Tag: windows

Report : Microsoft Developing Free Windows 8.1 Operating System

Sources close to Microsoft have reported this week that the company is currently developing and experimenting with a new free version of its Windows 8.1 operating system.

Bing, which will be at the center of the low-cost operating system, is already growing as a platform and Microsoft hopes that will continue into the future.

While early versions of the software have leaked online, we understand that Windows 8.1 with Bing is an experimental project that aims to bring a low-cost version of Windows to consumers.

Considering that the company has already cut licensing fees by as much as 70%, Microsoft is already looking to make Windows 8.1 a low-cost OS for manufacturers interested in using the platform.

More details of a low-cost Windows 8.1 operating system as well as the merging of Windows RT and Windows Phone are expected to be made available by Microsoft during their Build conference later this year.

[Via]

February 28, 2014
Windows Phone and Windows RT May Soon Be Free Of License Fees

The Verge is reporting that sources close to Microsoft have indicated the company is seriously considering making Windows Phone and Windows RT available to device manufacturers free of charge. Microsoft would most likely move to a free licensing model with the upcoming “Threshold” update, the next major Windows update rumoured to bring back the Start menu.

The majority of Windows revenue currently comes from licensing Windows 8 and Windows RT to OEMs. However, Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Nokia’s handset division virtually eliminated any significant Windows Phone licensing revenue, as the Finnish manufacturer was responsible for 80% of all Windows Phone shipments.

It is expected that Microsoft will try to make up for the revenue loss through apps and services, the company has experimented with running ads in Windows 8 apps so something along the same lines can be implemented in those operating systems as well. The aim is to combat Android, but it remains to be seen if free versions of its mobile operating systems will entice OEMs to develop more Windows Phone and Windows RT powered devices.

December 12, 2013
Microsoft Office Remote Lets You Control Excel, Word and PowerPoint From A Windows Phone

Microsoft has unveiled a new application which will help users to control some of the Microsoft Office products. Now, with the help of Microsoft’s Office Remote, users can control Word, Excel and PowerPoint presentations from any Windows 8 device.

The Office Remote application is a joint effort between Microsoft Research and the Office team, “We want to make sure that we continue to create tools that deliver the best possible experiences to presenters and audiences.” “The world is constantly evolving, though, and presentations need to evolve with it.” says Darren Edge of Microsoft Research.

The application is now available and works with all versions of Office 2013 except for Office 2013 RT. You will need a Bluetooth enabled computer to start with, as it will be the medium to connect these devices together. Moreover, users will also need to install a software in the computer, “add-in” to start using a Windows 8 phone as a remote.

For more information feel free to check out the source and watch the video here to know how it works.

[via]

November 19, 2013
Microsoft’s 3D Builder App Released For Windows 8.1

Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 was announced with 3D printer support into the OS and today the company is releasing a tool that will allow everyone to create objects of their own.

Microsoft has announced a new 3D Builder app, which includes a catalog of pre-designed templates that will help everyone to start printing right away.

“I get excited about 3D printing. Really excited. Like Tom Cruise on Oprah’s couch excited. So, I couldn’t be more thrilled that we are releasing a 3D printing app for Windows 8.1,” Microsoft consumer PR Kristina Libby.

“We’re entering an exciting new era in which everyone will be able to create and print three dimensional objects. Just imagine being able to print a spare part for a household appliance, or creating your own jewelry line of custom 3D-printed earrings.”

[Source,Download app]

November 16, 2013
One Click Login For Facebook Coming To Windows Phone 8

Android and iOS users have been using their Facebook account for single click logging in to apps from a long time now, and soon Windows 8 and Windows Phone users will be able to do the same as well.

This feature on Windows Phone 8 is still in the early stages, Microsoft has announced that Foursquare, Adobe and iHeart Radio are the first to get in on this action. Just like the Facebook Login on other platforms, by using this it will be easier to share content from within the app, and to connect account information without the need to input anything again and again.

[via,via]

November 15, 2013
Asus Launches Transformer Book T100 in India For 34099 INR

Asus today launched its Transformer Book T100 in India at a price of 34099 INR. The T100 is a laptop which can also be used as a tablet, the device runs on Windows 8.1 and will be available in November.

The Asus Transformer Book T100 features a 10.1 inch HD Glare display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixles and can be detached from the laptop and used as a tablet. The keyboard is equipped with a dock connector that attaches the tablet to turn into a laptop and also includes backlit keys.

The T100 is powered by a 1.33 GHz quad core Intel Atom Bay-trail T Z3740 processor along with Intel HD graphics. The Asus Transformer Book T100 is packed with a 2 GB of RAM and a 32 GB built-in eMMC storage expandable to 64 GB via microSD card. Asus says that the device can run almost through out the day and give 10 hours of continuous video playback. The 2 in 1 device has a 1.2 MP front facing camera.

