Microsoft Sacks 800 [UPDATED]

“We are mostly but not all done” with layoffs. So said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in May at the start of a second round of cuts that claimed the livelihoods of some 3,000 employees. Now, six months later, the company is finishing the job. Sources tell TechFlash that Microsoft will make additional job reductions this week–beginning as early as today.

Exclusive Xbox 360-Netflix Partnership Not So Exclusive Anymore

So much for Xbox 360’s game console exclusivity on Netflix streaming. This morning, the DVD-by-mail pioneer said that beginning sometime next month, owners of Sony’s PlayStation 3 game consoles will be able to stream movies and TV shows from Netflix.

Best Thing About Windows 7? It's Not Vista.

“I’m Steve Ballmer, and I’m a Windows 7 PC.” With those words, spoken at a big company event in New York City, the Microsoft CEO launched the newest version of Windows, the one he hopes will regain the customer goodwill lost with its predecessor, Vista.

Twitter in Microsoft/Google Three-Way, as Search Giant Crashes Data-Mining Party

How nonexclusive is Microsoft’s deal with Twitter? So nonexclusive that just hours after Microsoft announced it, rival Google lurched forward to say that it has entered into a similar partnership with the microblogging service. The search giant may be second to this party, but it’s not going to be late. But make no mistake–this is very clearly a rush job. Microsoft has code running. Google does not.

Microsoft Strikes Bing Deal With Twitter, Facebook: The Official Announcement

Here’s official confirmation of the search partnership Microsoft has struck with Twitter, first reported by BoomTown earlier this morning. It’s being distributed as Qi Lu, president of Microsoft’s Online Services Division, presents at the annual Web 2.0 Summit.

Windows 7 to Harry Potter: Expelliarmus

Here’s an interesting Windows 7 stat as we near the operating system’s official release: It’s Amazon U.K.’s biggest pre-ordered product of all time. In fact, the online retailer has received more pre-orders for Windows 7 than it did for J.K. Rowling’s final “Harry Potter” book.

Succinctly Speaking With Steve Ballmer: Sidekick Fiasco "Not Good"

T-Mobile Sidekick users who lost their personal data in a humiliating server failure at Microsoft subsidiary Danger last week are today restoring their contact lists–but not much else at this point.

If the Sidekick Fiasco Is a "Premium Mobile Experience," I’d Hate to See the Basic Version

Good news for SideKick users bemoaning the backend server failure that wiped out their personal data–and those suing over it. Microsoft says it has recovered most of the data that it initially believed to be permanently lost.

Danger Will Robinson! Do Not Approach the Sidekick!

A quick update on the Microsoft/Danger Sidekick fiasco. T-Mobile has pulled its Sidekick handsets off the market following a back-end server failure that resulted in many users losing their personal data. Surf over to the carrier’s Web site and you’ll find that it now lists the entire Sidekick line of devices as “temporarily out of stock.” Not that you’d want one anyway.

Not With a Bing, but a Whimper IV

Looks like Bing’s steady upward trend of market share gains may have reversed itself. Microsoft’s new search engine saw its U.S. search share fall in September, according to figures from Hitwise. Troubling news for Microsoft. Hitwise’s latest numbers are the second set of metrics from a Web analytics firm showing Bing’s market share in decline.

Not With a Bing, but a Whimper III

Announcing the Microsoft Newton

To Kai-Fu Lee, Thanks for Everything

One in Five Notebooks Is a Netbook

Windows 7: The "Wow" Starts Oct. 22