Los Angeles

When disaster strikes, what’s your first move? Many of us are focused on reaching out to those that are most important to us. To help connect people during these times, Microsoft partnered with FEMA and the American Red Cross to launch HelpBridge, a free mobile app that helps people connect with their loved ones as well as donate to those in need during a disaster.

The app, built by Microsoft, aims to connect users with the people and non-profits important to them through the most popular social media channels and communication vehicles.

The app allows users to:

• Instantly Connect – In the event of a disaster you can send contacts an email or Facebook message with one touch of a button, letting them know you’re ok or that you need help. 
• Donate – HelpBridge allows you to make donations directly to relief agencies who support disasters – about 10 agencies are preprogrammed into the app. The app also pulls live data on relevant goods needed for those in disaster situations so you can donate appropriate items. 
• Volunteer – Want to get involved personally? Users can receive alerts of volunteer opportunities in their local area through the app.

HelpBridge also provides geographical information, so in the event that you need help, your mobile device can act as a beacon for rescue workers. HelpBridge is U.S.-based and compatible with Windows Phone, iOS and Android platforms.

Give help. Get help. Connect with loved ones. Download the HelpBridge app here.

It’s 7:30 a.m. Monday and you are sitting in your car, halfway through the hour- and-a-half commute to work. The cars are bumper to bumper on Interstate 405 north headed to downtown Los Angeles, and the traffic doesn’t appear as if it will be lessening anytime soon. While you are waiting in the seemingly never-ending car ride, you wonder if you will be able to make it to your daughter’s soccer game tonight. A daydream ensues, where you picture how much easier your work-life balance would be if you could work from your home office instead of sitting in the Interstate “parking lot.”

This scenario is typical for many of Los Angeles County’s 9.9 million residents every day. Recently, Microsoft conducted a survey of more than 4,500 information workers in 15 U.S. markets to assess opinions and attitudes of remote working as well as the technologies that enable or hinder it. The survey explored the prevalence of telecommuting, employer policies and the technologies available to employees to support this. Key findings from Los Angeles revealed that the market has been slow to formally adopt a remote working policy, with only 50 percent of information workers citing that their company currently has teleworking guidelines in place. The other 50 percent of employees whose companies have implemented a teleworking program cite the elimination of a long commute and the creation of a better balance between work and life priorities as primary reasons for remote working. With employees clamoring to telework, you’d think businesses would take note.

Microsoft offers the technologies and business solutions that help companies implement a formal telework policy or take a business to the next level of seamless communication. Recently, Southern California based company Sony Electronics sought a more efficient way to organize and search for documents on the corporate intranet, while also making it simpler for employees to connect with each other and share expertise. With staff located in offices around the world, Sony Electronics faced challenges in communication across divisions and between employees. By deploying Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and becoming an early adopter of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, the company has given employees advanced document sharing capabilities and a more effective and easily searchable intranet, saving time and boosting productivity.

Check out the latest on Microsoft’s remote- working study and ways that our innovative mobile technology tools can help take your company’s productivity and profitability to the next level.

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 ensure you’re getting the best one. There is no need to browse hundreds of websites or sign-up for multiple emails. You can find the best deals on the web at Bing.com/deals.
• Browse for the Best Deals: Bing Deals cuts through the clutter by cleansing and organizing deals, so irrelevant deals are filtered out of your experience. You can browse by retailer, location, keywords or by category such as restaurants, spa services, arts and entertainment, and even nightlife to find exactly what you want quickly. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, simply browse the top deals of the day to see if something sparks your interest.
• Visual Search Results: Because shopping is a visual experience and so is searching on Bing, your deal search results are visually organized on the screen to help you easily sort through your options and find the best deal based on what you’re looking for.
• Daily Deals: With one click, you’ll see the top daily deals featuring the very best offers in your metro area, with savings generally from 30%-50% off. 
• More Deals on the Go. If you’ve been enjoying Bing Mobile Deals at m.bing.com, you’ll benefit from the same deals available on the PC.