The Asus Transformer Book T100 is powered by dual frontal speakers and weighs 1.07 Kg as a laptop and 550 grams as a tablet.

October 29, 2013
Has Apple Ended it for Paid Operating Systems with OS X Mavericks

Apple yesterday announced a flurry of new products from the new iPad Air to the iPad Mini with Retina Display, brand new Mac Pro and a revamped Macbook Pro with retina display. Possibly the most subtle and less talked about are the software launches. Apple launched the new Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks and 7 new applications including a revamp of popular iMovie, iPhoto and Garage Band which made the iLife suite and work based Pages, Numbers and Keynote which made the iWork suite. The best part being the fact that all of the above comes free to Mac owners.

Logically all these Apps and Operating System updates are meant for consumption on Apple products, and by making these crucial applications and a major Operating System update free, Apple may have stirred the industry and the likes of Microsoft who basically survive by selling their operating systems and apps.

Highlights

Prices of Apple’s Mac OS X have dropped in cost considerably over the years. Apple charged users US $129 for four main OS updates, then Apple dropped the operating system’s upgrade price to $29 with 2009’s OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, and then to $19 with last year’s OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.

Microsoft was forced to lower the price of its expensive Windows 8 to a mere US $ 29 to compete with Apple last year, where the Redmond company offered its previous OS owners a cheaper upgrade to the new Operating System. However post a golden period the price was returned to a whopping US $ 199 which the company charges for their PRO variant of Windows 8. Microsoft this year however offered Windows 8.1 as a free upgrade to Windows 8 owners, and while many may call it an incremental upgrade, Microsoft continues to claim that Windows 8.1 is a major software overhaul which is “worthy of a price tag”.

Back in the 80’s software was a part of commuters as a vertically integrated product. Apple with OS X Mavericks has suddenly sprung that era into present day. Since Apple is the only company that manufactures hardware for their software or vice versa, it makes sense for the company to gain profit from hardware sales and make the software free. In essence the user sees it as a freebie especially since it had a price tag prior to it being free.

Apple has also ensured that anyone with a Mac computer upto 4 years ago can update to the new Mac OS X Mavericks, which will make old owners of Apple computers happy, since they won’t need to spend money for new operating systems each year.

What’s more, Apple has also enabled users to get Apple own apps like the iLIfe suite and iWork suite free of cost, making it a boon for students and daily users. Apple used to drive huge profits from selling applications and operating system upgrades. Most people don’t upgrade their Operating Systems till they buy a new computer, Apple however has sort of changed that, or has tried to change it. Just like software updates on the iPhone that drove more than 80% iPhone owners to upgrade to iOS 7, it is expected that a whole chunk of Mac owners have probably already upgraded to Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks, or plan to over the weekend.

Installer

The upgrade process is simple, hit the Mac App Store download the Mavericks installer, run the installer and about 20 minutes later you are upgraded. As Steve Jobs would say “It just Works!”, exactly how upgrading a modern operating system should feel like. It gets done with the minimal of fuss and fanfare, and then the operating system steps aside and lets the user get back to work.

For Apple owners this may not seem as a big deal, however the folks over at Microsoft are probably festering out new plans as we speak to keep their investors happy. Do you think OS should be free? Let us know below!

October 23, 2013
Nokia Unveils Lumia 2520 10 – inch tablet with Windows RT and LTE

Nokia at Nokia world today has launched the Lumia 2520 tablet. A device which has been a design mystery for over a year and a half, with numerous leaks and hints pointing towards the existence of the Lumia tab. As expected the Nokia Lumia 2520 runs Smartphone hardware but has Windows RT as the main OS. The Lumia 2520 comes with LTE, and a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 CPU inside, with a bright 650nit screen made out of Gorilla Glass 2. The 6.7MP rear camera features Zeiss optics and the tablet has a 2MP front facing camera.

The Lumia 2520 tablet will be available in 4 colors red/white glossy finish, or cyan and black matte finish, by the end of 2013 for a price of US $ 499 roughly Rs. 30,000 outright. The Lumia 2520 has a 8000 mAh battery that is said to fully charge in just 80 minutes. The Nokia Power Keyboard accessory costs an extra $149, and adds an additional five hours of battery life plus two extra USB ports.

[toggle title=”Press Release”] Nokia’s first Windows tablet, the Lumia 2520, is designed to work anywhere, with a vivid 10.1-inch HD display that is designed to provide the best outdoor and indoor readability of any tablet. Building on Nokia’s rich mobility heritage, the Lumia 2520 combines both 4G LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity, a 6.7MP camera, and for the first time ever on a tablet, ZEISS optics, letting people take beautiful pictures – even in low light. The Lumia 2520 runs on Windows RT 8.1 for a highly personal and easy to navigate experience, and also features multiple color choices and fast-charging capability – providing up to an 80% charge in one hour.

