Windows 9: One OS For Desktop, Mobile & Xbox

By Chris Smith at BGR:  


Unlike Apple, which thinks merging iOS and OS X would be a “waste of energy,” Microsoft wants one single Windows operating system to be available to all its device users, whether they’re Windows Phone handset owners, Xbox fans, or rely on a Windows computer for work or play. Business Insider reports that CEO Satya Nadella said on the company’s FQ4 earnings conference call that a future version of Windows will merge all current Windows versions, becoming an “operating system that covers all screen sizes.”

“In the year ahead, we are investing in ways that will ensure our device OS and first party hardware aligned to our core,” Nadella said. “We will streamline the next version of Windows from three operating systems into one single converged operating system for screens of all sizes.”

“We will unify our stores, commerce and developer platforms to drive a more coherent user experience and a broader developer opportunity,” he added.

Microsoft already revealed at Build 2014 in early April that it will let developers create apps that will work across devices, including Windows Phone smartphones, Windows computers and Xbox consoles, but the company is apparently ready to go even further.

However, that doesn’t mean Microsoft will have a simpler way of selling Windows products to users.

“Our SKU strategy will remain by segment, we will have multiple SKUs for enterprises, we will have for OEM, we will have for end-users,” Nadella added. “And so we will – be disclosing and talking about our SKUs as we get further along, but my statement was more to do with how we are bringing teams together to approach Windows as one ecosystem very differently than we ourselves have done in the past.”

Microsoft Launches Lumia 530 w/ 4-inch Display

By Ben Woods at TNW:  


Microsoft has today announced a new member of its Lumia range in the form of the low-end Lumia 530, which will arrive from the start of next month in Europe.

Priced at €85 before taxes or local subsidies, Microsoft said it expects the Lumia 530 to go on sale in European countries for a retail price of below €100 when it starts to roll out next month, putting it at the lower-end of the affordability scale for Lumia devices.

Key specs include the most recent version of Windows Phone 8.1, a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 5-megapixel camera, a 4-inch FWVGA (854 x 480 pixels) display and a selection of interchangeable colored shells – available in bright orange, bright green, grey or white. The device will also be offered in single SIM and dual-SIM variants.

Alongside the phone, the company also introduced a new mini speaker designed with portability in mind. Priced at €19, the Bang by Coloud may not offer luxuries such as Bluetooth connection, but it does offer connectivity through a 3.5mm headphone jack and promises up to eight hours of playback. Microsoft said it would be available “in the coming weeks”.

BBM Messenger Is Finally On Windows Phone In Open Beta

By Kaylene Hong at TNW:  


If you thought that BlackBerry’s messaging service landed on iOS and Android several years too late, its (late) arrival on Windows Phone takes it to the next level. BlackBerry teased the launch of its BBM messaging service on Windows Phone back in February, and now users can finally get their hands on a beta version, the company announced today.

The app boasts a native experience that makes use of the Windows Phone user interface and focuses on three areas: Contacts, Chats and Feeds. Swiping left and right will move you between the three pages, while common actions are found at the bottom of the page, and additional controls can be accessed in the menu through the button with three dots.

One of the more unique features BBM for Windows Phone has is the ability to pin a contact to the Start menu for easy access — when you select that BBM contact right from the Start menu, you’ll be taken directly to a chat window with them.

Similar to other iterations of the app, users can chat with one or many BBM contacts and have the ability to share pictures, voice notes, contacts and location. However, the beta version is still lacking stickers — which BlackBerry finally introduced earlier this year – BBM Voice, BBM Channels and location sharing powered by Glympse. BlackBerry says these will be landing in the “coming months.”

There is also a feature known as BBM Groups, which not only has a private group chat, but a shared photo album where group members can chat about pictures, as well as shared calendars and shared lists.

BBM features feeds too, which lets you see when contacts update their status or profile photo (think Facebook updates in a chat app). If you want to chat with your friends about their latest updates, you just have to tap on their name to be redirected to a chat.

BlackBerry is opening up the beta version of BBM for Windows Phone so users can test it and provide feedback, but if you’re waiting for the full release, the company advises you to wait “just a bit longer.”

Microsoft Reveals Siri-like Windows Phone Feature

By Anick Jesdanun at Yahoo Tech:

Microsoft unveiled a new virtual assistant for Windows Phone devices Wednesday as it seeks to gain traction in a highly competitive and lucrative market for smartphones.

The assistant, Cortana, is named after an artificial-intelligence character in the company's "Halo" video games. Cortana tries to be chatty like Apple's Siri, while anticipating information you might want, like Google Now.

Cortana is among the new features coming to a Windows Phone update called 8.1. The updated operating system will come with new phones in about a month, including three that Nokia announced Wednesday. It will also be available as a free download for existing phones a few months later.