For more information, please read the full blog post on the Microsoft News Center here and also visit Bing.com/deals to experience the offers yourself. 

Do you have an idea that will help children learn how to read? Are you passionate about keeping our environment clean? Well now you have the opportunity to create an app that can help the world -- and win up to $15,000 in the process.

To celebrate the launch of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, Microsoft recently announced the “Apps for Social Good” contest to encourage developers to create apps that positively impact the world. From improving
education to providing access to clean water, developers can use technology to positively change lives. 

For the purposes of the contest, Microsoft Citizenship defines an app for social good as “a good or service that provides some sort of benefit to the general public and doesn’t solely exist to provide the maximum possible return to shareholders.” Examples of social issues include clean water, literacy, food security and a healthy environment, all of which can be aided through the innovative use of technology, including simple apps.

There are 3 steps you must take to enter the Windows 8 Apps for Good contest:

1. Create a Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8 app focused on social good (see definition above)
2. Publish the app on the Windows Store or Windows Phone Store
3. Register the application project on the contest website

All contest entries are due by Feb. 28, 2013, and after the contest ends, Microsoft will open up the entries for public voting, which will end March 15, 2013. The contest winners will be announced March 25, 2013.

Not sure where to start? Microsoft Citizenship suggests the TechSoup Hacker Help Wiki as a reference. You can also find Windows 8 developer tools on MSDN and be sure to check out the Microsoft YouthSpark Hub for additional resources.

Good Luck
and Happy Coding!

The numbers speak for themselves: Following one of the biggest launches in consumer electronics history, Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360 has now sold more than 10 million games and sensors worldwide to date.

In light of the recent sales success, Guinness World Records has officially named Kinect for Xbox 360 the fastest-selling consumer electronics device, which sold an average of 133,333 units per day for a total of eight million units in its first 60 days.

Transforming entertainment by providing users with an active and engaging electronic experience, it's no wonder the accolades for Kinect continue to roll in. Since you are the controller, it's easy to use and instantly fun.

You can be a part of this gaming revolution by picking up your very own Kinect or one of the latest games at one of the two Orange County Microsoft retail store locations: in Mission Viejo or the Costa Mesa store which is opening at South Coast Plaza later this month.

To find out more about Kinect for Xbox 360, check out the News Center Xbox page.

The Microsoft Westfield Century City store has planned a fun-filled week towards the end of this month.

As kids are heading back to school, enjoy the last few weekends with them with a game night playing Rock Band, Forza 3, and Kinect Sports, or simply join fellow Dance Central enthusiasts to ensure that your moves make the cut. If you like to keep things low key or if you want to pick up some skills, there are a variety of workshops to choose from – Windows Phone, Windows 7, Outlook 2010, and more. No matter how you like to spend your leisure time, we have something planned for you.

For more events, refer to the store calendar or tell us what you’d like to see planned by tweeting to our official handle, @MicrosoftStore.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is now underway in Los Angeles! Microsoft kicked things off on Monday by demonstrating continued leadership in online entertainment. Throughout the last 12 months, Xbox has been the top-selling console in North America, with more than 55 million Xbox consoles sold, more than 35 million Xbox LIVE members, and more than 10 million Kinects sold.  With these E3 announcements, Xbox is on track to become the number-one game console worldwide.

 At 2010’s E3, Microsoft launched Kinect, which quickly became the fastest-selling electronic device in history. This year, Microsoft announced it will be adding voice search with Bing to Xbox and Kinect, allowing people to use their voice to search their Xbox to find news, movies, sports and all their favorite channels, giving them fast and easy access to the world of entertainment. Also, as part of the Xbox LIVE update, Microsoft also announced that Netflix, Hulu+, YouTube and ESPN would be joined by UFC on Xbox LIVE.

 Microsoft also announced several new Xbox 360 features and games, including new installments of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare;” “Gears of War;” “Forza Motorsport;” and “Fable: The Journey,” a new addition of the Fable franchise that will take advantage of Kinect’s hands-free technology. To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of one of the most beloved franchises in gaming history, Microsoft will release a re-mastered version of “Halo Combat Evolved,” as well as Halo 4, which fans can expect to be available in 2012. Kinect fans also can expect sequels to their favorite games, including “Dance Central” and “Kinect Sports.”

