Barnes & Noble, Inc. and Microsoft announced the completion of their previously announced strategic partnership in NOOK Media LLC, a recently formed Barnes & Noble subsidiary and a leader in the emerging digital reading and digital education markets. Microsoft and Barnes & Noble's strategic partnership in NOOK Media LLC will enable the companies to advance world-class digital reading experiences to the hundreds of millions of customers they jointly serve.

NOOK Media LLC comprises the digital and College businesses of Barnes & Noble and will continue to have a very close and mutually beneficial relationship with Barnes & Noble's retail stores. The partnership includes a $300 million investment from Microsoft in NOOK Media LLC.

This coming Tuesday Microsoft will release a total of seven software updates (one rated 'Critical' and six rated 'Important') to address bugs that could lead to Remote Code Execution, Denial of Service attacks or Elevation of Privileges.

These new patches address vulnerabilities found in Windows (XP, Vista, 7, Server 2003, Server 2008 (R2)), Office, SQL Server, Communicator, Lync, SharePoint Server, FAST Search Server and Groove Server. For more info check out the Security Bulletin Advance Notification for October 2012.

Microsoft Corp. and PhoneFactor Inc. today announced that Microsoft has acquired PhoneFactor, a recognized leader in multifactor authentication (MFA) solutions.

"The acquisition of PhoneFactor will help Microsoft bring effective and easy-to-use multifactor authentication to our cloud services and on-premises applications," said Bharat Shah, corporate vice president, Server and Tools Division for Microsoft. "In addition, PhoneFactor's solutions will help Microsoft customers, partners and developers enhance the security of almost any authentication scenario."

Building on its previously announced lineup of Windows 8 hardware peripherals, Microsoft Corp. today introduced the Sculpt Comfort Keyboard, an ergonomic keyboard featuring an enlarged split spacebar with optional backspace functionality that enhances typing efficiency and speed. From its thoughtful design and ergonomic shape to the Windows 8-specific keys, the Sculpt Comfort Keyboard is the perfect Windows 8 desktop companion for productivity and comfort.

Microsoft Corp. today announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share, reflecting a 3 cent or 15 percent increase over the previous quarter's dividend. The dividend is payable December 13, 2012 to shareholders of record on November 15, 2012. The ex-dividend date will be November 13, 2012.

The company also announced that Raymond V. Gilmartin, former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Merck & Co., Inc., has decided that after 11 years of service, he will retire from and not seek re-election to Microsoft's board of directors at the company's 2012 annual meeting of shareholders.

Microsoft plans to hold a launch event for its upcoming client operating system, Windows 8, on October 25, 2012. The event will be held in New York. In all likelihood, the event leads up to a midnight launch of the operating system on the 26th. Microsoft's next big launch for the year, the Surface, could be part of the event. Windows 8 is Microsoft's next major update to its flagship product, which radically changes its user-interface for the "post-PC era." It is also the first mainline Windows version since Windows 95 to support a machine architecture apart from x86 and IA-64 (Windows 8 RT, supporting ARM).

Today, AMD announced it has entered into a strategic licensing agreement with RealD Inc., which will pair AMD FirePro professional graphics with RealD's patented BlueLine technology to address the rapid adoption of 3D-capable displays and digital light processing (DLP) projectors in corporate boardrooms, educational institutions and the media and entertainment industry. This technology partnership provides industry-leading stereo 3D support in an all-in-one solution that enables control over each aspect of the 3D experience -- the DLP projector, 3D software, and graphics card -- from a single software control panel. AMD is the first and only professional graphics maker to provide this unique RealD support and will immediately extend BlueLine technology to the AMD FirePro V5900, with deployment to the latest AMD FirePro graphics cards based on Graphics Core Next (GCN) Architecture scheduled to occur over the coming months.

"AMD and RealD are responding to the expanding stereo 3D market, which has grown exponentially over the past several years," said David Cummings, senior director and general manager, Professional Graphics, AMD. "Whether you're working through computer-aided design (CAD) workflows, building CGI effects in movie studios or simply taking in a movie at the local theater, viewers will now experience improved stereo 3D video powered by AMD FirePro graphics and RealD. Together, we will deliver a more enjoyable and realistic 3D experience, while providing IT managers with an unmatched, turnkey stereo 3D solution."

