Category: Microsoft

Windows Phone 8 Launched

Microsoft lifted the veil on its latest Windows Phone 8 (WP8) operating system (OS) at an event in San Francisco today. Handsets from HTC, Samsung and Nokia will feature the new mobile OS. Huawei is expected to launch a device as well. Those living in Europe will be able to get the new WP8 handsets this weekend. Other markets, such as Asia, are expected to be able to buy the handsets in November.

“There’s one more thing that sets Windows Phones apart,” said CEO Steve Ballmer. “That is new, killer hardware.”

The flagship of the Windows Phone lineup is the Nokia 920, built out of a partnership between the two companies. It will be available in the U.S. in November.

Two other high-end smartphones, the Samsung Ativ S and HTC Windows Phone 8X, were previewed by CEO Steve Ballmer.

“The global launch of Windows Phone 8 is just starting,” said Ballmer.

The software presents a very different home screen from the rows of icons found on Apple or Android phones and is a key design feature of the operating system.

Its design uses the same active tiles found on Windows 8, Microsoft’s new PC operating system that launched Friday. The tiles are constantly changing with fresh information so, for example, a weather tile will update with the latest forecast while the email app will show the latest message received.

“The static grid of icons has been the standard on smartphones,” said Belfiore. “We decided not to use that tired old metaphor. Our way is to put people at the center of the experience.”

People users interact with can be given their own tiles so that the latest interactions on email or social media are updated.

“It’s the most personal smartphone operating system you can get and keeps you closer to the people that matter most in your life because of that,” he said.

New features include the speed of Internet Explorer 10 which it said was up to seven times faster than the version on WP7.5 at handling webpages based on the commonly used Javascript language. In addition it has been designed to make use of devices’ graphics processing units (GPUs) to render videos or animations written in the HTML5 computer language.

The firm also showed off Kid’s Corner – a function designed for parents who give their handsets to their children to play with. It allows them to restrict access to a limited number of apps without giving access to email, phone call or text message functions.

Microsoft said a survey had suggested about two-thirds of smartphone-owning parents in the US had used the handsets to occupy their children while out shopping, visiting friends or some other activity.

Another new feature is Rooms which allows users to create an invitation-only environment in which members share their calendars, notes, photos and other material. The firm suggested it might be used to help families, sports teams and other community groups stay “in sync”.

Microsoft also made much of an “always-on” Skype experience.

This addresses one of the major flaws with its previous mobile system which had not allowed the video chat program to run in the background. That had meant that users of iOS and Android phones had been able to receive calls while using other apps, but WP7.5 devices had not – a notable omission bearing in mind Microsoft paid $8.5bn (£13.7bn) to buy Skype in 2011.

Overall, it has been an interesting day with the WP8 launch and Google’s announcements! More to follow.

October 30, 2012
Microsoft Officially Unveils Windows 8 and the Surface RT tablet

Microsoft has brought thousands of people to New York to celebrate the launch of its Windows 8 operating system and its Surface RT tablet, available October 26th. Touting 670 million users of Windows 7 and over 15 petabytes of data stored in its Skydrive cloud, Microsoft is confident that Windows 8 will become even more successful than its predecessor.

One major aspect of the announcement is bringing more attention to Windows RT, a version of Windows 8 optimized to run on ARM-based processors such as Nvidia’s Tegra 3 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 family. This is the version of Windows that will first become available on Microsoft’s Surface tablet — the Intel-powered Pro version will be available in the coming months — and will be limited to running apps downloaded from the Windows Store. While this severely limits the potential audience of Windows RT, Microsoft has promised that the Windows Store will contain more apps upon its launch than any other ecosystem did when it launched.

Microsoft claims that there have been over 1,000 PCs, in varying styles and sizes, certified to use Windows 8. The ARM-based PCs and tablets will have extensive peripheral support, supporting the majority of mice, keyboards and printers. As for apps, Microsoft promises that top brands will feature in the Store, as well as first-party apps such as Xbox Music, Games and Movies.

October 25, 2012
Skype gets up to Version 6.0 Integrates Microsoft Accounts and brings Retina Support
Skype 6.0 gets a host of new features along with compatibility with Retina display Macs and future similar display PC’s. The new Skype adds the ability to sign in directly with your Facebook or Microsoft account including Hotmail, Live or Outlook. Skype 6.0 will also add Modern UI friendly look on Windows * machines/ tablets to up it game. Now you can instant message your Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail and Outlook.com contacts via Skype all in one place. Skype 6.0 also brings localization languages in Thai, Croatian, Slovenian, Serbian, Catalan and Slovak, bringing the total languages Skype supports to 38.