 Microsoft plans to bring more than 100 new partners on board to provide content and build on Xbox’s ever-growing platform.  Last year, Kinect pioneered how people experience games and entertainment by bringing life to the console; this year, Microsoft brought voice abilities with “You Say It- Xbox Finds It.” There is plenty in store for the Xbox community, with new games and partners that will be announced throughout the year. For more information of E3 and what’s coming up for Xbox, visit the Microsoft News Center.

Kinect for Xbox 360 was launched in November, 2010; and in the few short months since, it has been named the fastest-selling consumer electronics device in history by Guinness World Records. The device has opened the door to build new experiences with technology, thereby capturing the hearts and minds of creators and users alike. Kinect’s immediate success has continued its rapid momentum with some exciting new developments.

Last week, we announced that Hulu Plus is now available on Xbox 360 LIVE to Xbox LIVE Gold members in the U.S. Users will have the ability to play, pause, fast forward and rewind thousands of TV shows and movies with Kinect. This announcement comes as part of Microsoft’s continuing investment in natural user interfaces (NUI), where technology is becoming more natural to use and is transforming our relationship with computers. NUI opens enormous opportunities that span everything from delivering new personal entertainment experiences to addressing societal challenges in the fields of healthcare and education.

NUI is the driving force behind Microsoft Research’s upcoming release of a non-commercial Kinect for the Windows software development kit, which encourages the freedom to create amazing experiences. We are in a world where technology is becoming invisible, made possible by combining sensory inputs (touch and voice) with the technology’s recognition of what you’re trying to do (contextual awareness), where you are and what is around you (environmental awareness); 3D simulation; anticipatory learning; and more. Through advancements like Kinect, this transparency is made possible. Microsoft Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie has referred to Kinect as the next big incarnation in computing, where technology understands us, so we don’t have to understand it.

We all will get a kick out of the Kinect for Windows SDK when it’s delivered later this spring! For more updates and information on the Kinect for Windows SDK, check out the Microsoft Research website. Learn more about the Kinect for Xbox 360 and join the excitement by picking up your very own Kinect today at the Mission Viejo or Costa Mesa Microsoft retail store locations.

The technology geek community runs strong here in Los Angeles thanks to the hub of innovative companies in the Southern California area. Earlier this week, however, the best and brightest in tech headed north to the Microsoft Redmond campus, which hosted the largest customer event of the year, Microsoft's Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Global Summit. The geek mecca attracted approximately 1,500 of the most elite in technology, including more than 80 from right here in California. They descended upon Redmond to meet with Microsoft executives and product groups to provide valuable feedback, engage in hundreds of technical sessions and deepen existing relationships.

Of 100 million technical community participants worldwide, only about 4,000 are MVPs. In essence, these individuals are nominated for the MVP Award based on their contributions during the previous year to offline or online technical communities, such as public forums, user groups, blogs and social media sites. MVPs reside in more than 90 countries, speak nearly 40 languages, and share their expertise in close to 90 Microsoft technologies.

The Summit was a great way to connect with our MVPs who are engaged in these technical communities all year long and have a solid grasp on the customer experience. Not only did the MVPs provide us with objective and critical feedback to help us improve our solutions for our customers, but they shared their excitement and knowledge with others to help people make the most of their technologies.

We were excited to host this group in Redmond earlier this week. To find out more about the Summit and Microsoft's MVP Award Program, check out the News Center blog today!

Last September, Microsoft unveiled the beta version of Windows Internet Explorer 9 (Microsoft's most-downloaded browser beta of all time, with more than 40 million downloads). Well good news to all of you Web browsing junkies! Announced Monday at SXSW, the Web is now even more beautiful and immersive with the launch of Internet Explorer 9.

