Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): ‘Scroogle’ Move, More Ads & Xbox One

Editor’s Note: Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Microsoft’s Lightweight Windows Phone App Builder Saw 30,000 Projects Started In First 48 Hours (TechCrunch)
Today on the Windows Developer Show, on which I was a guest, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Bryan Tomlinson announced that the new Windows Phone App Studio had seen usage higher than the company anticipated, with 30,000 applications started in the first 48 hours of the tool’s life. Given the stronger-than-expected demand, Microsoft is currently “throttling” usage to the service. However, your lag time to entry should not be too long. Perhaps a day. Why does the 30,000-projects-started figure matter? Simply because it shows that developers and non-developers showed up to test the darn thing out. I was one of the 30,000.

Microsoft posts Xbox One unboxing video, details retail pack contents (NDTV Gadgets)
Unboxing videos are popular among gadget enthusiasts and this is one reason why technology and gadgets focused websites feature these. They certainly help in building up the excitement leading up to the device’s final review by giving a glimpse of the package in which it comes. However, device makers usually don’t post unboxing videos by themselves. Microsoft has decided to change this by posting a video where it unboxes its own gaming console, the Xbox One, way before it goes on sale. While the next generation gaming console will hit shelves in November (at least in the US), Microsoft has posted a new video that features the unboxing of an Xbox One unit.

Microsoft readies a new Scroogled attack on ‘Gspam’ (ZDNet)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will launch later today its latest “Scroogled” attack — this time on what it’s calling “Gspam.””Already reading your Gmail, Google now using your private content to Scroogle you with spam that looks like real emails,” according to a Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) blog post which is scheduled to go live on August 9. (I grabbed a copy of it before Microsoft seemingly accidentally posted and pulled it.) “Google is now deliberately spamming inboxes with ads that look like real emails,” the post notes. Microsoft’s latest campaign is focused on a Google Gmail inbox redesign from May that resulted in Gmail users seeing unsolicited advertisement messages in the “Promotions” tab of the new Gmail inbox. Here’s how to disable that Promotions tab, courtesy of the Atlantic Wire.

Microsoft spot takes on the iPad Mini — dubiously (Cnet)
The latest Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) ad may have the unintended consequence of inviting less-than-favorable comparisons to a Windows 8 tablet. In an ad rolled out Thursday, Microsoft takes aim at the 7.9-inch iPad Mini with Acer’s 8-inch Iconia W3 — the first small Windows 8 tablet.

Microsoft About To Put More Money In Your Pocket (MSFT) (Forbes)
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 8/13/13, Microsoft Corporation (NASD: MSFT) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.23, payable on 9/12/13. As a percentage of MSFT’s recent stock price of $32.80, this dividend works out to approximately 0.70%, so look for shares of Microsoft Corporation to trade 0.70% lower — all else being equal — when MSFT shares open for trading on 8/13/13.