Tag: microsoft

Google Chrome Turns 10: The Journey

10 years ago, Google brought the Chrome internet browser into this world. At a time when Firefox was battling the giant Internet Explorer and Safari was used by a few, Chrome marched in and built an empire for itself. Most switched to Google Chrome around 8 years back, and since then, have never looked back.

Google officially introduced Chrome in 2008 and it supported Windows at that time. By 2009, the company released Chrome for Mac Os and Linux as well. Fast forward to 2018 and Chrome now holds more than 60% of the internet browser market share, way ahead of its competition, the closest holding 11 %. The journey has been incredible, both for Google and the users. So here’s a look at 10 years of Chrome and the revolution that it brought along.

The Rise and Fall of Microsoft:

In the early 2000’s, the only competition Microsoft had was from Netscape. After it gained certain victory over Netscape, Microsoft now dominated the market, mostly because it had no rival. Microsoft introduced the Internet Explorer 6 along with Windows XP. Internet Explorer 6 worked very well with certain features of XP and came into a booming internet market. The users of Windows XP utilised IE 6 to access the web and soon it became synonymous with the internet for those users. IE 6 continued to rise in popularity and soon commanded more than 90% of the market. The top position gave Microsoft the power to do what it felt, or so it thought. Microsoft started disregarding open web standards and policies. Most websites started optimising themselves for IE 6, giving one the best experience.

With the rising popularity of the web, were set which would help developers design sites to work across various browsers and platforms. Microsoft largely ignored these standards. With the rising popularity of IE 6, developers had no other way out than to optimise their websites for IE.

Soon competition rose in the form of Firefox and it came out with new features such as tabbed browsing and a pop-up blocker. With IE 7, Microsoft introduced tabbed browsing and a few other features to ensure its relevance is up to date. However, it didn’t make much of an effort to improve its compliance with web standards. The criticism against Microsoft started growing.

Enter: Google Chrome!

Google Chrome came crashing down on this. It focused on web standards and passed the Acid 1 and Acid 2 tests. These tests determined the degree of compliance with web standards that a browser exhibited. Microsoft had not been able to pass these tests at that point of time.

The entry of Google Chrome made the Internet Explorer a Meme Favourite

Soon, developers started moving towards Chrome as they could now build better websites based on web standards. Now Microsoft had two threats to worry about and the internet browser battle ensued. Google used components from Apple’s WebKit rendering engine and Mozilla’s Firefox to help build Chrome. It also made Chrome’s source code available openly under the name Chromium Project.

Also Read: HMD Global Acquires PureView Trademark

The Chrome Way:

One of the most important features that Chrome brought with it was that of sandboxing. In simple words, sandboxing ensured that the contents of one tab stay in that tab. For example, if you accidentally access a sit which has malware or has been hacked, the sandboxing feature ensure that the other tabs will not be affected. Furthermore, the malware from that tab won’t spread into other parts of your computer. Sandboxing also helps in increasing the speed and stability of Chrome.

Soon, Chrome evolved to become something that was just more than a browser for PC’s. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the most preferred browsers for laptops, mobiles and tablets as well. Numerous applications such as Opera and Steam also use Chrome’s Blink engine.

However:

It is not all sunshine for Google. Recently, Google has drawn criticism as some allege it is stepping into the same spot that Microsoft did years back. With the development of new apps that ‘work best with chrome’ on the rise, some comparisons can certainly be drawn. Apps like Google Meet, Allo, YouTube TV, Google Earth, and YouTube Studio Beta block Microsoft Edge from accessing them and instruct users to download Google Chrome instead.

The use of the Google homepage for the ‘propagation’ of Chrome is also something which cannot be ignored Since google is the most widely used search engine, millions of people visit the homepage every day. If you happen to visit the page through a browser other than google, numerous messages will suggest that you download Chrome instead of the regular browser.

Companies other than Google are also making ‘Chrome only’ apps and websites optimised for Chrome. This surely does remind us of Microsoft’s tactics with IE 6. This is ironic, considering that Google Championed the cause of sticking to open web standards.

The Future:

Via Bleeping Computer

Over a decade, Chrome has evolved into a platform and it is no longer just an internet browser. Chrome books are extremely successful and perform a majority of tasks revolving around the browser. Considering the fact that it has grown to such an extent within this time, it is exciting to think about what it may bring in the coming few years.

