14 Things You Can Do in Windows 10 That You Couldn't Do in Windows 8

Did you hear there's a new version of Windows in town? If your Windows 8-toting friends ask you exactly what you can do with the new Windows 10 that they can't do on their own machines, here's what to tell them. These are some of the best new features and functions Microsoft has added to its all-encompassing operating system.

1. Get chatty with Cortana

Cortana arrives on the desktop! As on Windows Phone, you can ask questions about the weather or famous pop stars, get directions home, set reminders, and more besides—you can also get her to turn Windows settings such as wifi and Bluetooth on or off. Click the Cortana button on the Start menu to get started (the "hey Cortana!" voice activation feature is optional).

2. Snap windows to corners

If you're still restricting your window snapping to either side of the screen, you're living in the past—Windows is all about quadrants since July 29. Drag open windows into the corners of the screen to pin them to a particular quarter of the display, or use the Windows key+cursor key keyboard shortcuts. You can of course still snap windows side-by-side as well.

3. Analyze the storage space on your PC

In the pre-Windows 10 days, you needed to get a third-party application involved if you wanted to take a proper look at the layout of files and drives on your system. With Windows 10, there's a tool built-in: Type "storage" in the taskbar search box, choose the Storage setting, and you can see exactly what types of files (like music or video) are taking up your hard drive space.

4. Add a new virtual desktop

At long last virtual desktops make their way to Windows, so all you power users can spread out your apps across multiple screens (the taskbar and desktop shortcuts remain consistent over all of them). Click the Task View button on the taskbar (or press Windows key+Tab) to bring up an overview of your desktops, add new ones or remove existing ones.

5. Use a fingerprint instead of a password

This is part of the Windows Hello biometric platform, and whether or not you can make use of it depends on the make and model of computer you're using Windows 10 on. As well as fingerprint sensing, it supports face recognition and even iris scanning, so if computer manufacturers are prepared to build this kind of kit into their systems then Microsoft's new OS is able to support it.

6. Manage your notifications

Windows 10 comes with a revamped Action Center that lives on the right-hand side of the desktop and provides a stream of all the notifications that come in from any application (no more wondering exactly what Dropbox said while you were looking out of the window). Click the notifications icon (a speech bubble) in the system tray to open and configure it.

7. Switch to a dedicated tablet mode

Windows 8 tried to squash a tablet mode and a desktop mode into one ungainly whole, but everything is far more civilized in the new Windows 10 interface. Open up the aforementioned Action Center to switch manually to tablet mode or get out of it again. In fact you may prefer using the stripped-down tablet mode even when you have a mouse and a keyboard attached.

8. Stream Xbox One games

Streaming games from one place to another isn't a completely original idea, but the link Microsoft has built between the Xbox One and Windows 10 machines could be the best use of the technology yet. If the kids want to use the big screen in the living room you can stream your Xbox One gaming up to your laptop or desktop upstairs (if your home network can cope).

9. Run Microsoft Edge

Microsoft's new stripped-down, streamlined browser is a Windows 10 exclusive, and you can't run it on Windows 8 or below. Only Windows 10 users can take advantage of web page annotations, the clutter-free Reading View and Cortana search integration. Whether it's enough to oust Chrome or Firefox as your browser-of-choice remains to be seen.

10. Put the Recycle Bin on the Start menu

Perhaps not the most mind-blowing new feature ushered in with Windows 10 but plenty of you are going to find it useful anyway—you can pin a Recycle Bin shortcut to the Start menu for the very first time (Windows 8 didn't even have a Start menu of course). Search for the Recycle Bin from the taskbar, right-click on the link that appears and choose Pin to Start. You can do the same from File Explorer too.

11. Share wifi passwords with your friends

The new Wi-Fi Sense feature (in network settings) has attracted its fair share of controversy but it's an easy way of letting people use your home wifi while they're visiting (and for you to use theirs in return). Your contacts never actually see the password but if they're linked to you and also on a Windows 10 bit of kit they can just start browsing as soon as they get through the door.

12. Find settings easily

Settings is another area where Windows 10 does a better job of presenting information to the user than Windows 8 did. More of the key system settings have been moved over to the modern interface—search for Settings from the taskbar to see them—so you're going to be spending less time hunting for Control Panel (though the old utilities and links are still there if you need them).

13. Set up Windows to work with iOS and Android

Microsoft has decided to embrace iOS and Android and now makes most of its apps available for the competing mobile platforms (Cortana apps are apparently imminent). Run the Phone Companion app from the Start menu and you can launch a step-by-step guide to getting your iPhone 6 or LG G4 working smoothly with all the data and apps you've got stored on Windows.

14. Run modern apps on the desktop

We've already mentioned some of the ways in which Microsoft is refining the tablet vs desktop experience in Windows 10, and another improvement in this new OS is the ability to run modern (aka Metro) apps in windowed mode as well as full-screen mode. The apps themselves have been improved too, so they're worth a second look if you didn't like the Windows 8 versions.

Source: 14 Things You Can Do in Windows 10 That You Couldn't Do in Windows 8

These 10 Lumia Smartphones Will Be The First To Taste Windows 10

Microsoft recently rolled out its latest and much awaited operating system called Windows 10. The new Windows platform comes with new and exciting features like personal voice assistant, faster Web browser and much more.

SEE ALSO: How To Install Windows 10 On Your PC Now: 10 Simple Steps

Interestingly, the Windows 10 comes with a concept of one platform for all devices. Having single OS that spans desktop, laptops, tablets and smartphones is a great idea. The OS comes with a Continuum Mode, that automatically alters the user interface of Windows 10 based on whether you are using on a tablet or a PC. While, if you are using a hybrid device, you can even switch the user interface depending on what you are using: laptop mode or tablet mode.

The company has confirmed that all the Lumia smartphones running the Windows Phone 8.1 with Denim update will get the Windows 10 OS update, but 10 Lumia smartphones will be updated get the Windows 10 initially.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Super-affordable Windows 10 Laptops Priced Under Rs 25,000 in India

While, Lumia smartphones with less than 1GB of RAM are not included in the list. However, there is no exact date of Windows 10 upgrade for mentioned Lumia handsets.

Check out the list of 10 Lumia smartphones that Microsoft confirmed for Windows 10 upgrade. Have a look at the slider below.

Stay tuned to GizBot for more updates!

Stay tuned to GizBot for more updates!

Source: These 10 Lumia Smartphones Will Be The First To Taste Windows 10

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

This week is all about Windows 10 (as it should be), but that doesn't mean mobile operating systems decided to take a weeklong vacation. We've got a new launcher from Microsoft, ways to finally get down to business and learn code, and Yahoo's zombified resurrection of Yahoo Messenger.

Should be fun. Let's get to it.

