Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Updates: Diminishing Importance, Snicker at Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone & More

Editor’s Note:  Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Microsoft, Nokia Laugh Off Apple’s New iPhones In Flurry Of Tweets (Apps Gone Free)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) (or should we say Mokia?) didn’t waste time reacting to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c announcements. In a flurry of Twitter updates, the makers of Windows Phone software and hardware were quick to point out the differences – and similarities – between the new iPhones and preexisting Windows Phone-powered smartphones.

Will Microsoft/Nokia deal impact wireless design in Europe? (Electronics Weekly.com)
Microsoft’s $7.2bn acquisition of Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK)’s mobile handset business continues a trend which has seen Europe’s diminishing importance as a centre for leading edge mobile phone design. Europe was once the global power house for mobile technology design both infrastructure and handsets. But not anymore. However, there may be a new opportunity for Europe on the horizon

Microsoft hunts for big data science projects to host in Azure (ZDNet)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has launched a new award program that offers Azure cloud resources to scientists whose research could benefit from running big data computations in its cloud. The company is offering up “large allocations” of Windows Azure storage and compute resources for a period of one year under the new Windows Azure Research Award Program, announced on Tuesday.

Microsoft Patch Tuesday delivers critical IE, Outlook fixes (Computer World)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has shipped fixes for critical vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and Outlook as part of September’s round of vulnerability fixes. Overall this month, Microsoft issued 13 bulletins — 4 for them critical — that cover 47 vulnerabilities found across Internet Explorer, Outlook, SharePoint, Office and the Windows kernel. It is an exceptionally large number of patches for any one month, said Wolfgang Kandek, chief technology officer of IT security firm Qualys.

Microsoft reveals Xbox One plans for Tokyo Game Show 2013 (Neowin.net)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Xbox team has been busy this summer with appearances at E3, Comic-Con, the GameStop Expo, Gamescom and PAX Prime. Next week, the Xbox One roadshow heads to the eastern part of the globe with a major presence at the 2013 Tokyo Game Show in Japan, which starts Sept. 19.

Mullaly intends to stay at Ford (CNBC)