September 3, 2018
Xbox One X And One S Will Soon Support 1440P Streaming

Here is a good news for both Xbox One X and Xbox One S console gamers. According to Kevin Gammill, the Xbox program manager, both the Xbox One and Xbox One S will receive an update to support native 1440p content streaming. There is no mention of the actual time frame, with the next software update the feature could be rolled out.

Xbox One X and Xbox One S are the most powerful gaming consoles from Microsoft to date. However, both models downscale the content from 1440p to 1080p, which makes us to play the games at a lower resolution.

Many questions recently around the timing of our 1440p support. Those of you in our early preview ring should be pleasantly surprised very soon if you have an Xbox One S or Xbox One X.

— Kevin Gammill (@CmdrDesslock) February 16, 2018

Specifications:

The Xbox One X is powered by 12 GB LPDDR5 custom GPU with 8 GB RAM and 1 TB storage. The device does support 4K UHD Blueray optical discs with HDR 10 and Dolby Atmos. Additionally, dual HDMI, thripple USB 3.0, and an ethernet port are also included. Wireless connectivity features like dual-band WiFi and WiFi direct will enable seamless streaming across the devices.

The Xbox One S comes with a slightly compact form factor with 8 GB DDR3 RAM and 500 GB storage. The support Blueray optical discs with HDR 10 remains the same with Dolby Atmos audio. This one also has a similar choice of ports, the only difference is in actual performance.

Both models are powered by the same 8-core Jaguar CPU, the One X has a clock speed of 2.45 GHz, whereas the One S’s speed is limited to 1.75 GHz. In terms of pricing the One X retails for US$ 499, whereas the One S retails for US$ 249.

Conclusion:

If you are looking for a gaming console with native 4k streaming capability, then Xbox One S and Xbox One X are the ones, to choose from. If compact One S offers a great value for money, One X offers impeccable performance. The 4k capability just takes the console gaming performance to next level.

February 19, 2018
Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition Launched

Microsoft has launched its new gaming console, the Xbox One X in June 2017 at the Entertainment Expo. The Xbox One X, Microsoft’s much awaited Project Scorpio is touted to be the world’s first true 4K gaming console. The console will be available to buy in the US from November 7 for $499 (Rs 32,000). At the same time, the company announced a limited period Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition for consumers who’d prefer a more cosmetically enhanced version of the Xbox One Day One Edition.

The limited edition console, as mentioned earlier, features a slightly more gradient design, and the Project Scorpio code name etched on both the console as well on the controller. Microsoft confirmed that all initial Xbox One X units up for grabs will be a Project Scorpio Edition, and will sell for the same price as the Xbox One Day One Edition.

The Xbox One X is a mid-cycle Xbox refresh from Microsoft but, has enough horsepower under the hood to grant it the label of being the most powerful gaming console in the world when it arrives in November.

Since the new console runs on the Scorpio engine, it is backward compatible to run all 900px and 1080px Xbox one and 360 titles at upscaled 4K. Which means all existing Xbox One titles should look better on the Xbox One X due to enhanced visual fidelity, anisotropic filtering, and faster loading times. The new console will also work with all current Xbox One accessories, Microsoft has confirmed.

4K will largely be the buzzword, all Scorpio-exclusive games will super sample down to 1080p and all Scorpio-exclusive game modes will be available for all users regardless of their display. Technically, players will not require a 4K-ready monitor to use the Xbox One X. The console will use supersampling to improve visuals on 1080p screens while offering true 4K UHD playback on 4K screens.

August 21, 2017
Microsoft Windows 10 Preview Released with Built-In Eye Tracking

Microsoft announced its Windows 10 tester edition on 2 August 2017. The new Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16257 includes support for a beta version of Eye Control aka built-in eye tracking feature and improvements to Edge, Console, input, and Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG). This is the ninth build of the upcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, which is slated to arrive in September.

The Windows 10 Insider Preview was introduced as a service, setting it aside from its predecessors in terms of built. This could mean that the regular updates would include a little more than just bug fixes, maybe new features. But first here’s a look at the newly added and updated features.