Today Agawi, the cloud-based games streaming platform for "any game, anywhere, instantly," is announcing a collaboration with Microsoft that will enable a variety of games on Windows 8 devices, utilizing the Windows Azure platform for streaming from the cloud.

Agawi, formerly iSwifter, recently launched its version 2.0 to offer cloud streaming of all forms of games content-including social Facebook games as well as mid-core and hardcore titles-to all devices. Popular AAA games will be made available in the coming months for instant play on Windows 8 devices with no additional work required by developers, who are encouraged to contact the company at Agawi.io to be included in the developer partner program.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today officially launched its latest business-class TS-x69L series Turbo NAS. The new TS-x69L series, available in 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8-drive versions, is powered by a high performance dual-core Intel Atom processor, equipped with 1GB DDR3 RAM, which can be upgraded to 3GB optionally. With support for SATA 2.5", 3.5" HDD and SSD up to 4TB, and with dual USB 3.0 ports for high-speed backup, the TS-x69L NAS series is compatible with Microsoft Windows OS, Linux/UNIX, and the latest Mac OS X Mountain Lion, and provides the levels of performance and high-capacity storage required by SMB users.

The TS-x69L series is equipped with 512MB DOM (Disk on Module) with dual firmware image design for system downtime prevention. In the event of corrupted firmware caused by accidental power loss during system boot, the NAS will boot with the backup firmware and then automatically recover the failed one for continuous system uptime.

Today in a global online launch event Satya Nadella, president of Microsoft Server and Tools Business, announced the general availability of Windows Server 2012. In his keynote speech, Nadella described how Windows Server 2012 is a cornerstone of the Cloud OS, which provides one consistent platform across private, hosted and public clouds.

"The operating system has always been the heartbeat of IT and is now undergoing a renaissance in the new world of continuous cloud services, connected devices and big data," Nadella said. "Microsoft's unique legacy in the most widely used operating systems, applications and cloud services positions us to deliver the Cloud OS, based on Windows Server and Windows Azure, helping customers achieve a datacenter without boundaries."

Microsoft Corp. today announced that Stephen Schueler will join the company as corporate vice president of Retail Sales and Marketing. In his position, Schueler will be responsible for driving demand through global retail partners and ensuring customers receive a great service experience.

Schueler joins Microsoft from Procter & Gamble, where he most recently served as general manager for the Global Retail Operations Group responsible for global merchandising, promotion, and the third-party selling organizations. He will report to Chris Capossela, Chief Marketing Officer for Microsoft.

Great news NAS lovers, a new high-value 7-bay NAS is now available on the market! Thecus put their hands together and added a new tower to the Vision series. Equipped with an Intel Atom processor, 2 GB of DDR3 RAM, HDMI output and offering incomparable data protection with the McAfee antivirus, this NAS will offer lots of power and lots of storage capacity without spending lots of money. With the 2-bay N2800, 4-bay N4800 and N4510U and the 5-bay N5550, the 7-bay N7510 completes the Vision series of Intel Atom NAS from Thecus.

Here are some of the first visuals of the retail packaging of Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system. The boxes, for the first time in Windows history, will take a landscaped cuboid shape as opposed to portrait cuboid shape (as with most packaged software). The box art reveals the windows logo opening up to a background abstract art. The white box above is for the standard Windows 8 variant, while the dark one is for Windows 8 Pro. The retail package should be available starting October 26, 2012.

Keeping up with schedule, Microsoft has reportedly finalized the build of Windows 8, with which the company will launch the operating system to the public. After releasing several internal and some public pre-launch builds (such as Beta, Release Preview), the company is ready with the RTM (release to market) build, which is fit for commercial release. Windows 8 RTM, in its various variants, will be available first to enterprise customers and industry partners starting August 15. The commercial launch is on course for October 26, 2012.

