service in the US 10

Following in the footsteps of Apple and Amazon, Google has added a music matching service to Google Play Music for customers in the US, a few weeks after the service debuted in Europe. But this matching service has one big advantage over iTunes Match and Amazon Cloud Player Premium: It’s free....More
Dec. 18, 2012

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Microsoft's Cloud Future: Maker of Devices and Services

With the launch season for Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, Windows Phone 8, and Microsoft Surface finally behind us, I’m looking ahead to 2013 and the next steps in Microsoft’s bold transformation from software giant to, in its words, a maker of devices and services. The firm is often derided for not moving quickly enough—to be honest, I’ve taken a few spins on that bandwagon myself—but that’s certainly not the case now. Indeed, I’m wondering whether Microsoft’s customers are moving in the same direction, let alone at the same speed....More
Dec. 18, 2012

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Windows 8 Feature Focus: SkyDrive App 8

As with similar mobile apps for Android, iPhone, and iPad, the SkyDrive app for Windows 8 presents a friendly, full-screen interface for viewing, uploading, downloading, and searching for your files on SkyDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service. But unlike those other apps, SkyDrive for Windows 8 also integrates with the underlying OS and with other Metro-style apps....More
Dec. 16, 2012

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Facebook 4 for Windows Phone 8 13

I noticed a wonderful little surprise last night: Microsoft has updated the Facebook app for Windows Phone to version 4.0. And while the new app works on all Windows Phone versions, Windows Phone 8 users are in for a special treat: This app suddenly runs quite quickly....More
Dec. 14, 2012

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Google Throws Down the Gauntlet, Kills EAS Support 70

There’s posturing and then there’s outright war. And make no mistake, Google just declared war on Microsoft....More
Dec. 14, 2012

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What I Use: Google Products and Services 22

I regularly get emails from readers who are trying to find replacements for various Google services. And though I understand this desire, the truth is that certain Google products and services simply don’t have viable alternatives. So while I did successfully migrate from Gmail to Microsoft's Outlook.com, I still use some Google offerings regularly. They’re just indispensable....More
Dec. 14, 2012

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WinInfo Short Takes: December 14, 2012

An often irreverent look at this week's other news, including Julie Larson-Green’s coming out party, Norad’s decision to Scroogle Google and use Bing instead, Microsoft makes Windows Phone app OK’ers work through the holidays, a Nokia engineer should lose his job, Microsoft goes for the adult apps market, Microsoft confirms its commitment to Do Not Track, Dell abandons Android and backs Windows, the pope tweets, and Microsoft should diss Google....More
Dec. 13, 2012

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When Clouds Die: Microsoft Will Retire Live Mesh in Early 2013 20

Microsoft announced today that it will be retiring its Live Mesh PC-to-cloud and PC-to-PC sync service on February 13, 2013. This move was long expected, as Microsoft has since replaced this utility with the superior SkyDrive desktop application....More
Dec. 13, 2012

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Amazon Spreads Its Ecosystem 9

Those who wish to invest in the Amazon ecosystem—which includes Kindle books, Audible audiobooks, MP3 music purchases and a cloud player, streaming, purchasable, and rentable movies, streaming and purchasable TV shows, Android apps, and more—will get the best experience with one of the firm’s Kindle Fire HD devices. But Amazon’s secret plan is to make its ecosystem services available universally on competing devices and platforms as well. And this week, it took further steps towards that future....More
Dec. 13, 2012

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Google Disses Windows 8 and Windows Phone, Ships Maps for iPhone 30

After releasing a surprising decent Search app for Windows 8, advertising giant Google has apparently put on the brakes and says it won’t release further apps for Windows 8, or for Windows Phone for that matter. But it’s investing heavily in Apple iOS....More