When it comes to natural disasters, it has been quite a year, hasn’t it? In the first 10 months of 2011, President Obama declared 89 major disasters. People and businesses everywhere have struggled to rebound from many of these catastrophes, leaving those of us who weren’t personally impacted by these events wondering if we’d be able to make it through the worst ourselves. Unfortunately, we’re all at risk of facing disaster, whether natural or even virtual, given that technology now plays such a dominant role in our lives. Cybercrime and other technical failures can cause...

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), otherwise known as the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow, has officially kicked off in Las Vegas! Last night, CEO Steve Ballmer took to the CES stage for Microsoft’s final keynote presentation. And you may have noticed Microsoft did things a little differently this year – involving a surprise host, Ryan Seacrest, a musical interlude and product demonstrations. Seacrest interviewed Ballmer, who announced continued momentum for Microsoft consumer products and demonstrations of Xbox 360 with Kinect and Windows Phone...

It’s always interesting to look back at the end of each year and see all of the amazing accomplishments made in the past 12 months. Microsoft has had an incredible year! As we begin the next one, we take a look back at some of the stories that have made big news in 2011. Xbox LIVE Microsoft rolled out an update for Xbox LIVE that lets people control their Xbox using voice or hand gestures, in December. At the same time we introduced the first group of new, custom applications from leading TV and entertainment content providers. The update was released with rave reviews; James McQuivey...

Recently, our Waltham office held its annual gift drive benefiting the Franciscan Hospital for Children and Kennedy Day School . Local employees and their families donated toys to the gift drive during our annual holiday party. Santa and Mrs. Claus paid a special visit to the celebration, where more than 140 children had fun decorating cookies, creating holiday-themed crafts and playing Xbox Kinect games. The Microsoft Waltham staff was happy to offer families a day of fun and festive activities, while also giving them an opportunity to contribute to two wonderful organizations.

As we enter the thick of holiday season, family “to do” lists grow in length – coordinating dinners, celebrations, travel, and gift giving can seem never ending. Microsoft Windows and Southwest Airlines have joined together to help alleviate one part of your checklist, in the form of free holiday photos. Picture Perfect Holiday is now available at 21 airport and shopping locations across the country, including Boston’s Logan Airport, offering the chance for you and your loved ones to snap photos with Santa or a holiday background. If you are taking your own holiday photo...

This week, Bing announced its 2011 End-of-Year Search Results , which includes the most searched people, news stories and items by Bing users during the past year. In terms of searches for tops consumer electronics, Xbox and Kinect took first place . Justin Bieber wins honors as the most searched celebrity for 2011, while the Casey Anthony Trial proved to be the most searched news story throughout the year. The full Top 10 lists for these categories includes the following: Top Consumer Electronics: Xbox and Kinect Kindle PlayStation iPhone 5 iPad Wii iPad 2 ...

Software piracy dwells in the shadows of the legitimate IT industry, so it might surprise some to learn what a glaring impact it has on consumers, businesses and economies. Because software pirates’ ability to sell non-genuine products is largely dependent upon secrecy, awareness is power in fighting this widespread problem. Today, Microsoft is flipping the light switch on. It’s Play Fair Day, a day dedicated to equipping consumers with information about the risks of using non-genuine software, most often unknowingly, and the far-reaching benefits of using legitimate software. We...

We're excited to announce that Microsoft has been named one of Boston Globe's 2011 "Top Places to Work." Additionally, we've also made the list for bringing fun into the workplace with our Xbox gaming stations, Ping-Pong and foosball tables, and indoor area for golf. We're proud to be a company that knows how to work and play hard.

Have you ever seen a six-story phone? We have. This week, Microsoft celebrated the availability of the new Windows Phone 7.5 , formerly code-named “Mango,” by putting real people inside a giant six-story phone in New York City’s Herald Square. Why? Microsoft designed Windows Phone around one single concept: people are at the center of the phone experience. To demonstrate the very meaning of the phone being “people-centric,” the six-story phone included a life-size “ Plants vs. Zombies ” battle highlighting the phone’s rich Xbox LIVE gaming experience...