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Today we have released a new version of Skype for Desktop. Get it now for Windows orMac.

What’s new:
Sign up and sign-in is easier than ever. You can now sign into Skype 6.0 using your Microsoft or Facebook account – there’s no need to create a new Skype account. This makes it even easier to connect with friends on Skype without having to set up another account.
Now you can instant message your Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail and Outlook.com contacts via Skype all in one place. If you use a Microsoft account today, merging your accounts is easy – just sign in to Skype with your Microsoft account.
We’re working on polishing a feature which will enable audio and video calls to Windows Live Messenger customers using Skype 6.0 desktop clients. The feature will be available in coming weeks.

We want to hear your feedback. Discuss what matters to you on Skype Support Network or report glitches on our public issue tracker.

Here’s more of what’s new with Skype 6.0 for Windows Desktop:
We are excited to support our growing community around the world with new localized versions of Skype 6.0 in Thai, Croatian, Slovenian, Serbian, Catalan and Slovak, bringing the total languages Skype supports to 38.
We have refreshed and flattened the Skype 6.0 UI with a simpler and less cluttered look. We have updated the look of the instant messaging and SMS areas as well.
We have removed the online user counter at the bottom of your Skype Contacts list to unclutter the UI and make more space for your friends within the contacts list.
When you change your profile picture, we will now show you all of your previous Skype 6.0 profile pictures so you don’t have to look through old files if you want to use a previous image.
We are constantly looking for ways to improve the quality of our product. To that end we are adding additional “opt-in” telemetry reports for users who choose this option: “Tools>> Options>>Advanced>>Tick “Help improve Skype…” The reports may contain your Skype ID and or Microsoft Account ID but we will not use it to identify or contact you.

Here’s more of what’s new with Skype 6.0 for Mac Desktop:
We hear your feedback! With this release we’ve added support to open chats in multiple windows.
We also added another feature you’ve asked for – support Retina display. Now you can take full advantage of improved usability and of higher resolution screens.

Known issues for Skype 6.0 for Mac:

Category Description Workaround

Account On Mountain Lion the profile image picker does not work as expected – recent images can’t be seen and effects can’t be added None available

Release build for Skype for Windows is 6.0.0.120 and on Skype for Mac is 6.0.0.2946.

Volunteer localization of Skype for Windows has been done by:
- Bulgarian: Nikolina Filipova & Nikolay Filipov
- Chinese (Simplified): Wang Miao (TOM.com)
- Chinese (Traditional): Penny Yang, Carlos Lee (PChome)
- Czech: Petr Silon
- Dutch: Kees Koenders
- French: Fabrice Imperial & Bruno Lépaulard
- German: Claudius Henrichs & Dick Schiferli
- Hungarian: Mark Bender
- Italian: Daniele Conte
- Lithuanian: Viktoras Kriukovas
- Norwegian: Stig Auestad
- Polish: Karol Szastok
- Portuguese: Francisco Ferreira
- Romanian: Péter & Mónika Henning
- Turkish: Ömer Emin Dede
- Ukrainian: Vitaliy Kupchynskyy
Volunteer localization of Skype for Mac has been done by:
- Bulgarian: Nikolay Filipov
- Brazilian Portugese: Fabio Roselet
- Dutch: Alexander Henket
- Estonian: Triin Tähema
- French: Jean-Pierre Kuypers
- German: Claudius Henrichs
- Norwegian: Kenneth Stevenson
- Polish: Bohdan Zielinski
- Portuguese Portuguese: Francisco Miguel Ferreira
- Spanish: Carola Clavo
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[Skype]
October 25, 2012
Microsoft Surface Touch Cover Detailed In New Video

With all the hullaballoo surrounding the new iPad Mini, it’s worth remembering that some actual Windows-flavored competition is ready to roll, the Microsoft Surface. We learned last week that Microsoft spent quite some time in a studio, carefully crafting the clicky, compact Windows 8 tablet. And one of its most special, and most important, features is the Touch Cover, which doubles as a tablet cover and a keyboard all in one 3mm package. Combined with the Surface’s built-in kickstand, it allows the tablet to be used as one would a laptop.

Microsoft also showed off the Type Cover, which is essentially a 6mm cover with a scissor key keyboard. It has all the same “smart” functionality as the Touch Cover, but with a bit more familiarity when typing.

