Category: Microsoft

Windows Phone 8 Hit With Random Reboot Issues

HTC Windows Phone 8 and Nokia Lumia 920 owners have taken to forums looking for answers to a vexing reboot problem. Pages worth of complaints have sprung up on Microsoft and Nokia’s forums web sites, as well as that of WPCentral.

The problem, which has the device reboot at random several times per day, seems to affect the HTC 8X more than the Lumia 920. Some users report as many as four to five reboots every 24 hours.

It is unclear exactly what is triggering the problems — and whether they are related or down to specific issues with different handsets, although since multiple handsets from different makers are involved a problem relating to the OS seems most likely.

Microsoft is reportedly investigating the issue, and if it can’t be resolved server-side, which seems the most likely cause, it will likely be overcome with an OTA patch in the coming days.

Nokia acknowledged there have been “reports of a small number of people experiencing this unusual performance on their Nokia Lumia 920? and pointed to problematic apps as a potential cause — noting in a statement: “We are investigating but suspect some apps may be at the root of the issue when left running in the background. While we learn more, we advise people when finished with an application to navigate away using the back button to ensure it is no longer active.”

Have you had any issues with your new Windows Phone 8 devices? Let us know.

November 20, 2012
Xbox World To Unveil Info On The Next Xbox In Its Second Last Issue

UK gaming magazine Xbox World may be shutting down soon (alongside Nintendo Power, PlayStation: The Official Magazine, and PSM3), but with news like this, it seems they’re making sure they go out with a bang.Their second to last issue will reportedly unveil tons of information on Microsoft’s highly anticipated follow-up to the Xbox 360.

For starters, it will be known officially as simply “Xbox,” and will introduce Kinect 2.0 to the world, which will be capable of tracking as many as four players at once, with enough detail for all of their fingers to be tracked too.

Blu Ray discs will be used for games, as a stop gap for full digital download releases, as well as directional audio for a more 3D sound. There will also be a TV input along with the usual outputs, which could potentially mean video editing on the platform. It will also mean that you’ll be able to record live TV on your Xbox. Also the inclusion of Augmented Reality is mentioned.

In terms of internal hardware, the CPU apparently features four hardware cores, with four logical cores in each of those. Memory wise, you’re looking at 8GB, which is a massive increase over the current Xbox 360’s 512mb. It’s also thought that Microsoft will be introducing a new “innovative controller,” as part of the release, which would suggest something other than Nintendo’s Gamepad, since Smartglass will cater to touch screen controller schemes.

With Microsoft’s next Xbox console expected to release towards the end of 2013, are you now starting to get excited that these are indeed the main features of the next-gen console? It’s the second time we’ve heard about the possibility of augmented reality and glasses on the next Xbox, so would you support Microsoft’s decision to go down this route?

November 18, 2012
Windows Phone 7.8 Set For Early 2013 Release

For all the fuss made around the launch of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 it didn’t take the more level-headed among us too long to notice the ongoing lack of any news on Windows Phone 7.8.

Windows Phone 7.8 is set to launch in early 2013, Chinese blog winp.cn has been handed a slide said to be from a Nokia presentation kit, which reveals a few more potential features of Windows Phone 7.8.

The update for existing Windows Phone 7 users will bring no notable features other than a new home screen, with support for three tile sizes.

According to the sheet, Internet Explorer 9 will be patched with security updates, and users will be able to create ringtones out of MP3 files on the device. In addition, Bing photos will be a new repository for lockscreen images, which is a nice, small feature of Windows Phone 8.

There will also be 20 colour themes altogether, matching the count of WP8. While we’re hoping that Microsoft will include a few more tangible features than these in the production release, we fear that Windows Phone 7.8 is little more than a pity update for those running legacy hardware. We’ll see in early 2013.

November 17, 2012
Lawyer To Sue Microsoft Over Storage Capacity Of Surface

A lawyer in California is suing Microsoft over his 32GB Surface, which he realized only had 16GB of free space. Andrew Sokolowski, the lawyer, is suing Microsoft for false advertising and unfair business practices, claiming that Microsoft should have told consumers that the 32GB Surface doesn’t actually have 32GB of free space.

The suit aims to change how Microsoft advertises its device and hopes to force the company to give back revenue and profits that resulted from its alleged wrongful conduct.

Microsoft said in a statement that it believes the suit is without merit.

“Customers understand the operating system and pre-installed applications reside on the device’s internal storage thereby reducing the total free space,” the company said. It noted that people can add storage via the microSD slot and USB port.

