Microsoft has been on a roll lately, with government agencies and school districts making the move to Office 365. In an official blog post today, Microsoft announced that the Houston school district in Texas has made the move to Office 365 and Windows to improve education.

The Houston school district is the largest school district in Texas and the seventh largest in the US. The district is providing Office 365 to faculty and staff, and planning to roll it out to students at no additional cost using the Student Advantage benefit. 

On top of improving communication and collaboration across the district with Office 365, nearly 65,000 high school students will receive HP Elitebook Folio 9470m Ultrabooks running Windows 8 to further enhance personalized learning for students. This will happen once the devices have been fully implemented over the next three years.

“This deployment process was unique because teachers were given the opportunity to teach their students with just pen and paper during the first semester, and then see them the second half of the year on a digital platform,” said Lenny Schad, chief information technology officer at Houston Independent School District. “Teachers tell us that students are blowing them away; artistic, writing and other skills come out of the woodwork when you allow students their own path to learning.”

The school district is optimistic about the future and confident that students will gain new skills and experience new opportunities thanks to Windows and Office, ultimately boosting their path from graduation into college or a career.

“You can’t help but feel good when you see students’ faces as they open their laptops, or when you hear from parents and grandparents how grateful they are that this technology – something they’d never be able to afford on their own – has been provided, because it’s so important to their students’ futures and education,” Schad adds.

Zoho, as most of us know, is an award-winning solution that offers all the CRM modules and tasks you need to run your sales and marketing. Zoho announced today that they are partnering up with Microsoft, making available its Zoho Books accounting app for Windows 8.1 and Windows RT. Both companies will be working together on several development projects, focusing on building innovative and useful mobile applications. 

“Freelancers and small business owners who use Windows 8.1, can now effortlessly keep track of the two most important things of your business – receivables and expenditures. Yeah, we hear your sigh of relief! As a start to building the complete package, we’ve designed the app on a beautiful interface which makes these two financial imperatives incredibly easy. That’s not all; there’s a lot more you can do with the app,” said Harish, Marketing Analyst at Zoho Books and Zoho Invoice. 

Zoho President Raj Sabhlok mentioned to ZDnet that Microsoft approached them a year back to include its app to Windows 8. “We are meeting our customers where they are at,” Sabhlok pointed out. “This is a business decision for us, let’s go where the customer is going.”

It took about 4 months for Zoho to bring its Zoho Books to Windows 8. The company is planning on getting more Zoho apps to Microsoft’s platforms in the near future.

According to data from NetApplications, Windows XP has seen a slight decrease in market share as of May 2014, while Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are seeing a slight increase. Windows 7, on the other hand, has increased in share and has now surpassed 50%. Unfortunately, even though Windows XP has passed its end of support life, the 13 year old operating system still remains popular.

Windows XP, which ended support back in April, saw a slight decrease in market share to 25.27% (rounded to 25.3%). This is down from the previous month’s 26.29%. As you can see from the chart above, when comparing the market share of Windows XP between the months of March 2014 and May 2014, there is very little difference.

As of May 2014, Windows XP remains the second most popular operating system, right behind Windows 7. People just wont give up the old operating system. Millions of offices are running Windows XP on their computers. Hundreds of millions of ATMs are also booting the embedded version of Windows XP. Another worrisome thing is that several hospitals and healthcare facilities are even running Windows XP. This risks the confidential information of hundreds of thousands patients. In fact, around 50% of computers in China are still booting to Windows XP. 

So how long will it take for Windows XP’s market share to die? Windows 8/8.1 is the next operating system to take over its place, but still has a ways to go in terms of market share. Only time will tell.

The stable desktop version of Opera 22 for Windows, whose beta became available a month ago, is now available for download. The new version brings several exciting features including the ‘silent-update’ feature for Windows.

Among other chief things, the Norwegian firm has also added five new themes that showcase Norway’s local scenery and put a “Scandinavian” touch into it. “They complement Opera and add a touch of Scandinavian style to your desktop,” the company said in a blog post.

