After a stunning and lengthy decline, Microsoft has managed to to stabilize its US smartphone market share. Comscore data for May and June show Microsoftholding patat 5.8% of the market, a figure that only places it above Symbian in terms of popularity. While the fact that Microsoft has staunched any losses, at least for the moment, may encourage fans of Windows Phone 7, the total amount of the US market that Microsoft now controls is so low that it is almost negligible....

Microsoft’snewest patentfor Bing demonstrates a potential feature to show street-side images embedded into regular maps, fusing panoramic photos into traditional 2d maps. The patent was approved last week, after being filed on October 8th. You can view the whole patenthere. This is an example, from the patent, of what Bing might be building: Bing has been locked in a struggle with Google over every feature that both search engines offer; this patent may give Microsoft’s search team an eventual edge in the mapping department....

Last week, Microsoft said that itsnext-gen Windowswill be unveiled “very soon.” Now, the company has set a date for it: we’re going to see “what’s next for Windows” at an event on June 24 11AM ET. This new update to Microsoft’s operating system is codenamed“Sun Valley”and reports suggest that it’ll bring refreshed UI elements, along with other changes. [Read:This dude drove an EV from the Netherlands to New Zealand — here are his 3 top road trip tips]...

Microsoft’s retail store campaign continues, with the next store to launch ‘this spring’ in Costa Mesa, California. Microsoft announced the forthcoming store this morning in a tweet that also revealed the exact location of the store, the South Coast Plaza. This isthe tweetthat Microsoft released: Microsoft has been opening stores around the nation to help bolster its brand with the mall-going demographic. Last November the company opened their largest store right across from an Apple store....

Microsoft’s Office 365 cloud productivity suite is currently suffering from an embarrassing bout of downtime. As Office 365 was only released from beta statusin late June, to have such a public falling down is particularly troubling; as services that include a cloud component become more popular, and mainstream, this sort of crash is painful for all such products. But it is especially bad for Microsoft, who is pitching Office 365 to the sort of customers who have the least patience for downtime: businesses....