So what's new? By upgrading from Internet Explorer 8, people will notice a sleek user interface, several performance improvements and a safer experience that puts the focus on their favorite websites. Check out some of the upgrades below:

• Internet Explorer 9 is extremely fast - not only when it comes to page load time, but also interaction with graphically rich sites and applications, making Web browsing seem like it's a program already installed on your computer.
• Internet Explorer 9 is a clean experience - it puts the focus on the websites you love. With great integration with Windows 7 and features like pinned sites and jump lists, IE9 puts the focus on the things you love and makes your websites shine. For example, Windows Aero Snap allows people to use more than one website or page to accomplish a task, by showing two sites side by side.
• Internet Explorer 9 is a safe way to surf the web - it helps people feel confident and in control. The more that the Web becomes part of our everyday lives, the more complex the issues of online trust and browser trust become. IE9 is a trusted way to access the Web because it has a robust set of built-in security, privacy and reliability technologies that can help keep you safer and your browsing experience virtually uninterrupted.

Click here to discover all the features and capabilities of IE9! 

This week, Microsoft unveiled a major update to Bing that will transform the way you search the web. The new version integrates with your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Quora to bring you the best information from across the web and social networks, presented in a way that weeds out the clutter allowing you to make a quick, informed decision.

The new Bing will include three different columns:

• Core Web Results: Relevant, Comprehensive, Trustworthy  

Core web results on Bing make it easy to focus on the links you need to get things done, without the clutter of social updates.

•  Snapshot: Get It Done Faster

Snapshot unites with companies such as Yelp, Open Table and Fansnap to bring you relevant information and services to your search, including maps, restaurant reservations and reviews.

• Sidebar: Social Search Done Right  

Who doesn’t value a friend’s recommendation? With sidebar, Bing is bringing together the best of the web and letting you share, discover, and interact with friends like you do in real life. 

The new release of Bing will begin rolling out in the coming weeks and will be available in the U.S. in early June. You can sign up at www.bing.com/new to be notified of availability and learn more about the new Bing here. 

Welcome to the Microsoft Los Angeles blog. Here you will find posts, videos and news about Microsoft’s involvement in Southern California. More than 3,000 Microsoft employees live and work in California, with more than 300 employees based in Southern California.

Many exciting Microsoft initiatives are underway right now in the area, from our local citizenship efforts to next year’s Worldwide Partner Conference.

Check back often to learn what Microsoft is doing in the City of Angels.

Yesterday, Microsoft provided the first official look at the next release of Windows Phone, code named “Mango.” With the new release, Microsoft takes a major step toward redefining how people communicate and use applications and the Internet, giving users better search results with less effort. Mango will be available for free to all eligible Windows Phone customers this fall.

For all you app fans out there,  Mango is pushing the boundaries of the smartphone experience by integrating apps directly into the core experience of the phone. This innovative approach blurs the line between search and applications by presenting results to the user as related views on the screen, instead of links to web sites. In addition, Mango will take the Internet beyond the browser by viewing the Web in a way that is more localized, actionable, and—most important—relevant.

With Mango, the Windows Phone Marketplace will expand from 16 to 35 countries allowing more users the opportunity to play with the more than 500 new features. Countries that are being added include Brazil Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Sweden and Taiwan. Southern California residents can find the latest in Microsoft products and accessories at Microsoft Stores in Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo or the Westfield Century City location, coming soon. Check out the Microsoft News Center for updates on anything and everything related to Mango.

This post is authored by General Manager Enterprise and Partners Group, Southwest District, Tyler Bryson.

While businesses in L.A. are well aware of the cost savings that cloud computing can bring, it may be surprising to learn that the cloud also is creating substantial new revenues for local companies and is expected to create tens of thousands of new jobs across the Southland.

Of course, some companies here are reducing their IT expenses by shifting their information technology infrastructure and applications to cloud-based services. Instead of spending IT dollars on buying more servers, constantly upgrading software and handling other routine chores, we can rely on the cloud to keep all our backroom technology in good shape and up to date for us.

