Microsoft beats the Street with record Q2 revenues of $20.9B

Software titan Microsoft beat Wall Street expectations with record second quarter revenues of $20.9 billion, a 5 percent increase from the same quarter last year.

“We delivered solid financial results, even as we prepare for a launch year that will accelerate many of our key products and services,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, in a statement. “Coming out of the Consumer Electronics Show, we’re seeing very positive reviews for our new phones and PCs, and … Continue Reading

The coolest technology and moments from CES 2012 (slideshow)

Last week, four VentureBeat reporters and our videographer braved the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. They covered 1.861 million square feet of show floor, visited many of the 3,100 exhibitors, and sorted through the 20,000 new products that were launched at the event to find the most interesting stories and gadgets.

They also took a lot of photographs. Here are some of our favorite images and finds from the CES 2012 floor, including … Continue Reading

Sony exec confirms no PlayStation 4 at this year’s E3

The next generation of Sony’s PlayStation console will not be seen at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, according to Sony Representative CEO and Executive Deputy President Kazuo Hirai.

Hirai confirmed there will be no announcement about the PlayStation 4 during a roundtable discussion at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, according to the Wall Street Journal, shooting down a previous rumor that Sony and Microsoft would be bringing their new hardware to E3 … Continue Reading

Zendesk launches Windows Phone app to support more cloud-based call centers

Customer help desk management service Zendesk has launched a Windows Phone application to continue helping small businesses with communications support, the company announced this morning.

Zendesk made our list of “Top 10 disruptive cloud companies we’re excited about” because it helps small and medium-size companies create on-demand help desks and cloud-based call centers. The company’s mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and Android are already helping businesses compete with much bigger players, and now it … Continue Reading

WTF CES: Choir sings sweet tweets at Ballmer keynote (video)

Well, that was unexpected.

A choir came out and started singing a few tweets during Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show today.

You could call it an ode to CES from Microsoft, since this will be the last CES where the software giant will have a major presence. It’s certainly an interesting way for Microsoft to pimp some favorable tweets about its products.

Our favorite: “Somebody call Eddie Murphy and Arsenio … Continue Reading

Xbox 360 surpasses 66M sold and Kinect passes 18M units

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said tonight that the Xbox 360 video game console has sold more than 66 million units since it was launched in 2005. In his final keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show, Ballmer said that the Xbox Live online gaming and entertainment service now has more than 40 million users, and he said Microsoft has sold more than 18 million Kinect motion-sensing systems.

Those numbers are impressive and they reflect a … Continue Reading

Ballmer promotes a reimagined Windows 8 in his final keynote speech

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer gave his final keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show today, promoting the “reimagined” Windows 8 operating system launching later this year.

The software uses Microsoft’s Metro user interface from the Windows Phone platform, and it brings Windows up to date for the era of apps, touchscreens, and pretty new user interfaces. In that sense, Ballmer believes it will fend off competition from rivals such as Google’s Android and Apple’s … Continue Reading

CES 2012 to be one of the biggest tech trade shows ever, with Ultrabooks and startups galore

Putting recession fears behind it, the Consumer Electronics Show coming in January looks like it’s going to be one of the biggest in history.

The biggest U.S. tech trade show (officially called the 2012 International CES) will draw an estimated 149,000 attendees to Las Vegas this year, about the same number as attended in January 2011 and not far from the record of 152,000 set in 2006. The big deal will be the Ultrabook, a … Continue Reading

Microsoft pulls out of 2013 Consumer Electronics Show

Microsoft said today that this year will be the last for chief executive Steve Ballmer to deliver the opening keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show.

This is a big milestone in the history of the big tech show, where Microsoft has been a part of the experience for attendees for a very long time. It is a changing of the guard in the tech industry.

Jason Oxman, senior vice president at the Consumer Electronics Association, … Continue Reading

The making of the Xbox: Microsoft’s journey to the next generation (part 2)

Update: Don’t like page breaks? This two-part series is now available as an e-book for the Amazon Kindle.

Editor’s note: This story is the second of two pieces on the 10th anniversary of the launch of Microsoft’s Xbox video game console, which debuted Nov. 15, 2001. The narrative is based on recent interviews as well as my two books: Opening the Xbox: Inside Microsoft’s Plan to Unleash an Entertainment Revolution, published in 2002; and The … Continue Reading

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

What killed Microsoft’s Courier tablet? A lack of creative vision

I can’t help but sigh whenever I hear more details about Microsoft’s ill-fated Courier tablet.

The latest tidbits on the Courier debacle come from CNet’s Jay Greene, who interviewed 18 current and former Microsoft execs, along with others working on the project, to give us our most complete look at why the innovative project was killed off.

Before the first iPad was announced, the gadget site Gizmodo reported that Microsoft was working on a tablet … Continue Reading

Ballmer: Kinect platform will highlight new era of innovation, openness

Speaking at the Web 2.o Summit today Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that the Kinect, the motion-sensitive camera for the Xbox 360 game console, is going to be at heart of rush of innovation.

“You’re going to see a range of important innovation that will be coming to Kinect on the XBox this holiday season,” said Ballmer. Today Microsoft announced a partnership with Sesame Street to use the Kinect to engage young television viewers, and … Continue Reading

Ballmer: “We’ve picked our play” in social with Skype deal

Steve Ballmer, chief executive of Microsoft, said in a very loud conversation with co-host John Battelle at the Web 2.0 Summit that his company has made a big bet on social through both Skype and Xbox Live. Ballmer used his signature booming voice to hammer home his points in a comical conversation.

Microsoft hasn’t launched what some people expected it to do: a social network that competes with the likes of Facebook or Twitter. Ballmer … Continue Reading

Microsoft completes $8.5B Skype acquisition

Skype is now officially a part of Microsoft. The software giant announced today that it has completed its $8.5 billion purchase of the video chat company.

Now that the deal — Microsoft’s biggest yet — is official, Skype CEO Tony Bates will become president of the Skype Division at Microsoft, reporting directly to CEO Steve Ballmer. Skype will still have employees located all over the world — including Russia, Sweden, and the UK — but … Continue Reading