Both Nintendo and Microsoft were conspicuous in their absence from the 2012 edition of Gamescom, the world's largest video games expo, but both will be returning to Cologne in 2013. Skipping out in 2012 had given more prominent platform time to Sony in its promotion of the PlayStation 3, portable Vita, and growing roster of innovative, exclusive, or indie-flavored games.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has claimed that more powerful and versatile tablets are taking over where PCs left off and that iPad owners wish their devices had keyboards so that they could create documents and use Microsoft's software.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has claimed that more powerful and versatile tablets are taking over where PCs left off and that iPad owners wish their devices had keyboards so that they could create documents and use Microsoft's software.

Microsoft said Thursday it received 75,378 law enforcement requests for data in 2012 in the tech giant's first report on the sensitive subject. The requests, which included those for the Skype messaging and voice service, potentially impacted 137,424 accounts, Microsoft said on its corporate citizenship Web page. The disclosure is similar to a "transparency report" which Google started in 2010. Microsoft said that "customer content" was released in just 2.1 percent of cases, representing 1,558 requests.