Microsoft restructuring phone business, cuts jobs

Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it is cutting as many as 7,800 positions primarily as a result of restructuring its phone hardware business.

New Windows will run on PCs, tablets, mobile phones

On Wednesday Microsoft Corp. announced two new devices as well as more details about the latest version of its Windows operating system, which will be the first to run cross-platform on desktops, tablets and mobile phones.

Ex-Microsoft exec calls out wireless industry on radiation issues

OTTAWA — The former president of Microsoft Corp.'s Canadian operations is calling on companies involved in wireless technology to be more forthcoming in addressing what he says are health risks associated with exposure to signals transmitted from various devices.

Microsoft releases Lumia 535 smartphone

Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday released its new Lumia 535 smartphone.

Microsoft launches wearable device

Microsoft Corp. announced a new group of products designed to help customers monitor and track their health on Wednesday, including a fitness band and a cloud platform for health data.

The $199 US Microsoft Band wearable device will monitor user’s hear rate, sleep and distance walked as well as displaying notifications from a user’s smartphone, the company said in a news release. The Band will be compatible with Android, iOS and Windows Phone, and is “designed to be worn 24 hours a day,” the company said.

Android makes up almost 85% of smartphone market: IDC

The dominant smartphone brands keep getting stronger as weaker brands, such as devices from BlackBerry Ltd., lose more ground, according to International Data Corp.

The technology research company said in a press release Thursday that worldwide smartphone shipments totalled 301.3 million in this year's second quarter, up 25.3 per cent from the same time a year earlier.

Growing smartphone market won’t help BlackBerry: report

A new report says smartphone sales will continue to grow in the coming years, though the opposite trend will be seen with BlackBerry Ltd.’s handsets.

International Data Corp. said in a news release issued Wednesday that global smartphone sales are expected to rise 23.1 per cent to 1.2 billion units this year. In 2018, smartphone sales will reach 1.8 billion, representing average annual growth of 12.3 per cent between 2013 and then.

Internet Explorer vulnerable to hacking

Microsoft Corp. said in an Internet security advisory Saturday that it is aware of attacks that attempted to exploit vulnerability in Internet Explorer that could potentially corrupt a user's memory and result in an attack on their computer.

Internet Explorer versions 6 through 11 are the ones affected, Microsoft said. With such software, visits to certain malicious websites could allow hackers to take over a user’s computer remotely, the company said.

U.S. tech companies launch site for patent reform

Major United States technology companies launched a new website Wednesday to promote patent reform.

Microsoft launches Windows 8 Surface as Apple unveils mini tab

Microsoft Corp. released its new Windows 8 operating system for computers and mobile devices.

Microsoft said in a release Thursday that, as of midnight Friday, Windows 8 will be available for download to PCs in more than 140 markets. The company said the new system will be available in Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro versions for PCs.