Multiplatform Kaboom

Advertisement

Sometimes you say things you regret, or maybe you just want to share some funny picture but don't necessarily want it clogging up your profile forever. Kaboom helps add a little deletion management to your social media life. Connect to apps like Facebook, Twitter, or just regular old SMS and share content with an expiration date. [Free - Android and iOS]

Android Couch to 5K

In a world where a sedentary lifestyle is commonplace, it can be hard to find a resource that's convenient to accurately train up your endurance to fight the overwhelming desire to just keep sitting on the couch. Couch to 5K is great training that's been available on iOS for awhile, and now it's finally coming to Android. The app provides a regimen to get you fit and running a 5K in just 8 weeks. Not too many apps out there actually make you feel physically better, so maybe this one is worth some attention. [Free]

Arrow

Microsoft had a lot going on this week, but amidst all the Windows 10 madness, the app team let loose it's newest app: a launcher for Android. It's pretty neat in many ways. Swipe left for access to notes and right for recently used apps, which are arranged by "recent" and "frequent." The whole idea seems centered on bringing your most used apps only one swipe away. You can't get through the Google Play just yet, right now you can download the apk for the beta, which means you can also expect a lot of bugginess, but it seems like another great addition to Microsoft's plan to slowly dominate every aspect of your Android phone. [Free]

iOS Lrn

I've used a couple apps now to learn code, and many of them either have too costly a barrier for entry or is just too confusing too quickly. I'm looking forward to giving Lrn a shot. Instead of hoisting a bunch of technical information into your face, the app teaches code through gamification—mostly mini quizzes. You start with JavaScript but can move onto other languages from there. [Free]

Livetext

Think of Livetext as soundless video for your texts, which makes it kinda, sorta a more private Periscope or maybe a more visual text app. Either way, it's worth trying. It works like most texting apps except this app launches your camera when you enter a conversation with someone. The texting functions themselves seem a little basic, and will hopefully mature with age, but for now it seems like a quirky little piece of software worth trying. [Free]

Windows Phone Perfect Tube

Perfect Thumbs' name isn't just a vain pat on the back. The software company legitimately makes worthwhile Windows Phone apps that fills in gaps left by minimal first-party support, and sometimes, even builds a stock functions of apps. This time it's all about improving YouTube. The Perfect Thumbs team optimized the app for Windows Phone so it's more friendly for your Microsoft device. Go ahead, give it a try. [Free]

Source: Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

Here Are The First Ten Lumia Smartphones That Will Receive Windows 10 Mobile

The Internet is defiantly abuzz over yesterday's release of Windows 10. The operating system was made available as a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users, and can be obtained via Windows Update, ISO, or through the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.

But while Windows 10 Home and Pro will appease the vast majority of desktop, laptop, convertible, and tablet users, there are still millions of people around the globe with smartphones running Window Phone 8.1. Microsoft promised that Windows 10 Mobile would be made available later this year as a free upgrade for Windows Phone users, and the company is now giving us an idea of which devices will be eligible for the new operating system.

Earlier this week, Microsoft updated its Windows 10 Mobile product page, which now reads:

The following Lumia smartphones will receive a free upgrade when available: Lumia 430, Lumia 435, Lumia 532, Lumia 535, Lumia 540, Lumia 640, Lumia 640 XL, Lumia 735, Lumia 830, and Lumia 930.

The list made no mention of Microsoft's best-selling smartphone, the low-end Lumia 520, and lead some to believe that Microsoft was abandoning a large numbers of Windows Phone devices with the transition to Windows 10. However, Neowin has received confirmation that the initial list of 10 devices is just the beginning:

This is an initial list of in-market devices to receive the Windows 10 update. It is our ambition to bring Windows 10 to all Lumia devices running Lumia Denim software, noting that some features will vary, based on the hardware specifications.

That should be welcome news to Lumia 520, Lumia 630, and Lumia 1520 users whose hearts skipped a beat when it seemed as though they might not see Windows 10 Mobile on their device. Thankfully, it looks as though Microsoft is working to ensure that all Windows 10-compliant devices are able to run the operating system without issue. And it makes sense that Microsoft might need a little more time to tweak Windows 10 for devices like the Lumia 520, which comes loaded with a minuscule 512MB of RAM.

Source: Here Are The First Ten Lumia Smartphones That Will Receive Windows 10 Mobile

Microsoft Releases Windows 10, Tests New Collaborative Culture

(TNS) -- Windows 10 is the latest and biggest proving ground of whether the new Microsoft is better at building software than the old one.

Wednesday's release of the newest version of the company's operating system comes with typically high stakes. Microsoft, based outside Seattle, has in the past two years turned over a majority of its top executive ranks, slashed tens of thousands of jobs and deployed a new organizational structure and philosophy designed to push the company's units to collaborate, rather than compete.

In Windows 10, those changes have resulted, among other things, in a faster browser to replace the bruised Internet Explorer, a built-in voice-activated digital assistant and search tool, and a return of the traditional Start Menu, which took a back seat in the interface of Windows 8.

Microsoft executives are hoping that Windows 10, built with the aid of more consumer feedback and a development approach that emphasized user-friendly design from the start, will lift the fortunes of the company's most famous product.

"If you go back in time, we really ran Microsoft as sort of independent businesses," Terry Myerson, the executive vice president who led the development of Windows 10, said in an interview. "Xbox was a different business than Windows, which was a different business than Phone. Now we're thinking about the Windows ecosystem. You put this group of people in one room together and say, all right, now we're going to go build a project."

RISING FAST

The 42-year-old Myerson, who led the consolidation of the teams building the various versions of Microsoft's Windows, is among a newer generation of executives whose stature has risen quickly with the changing of the guard. He went in two years from leading development of Windows Phone to heading the engineering and development of Windows to becoming one of CEO Satya Nadella's top lieutenants.

How to get (or ignore) Windows 10

Windows 10 became available for download Wednesday.

Personal users of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 likely already have an icon on the bottom of their taskbar prompting them to reserve an upgrade. For everyone else, Microsoft has step-by-step instructions for how to reserve a download or purchase the software at microsoft.com/windows. For the first year, Microsoft has a free upgrade offer for Windows 7 and 8.1 users.

No one is required to upgrade. Users who ignore the notification won't be forced to download the software.

Those who do upgrade from Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 have 30 days to revert to their prior operating system by going to the Windows Settings folder. Click Update & Security, then Recovery to see available options.

Source: Microsoft

As of June, he also has oversight of Microsoft's range of hardware groups.

Myerson's more collaborative mandate contrasts with the Microsoft of old, a combative place that drew on the intensity of co-founder Bill Gates and, later, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, and was structured to foster competition. Windows and Office, for example, ran as separate businesses vying for the attention of consumers.

Steven Sinofsky, the former executive who headed the development of Windows 7 and Windows 8, gained a reputation as a skilled practitioner of that sometimes sharp-elbowed culture. Windows 8 was developed as its predecessors had been: largely behind closed doors.

But that software's bold, touch-screen-optimized interface, which jettisoned the Start Menu, proved to be a step too far for many consumers, a point that was clear after preview versions were released.

"When people really started using it and sending us feedback on what they wanted to see change, it was really too late" to make major revisions, said Gabe Aul, then a manager in the Windows quality, reliability and feedback group.

Sinofsky left Microsoft a month after Windows 8 was released to mixed reviews. A major update to the software, Windows 8.1, debuted less than a year later.

Early in the development of the successor, Windows 10, Aul and his colleagues drew up a proposal for a program to incorporate more user feedback earlier in the development process. Microsoft would invite up to 250,000 people to use early versions of Windows and share their opinions on an ongoing basis with the engineering teams working to finish the product.

Myerson rejected the idea of a cap on the program. It should be open to all who wanted to participate, he said.

Why cap a connection between developers and customers, Myerson asked. "Let them talk to each other. Listen, iterate, improve," he said.

Ultimately, Microsoft said, more than 5 million people downloaded previews of Windows 10.

Microsoft's transformation toward a more team-oriented organization began under Ballmer, who in 2013 ordered the consolidation of the company's far-flung marketing, finance and engineering teams.

The separate groups that built versions of Windows for PCs, smartphones and business devices were combined into one unit, resulting that fall in the largest physical shift in the company's history, as thousands of developers, designers and marketers moved around the campus over eight weeks.

Myerson was then leading the Windows Phone unit, which won praise for its user-interface design but hadn't fared well in the marketplace against dominant Google and Apple smartphone operating systems. Ballmer picked him to lead the consolidated overall Operating Systems Group.

"You'd never seen the company organize in that way," said Chaitanya Sareen, a principal program manager who oversees a user-interface team with Windows.

That also meant big changes for the way thousands of people built Windows 10.

Under the old model, "feature teams" — the dozens of groups building components of Windows — would make a preliminary plan, run it by a user-research group, then sit down to the work of coding the feature.

