Microsoft will finally try to repair the Surface RT Wi-Fi bug today as part of its monthly Patch Tuesday updates that will also comprise several fixes for Windows RT platforms.
The update addresses “limited Wi-Fi connection issues and contains driver updates to improve performance with Windows as well as the volume and power buttons”.
The Surface team confirmed in an AMA session on Reddit a few days ago that Microsoft would release two different patches for the bug, one expected to be released on February 12 and another one due in March.
“Wifi connection robustness has been improved with the Feb 12 Windows Update. Another version is in the works and will release Mar 12,” the team said on Reddit.
To see if you received the update, you can click on the upper right portion of the screen or swipe in from the right edge. Click on Settings, and tap onChange PC settings. Then, tap on Windows Update and Check for Updates.
Unlike Apple or Google, Microsoft doesn’t provide a very clear numbering system for its Windows RT updates. Apple, for example, uses nomenclature like “iOS 6.1.1”, while that seems to be nonexistent on the Microsoft side. This update is simply being called the “February update.”
At any rate, it’s good to see Microsoft addressing issues that users may be seeing, relatively quickly.
Apple has announced it has paid out a total of $8 billion to developers since the inauguration of the App Store in 2009.
This is an increase of $1b since January 13th, when Apple last reported the numbers, and a milestone for an industry that increasingly relies on developer interest to beckon customers to a particular platform. While Android has proven successful for developers in usage numbers, recent statistics cite iOS developers as earning four times the amount, on average, for paid apps.
The App Store reached 775,000 apps back in September, with some apps becoming multi-billion dollar businesses. Cook couldn’t resist pointing out the lack of tablet-optimised apps in rival’s stores, saying: “We have over 300,000 apps custom designed for the tablet. The other guys have a few hundred.” This taunt is not dissimilar to one that Steve Jobs used during one of his WWDC keynotes a few years ago.
With iTunes bringing in a sizeable amount of money, too, Apple’s online services are definitely paying off.
Speaking also about what Apple would and would not do to earn cash, specifically with “affordable” products, Cook let it be known that the company’s “North Star” is “a great product.” Cook continued speaking about how they’d actually tried to make cheaper products, but found that instead of creating a Mac for under $500, it made more sense to make the iPad. Thus that product ecosystem was born.
After being announced as BlackBerry’s Global Creative Director less than two weeks ago, pop diva Alicia Keys claims her Twitter account was hacked after a specious tweet from an iPhone was sent under her name.
[quote]”What the h*ll?!!!! Looks like I’ve been hacked… I like@Drake but that wasn’t my tweet :-(” she posted shortly after the offending missive.[/quote]
As the Verge reports, Alicia Keys today offered the profound thought: “Started from the bottom now were here,” to all of her Twitter followers. This obvious spontaneity seems to have been sent from a Twitter for iPhone app.
It was removed shortly afterward.
Keys is the latest celebrity to experience problems with social media as tech companies look to cultural icons to push their products in mainstream markets. In 2012, Oprah used an iPad to send out a number of tweets endorsing Microsoft’s Surface RT tablet. However, this particular situation is a bit more interesting considering Keys has a paid position on the actual BlackBerry team; not just a promoter.
Pocket-Lint offers a tantalizing glimpse of her dressing room at the Grammys. There, not one, but two iPhones are to be seen on her dressing table.
An iPhone 4S is positioned so close to Keys’ fingers that all she would have to do is lift her arm up and her extremities would naturally meet its keyboard and want to communicate.
Despite their continuing legal battles, new reports have suggested search giant Google will pay bitter rival Apple as much as $1 billion (£638.24 million) to be the default search browser on the company’s market dominating hardware ranges. In 2009, the search giants paid only $82 million for the privilege.
It seemed like an impressive win for Mozilla when the new three-year, $900 million deal with Googlewas announced. The Foundation derives the bulk of its funding from that search deal and in return Google gets billions of search hits. But that deal may pale in comparison to what it pays Apple.
Business Insider brings a little hyperbole into the equation, saying that if the iPad continues to grow that it’ll surpass PCs in 5 years — at which point an Apple switch to another search provider could be devastating for Google. They base this speculation on the recent news that iPhoto has dropped Google Maps as a location provider, which some feel is an indication that Apple no longer needs Google at all.
For every dollar of revenue Google makes on iOS thanks to advertising and data collection, Apple gets 75 cents from Google. The number is only going to increase in the coming years if iOS sales keep growing.
Are you an Apple iDevice or Mac user? Do you stick strictly to the Google search options of your device or make use of alternatives such as Bing?
