Microsoft

The day of reckoning is here, Hotmail users, after six weeks of migrating 150 petabytes (150 million GBs) of data to the Outlook.com email view. Don't start weeping just yet; your Hotmail address remains the same, you'll just see and experience Outlook's revamped interface.

Read on for the new features to expect as you move from Hotmail's old platform.

Skype, meet email inbox. Inbox, this is Skype, your new partner in communication crime. After an overhaul to make the Outlook.com email service better at managing the beast that is electronic mail, Microsoft has revealed one more way streamline online talk tools, with Skype integration right in the inbox.

Unlike Gmail's all-in-one video chat using Google Hangout, Skype on Outlook will require a one-time installation of a Skype web plug-in. Once downloaded, contacts from your existing Skype account can be merged with the Microsoft account. Search for contacts to call, then select the Call function from their contact card and opt for either a video or audio call; fairly intuitive and similar to how Gmail users can connect with friends.

Skype is rolling out to the UK now, and will be added to US accounts in the coming months. Facebook users have been chatting with Skype for some time now, but are you more likely to use the service when it's within your inbox?

Gamers in need of a new toy, start the countdown clocks, as Microsoft announced a May 21 event to reveal the next generation Xbox from the company's headquarters in Redmond, WA.

The event will be live streamed around the world on Xbox Live and xbox.com at 10 a.m. PT. People in the US and Canada can watch live on Spike TV. Look for the first gaming titles to be introduced at E3 in June.

With Xbox's push in the last year to be your living room's entertainment hub, don't be surprised to see an emphasis on Xbox as a media control center. What features do you hope to see in the latest Xbox system?

Though just announced July 2012, Microsoft's new non-Hotmail email service, Outlook.com, has already grown to 60 million users and is ready for the wild world of nonbeta. Beginning today and progressing over the next several weeks, Hotmail's current hundreds of millions users will start to see their email experience switch to Outlook's web-based email platform. Hotmail addresses won't be changing, but what will be is the way Hotmailers interact with email.

From a solution to "sweep" out inbox clutter to social-media syncing, read on for what to expect in the new Hotmail/Outlook.com look.

Windows Blink, the latest photo app for Windows Phone 8 (WP8) devices, knows that out of every 16 shots, there's bound to be at least one good one.

Windows Blink brings burst mode to WP8, capturing 16 shots in a row before and after you press the shutter, and offers you a selection to choose from. Plus, Blink will save all the shots in the photos hub, just in case.

Microsoft is adding another tablet to its Surface Windows 8 lineup — Surface Pro, the high-performance version of the already-released Surface RT tablet, which is available starting today in the US and Canada.

Unlike the Surface RT, the Pro runs a full Windows 8 desktop operating system and supports current Windows 7 applications. It's more comparable to ultraportable laptops than tablets that run on a mobile OS. The device costs $899 for the 64GB standalone version and $999 for the 128GB model.

When we asked readers in November if the hefty price tag was worth it, only 37 percent said "yes" (for comparison, the 64GB iPad Retina is $699). But if you've spent the last couple of months reconsidering, here's a guide to where the Surface Pro is available, what you're getting right out of the box, and which accessories are available.

• Where to buy — Starting Feb. 9, both 64GB and 128GB versions will be available at all Microsoft retail stores, MicrosoftStore.com, and Staples and Best Buy in the US.
• In the box — The dark titanium-colored tablet comes with a capacitive Surface Pen that has a digitizing technology called Palm Block. On the outside, the body is comparable to the Surface RT, just thicker (14mm) and a little heavier (2 lbs.), and both the front- and rear-facing cameras are 720p HD. On the inside, there's an Intel Core i5 processor and the 10.6-inch display runs 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution.
• A note about 64GB — Microsoft notes that the Windows 8 system software uses significant storage space and "available storage is subject to change based on system updates and apps usage." If you're thinking about using the Surface Pro as your primary computing device, consider getting the 128GB model.
• The accessories — The Surface Pro very notably does not include the touch or type keyboard covers with a trackpad that click into the edge of the tablet. The touch version ($120) is pressure sensitive, while the type version ($130) is more like a full-fledged keyboard. Both covers work with Surface Pro and RT tablets.