Eye Control

The major addition to the Windows 10 preview is the Eye Control technology which would make the Windows 10 much more accessible to people with disabilities. The eye tracking feature will make it easier for people to operate an on-screen mouse or keyboard and convert text-to-speech. The Eye Control feature requires a compatible eye tracker – Tobii Eye Tracker 4C, to access the windows OS. The Tobii Eye Tracker 4C enables a user to carry out tasks which were previously accomplished via a physical mouse or a keyboard with just their eyes.

In the preview blog post, Microsoft mentioned that it will be supporting only the US English language keyboard layout but plans on adding more layouts sometime in future.

Microsoft Edge

Apart from the eye tracking feature, Microsoft Edge was also updated for a more modern look in the browser frame and other fixes for copying images, closing tabs in full screen mode and tab ordering. According to the company, ” The use of Acrylic material provides depth and transparency to the tab bar and other controls” and button animations are “more responsive”.

Microsoft also made changes to the address bar. So now, when you click and drag the text it will remain under the cursor, even if the address bar isn’t in focus. Whereas , previously the text would shift as the “http://” appeared, making it difficult to edit the URL.

WDAG and Input Upgrades

As for input improvements, the touch keyboard now launches faster from the taskbar and the bugs in dictation and Japanese keyboards have been fixed. WDAG has also received performance upgrades, specific to container launch times. The tool has also received new status strings for providing more detailed information when starting up, plus networking and launching bug fixes.

Aside to the general improvement and fixes, Microsoft introduced another feature included in Eye Control called “shape writing,” . This feature allows a user to speed up typing by just looking at the first and last letters of a word and “simply glancing at letters in between.” And to make things easier, a “hint of the word predicted will appear on the last key of the word,” but if the prediction is incorrect, it can be swapped with another predicted alternative.

Shape Writing

It’s still unclear when the built-in eye tracking will roll out as a fully baked feature. But, it may not be long before we see a fully functioning version of the new Windows 10.

August 3, 2017
Windows Phone is Officially Dead

A minute of silence as Microsoft pulls the plug on Windows Phone 8.1, for those of you who have been paying attention, the inevitable has happened. Effective today, Microsoft is ceasing support for Windows Phone 8.1. Though phones running the platform will not be bricked, but the company will not be pushing any future updates for Windows Phone 8.1. The Windows Phone operating system was Microsoft’s biggest efforts in countering Android and iOS. However, as 99.6% of the smartphones run Android or iOS Microsoft failed to capture the market with Windows Phone and it never truly got off the ground.

While a few good phones were launched in the early days by HTC and then by Microsoft in partnership with Nokia aka the Lumia handsets, but they failed to gain popularity unlike their competitors. Though Microsoft continues to support Windows 10 Mobile, it’s unclear how long and to what extent that support will be available.

Rumor has it that Microsoft has branched out its Windows Mobile development into a “feature2” division that will only maintain Windows 10 Mobile until 2018, while any support for Windows Phone 8.1 has been officially terminated. Over the past year , it has becoming quite clear that company is shifting back it’s focus from smartphones to PCs. Microsoft’s new mobile strategy now seems to involve creating apps and integrating iOS and Android with Windows.

July 12, 2017
Microsoft Buys LinkedIn for $26.2 billion

Big news for the tech industry, LinkedIn the social network for professionals has been acquired by Microsoft for $196 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at the whopping US $26.2 billion including all of LinkedIn’s current cash holdings.

LinkedIn will retain its distinct brand, culture, and independence. Jeff Weiner will remain CEO of LinkedIn, reporting to Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. The complete takeover will happen by the end of this calendar year.

The LinkedIn team has grown a fantastic business centered on connecting the world’s professionals, Together we can accelerate the growth of LinkedIn, as well as Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as we seek to empower every person and organization on the planet.- Nadella

We all know what came of the Microsoft-Nokia deal, and hope there is nothing similar on the books here.

Microsoft and LinkedIn will host a joint conference call with investors on June 13, 2016, at 8:45 a.m. Pacific Time/11:45 a.m. Eastern Time/9:15 p.m. IST to discuss this transaction. The call will be available via webcast at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Investor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-89PWn0QaaY

June 13, 2016
Apple, Samsung, Microsoft Amongst others face Child Labour Claims

Several big-name tech firms, including Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and Sony have been accused by Human Rights Organization Amnesty of using kids for sourcing minerals used in their various products.