A new study from Microsoft, however, reveals that the top line of our financial statements is growing as well. The study, conducted by IDC research, finds that freeing IT people from day-to-day manual upkeep gives them a lot more time to work on innovative projects that help the entire company run more efficiently. This innovation in turn leads to the generation of more revenues. In fact, the study reports that this growing opportunity for innovation enabled by the cloud is likely to produce revenue increases totaling $1.1 trillion annually by 2015 for businesses around the world. Furthermore, the study predicts that businesses will use this new revenue to create new jobs—nearly 14 million of them globally through 2015.

In the Los Angeles area, the study predicts that the cloud will be responsible for having created more than 31,700 local jobs by the end of this year and 53,000 cumulative new jobs by the end of 2015. That’s enough Angelenos to nearly fill Dodger Stadium. Instead of creating traffic jams, these new employees will be creating innovations, with their jobs expected to be split evenly between large enterprises and smaller businesses, both globally and here in L.A. Our region is especially well positioned for big job gains from the cloud because of our highly diverse economy, reaching across aerospace, entertainment, tourism, finance and international trade.

We might have thought that with the cloud tending so much of our technology we’d see a dip in employment in our IT departments; it turns out that one of the cloud’s most important contributions to our business operations is giving creative, efficiency-focused minds the time they need to work innovatively. In this way, the cloud becomes a foundation for helping to grow the entire organization.

As a result, new cloud-generated jobs are being distributed all across the enterprise. Companies that spend the dollars that become available from cloud-computing efficiencies are hiring people in sales, finance, production, marketing, and other units. These departments become more innovative with support from the cloud and sustain the generations of additional revenue.

To learn more about Microsoft’s predictions for the cloud’s impact on jobs, check out the full study and additional resources on the Microsoft News Center. The cloud clearly is helping to restore our economic health here in L.A. and all over the world.

We'll be posting entries throughout the week, highlighting Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference occurring this week in Los Angeles, so check back in periodically!  Also, follow the action on Twitter, using the hashtag #WPC11.

See you in L.A.!

Could video games be a learning experience for kids? You bet, especially if they are creating their own games! Today, Microsoft announced the launch of Microsoft Kodu Cup 2011 competition, inviting U.S. students ages 9 to 17 to design, build and submit their own video games. Kids can enter the competition and participate in the chance to win cash and prizes.

Using Kodu Game Lab, a free game-design tool, children use drag-and-drop visual icons to create 3D landscapes, worlds and characters. Developed by Microsoft Research, Kodu Game Lab is designed to promote learning skills for children while igniting their interest in future careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

President Obama discussed the importance of STEM skills in his State of the Union address in January, emphasizing that STEM-related skills are increasingly critical to remaining competitive in the word force and the world. Studies have shown that Kodu positively affects students in the classroom and the competition joins Microsoft's other programs, such as Imagine Cup, Partners in Learning and DigiGirlz, in commitment efforts to the STEM fields.

For more information on Kodu Cup, please visit the Microsoft News Center.

Technology is big in Los Angeles and about to become bigger. With an estimated 15,000 international attendees flocking to the city in mid-July, Microsoft’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) is both the company’s largest annual event and the largest conference ever to be held in Los Angeles. The gathering kicks off on July 10, serving as an opportunity for the Microsoft partner community to network, build connections, share best practices, learn new skills and technologies, experience the latest product innovations, and  learn about Microsoft’s roadmap for the upcoming year,

Los Angeles will see significant economic and reputational benefits as international attendees assemble in the city; LA INC. estimates that WPC will infuse local businesses with at least $45 million in additional revenue. Additionally, Microsoft partners will take an active role in helping make the community a better place through a sports-themed “Day of Giving,” where they will host booths featuring games and sports at a Los Angeles street fair. Children and their families who are beneficiaries of the Magic Johnson Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs and St. Jude Children’s Hospital are invited to attend the street fair to laugh and play games like Kinect on L.A. Live’s jumbotron.

Stay tuned for more details on WPC by visiting the Microsoft News Center. For our Los Angeles residents interested in the opportunity to check out the newest solutions and applications displayed at this year’s event, click here to learn more. We hope to see you there!