Nexus owners may have a reason to stay up tonight, as a couple of Reddit users report that Android 4.2.2 has begun rolling out to the GSM Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus 7. This is a release Google was rumoured to start shipping in Brazilian Nexus 4?s over a month ago, but nothing ever came of that assertion.
The report mentions that the update is being rolled out to select devices, carrying the JDQ39 build number.
We had earlier reported that the update is expected to roll out by the mid of February, so it doesn’t really come as a surprise that Google has started seeding it out.
The update comes in at little over 46MB and considering the fairly significant size may feature plenty more under-the-hood changes. Android 4.2.2 is currently rolling out in waves and will likely hit the Nexus 4 in the following days if previous deployments are of any indication. For Galaxy Nexus owners there is an OTA Android 4.2.2 update file that can be manually downloaded and installed afterwards using ADB Sideload in the recovery.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing too exciting to report, as the update provides mainly performance and stability fixes, and allegedly fixes a bug related to streaming music over a Bluetooth connection.
It’s not surprising that the update doesn’t deliver many new features, as Google is widely expected to announce the next major release of its Android mobile operating system, which is likely to be named Android 5.0, at its Google I/O conference in May.
The BlackBerry Z10 has already arrived in a few markets and while we are still waiting for it to arrive in the India bringing the new BlackBerry 10 platform in March, UBM Tech Insights has torn the whole device down revealing its hardware. Somewhat surprisingly, it is very similar to the LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy S III in that it runs on an identical Qualcomm chip. BlackBerry has obviously ditched its previous partner Texas Instruments and opted for Qualcomm’s chips.
Other interesting additions to the Blackberry Z10 include 2GB of low-power Samsung DDR2 memory, and 16GB of Samsung NAND flash memory, also similar to the Galaxy S III. The 1280×768 pixel screen relies on a Synaptics touchscreen controller, which brings the four-point multitouch capabilities to the device.
Scroll down for the full specs breakdown. Looks like a win for both Qualcomm and Samsung, especially if the BlackBerry Z10 continues to sell well.
On Twitter this today reputable device leaker EVLeaks posted an image that is said to be the HTC One. This looks similar in design to previous HTC devices (Legend, Hero, One X) and clearly has a couple speakers. HTC also declared that 2013 will see a “new sound and camera experience” embedded into their devices. If the leaked image is legit, the HTC One does look a lot similar to the recently released Blackberry Z10.
Earlier @evleaks, which has been spot on about every product it has spoken about, the upcoming HTC M7 will be coming to market merely as the HTC One.
The HTC One /M7 is expected to bring a 4.7-inch, full HD 1080p display as well as Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and a new version of HTC’s Sense UI.
It’s likely that a Qualcomm 1.7GHz quad-core processor will be powering the device, with 2GB of RAM to keep everything speedy. It is also rumoured to have 16-64GB of internal storage and a 2300mAh battery.
We’re looking forward to seeing what the HTC One has in store for us, including a new “ultrapixel” camera system
HTC is almost certain to unveil the device at special events in London and New York on February 19 so we’ll know for sure whether it truly is The One.
Last week, The HTC One price leaked in France, revealing the much-talked-about flagship handset will sport a decidedly high-end price tag.
French site FrAndroid got hold of a snap showing the HTC M7 listed in a brochure for retailer Phone House, complete with a price of €649.99 (around £560/$880/AU$855/INR 48,000).
Apple Inc has been ordered to appear before Australia’s parliament with fellow technology giants Microsoft Inc and Adobe Systems Inc to explain why local consumers pay so much for their products, despite the strong Aussie dollar.
The House of Representatives launched a probe in July last year to see if some goods were more expensive in Australia than in other parts of the world.
Consumer bodies have often complained that Australians are overcharged.
The firms have previously made written submissions to the committee but have so far declined to appear in person. They are now scheduled to appear before the committee on 22 March.
Ed Husic, a member of the Australian House of Representatives, says that some estimates suggest Australian prices on some products are up to 60 percent higher than in the U.S. Husic told Kotaku Australia that “in what’s probably the first time anywhere in the world, these IT firms are now being summonsed by the Australian Parliament to explain why they price their products so much higher in Australia compared to in the U.S. Adobe, Apple and Microsoft are just a few firms that have continually defied the public’s call for answers and refused to appear before the IT Pricing Inquiry.
Husic took aim at Apple last week over local taxes paid by the company, telling parliament that Apple generated A$6 billion in revenue in Australia in 2011, but paid only A$40 million in tax – less than one percent of turnover.
As more and more of us start to truly embrace our mobile devices, it’s only natural that we begin to really take advantage different means to save the different pieces of content on our devices. That’s why online storage solution Box.com is offering a sweet deal for new users.