There’s also a ‘silent update’ feature, which means you will no longer have to see the update dialogs (and type your password) while using the browser. Furthermore, the company is trying to make a distraction-free environment for its users by having a majority of the processes run in the background.

The new version utilizes Chromium 35.0.1916.114, and employs a new technology that ensures that the size of the update files is not too large. You can snag the updated version from the download link below.

There has been a gradual move to the cloud in recent year which has its pluses and its minuses. The near universal availability of files across devices is a major advantage, but security has also become an issue. It’s an issue for the average home users, but it is even more of a headache for businesses.

IT administrators have an important role to play within companies, but they can also pose a security risk. Having permission levels set too high can have terrible repercussions. There is the scope for mistakes to be made — human error will creep in from time to time — but there is also the potential security problem of an administrator workstation being left unattended and subsequently used by an unauthorized person.

With data stored in the cloud, there are obvious concerns that files and information could fall into the wrong hands. In a post on the Office blog, Microsoft is keen to point out that steps have been taken to ensure that these issue do not arise.

Director of Program Management, Vivek Sharma explains how a ‘two key’ approach has been used to ensure that permission levels are only raised when necessary, and it is only done with the knowledge and consent of others. He explains that when dealing with an incident, a user is able to request elevated privileges, and this request must be granted by at least one other person involved in the same service.

“If the service is working properly, nobody has access your data. There is literally zero standing access for human beings to your data if it’s sitting in our cloud,” says Corporate Vice President of Development, Perry Clarke.

This is all part of the ‘roles based access’ approach that Microsoft has adopted with its Lock Box environment, and it’s reiterated by Sharma when he says “it’s impossible for one person to go do something serious”. Logging of access and permission changes helps to reduce the risk of two or more people working in conjunction with each other to access unauthorized data or to perform unauthorized actions.

Check out the video below:

Does storing information in the cloud concern you, or do you not give it a second thought?

Microsoft and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have teamed up to take necessary action against the password-stealing GameOver Zeus botnet, rendering it harmless. This botnet was the most active banking Trojan of 2013 and between 500,00 and 1 million PCs worldwide are infected by it. The botnet is also responsible for more than $100 million in losses.

“The FBI-led legal action and private-sector-led technical action against GameOver Zeus has taken down a portion of the command-and-control (C&C) infrastructure linked to domains generated by the malware and registered by the cyber-criminals. In this operation, codenamed b157, the FBI seized the registered domains,” Microsoft stated in an official blog post.

Microsoft conducted analysis on the P2P network and developed a cleaning solution. Microsoft also worked closely with global Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and Internet service providers (ISPs) to help victims regain control of their compromised computers. Microsoft states that victims of the GameOver Zeus are continually being notified and their infected computers cleaned to prevent future harm.

GameOver Zeus, for those that did not know, is spread by cybercriminals who create malicious websites that download malware onto a victim’s unprotected computer. Victims can also receive the malware via phishing, where malicious emails (which appear to be legitimate) entice people to click on a link or an attachment, ultimately deploying the GameOver Zeus Trojan onto the victim’s computer. Passwords and account information are then stolen via a key logger and sent to the botnet’s server for the cybercriminals to toy with.

This is Microsoft’s ninth involvement in a botnet operation. Microsoft also has a Cybercrime Center, in which the company works hard to advance the global fight against cybercrime.

Keeping its software up to date is one of the ways in which Microsoft helps to ensure the security of its products and the machines they are installed on. With so many products on the market, the monthly update cycle can mean that there are a huge number of updates released, and for IT professionals this can be overwhelming. It’s something that the newly launched myBulletins aims to address by providing customizable online security bulletins.

Rather than sending out bulletins that could be packed with update information that is simply not applicable to many people, myBulletins take a slightly different approach. IT professionals can visit the website and conduct advanced searches for the updates that are applicable to their situation.

