Microsoft reportedly planning a big Cloud First re-org for July 5th

Microsoft reportedly planning a big Cloud First re-org for July 5th | On MSFT

Microsoft reportedly planning a big Cloud First re-org for July 5th

Microsoft has been living the "mobile first, cloud first" mantra almost ever since Satya Nadella took over as CEO three years ago, but now it seems poised to re-org the company to better reflect its "cloud first" roots.

According to a (paywalled) report in the Puget Sound Business Journal (via Windows IT Pro), the company is expected to reveal the re-org on July 5th, making somewhat of a big splash right after the US Independence Day holiday.

Microsoft has been doing well with Azure, solidifying a second place position behind industry leader Amazon Web Services, and the company continues to push the benefits of the cloud, especially when tied to Office 365 and Windows, but working across a number of platforms.

Where this leaves the "mobile first" part of the equation is still yet to be revealed, as although there are consistent rumors of some kind of a Surface mobile device in the works, Microsoft's main mobile strategy at the moment seems to be to get Microsoft services on iOS and Android, and to squeeze the last remaining bits of life out of Windows 10 Mobile and Lumia.

We'll keep you posted of course on all the latest from Microsoft as news breaks.

Further reading: Azure, cloud first, Microsoft, re-org

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Source: Microsoft reportedly planning a big Cloud First re-org for July 5th

WhatsApp Beta for Windows Phone updated with new features

WhatsApp team today released a new update for its Windows Phone Beta application. The app has been bumped to new version 2.17.216.0. The team has now pushed out new features which are enabled to make it easy for users to delete or archive any chat or conversations.

Users can now quickly select conversations in the home chat page by simply clicking on the left side of individual chats. You will be able to find a blue tick on individual chats which gives you an option to either delete the chat or Archive the selected chat conversation.

Below are the screenshots:

Image Credit: aggiornamentilumia.com

The team is currently working very hard in improving the Windows Phone application and is releasing frequent updates to the Beta app for testers. The Users on all platforms are awaiting the introduction of the "Revoke" or "Unsend" message feature which is currently still under testing for all platforms.

The latest update to the Beta application is currently live and users can download it by clicking the below link.

Download WhatsApp Beta for Windows Phone

Source: WhatsApp Beta for Windows Phone updated with new features

Microsoft Lumia 535 DS (Black, 8 GB)(1 GB RAM) Black

There were many eyebrows raised when Microsoft acquired Nokia once the undisputed global leader in the mobile phone market that had lost much of its market with Android and iOS powered smartphone becoming the order of the day. Microsoft Lumia 535 is the first phone without Nokia's name and has huge stakes riding on it for Microsoft which has seen the Windows Phone lose out to Android and iOS in the race. Let's take a closer look at the phone and know what it has for the users.

 

DESIGN & PLATFORM

Talk of design and there is nothing new in the Lumia 535 as it has the same colourful plastic back cover which does appeal to a segment of the customers. The quality of the plastic has left much to be desired and the phone doesn't seem to carry the Microsoft image. It has thick bezels around the screen which may pose some problems for users especially when they have small hands. The phone runs on Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 which can be upgraded to Microsoft Windows 10. It comes preloaded with a number of useful apps but at the same time navigation isn't quite as easy as Android or iOS.

 

CAMERA & STORAGE     Lumia 535 comes with a 5 MP, f/2.4 Autofocus camera with an LED Flash. Though the sensor may not sound exciting it does come with a host of apps including the Lumia Camera, Lumia Creative Studio and Lumia Selfie which allow users to click decent shots in daylight and acceptable ones in low light and at night. The 5MP sensor on the front is absolutely brilliant and stands out when it comes to clicking selfies or making video calls. Talk of storage and you get 8GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot that supports up to 256 GB of external media. 

 

PERFORMANCE & CONNECTIVITY            The phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor which has a clock speed of 1.2GHz. It has 1GB of RAM inside and the combo doesn't offer the kind of experience users would like from a phone. In fact the screen can often become unresponsive even after multiple taps.  However it does offer good performance for its specs when compared to some of the other phones that use the same hardware. In terms of connectivity it is a 3G phone and also supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, A-GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP and aptX.

 

DISPLAY & BATTERY

The Lumia 535 has a 5.0 inchIPS LCD Capacitive Touchscreen and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It has a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels and 220 ppi pixel density which surely don't put it at the top of the league. The sunlight readability enhancement is a welcome move and allows users to comfortably use the phone under bright sunlight. In terms of battery it has 1905 mAh Li-Ion battery which is good enough to last for day for most users, considering it isn't the ideal smartphone to play games or one that would be used for watching videos.

 

Good on Specs but Lacks Killer Punch to Change Status Quo

Doing away with the Nokia name can prove to be costly for Microsoft given that the Finnish name still carried some novelty among users. Lumia 535 is good on specs but there isn't anything special that would invite users to dump their Android devices to grab a Lumia.

 

Why Should You Buy?

Windows Phone: If you have good reasons to hate Android and iOS it is perhaps the best reason to buy the Lumia 535. Though you will have trouble finding the apps you would like nonetheless it does save you from having to use an Android Phone or an iPhone.  