To bring a thread of Fashion Week to Los Angeles, Microsoft is teaming up with Bloomingdale’s during New York Fashion Week to showcase the intersection of fashion and technology through transformed shopping experiences, and more natural technology.  

Bloomingdale’s store in Century City, South Coast Plaza will have some of the same technology available over the next week for consumers to experience. They can experience the Swivel, a virtual fitting room made possible by Kinect and the Arc Touch mouse  through September 16.



Powered by Kinect for Windows, Swivel lets you simply wave at the TV to choose an outfit, move around to see different angles as you would on screen, and snap a picture of your new look to share with your social networks.

 Swivel by FaceCake & Lexington window display:  FaceCake Swivel is a virtual fitting room made possible by Kinect for Windows. The Kinect sensor started as a popular gaming device, but it’s since nspired both people and companies who have used it to create more natural and immersive experiences in a number of arenas, including healthcare, education and now retail.

 Microsoft gear: For the first time, 11 Bloomingdale’s stores nationwide and Bloomingdales.com will carry the award-winning Arc Touch mouse, which fuses beauty and function. It’s just one example of how our tech is becoming an expression of our personal style.

Giveaway: Bloomingdale’s is running a sweepstakes throughout New York Fashion Week that features a ton of Microsoft gear ranging from an Xbox 360 with Kinect to a Wedge Mouse to the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone – people can enter by texting “ITSON” to 51515 (US only). Prize details can be found here. 

This is only the beginning of Microsoft integrating fashion and technology. Check out more information on all things Microsoft, Fashion and Technology here.

There is a lot of fun waiting to be had at the Microsoft Store at Westfield Century City Mall, with a host of free events planned for the Los Angeles community. The diverse list includes Xbox game nights, technology seminars, entrepreneurial mixers, scout troops, and workshops on social networking and work-life balance. Whether you're looking to enhance your technology skills, build awareness in the local community for the services your organization provides, or simply host a meeting for your members, Microsoft Westfield Century City Store provides the ideal environment.

Have a request for an event for your company? Make an appointment at the Microsoft Store in Westfield Century City Mall or contact the store via Facebook or Twitter to discuss options. Below we’ve noted some great activities that are coming up next week. We look forward to seeing you at the store!

For a complete list of events, please visit the store calendar http://bit.ly/NE3KCk .

Monday, October 1
Microsoft Certificate with Jeff Griffith Youth Center- Excel, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Windows 8 Training, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
The Balancing Act - How to rock your business and family life, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Tuesday, October 2
Westlake Highschool Tour & Creative Photo Slideshow Workshop, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Gaming League – HALO, 1:30 PM - 9:00 PM
The Entrepreneur Connection Fall Networking Mixer hosted by Alaia Williams, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Wednesday, October 3
Girl Scout troop 2845 - Digital Photographer/Computer Expert badge programs, 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Gaming League – FIFA, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Thursday, October 4
Personal Assistant 101 with Nikki Johnson, 6:45 PM - 8:45 PM

Friday, October 5
Xbox Family Game Night, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Saturday, October 6
Windows Phone Workshop, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Dance Central 2 Dance Off, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Sunday, October 7
Play Fruit Ninja Kinect!, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Monday, October 8
Microsoft Certificate with Jeff Griffith Youth Center- Outlook, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Windows 8 Training, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Calling all Los Angeles business owners, looking for a way to help your business grow! Most consumers use the Internet to find out where to dine, shop or play, but it may be difficult to fully showcase the benefits of your business. Now, there's a new tool that can help you. Recently, Bing announced the beta launch of the Bing Business Portal (BBP), available at www.bing.com/businessportal, a new service that helps business owners create and control their listings on Bing.

With the new tools, business owners can customize their listings with enhanced details such as photos, logos, hours-of-operation, menus, parking availability and more - helping to attract more customers and make their businesses more discoverable on Bing.

Additionally, business owners can easily create and promote deals - for free. Consumers love a bargain, and promotions are a great way to help boost sales and drive both online and in-store traffic. Deals will be highlighted on the Bing desktop and mobile browse search experiences, and they can also be uploaded directly to a business's Facebook page for quick discoverability.