"Then they'd come back and say, 'Here's what we made. Do you like that?'" Aul said.

During the development of Windows 10, Microsoft developers saw the feedback that was pouring in throughout the process. "It directly influences planning," said Aul, now the general manager overseeing the Windows quality and reliability team and the public face of the development process. "It's just completely embedded in their daily process."

OUTSIDE FEEDBACK

For Sareen's team, that feedback was taken to an extreme when engineers couldn't decide how to present open programs in a tool that lets users switch between desktops. The decision was left to the army of outside testers, who were asked to rate two possible options.

It's not just people outside the company who had more of a hand in Windows' development.

In previous desktop versions of Windows, designers and marketers were looped into the development process after much of the software coding was complete, a practice that Microsoft managers admit led to marketing messages and design concepts that shared little in common across products.

This time, designers and marketers got involved early, sitting in on planning meetings and monthly engineering reviews.

"I thought engineering would be terrified," said Aaron Woodman, a marketing director with Windows. But the results, he said, should speak for themselves.

Microsoft's engineers had planned to incorporate support for a feature that allows users to log in with fingerprint and iris-scans, avoiding the pitfalls of hackable passwords. The tool, essentially a security feature that might hold little appeal beyond information- technology departments, didn't need a name.

Instead, after the collaboration with other teams, the feature was introduced to the world as "Windows Hello." After verifying its user's identity, the tool welcomes its user by name, flashes a smile and a wink, and unlocks Windows.

"Great products have the ability to connect functionally and emotionally," Woodman said.

Myerson sees that connection at home. His daughter's favorite feature of early versions of Windows 10 is the voice-activated Cortana digital assistant, which Microsoft has tried to make spunkier and more accessible than the chatty tools offered by rivals.

If Microsoft gets it right, Myerson says, Windows will be a hub that connects software and hardware to make each more powerful, whether for a girl in Washington state asking questions of a digital assistant while playing games or for a technology consultancy in India betting its business on Microsoft software.

"The scale of Windows is pretty …," Myerson said, trailing off. "It's different. We're not building a product. We're building an experience that's larger than the product."

©2015 The Seattle Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Source: Microsoft Releases Windows 10, Tests New Collaborative Culture

Microsoft Corporation Looks For Partners To Launch Budget-Friendly Windows 10 Phones

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is reportedly looking for manufacturing partners in a bid to launch budget-tier Windows 10 smartphones later this year.

The company is keen to partner with vendors in emerging markets like Latin America, India, and Southeast Asia for its mid- and entry-level smartphones, which would allow the tech giant to focus mainly on flagship devices that can compete with the likes of Apple's iPhones and Samsung Group's (OTCMKTS:SSNLF) Galaxy S series, sources told DigiTimes.

Other rumors indicate that Microsoft is currently working with Qualcomm, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) to launch cheap Windows 10 smartphones, which are expected to be priced at $80-100.

Recently, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admitted that the company did not have good flagship devices in the market, and that the company will be changing its mobile platform strategy in a bid to establish itself as a platform considered on par with Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS and Google Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android.

Microsoft is gearing up to launch its "Cityman" and "Talkman" flagship devicesin September or October. The company aims to complement their launch with handsets that cater to the budget-conscious consumers. Meanwhile, Microsoft is expected to launch its upcoming high-end Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL at the 2015 IFA trade show in Berlin this September.

In separate news, Microsoft has launched its much-awaited Windows 10 operating system today in over 190 countries. The company will roll out the new OS to those who are a part of the Windows Insider Program, and will then move toward the enterprise market before making it available to retailers like Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), and later to users who haven't reserved a copy of Windows 10. Microsoft has revealed that it will be unleashing its Windows 10 mobile platform in due course, once it has ironed out the issues and bugs.

Source: Microsoft Corporation Looks For Partners To Launch Budget-Friendly Windows 10 Phones

Windows 10: 7 Important Things To Know

Launch day. Well, for some. For many, they'll be waiting a few days, weeks or even months for their copy of Windows 10. Whilst you're waiting for Windows 10 to turn up, here are a couple important things to know.

Free?

Sort of. It's free if you qualify for the free upgrade. That means you'll need to be running either Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows Phone 8.1. You should have already received a notification asking you to reserve your copy. If not, you'll get one soon or you'll be told when the upgrade is ready to be installed.

Windows 10 will be free for the "life time of the device", which should mean free for as long as Microsoft supports the OS, with no surprise subscription costs down the line. Microsoft ends mainstream support for users in 2020, and extended support in 2025.

If you're not already running Windows (or an older version), you'll need to buy the upgrade- which costs $119 for the Home edition, and $199 for the Pro edition.

There IS a cheaper workaround to paying, which involves becoming part of the Windows Insider programme. This means you'll get a free copy of Windows 10, but you'll also be subject to early releases of updates – essentially a beta tester. The only downside – and it's a big one – is that you're a guinea pig for future updates, which might not be stable and seriously affect your computer's performance and Windows experience. If you're a casual user, this isn't for you.When will I get it?Tomorrow is the official launch day (10am ET), but there's every chance that you won't get the actual upgrade tomorrow. Windows Insiders will get it first, then those who have reserved a copy will be pushed the upgrade in waves.

MORE: Microsoft Windows 10: 5 Reasons To Be Excited

Unfortunately Microsoft refused to give me a specific timeframe, citing the fact that there's millions of devices to roll out to. I raised the concern that some people might be waiting weeks, or even months, and I was told that it's "not going to be that kind of timeframe." And that, "the goal with this [Windows 10], releasing earlier in the year, is because we want to get it out there fast. By Christmas we want to have hundreds of millions of users worldwide."

But I wasn't told, emphatically, that all users who have reserved their copy will get the upgrade before December.

In short, it's a waiting game.

Will my device run it?

The system requirement for Windows 10 aren't exactly taxing, few people should have any issues running the new OS.

Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC

RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit

Hard disk space: 16 GB for 32-bit OS 20 GB for 64-bit OS

Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver

Display: 1024×600

Bugs and automatic updates

Windows 10's mandatory updates are already causing problems for some users, as Forbes contributor Gordon Kelly reports:

"The flaw revolves around Nvidia graphics cards with users taking to Nvidia's forums to report Windows Update is automatically installing new drivers which break multimonitor setups, SLI (dual card) configurations and can even stop PCs booting entirely which pushes Windows 10 into its emergency recovery mode."

MORE: Microsoft Surface 3 Review: Laptop Destroyer

However, Microsoft reacted yesterday and released a tool that allows users to block or uninstall problematic updates, Forbes' Anthony Leather reports.

Some readers also pointed out to me last week that they had an issue with the Edge browser and family accounts. Some had said that despite setting up separate Microsoft accounts for children on one computer, and turning Bing Safe Search on, the restricted accounts were still able to visit inappropriate sites and images. I tested this out on the latest build (102040) and I couldn't find an issue, which suggests it might've been fixed with the last update.

It's worth noting that any reported bugs are relevant to build 10240, which isn't the final RTM (release to manufacturing) version. The point of the Insiders programme is to catch these updates before they're released to the general public, so anything potentially damaging should be caught before it spreads. With that said, it's pretty much the final version and any issues should've been ironed out by now.

No mobile version, not yet at least

Microsoft is staying silent on when the mobile version is being launched. Reports have suggested sometime later this year, as Microsoft rushes to finish the software. Microsoft told me that it will have a new flagship phone for Windows 10 later this year, most like the heavily rumoured Lumia 940 XL.

Developers love it

I asked a Windows developer to give me his opinion on Windows 10 from developing perspective. Overall, he was impressed by Microsoft's latest offering, in particular the new app store.

"The new app store means I can write an app once and put 4 different 'skins' on it, which makes the app compatible for Xbox, desktop, Windows Phone and tablet. A lot of this skinning is also automatic, which should reduce the overall development time."