Microsoft confirmed on November 5 exactly how much usable storage space its Surface tablets come with out of the box. It says on its website that the 32GB Surface has 16GB of free space while the 64GB version has 45GB free. The Surface started selling October 26 and Sokolowski bought his device on November 7.

Sokolowski’s lawyer, Rhett Francisco, said on Wednesday that his client never saw Microsoft’s responses and said the details on its website are “buried.”

“They make you search and dig for it specifically, or you would never find it,” he said.

It’s common for mobile devices to have less usable storage space than advertised.

November 15, 2012
Indian Teenager Creates Windows Phone 8 Malware, To Present it At MalCon

A 16-year-old security researcher from India plans to present a malware application for Windows Phone 8 at the upcoming MalCon security conference in New Delhi, India, on Nov. 24.

The Trojan, created by 16-year-old Shantanu Gawde, is said to work by posing as a legitimate app which can access a user’s data once activated.

Fortunately for Microsoft and Windows Phone 8 users alike, Gawde is an ‘ethical hacker’ from India’s National Security Database program.

It is not yet clear whether the malware is able to affect Windows Phone 8 handsets by targeting a specific weakspot in the system, or by duping careless users into installing something dodgy.

Nevertheless, it poses serious questions over the security of the Windows Phone 8 OS – particularly as it shares several similarities with its PC counterpart.

Microsoft has yet to see Gawde’s findings and has therefore been unable to comment specifically on the nature of the risk.

However, Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing Director Dave Fornstrum has said the company would “investigate any issues disclose” in the MalCon talk and “take appropriate action to help protect [its] customers”.

Although finding vulnerabilities could be potentially damaging to the Windows Phone image, it could also be seen as a blessing in disguise by allowing Microsoft to discover and amend such security issues before hackers have the chance to develop more advanced malware.

November 14, 2012
Microsoft Surface Tablet Gets Run Over by Car, Survives

What is worse than forgetting that you left your brand new Microsoft Surface on the top of your car before driving away? How about watching a car drive over your tablet as you helplessly stand by. And for the record, this was the 64GB model with an included Touch Cover that cost $699. That’s exactly what happened after a WPCentral forum member left his Microsoft Surface tablet on the roof of his car and proceeded to drive over it before recalling what he’d done.

[quote]He writes, “Each car passed by with the tires on each side of the Surface until the very last car. The tire of the car ran completely over the Surface and next thing I saw was my brand new $700 tablet and touch cover flying through the air in separate directions! My heart jumped, and so did I! I jumped out of my car and ran across the street to first grab the tablet, then the Surface, and then my phone which of course fell out of my lap during all this. I jumped back in my car just before 60 mph traffic made its way to me!”[/quote]

Pretty remarkable stuff, especially considering the Touch Cover prevented any screen damage whatsoever. During the Surface announcement, head of the tablet team Panos Panay dropped a Surface on stage in front of a ravenous and highly-skeptical tech media. To our surprise not only was the Surface unharmed, but he offered to do it again just to prove it wasn’t a fluke. In other words, Microsoft knows that the Surface is an incredibly well-built piece of technology.

November 13, 2012
Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft’s Windows Chief, Set To Leave

Microsoft Corp said the head of its flagship Windows division and the driving force behind Windows 8, Steven Sinofsky, will be leaving the company with immediate effect, days after the software giant launched the Surface tablet.

Just weeks earlier, Microsoft released Windows 8, the company’s biggest overhaul to its flagship software product in years. The departure raises questions about how Microsoft, one of the giants in the technology business, will prepare itself for a new generation of leadership.

In an e-mail sent to all employees Monday evening, Mr. Ballmer said that Mr. Sinofsky’s decision to leave Microsoft comes at the start of a “new era” for the company, with the release of a wave of new products like Windows 8.

“I am grateful for the work that Steven has delivered in his time at our company,” Mr. Ballmer said in the e-mail. Frank Shaw, a Microsoft spokesman, said Mr. Sinofsky was not available for an interview.

[quote]In a statement announcing his departure, Mr. Sinofsky, 47, said, “I am humbled by the professionalism and generosity of everyone I have had the good fortune to work with at this awesome company.”[/quote]

Mr. Sinofsky was viewed as one of the most competent managers within Microsoft, and he earned high marks for helping to improve the quality of its software after the company released Windows Vista, a widely criticized version of the operating system. A former technical assistant to Bill Gates, Microsoft’s co-founder, he was known to be a big admirer of Apple’s attention to detail in its products.