Microsoft is also updating its Windows 8.1 system for tablets, laptops and desktops. Although Microsoft has been pushing touch-screen controls, the new update is designed to make it easier for those with traditional keyboard and mouse controls. The update, simply called Windows 8.1 Update, is available starting next Tuesday.



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Google Now Arrives in Chrome for Windows and Mac

By Emil Protalinski at TNW:

Google Now has finally arrived on the desktop. Google yesterday announced Google Now is being pushed to the Chrome stable channel for Windows and Mac “starting today and rolling out over the next few weeks.” This means Google Now notifications will finally be available to desktop and laptop Chrome users, in addition to Android and iOS users.

To turn the feature on, all you need to do is sign in to Chrome with the same Google Account you’re using for Google Now on mobile. If you use Google Now on multiple devices, you will need to manage your location settings for each device independently (change Location Reporting on Android and iOS).

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Microsoft Will Pay You $100 to Upgrade From XP

By David Nield at Digital Trends: 

If you’re still contentedly plugging away with Microsoft’s 13 year-old Windows XP operating system, the executives at Redmond have an offer for you: Upgrade to a brand new Windows 8 machine, and they’ll put $100 in your back pocket. Head to the online Microsoft Store if you’re tempted.

You also get 90 days of free support and a free data transfer service thrown in, though the deal benefits Microsoft as well as users — with official support for Windows XP ending next month, computers that are still running the operating system will no longer receive the security updates and patches required to keep online dangers at bay.

To qualify for the discount, you’ll need to fork out for a shiny new Windows 8 machine costing $699 or more, and there are a variety of all-in-ones, laptops and tablet/laptop hybrids to pick from (including Microsoft’s own Surface Pro 2). Check the FAQ pages on the Microsoft Store website for more information — you’ve got until June 15 to get your order in.




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Windows 8.1 Might Be Getting A Free Version

Windows 8 wasn’t the renaissance Microsoft hoped it would be. Sure, the total number of Windows 8 users steadily increases every month, but it has no chance of toppling Windows 7 at this point. One reason for that is that consumers don’t want to pay $100 or more to upgrade. Microsoft might soon be remedying this.

ZDNet reports that Microsoft is currently looking into a free version of Windows 8.1 called Windows 8.1 with Bing. It’s reportedly part of a grand experiment as Microsoft sees the writing on the wall – operating systems will one day be free. The company will have to adapt to this reality before it happens, and that’s where Windows 8.1 with Bing comes in.

So, what is Windows 8.1 with Bing? Well, nobody is exactly sure at this point, but they have some ideas. One theory is that it’s an experiment into a free version of Windows 8 that would only come with Bing services. All the other applications you usually get with Windows, like Skype, OneDrive and Office, would all be available as paid-for add-ons. In other words, Windows 8 would be free while applications can be added on through separate purchases as needed.




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Foursquare Cuts $15M Deal with Microsoft

Foursquare is announcing that it has received $15 million in funding as a result of a partnership with Microsoft. The deal will see Foursquare contributing to the Bing platform’s location and context layers on both Windows 8 and Windows Phone.

The funding will be rolled into Foursquare’s previous raise of $35 million in December, bringing the total to $50 million. In addition, a licensing deal has been struck for the location data, but the financial terms of that haven’t been disclosed.

This is not a simple licensing deal for Foursquare’s location data. Instead, Microsoft will be getting the data and much deeper access to its contextual layers than any third party via Foursquare’s API. Holger Luedorf, Foursquare’s head of business development, tells me that this is a multi-year agreement that includes both data and technical components that will integrate with Microsoft’s Bing platform on both Windows 8 and Windows Phone.

Foursquare will expose more functionality to Microsoft’s team than any other platform has access to. Luedorf says this includes Foursquare’s location targeting system that utilizes phone sensor data to pinpoint user locations and points of interest.



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Windows Phone 8 Gets Xbox Video, Xbox Music

Are you a Windows Phone 8 user that desperately needs official Microsoft apps for everything in your life? Well, the last two holdouts – video and music – are finally getting official apps.

Microsoft announced today that Xbox Video is finally available on Windows Phone 8. Like the app on PC and Xbox One, Xbox Video for Windows Phone 8 allows users to stream or download any number of movies and TV shows to their device. The app also pulls Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic ratings for those who just aren’t sure if they would like Pacific Rim (Spoilers: You will).

As for TV shows on Xbox Video, Microsoft touts the ability for users to purchase a season pass. This allows to pay a single upfront fee and download each new episode of a TV series as soon as it airs.

inally, Xbox Video for Windows Phone 8 offers SmartGlass functionality with Xbox 360 and Xbox One. You can use the app as a remote or to pull information about the film while watching it on your TV via your console.