Citing a report that it did into cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it found children as young as seven were working in unearthing cobalt that these large incorporations use for their Lithium Ion batteries.

The African country produces over 50% of the world’s cobalt. Miners working in the area face long-term health problems and the risk of fatal accidents, according to Amnesty. Amnesty also claimed that at a minimum of 80 miners had died underground in the country between September-December last year.

The report by Amnesty is the first comprehensive account of cobalt mining in Democratic Republic of the Congo. To arrive at their conclusions, Amnesty International along with Afrewatch visited five mines in DRC in April and May 2015. They interviewed 90 workers, 17 of them children.

According to Amnesty, “more than half of the world’s total supply of cobalt comes from the [DRC]. According to the government’s own estimates, 20 percent of the cobalt currently exported from the DRC comes from artisanal miners in the southern parts of the country. “There are approximately 110,000 to 150,000 artisanal miners in this region, who work alongside much larger industrial operations.”

The report further reveals, ” the miners who are referred to as ‘creuseurs’ in the DRC, mine by hand using the most basic tools to dig out rocks from the tunnels deep underground. Artisanal miners include children as young as seven who scavenge for rocks containing cobalt in the discarded by-products of industrial mines, and who wash and sort the ore before it is sold.”

Not surprisingly, these major tech firms such as Samsung, Sony and Vodafone denied any link to this supply chain or to DRC sourced Cobalt . Apple informed that it is evaluating alooking at a number of different materials, including cobalt, to identify both labor and environmental risks. Microsoft on the other hand said it hadn’t traced cobalt use in Microsoft products all the way to the source “due to the complexity and resources required.”

January 20, 2016
Microsoft to Launch Surface Pro 4 in India Tomorrow

Microsoft’s flagship 12 inch hybrid tablet that promises to put your laptop out of business for good is all set to take up Indian markets by storm in the coming days. Microsoft has started sending invites of the launch event for the Surface Pro in India on the 7th of January, 2016. Microsoft fearing a backlash because of the high price of the series had shied away from introducing the Surface Pro range in India for a long time, but its seems the company has decided to cast those apprehensions aside, and trust its loyal user base in the country.

The Surface Pro 4 whose pricing has not been disclosed by the company yet, looks set to retail in India over the Rs. 60,000 mark. For the hard earned money you spend, Satya Nadela, and Co. present to you a gorgeous piece of consumer hardware that can easily take on all the productivity tasks that you throw at it. This hybrid tablet is a sure-shot upgrade from the Surface Pro 3, but still leaves you wanting more when it comes to battery life.

The Surface Pro 4 features a 12.3-inch Pixel Sense display, that can output a maximum resolution of 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI). It will run on a 6th Gen Intel Core m3, i5, or i7 processor. The device will have 4GB,8GB,16GB RAM depending on the variant of choice, and will be available in storage options of 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD drives. To add to this, the Surface Pro 4 will also come equipped with Intel HD Graphic chips, or an Intel Iris chip for the top of the line i7 variant.

The hybrid tablet will be powered by Windows 10, and the cool thing about the the device is that it turns into a fully-powered laptop while running a desktop software. Battery life is promised at just over 9 hours on a single charge, and the device will weigh not over 786 grams. Not bad we say.

The Surface Pro 4 on paper looks like a device which if priced right could easily make deep inroads into the Indian consumer market, and keeping in mind how carefully Microsoft has been looking at India in the past year or so, come 7th of January, 2016 Indian consumers could well expect this game changer from the tech giant to be priced reasonably, and make way into their homes.

January 6, 2016
A Quick Look At All The Latest Offerings By Microsoft

In our previous post we spoke at length about Microsoft’s new Surface Book; the new notebook deserved the limelight. At the event yesterday, the company also unveiled other devices as well.

Here’s a quick look at what all we got to see:

Surface Pro 4

The widely expected follow up to the Surface Pro 3. The Windows 10-powered Surface Pro 4 comes with a 12.3-inch display, that is just slightly larger than its predecessor, and Intel’s latest 6th-generation Core M and i-series processors.

The Surface Pro 4 also features an improved backlit keyboard, a more responsive keypad, and a trackpad that has a five point multi-touch functionality and a fingerprint reader. Like the Surface Book, the Surface Pro can also use Microsoft’s new Surface Pen. The stylus offers 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity and also comes with an eraser.

