A public ‘tech preview’ of the next version of Windows, codenamed Threshold, could apparently land as soon as next month, according to certain unnamed sources.

This version will almost certainly end up being called Windows 9 when it’s going to be released in spring 2015. Read more »

The Siri-dominating Cortana might be included in the final release of Windows 9. Microsoft’s virtual assistant has so far received a good deal of praise for its performance on Windows Phone 8.1.

According to a report from Neowin, Cortana has been upgraded from an engineering build to a more stable release cycle in the early builds of Windows 9. Read more »

Looks like Microsoft isn’t interested in taking the high road, and are launching a new set of PC vs Mac advertisements.

In the 3 ads, MS compares its Surface Pro 3 to the Macbook Air. Read more »

Microsoft’s next big Windows release, codenamed Threshold, but which will probably be called Windows 9, is set to drop yet another controversial feature introduced in Windows 8. We’re talking about the (in)famous Charms bar.

On a touchscreen device, this slides in from the right of the screen, and it’s reasonably easy to use (though not obvious that it’s there). If you’ve got a keyboard and mouse situation, however, you need to take your mouse pointer to either the top or bottom right side of your screen, let it hover there and then the bar “magically” appears. Read more »

Sure, your web browser might be secure, but the same cannot always be said for web plug-ins.

Well Microsoft has decided to do something about this security flaw, by adding greater protection against vulnerabilities found in browser plug-ins in Internet Explorer. Read more »

Microsoft is scheduling an update for Windows 8.1, but has unequivocally stated that it’s not going to be called “Update 2″, as rumors were suggesting. That’s because the company doesn’t want to wait longer in order to build a more comprehensive update pack, and strives to release the fixes and new features as soon as possible.

With that in mind, the not-Update 2 includes the usual set of security fixes in addition to some new features. The Start menu isn’t making its long-awaited return in this one, but rather in the upcoming Windows Threshold release. Read more »

When the Surface Pro 3 debuted, you were pretty much stuck with the Core i5 version of the device if you wanted to purchase one.

Well fret no more, as the Core i3 and i7 versions of the laptop/tablet/mobile computing device are on their way. Read more »

It may sound unlikely but some manufacturers of Windows 8 tablets are trying to bring the price fight to Android with $100 tablets. Back in June we saw the 8″ Emdoor EM-i8080 and now the Kingsing W8 enters the stage.

The Kingsing W8 is powered by a quad-core Intel Bay Trail-T processor clocked at 1.8GHz paired with Intel HD graphics. This is proper Windows 8 too, not the failed RT branch. Read more »

The Intel-powered full-Windows running Surface Pro 3 (which is pictured below) was made official by Microsoft back in May. Yet so far the Surface 2 with Windows RT hasn’t had a successor. That, however, may come in October, if a new rumor is to be believed.

Reportedly originating at a source inside a Taiwan-based supply chain maker, it claims we’ll see a new 10.6-inch Surface tablet this year. Read more »

Microsoft’s OneNote team has made its own ad, spoofing LMFAO’s Sexy and I Know It and transforming it into Click it an I Note it.

The video is not professionally made but it’s still fun to watch and does a good job of getting the attention the OneNote app wants. Underneath it all, the ad celebrates the fact that OneNote now has integration with the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Read more »

There have already been some leaks of the new Windows Start Menu that found their way online.

The newest reveal all but confirms the look of Microsoft’s upcoming Start Menu screen, corroborating what previous leaks have shown us. Read more »

Microsoft is now rolling out a minor software update to its Surface Pro 3. The patch comes to address the complaints about the Wi-Fi performance of the tablet.

The new update squashes all the driver-related bugs and improves the performance of the Wireless Network Controller and Bluetooth. Read more »

Skype has announced a new update today, and this one enables you to do free group video calls if you use a Windows tablet or a “2 in 1 device” (which presumably refers to convertible laptops).

You have to be running Windows 8.1 on your device, though, as Windows 8 isn’t supported. If you do qualify, however, using this feature seems to be very straightforward. Read more »

Microsoft has released a new video that show the Lumia 1020 in action, along with its various cloud services working together.

The video shows a guy trying to restore an old bike for his dad and how he uses Microsoft products to achieve that. We see the Lumia 1020, the Microsoft Surface Pro 3, OneDrive and even OneNote in action. Read more »

Chromebooks are doing well in the $200 computing arena, but it looks like Microsoft is trying to nip that in the bud.

A new line of cheap, Windows machines are going to be hitting the market, including a $199 HP laptop, called the Stream. Read more »