He continued ""I'm really eager to see just how good this some of this auto skinning is, and with the ability to write one app and potentially have it available on four different major platforms, there really is a big incentive to have a go."

Check out the rest of the article here

Things that won't work on launch day

TechRadar's Mary Branscombe has detailed what features from Windows 10 will be missing on launch day. The most glaring omission is some of the more advanced features in Microsoft's new internet browser, Edge.

"You can't pin a site to the taskbar from Edge, for example, and you can't drag a tab from one browser window to another – or drag a file into the browser window if you want to upload it to a site like OneDrive."

Branscombe continues "But the big feature that's missing from Edge that we know won't arrive until the autumn is extension support. Edge will never support most of the add-ons and plugins that Internet Explorer does, although it has Flash built in. We know that it will get the same kind of extension model as Chrome, where extensions are written in HTML and JavaScript rather than as binary plugins like ActiveX controls."

Read the rest of her breakdown here.

MORE: This Is What Microsoft Will Use To Fight Apple And Samsung

Jay McGregor is a journalist who writes for The Guardian, Forbes, TechRadar and is a correspondent for BBC's James Hazel show. Follow on Instagram @that.review.show

Source: Windows 10: 7 Important Things To Know

Windows 10 can turn Microsoft into a success again, but it needs to get these 4 things right

The global launch of Windows 10 is a pivotal moment for Microsoft as a consumer business, because in recent years Windows has started to matter a lot less.

The rise of mobile devices has hit the PC market hard – and no more so than Microsoft, which has around 1.5 billion Windows customers, making it the market leader in that arena.

(Snappa)

This, combined with Apple's OS X and Mac computer line-up regularly bucking the trend and actually increasing sales, has left Microsoft and Windows adrift in the technology world, with Google's Chrome and Android dominating.

(Snappa)

But a hint of change appeared at the beginning of the year when Windows 10 was first previewed, and it has hinted at a potential change in fortunes for the firm.

The core features of the update – Microsoft Edge, Cortana on desktop, Continuum and the idea of the software working across all Windows devices – sparked interest arguably not seen in Windows since the pioneering days of Windows 95.

But it's only the beginning, and Microsoft must get several things right to start it on the road to success again.

Windows 10 core features (Microsoft)

These features now have to live up to their impressive stage demonstrations in the real world – Edge must be fast and easy to annotate as suggested, while Cortana must continue to be a seamless and intelligent assistant across a new range of devices.

The gaming streams from Xbox One to PC are also going to have to hold up well if Microsoft wants to entice developers on to Windows 10.

If Microsoft can get the core of Windows 10 right, it could begin to excite and encourage developers back to the platform.

Build the platform (Microsoft)

The promise of one version of an app that works across phone, tablet and computer with minimal work is an enticing one for coders, but developers are still curious about how much effort this will actually take.

Make it easy, and the Windows platform could begin to flourish the way Apple's has in recent years as developers fight to get involved.

There are more than a million apps on the Apple App Store, in comparison the Windows Store which around 500,000.

Driving the Surface (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The health of the Surface brand – Microsoft's tablet-laptop hybrid – could also have a say in the success of Windows 10.

Having steadily gained on the iPad in the last year, the growth of the Surface business to almost a billion US dollars (£640 million) was one of the bright spots of the firm's most recent financial results.

If the hardware running Windows 10 is performing well, the developer community is far more likely to want to build on it.

Mobile (Jeff Chiu/AP)

Not an area the tech giant is currently focussing on too heavily, but as high-end flagship smartphones continue to sell in their millions, Microsoft will have to return to them in earnest soon.

The Lumia is performing OK in the lower and mid-range arenas, but a company the size of Microsoft really should be looking to take on Apple, Samsung and co in the premium market.

The Windows Phone has been something of a five-year struggle, with sales never taking off – squeezed out by the aforementioned rivals. But a solid base provided by Windows 10 could be a springboard for new and better hardware.

The public reaction, therefore, as Windows 10 rolls out from Wednesday has never been more important to Microsoft.

Source: Windows 10 can turn Microsoft into a success again, but it needs to get these 4 things right

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Source: Where can Microsoft's Windows Phone go from here?

Windows 10 Countdown To Cortana, Microsoft’s Siri

Windows 10 is finally coming out with its own AI assistant. If Apple had Siri for years, Microsoft finally gives Windows 10 users their very own Siri — but she will be called Cortana.

Windows 10 users are very excited with the introduction of Cortana in Windows 10, a huge breakthrough in PC, since this is the first time Windows users will actually be able to talk to their computers. Talking AI assistants were once exclusive to the more widely used iPhones and even Samsung smartphones as of late, but Windows 10 is finally upping the ante with Cortana.

We are days away from the official release of Windows 10, and more and more Windows users are starting to entertain the idea of upgrading to Windows 10. Cortana is only one of the many groundbreaking features to be introduced in Windows 10, but this AI feature is certainly one to watch out for. One of the many beta testers of the upcoming Windows 10, Digital Trendsreports the cool capabilities of Windows 10's new AI assist, Cortana. Watch out, Siri!

Microsoft's new browser, Edge, will replace Internet Explorer, and Cortana is designed to work really well with Windows 10's Edge. One feature is highlighting a particular word or phrase and upon right-click, Cortana will summon a sidebar that will provide definition and help.

Cortana is also well versed when it comes to treasure hunting, and searching your OneDrive and local files have never been easier with Windows 10 and Cortana. This is one of the handy features for students and professionals keeping huge amounts of files on local drive and on the cloud.

Microsoft has also taken into account that every individual has unique needs when it comes to technology. Cortana is not only exclusive to Windows 10 PC, but could also jump across platforms to Android and Apple phones. Of course, it is still notable that Cortana works the best when she is in a Windows phone or PC, but this is a start of something great for Windows 10's new AI.

Another good thing about Cortana is that she is able to decipher vocal ranges, thus allowing for a more personal recognition in Windows 10. Xbox One users may be familiar with the voice compatibility of Kinect and how irritating it is when other users in the house jump into your activity by shouting random commands. Windows 10's Cortana will be one step ahead of that and is designed to learn the Windows 10 user's own vocal range as time goes on.

Thanks to Microsoft's long history of video games, it is refreshing to see Windows 10's new AI develop her own attitude and personality. With the voice of Jen Taylor, Cortana is able to make a joke, sing a song, make fun of Siri, drop comments about previous Microsoft leaders, and even narrate some of her experiences with Halo and Masterchief. Another pretty cool feature in Windows 10, especially for those with so much time to burn.

Gizmodo also made an experiment on how responsive Windows 10's Cortana is to different microphones, and it is good to know that even built-in microphones are able to make Cortana work. Although, of course, better microphone means better performance.

Windows 10 and Cortana are coming officially to Windows PCs, phones, and tablets in July 29. Have you figured out yet if you're upgrading to Windows 10?

[Image via Digital Trends]

Source: Windows 10 Countdown To Cortana, Microsoft's Siri

Microsoft Lumia 550, 750, 850 specs leaked, unlikely to be released

WindowsPhone.com

Microsoft was reportedly planning to release three additional Windows devices on top of the always rumored Lumia 950 and 950 XL. This smartphone trio was the subject of a recent leak that revealed their respective specs. However, an update to this news is that these handsets will no longer be released. 

According to Windows Central, the alleged Microsoft Lumia 550, Lumia 750, and Lumia 850, all tipped by @evleaks as codenamed Honjo, Saana and Guilin, will not see the light of day. All three were allegedly slated to be released alongside the Lumia 950 units.

On the word of WM Power User, the handsets are still being used by Lumia as testers for the Redmond-based tech giant's newest software, Windows 10, which will be launche on July 29. It looks like they were only meant to aid Microsoft in perfecting the mobile version of its newest operating system. 

