Steve Ballmer

Skype's Acquisition of GroupMe Gives Microsoft A Social Life

Skype plans to acquire popular group-messaging service GroupMe for a rumored $85 million. But more important than how GroupMe will benefit Skype is how it will benefit Microsoft, which is in the process of acquiring Skype for $8.5 billion.READ»

The Mark Zuckerberg Booted From Facebook And Other Dot-Com-Onyms

In light of Mark S. Zuckerberg losing his Facebook page, we examine some of the regular (or not-quite-regular) folk who share names with the titans of tech innovation. Which Bill Gates--the famous billionaire, or the other one--do you think has a tougher time of it?READ»

Smartphone Losers Microsoft And RIM Forge Sizzle-Free Union

Bing just took over maps and search on your BlackBerry as part of Microsoft's crazy-quilt strategy to gain a toehold in the smartphone game. But fallen giant RIM makes for an odd partner. READ»

Microsoft Launches Office 365, Bringing Millions Into the Cloud

Microsoft is bundling a bunch of its business applications into a single, easy-to-buy package. It's the latest indication that our software will soon live in the cloud, not on our computers.READ»

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer Rails on "Extreme" Business Piracy in China

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer has lashed out at rampant software piracy in China, and he's being specific: Its Chinese businesses who're the big culprits. MS is working with the government to stamp it out, and bring the dollars rolling back.READ»

Bury My Heart at Conference Room B: Sweat Time at Microsoft

"You just did a very bad thing," said Bill Gates, reacting to a presentation of Stan Slap's suggestions. In this excerpt from his upcoming book, "Bury My Heart at Conference Room B," consultant Stan Slap relates how Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and a room full of Microsoft execs loved and loathed the concept of leading with your values.READ»

Analyzing Steve Ballmer's Language: He "Thinks" a "Lot" About "Things"

Steve Ballmer's a famously eccentric public speaker, and apparently this even extends to presentations at Microsoft's annual financial analyst meeting. We've looked at his language for you. And it's... interesting.READ»

iCensus

Who matters in Apple nation.READ»

• Apple Nation

Steve Ballmer Language Analysis: He's A "People" Person Too

Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer and Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie just finished speaking at the All Things D D8 conference. In the spirit of fair comparison, we did some thinking about their language, just as we did for Steve Jobs ...READ»

Microsoft Needs Bill Gates Back

Steve Ballmer needs to be replaced as Microsoft CEO ... by Bill Gates. Farhad Manjoo explains why.READ»

Today in Most Innovative Companies

Daily news of note about our Most Innovative Companies, including Intel, Facebook, Microsoft, and Alstom.READ»

Windows Mobile 7 to Be Unveiled to the World, Except Holidaying Americans

It looks like Microsoft is all set to finally reveal Windows Mobile 7, long-awaited cure to the ills of all the earlier WinMo OSes. The action's due to happen at Mobile World Congress on Monday. When no one in the U.S. will care. ...READ»

Microsoft Announces New "Chief Creative Officer" Position

The software behemoth appoints a 13-year veteran to a new position, meant to oversee ad relationships.READ»

After Microsoft's CES Non-Event, All Eyes Are Back on Apple

Microsoft's big CES keynote, which was hotly tipped as a reveal for the impressive Courier slate PC, was actually just a luke-warm Windows 7 promo. And that has one big result: The tech world is now waiting on Apple. Among other ...READ»

What Did Microsoft's CES Keynote Reveal? Not the Courier Slate PC

Steve Ballmer had a lot to say about Windows 7 during his keynote address at the start of CES 2010, and gave a sneak peek at the swanky machines it is--and will be--running on. And that's about all he did. From a techy-consumer's ...READ»

Microsoft Bing: The Worst-Designed Logo of 2009?

What makes the Microsoft logo so bad, according to branding boffins.READ»

Windows 7 Gets Its Big Day

It's October 22,2009. It's Windows 7 Day! You can bet that many a PC user can barely contain their excitement about the opportunity to upgrade from XP and consign Vista to history's dustbin. Microsoft's got a suite of events and ...READ»

Microsoft Phone and Tablet En Route: Riding Apple's Coattails?

We've covered bits and bobs about Microsoft's "Project Pink" Zune smartphone before, but the device since disappeared from the news. It's back again, matched with exciting rumors of an MS Tablet PC. Doesn't this all sound familiar?READ»

Binghoo Update: Has the Marriage Been Called Off?

We thought it was a done deal: Yahoo and Microsoft were cosying up together, with Bing superceding Yahoo's own search engine. Now there's news Yahoo may let users choose which engine runs on their pages. What's going on?This data has ...READ»

Sony Exec Confirms PS3 Motion Control in Spring

Sony's Computer Entertainment head Kazuo Hirai has been speaking to the media about his company's gaming plans, and one little nugget slipped out: The PS3 Motion Controller is due next year. Is Xbox 360 beginning to lose to the ...READ»