Filtering s available making it possible to not only weed out those updates that are not needed, but also to prioritize them based on importance. The announcement by Tracey Pretorius, Director of Microsoft Trustworthy Computing explains that the new system “prioritizes security bulletin deployment by release date, severity, and reboot requirements to aid in decision making.”

There’s scope for downloading reports in Excel format, and there is also a handy dashboard overview that can be used to ensure that updates for select products are always prominently displayed.

In an official blog post today, Microsoft has revealed that the next version of Internet Explorer will feature Web Audio, Media Capture, ES6 Promises, HTTP/2, HSTS, Pointer Lock, Symbols, and much more. These new features are already in development as part of Microsoft’s commitment to delivering interoperable implementations for the latest features on the modern Web.

“The current list of features “in development” is not an exhaustive representation of what we will deliver in the next version, but an indication of what we currently have highest confidence in delivering. There are several other features that we realize are very important and are working on a plan to support – stay tuned for more updates in the future,” Microsoft stated in an official blog post.

Web Audio, for those that did not know, is a specification that describes a high-level JavaScript API for processing and synthesizing audio in web applications. Media Capture allows access to a device’s camera or microphone, while HTTP/2 is a major revision of the Web’s protocol and is intended to decrease the wait time spent loading web pages.

Microsoft will also focus on improving security as well as improve backwards capability and interoperability with the latest HTML5 features across modern browsers. No word on when we will see the next version of Internet Explorer.

Head over to status.modern.ie to see the full list of features currently in development.

Not too long ago, we reported on a rumor claiming that Windows 365 was in the works. Before that, a leaker known as Wzor revealed that Microsoft has been working on a prototype operating system called Windows Cloud. This operating system is rumored to require an internet connection for full functionality, acting as a basic operating system when in offline mode. An image surfaced online allegedly referring to this operating system as Windows 365.

Now, according to Mary Jo Foley, who is very reliable for those who do not know her, Windows 365 is not happening. Foley cites her own sources and states that Windows 365 is not real, not in development, nor is it even on the roadmap.

“For business customers, Microsoft already sells Windows as a subscription. It does this via its renewable enterprise volume-licensing agreements and Software Assurance. Windows Intune, Microsoft’s device-management and security service, is another way business users can “subscribe” to the enterprise version of Windows today,” Foley adds.

While the idea of subscriptions is something that Microsoft fancies when it comes to Office, it will not be that way for Windows. Foley reminds us that Windows is a platform, not a service. Microsoft currently has more than 3.5 million subscribers to Office 365, and the company also has its cloud storage service OneDrive for those wishing to have their files stored on the cloud.

The bottom line is simple. Microsoft will continue to sell different Windows SKUs, and has no intentions of getting consumers to “subscribe” to Windows. 

Again, these details come from May Jo Foley, who is quite reliable with her information. Take that for what its worth. How do you feel about this? Should Microsoft offer a subscription based operating system?

Tech-focused startups in Tel Aviv have been invited by Microsoft to take part in a four month Microsoft Ventures Accelerator program. The program will provide up and coming businesses to get off the ground by providing access to a workspace in the Microsoft Israel R&D Center in Herzliya as well as mentoring.

Although participants are given access to Microsoft software such as Windows and Office as well as to services like Azure, there is no obligation to use or focus on Microsoft technology. The program is open to all, but the focus is on those startups “primarily in the fields of software, Cloud, Internet, and Mobile”.

Microsoft does not require companies to offer a stake in their venture — this is a program that is about nurturing talent, not generating profit, and it’s open to anyone who is happy to work from Israel for the duration.

The Tel Aviv section of the Microsoft Ventures website gives an overview of what it’s all about:

“The Microsoft Ventures Accelerator Tel Aviv was the first one for Microsoft worldwide.Our expertise is taking innovative ideas to new heights.