Halloween is just around the corner and costume planning is in full force. What are you dressing as this year? Perhaps a “ Jersey Shore ” cast member or the latest celebrity? According to a recent Bing -commissioned survey of Americans, nearly 40 percent of respondents indicated that they are abandoning store-bought costumes for a do-it-yourself (DIY) costume. Forty three percent of respondents stated that they believed that purchasing a Halloween costume to wear for one night is too expensive (nearly a fourfold increase over last year’s 12 percent). Designing your own costume...

Earlier this month, Microsoft treated members and staff of the local Boys and Girls Club to a New England Revolution soccer game, sponsored by Xbox 360. The group cheered on the home team as they played the Seattle Sounders and also had the chance to practice on the field prior to the game. The outing was such a success, that we’ve decided to make it an annual event. Our local General Manager Craig Hodges serves on the Boys and Girls Club board of Boston, and Microsoft is a proud partner of the organization. We look forward to attending next year’s Revolution game!

Remember when you were a kid, and you wished that you could actually play with the characters on television? It is now possible with Xbox 360. Last week, Microsoft revealed how its “playful learning” experiences are revolutionizing interactive television, allowing children and their families to engage, interact and learn in an entirely new way – all through the magic of Kinect for Xbox 360. Working in partnership with experts from Sesame Workshop and National Geographic , play and television experiences have blended to evolve children’s traditional watching habits and...

Last week, Microsoft received the Innovation Catalyst Award at the 2011 Mass Technology Leadership Awards gala held at the Seaport Hotel in Boston. We are honored to be named as a key player who contributes to Cambridge’s status as a global leader in innovation. Sara Spalding, Senior Director of NERD was on hand to accept the award on behalf of our Massachusetts-based Microsoft employees. Read more about the Mass Technology Leadership Awards and Microsoft’s work in the Cambridge area on our NERD blog .

You are on your computer and browsing the internet, clicking on various links, when suddenly an alert pops up that you are under attack from the latest virus. It’s a familiar situation, one that many computer users experience on a daily basis. This week, Microsoft released the 11 th Security Intelligence Report to provide in-depth insight on software vulnerabilities and exploits, malicious code threats, and potentially unwanted software in Microsoft and third-party software. The report analyzes trends found in more than 100 countries and 600 million systems around the world and offers ways...

Remember the old saying, “the world doesn’t revolve around you.” Well, in the case of the Windows Phone 7.5 update release – it does. The latest features and experiences are designed to build on the phone’s intuitive, people-first foundation, using integrated social networking and conversational threads, for connecting with the people in our lives. For example, the new Groups feature lets users create groups from their contacts and turn them into a personalized Live Tile on the Start screen. From there, people can use the feature to quickly contact everyone, or...

Today Microsoft announced the launch of Bing Deals that harnesses deals from major providers and retailers, including Groupon, LivingSocial, Nordstrom, Target and many others, to help you cut through the clutter and find the best deals in one central location. Now you have a place to browse, find and purchase. And this is just the beginning. More money-saving features will roll out over the coming weeks, including the following: One-Stop Shop: The new Bing Deals experience aggregates more than 200,000 deals across the US, including local deals, helping you easily match multiple deals to...

It was Monday, Sept. 19, at the Boston Red Sox game versus the Baltimore Orioles, and Microsoft’s General Manager for the Northeast District, Craig Hodges, stepped up to the mound to throw the first pitch. The pressure was on – throwing a perfect pitch isn’t easy, especially when you’re representing nearly 1,000 Microsoft employees in Greater Boston. His pitch signified Microsoft’s support for two treasured nonprofits – the Red Sox Foundation and the Dimock Center in Roxbury – for the sixth consecutive year. Through the sponsorship, known as the “Doubles...