New users can sign up for an account and receive 50GB of space for free. This seems to be a “Dell Exclusive Offer,” but we’re seeing no restrictions here, meaning that it doesn’t look like you have to own a Dell computer in order to take advantage of the free space.
[quote]”Get 50GB of Box FREE for Life & 50GB for Coworkers or Friends,” the signup page reads. “Signup now for 50GB to securely access and share your content from anywhere.”[/quote]
If you’re not already signed up for a Box account, this is your chance to get 50GB of cloud storage space for free. They’ve given away 50GB free before, but that’s the highest that the company has gone with its promotions.
Interestingly, Box earlier this week was giving away 25GB of free storage to new users. The deal was available to anyone with an email address; users did not need to download a mobile app to take advantage of the offer.
Box only allows, at the most, 250MB files, so you might as well forget about backing up home videos. However, Box offers paid accounts that get rid a lot of the limitations that you’ll come across. Plus, 50GB for free may not seem useful now, but who knows when you’ll need it. Either way, it’s handy to have just in case.
During the Grammys award show on Sunday night, Google aired a new commercial highlighting the Nexus 4 and its Google Now service found within Jelly Bean.
The first dedicated Nexus 4 ad was a Christmas-themed effort that went down rather quietly last month, showcasing the device’s camera. However, this new advert — details of which were revealed on Google+ by Vic Gundotra, who heads up development of Google’s social network — is its first big-time US ad spot for the (Android 4.2) Jelly Bean-powered device and the focus is interesting.
Rather than going into detail on the handset itself, which is built by LG, the advertisement highlights the features of Google Now, showcasing a number of ways it can be used via examples from across the world. In the extended 60-second version of the video, below, Google Now is used to check the weather, plan and carry out a trip, locate a restaurant, perform a translation on the go, and video chat through a Hangout.
Indeed, Google Now aims to make your life a little less challenging while you pursue your goals. It is a good thing that Google Now works on multiple devices, otherwise you would still be facing the supreme challenge of finding a Nexus 4.
Apart from its aggressive web campaign for the Nexus 4 and Google Now, the company hasn’t exactly highlighted the features to the masses via television campaigns. Now that Google’s Nexus 4 stock looks to be steadying, it’s ramping up that arena.
Still nothing for the Indian market yet! Disappointing!
We’re still not sure whether the high-resolution Chromebook Pixel purportedly leaked in a video last week is real, but developer François Beaufort — who’s leaked Chome OS information before — has unearthed a piece of potential evidence. Beaufort has posted a link to a piece of documentation for a multi-colored “lightbar scheme.” Here’s part of the description:
[quote]
Yet another set of tweaks to the lightbar patterns:
At Startup or wake from sleep, Google colors cycle in.
While running, > 25% power level in the battery: All blue, in a breathing effect (cycle up and down 30%).
While running,
Shutting down, or going into sleep: Cycle out the Google colors
[/quote]
Based on the above, the feature certainly isn’t in existing Chromebooks, and it’s consistent with a shot of the Pixel in the earlier leaked video.
The world took to the idea of the Chromebook Pixel as it was tipped to support a massive quantity of pixels, perhaps more than four million, allowing the laptop to have a 2560 x 1700 display. That, as part of a machine that the video intoned again and again was ‘designed by Google’ snapped the world to attention.
In an odd world in which software and service companies are becoming OEMs to compete, having Google enter this space with a machine under its own flag would be no small market event.
Even more, the Chromebook Pixel could sport a touchscreen display. The video itself shows off a user touching the screen, pinching to zoom in on a jellyfish.
If Chrome OS is ever going to be a mainstream success, it needs to make a move now, because its best chance is ticking away.
Within around four days of launch, the evasi0n jailbreak has been reported to have jailbroken over 7 million iDevices on iOS 6. This data comes from Saurik the developer of Cydia using his server logs.
[quote]As of Thursday night, Freeman’s alternative app store had received visits from 5.15 million iPhones, 1.35 million iPads, and 400,000 iPod touches that were jailbroken with evasi0n, the first jailbreaking software for the iPhone 5 and iOS 6.1.[/quote]
While that’s not a whole lot when compared to the installed base — there are over 500 million iOS-based devices out there, and Apple sold nearly 140 million in 2012 alone — but seven million devices jailbroken in less than a week points to a very healthy demand for increased customization options on iOS.
The statistics come from Cydia creator, Jay Freeman, who claims demand for an untethered jailbreak has been pent up, since this was the longest iOS users have had to wait between a new iPhone release and a cracked OS.