The concept is simple; you bring the idea, we’ll give you whatever you need to succeed. Our graduates’ achievements are amazing; be it in raising funds, sales or exits! We provide our startups with business connections, cutting edge technologies, experienced mentors and experts, exposure to investors and assist them in reaching out to a world of customers and partners through our global Microsoft network.

Success is here for the taking!”

Startups are free to apply right now, and the program will run from September this year through to January 2015. When the program comes to an end, Jerusalem Venture Partners, who has joined forced with Microsoft for this, will offer one participant up to $1 million worth of investment.

Unveiled just over a week ago, the Surface Pro 3 is due to launch in June although it is already available for pre-order. Even though the device is yet to hit the stores, review units have already shown signs of problems with charging up.

Reviewers such as ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley complained on Twitter that the charger did not appear to be working:

@edbott @bdsams same happened to me

— Mary Jo Foley (@maryjofoley) May 27, 2014

The problem means that the unit fails to turn on even when connected to the power supply, and there seem to have been several instance of the same issue. But there’s no need to let this put you off pre-ordering your own Surface Pro 3, as a fix is already in the works and will be available before launch day (GA or General Availability), as revealed in a tweet by Jordan Guthmann who looks after the review side of things for PR firm Waggener Edstrom.

@edbott @bdsams @CarmenCrincoli @maryjofoley we’re aware and issuing an update before GA. The power of updates!

— Jordan Guthmann (@JGuthmann) May 27, 2014

So whether you have your Surface Pro 3 reserved or you are on the verge of pre-ordering one, you now know that there will be at least one update to install the first time you switch on!

Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference kicks off in July and ahead of the event, the finalists and winners of the 2014 Partner of the Year Award have been revealed. With more than 3,200 nominations, there was stiff competition from well-known names and the less familiar.

Phil Sorgen, Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Partner Group said in a blog post that he was “thrilled to announce” the list, picking out Dell’s win of the Windows 8 Application Developer Partner of the Year Award as one of the highlights. In the Office and SharePoint App Developer category, it was DocuSign who walked away with an award.

A great focus for the new Microsoft is the cloud, and the Devices and Deployment Partner of the Year Award went to the Netherlands’ Wortell for helping the healthcare system with a series of cloud services.

The truly global collection of awards included participants from 112 countries and the judging process involved more than 600 experts, and you can browse through the full list over on the Worldwide Partner Conference website.

It recently came to light that it was — theoretically — possible to keep Windows XP fuelled with updates until 2019. A registry hack is all that is needed to trick Windows Update into thinking you’re running a copy of the still-supported Windows Embedded POSReady 2009. When we reported about this yesterday we advised against it, and it seems that Microsoft feels the same.

In a statement issued to ZDNet the company warns that the updates that are made accessible using the tweak are not really designed for Windows XP. The advice is to avoid forcing the update process and to instead upgrade to a more recent version of Windows.

The statement reads:

We recently became aware of a hack that purportedly aims to provide security updates to Windows XP customers. The security updates that could be installed are intended for Windows Embedded and Windows Server 2003 customers and do not fully protect Windows XP customers. Windows XP customers also run a significant risk of functionality issues with their machines if they install these updates, as they are not tested against Windows XP. The best way for Windows XP customers to protect their systems is to upgrade to a more modern operating system, like Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

Will you heed the warning, or are you willing to take the risk and use the registry tweak to grab yourself a few more updates?

Every Sunday, we bring you the last app count for the Windows Store. This week, we saw 162,840 total apps in the Windows Store, worldwide. According to data from our friends at AppFeds, the Windows Store has some interesting stats for the US market.

In the United States, the Windows Store has 129,338 apps and 1,103,650 reviews as of May 26th. The data also reveals that 78.3 percent of apps available in the Windows Store are free, while 21.7 percent of apps are paid.

There are also a bunch of other tidbits in AppFeds’ data. Did you know that 55.2 percent of app developers have only published one app in the Windows Store? 29.9 percent of developers have published more than one app (two to five to be exact). 0.5 percent of developers have published over 100 apps.