However, an engineer in the video explains that, with the Touch Cover, “there isn’t a huge learning curve with respect to muscle memory of where your fingers are striking the keys.” We’ll have to wait until full reviews are released to find out.

Microsoft Surface RT is already available for pre-order and becomes available on October 26. What do you think of the Surface and its Touch Cover keyboard? Is it more desirable than the new iPad, which was updated yesterday with a faster processor and new Apple’s Lightning connector?

October 24, 2012
Microsoft Surface Windows RT Tablet To Cost $499 For 32GB Model, Without Keyboard Attachment

Microsoft accidentally listed the selling prices of its Windows RT Surface tablets this morning, and the prices are surprisingly high: $499 for the cheapest model and up to $699 for a fully loaded one. At those prices, Surface tablets likely won’t make a dent into the iPad’s dominance.

The Microsoft Surface tablet with RT is 680 grams, 9.3 millimeters thick and has a 10.6-inch screen. It will come with 32GB and 64GB storage, and a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, which is based on an ARM processor.

The 32GB model comes in at $499 without a Touch Cover, which on its own sells for $119.99. For an extra $100 you get the 32GB model with a Touch Cover, and for $699 you get the 64GB model with a Touch Cover.

Microsoft is also selling the Type Cover, which is a thicker physical-key keyboard cover for $129.99. The Touch Covers look to come in a variety of colours, including white, orange, blue, pink and the default black. There’s no indication whether the Surface tablet itself will come in any other colours but black.

The Microsoft Surface is the company’s first Windows computing device, and expectations are high. Microsoft has made its own hardware in the past, succeeding with the Xbox game console but failing with the Zune multimedia players and Kin smartphones, which have both been discontinued. Microsoft has tried to differentiate from rival RT tablets with some interesting design tweaks like a kickstand and the Touch Cover accessory. Windows RT and 8 are Microsoft’s first tablet OSes, and the company hopes to bring its package of home-grown software, services and hardware to rival Apple, which has a commanding lead in the fast growing tablet market.

October 16, 2012
Windows 8 Tablets will reach the US in December

While India awaits, The US will get two Windows 8 tablets from ASUS and Samsung, namely the VivoTab RT and ATIV Smart PC, this holiday season.

The VivoTab RT from ASUS is equipped with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor,Windows RT, 4G LTE connectivity, 32GB of internal storage and features a 10.1-inch Super IPS display with ASUS TruVivid technology for a better viewing experience.

Samsung’s 11.6-inch HD ATIV Smart PC includes a dual-core Intel Clover Trail processor clocked at 1.5GHz, Windows 8, 64GB of internal storage and can be connected to a detachable keyboard dock. As an added bonus, the VivoTab RT comes preloaded with Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview Edition, while the ATIV Smart PC includes a trial of Office 2013.

The two tablets will be launched on the At&t network in the US during the holiday season. India is expected to play host to all Windows 8 Tablets early next year.

October 5, 2012
Microsoft “Surface Phone” To Be Out Next Summer?

The latest rumours have Microsoft heading deeper into the hardware space and developing a phone. According to the sources over at the China Times, Microsoft has been working on the “Surface Phone” for several months and plans to release it sometime during the first half of 2013.

The alliance with Nokia as a manufacturing arm didn’t pan out as Microsoft intended, as the first Lumia phones couldn’t quite gain traction against the dual-core, high-res offerings of Android and iOS. Microsoft has certainly itself to blame since it took it quite a long time to introduce support for modern hardware in its mobile OS, and Nokia showed it can deliver innovative handsets when the platform allows it, with the Lumia 920.

Of course, this is all rumours and nothing is confirmed, but it’s not too far of a stretch to believe as Microsoft is preparing to release their own Windows 8 “Surface” tablet later this month – a product they successfully managed to keep under wraps until they unveiled it and has somewhat ruffled the feathers of WP partners.

No word on specs of the said “Surface Phone,” but in the meantime we’ll see welcome the Lumia 820, Lumia 920, Samsung ATIV S and HTC’s 8X and 8S.

October 1, 2012
Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer Security Bugfix

Microsoft has released a temporary software fix for a bug in its Internet Explorer web browser. Cybercriminals used the flaw to install the Poison Ivy trojan on users’ computers. This piece of malware can steal data or take remote control of a PC.

