BGR: Microsoft’s big week continues. The Redmond-based software — and hardware — giant on Monday unveiled its first foray into the tablet hardware market, the Microsoft Surface. Based on Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro, the Surface sets the bar high for Microsoft’s vendor partners as they prepare their own Windows 8 laptops and tablets, which will launch later this year. Moving on from tablets and pushing deeper into the mobile space, Microsoft on Wednesday took the wraps off the latest version of its smartphone operating system, Windows Phone 8. (Software, Windows 8)