BlackBerry creator pays big to go small: donates $100M to quantum computing and nanotech center

Research in Motion founder Mike Lazaridis, who created the BlackBerry smartphone, has donated $100 million to a new center pursuing radically small computing innovations.

Microsoft Research scoops up former Yahoo employees as it opens NYC lab

Microsoft is making a major expansion to its Research arm with the opening of a New York City lab.

With the move, Microsoft aims to tap into the fledging tech ecosystem of the city, one that is home to both …

Dylan’s Desk: You will soon be using a Kinect, even if you don’t have an Xbox

In Microsoft's vision of the future, Kinect sensors are everywhere: In your living room, your kitchen, at school, and even in the supermarket, above the fruit display.

And why not? The $150 motion-sensing device provides a cheap way to add gesture and voice controls to any application.

Vodafone plants roots in the Valley with Xone R&D Center

Vodafone, the world’s largest mobile carrier by revenue, is making its presence known in the U.S. today with the launch of its Xone research and development center in Silicon Valley.

The company isn’t gearing up to expand its network to …

A peek inside Microsoft’s invention factory

With Steve Jobs stepping down from the CEO job at Apple, it’s easy to overlook the computer industry’s other big invention factory: Microsoft.

While it’s not often regarded as a font of innovation, Microsoft actually devotes substantial resources — to …