[quote]”Earlier this week, an issue impacting Internet Explorer affected a small number of customers. The potential exists, however, that more customers could be affected… On September 21, we will release a cumulative update for Internet Explorer through Windows Update and our other standard distribution channels,” Trustworthy Computing Director Yunsun Wee said on the Microsoft Security Response Centre website. [/quote]

The solution will be automatically installed on PCs running on Microsoft’s Windows operating system if the machine is set up to receive important updates, Wee added.

Microsoft had began offering a temporary patch for the problem on September 19.

“We have released a Fix it (on September 19) that is available to address that issue. This is an easy, one-click solution that will help protect your computer right away. It will not affect your ability to browse the web, and it does not require a reboot of your computer,” Wee said.

September 21, 2012
NIIT partners Microsoft to offer new programs in Cloud and emerging technologies

Technology trainer NIIT inked a strategic alliance with Microsoft Corporation to develop cloud-ready professionals, to take on assignments in the global IT industry. Under this alliance NIIT will offer new programs in cloud and emerging technologies in association with Microsoft.

This initiative will allow students to look at the next generation opportunities in the field of cloud computing, cloud services, and apps development. Further, the benefit of Microsoft Certification integrated with NIIT programs will be made available to students both in the retail and academic space, by NIIT.

[ET]

September 13, 2012
Windows Phone 8 SDK preview opens September 12th

Microsoft announced that developers will be able to sign-up for inclusion in the Windows Phone 8 SDK (Software Development Kit) programme from September 12th. Microsoft also revealed that the program will be initially limited to a select few at first until the full Windows Phone 8 SDK is publicly available later this year, after Windows Phone 8 has been released.

Microsoft won’t be giving access to just anyone, it will give priority to any developers that have already published apps to Windows Phone. In essence, they’ll be favoring the developers that chose to develop for Windows Phone before there was any major buzz for it. How exactly this will help the company garner better app development remains to be seen.

[quote]”The full Windows Phone 8 SDK will be made publically available later this year when we unveil Windows Phone 8. Until then, we believe this program offers more published developers a way to explore the SDK and get started on the next wave of amazing Windows Phone apps,” said Microsoft in a statement.[/quote]

One should keep in mind, WP 8 apps are on a whole new development platform. While WP 8 devices will continue to support WP 7.5 apps, these apps will not take advantage of the new hardware capabilities of WP 8 devices. Microsoft officials said they wouldn’t be disclosing the full set of Windows Phone 8 OS features until a later, unspecified date.

September 9, 2012
Windows Store Reaches 1000 Apps Milestone

We have seen a large rise in the number of Windows 8 apps that users of the RTM version can see from the Windows Store. Today, a third party site that has been tracking the numbers of those apps stated that it has now passed the 1,000 milestone.

McAtkins Online says that in its latest app count shows there are now 1,004 apps that are visable for Windows Store users. This number includes both desktop apps (which cannot be directly downloaded from the Windows Store) and the “Modern” Windows 8 apps. Just a few days ago, the same website said there were 839 apps available on the Windows Store.

Apparently, the rate at which new applications are being pushed to the Store has increased, and chances are that Microsoft will go near the 3,000 apps mark or beyond it by the time the platform reaches general availability.

It seems that more and more developers are flocking to Windows 8, which suggests that more new software will appear in the Store soon, thus making the platform even more appealing than before.

It’s also possible that Microsoft could be holding back until just a few days before October 26th before it decides to open the flood gates for new Windows 8 apps to be released.

September 9, 2012
Microsoft Debuts New Logo Before Windows 8

In advance of the Windows 8 launch on Oct. 26, Microsoft today unveiled a new logo that’s 25 years in the making.

The world’s largest software company is introducing a dash of color in its first logo redesign since 1987, using a new multi-colored square next to a plain rendering of its name, replacing its well-worn italic style logo.

Microsoft is rolling out its new Windows 8 operating system along with new Office and phone software this autumn, and is hoping the new logo unifies customers’ experience of the company, much like rival Apple Inc’s distinctive logo has for its consumers.

The logo uses the so-called Segoe font, which is used in Microsoft products and marketing materials, and four colored squares that are “intended to express the company’s diverse portfolio of products,” the Redmond, Washington-based company said on its blog.

“It’s been 25 years since we’ve updated the Microsoft logo and now is the perfect time for a change,” said Jeff Hansen, general manager of Microsoft’s brand strategy, in a blog on Microsoft’s website. “This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning.”

The new design, which resembles the existing logo for Windows, its most important product, is already in use on Microsoft’s website and is being unveiled at its latest store opening in Boston on Thursday.

