REDMOND, Wash. — Dec. 16, 2010 — The past year was an exciting one for Microsoft-watchers, with major releases including Windows Phone 7, Kinect for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Office 2010. Below is a collection of top feature stories, videos and slideshows of news from the company.

Windows Phone 7

Windows Phone 7: A Fresh Start for the Smartphone

Oct. 11 — Article and feature slideshow: Windows Phone 7 delivers a new user experience by integrating the things users really want to do, creating a balance between getting work done and having fun. Watch the demo.

Kinect for Xbox 360

Kinect for Xbox 360: Science Fiction Comes to Your Living Room

Nov. 3 — Article and video: Microsoft rolls out its new gesture- and voice-controlled Kinect for Xbox 360 sensor. Nine-year-old Morgan Walters, one of 1,200 kids, moms, and others who helped get the gaming device ready for launch, says that playing the Kinectimals game “was really, really cool.”

Office 365

Microsoft Office 365: The Power to Think Big and Be Small, to Be Big and Act Fast

Oct. 19 — Feature article: Microsoft announces Office 365, a new service that brings familiar applications, including Office desktop software and Office Web Apps, together with SharePoint, Exchange and Lync in the cloud, for the first time. See the announcement video.

Imagine Cup World Finals

Imagine Cup Winners Announced, Thai Team Takes Top Honors

July 8 — Article, video, and event slideshow: Microsoft announces winners of the Imagine Cup 2010 student competition in Warsaw, Poland. U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama speaks to the 400 finalists via video.

Office 2010

Customers Stand Up for Office 2010

June 15 — Article and video: As Microsoft Office 2010 releases worldwide, customers who helped the company refine the new product share their stories. Watch the Make It Great video.

Halo: Reach

Millions Reaching for Most Ambitious Halo Game Yet

Sept. 14 — Article and launch slideshow: Fans around the world celebrate the release of “Halo: Reach,” the newest installment of the popular sci-fi video game series made exclusively for Xbox. Watch the trailer (rated M by the ESRB).

Bing-Facebook Social Search

Bing Social Search – Now It’s Personal

Oct. 13 — Blog post and video: New features allow you to take your Facebook friends with you into your Bing experience. See the Bing Maps video.

IE9 Beta

‘Beauty of the Web’ Shines as Microsoft Launches Internet Explorer 9 Beta

Sept. 15 — Article, video, and slideshow: Hardware acceleration for snappy performance and a focus on the Web highlight how Microsoft’s new Internet Explorer 9 beta delivers a better experience for both users and developers. Watch the demo.

Windows Live Essentials 2011

Windows Live Essentials Bringing Together the Power of PCs With Promise of the Cloud

Sept. 30 — Article and feature slideshow: Microsoft releases Windows Live Essentials 2011, a suite of free consumer apps that connects Windows to the cloud to help people connect, create and share online. See the video.

Microsoft Lync Launch

Microsoft Lync 2010: The Future of Communications, Right Now

Nov. 17 — Article and infographic: Microsoft Lync puts people at the center of communications, connecting in new ways across the PC, phone and browser. Video: Bill Gates on Lync.

WorldWide Telescope

Microsoft and NASA Bring Mars Down to Earth Through the WorldWide Telescope

July 12 — Article and images: Dramatic imagery from NASA Mars missions creates new user experiences in the Microsoft Research WorldWide Telescope.

U.S. Imagine Cup Finals

U.S. Imagine Cup Winners Celebrate Victory, Share Inspiration with James Cameron and Craig Mundie

April 26 — Article, video and event slideshow: Team Mobilife from UC Davis wins with mobile application that diagnoses vascular diseases in world’s developing regions.

Holiday Gift Guide

Attention Shoppers: Make Your Holidays Bright with Great Gifts & Deals from Microsoft

Nov. 29 — Slideshow: From Kinect to Halo: Reach, from Windows Phone to Windows Live and Binging everything in between — a tour of some of Microsoft’s most popular gifts and holiday shopping tools. See the gift ideas video.