In related news, the threat of trademark litigation by German retail giant Metro Group has forced Microsoft to trash the codename "Metro" to refer to its new tiled user-interface (UI), which makes the OS optimized for touchscreens, but is also the primary UI for non-touch computing platforms (such as desktop PCs). According to reports, Microsoft will merely stop referring to Metro UI as such. Metro UI invited criticism from some evaluators of pre-launch Windows 8 builds, particularly from the desktop PC and non-touch notebook platforms.

Futuremark is proud to announce that Acer Incorporated, Intel, Qualcomm Incorporated and SingTel-Optus have joined its Benchmark Development Program to create a new 3DMark gaming benchmark for Android-based tablets and smartphones. The Futuremark Benchmark Development Program gathers input and expertise from the world's best and most technologically advanced companies to create industry standard benchmarks for performance measurement. 3DMark for Android is expected to be released later this year.

Jukka Makinen, Futuremark CEO said, "For more than 10 years, we have worked with the world's leading PC hardware manufacturers to create 3DMark and PCMark. As a result, Futuremark benchmarks are the industry standard for PC performance measurement used by hundreds of press publications and millions of end-users. As we bring 3DMark to a new OS for the first time, we are excited to expand our cooperation to include Acer, Intel, Qualcomm and SingTel-Optus, technology leaders who will bring unparalleled insight, experience and vision to the development of 3DMark for Android."

QNAP Systems, Inc. today officially expanded its latest business-ready Turbo NAS family, the TS-x69U-RP series, with 2 new rackmount units that really mean business. The expansion includes 4 and 8-drive models, delivering up to 32TB (using 4TB drives) of high-performance networked storage, redundant power supplies for enhanced reliability, and a wealth of business-ready applications for cross-platform file sharing, network-wide backup, server virtualization storage, and much more.

At the heart of the new models is a Dual-core Intel Atom 2.13 GHz CPU, equipped with 1 GB DDR3 RAM on TS-469U-RP, 2GB DDR3 RAM on TS-869U-RP, and support for SATA 6 Gb/s 2.5" and 3.5" hot-swappable drives to provide the performance demanded by today's SMBs; critical for keeping businesses running at their highest productivity levels.

AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced revenue for the second quarter of 2012 of $1.41 billion, net income of $37 million, or $0.05 per share, and operating income of $77 million. The company reported non-GAAP net income of $46 million, or $0.06 per share, and non-GAAP operating income of $86 million.

"Overall weakness in the global economy, softer consumer spending and lower channel demand for our desktop processors in China and Europe made the closing weeks of the quarter challenging," said Rory Read, AMD president and CEO. "We are taking definitive steps to improve our performance and correct the issues within our control as we expect headwinds will continue in the third quarter as the industry sets a new baseline. We remain optimistic about our core businesses as well as future opportunities with our competitively differentiated next-generation Accelerated Processor Units (APUs). Our recently launched Trinity APU continues to gain traction with customers. We are committed to driving profitable growth."

Microsoft Corp. today announced quarterly revenue of $18.06 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2012. Operating income and loss per share for the quarter were $192 million and $0.06 per share.

The financial results reflect the previously announced non-cash, non-tax-deductible income statement charge of $6.19 billion for the impairment of goodwill and the deferral of $540 million of revenue related to the Windows Upgrade Offer. Adjusting for these items, non-GAAP fourth quarter revenue, operating income, and earnings per share were $18.60 billion, $6.93 billion, and $0.73 per share, which represented increases of 7%, 12%, and 6%, respectively, over the prior year period.

We knew since a little earlier this month, that Microsoft's next major operating system's launch is scheduled for October, with enterprise/partner availability in August. The Windows Team let out a specific date for availability to consumers: Fri., October 26, 2012. The date was announced by Steven Sinofsky, president of Windows division at Microsoft, at the company's annual sales meeting. The Friday launch allows users to spend the weekend with installations and getting a hang of the new OS.