Quite clearly the Surface Pen is a direct challenge to the Apple Pencil, and Microsoft did not hesitate to take a few jabs at its competition. “It’s kind of funny, there’s a Pencil out there without an eraser,” said Microsoft’s Panos Panay just before unveiling the upgraded Surface Pen 4 stylus.

The Surface Pro 4 comes out on October 26th and will start at a price of $899.

Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL

Now a look at non-Surface products. Microsoft unveiled the two new Windows 10 smartphones, the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL.

As earlier leaks have suggested, the Lumia 950 sports a 5.2-inch OLED display with 564 ppi and Qualcomm 6-core Snapdragon 808, a 20 MP primary camera with optical image stabilization. The Lumia 950 XL, on the other hand, comes with a 5.7-inch display with 518 ppi,powered by an 8-core processor and will also feature a 20 MP primary camera like the 950.

Both phones come with 32 GB of internal storage, a microSD card, and USB Type-C connector. The devices will ship in November with a price tag of $549 and $649, with the XL version costing $100 more.

Continuum Mode

The Continuum Mode is for your Lumia devices, which allows you to plug your handsets into a special adapter that connects to your desktop monitor so that you can use your phone like a regular PC. It’s tiny, easy to carry around and looks like any old USB hub.

It’s basically like looking at a bigger version of your phone’s display. The mode creates a full Windows 10-style desktop that you can navigate using the keyboard and mouse or even your phone. Universal apps, such as Mail and Word are scaled up version of the mobile apps. This is Microsoft way of telling us what the future of computing looks like, and it’s pretty neat.

The Continuum Mode feature is also available for the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4.

Microsoft Band

Here comes the Microsoft’s answer to smartwatches. The company unveiled the second version of the Microsoft Band. The first version that came out even before the Apple Watch was a bit confusing to say the least. It wasn’t a smartwatch and it wasn’t a fitness tracker, but rather a $199 device with a tiny display that showed you notifications and apps.

The second version hopes to fix the flaws. The new version has a more responsive touch and sports a tougher Gorilla Glass. The device also boasts of features such as an 11th senor (barometer) that tracks elevation changes in real-time for the fitness crazies out there. Microsoft Band is priced at $249 and will be available from the 30th of October.

October 7, 2015
Microsoft’s Surface Book is a Gorgeous Piece of Machinery

If you want to put on a spectacular show, you need to learn a thing or two from Microsoft. Not only did the company showcase some jaw dropping devices such as the Lumia phones and the Surface Pro 4, along with a bunch of other delectables yesterday, but it also had an ace up its sleeve. We knew the devices that were expected to be revealed at the event, however, Microsoft cleverly managed to hide perhaps their best creation yet, until last night.

Arguably the star of the show, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Book laptop and it is simply gorgeous. The Surface Book is Microsoft’s very first laptop, so to say. Though it is surprising since the Surface Pro was pegged as the laptop killer. But once you’ve had a glimpse of the Surface Book all is forgiven. This 3.34 pound Windows 10 laptop features a 13.5-inch display with a ridiculously high 3,000 x 2,000 pixel resolution and 267 ppi optically bonded to the screen. So it goes without saying that videos and images are as crisp as it’s going to get.

It’s Microsoft’s first laptop but it’s more than just a laptop. Consider it a laptop-tablet hybrid if you will. The screen is fully removable so that it can be used as a tablet. You can also pop the screen back on and flip it around and have the keyboard as a stand.

It is a silver metal laptop but looks different than the MacBook, but challenges the MacBook in every way. One of the highlights in the design is the Surface Book’s hinge, which Microsoft calls a “dynamic fulcrum.” From the side it appears it can flex and bend, and leaves a little gap when the laptop is closed, but also elevates the display at an angle.

More on the look of things, the Surface Book has a backlit keyboard and keys with 1.6mm of travel, which Microsoft is particularly proud of. It’s calling it “perfect” saying that it’ll type almost silently. And to top it off, the laptop comes with a large glass trackpad with five points of touch sensitivity. The Surface Pen stylus attaches magnetically to the side of the laptop as well as the Surface Pro 4.

