Amazon has launched a new cloud-based email and calendaring service in a bid to tackle Microsoft’s dominant share of workplace communications. The e-commerce giant claims that the new service, called WorkMail , offers users a more simplified way for users to email, manage contacts, share calendars and book resources. It is compatible with client software like Outlook and provides end to end encryption for users.

Microsoft is continuing to move forward with Windows 10 which aims to draw customers from the business world that are still running Windows 7. The current code-named Spartan browser that will be released on Windows 10 will not be available through Microsoft on Windows 7. While Microsoft is placing a list of familiar features from Windows 7 into Windows 10, their official support for Windows 7 ended earlier this year and the announcement of Spartan not being available on the old operating system is a natural step forward.

“We’re going to take Android away from Google” said Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster. They’re going to have help, too. A new report from The Wall Street Journal (to whom the above comment was made) notes Microsoft is making a $70 million investment in Cyanogen Inc. It’s an interesting angle, as Microsoft already makes quite a bit of money in licensing fees with regard to Android, and has their own operating system in Windows (no longer Windows Phone for mobile). The investment still leaves Microsoft with a minority stake.

First Microsoft opened up Office to iOS and Android users, and now the company is adding its Outlook email service to the list of apps you can use on the two most popular mobile operating systems. The new Outlook app takes many cues from the Acompli app on which it is based to bring all your email together in one place, along with calendars, contact lists, and documents.

For too long it was the metaphorical unwanted litter of kittens tied in a sack just waiting for someone to ditch it in the river. Windows RT is dead, having enjoyed a cancer-ridden 'life' for longer than many people expected. Microsoft announced that it is no longer going to manufacture Surface devices, all but signing the death warrant for Windows RT.

Back in early January, Microsoft finally made the Office preview for Android tablets openly available for most owners of Android slates. But this week Microsoft comes back and unleashes the final tablet version for Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint.

To be able to install the Office suit on your Android tab, you’ll need your device to run Android 4.4 KitKat or later, which is supported by an ARM processor fitted with up to 1GB of RAM. Microsoft Office for Android Tablets is compatible with slates with 7-inch or larger screens.

Windows is at a crossroad. Microsoft needs to convince businesses and third-party app developers to adopt Windows 10. The software giant announced a range of new features and functions for the latest version of its flagship operating system (OS) at its Next Chapter event in Seattle on 21 January. In a move that will appeal to consumers and corporate IT managers alike, Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for the first year after its release for all users of Windows 7 and 8.

Microsoft today released the long-awaited consumer-centric preview of Windows 10, just two days after the company conducted a two-and-a-half-hour presentation that impressed analysts. "Hey #WindowsInsiders, who wants a new build today?" tweeted Gabriel Aul, the engineering general manager for Microsoft's operating system group, using a hash tag to describe the preview program's participants.

On Wednesday, Microsoft said that the Windows 10 upgrade would appear in "the next week."

Microsoft revealed earlier this week that Windows 10 will ship with a new browser, known as Spartan. The venerable Internet Explorer will still be around for enterprise duty and certain sites, but the new kid on the block is the one Microsoft wants you to embrace. But when it is Google's Chrome or Mozilla's Firefox that you have to leave behind, convincing you to jump ship is not going to be easy.

Spartan is clearly no Internet Explorer. It is designed from the ground up as a modern browser, that works well across multiple form factors. It will be found on all PCs, smartphones and tablets that ship with or are upgraded to Windows 10, which means that it, at least, will be readily available to test. But does it have what it takes to pass the test, and become your new favorite browser?

It was a very Windows day, with Microsoft unveiling lots more about Windows 10, the next generation of its operating system, including how it will work across mobile, tablet, desktop and other platforms. The biggest surprise was probably the new HoloLens augmented reality headset Microsoft created, and the Windows Holographic software it built to support said gadget. But there was more, too, so read on for a summary of everything you need to know about the event.

The biggest takeaway Microsoft is hoping to deliver this week, sources say, is that Windows 10 is built on a single, common "core" (known internally as "OneCore") that will work across a variety of devices, from phones, tablets, PCs, large-screen displays like the company's Perceptive Pixel multitouch-screen devices, and ultimately, Xbox. OneCore implies more than just the common kernel that Microsoft touted as part of its Windows 8/Windows Phone 8 stories. In addition to the OS kernel, OneCore also includes the dynamic link libraries (DLLs), application platform layer and other pieces of the operating system. Microsoft's pitch to developers with Windows 10 will be they can target the same core environment with their apps, and those "Universal" apps will work across a range of screen sizes. These apps will be available in a single store, rather than separate Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox stores.

We’re getting close to our Windows 10 media briefing next week and as promised – I’ve got the details for you on where to watch the live webcast. The live webcast will start once the event starts at 9am (Pacific) and you’ll be able to watch it here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows10story. An on-demand version will be available shortly after the event at the same link. We’re pretty excited about this event and to be able to talk about what’s next for Windows 10. You’ll hear directly from senior leaders from the Operating Systems Group including Terry Myerson, Joe Belfiore and Phil Spencer as well as our CEO Satya Nadella!

Microsoft has revealed release dates for three upcoming exclusive downloadable games for its Xbox consoles, with each title slated for release within three months. The first downloadable exclusive scheduled for 2015 is "ScreamRide," which will hit Xbox One and Xbox 360 on March 3. "ScreamRide" allows gamers to create their own rollercoasters in the near future, though it has a twist on similar games: The goal of the game's main mode is to scare riders nearly to death, while an alternative mode lets gamers destroy buildings with their rollercoasters. Frontier Developments, the team behind "Kinect Disneyland Adventures" and the Rollercoaster Tycoon series, is the developer of "ScreamRide."

Microsoft has announced today that Xbox Live Gold members can snag Sunset Overdrive for Xbox One at a 40 discount for a limited time. On top of that, new achievements are inbound, consisting of three new Buck National themed challenges with each achievement worth 25 gamerscore points.

Microsoft Research has been working on a proof-of-concept lamp that can charge your smartphone just by placing it on a table, or having it in the same room with the lamp. The lamp, called AutoCharge, would be fitted to the ceiling or incorporated in furniture or devices. It would feature a number of cameras that could detect a phone’s specific signal and location and it would then shine light on the device; the light could be either visible or infrared.

t’s only been a few months since Microsoft officially unveiled some of the features we can expect in Windows 10 to the world, but the software giant is now ready to talk specifics. On Wednesday, Microsoft is holding a special Windows 10 event at its company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. While we got an early look at the Windows 10 user interface in late September, Wednesday’s event will be a chance for the company to detail how Windows 10 will run across PCs, phones, tablets, and even its Xbox One gaming console.