The three handsets are all mid-rangers but the most powerful among them has to be the Lumia 850. They all come with a 5-inch screen but Lumia 550's is only at quad HD, the Lumia 750's display is at 720 pixels, and the Lumia 850 at 758 pixels. 

The first two have 8 GB inbuilt storage but the third one has double that amount. All of them, however, offer 1 GB RAM. The Lumia 550 has a Snapdragon 210 chip while the Lumia 750 and 850 rely on the Snapdragon 410 SoC. Notably though, the former is clocked at 1.2 GHz, the latter at 1.4 GHz. 

The Lumia 550 has a 5 MP AF rear camera and a 2 MP front shooter as well as a 1,905 mAh battery. The Lumia 750 boasts a bigger 8 MP primary camera with Zeiss optics, a 5 MP front-facing camera, and a 2,650 mAh battery. The Lumia 850 has the same battery unit but has a 10 MP rear snapper and a 5 MP camera on the front. 

According to Softpedia, Microsoft has one device left that is still likely to be released. It goes by the alias Saimaa and is said to serve as an entry to the Lumia 6xx lineup. 

Source: Microsoft Lumia 550, 750, 850 specs leaked, unlikely to be released

Abyss Is Coming To Windows Phone Next Week

The last time we delivered news on Game Troopers' Abyss (WP), was back in November last year, and this was regarding the aforementioned game developer bringing Windows Phone games to Xbox LIVE. After such a long silence, it's now been announced that Abyss will be coming to the Windows Phone next week!

Here's some brief details on what the title is all about if you've never had the chance to check out the console version:

In Abyss you will control Nep2no, a biomechanical robot created by humans to explore the depths of the ocean in seek of a new source of energy called "Gaia".

Abyss is dark exploration through submarine caves and dangerous ocean trenches. Guide the brave Nep2no in his mission through mysterious grottos, discover forbidden depths, unfold secret passages, and gather all the Gaia to save humanity.The newly released teaser trailer gives us a fine preview of the gameplay as Nep2no navigates through the dark levels of Abyss:

A new set of screens have also been released that continue to showcase the dark gameplay:

With 20 challenging levels to check out and a new set of achievements to unlock, Abyss comes to Windows Phone on an unspecified day next week with a $2.99 price tag and will support 512MB RAM devices.

Source: Abyss Is Coming To Windows Phone Next Week

Microsoft’s Lumia 950, 950 XL Windows 10 flagships to come with iris scanner, wireless charging: Report

The recent report about Microsoft laying of more people, mostly from the phone division, had introduced some uncertainty to the future of its phone business. However, looks like, it won't stop the company from launching new Windows 10 smartphones, reports Windows Central.

Going by the latest trend of dual flagships, and following the nomenclature seen in its recent phones, the company will reportedly launch the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. These phones have been codenamed Talkman and Cityman, respectively. Some others have named them 940 and 940XL, which is more appropriate considering the last flagship was Lumia 930. But the new report claims otherwise.

The new Lumia flagships are said to possibly launch at the IFA in September.

The Lumia 950 or Talkman will reportedly sport a 5.2-inch display with 2560 x 1440 pixels of resolution. Under the hood, one can expect a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor coupled with 3GB RAM, 20-megapixel rear snapper, 5-megapixel front-facing camera, 32GB storage and a 3,000mAh battery.

The larger, 950 XL or Cityman, will come with a 5.7-inch display, and almost a similar set of specs. Apart from the larger display, some other differentiating specs will be an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor and a 3,300mAh battery.

Both smartphones will support Qi wireless charging and also an infrared scanner that will unlock the device in seconds. Though ZTE has already introduced he iris scanner, it is still not a commonly found feature and could turn out to become a USP of the device. Both will also feature USB Type-C and come dipped in Matte white or black polycarbonate.

There is no official word from Microsoft yet.

Tags: Cityman, Lumia, Lumia 950, Lumia 950 xL, Lumia launch, Microsoft, Microsoft Lumia launch, Talkman

Source: Microsoft's Lumia 950, 950 XL Windows 10 flagships to come with iris scanner, wireless charging: Report

Microsoft: The Long Struggle Ahead To Grow Windows Revenue

Summary

In its latest earnings, Microsoft posted steep declines in Windows licensing revenue.

Windows Phone hardware sales are collapsing.

The strategy of converting PCs to Windows 10 is the only way for Microsoft to build a mobile device ecosystem.

The near-term consequence of the free Win10 upgrade is to depress new hardware sales and OEM licensing revenue.

Despite impressive growth in cloud services, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) posted a 5% y/y decline in revenue and a non-GAAP operating income decline of 3%. Exclusive of the recent $8.4 billion write down plus restructuring charges due to the Nokia (NYSE:NOK) purchase, Microsoft's earnings were weighed down by Windows licensing and phone hardware. The release of Windows 10 will only mark the beginning of a long process of returning Windows revenue to growth.

The XP Scapegoat

In their earnings briefing slides and discussion, Microsoft often referred to the XP refresh cycle by way of explaining y/y declines in Devices and Consumer (D&C) licensing and Commercial licensing. Granted, the end of support for XP in April 2014 did provide a boost to sales, but the comps only become difficult for D&C licensing. Commercial licensing (volume Windows and Office licensing to corporate customers) doesn't suffer nearly so much compared to last year, as the chart below shows.

(click to enlarge)

D&C licensing declined 34% y/y in fiscal 2015 Q4, driven by revenue declines in OEM licensing, Windows Phone licensing, and Office consumer licensing.

The downward trend in D&C licensing speaks to the larger problem that Microsoft has had in the consumer space. Windows 8.x simply hasn't been very popular, and still isn't, judging by netmarketshare.com breakdown of usage by OS version shown below:

(click to enlarge)

Phone Collapse

In addition to revolutionizing the PC, Windows 8 was to be Microsoft's ticket into the world of the smartphone. The fortunes of Windows Phone 8 in many ways mirror that of Windows 8. Windows Phone hardware briefly enjoyed increasing revenue after the Nokia acquisition, but has declined precipitously in fiscal 2015.

(click to enlarge)

The collapse of the phone hardware business can't be blamed on the XP refresh cycle.

Windows 10 to the Rescue?

In my recent article Microsoft 'Mobilizes' The PC, I discussed Microsoft's strategy of focusing on its core PC ecosystem and converting it to the modern mobile device paradigm. This means among other things, an App store (introduced with Win8), over the air software updates, and the ability to accommodate mobile device platforms such as tablets, convertibles, and phones. Windows 10 will spearhead this conversion.

I have no doubt that Windows 10 will be successful where Win8 largely failed. As Microsoft enters its new fiscal year, my thinking about Windows 10 has shifted from a focus on the technical achievement it represents to its financial impact.

No matter how good a technical solution Windows 10 is, it can't really be considered successful if it doesn't turn around the decline in revenue for Windows 10 consumer and commercial licensing. Here, the real question becomes, when does that occur?

Microsoft's guidance for fiscal Q1 was not particularly encouraging. D&C Licensing is expected to have revenue of $3.4-3.6 billion, which at the midpoint represents a 14.5% decline y/y. Commercial licensing is expected to be flat y/y.

Phone hardware guidance was even more discouraging, with expected revenue of $900 million, a y/y decline of 65.5%. Microsoft had gained a slender toehold on smartphones with WinP8, but now seems in danger of losing its hard-won gains.

I'm focusing on these areas because they are really the critical elements of the future Windows (mobile) device ecosystem. This isn't to diminish Microsoft's cloud accomplishments or growth potential. But Windows is simply too important a franchise and computing ecosystem to allow it to fall into stagnation. Clearly, CEO Nadella has no intention of doing so.