For more details on the BBP, including a full list of features, check out the Bing blog post.

Today, Microsoft opened the doors of its Costa Mesa retail store location for anxiously awaiting customers at the South Coast Plaza shopping center. As Orange County's second Microsoft Store, the Costa Mesa location continues Microsoft's commitment to building and maintaining a strong presence in Southern California. Other locations include Scottsdale, Ariz..; Mission Viejo, Calif.; San Diego, Calif.; Lone Tree, Colo.; Oak Brook, Ill.; Bloomington, Minn.; and Bellevue, Wash.

The latest Microsoft Store offers customers the opportunity to learn new technology skills and work with employees for personalized PC setup and training. This one-on-one engagement was showcased today as residents and tech fans attended the grand opening to check out the latest products, computing accessories, Xbox consoles and accessories, and Microsoft Windows Phones.

Selena Gomez, actress of Disney's Emmy Award-winning show, "Wizards of Waverly Place," and platinum recording artist, will take the stage at South Coast Plaza on Saturday, March 26 at 2 p.m. to help us celebrate our newest store. Customers who arrived early at today's grand opening ceremonies received complimentary tickets to this special performance; additional general admission tickets will be given out while supplies last.

For more information, visit www.MicrosoftStore.com. You can also visit the Microsoft Store Facebook page or Microsoft Store Twitter page for the latest updates on the store and the upcoming concert.

We look forward to seeing you at the store!

With today's emphasis on technology, finding a job without having any computer skills is nearly impossible.  But here in LA and all across America, underserved populations-especially young and female workers-have not received the training necessary to participate in our largely digital economy. 

That's why Microsoft has just announced that it will award more than $5 million in cash and up to $10 million in software over the next two years to 12 nonprofits that furnish technology-skills training and job placement services to local communities throughout the country.  These Elevate America grants from Microsoft focus on women and young workers, because they confront greater barriers to employment and re-employment than the population at large.  In Southern California, a Microsoft grant is going to the Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade.  Other Microsoft donations are destined for community organizations in Oakland, San Jose and San Francisco, as well as in Spokane; Minneapolis; Nashville; Chicago; Boston; New York City; Bridgeport, Connecticut; and Venice, Florida.

Through these grants Microsoft expects to reach more than 16,000 people, providing them the skills they need to help boost their futures through technology. In addition, each of the 300 organizations that applied for Elevate America grants will receive software donations from Microsoft.  If you'd like to learn more about the Elevate America community initiative, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/ElevateAmerica.

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 from Forrester Research said that the new entertainment experiences on Xbox LIVE served as the benchmark against which all other living-room initiatives should be compared.

Windows Phone 7.5

In October, Microsoft announced the availability of the new Windows Phone 7.5, with features and design based on a “people first” mentality. The update release used integrated social networking and conversational threads, to make it easier to connect with the people in our lives. In November, Microsoft celebrated the availability of new Windows Phones by building a six-story phone in New York City demonstrating how the new devices put people back at the center of the smartphone experience.

Imagine Cup 2011

Students from all across the world submitted projects to this year’s Imagine Cup. The Worldwide Finals took place in New York City in July, with 124 teams from 70 different countries competing to make the world a better place. Congratulations to our 2011 winners!

Office 365

In June, Microsoft announced the global availability of Office 365, the next generation of productivity service, at the Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles. Office 365 made updates to Microsoft Exchange Online, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, SharePoint and Microsoft Lync Online.

Kinect for Xbox 360

Following its introduction in 2010, this year Kinect became the fastest-selling consumer electronics device in history according to Guinness World Records. The device opened the door to new experiences with technology. 2011 brought continued advancements for Kinect, specifically in educational experiences for children, enabling learning to be fun and interactive.

Bing on the Homepage

Bing consistently gained query share in 2011, with the development of several industry-leading improvements to the service, including the introduction of a video homepage for those using HTML-5 enabled browsers. Bing also further established itself as a strategic asset that makes many products and services across Microsoft stronger.

