Last week, several tech companies released their financial results for the latest quarter. Along with those firms that complied with their corporate-reporting obligations was Microsoft.

The Redmond-based software company said its net income declined 3.7 percent to $6.38 billion for its fiscal second quarter from $6.62 billion of the previous year. Revenue, however, grew 2.7 percent to $21.5 billion from $20.9 billion.

Shares of Microsoft’s stock fell 2.1 percent during after-hours trading despite the software company’s Windows division posting a 24 percent increase in revenue. Apparently, the 60 million Windows 8 licenses the company said it has sold were not enough to soothe analysts’ worries about the future of the company.

Market observers are worried about the less-stellar-than-expected sales performance of Microsoft’s latest operating system. Add this to the depressing performance of the Windows Phone 8 mobile OS and the company’s online services.

Some corners, however, think that these analysts are missing the bigger picture and that they are being too harsh on Microsoft. After all, they say, Windows 8 sales are about at the same post-launch trajectory as the Windows 7 had. Also, the Windows division’s revenue performance highlights the company’s ability to weather the “hard times.”

Online Pontiff

Pope Benedict, the leader of the Catholic Church, called on Catholics to use social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, to propagate their faith. Although these Web sites often serve as mere online depository of silly jokes, feel-good messages, and baby photos, they could be used as “portals of truth and faith,” the pope said.

And you could say the pope was practicing what he preaches. He currently has about 2.5 million followers on Twitter. Pope Benedict has eight Twitter accounts, with one of them in Latin.

(I know my old theology professor would love receiving tweets in his favorite dead language.)

Most Viewed, Most Earned Money can’t buy everything. Fame is not forever.

Combined, however, these things spell success online. Take the case of South Korean rapper Psy. His YouTube video “Gangnam Style” became the first video to have been viewed more than a billion times on the online video-sharing site.

Aside from becoming the site’s biggest hit ever, it has also earned more than $8 million in advertising revenue. Google shares ad earnings from YouTube videos with producers of the content.

Hmm. Maybe it’s time to brush up on our equine-style dance moves.

Tablet Sales Hit 145M

Sales of tablet computers are expected to reach 145 million in 2013, according to ABI Research. The market research firm said it revised its forecast upward due to “a combination of new market entrants, more affordable choices for consumers, and increased adoption by business audiences.”

ABI Research also said North America will account for more than half of the projected sales, while corporate customers will account for 19 percent.

That’s all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.