icrosoft has forged closer links with consumer electronics companies in an attempt to boost the use of its software in digital media and entertainment. They include a partnership with TiVo - the maker of digital video recorders and one of Microsoft�s rivals for dominance in the age of digital entertainment - that would let users download and watch TV shows on mobile handsets.

Earlier this month TiVo had unveiled technology to let users send TV shows from their TiVo set-top boxes to their PCs. The two companies have now co-opted on software that would make it possible to watch these shows on mobile phones or other portable devices running Windows software, Microsoft said. To handle the smaller storage capacity on mobile devices, the software automatically reduces the size of digital files, though this still produces adequate picture quality on a small screen. ... more