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Instagram Lands on Windows Phone

Instagram is launching a Windows Phone app today, enabling more people to share their photos on the Facebook-owned photo-sharing social network. The move comes less than a month after company CEO and co-founder Kevin Systrom teased Windows Phone users that it would be arriving in the “coming weeks”. But while it’s great to see the app on Windows Phone, it initially ships without support for videos, along with other missing tools.


In its move to bring the popular app to Windows Phone devices, the company says that it spent time focusing on creating “an awesome experience” with Instagram’s core features. However, while the fundamental app exists, it’s not without some differences.

So we know that it’s a somewhat subdued app, but what else is missing? As Engadget reports, some features have not yet been added, including photo tagging, viewing geotaxis, and taking a photo from within Instagram — yes, that’s right. Windows Phone app users can only import photos taken from another app and then import it.


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TripAdvisor Scores Deep Bing Integration, Launches Windows 8.1 App

TripAdvisor puts a nice notch in its belt today with a Bing integration deal that places its results front and center on search results pages. The deal marks the first time that TripAdvisor has lent its Metasearch data, gathered from over 125M reviews across 3.1M locations, to a search engine.

In conjunction with the new Bing integration, TripAdvisor is also launching a new Windows 8.1 app that allows Hotel Price Comparison (what it calls Metasearch), a touch-based interface and dynamic maps that populate rooms, places to see and eat in real time.

The Bing integration is by far the biggest deal for TripAdvisor here, and fits in with its overall efforts to leverage its Metasearch data beyond just its own site. If you’ve seen Bing’s sidebar content before, then you’ll be roughly familiar with how the TripAdvisor data will be presented. If you search for a hotel name and city, for instance, you’re presented with a map of its location and an address and contact details. That’s all fairly standard for Bing. But now, below that, you’ll also get ‘reservations’ and ‘reviews’ sections powered by TripAdvisor. You can blast in dates and smack the ‘find rate’ button to be delivered booking options from the options that TripAdvisor indexes.

The Metasearch infrastructure, which is used by the new Bing integration, was a ‘major undertaking’ for TripAdvisor, involving integrating over 100 different APIs from travel data sources and many partnership deals. Currently, TripAdvisor also powers Yahoo Travel’s hotel search, but the Bing deal will be the first straight up search engine deal. TripAdvisor is also building out a platform that allows independent venues like B&B’s, the incredibly long tail of fragmented inventory that doesn’t have its own APIs, to participate in its Metasearch program.

“At this point, we’ve partnered with over 260 Internet booking engines, or IBEs, representing approximately 200,000 independent properties,” Kaufer said during its Q3 earnings call. “Over 70 IBEs have completed the integration which, as of last week, allows more than 40,000 hoteliers to sign up and start bidding for leads.”



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Nokia Lumia 2520 Bigger, Faster, Lower Power Than Microsoft's Surface 2

If you, like me, took some offline time this weekend, we’re a bit late to the latest slap fight in the world of Windows RT. Until recently, there was only one functional player in the Windows RT space – Microsoft, and its Surface 2 tablet – but Nokia has stepped into the ring, and one of its suppliers is talking a little trash.

No shame in that, of course. Bragging is as old as language. But how Qualcomm – the supplier of the Nokia Lumia 2520 Windows RT tablet’s processor – is taking the Surface 2 to task is interesting.

Both the Nokia 2520 and the Surface 2 run Windows RT, so when it comes to software, they are on parity. Certainly, you could argue that the Surface 2 might behave better with Windows RT than rival devices, given that Microsoft builds both, but that’s edge work.
Qualcomm, as quoted by CNet, thinks that the Lumia 2520  is “bigger, faster, [and] lower power” than Microsoft’s rival Surface 2 tablet. Ok.

The kicker to this is that, for the Surface line of tablet hybrids, the hardware component of the devices has largely not been the point of complaint raised by reviewers and users. Instead, it’s been the software that the Surface devices run on – Windows 8 at first, and now Windows 8. 1- that was the sticking point. Windows 8 was not ready at launch. And Windows 8.1 has yet to be tested against consumer demand.

Why Qualcomm is trumpeting the “speeds and feeds” of the Lumia 2520 is simple: It provides the silicon that powers the device. Microsoft’s Surface 2 runs on Nvidia chips.

Keep in mind, however, that Microsoft is in the process of buying the Nokia assets that built the Lumia 2520, so we could see reconciliation. For now, however, Nokia’s tablet does directly challenge its future brother. Microsoft recently reported that Surface unit volume doubled in its most recent quarter, compared with the sequentially preceding quarter. Surface revenue totaled $400 million for that period.