Forbes points out that even one of the more popular jailbreaks of 2011, Jailbreakme3 from Comex, only drew 1.4 million downloads during its first nine days online. Freeman attributes this to the amount of time that it took to crack iOS 6 – 136 days – compared to the 98 days that it took to unlock the iPhone 4S.
According to trusted source @evleaks, which has been spot on about every product it has spoken about, the upcoming HTC M7 will be coming to market merely as the HTC One.
This is just a rumour, so it’s far from definite. But @evleaks does have a good track record of breaking news before it’s official. And Peter Chou did shout “HTC One!” straight after “M7!” at the company do. Maybe he was referring to last year’s range of mobiles, or maybe he was giving us a hint of the M7’s new name.
The lack of a suffix would certainly give the impression that this new flagship handset is the One, rather than another One – a change in perception that beleaguered HTC definitely needs.
The HTC One/M7 is expected to bring a 4.7-inch, full HD 1080p display as well as Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and a new version of HTC’s Sense UI.
It’s likely that a Qualcomm 1.7GHz quad-core processor will be powering the device, with 2GB of RAM to keep everything speedy.
We’re looking forward to seeing what the HTC One has in store for us, including a new “ultrapixel” camera system
HTC is almost certain to unveil the device at special events in London and New York on February 19 so we’ll know for sure whether it truly is The One.
Amitesh Deshpande receiving the grand prize from Mr Mor, Business Group Lead – Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd
Five Champions from across India. Five action packed games. Eight hours of continuous gaming. The atmosphere electric, the brawls rough. And finally, one prevailed to be crowned the king of Xfriends- The Ultimate Gaming Challenge.
After months of relentless gaming across seven separate blockbuster titles on Xbox Live such as FIFA 13, Resident Evil 6, Halo 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and more, five national champions emerged. Yesterday, these champions took on each other in rounds of brutal battles to find the best amongst them. Xbox lovers and gamers across India took part in the Ultimate Xfriends gaming championship- the ultimate gaming competition on Xbox LIVE that pits gamers against each other. ‘Ultimate Xfriends’ , launched in September 2012- sought the best gamers across Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and India – the guys who’ll do whatever it takes to win. And they did do whatever it takes.
The grand prize, a 24 K Gold plated Xbox 360 console
At the thrilling grand finale of Xfriends, held at the FoG (Federation of Gamers) lounge in Delhi, the search for India’s best gamer finally ended. Amitesh Deshpande –who went head to head with five other really tough national competitors – took home a mega prize of an exclusive 24 K gold plated Xbox 360 console and the title of Ultimate Gaming Champion in India.
[quote]Battle weary but ecstatic about his win, Amitesh Deshpande said, “It’s awesome to be a winner and that too for a competition like this which got me playing against India’s best gamers on Xbox Live. It has been a tough fight, which made it all the more exciting to win against such good competitors. As Xbox Live lets me take my Xbox 360 online anytime, it’s the place for players (like me) to hang out and hone our/their gaming skills. I really hope Microsoft and Xbox bring us these events regularly. ”[/quote]
Anshu Mor, Business Group Lead – Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. said, ” These are some of the most exciting gamers one can find anywhere in Asia, in fact across the world. The level of competition seen here today is very, very impressive; the place is absolutely buzzing with their energy. To see them compete so fiercely, all for the love of gaming on Xbox, is very thrilling, exciting and inspiring for us. Moreover, the competitors have come from cities as far away as Trivandrum, Chhattisgarh, Raipur, etc. making it all the more special for us.”
We managed to talk to Mr. Mor about Microsofts plans ahead, stay tuned to know more!
Samsung’s Galaxy Note II has been an incredibly popular device, and now Samsung are launching a pink version of the handset just in time for Valentines Day, the device will go n sale some time between now and the 14th of February.
About a year ago last March, Samsung unveiled a hot-pink version of its first-generation Galaxy Note in Germany, and, in September, Korean customers got the Galaxy S3 in light pink.
We’ve been hearing whispers about new color outfits for the Galaxy Note 2 since the end of 2012, but pink may not be the only new shade on the horizon. Back in December, a photo that was believed to be a black version of the Galaxy Note 2 found its way online. This version of the phone, along with a topaz blue variant, are expected to be unveiled at this month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Slash Gear reported in December. In addition, the website also reported that we can expect to see the Galaxy S3 Mini in some new shades, as well.
As you might expect, this edition of the device only differs in looks. On the inside, where beauty really matters, everything’s still the same. You’re looking at a 5.5 inch Super AMOLED HD display with a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor, 2GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel 1080p HD video camera, a 2 megapixel front camera, S Pen support, Jelly Bean and more.
