Microsoft is believed to have replaced the design architect responsible for the Xbox 360 user-experience Dan Coyner the general manager of Design and Planning within the Xbox team, has been replaced with Emma Williams, who led this month Xbox dashboard update.

Williams will now lead design on the next-gen Xbox, tongue-in-cheek referred to as the "Xbox 720", which a source in the team has confirmed is on the roadmap for a 2013 release as per earlier rumors. Microsoft is working on two new consoles, one hardcore gaming flagship and a second, slimmed-down model with a focus on casual gaming and multimedia use.

After One Note, Microsoft is now releasing an official SkyDrive app for iOS and their own Windows Phone. but No Android version AGAIN!

You have the ability to view all your files and folders saved on your SkyDrive account, create more folders, delete them or upload files from your device to them. You can also share the files or folders with others, whereby it mails a link to the file or folder to your recipient and you can choose whether the viewer can just view it or edit it as well.

WP7 Demo Below!

Microsoft has announced plans to automatically upgrade older versions of Internet Explorer, such as the much-maligned IE6, from January 2012. The decision is intended to bring Windows XP, Vista and 7 users up to date with safer, more efficient versions of the browser, though Microsoft is keen to point out that nobody will be forced to upgrade if they don’t actually want to.

Previous arguments for keeping IE6 and other earlier releases of the browser have been generally related to enterprise browser-based tools not updated for newer iterations. Microsoft is respecting that, and says that not only will its existing IE8 and IE9 Automatic Update Blocker toolkits stop new versions from being installed, but anybody who has declined an update through Windows Update will also be left alone.

Microsoft has officially unveiled So.cl, and contrary to Facebook-challenger expectations it is a hybrid system pulling together social networking and search and targeted at students. Found at so.cl, the new tool allows "montages of visual web content" including photos, video and text to be constructed and shared for collaborative editing and discussion, as well as video parties for real-time conversation.

Students are expected to build communities with similar research goals, and Microsoft is targeting those on social media courses who may lack the collaborative tools that other disciplines have. "So.cl might even give students the ability to create their own social tool" Microsoft suggests, "customized for their own community."