Microsoft to preview Windows ‘Blue‘ on June 26

The tweaked version of Microsoft's operating system nicknamed Windows Blue will be previewed on June 26 and will be a free update for users as Windows 8.1.

The update comes amid a lukewarm reception for Windows 8, an operating system released last year to help the software giant transition from personal computers to tablets and other mobile devices.

The move is part of a goal "of delivering continual updates to create a richer experience for Windows customers," a Microsoft blog post said.

Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc said a public preview of Windows 8.1 will be available starting on June 26, timed with the Microsoft developer conference in San Francisco.

Microsoft said recently it had sold than 100 million licenses for Windows 8 but that the update was planned after listening to customers.

Some analysts say Microsoft was forced to act because of slow adoption of Windows 8, which made some radical changes to the design of the desktop.

With Windows 8, Microsoft was trying to create a system that could be used on mobile touch screen devices while also serving the users of traditional PCs.

Microsoft launched Windows 8 last October, revamping its flagship system in an effort to make inroads in the fast-growing mobile segment. At the same time, it launched its Surface tablet computer.

The tweaked version of Microsoft's operating system nicknamed Windows Blue will be previewed on June 26 and will be a free update for users as Windows 8.1.

NEW YORK: The tweaked version of Microsoft's operating system nicknamed Windows Blue will be previewed on June 26 and will be a free update for users as Windows 8.1.

The update comes amid a lukewarm reception for Windows 8, an operating system released last year to help the software giant transition from personal computers to tablets and other mobile devices.

The move is part of a goal "of delivering continual updates to create a richer experience for Windows customers," a Microsoft blog post said.

Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc said a public preview of Windows 8.1 will be available starting on June 26, timed with the Microsoft developer conference in San Francisco.

Microsoft said recently it had sold than 100 million licenses for Windows 8 but that the update was planned after listening to customers.

Some analysts say Microsoft was forced to act because of slow adoption of Windows 8, which made some radical changes to the design of the desktop.

With Windows 8, Microsoft was trying to create a system that could be used on mobile touch screen devices while also serving the users of traditional PCs.

Microsoft launched Windows 8 last October, revamping its flagship system in an effort to make inroads in the fast-growing mobile segment. At the same time, it launched its Surface tablet computer
.

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BlackBerry may unveil cheaper BB10 phone

The CEO of BlackBerry will deliver a keynote speech amid speculation that he will introduce a lower-priced phone running on the BB10 platform at the company's annual three-day conference in Orlando, Florida. 

CEO Thorsten Heins is set to speak Tuesday morning. The Canadian manufacturer unveiled new, versatile BlackBerry phones earlier this year after delays allowed Apple and others to dominate the smartphone market. 

The BlackBerry, pioneered in 1999, had been the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people and consumers before the iPhone debuted in 2007 and showed that phones can handle much more than email and calls. The company faced numerous delays modernizing its operating system. During that time, it had to cut more than 5,000 jobs and saw shareholder wealth decline by more than $70 billion.

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Twitter Music: 5 things to know

With a new app, Twitter Music, referenced in print as #music, Twitter has promised to "change the way people find music". It lets you see what songs people share and lets you listen too. You need to know a few things to get started.

First, Twitter Music is distinct from Twitter, so you will have to download a separate app. The music app, right now only for Apple products , lets you see a list of 140 songs in each of four categories.

The "Popular" list has the songs by major artists that are most often mentioned and shared. It will also show the 140 top "Emerging" songs, which are by lesser-known artists. A third list makes recommendations based on the musicians you follow, and a fourth shows you what the people you are linked to on Twitter are sharing.

The app plays 30-second samples of songs. You can hear full-length songs on Twitter Music if you have a subscription with either the Rdio or Spotify streaming services. Twitter Music asks if you want to sign in with Rdio or Spotify when you first set it up.

Keep in mind you have to use the $10 a month versions of these streaming services to use Twitter Music on a mobile device. Once you are signed in, that's it - full songs will play. While you are listening a small turntable icon appears, which you can use to change volume, pause, move to the next song or tweet the song yourself.

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Sony investor Daniel Loeb urges company break-up

One of Sony's biggest shareholders has suggested that the Japanese firm should spin off up to 20% of its entertainment business and use the money to shore up its struggling electronics arm.

Sony said the entertainment businesses were important contributors to its growth

Daniel Loeb, founder of US hedge fund Third Point, put forward the idea in a letter to Sony president Kazuo Hirai.

Sony's US-traded shares jumped more than 10% on Tuesday.

Sony said in a statement that its entertainment division was not for sale.

Last week Sony reported its first annual profit for five years, but its results were boosted by asset sales and a weakening yen.

Its electronics business has continued to struggle, particularly its TV division, which has been loss-making for the past eight years.

Third Point holds a 6.5% stake in Sony.

'Burdensome debt'

While Sony continues to be known for its electronics, many people would be surprised to learn that much of its current value is derived from its film and music division, Mr Loeb said, describing the entertainment business as a "hidden gem".Its music label houses artists such as Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Adele, while its film studio is one of the biggest in Hollywood and was behind the latest James Bond film, Skyfall.

Sony Corp

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"Like many conglomerates we have invested in previously, Sony has two strong businesses facing different challenges side by side, each obscuring the other's true worth," he said in hisletter, which was published in the New York Times.

"To maximise Sony's overall success, we believe the company should change the structure of its ownership of Sony Entertainment.

"Doing so will strengthen Sony by reducing its burdensome debt, thereby providing additional resources and capital to focus on revitalising the resurgent Sony Electronics."

Sony, however, rebuffed the idea.

"As president and CEO Kazuo Hirai has said repeatedly, the entertainment businesses are important contributors to Sony's growth and are not for sale,'' the company said.

