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Microsoft asks US Attorney General to intervene on security disclosures, denies assisting with NSA interceptions
Microsoft sits between a rock and a hard place when it comes to privacy -- it can't reveal more about FISA requests, but it's also accused of assisting with NSA eavesdropping. The company is trying to settle both matters today, starting with a call on the US Attorney General for help. Microsoft hasn't had a response to its June 19th request to publish aggregate security request data, and it wants the Attorney General to directly intervene by legalizing these disclosures. The government official hasn't publicly acknowledged the request so far, although we weren't expecting an immediate answer. At the same time, Microsoft is expanding its denials of The Guardian's recent reporting that it facilitates large-scale NSA snooping. Along with insisting once more that it only offers specific information in response to legal requests, the firm claims that its supposedly eavesdrop-friendly actions were innocuous. Microsoft was only moving Skype nodes in-house rather than simplifying the NSA's access to audio and video chats, for example. It's doubtful that the public position will completely reassure doubters given the veils of secrecy surrounding the NSA and its collaborators, but the crew in Redmond at least has a full statement on record.
Microsoft reportedly eased NSA access to Outlook.com, SkyDrive and Skype
Tech firms say they aren't giving the NSA direct access to their servers, but that might not even be necessary. The Guardian reports that Microsoft, at least, is making it easy to snoop on services from the outside. Documents provided by Edward Snowden claim that Microsoft helped the NSA bypass Outlook.com chat encryption, even before the product launched; reportedly, it also simplified PRISM access to both SkyDrive and Skype conversations. The company denies offering any kind of carte blanche access, however, and insists that it only complies with specific, legal requests. Whether or not that's true, we can only know so much when Microsoft is limited in what it can say on the subject.
Microsoft shutting down MSN TV this September
Just after celebrating the service's sweet 16th, Microsoft has announced it will be shutting down MSN TV on September 30th. To help ease the transition, Redmond is offering current subscribers free access to MSN Premium through December 31st. After that, customers will have to pay the standard rate of $10 per month or $90 per year. Naturally, the modern service isn't compatible with MSN TV's defunct hardware -- save it for your makeshift Linux cluster. Users will have to switch their email addresses to Outlook accounts and copy any saved content (bookmarks, Scrapbook photos, et cetera) to SkyDrive before September if they want to access it in the future. Of course, folks that miss the WebTV experience still have other equally unwieldy options. The shut-down was inevitable, but we can't help feeling at least a little nostalgic for the service's 640 x 480 view of the web.
BSkyB wins trademark case against Microsoft over SkyDrive name
While many can tell the difference between Sky TV services and Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud storage, that's not necessarily true for everyone. A British court certainly thinks there's room for confusion: it has ruled that SkyDrive infringes BSkyB's trademarks on the Sky name in both the UK and the European Union. The presiding judge didn't believe that Microsoft's use of the "sky" prefix was absolutely necessary, and she showed evidence that at least some of the general public didn't understand which company made what. Microsoft says it plans to appeal the verdict, although there's no guarantee that it will have to relabel SkyDrive if the appeal falls through. Some past trademark lawsuits have led to fines instead of name changes, and we suspect Microsoft would rather pay out than lose brand recognition across a whole continent.
SkyDrive Pro apps now available for iOS and Windows 8
Consumer apps for Microsoft's consumer cloud storage solution have been available for some time, but the enterprise version, SkyDrive Pro, now has a duo of applications up for grabs, too. iOS and Windows 8 users can now snag free downloads from the Windows Store and App Store, respectively, letting you take content offline, organize files, and upload and share on the go.
Microsoft gives students 3GB additional Skydrive storage for one year
There are plenty of cloud storage options out there which offer some initial amount of free space -- including Dropbox (2GB), Google Drive (5GB 15GB), Box (5GB) and Microsoft Skydrive (7GB). While these services usually provide additional free storage via referrals and special deals (bundled with device purchases for example), Microsoft is doing something different with Skydrive by gifting students an extra 3GB of free space for one year. If you have a valid .edu email address you can visit the URL below to receive a free storage code. The offer is limited to one per person and the code must be redeemed before December 31st 2013. It's unclear what happens to your data after the year's over but it presumably remains available in read-only form. Considering the price of tuition, this deal isn't quite as juicy as getting 100GB of free space for two years on Google Drive with the purchase of a Chromebook -- still it's a no brainer. Update: To be clear, Google's now offering 15GB of free storage shared between GMail, Google+ photos and Google Drive. Also, Google Apps for Education provides 30GB of free space for these services.