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HTC Android Phones Could Get Windows Option

Microsoft is reportedly courting HTC with a range of incentives to use its Windows Phone platform, including the possibility of dual-booting smartphones, in a bid to beef up its market share and challenge Android and iOS.

Bloomberg reports that, in addition to discussing “cutting or eliminating the license fee” required to use Windows Phone, Microsoft is willing to let HTC add Windows Phone as a secondary operating system on its Android-based smartphones. It’s not clear whether that would create dual-boot devices, or if Microsoft would require Windows Phone to override Android on existing models.

Talks are said to be “preliminary,” with operating systems head Terry Myerson planning a visit to Taiwan to discuss the proposal in more detail. In addition, outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer visited China last week in a bid to secure licensing deals with new partners, as the company looks to avoid a situation in which Nokia — which Microsoft is in the process of acquiring — is the sole Windows Phone partner.

As a company that has produced both Windows Phone and Android devices, it seems logical that HTC would be a target that Microsoft is aggressively pursuing — particularly in light of HTC recording its first-ever quarterly loss. Struggling to win market share, a Windows Phone-Android device could provide some differentiation on the competition — but it’s unclear if it would appeal to consumers.


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Dell Unveils Venue Line of Android and Windows Tablets

Dell jumped back into the tablet space in a big way on Wednesday, unveiling no fewer than four tablets, including both Android and Windows models — all of them powered by Intel chips.

The Dell Venue 7 and 8 are aggressively priced Android tablets aimed at "millennials." Both tablets have high-def IPS (in-plane switching) LCD screens, and Dell says they have "all-day" battery life thanks to the Intel Atom "Bay Trail" processor. The Venue 7 and 8 cost $149 and $179, respectively.

On the Windows side, Dell showed off the Venue 8 Pro and Venue 11 Pro. Calling it the "world's thinnest Windows tablet," Dell says it's less than 9mm thick. Dell also offers a stylus and 4G connectivity as options, and the back has a "soft touch" grip, similar to BlackBerry phones. The Venue 8 Pro starts at $299.

The Dell Venue 11 Pro is a 10.8-inch tablet with a full HD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS screen. Buyers can choose between Intel Atom and Core-powered versions, and Dell will offer an optional desktop dock for hooking up to a workstation. There'll also be an optional travel keyboard that augments the battery life to 17 hours. Pricing starts at $499.

The Android tablets are exactly what you expect: cheap slates that perform adequately but don't stand out in any way, except maybe for the Iron Man-red finish on some of them, and the "Intel Inside" logo on the back.

The screens looked good in a brightly lit room, and an HD YouTube trailer of 300: Rise of an Empire was nice and sharp. However, the cameras are terrible, unable to capture a non-blurred image even with plenty of natural light in the storefront event space.


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Microsoft To Merge Windows Store and Windows Phone Store?

Terry Myerson, the Microsoft executive VP who is in charge of the software firm's operating systems, reportedly told employees on Thursday that the Windows Store and Windows Phone Store will be merged into one app store. The store will be available with the next version of Windows Phone 8.1 and a special update planned for Windows 8.1. Both updates should be out by next Spring. No comments were made as to how the unified store would work or what it might look like.

Another one of the questions not answered for now is whether this will mean that Windows Phone apps will work on larger screened Windows devices. Microsoft might borrow a page from Apple and allow apps for larger screened devices to run on those devices only, while Windows Phone apps run on handsets and are scaled up to run on devices like tablets.

source: TheVerge via SlashGear

INFOGRAPHIC: The State Of Social Media

Published by Seoco:

Social media has become a way of life for individuals and a new way of doing business. The social media world is continuously growing as more and more sites are created and users are being added daily. In the past years, we have seen numerous social media sites start-up and slowly disappear.
This infographic presented by The Seo Company highlights the many changes social media has made in the beginning months of 2012.

Lenovo reveals 10.1-inch Windows 7-powered IdeaPad P1 with an Intel chip

Lenovo has unveiled two Honeycomb tablets, but that's not all, folks – the company hasn't forgotten Windows 7 fans and brought the 10.1-inch IdeaPad P1 with Microsoft's operating system. An Intel chip powers the IdeaPad P1, instead of the nearly ubiquitous ARM-based processors, but it aims to deliver the same if not better kick paired with up to 2GB of RAM and a choice of 32GB or 64GB of SSD memory. The biggest problem with Intel's chips lies in power management, but this time the company seems to have nailed it with battery life reaching up to 6 hours.

Watch Out, Skype: Mobile Video Calling Startup Tango Heads to Desktop

Tango, a cross-platform mobile video calling startup, is today announcing its first expansion to a non-mobile platform: the Windows desktop. Sometime later this summer, the new PC software will debut, joining Android (phone and tablets) and iOS (iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad) as the third major platform launch for the company over the past 9 months.