Games, Entertainment, and Education are the three most popular categories of apps in the Windows Store, with Security, Government, and Finance being the least three popular categories. There are 26,069 games in the Windows Store (United States), with 8,625 of these apps being Puzzle games. 4,629 of these apps are Arcade style games.

There seems to be a decent split of apps across each platform, with 34 percent of apps supporting x86, 34 percent of apps supporting x64, and 32 percent of apps support ARM.

Recently, Microsoft highlighted the Windows Store trends as of May 2014 and found that Social was the most-downloaded category in the Windows Store. Microsoft has begun to see apps submitted to both stores that take advantage of the new universal apps paradigm, built using Visual Studio. Microsoft is also seeing an increase in developers linking their Windows and Windows Phone apps in both stores for better awareness.

Microsoft may have ended support for Windows XP on April 8th of 2014, but that’s not stopping people from discovering ways to continue breathing life into the operating system which made its debut back in 2001. A single registry entry allows Windows Update to think that your Windows XP machine is actually Windows Embedded POSReady 2009, which will receive updates for another five years. The result? Free updates until 2019.

This registry trick has been confirmed to work and both a 32bit and 64bit workaround are available. POSReady 2009 is based on the Windows XP kernel and is officially slated to receive updates until 2019. Microsoft, on the other hand, has not offered a comment on this workaround, and likely won’t due to the Memorial Day holiday. Something tells us this workaround wont be available for too long.

If you are interesting in trinkering around with this workaround – we advise not to, since it requires you to mess around with the registry – head over to the VIA link below. Then again, maybe if you mess up your registry and break the operating system, you will have a good reason to upgrade to a modern operating system. Your call.

A brand new Microsoft Store has opened up this week in New Jersey’s Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus. Then grand opening of the 3,700-square-foot Microsoft Store received a huge turnout, especially for those who were eager to snag some free swag as well as see Macklemore and Ryan Lewis perform.

The Paramus store is Microsoft’s third full-sized store in the state of New Jersey, and is the 92nd Microsoft Store in the United States. Paramus Mayor Richard LaBarbiera said the opening crowd for the Microsoft Store was one of the more impressive he’s seen. “I’ve been to a lot of ribbon cuttings, and I’ve never seen this type of enthusiasm. I expect they will be very successful.”

Store openings typically draw in about 800 to 1,500 people, but the opening in Paramus attracted one of the biggest crowds Microsoft has ever seen. Microsoft Store employees helped draw in a big crowd prior to the opening by playing music, and inviting people to play Xbox games on large screens around the perimeter of the new store. Microsoft even gave away Surface and Xbox One consoles as prizes as part of the pre-opening hype. Microsoft was also offering the Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet for $99, discounted from its regular price of $249.

Take a look at the video below showcasing the grand opening of the new Microsoft Store in Paramus.

As you are all well aware by now, Microsoft is now in control of handset maker Nokia, though the two were already close partners in the Windows Phone business. Recently the two (one?) companies put together a display called “Arc of Wonder”, using 50 Lumia 1020 phones. 

Now an inside look at the creation of this display is being given, thanks to Microsoft’s Jesus Aguilar, who wrote an interesting piece, including images, on his personal blog — Given to Code. 

Facts of the display go wel beyond the 50 handsets used, including how these devices were coordinated and synced. “We had to think simplest way to achieve the goal and try it. Ensuring that all the phones could capture a sequence of pictures with a latency of less than 50ms (1ms is a 1000th of a second) was not a simple goal. We wanted to avoid point to point connections to each device to push the ‘shutter’. The rationale behind this was that in such cases, the triggering app would have to sequentially enumerate each connection to send data, hence introducing the risk of triggering delays between the first and last devices”, Aguilar states. 

There is lots of information and some images of the setup process, which you can find below by following the link. It’s a fascinating look at how all of this came together and the technology used and innovated to make it possible.