August 24, 2012
Microsoft Launches Kinect For Windows In India At Rs 19,990

Kinect for Windows sensor, which aims to harness Microsoft’s Natural User Interface in a bid to ‘revolutionise’ computing, is now available in India along with the Software Development Kit (SDK). The Kinect for Windows sensor is available at Rs 19,990 while the SDK is available for free download at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/kinectforwindows/.

The Xbox 360’s Kinect accessory has been quite a hit among casual gamers. Its list of accomplishments doesn’t end there though, as developers and scientists have modded it to carry out some complex tasks.

Microsoft is hoping that developers and businesses will take advantage of the cutting-edge features of this motion sensing technology like improved skeletal tracking, , enhanced speech, seated mode tracking to create innovative applications.

Kinect for Windows will include Studio – a tool which allows developers to record and play back Kinect data; Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) to guide developers on best practices for the creation of Natural User Interfaces and the Face Tracking SDK, which provides a real-time 3D mesh of facial features tracking the head position, location of eyebrows and the shape of the mouth.

August 7, 2012
Microsoft to drop ‘Metro’ name for Windows 8

A potential trademark dispute has forced Microsoft to drop the Metro name for Windows 8’s blocky, tile-based interface.

Talks with an “important European partner” have brought about the change according to internal memos seen by tech news site The Verge.

The partner is believed to be German retail giant Metro AG.

Microsoft is currently working out what to call the interface and said the new name would be announced soon.

The tiled interface is used on both Windows 8 and Windows Phone and has been called “Metro” ever since Microsoft started showing off its designs for the software.

Elements of it have also been used on older products such as the Zune media player.

In documents sent out to developers and media months ago, Microsoft said Metro was the “code name for our design language”.

It added that Metro was picked because the name was “modern and clean. It’s fast and in motion”.

Now documents sent out to developers are warning coders to avoid using the word when referring to the distinctive interface.

The warning is believed to follow on from an internal memo sent by Microsoft’s Legal and Corporate Affairs department which said the company had been threatened with legal action over its use of the name.

The threat is believed to have been made by German retailer Metro AG, which owns trademarks on the word. Metro AG declined to comment on the claim.

Instead of Metro, Microsoft has told developers to simply refer to the blocky display as a “Windows 8 style UI” for the time being.

[quote]

In a statement, Microsoft said: “We have used Metro style as a code name during the product development cycle across many of our product lines.

“As we get closer to launch and transition from industry dialogue to a broad consumer dialogue we will use our commercial names,” it said.

[/quote]

Source : BBC

August 4, 2012
Hotmail.com relaunched as Outlook.com

Microsoft has ditched Hotmail after 16 years, relaunching the service in favour of the revamped Outlook.com.

Microsoft said its new service, available to preview at Outlook.com, would reimagine the way people use email and be the first major improvement in eight years.

Although it still claims 350 million users worldwide, Hotmail has been usurped as the leading email provider since Google launched Gmail in 2007. Google claims to have signed up 425 million users in the past five years.

According to the web metrics firm ComScore, Hotmail still boasts more traffic than any of its rivals. In June 2012, Hotmail had 324 million monthly visitors, compared to 290 million at Yahoo mail and 278 million at Google’s Gmail.

However, Hotmail users will be invited to transfer their accounts to the Outlook.com portal. The relaunch is part of a wider overhaul of Microsoft’s widely-used software products, including its Windows operating system and Office services.

Microsoft said Outlook.com would offer a less-obtrusive email experience, with fewer display ads and new connections to social networks including Facebook and Twitter.

Users will be able to see status updates from friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter with a new feature on the revamped email site.

[quote]

“We think the time is right to reimagine email. So today, we’re introducing a preview of Outlook.com,” said Chris Jones, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows Live.

“We realised that we needed to take a bold step, break from the past and build you a brand new service from the ground up.”

[/quote]

The demise of Hotmail brings to an end one of the earliest great brands of the consumer internet. Microsoft bought Hotmail from the entrepreneurs Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith for a reported a $400m in 1997 – a full decade before Google arrived on the email scene.

Hotmail quickly became known as the younger person’s email service as it was allied with Micrsoft’s instant-messaging platform, MSN Messenger.

After its initial success Hotmail faced intense rivalry in the US and Europe, first from email services from the likes of Yahoo and AOL, and more recently Google, with bigger storage capacity and tidier interfaces.

August 1, 2012