SkyDrive update brings photo timeline, more efficiency-minded features
Perhaps to celebrate passing the 250 million user mark, SkyDrive is rolling out an update which introduces some nifty time-saving features. Now, you'll be able to view all your photos -- across folders and albums -- in a timeline view, with images grouped by event and date for easy searching. There are also filmstrip and slideshow modes, and, according to Microsoft's Inside SkyDrive blog, photo-upload times have been improved at least twofold. The update brings a few other goodies too: full-resolution camera uploads for all Windows Phone 8 devices worldwide, and new thumbnails for PowerPoint and Word files. The update will begin rolling out today and should make its way to all users within 48 hours.
SkyDrive celebrates 250 million users
Microsoft's celebrating a rather important milestone for SkyDrive: 250 million users, with 50 million of those signing up in just the last seven months since the debut of Windows 8. With the cloud storage service being so tightly integrated into Microsoft's new OS, it's no surprise that its popularity has started to skyrocket. And, with recent upgrades to the platform, it's becoming an increasingly viable alternative to competitors like Dropbox, Google Drive, Box and SugarSync. To commemorate the milestone, Microsoft has a nice self-congratulatory infographic at the source filled with all sorts of fun stats about Redmond and its favored file-syncing system.
Microsoft finishes migrating Hotmail users to Outlook.com, adds direct SkyDrive sharing
When Microsoft took Outlook.com public, it also took on the rather daunting task of moving 300 million-plus Hotmail accounts over to the more modern infrastructure without drawing our wrath. However you feel about the new interface, that transition is at last complete: Outlook.com is now the sole front end for the over 400 million people who use Microsoft's free email services. Both Hotmail.com addresses and Hotmail Plus accounts will keep working despite the switch, the company says. To mark the occasion, Microsoft is launching two significant upgrades. It's adding tighter SkyDrive integration that lets users attach files directly from their SkyDrive accounts, including optimized photo attachments. Those who rely on email aliases will also like that Microsoft has finally let us choose an SMTP server to send messages from non-Outlook addresses without revealing the true source -- we won't have to put up with "on behalf of" tags any longer. Both features are rolling out today.
Microsoft SkyDrive 3.0 update finally makes it into the App Store
In December of 2012, we reported on how Apple was delaying updates to Microsoft's SkyDrive iOS app over a dispute on whether or not Apple should receive its customary 30 percent cut on storage plans purchased through the app. Well, apparently the bickering couple has kissed and made up, as the SkyDrive 3.0 update is now available in the App Store. So what's in the long-awaited update? A lot. Microsoft updated the app to support the iPad mini and the iPhone 5. It's now possible to download full-resolution photos to your iOS device. And the Redmond kids have improved support for opening SkyDrive files in other iOS apps as well as for uploading files to SkyDrive from those other apps. Microsoft also adds that app icons and visuals have been updated, and other bug fixes finally made it to the patient throngs.
Microsoft updates SkyDrive for iOS to v3.0, touts support for more devices and revamped user experience
It's been quite a few months since Microsoft touched the SkyDrive application on Apple's mobile platform, but today, after some well-documented delays, the company's finally delivering an update to its iOS offering -- a pretty hefty one, no less. Included in this new version is, most notably, added support for the iPhone 5 and iPad mini, while a refreshed overall user experience, new app icons and enhanced saving options are also in tow with this release. In addition to these tidbits, SkyDrive will now allow iDevice users to easily grab their full-res photos from within the app, as well as determine the size of uploaded and downloaded picture files. Better yet, the long-overdue update just went live in the App Store, so it's about that time for Redmond's cloud surfers to savor what they'd been patiently waiting for.