Let’s talk about the interiors now. The laptop has the latest Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and Nvidia GeForce GPU with GDDR5 memory. The dock includes two USB 3.0 ports and an SD card slot. Here’s the cherry on the cake – the machine will give you 12 hours of battery life on a single charge. Are you listening, Apple?

Microsoft claims this is “the fast is the fastest 13-inch laptop ever made anywhere on any planet.” And the company also added that it will be twice as fast as the MacBook Pro. We can’t stress it enough, but the Surface Book is a beauty of a machine and the company seems to have nailed every aspect of it. The laptop will go on sale October 26th and is expected to have a steep price tag starting at $1,499. Follow this space as we’ll be looking at other devices Microsoft unveiled yesterday.

Till then, check out the video of the Surface Book below in all its glory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVfOe5mFbAE

October 7, 2015
Microsoft Acquires Physics Firm Havok to Boost Gaming Efforts

Something is cooking up at Microsoft in the gaming department. The company recently bought Irish physics firm Havok for an undisclosed amount. Havok is behind games such as Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, Elder Scrolls, and Microsoft’s own Halo, and is one of the leading firms in 3D physics. It looks like Microsoft is planning big things by integrating Havok’s physics engine into the existing Windows and Xbox toolset.

Havok has been known for real-time collisions and dynamics of rigid bodies in 3D. By using dynamical simulation, Havok Physics allows for more realistic virtual worlds in games. “Throughout the company’s history, they’ve partnered with Activision, EA, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft and many others to create more than 600 games,” Microsoft stated in a blog. The firm is also known for powering more special effects for films like The Matrix and Troy.

Havok shares Microsoft’s vision for empowering people to create worlds and experiences that have never been seen before, and we look forward to sharing more of this vision in the near future.

In 2007, Intel had acquired Havok, and now Microsoft has taken over. The company is excited to add Havok to its portfolio for developer tools and components like DirectX 12, VisualStudio app development kit, and the Azure cloud platform. Microsoft said that it plans to continue letting Havok license its technology with existing and future gaming platforms. “We will continue to license Havok’s technology to the broad AAA games industry,” Microsoft said in a statement to IGN. “This also means that we will continue to license Havok’s technology to run across various game consoles including Sony and Nintendo.”

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2015/10/02/havok-to-join-microsoft/”]Microsoft[/tw-button]

October 3, 2015
Leaked Images Reveal Specs of Three New Microsoft Lumia Models
Over the past few months, Microsoft has been leaking images of its two new flagship phones – the Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950 XL. The handsets will be launched on the 6^th of October in New York City, along with the Surface Pro 2 and Microsoft Band 2

Now apart from these devices, Microsoft also plans on bringing out a new budget device called the Lumia 550. The Lumia 550 is rumored to have a 5-inch display, 1GHz processor, and 5-megapixel camera. The lumia 550 will look to replace other 5xx models such as the 540.

Some slides of what appears to be a Microsoft presentation in Spanish were posted in Forever Nokia Latin America’s Facebook page. The slides reveal a whole bunch of specs and features for the three new Lumia phones. The slides also show that the phones (except the 550) will feature a version of Windows Hello, which is Windows 10’s facial recognition technology.

According to the slides, here are the specs for the Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950 XL. These specs also match the earlier leaks that have been floating around.

Lumia 950
- Display: 5.2 inches, QuadHD
- Processor: Qualcomm 6-core Snapdragon 808
- Camera: 20MP PureView rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and dual flash; 5MP HD front camera
- Storage: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage
- Battery: 3,000 mAh, with rapid charging via USB-C
Lumia 950 XL
- Display: 5.7 inches, QuadHD
- Processor: Qualcomm 8-core Snapdragon 810
- Camera: 20MP PureViw rear camera with OIS and triple LED flash; 5 MP front camera
- Storage: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage
- Battery: 3,300 mAh, with rapid charging via USB-C
The Lumia 550, on the other hand, reveal specs that suggest the handset will aim at the low-end market. According to the slide, the Lumia 550 is set to have the following features:

Lumia 550
- Display: 5 inches, HD resolution
- Processor: Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon 1GHz
- Camera: 5MP rear autofocus camera with flash; 2MP front camera optimized for Skype
- Storage: 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage; 128GB microSD card
- Battery: 1,905 mAh with rapid charging
Microsoft will also look to incorporate other Windows 10 features such as Cortana, OneDrive cloud storage, and others. No details on the price or release dates of the phones have been revealed yet.