Microsoft is “BUILDING” a bridge with its developers this week in Anaheim, Calif. We’re constantly innovating and reimagining solutions for our customers and BUILD is an event that shows modern hardware and software developers how to take advantage of the future of Windows and provides an avenue for them to discuss other products and tools we’re working on. At the D9 conference back in June, we gave a sneak peek of the next generation of Windows - “Windows 8,” but this week, we’ve revealed more about the direction we’re taking. We’re excited...

Microsoft Sales, Marketing & Services Teams to Join R&D Groups in Cambridge This afternoon I shared some exciting news with our employees. In about a year, the majority of our Massachusetts-based employees will be located together on our Cambridge Campus. In August of 2012, our Microsoft employees based in Waltham and our Microsoft Technology Center (MTC) will be moving to One Cambridge Center, just a short walk from the majority of our R&D employees at our New England Research and Development Center at One Memorial Drive. We are excited to have our employees literally steps...

Today, Boston Business Journal honored Microsoft as a Top Charitable Partner in Massachusetts during its annual Corporate Citizenship Summit held at the Renaissance Hotel. Microsoft was named 2 nd for in-kind support totaling $15.7 million and 23 rd for cash donations of $2.34 million throughout the 2010 calendar year. On hand to help celebrate our award were two of our key non-profit partners, Timothy Smith Network and Easter Seals Massachusetts, who have been recipients of Microsoft’s software grants for many years. It is an honor to be recognized at the 2011 Corporate Citizenship Summit...

During Microsoft’s Northeast District sales meeting last week, our employees participated in an event to benefit students in need by partnering with CVS and Cradles to Crayons . Cradles to Crayons is an innovative, nonprofit organization that provides disadvantaged children with free school supplies. At the event, Microsoft employees and their families worked to fill 200 backpacks with back-to-school essentials for children ages 5-12. Personalized notes from Microsoft employees were also tucked into each backpack before they were sent out to the students. Microsoft graciously donated...

September is synonymous with back-to-school, as students return to the classroom, reconnect with friends and teachers and share tales of summer fun. For some, however, back-to-school often means a return to cyberbullying. The Cyberbullying Research Center in the U.S. defines cyberbullying as “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones and other electronic devices.” Examples include sending hurtful or threatening messages, posting embarrassing pictures or information about another person, and maliciously impersonating someone online. Global media...

Our conversation with Anthony Kinney, Microsoft’s mobility specialist in Boston, continues as he discusses his favorite features on the Windows Phone and the upcoming Mango update. 3. What’s one application or feature you can’t live without? Without question, it’s the dedicated camera button. So, imagine you’re sitting at a coffee bar and none other than Charlie Sheen walks in. You scramble for your non-Windows Phone, enter your passcode, swipe through your endless sea of app icons until you find the camera app, and by that time good ol’ Charlie is gone...

On Friday, August 5, more than 20 local Microsoft Boston employees volunteered at Fenway Park to help sell 50/50 raffle tickets in support of the Red Sox Foundation . The Red Sox Foundation is the official team charity of the Boston Red Sox, focusing on serving the health, education, recreation and social service needs of children and families in need across New England. Even though the Red Sox lost by one run, our employees were part of a winning night. Our Microsoft volunteers raised $4,100 in five innings at the game, contributing to the more than $15,000 total raised that evening - the second...

With all the buzz around the Windows Phone, we wanted to drill down to the nitty-gritty and find out what really sets the Windows Phone apart from other smartphones. That’s why we asked Anthony Kinney, Microsoft’s mobility specialist in Boston, for his take on the phone and what it enables him to do. If you’re curious about what the Windows Phone has to offer, check out the next two posts from him. 1. Why should you buy a Windows Phone? What sets it apart from other smartphones? Windows Phone is a mobile operating system that more easily integrates into our customers’...