Supreme Court sympathetic to Microsoft in Xbox owners’ suit

The Supreme Court suggested Tuesday that it is sympathetic to Microsoft Corp. in a dispute with disgruntled owners of the Xbox 360 video-game system who sued saying the console has a design defect that scratches game discs. The justices heard arguments Tuesday in a case that involves the Xbox 360 owners' attempts to get class action status for their lawsuit, which was filed several years ago in the state of Washington, where Microsoft is headquartered.

Trump’s Next Move on Immigration to Hit Closer to Home for Tech

After the new president banned refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries, Google, Facebook, Salesforce, Microsoft and others railed against the move, saying it violated the country's principles and risked disrupting its engine of innovation. Trump's next steps could strike even closer to home: His administration has drafted an executive order aimed at overhauling the work-visa programs technology companies depend on to hire tens of thousands of employees each year.

Court Denies Full Hearing in MS Case

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Tech’s power shifts as Obama fades to Trump

Internet companies have stormed onto D.C.'s lobbying scene, opening up in-house shops and hiring established lobbyists to gain influence. Google, Amazon and Facebook increased their spending on Washington lobbyists over the last eight years and are closing the gap overall with the telecommunications industry, an older power in the capital.

Consumer Demand, Government Support Boost Biobased Products Industry

The biobased products industry contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to the US economy while reducing millions of metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, according to a US Department of Agriculture report . The report says that in 2014, the biobased products industry contributed $393 billion and 4.2 million jobs - indicating that the sector grew from 2013 to 2014 , producing an additional $24 billion over the previous year.

Analysts laud and lance new Microsoft browser armor

Analysts today gave mixed reviews to Microsoft's new security model for its Edge browser, labeling it as both a landmark move and an attempt to mask the underlying problems of Windows that the company has refused to address. "This is one of those ideas where you say, 'Why didn't someone do this before?'" said Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst of Moor Insights & Strategy.

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Logitech's popular C920 camera.Logitech216The Windows 10 Anniversary Update, aka version 1607, has been found to leave many webcams inoperable. The update prevents the use of webcams in applications such as Skype and Open Broadcaster Software , along with all manner of custom CCTV programs.

Microsoft Wins Protection for E-Mails in Non-US Data Centers

Microsoft won't be forced to turn over e-mails stored in its Ireland data center to the US government for a drug investigation, an appeals court said in a decision that may affect data security throughout the US technology industry. The ruling on Thursday overturned a 2014 decision ordering Microsoft to hand over messages of a suspected drug trafficker.

Microsoft Aims New Policy and Programs at Terrorist Content Online

Noting that "terrorism is one of the truly urgent issues of our time," Microsoft recently said it is taking several steps to identify and combat extremist content online. Those measures include a change in its terms of use to prohibit the posting of terrorist content on Microsoft consumer services like Xbox Live, OneDrive, Skype and Outlook, according to a blog post on Friday.