SkyDrive now hosting over a billion Office files, adds editing without Microsoft login
Microsoft's cloud storage service SkyDrive has hit a significant numerical landmark: over a billion Office documents are now hosted on it. To celebrate, Redmond has made is a little easier to edit files using Office Web Apps -- you no longer need to sign in using a Microsoft account (unless the sharing party wants you to), so if you've got the right link, you can start tweaking with minimal fuss. A billion Office files sounds like a big number, but we'd really like the details of how many users that's spread over. As many as DropBox? Who knows.
CE-Oh no he didn't!: Steve Ballmer calls Dropbox 'a fine little startup'
Microsoft is no stranger to industry flak, but it's always better to give than to receive, right? Steve Ballmer thinks so, and in a recent Bloomberg interview, he took a second away from talking up the new Office 2013 to smite Dropbox, saying that the 100 million users it boasts "sounds like a pretty small number to me." He recovered slightly by adding "I'm not beating on Dropbox," only to follow it with the finishing blow: "They're a fine little startup and that's great." We doubt anyone else would call Dropbox a startup at this point, but Microsoft's chief can't be seen complimenting a SkyDrive rival now, can he? After having to defend the user stats for Redmond's Yammer, he was also quizzed on the undying native Office for iPad rumor, to which he had "nothing to say," apart from "we'll see what we see in the future." If these snippets aren't quite enough, then head to the source link for the full interview. Ballmer may be a little less shouty these days, but it's good to know he's still capable of delivering the odd high-caliber burn.
Microsoft adds Live Tile support to SkyDrive on Windows 8 and RT
This is likely not the biggest change SkyDrive will ever see, but Microsoft's still confident that Windows 8 and RT users of its cloud service are going to benefit from the latest tweak. And why wouldn't they, right? Earlier today, the Redmond-based company announced it's brought support for Live Tiles to the SkyDrive application on both Windows 8 and RT, with its main purpose being to show notifications rather than only being useful for launching the app. Naturally, this means folks will now be able to see relevant messages within the tiles when they make certain account modifications, including things like adding new files and quick previews of recently uploaded pictures. According to Microsoft, the novel feature will be available today, but it is rolling out gradually, so fret not if you're not seeing it pop up just yet.
CloudOn outs v3.0: iPhone compatibility, optimization for 7-inch tablets and SkyDrive integration
Suffice it to say, CloudOn never quite stops polishing its iOS / Android productivity app, with the service often adding feature after feature and reaching more and more folks around the world -- with that in mind, today's update will be no exception. With the introduction of version 3.0, CloudOn's now bringing its handy Microsoft Office tools to the iPhone, marking this the first time the application will be available on any smartphone. In addition to making its debut on the smaller screen, CloudOn has also included optimization for 7-inch tablets like the ASUS-made Nexus 7 and the slightly larger iPad mini, while integration with Redmond's SkyDrive cloud and support for Mountain View's Jelly Bean OS can be found inside v3.0 as well. All in all, CloudOn's third major installment could very well be considered its most substantial yet -- and, according to CEO Millind Gadekar, there are no plans to slow down anytime soon, telling us that this is just another step toward the outfit's "mission of reinventing mobile productivity." Very well, then.
Microsoft dropping Windows Live Mesh on February 13th, steers us toward SkyDrive
We can't say that many of us used Windows Live Mesh, and Microsoft would presently agree when fewer than 25,000 people actively rely on its file and desktop sharing. Accordingly, it's marching the service out the door: Live Mesh users have until February 13th to sync for the last time and explore any substitutes. Microsoft is quick to point to SkyDrive and Remote Desktop Connection as the replacements, both of which should cover the same territory with a modern flair. We'd tend to agree, although anyone who's less than completely invested in the Windows ecosystem may want to peek over the fence at equivalents like Dropbox or Google Drive.