Microsoft Named One of the Best Places to Work

Microsoft is committed to hiring the best people and providing them with the best tools and the best environment, so that they can do amazing work that brings the transformative power of technology to billions of people around the world. On October 27, at an event in New York City, the Great Places to Work Institute honored Microsoft as the number one Global Workplace. We’re proud of this recognition, and we’ll continue to rely on the input from our employees to make Microsoft as an even greater place to work and change the world.

We are excited to see what 2012 will bring to Los Angeles and the world. Thanks for such a great year!

Imagine a three-day road trip with the family, but without the kids getting impatient and irritable. Sounds too good to be true? Well, it’s possible with the new customized technology of the Ford Mustang.

Microsoft teamed up with Ryan Friedlinghaus, an award-winning automotive designer and star of Discovery Channel's reality TV series "Inside West Coast Customs," to create a dream machine resembling a 1967 Mustang.

Titled "Project Detroit,” this vehicle is equipped with a wireless network, an Xbox 360 with Kinect and a rear-windshield projector screen. The Xbox 360 is fitted to the passenger side, and a heads-up display is added on the windshield. The rear windshield serves as an alternative display to stream videos, play video games, and show pictures and messages viewable from outside the car (a mild warning for instance:  “Hey Biker, don’t forget your reflectors at night next time”). The software is controlled via the Windows Azure platform.

The driver is guided with Kinect cameras displaying a live feed of people and objects in front of and behind the car, external speakers, customizable car-horn "ringtones" and the ability to remotely find, unlock and start the car using Windows Phone apps. The windscreen is fitted with a fighter-jet-style, heads-up display that shows such information as map directions, powered by Bing.

This “car of the future” shows Microsoft’s investment in advanced technology for the future and contributions of ingenuity, creativity and technology in applied scenarios. Project Detroit’s open-sourced code is now available to developers, enlarging the possibilities for building futuristic consumer experiences. For more information, please visit the Microsoft News Center.

Today’s business owners must be working out and lifting weights a lot more than executives of the last generation did. How else do you explain the fact that, in just one hand, they can hold a computer, a camera, a presentation device, a communications service, a payment service and a global positioning system? It’s all inside their smartphone, but apparently a substantial number of executives don’t know their own strength.

A new survey commissioned by Microsoft sampled 260 decision makers from small and midsized U.S. businesses, and seven in 10 of them agreed that the smartphone is their most important business tool. Of those smartphones owners, however, 80 percent use it only to check email. They’ll never build their business muscles that way.

Smartphones and other handheld devices can make a huge difference in your business operations and your ability to engage with customers, because they streamline communications and allow you to work remotely from anywhere at any time.  Just about anything you do at your desk here in Los Angeles you can do with your mobile device. And the same goes for your customers.  Consumers today use smartphones, laptop computers and other mobile technology to research, locate and communicate with the business they frequent.

Yet, according to the Microsoft study, more than half of business decision makers are not employing any kind of mobile marketing to proactively reach the devices that consumers are carrying in their hands all day long. If you don’t swing at your target, you’ll never hit it. To capitalize on these benefits, here are three questions you can ask yourself to get started:

1. Does your business have a remote workforce? Going mobile can dramatically reduce travel time and cost, along with paperwork and administrative expenses for your business. First Choice Home & Hospice Care of Utah did just that by deploying Windows Phone 7 smartphones to let clinical staff file paperwork remotely in real time, the company saved $500,000 annually in labor and travel costs.

2. Is social media an important channel for communicating with your customers? Your smartphone can allow you to discover customer issues as soon as they pop up on Twitter or Facebook so that you can respond immediately to any disgruntled customers and their followers. In addition, your mobile device can enable you to remotely access customer information and instantly research and respond to customer issues from anywhere at any time.

3. Are you looking for new ways to extend your technology’s potential? Get to know your smartphone and all its capabilities. It can get you from here to there without a bump in the road, display your business presentation without a glitch or even deposit your check without an ATM.

Start building a stronger business by visiting www.microsoftbusinesshub.com to learn more ways that you can go mobile.