But the new strategy of offering Windows 10 as a free upgrade has consequences. The net effect will probably be to depress new hardware sales. Almost everyone with a Win8 device will upgrade to Win10. Many with Win7 will upgrade as well, although I expect to see a core of holdouts as we did with XP, perhaps an even larger group.

With a free Windows 10 upgrade, there's almost no motivation to upgrade hardware. A decline in hardware purchases, both by consumers and businesses, means that OEM licensing will suffer as well in fiscal 2016.

There might be some hope in Commercial licensing, but large corporate customers who upgraded from XP to Win7 will probably stand pat for the time being. So there won't be much help on the Commercial front either.

The Painful Year

Fiscal 2016 is shaping up to be a really painful one for Windows revenue. Microsoft's guidance is for things to turn up in 2H. I'm very dubious that the revenue situation can improve until Microsoft is out from under the 1-year commitment on free upgrades.

I firmly believe that the free upgrade is the right strategy. Well, it's the only strategy left to Microsoft, having failed to create a significant mobile device ecosystem based on Windows Phone. Being the only strategy doesn't make it a great strategy.

There are headwinds. Smartphones have become the most important personal computing platform on the planet. The lack of presence on this platform puts the whole Windows 10 strategy at risk of becoming irrelevant. In the developing world, where the smartphone is the only personal computing platform available to most people, the Win10 strategy already is irrelevant.

Microsoft will probably not achieve the goal of 1 billion Win10 users in the first year (that isn't the goal). What then? I think Microsoft gets forced into either extending the upgrade period or offering steep discounts on upgrades. Either way, the pain continues.

Eventually, I expect Microsoft to achieve its goal. It is giving itself 2-3 years, after all. What I'm not convinced of is that Microsoft will ever be able to return to the traditional licensing paradigm.

Microsoft's main competitors in mobile devices, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) don't try to charge for operating systems. Apple relies mainly on the purchase price of its hardware to cover the cost of OS development and upgrades. Google relies on advertising revenue and fees from OEMs to cover OS development.

Microsoft has yet to adapt fully to the exigencies of competing in the mobile device world, and will probably need to go through a painful period of adjustment, as it develops revenue alternatives within the Win10 ecosystem.

Disclosure: I am/we are long AAPL. (More...)I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Source: Microsoft: The Long Struggle Ahead To Grow Windows Revenue

Apple iPhone To Face Competition From Microsoft Lumia 950 & 950XL

With Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ:SSNLF) dominating the smart phone industry in today's world, Microsoft Corp.'s (NASDAQ:MSFT) CEO, Satya Nadella admitted the fact that the company didn't have "good devices in the market" i.e. flagship devices, which could possibly compete with the likes of the iPhone or Samsung's Galaxy S series of smart phones. Microsoft is getting ready to launch its most anticipated Windows 10 platform, which is due in a week's time and they perceive it to be complimented by a flagship device, which has been specially designed for the new OS.

Over the years, Microsoft hasn't fared much success in the smart phone front. This might be due to lack of high end smart phones, which could provide users with exceptional performance not to mention the lack of applications being made available via the Windows Store when compared to Apple's iOS or Google Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android users.

Microsoft is now taking up a strategy, in which we will see it launch six smart phones every year with two belonging to each of the different segments, including flagship, enterprise and budget smart phones. Windows Central is said to have revealed the specs of the upcoming two premium smart phones codenamed "Talkman" and "Cityman".

The Talkman will be featuring an impressive 5.2-inch WQHD (1440 x 2560) OLED display or 2K display which may be powered by Qualcomm Inc.'s (NASDAQ:QCOM) hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor. The device is expected to have 32GB of internal storage alongside 3GB of RAM. These are pretty high end specs considering it's a Microsoft manufactured smart phone. Microsoft will continue to incorporate high quality cameras in the Talkman with a 20MP primary camera complimented by a 5MP secondary shooter. The Talkman will also be supporting Qi wireless charging for its 3000mAh battery and is expected to be called the Lumia 950.

The Cityman will be an enlarged variant of the Lumia 950 and is expected to be launched as the Lumia 950XL. Considering it will be supporting a larger 5.7-inch WQHD (1440 x 2560) OLED display, the device is expected to be powered by octa-core Snapdragon 810 SoC. Talkman's high end cameras are to be incorporated in its larger sibling. However, the Lumia 950XL is set to incorporate a bigger 3300mAh battery.

Both devices are looking set to feature Infrared based Iris scanner in order to support Windows Hello and is also to be used by users to unlock their devices. Microsoft hasn't provided a release date for the upcoming smartphones, but we are expecting a launch in a few weeks' time.

Source: Apple iPhone To Face Competition From Microsoft Lumia 950 & 950XL

Tips to Get the Most Out of Windows 10's New Photo App

Windows 10 includes a powerful yet intuitive photos app. Here's how to use it.

When Windows 8 launched, it included a Photos app that opened your images by default. The only problem: It could hardly do anything with them. Windows 10 rights a lot of Windows 8's wrongs, and the Photos app is one noteworthy example. The new Photos app includes image correction and enhancement, as well as organization capabilities. It's much closer to something like Mac OS X's Photos app than to Paint. Let's take a closer look at this capable new part of Windows 10's toolkit.

Import and OrganizeWhen you pop a memory card (such as an SD card) into a USB slot in your PC, Windows 10 asks you how it should handle that action, using what app. Choosing Import using Photos makes sense. Next, you see a screen confirming the import, like this:

I'm somewhat disappointed with this importer, since it doesn't have the Windows 7 "Import pictures and videos" feature's ability to let you apply keyword tags, choose a save location, and erase the card after import. The importer does, however, apply auto-correct (which you can turn off in settings) and hides exact duplicates. It also organizes newly imported photos by date and creates a Collection for the new import. This lets you use Cortana to call up photos from certain date ranges, so you can say, "Hey Cortana, show me photos from last summer!"

You can also tap on a date to show all past months to quickly zoom to past photos. If you have a Windows Phone set to automatically save photos to OneDrive, your photos will be in the Windows 10 app automatically, as will any folders you add to the app's watched list. The interface is pretty well suited to touch interactions: You can tap on a photo's large thumbnail to open it, unpinch to zoom, and navigate back and forth through all photos with a swipe.

But as for more granular types of photo organization—by keyword, geolocation, or contents such as faces—the Photos app is sorely wanting. OneDrive's photo view has all of this, as does Mac OS X's Photos app. I'm pretty certain that, since Microsoft has the technology (even technology for automatically categorizing photos by their contents similar to Flickr's Magic View), these capabilities will show up in the Windows Photos app at some point.

What you can do now is organize your photos into Albums. Albums are automatically created for images from certain sources, such as your camera roll, saved pictures you've edited, and screenshots. Like Google Photos, the Windows 10 Photos app also creates Albums for you; for example if you import a bunch of photos of a friend at the beach it may create one, but it won't include all images.

Edit and EnhanceThe app in its current state has a much stronger story around actually editing and enhancing your photos than it does for organizing them. Tap the pencil icon when viewing any photo, and you see Photos's many editing capabilities. These come in five categories, chosen from buttons along the left: Basic fixes, Filters, Light, Color, and Effects.

Basic fixes include auto-enhance, rotation, cropping, straightening, red-eye correction, and retouching. The auto-enhance button usually punched up shadows and color saturation in my testing, and I was impressed that it actually leveled the horizon. The red-eye tool made easy work of effectively removing that bugaboo of flash photography, and likewise Retouch smoothed away blemishes convincingly. And I should mention that just having a Shadows adjuster is a real plus in my book, this lets you, for example, bring out faces darkened by a hat or a bright background.

The controls for adjustments such as Brightness, Contrast, Highlights, and Shadows use a circular dial that lets you dial up or down the adjustment easily whether you're using a touch screen or mouse/trackpad. The same hold for the crop and straighten tools, which use large round handles to drag the image box around.

