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Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications.
In 2011, Google announced its intention to abandon the popular H.264 video standard in favor of its own open-source codec, VP8. That inspired legal threats from H.264 patent holders. Today the two groups announced a settlement.
As part of its shift to a subscription model, Microsoft introduced a controversial "no transfer" restriction with Office 2013. Now, after an intense outcry from customers, the company has reversed course and agreed to allow users to transfer retail Office licenses between devices.
You don't need a crystal ball to figure out how Microsoft plans to make Office work on iPad. Hint: It involves subscriptions. And the analysts who are following Office need to rework their spreadsheets and change their assumptions.
When you think of Microsoft Office, you probably think of retail software that commands a premium price. Surprise! The latest iteration of the Office Web Apps are free and surprisingly powerful. How do they stack up against Google's offerings?
It's hard to think of Microsoft Office as anything other than the archetypal Windows desktop program. But while no one was looking, Microsoft's free online apps and storage turned surprisingly powerful. Are the free apps good enough to use in place of Office?
With the public launch of its new Office 365 business plans, Microsoft's move into a subscription-based Office is nearly complete. How much technical skill does it take to set up and run one of these plans? Here's a hands-on look.
A patch working its way through the Mozilla testing process promises to significantly increase privacy and reduce online tracking for Firefox users by blocking third-party cookies. With the Do Not Track standard fizzling, it's an important development.
Microsoft's new "no transfer" policy for Office 2013 has left some customers asking what happens if the original PC fails and needs replacement. A corporate blog post tries to "add clarity" to the issue, but what the company really needs to do is change the license terms themselves. UPDATED: Microsoft reverses policy, will allow transfers after all.
Mozilla has released an early test version of its long-awaited browser for Windows 8, which includes support for the desktop and Metro environments. Here's what to expect and how to test.
Microsoft's new license terms for retail editions of Office 2013 have received intense scrutiny this week. But those changes are just part of a much larger story. Look closely at Office 2013 and you see Microsoft's radical new business model in action.