THE NEWS WRAP: Microsoft on the “threshold” of Windows 9 release

Microsoft is planning to reveal Windows 9 at a press event on September 30, sources have told The Verge.

The date may change, but a new version of Windows codenamed “Threshold” is currently in development and Microsoft plans to release a preview version of what will likely be named Windows 9 to developers on September 30 or shortly afterwards.

The preview will give developers a first look at the new mini Start Menu, the removal of the Charms bar feature and several user interface changes. It’s not clear whether or not Cortana, Microsoft’s intelligent personal assistant, will be part of the preview.

Product Hunt raises $1 million

Product Hunt, an online community that allows members to submit, vote, comment on, and browse daily submissions of products from the community, has announced it has raised $1 million in funding and its iOS app is available.

Earlier this week Product Hunt graduated from the Y Combinator accelerator program.

The startup raised almost all of the funding, apart from Y Combinator’s $120,000, before it began the three month program.

Xamarin raises $54 million to bring Microsoft’s C# to other platforms

San Francisco-based company Xamarin, which allows developers to code applications for a variety of different platforms using Microsoft’s C# programming language, has announced $54 million in a Series C fundraising, GeekWire reports.

The funding will be used to help fuel the company’s growth as it pushes to capture more of the mobile market.

Overnight

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 60.36 to 17,039.49. The Australian dollar is currently trading at US93 cents.

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