His name was often floated by people speculating about a possible successor to Mr. Ballmer, who has not announced any plans to retire from the company.

November 13, 2012
“Notification Center” For WP8 : We Ran Out Of Time Says Microsoft, May Come In Next Update

There is no doubt that Windows Phone 8 is beautiful, fast and, most importantly, a huge upgrade over its predecessor.

But one thing that Microsoft didn’t change, to the chagrin of almost every WP7 user, was the way the OS deals with notifications. When WP7 debuted in late 2010, neither iOS nor Android had what could be called great notification systems. Yes, Android has, from the beginning, had its drop-down shade, but one couldn’t dismiss individual notifications until Android 4.0. iOS, until its fifth iteration, had arguably the worst and most disruptive way of dealing with notifications in the industry.

Windows Phone, on the other hand, used toast notifications that were immediately intriguing. Combined with live tiles, they provided a simple way to view what was happening — emails, tweets, messages — without disrupting the overall user experience. Very soon, however, it became obvious that without a live tile consolidating these notices, it was possible to miss a notification and have no idea where it came from. Users were understandable frustrated by this, and expected something a little more robust in Windows Phone 8.

Alas, when WP8 was revealed in its entirety, not a mention was made to the notification system. Microsoft, however, is sensitive to the matter, and commented on it during BUILD. Microsoft’s Michael Fennel told an audience during a session on notifications, “We ran out of time. It’s very, very important to m. We get tons of feedback from developers that they want something like that as well. I promise we’re thinking very, very hard on that one.” While the statement is nothing more than a, “we’ll see,” and may not be implemented until WP8.5 or its equivalent, it’s good news to hear that Microsoft is giving it some serious thought.

November 12, 2012
Microsoft Office App For iOS And Android Due Early 2013

We knew that it was coming, after several leaks and a tacit admission from Microsoft, Office 2013 for iOS has finally been revealed in screenshots.

The software is still slated to arrive on iPhone and iPad in March, 2013, but based on the first looks of the software, it’s obvious that Microsoft is designing this from a Metro-style perspective, within the bounds of the iOS design framework.

An Android version is expected to come to market by May. Both will have free service, with optional subscription models adding revenue like OneNote for iPad does already. Viewing documents in Word, Excel and Powerpoint will be free, but a subscription to Office 365 will be necessary to edit and annotate. In other words, Office 2013 will be free to play. Like the version of Office for Windows Phone, these apps will allow for basic editing and syncing with SkyDrive; Microsoft doesn’t want to eat too much into its desktop market.

We haven’t seen what Office for Android will look like, but you can bet it won’t appear drastically different to what you see above.

[The Verge]

November 8, 2012
Rumour : Microsoft Readying A 7-inch Xbox Surface Gaming Tablet?

Microsoft is expected to release a 7-inch gaming-focused Xbox Surface tablet in the future, according to The Verge. Back in June, we heard rumours that Microsoft would be releasing something called a Xbox Surface tablet, but that unsubstantiated info took a back seat to the actual Surface tablet announcement later that day.

Since then Microsoft hasn’t commented on the smaller version of its tablet series, focusing instead on the 10.6-inch Surface RT and upcoming Surface Pro devices. But if you cast your mind back to that warm day in June, the Xbox Surface was on tap to sport a 7-inch 1280×720 pixel screen, a custom ARM processor and speedy graphics chip. The Verge posits that the tablet won’t run a full version of Windows 8, but like Windows Phone 8 will have a kernel based on the real thing, just tuned for gaming. You can count on a massive graphics chip and multiplayer functionality, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the Kinect brand makes an appearance in the product’s marketing.

Considering the original Surface was one of the best-kept secrets in the industry, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Microsoft maintain a couple surprises of its own before the device is officially announced. When that will be is still up in the air, so stay tuned for more.

November 7, 2012
Microsoft will kill the Messenger, merge it with Skype

Microsoft has announced that it will retire long time messaging champion MSN Messenger and will streamline transition into recently acquired Skype. The Skype client added support for Messenger contacts and chat just two weeks ago, when version 6 was released. Within six months, the Skype client will be the only option available for connecting to Messenger contacts.

Though the Skype client now connects to both Skype and Messenger networks (and Facebook too), the networks are at present still separate, and there’s no bridging between the two. Microsoft is working on moving users in a fast way, Messenger users signing in to Skype for the first time have to either merge their account with their own Skype account, or create a new Skype account if they don’t have an existing one. Users of the Skype client can see both networks; Messenger clients, whether first- or third-party, will only see Messenger users.