Microsoft Office, a staple of office worker bees and students, has finally joined the cloud migration with today's release of Office 365 Home Premium, with one major difference to its style of yore: subscription-based software. Does the jump to web-based tools level the playing field between Microsoft and Google's Drive products? With updates to the set of Office programs, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access, we've made note of the six biggest changes to Office 365 below.

• Buy or rent — Pay $100 for one year of Microsoft Office, or "rent" the service on a $10-per-month basis. Students and teachers can opt for Office 365 University, a four-year subscription for $80.
• One subscription, five devices — A single paid subscription to Office can then be used across five devices including PCs, Macs, and Windows mobile devices. A license model now keeps up with the amount of tablets, phones, and computers a household may have.
• Office On Demand — On a laptop without Office installed? Use any computer with Windows 7 or 8 installed, sign in to your Microsoft account on office.com, then select the logo of the Office On Demand program you need, and voilà — access to a fully functioning (not a smaller web app) Office program that'll save any documents to SkyDrive storage.
• Touch-friendly interface — The Office suite was redesigned with touch-enabled devices in mind. Whether it's a tablet or convertible laptop, a double tap of buttons easily replaces the old cursor's moves.
• Storage and calling perks — Get an extra 20GB of SkyDrive cloud storage free with an Office 365 account; basic SkyDrive storage is 7GB free. Plus, receive 60 free Skype world calling minutes per month to mobile phones, landlines, or PCs.
• Auto update — How many times a week do you find yourself waiting for your operating system to update Office? Auto updates ensure you'll never be left manually upgrading software, yet always be using the most recent version of the program suite.

Are you planning to subscribe to the new Office?

With a little inspiration and a bit of willpower, you can stay fit over the holidays. The days between Thanksgiving and New Year's are filled with tempting treats and many distractions, so create a Pinterest board to remind you of your fitness goals. Filling an inspirational board with time-saving workouts and ways you plan to stay in shape until January will certainly help you stay on track over the holidays. To give you a little added incentive, we're giving away $1,500 and a new Windows Phone 8.

See the instructions below on how to create your Pinterest board. Be sure to share your tips and tricks for staying fit for the holidays. Our editors will then select their favorite board and give out $1,500 to make your holiday wishes come true.

How to enter:

1. Create a Pinterest board titled "Windows Phone Staying Fit for Holidays."
2. Pin at least five (5) ways you will stay fit over the holidays and build out a board on Pinterest using the hashtag #fitforholidays on all pins.
3. Submit your name, email, and include a link to your "Windows Staying Fit for Holidays" board to the contest page here.

Official Rules

Whether you want to get a head start on planning the season's gatherings or just want to feast your eyes on some holiday inspiration, what better way to start than with your very own virtual holiday pinboard? Just in time, we're hosting a Pinterest contest — and with a little luck, you might even find yourself celebrating with $1,500 and a new Windows Phone 8!

See the instructions below on how to build out a Pinterest board and show us what dishes you'd love put on the table at your next Wintertime fête. Our editors will then select their favorite board and give out a $1,500 gift card (and a new Windows Phone 8 along with it) to make your party a reality.

How to enter:

1. Follow YumSugar on Pinterest.
2. Build a Pinterest board titled "Windows Phone Holiday Recipes."
3. Build out a board on Pinterest with at least five inspirational holiday recipes.
4. Hashtag each of your pins with #YumHolidayRecipes.
5. Submit your name and email, and include a link to your "Windows Phone Holiday Recipes" board to the contest page here.

Be sure to enter by Nov. 21. We're excited to see what inspires your project! Check out the official rules.

If you don't have a Pinterest account yet, get an invitation here.