The included effect filters are not quite up to what you get in apps like Instagram or Adobe Photoshop Express: There are just six of them, with one black-and-white option. They're effective, but the app offers two more tools in its Effects page—vignette and selective focus. The first gives a photo's central subject prominence by fading out the edges either to white or black. The second can also highlight a subject by blurring the area outside of a circle or oval you select. You even get five settings from Strongest to Weakest to adjust the effect.

Save and ShareWhen you're done editing a photo, you can either update it or save a copy. At the most immediate level, Photos has a button that will start playing a slideshow of your collection. An odd thing about this feature, though, is that you can only start it from an individual photo view, rather than from a group of selected photo thumbnails.

For sharing further abroad, you can tap the Share button to open a panel populated by any apps that can accept photos, including Mail, Facebook, and Twitter (assuming you have those apps installed). Helpful for this kind of sharing is the app's multiple selection button, so you can select a bunch of photos to slap up on Facebook in one shot.

Photo FinishThe Photos app is a marked step up from Windows 8's limited version, especially when it comes to photo adjustment, editing, and enhancement. It still falls short of OS X's Photos, which offers organizational features like keyword tagging, face recognition, and geo-location of photos. But I'm pretty confident that Microsoft will add those features, since it's shown it has the technology in other software, such as OneDrive and the earlier Windows Live Photo Gallery. For a quick-and-dirty photo viewer and fixer, the Windows 10 Photos app will serve most purposes, but don't forget, Windows can run any of the most powerful photo editing software you can name, if your needs go beyond its capabilities.

Michael Muchmore is PC Magazine's lead analyst for software and Web applications. A native New Yorker, he has at various times headed up PC Magazine's coverage of Web development, enterprise software, and display technologies. Michael cowrote one of the first overviews of Web Services (pretty much the progenitor of Web 2.0) for a general audience. Before that he worked on PC Magazine's Solutions section, which in those days covered programming techniques as well as tips on using popular office software. Most recently he covered Web... More »

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Source: Tips to Get the Most Out of Windows 10's New Photo App

Microsoft Lumia 950 to run Windows 10! [Report]

Lumia 950 has definitely been a frequent presence in the rumor mill lately, but these new specs leak is some important info that we've got so far.

Click Here For The Latest Smartphone Gallery

As per the latest leak, the so-called Lumia 950 and 950 XL is expected to be the first device to feature the new Windows 10 Mobile operating system.

SEE ALSO: How To Capture Better Photos With iPhone 6: Top 10 Tips And Tricks

Both the Lumia device's share same specs including storage, which is expected to come with 32GB storage along with microSD expansion, 20MP rear camera, 5MP front camera for selfies and Type-C USB port. If the rumor turns out to be true, both the device will come with full metal unibody design.

According to ItHome.com, the upcoming Lumia 950 will sport a 5.2-inch display with 2K resolution, hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB RAM and might come powered by a 3,000 mAh removable battery.

SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Mi 4i vs Samsung Galaxy J7: Which One is right for you? Quick Comparison

Meanwhile on the other hand, the Lumia 950XL will feature a larger screen of 5.7-inch with 2K resolution, Octa-Core Snapdragon 810 CPU, 3GB RAM, 3300mAh removable battery. This device comes with three LED flash supporting 20MP camera on the back.

As of now, we dont have any information about the pricing and availability of the devices. But as per the rumor, both the devices will hit the market shelves around October or November.

Source

Stay tuned to GizBot for more updates!

Story first published: Thursday, July 23, 2015, 21:16 [IST]

Source: Microsoft Lumia 950 to run Windows 10! [Report]

Windows 10 on Mobile under the scope: Flaws, confusion, and going nowhere fast

In Depth After five years, the radical design experiment of Windows Phone is to end; Windows on phones is being subsumed into Windows 10, and alas, this means Windows phones will not only be less distinctive and inherit many of the flaws, but they'll acquires some flaws no mobile platform today suffers.

That's my conclusion after trying to use Windows 10 mobile for real work, just as I tried to use full fat Windows 10 for real work recently.

Looking over my review notes, I'm struck how much the Windows 10 experiences have in common – for the same words and phrases keep cropping up, such as "promising", "generally r.direction", "WTF?" and "consistency?!?".

Even as Windows 10 rolls out next week (unfinished, but there's a deadline to meet) Microsoft can't decide on a name. Is it Windows 10 mobile or Mobile (uppercase)?

The Mobile beta, just like the full fat beta, cements the impression that separate teams went off and did their own UX thing their own way, and their work has simply been thrown together at the last minute. One Windows fansite notes that Windows 10 desktop has three ways of implementing the new back arrow.

And three different pop up menu styles.

Some previewers (like our Tim) think the mobile version is more mature at the same stage in its life cycle. But I found that to be largely an illusion. Less has changed because there's less to change in Windows for phones, and less for Microsoft to fiddle with.

Overall it was less reliable, finally throwing me into a cycle of reboots every few minutes.

The cosmetic changes that have been made in W10M are a requirement of Continuum, a bold Microsoft initiative to make phones dual purpose, allowing them to double up as PCs.

The old Microsoft wouldn't have dared do this, but fear of fading into permanent irrelevance has emboldened Redmond to cast inhibitions aside. Let me give you an example.

The Microsoft of twenty years ago arbitrarily handicapped the number of TCP/IP connections that NT could support, just so it could artificially create SKUs for "NT Workstation" and "NT Server". Before 1996, NT was just NT, much as Unix was just Unix. It was a Unix-killer, but too many people were using it like Unix. How things have changed!

As the SatNad said last week – although he said it in such a typically convoluted way, I had to read it three times to understand it – Microsoft sees having a common code base as a great asset against Google and Apple, each of which have bifurcated code bases: Apple with Mac OS X and iOS, and Google with Chrome and Android platforms.

Whether this is actually an asset or just a differentiator, we'll have to wait and see.

Continuum mandates that an app has one binary and it will run on larger tablets, and a large PC-sized display. This is called Adaptive UX. And it requires compromises.

Sponsored: RAID: End of an era?

Source: Windows 10 on Mobile under the scope: Flaws, confusion, and going nowhere fast

Lumia 940 Cancelled? Lumia 950, 950 XL Arriving Instead? Specs, Release Date & Price Here

By Staff Writer (media@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Jul 22, 2015 06:19 AM EDT

Nokia executive vice president Stephen Elop takes a picture using the new Nokia Lumia 930 smartphone as he speaks during a keynote address during the 2014 Microsoft Build developer conference on April 2, 2014 in San Francisco, California. (Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

There are rumors that the Lumia 940 has been cancelled. Microsoft may skip one flagship Lumia generation and jump from the current Lumia 930 directly to the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL.

IT Home, a Chinese tech blog, claimed that Microsoft will not be producing the Lumia 940 and that there will be a generational leap in the title of the upcoming Lumias that will first include the new Windows 10 Mobile. 

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The Rem said that it is shame that the phone might never actually be released, particularly since people have been referring to it as the ""iPhone slayer." It also revealed that the Lumia 940 and Lumia 940 XL were expected to be Microsoft's biggest phone launches for 2015. These were said to feature 2GB and 4GB of RAM respectively. The Lumia 940 was supposed to have 16GB and 32GB of internal storage, while the Lumia 940 XL would have 64GB of space. Other rumored specs included built-in JBL speakers. The 940 was supposed to have a 5.2-inch screen while the 940 XL would feature 6 inches of screen. As for the cameras, both phones were expected to have 5-megapixel front shooters. The 940 may have a 13-megapixel rear camera, while the XL was said to have a 16-megapixel rear shooter.

The new phones, codenamed Talkman and Cityman, are said to feature slim metal bodies, USB Type-C support and launch with Windows 10 Mobile. The products will most likely be announced in October and slated for a November 2015 release.