For those worried about their buddy list, rest assured the list will be transferred to Skype.

[Skype]

November 7, 2012
HALO 4 comes to the Gaming world with a Bang

Microsofts biggest game series ever HALO will get its newest edition the HALO 4 to the world today. Microsoft hopes the return of the laconic green-armored super-soldier protagonist of Halo, which has generated $3 billion of revenue since its 2001. The Game launched in 40 countries starting midnight tuesday. The Halo series, made by Microsoft Game Studios, spearheaded the company’s foray into gaming that began with the 2001 launch of the first Xbox. It has sold more than 46 million copies to date and helped the console lead the market ahead of Sony’s

The Game will be launched and will compete alongside Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty Enterprise.

[quote] “Because there hasn’t been a game to star “Master Chief” for five years, there’s a bit of a pent-up demand,” said Ryan McCaffrey, Xbox Executive editor at videogame website IGN.com. “Call of Duty has taken over as the most popular game on the Xbox, so I think it will be very close,” [/quote]

HALO 4 is expected to haul a large gaming re-ignition with Microsoft, and is being pegged at the biggest thing to have happened to Gaming since the original HALO. Microsoft also held a massive launch event last week in the small country of Liechtenstein in Europe. Some historic landmarks and the countryside of the 62-square mile nation was transformed into a futuristic Halo-like universe and reporters were allowed to test the game.

November 6, 2012
Microsoft Testing A Surface Phone?

After the launch of the Surface tablet, Microsoft (MSFT) is reportedly is busy testing a smartphone with Asian suppliers, according to the Wall Street Journal.

However, it is not clear if the device will enter into mass production. The phone comes with a screen size between four and five inches, The Verge has reported.

Though previous reports suggested that Microsoft was mulling its own flagship Windows Phone, the device is unlikely to be unveiled before 2013.

The company is waiting to gauge the reception of its partners’ products — Nokia’s Lumia 820 and 920, HTC’s 8X and 8S, and Samsung’s ATIV S — before committing to bringing the phone to market. Unlike Android vendors, Microsoft keeps its phone hardware partners on a short leash, so few of the software elements can be changed. And even Nokia thinks it would be a good idea for Microsoft to release its own phone.

It’s possible that the company is waiting for sales numbers of its Surface tablet in order to see whether consumers are willing to buy into Microsoft as a device company.

November 3, 2012
Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac updated for Windows Phone 8
The Mac app for connecting and syncing your precious upcoming Windows Phone 8 device has been updated on the Mac App Store. Not only has the app been updated to Version 3.0 but it has also received a new “Windows Phone” name, to prevent further name changes one can presume. The app has added support for Retina MacBooks and also drag and drop sharing capabilities b/w some of Apple’s native apps like iPhoto and iTunes.

The new app will support all upcoming phones including the ATIV S, HTC WP 8X and 8S along with the Nokia Lumia Devices. Full Changelog below :
- Support for Windows Phone 8
- Drag and drop files between Windows Phone and your Mac desktop
- Drag and drop files from Finder to your Windows Phone 8 devices
- Support for iPhoto 9.3.2 and Aperture 3.3.2
- Support for battery charge state (Windows Phone 8 devices)
- Enhanced capability support for ringtone files (Windows Phone 8 devices)
- Support for Retina display Macs
[Mac App Store]
November 2, 2012
Windows Phone 8 SDK now available
Microsoft has finally released its long-awaited software development kit (SDK) for Windows Phone 8. It’s been a long time coming, but it makes sense since today is the first day of Microsoft’s BUILD conference in Redmond, Washington.

The SDK is described as an environment “for building apps and games for Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 7.5.” That’s pretty obvious but why 7.5? That’s the odd thing here.

It has a stand-alone Visual Studio Express 2012 edition. It can also work as an add-on to Visual Studio Express 2012 edition for Windows Phone or works as an add-in to Visual Studio 2012 Professional, Premium or Ultimate editions. Microsoft says the SDK also includes emulators and additional tools for profiling and testing a Windows Phone app under real-world conditions.

Requirements:
- Hardware:
  - 4 GB of free hard disk space
  - 4 GB RAM
  - 64-bit (x64) CPU
- Windows Phone 8 Emulator:
  - Windows 8 Pro edition or greater
  - Requires a processor that supports Second Level Address Translation (SLAT)
October 31, 2012