The Lumia 2520 also comes with a number of unique software experiences that are exclusive to the Lumia family, including the exclusive “Dragons Adventure” interactive game developed in partnership with DreamWorks Animation. Additionally, the Lumia 2520 includes Nokia Storyteller, a Nokia developed application that introduces a new way to curate and relive images and videos as a story on a map, as well as Nokia Video Director, which offers the ability to edit and get even more creative with videos shot on the Lumia 2520 – as well as content from Lumia smartphones. With integrated HERE Maps, the Lumia 2520 is the only tablet with true offline maps for a fast and reliable maps experience. The tablet also includes an exclusive version of Nokia Music with Mix Radio preinstalled.

The Lumia 2520 pairs with a unique and stylish accessory which offers a great set of benefits: the Nokia Power Keyboard. Offering up to five extra hours of battery life and two built-in USB ports, the Nokia Power Keyboard makes battery life worries a thing of the past. A protective and wraparound cover, the Nokia Power Keyboard includes a fully functional keypad with gesture trackpad, so typing feels as natural as on a laptop. With Microsoft Office and Outlook preinstalled, getting more done on the go is easier than ever.

The Nokia Lumia 2520 will be available in red and white in a glossy finish as well as cyan and black in a matte finish, and is expected to start shipping in Q4 2013 with an estimated price of USD499 before taxes or subsidies. Initial roll out is to begin broadly in the U.S. as well as the U.K and Finland, with additional countries to follow shortly after. The Nokia Power Keyboard will be available alongside the Lumia 2520 at the recommended price of USD149.

Lumia 2520 specs at-a-glance:
Windows RT 8.1
10.1″ full 1080p HD AH-IPS, High Brightness with Low Reflectance, Gorilla Glass 2
6.7MP Auto Focus ZEISS optics, Secondary: 2MP HD wide-angle
Video 1080p@60fps
4G LTE
Nokia Music for unlimited streaming of ad-free music
Free global HERE Maps
Microsoft Office built-in
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (2.2GHz Quad Core)
8000 mAh (integrated)
Red, White (glossy), Cyan, Black (matte)[/toggle]

[youtube id=”EFXRYrZFxsg” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

October 22, 2013
Microsoft Releases Official Remote Desktop Apps For iOS and Android

Coinciding with the release of Windows 8.1, Microsoft has unveiled Remote Desktop apps for iOS and Android.

RDM has long been a way for users to remotely access Windows desktops, whether from another computer or a mobile device. While this is Microsoft’s first foray into official iOS and Android apps for the service, other solutions from large companies like Citrix and Splashtop have adequately filled the gap for years.

What Microsoft’s remote desktop version has going for it is its price — free — and its official support of Windows 8.1, which is rolling out now. The app also supports Network Layer Authentication (NLA) which, according to Microsoft, “completes user authentication before you establish a remote desktop connection and the logon screen appears. This is a more secure authentication method that can help protect the remote computer from malicious users and malicious software.”

The app is a bit rough around the edges, according to initial reviews, lacking pinch-to-zoom and multiple desktop size support. In other words, you’ll be doing a lot of scrolling if your computer’s native resolution is much higher than your phone’s or tablet’s. Of course, you’ll have to install the host software on that PC in the first place, so the solution isn’t quite plug-and-play.

October 19, 2013
Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet leaked in Cyan Color

In a few weeks at Abu Dhabi at Nokia World, the company will announce its latest product strategy, the Lumia 2520 Tablet. Notorious Tipster @evleaks is back with some fresh images of the upcoming Lumia 2520 tablet in the expected cyan color.

What is currently unknown is the list of specs of the device, however we did hear that it will carry a Snapdragon 800, an outdoor-ready 1080p screen and LTE, the tablet would last a healthy 10 hours on battery. It would also include both 6-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front cameras, and Nokia may complement the previously mentioned 32GB of storage with a microSD card slot. The only real thing that needs to be found is what OS it will run between an option of Windows 8, RT and Windows Phone. Stay tuned for More!

October 12, 2013
Microsoft and HTC in Talks to Put Windows on Android Phones

After buying Nokia’s windows devices, the Lumia range and services business, it seems that Microsoft is now planning to grow the windows phone market.

As reported by Bloomberg, Microsoft is talking to HTC about adding its Windows operating system to HTC’s Android-based smartphones at little or no cost, people with knowledge of the matter said, evidence of the software maker’s struggle to gain ground in the mobile market.