The Microsoft Lumia 950, codenamed Talkman internally, may feature a 5.2-inch 2K resolution display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 six-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory, expandable via microSD, a 20-megapixel rear shooter, a 5-megapixel front camera and a 3,000mAh removable battery. The Microsoft Lumia 950 XL, codenamed Cityman, is said to feature a 5.7-inch 2K resolution screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory, expandable via microSD, a 20-megapixel rear camera with three LED flash, a 5-megapixel front camera and a 3,300mAh removable battery. Both handsets will have Support Continuum via an accessory cable. The cable will not be provided, based on a report by Phone Arena.

After Microsoft acquired Nokia in 2014, the company has been involved in various developmental projects with the objective of getting a larger share of the smartphone industry.

Microsoft has not yet made an official announcement or comment regarding the generational leap claim. It was previously announced that the Windows 10 Mobile would release after the Windows 10 for PC, which is slated to launch on July 29, 2015.

© 2015 Latinos Post. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Source: Lumia 940 Cancelled? Lumia 950, 950 XL Arriving Instead? Specs, Release Date & Price Here

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Q4 2015 Earnings: Windows Phone Plummets, Xbox Shines

Windows Phone put a significant drag on Microsoft's fourth-quarter earnings, released Tuesday. Revenue for the troubled platform decreased by $552 million, or 68 percent. Both Lumia and non-Lumia phone revenue declined, which Microsoft attributes to lower volumes and lower-priced devices.

Microsoft took a hefty $7.6 billion write-down relating to the Nokia acquisition earlier this month.

Revenue from sales of Windows to computer makers, meanwhile, also took a hit, down 22 percent amid a slowing PC market.

Other sectors performed better, with Surface revenue up by 117 percent to $888 million, Xbox revenue up 27 percent (following a previous report of a 51 percent year-on-year sales increase), and a 21 percent increase in search advertising revenue.

On the whole, the company announced revenues of $22.2 billion, with an operating loss of $2.05 billion. For the period, Microsoft posted a loss of 40 cents per share. Excluding the impact of the Nokia writedown, operating income was $6.4 billion and EPS was 62 cents. According to Yahoo Finance, Microsoft was expected to post 56 cents per share earnings, excluding the Nokia write-off, on $22.06 billion in revenue. 

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Reported Earnings | FindTheCompany

"Our approach to investing in areas where we have differentiation and opportunity is paying off with Surface, Xbox, Bing, Office 365, Azure and Dynamics CRM Online all growing by at least double-digits," said Satya Nadella, chief executive officer at Microsoft. "And the upcoming release of Windows 10 will create new opportunities for Microsoft and our ecosystem."

Microsoft is preparing for the launch of Windows 10, which represents a shift to a software-as-a-service model. Commercial cloud revenue for Microsoft, an area of potential future expansion for the company, was up 88 percent and is now on annualized revenue run rate of $8 billion. Ahead of the Windows 10 launch, Windows original equipment manufacturer (OEM) revenue decreased by 22 percent.

"Microsoft is at a crossroads. By doubling down on Office 365 and effectively shedding the mobile device market (Nokia), Microsoft has clearly indicated it's a cloud-first world and the Ballmer device-first, Windows-first dynasty is behind us," said David Lavenda, VP of product strategy for harmon.ie, referring to the regime of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Source: Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Q4 2015 Earnings: Windows Phone Plummets, Xbox Shines

Lumia 950 leaked specs reveal a killer Windows 10 smartphone

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Microsoft's smartphone business isn't exactly booming right now, but the company could turn things around later this year with a pair of new Windows 10 smartphones. A new leak out of China reveals some killer hardware for the rumored Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL.

According to IT Home, the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL (concept above) will launch sometime in October or November with a metal design, expandable storage, removable batteries and Windows 10 software. The smaller Lumia 950 (codename Talkman) will also allegedly sport a 5.2-inch 2K display, a Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in storage, a 20-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, a 3000mAh battery and USB-C. The Lumia 950 XL (codename Cityman) may offer similar hardware, but with a 5.7-inch display, a Snapdragon 810 chip, a 3300mAh battery and something called "three flash" for its rear camera.

The new Lumia phones sound pretty awesome. We're happy to hear that they'll both feature metal designs along with the option to swap out the battery and add extra storage with a microSD card. That vague release date is a little troubling, though hopefully Microsoft will offer a more concrete Windows 10 Mobile roadmap soon.

Source: Lumia 950 leaked specs reveal a killer Windows 10 smartphone

HTC One (M8) for Windows vs Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 : Comparison of Features and Specification

New Delhi, Tue, 21 Jul 2015 NI Wire

HTC One (M8) for Windows is the smartphone from HTC with 5.0 inches screen and the resolution of the screen is 1080 x 1920 pixels pixels. Phone was announced in 2014, August. Screen of the phone comes with TBC protection.

Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 is the smartphone from Lenovo with 5.0 inches screen and the resolution of the screen is 720 x 1280 pixels pixels. Phone was announced in 2014, July.

Here we are taking about comparison of the features and specification of the devices HTC One (M8) for Windows and Lenovo Golden Warrior A8. HTC One (M8) for Windows device comes with Non-removable Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery. This phone is powered with Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 processor which gives maximum performance. While Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 device comes with Li-Ion 2500 mAh battery. This device is powered with Octa-core 1.7 GHz Cortex-A7 processor which gives maximum performance.

HTC One (M8) for Windows phone comes with 32 GB, 2 GB RAM and it provide support for microSD, up to 128 GB.

Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 phone comes with 16 GB, 2 GB RAM and it provide support for microSD, up to 32 GB.

The primary camera of HTC One (M8) for Windows is Dual 4 MP and the specification of the primary camera is 1/3'' sensor size, 2?m pixel size, automatic simultaneous video and image recording, geo-tagging, face/smile detection, HDR, panorama.

HTC One (M8) for Windows phone comes with a front camera and its specification is: 5 MP, 1080p@30fps, HDR.

The primary camera of Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 is 13 MP and the specification of the primary camera is Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama, HDR.

Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 phone comes with a front camera and its specification is: 5 MP, 720p.

Main Features comparison of the devices HTC One (M8) for Windows and Lenovo Golden Warrior A8.

Touch

HTC One (M8) for Windows provide the support for multi-touch and the screen comes with 1080 x 1920 pixels (Approximately 441 ppi pixel density) resolution.

Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 provide the support for multi-touch and the screen comes with 720 x 1280 pixels (Approximately 294 ppi pixel density) resolution.

BatteryBattery of the HTC One (M8) for Windows is Non-removable Li-Ion 2600 mAh.Battery of the Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 is Li-Ion 2500 mAh.

DisplayDisplay size of the HTC One (M8) for Windows is 5.0 inches and display resolution is 1080 x 1920 pixels pixels.Display size of the Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 is 5.0 inches and display resolution is 720 x 1280 pixels pixels.

OSThe mobile device HTC One (M8) for Windows runs on Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1.1. Whereas Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 runs on Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat).

ProcessorHTC One (M8) for Windows is powered with Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 processor. Whereas Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 comes with Octa-core 1.7 GHz Cortex-A7 processor.

Storage

HTC One (M8) for Windows device comes with the 32 GB storage supported model(s).

Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 device comes with the 16 GB storage supported model(s).

Camera

HTC One (M8) for Windows comes with Primary camera is of Dual 4 MP and the second camera is of 5 MP.

Primary camera is of 13 MP and the second camera is of 5 MP in the device Lenovo Golden Warrior A8.

Check the full specification of HTC One (M8) for Windows.

Check the full specification of Lenovo Golden Warrior A8.

Check HTC One (M8) for Windows vs Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 : Comparison of Features and Specification in detail..

Source: HTC One (M8) for Windows vs Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 : Comparison of Features and Specification