"We look forward to continuing constructive dialogue with our shareholders as we pursue our strategy.''

Activist shareholder

Mr Loeb made headlines last year when he lobbied for the dismissal of then-Yahoo chief executive Scott Thompson after discovering that he did not have the computer science degree that he claimed to hold.

Mr Thompson eventually quit the company and was replaced by Marissa Mayer.

Sony's music label includes artists such as Taylor Swift

Outspoken shareholders like Mr Loeb are relatively rare in Japan. Shareholder meetings do not normally see company agendas challenged.

But the country is currently seeing more interest from global investors as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, elected last year, has promoted easy money policies designed to boost economic growth and attract private investment.

Mr Loeb expressed his support for Prime Minister Abe in his letter: "Sony stands at the crossroads of compelling corporate opportunity and massive Japanese economic reform.

"Under Prime Minister Abe's leadership, Japan can regain its position as one of the world's pre-eminent economic powerhouses and manufacturing engines."

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Japan's economy shows recovery signs in boost for Abe

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes on Japan's latest growth data

Continue reading the main story

Japan's economy, the third largest in the world, expanded at its quickest pace in a year, showing signs of an economic recovery.

Gross domestic product grew 0.9% in the three months to March compared to the previous quarter, indicating an annualised rate of 3.5%.

Japan grew at a rate of 1% at the end of 2012 as it emerged from a recession.

Analysts said it was a good report card for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's aggressive stimulus measures.

"The Japanese economy is on the right track to recovery," said Hideki Matsumura, from the Japan Research Institute.

He cited a jump in individual spending on the back of a rally in Japanese stocks, as well as recovering exports, as the main reasons.

"The economy is expected to grow further for now thanks to the impact of Abenomics," Mr Matsumura added, referring to the name given to Mr Abe's attempt to stimulate Japan's stagnant economy with big government spending and aggressive central bank monetary easing.

Exporter boost

The policy shift is aimed at beating deflation, which Japan's economy has been suffering for almost two decades. Falling prices deter business and consumers from spending as they tend to hold out for a better deal.

The central bank has therefore pumped trillions of yen into the money supply, pushing down the currency's value.

That has helped exporters, making Japanese firm more competitive in overseas markets and increasing the value of their repatriated profits.

The yen has lost about one quarter of its value since November last year, and that has also lead to a huge rally in Japanese stocks as investors rush to take advantage of bigger earnings potential for companies.

The main Nikkei 225 index has risen 45% this year.

A growth rate of 3.5% would mean Japan is outpacing the US, which expanded 2.5% in the January to March quarter, as well as the eurozone, which contracted 0.9%.

However some analysts were more cautious, questioning whether the recovery could be sustained.

They pointed at company spending, which fell 0.7% in the three months despite expectations of an increase.

Some analysts said it was a sign that despite improved business sentiment Japanese companies were still hesitant to boost investment.

Convincing companies to spend is a key part of Mr Abe's plan to pull the country out of deflation.

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BP to ask for Cameron's help as oil spill costs escalate

BP wants Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene over the escalating cost of compensating US companies for the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster in 2010.

BP has already agreed huge payouts in the wake of the spill

BBC business editor Robert Peston has learned that BP feels its financial recovery is in jeopardy because the compensation system is being abused.

The financial burden of paying fictitious and inflated claims may even make BP a takeover target, it fears.

BP hopes Mr Cameron will raise the issue with the US government.

The Deepwater Horizon disaster killed 11 oil rig workers and released an estimated four million barrels of oil into the Gulf and along the coastline.

BP put aside $7.8bn (£5.2bn) when it agreed to pay compensation in 2012, but the company now expects the final figure to be much higher.

Our business editor said: "According to BP sources, the rate at which cash is leaking from the company could turn into a serious new financial crisis for the company, putting at risk its dividend and making it vulnerable to a takeover by another oil company.

"BP is so worried by the potential magnitude of alleged undeserved payments it is making to companies that it is planning to ask the UK prime minister and Chancellor for help in persuading the US government to intervene.

"It is hopeful that David Cameron will raise the issue at the G8 meeting of the government of the world's richest countries, which the UK is hosting next month."

Last year, BP agreed to pay compensation to around 100,000 people and companies, including fishermen and restaurant owners, who claimed their livelihoods and health had been affected.

However, BP feels that the court-approved rules under which "business economic loss" is assessed are being systematically abused.

In March, BP began legal action in the US to limit payments by the fund set up to compensate those affected by the disaster. However, our business editor says that BP executives believe that even if it wins the appeal, the final cost of compensating firms will still be "significantly" higher than the amount it has set aside.

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Eurozone recession continues into sixth quarter

The recession across the 17-nation eurozone has continued into a sixth quarter, figures show.

The European Central Bank recently cut interest rates to a record low to try to boost growth

The bloc's economy shrank by 0.2% between January and March, according to official figures.

That left the region's economy 1% smaller for the period compared with a year ago.

Individual data for member countries showed nine were in recession, although Germany recorded weak growth of 0.1% in the period.

The figure marks the longest recession since the euro was launched in 1999.

It was worse than the 0.1% fall expected by economists, although gross domestic product (GDP) numbers, like other economic statistics, are subject to revisions.

Severe

The weak state of so many economies in the eurozone has led to rising unemployment.

About 19 million people in the 340 million-strong eurozone population are without work, with unemployment in Greece and Spain running at 27% of the workforce.

In France, which figures show fell into recession for the second time in four years, unemployment is 10.6%.

The European Central Bank acted this month to try to boost growth by cutting interest rates to 0.5%, a record low.

Europe's leaders have been trying to rein in debt by introducing austerity programmes of varying levels of severity.

The continuing level of economic pain has prompted debates about whether or not these programmes have the effect of further restricting growth,

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