The report also claims Microsoft operating systems chief Terry Myerson discussed lowering the license fee or dropping it entirely as an incentive. The sources is not clear on whether the devices might run both operating systems at once, or let users choose just one. Terry Myerson was planning to visit Asia this month and meet with senior executives at Taoyuan, Taiwan-based HTC to discuss his proposal, as per the source.

October 4, 2013
Slow Growth: Windows 8 Reached 8 Percent of Web Traffic

When Windows 7 was newly launched the web traffic for Windows xp went down, which is because whenever a new operating system comes up in the market it usually grows faster than the previous generation of OS.

Windows 8 does not seem to behave the same way, as the total web traffic on windows 8 reached 8 percent worldwide, whereas Windows 7 grew faster and has 46.4 percent of web traffic currently. Ever since its launch Windows 8 is been treated with mixed emotions, some like the way it looks some find it to be complicated. The rise in Windows 7 use corresponds to a drop for Windows XP, which shows that customers are less likely to choose a new Operating System. However, Microsoft has faced problems with the new Operating System overall, but they might have a different plan considering Microsoft to take over Nokia for Its Lumia, we might have something big coming up soon.

[via]

October 2, 2013
Microsoft To Merge Windows Phone And Windows 8 App Store

Microsoft is planning to merge both Windows Phone appstore and Windows appstore in to a single appstore according to reports.

It isn’t entirely clear whether this will result in complete cross-platform compatibility for both Windows 8 and WP8 apps — like Apple’s iPhone and iPad App Store — or if it’s more a case of designing an app store that both platforms will then use independently of each other.

Terry Myerson, the VP of Operating Systems at Microsoft, said that this unification will allow both apps stores to work as one, but did not go into detail on how users would be able to use different apps on different sized hardware.

One set of developer APIs will also encourage developers to build apps for the platform. Currently the developer interest in Windows Phone is less compared to iOS or Android, this should change as the combined appstore becomes quite bigger and will attract more eyeballs.

But all apps wont work on all platforms, like Windows Phone apps wont work on Windows RT tablets, and some of the desktop apps wont work on Windows RT tablets. Windows RT runs on ARM architecture and desktops use Intel chips in most cases.

We expect this unified app store to be released sometime in Spring 2014 alongside a slew of new updates to the Windows ecosystem.

[Via]

September 27, 2013
Apple’s iCloud now Lets Windows users Sync Bookmarks With Chrome and Firefox

Apple’s iCloud previosuly allowed Windows users to sync mobile Safari bookmarks with Internet Explorer, but now Apple is opening this functionality up to more web browsers

The additional functionality comes by an update to Apple’s iCloud Control Panel for Windows, a small app designed to keep contacts, calendars and bookmarks up-to-date between iOS devices, Mac and PC.

As reported by Apple Insider, the extra options mean the majority of Windows users will be able to take their bookmarks with them without resorting to using a third-party browser like Chrome for iOS. It also means that PC users can enjoy far greater freedom of browsers than those with Macs can.

Apple notes that the appropriate iCloud Bookmarks extensions for Chrome and Firefox must be installed for the system to work. Apple has yet to add iCloud bookmark syncing support for the Mac versions of Chrome and Firefox.

iCloud Control Panel 3.0 for Windows can be downloaded for free from Apple’s Support Downloads webpage.

September 19, 2013
Screenshots From Windows Phone 8 GDR3 Update Leak

Rumours of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 GDR3 update have been circulating for much of 2013, claiming that the new software will bring with it a number of new features that include support for larger displays, quad-core processors, screen rotation lock and more. Today is the first time that we’re getting a look at what may be GDR3 in action, though, thanks to a WPCentral forums user that claims to have gotten hold of a Lumia 920 that’s running the update.

User ‘xs2k’ allegedly purchased a Nokia Lumia 920 from Craigslist, the prior owner supposedly a multiplatform app developer. The device appears to be with firmware based from India and there are four screenshots posted so far.

As far as new features are concerned – Driving Mode mutes calls and texts automatically when paired by Bluetooth to a car, or you can choose to mute them manually. You can close apps in the multitasking view too, saving time. There’s screen rotation, so you can orient your display how you like, and custom sounds are coming to text, voicemail, email and reminder alerts. You’ll also be able to restore from back-up over Wi-Fi, which is handy if your device is wiped.

Obviously these leaked screenshots can’t give us a look at some of the bigger features that are coming with Microsoft’s GDR3 update, like support for large 1080p displays and quad-core processors. However, the images do serve as evidence of other new capabilities like closing apps from the multitasking interface and screen rotation lock, two goodies that we’re sure Windows Phone fans are excited to finally be receiving.

September 7, 2013