Image Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”https://www.facebook.com/NokiaForeverLatinoamerica/photos_stream”]Nikia Forever Latinoamérica[/tw-button]
September 26, 2015
Microsoft Launches Gears of War, FIFA 16, and Forza 6 Xbox One Bundles in India

The Xbox One turned one this month and Microsoft India is celebrating its anniversary by announcing three new exciting Xbox One console bundles launching on October 2nd, 2015.

Xbox One Forza Motorsport 6 Limited Edition Console

The Forza Motorsport Edition is the first ever racing-inspired console from Xbox with iconic sports car styling and custom automotive sound effects. The bundle includes a 1TB hard drive, matching wireless controller with rubberized diamond grips, and a digital copy of Forza Motorsport 6 plus the Tenth Anniversary Car Pack which features spectacular cars, all for Rs. 39,990.

Forza Motorsport 6 has been praised for its visual design and graphical details.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBbXxfZYTAA

Xbox One 1TB EA Sports FIFA 16 Bundle,

In this bundle, you’ll get a full-game download of FIFA 16, three FIFA Ultimate Team Loan Legends, and one year of EA access. FIFA 16 boasts of spectacular gameplay with terrific graphics and also includes for the first time an all women’s team. “The bundle provides an improved experience gameplay across the pitch in FIFA 16, with more ways than ever to create moments of magic.”

Xbox One Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Bundle

This bundle comes with a 500 GB console, a wireless controller, a full digital game download of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. The Xbox One Gears of War console is priced at Rs. 34,999. Some other features include a 60 FPS competitive multiplayer experience with 19 maps and six game modes. Players who purchase the Ultimate Edition can participate in the multiplayer beta of Gears of War 4, which is set to be released in 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwbYhvlrQbc

Apart from these bundles, Amazon India is offering a minimum of 50 percent discount on select Xbox One games such as Halo, Forza 5, Call of Duty: Ghosts, WWE 2K15 valid till the 30th of September. So make the most of this anniversary and shop away.

“Games and gamers are at the center of everything we do and we’re always looking to offer the best ways to play on Xbox. With the launch of these bundles, we have taken into account the feedback that we received from our fans in India and added more storage to their consoles. This year, we’re delivering the greatest games lineup in Xbox history and we’re committed to delivering gamers the experiences and value they can’t find on any other platform.” said Anshu Mor, Director Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft India.

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September 25, 2015
Leak : This is the New Flagship Phone from Microsoft

There have been many rumours afloat, about Microsoft launching their new Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. Along with these rumours we have had leaks about their specifications, and now, thanks to a Chinese website WPXAP, we have a prototype of what the new Microsoft phone could look like.

The prototype seems encased in a black casing, so what we do know, is that the new Microsoft phone will come with a USB port Type C. It is reported that Microsoft is currently testing the handset in this casing in order to prevent anymore leaks.

Microsoft is expected to unveil the 5.2 inch Lumia 950 and the 5.7 inch Lumia 950 XL in late September or October. It is said that the Lumia 950 XL will include Microsoft’s Pen Technology, a new smart cover with a circular cut out. Both handsets are said to be high-end and will come with a 20MP PureView camera with a triple LED flash.

Do you think the Windows phones would make a good comeback with these two devices? Let us know.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.wpxap.com/thread-853886-1-1.html”]wpxap.com[/tw-button]

August 5, 2015
Here’s How You Can Switch Back to Windows 8.1

After the launch of the Windows 10, it has been getting many positive reviews especially because it has been expected to replace all the features that Windows 8/8.1 lacked, such as the much loved, Start button.

However, some users might still want to revert to the Windows 8/8.1, due to technical reasons such as certain bugs not being patched yet into the Windows 10, etc. Windows 10 has a rather simple method of downgrading right back to Windows 8/8.1 until you are ready – one can just go to the Upgrade & Security option and choose Recovery.

Image Source: BGR

The downgrade might give you certain problems such as apps not opening or running, but one just needs to reinstall them. Although it is still suggested to stick to Windows 10, considering the free upgrade and good reviews.

Source:[tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://reviews.gizmodo.com/psa-windows-10-isnt-a-risk-free-upgrade-1720936691″] Gizmodo[/tw-button]

August 1, 2015