Microsoft's decades-old hardware division is ready with an ultra-compact wireless peripheral for upcoming Windows 8 devices (such as tablets, Microsoft Surface), called the Wedge Mobile Keyboard. Some of its first pictures were scored by Czech publication WinMAG.cz, which reveal a keyboard the size of the one found in 11.5-inch notebooks, with a solid metal base with Microsoft logo etched on it, and 76 keys. The WIN key has the latest Windows logo printed on it. Also pictured is what appears to be a plastic case for carrying the keyboard around. The Wedge Mobile Keyboard appears to be wireless, and probably uses Bluetooth to interface with the host.

Today, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the customer preview of the new Microsoft Office, available at office.com/preview. The next release features an intuitive design that works beautifully with touch, stylus, mouse or keyboard across new Windows devices, including tablets. The new Office is social and unlocks modern scenarios in reading, note-taking, meetings and communications and will be delivered to subscribers through a cloud service that is always up to date.

"We are taking bold steps at Microsoft," Ballmer said at the press conference in San Francisco. "The new, modern Office will deliver unparalleled productivity and flexibility for both consumers and business customers. It is a cloud service and will fully light-up when paired with Windows 8."

At Comic Con, Microsoft unveiled its newest Xbox 360 Limited Edition bundle, themed after Halo 4. Its makers refer to it as "the definitive console bundle of 2012," and hope to make it available in limited quantities, in Autumn. The bundle includes an Xbox 360 console with 320 GB HDD, a pair of Xbox 360 wireless controllers, a wired headset, and a copy of Halo 4. The console and controllers are decked in Halo 4 skins (translucent bodies with a blue tinge and graphics). Apart from the four items, buyers of the new bundle receive Xbox LIVE tokens for exclusive Halo 4 in-game and avatar marketplace DLC. The bundle will be priced at US $399.99 (ERP), the controllers will be made available separately, too, at US $59.99 a pop.

Microsoft's next big client operating system, Windows 8, will be out by October 2012. The operating system will be first made available to enterprise customers and hardware partners as early as by August, while the general public will have access to it in October. Along with availability to enterprises, Microsoft will commence the Windows 8 Commerce platform, which means developers of apps for the Metro UI can start monetizing their works.

Windows 8 will get its big sales push at this year's Christmas sales season, when the software will be sold through major sales channels, such as retail, OEM (pre-installed) and special (student, university, government). For those who didn't quite get blown away by Windows 8 (through its Consumer Preview), Windows 7 will be supported looking deep into this decade. The operating system has currently passed the 640 million mark for the number of licenses sold, making it the best selling OS in computing history.

Microsoft Corp. and Perceptive Pixel Inc. (PPI) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire PPI, a recognized leader in research, development and production of large-scale, multi-touch display solutions.

"The acquisition of PPI allows us to draw on our complementary strengths, and we're excited to accelerate this market evolution," said Kurt DelBene, president, Office Division for Microsoft. "PPI's large touch displays, when combined with hardware from our OEMs, will become powerful Windows 8-based PCs and open new possibilities for productivity and collaboration."

Fujitsu today expanded its mobile portfolio -- debuting the versatile STYLISTIC Q702 business hybrid tablet featuring an 11.6-inch AH-IPS HD, dual digitizer, multi-touch display for pen or touch input -- and a productivity-enhancing optional attachable keyboard docking station that turns the sleek tablet into a traditional notebook. For business professionals requiring a tablet with a keyboard attached at all times, Fujitsu has refreshed the LIFEBOOK T902 convertible tablet PC, featuring a frameless 13.3-inch HD+ anti-glare widescreen display -- the largest screen available with touch and pen support. Fujitsu designed the STYLISTIC Q702 hybrid tablet and the LIFEBOOK T902 tablet PC with the goal of being used with Windows 8.

The STYLISTIC Q702 hybrid tablet is designed to accommodate various work-styles. Ideal for on-your-feet computing, the STYLISTIC Q702 is perfect for use in healthcare, education, retail POS, insurance and anywhere where a tablet is the preferred solution, but it doesn't end there. Attach the optional keyboard dock and your tablet transforms into a notebook complete with WLAN, USB, and VGA connectivity as well as an additional battery. Complete all your keyboard intensive tasks with the keyboard dock and then, with the flip of a switch, you're back in tablet mode. You only need to take with you what you need when you need it.