Apple, Microsoft at odds over SkyDrive on iOS
Just when you thought Apple and Microsoft had stopped fighting, this had to happen. The Next Web reports that Microsoft hasn't been able to update its SkyDrive iOS app since rolling out the ability for SkyDrive users to buy more storage space. Why? Because Microsoft refuses to pay Apple its 30 percent share of the in-app purchase for storage. Microsoft has a new version of the app ready to roll, complete with a bug fix. However, Apple isn't approving the new version due to Microsoft's reticence to pay the 30 percent cut. As TNW notes, if a user signed up for extra storage on their iOS device and then switched to a Windows Phone or Android smartphone down the road, Apple would still collect the 30 percent fee as the service billing goes through the App Store. The bottom line is that any service with a subscription option that isn't listed in the App Store will not be allowed. Microsoft has apparently been working to try to get a compromise approved by Apple, even offering to remove the subscription option from the app. The issue is even more widespread in the SkyDrive world than you'd think -- third-party developers of apps that interact with SkyDrive are having their apps rejected by Apple as well. This is similar to the issues we saw with Dropbox back in May of 2012. That situation seems to have been relaxed at this time since there's no way for Dropbox subscribers to ever purchase additional storage through iOS apps, so perhaps Apple will finally allow SkyDrive back into the store once the "Sign Up" button on its login page is removed.
Code hints Microsoft may add direct music playback to SkyDrive
Microsoft has been busy streamlining SkyDrive to make the most of our time in the cloud, but it hasn't yet cut out the middleman for audio playback; if a song wasn't obtained through a channel like Xbox Music, it won't play online in Microsoft's universe. LiveSide has made some code discoveries suggesting the storage service could at least partly remedy the problem with a web-based music player. We don't know much of how it would work, although the presence of interface elements hints that Microsoft is at least committed to development. The real dilemma is an absence of clues as to when (and if) playback will ever go live -- and there's nothing that would reveal whether or not SkyDrive is the heart of an upcoming option to upload personal tracks for Xbox Music streaming. If the music player mentions reflect more than just experimentation, however, the Redmond team may soon have a more direct answer to the likes of Amazon Cloud Player or Google Music.
Microsoft announces SkyDrive SDKs for .NET and Windows Phone 8, highlights web integration
After the introduction of new APIs last year, Microsoft has released SkyDrive SDKs for almost every major platform including Windows 8, JavaScript Web library, Android and iOS. Now the cloud service has opened its doors to more of Microsoft's own with new SDKs for .NET and of course, Windows Phone 8. To entice even more developers to its side, the team at SkyDrive also integrated with services like IFTTT (If This Then That), which lets you customize action triggers between different web services, DocuSign, an electronic signature site and SoundGecko, a text-to-audio transcription service. It'll likely take a lot of work for SkyDrive to win over fans of Dropbox and Box.net, but opening up its doors to developers is a step in the right direction.
Nokia Lumia 820 review: a less expensive option for the Windows Phone crowd
More Info Windows Phone 8 review Nokia Lumia 920 review Nokia Lumia 820 announced The Lumia 820 has been tucked away behind the shadow of its bigger brother ever since it was revealed, but if any phone represents the Windows Phone 8 vision -- different phones for different people -- it's this next-generation Lumia. Avoiding the unibody build of the rest of the family, this phone has an outer shell that's removable and can work with a range of cases: glossy, not-glossy, ruggedized and capable of wireless charging. It's a nice option, one that offers a taste of hardware customization before you've even started swiping around the Live Tiles and customizing the color schemes. Under the lid, there's a removable 1,650mAh battery, with access to expandable microSD storage. Other specs include 1GB of RAM, the same 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor used in the Lumia 920 and a 4.3-inch OLED 800 x 480 display, albeit with the same glove-courting super-sensitivity found on that other new Lumia. On AT&T, it'll be $50 upfront, half the outlay for the 920, while in the UK, it's priced SIM-free at £360 in the UK, again compared to £445 for the bigger model. At this reduced price, you won't get to sample Nokia's optical image stabilization, but you'll still get a Carl Zeiss lens paired with an 8-megapixel sensor. So there's some understandable drawbacks compared to Nokia's statement phone and its two greatest strengths, but how does Windows Phone 8 fare on a cheaper handset? Join us after the break as we see what 50 bucks less gets you.