James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
Microsoft bites at the heels of Google with a deal to bundle apps on Cyanogen OS
In yet another move in which Microsoft is attempting to bundle its apps on more Android devices, including yesterday’s news (albeit a setback) concerning Redomond’s apps being pre-installed on Samsung’s S6 phones, a new deal has just been struck with the open source Android build operating system Cyanogen. The move will see several of Microsoft’s apps and ...
Microsoft’s sweet deal with Samsung soured by AT&T and Verizon
We reported late March a partnership between Microsoft and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd that consisted of the latter company’s agreement to pre-install Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote), plus OneDrive and Skype, on Samsung’s Android tablets, as well as a previous agreement that entailed Samsung pre-installing OneNote, OneDrive and Skype on the new Galaxy S6 ...
Another big acquisition for Microsoft: business intelligence start-up Datazen
Coming on the back of a string of recent acquisitions, most recently productivity app LiveLoop and email app Accompli (Outlook for iOS), Microsoft has announced the acquisition of mobile business intelligence start-up Datazen Software. The move reflects CEO Satya Nadella’s strategy to “reinvent productivity”, and bolster Microsoft’s position in the fast-growing BI software market, all in line ...
Leaked Windows 10 Build 10056 shows some more of what to expect in the new OS – including a Shazam-esque music identifier
While Microsoft has stated that from now until the release of Windows 10 we are going to see plenty of updates for those using the Windows Insider Program, that included recently a look at an early version of Microsoft’s new browser ‘Project Spartan’, we are also seeing a number of private, unsupported leaked builds, the latest ...
Editing files in the cloud just got easier with Microsoft and Dropbox web integration
Microsoft Office Online and Dropbox, who formed a surprising, and very cozy partnership last year that made it possible to edit Dropbox files from Microsoft Office apps, and also access Microsoft Office docs in the Dropbox mobile app, have announced that from now on there will be integration between Dropbox on the web and Office ...
Ni hao dude! Skype real-time translator gets down with Italian and Mandarin
While we may have been a little sceptical as to how efficient real-time voice translation will become, due to the mind-boggling complexities of languages, it’s great tech companies are putting in the effort to overcome the many multi-lingual hurdles they face. Skype announced last December the release of the Skye Translator Preview and as a result of ...
Microsoft and Getty Images make-up after hardy battle and form new partnership
Microsoft and Getty Images might have been fighting it out for the last few months in court, but as the dust has settled it seems the two companies have made-up nicely and even formed a new partnership. If you didn’t know the dispute started when last September Getty Images filed a lawsuit against the Redmond company ...
Bill Gates reminisces and looks to the future on Microsoft’s 40th birthday
Does life begin at 40? For Microsoft perhaps not, as the company has had it fair share of pinnacles, but there is no doubt as it enters middle age there seems to be an emergence of new ideas and innovations coming out of Redmond. Microsoft was born, April 4th, 1975, and it soon became the ...
Microsoft releases preview for Android and iPhones of the handy scanner you can fit in your pocket: Office Lens
Microsoft today announced its new OneNote app, Office Lens, a useful little OneNote app that works with your phone’s camera. The app basically works as a kind of scanner, helping you to take snaps of things like menus or business cards, making the text visible and clear, and then you can save to OneNote with ...
Microsoft ditches Xbox branding in its new music and video preview apps for Windows 10
Microsoft announced that Windows Insiders can now try music and video apps for PC, available as a download here (music) and here (Video) from the Windows Store as long as you are already part of the Windows 10 Technical Preview 10 (10049). Notably Microsoft is no longer using the Xbox name for its music and video apps, ...