 

Good Camera: If you don't go by the stats and numerical, both the cameras on Lumia 535 do pack a punch. With great software powering them they are well-suited for mobile photography in different lighting conditions.  
Source: Microsoft Lumia 535 DS (Black, 8 GB)(1 GB RAM) Black

How to unlock any Windows 10 PC using a Samsung phone

Much like Apple's Handoff feature, Samsung's Flow app lets you switch between different devices seamlessly. It originally only worked on Samsung phones and tablets, including the Windows 10-based Galaxy TabPro S, but an update means you can now use your smartphone to unlock any PC running the Windows 10 Creators Update.

You can also use Flow to perform other useful tasks, such as checking notifications across devices, and replying to messages directly.

Samsung revealed it was planning to make this change back in February and estimated the feature would roll out in April. In the end it took quite a bit longer to arrive, but it's here now, and setting it up takes seconds.

The process uses Bluetooth and Windows Hello, and you'll need a Samsung phone running Marshmallow or higher, or Samsung tablet running Nougat or higher.

Download the latest version of the Flow app on your PC/tablet and phone from here. In the app on your PC, select your phone and click the Pair link. Confirm the passcode on both devices and the Bluetooth pairing will complete. Click 'Register device' and enter your Windows PIN. Confirm the passcode on both devices again, and enter your PIN once more. That's it, you're all done.
Source: How to unlock any Windows 10 PC using a Samsung phone

FCB India appoints Vikas Parihar as President, digital integration

Parihar will be based out of the Mumbai office, reporting to Rohit Ohri, group chairman and CEO, FCB India.

In a recent development, FCB India has appointed Vikas Parihar as president, digital integration. In his new role, Parihar will be driving digital transformation and business, partnering individual CEOs, implementing global digital practices and providing strategic leadership for digital integration, paving the digital roadway for FCB India.

Parihar will be based out of the Mumbai office, reporting to Rohit Ohri, group chairman and CEO, FCB India.

With an experience, spanning over a decade, Parihar has lead digital business and marketing for OgilvyOne Africa, Havas Worldwide India, MagnonTBWA, Internet Moguls, Sofitel Luxury Hotels and Resorts India, Hinduja Interactive and Hotel Leela Venture Limited.

His experience ranges across numerous sectors including FMCG, Technology, Healthcare, Travel and Hospitality, Social Development, eCommerce, Consumer Durables and Electronics. He has lent his expertise to various brands, such as, Airtel Africa, Coca-Cola, Standard Chartered Bank, Care India, HCL Healthcare, Huawei, Microsoft Lumia, Jindal Steel and Power, Mercedes Benz India, UTV, Toshiba, Diakin, Turkey Tourism, TATA AIG and many more. Parihar comes with a unique combination of skills from a passion for business and numbers to strategy and creative to data and technology.

Commenting on the appointment, Ohri, says in a press release, "FCB India has embarked on a cultural transformation journey fifteen months ago. Digital transformation is the key part of this cultural transformation. I'm delighted to have Vikas on board to lead the digital transformation of FCB India. Our vision is to be a truly integrated ideas company. With his vast experience, Vikas will be a great partner to me and in making this happen for FCB India."

Speaking on his new role, Parihar, says in a press release, "In today's connected world, we need a creative agency which brings together big ideas, technology and data. These ingredients are key to create compelling and engaging personal experiences that help win more customers and make them more valuable; and this is what I look forward to at FCB India".

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Source: FCB India appoints Vikas Parihar as President, digital integration

Evernote to stop support for Blackberry 10 and Windows Phone this week

Popular note-taking app Evernote has announced that it will withdraw its apps from Blackberry 10 and Windows Phone app stores from next week, and cease to support existing apps on those platforms. 

Evernote, which is available for a number of other platforms, including Windows, MacOS, Chrome OS, Android, iOS, WebOS, WatchOS, PebbleOS and Android Wear, has confirmed that after Thursday 29 July it will no longer support the apps. 

The short notice has surprised some people, but the company claimed that it needed to target resources at more popular, growing platforms. 

"As a company, we're also trying to get better at staying focused. This means spending more of our time and resources on developing our core note-taking products, Evernote Web, Evernote for Android; Windows; Mac; and iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch," said Evernote justifying the news.

Evernote users who decide they want to change to a device that isn't Windows Phone or Blackberry 10 can rest easy as the notes they've already made will follow them because they are in the cloud, not in the devices.

The notetaking app is the latest in a long line of apps that were on Blackberry 10 and Windows Phone. Whatsapp left Blackberry last year, while Facebook Messenger doesn't work on Windows Phone, and there is only one Windows Phone available on the market right now. 

Blackberry has already shifted its focus from Blackberry 10 to Android, so it's understandable that app companies will follow suit.

Windows Phone is a different kettle of fish, however, and until we see the mythical Surface Phone, which is more than likely to run Windows 10 with Continuum, we're unlikely to see any more Windows Phone devices, although strictly speaking they'll be Windows 10.

For anyone who doesn't want to stop using Evernote, they will still be able to use the unsupported version for the moment. But they will be withdrawn from the relevant app stores this week and then won't have any further updates and could stop working, although there are no current plans for them to do that. 

Further reading
Source: Evernote to stop support for Blackberry 10 and Windows Phone this week

Why Microsoft's Snapdragon Windows 10 Cellular PC Is Walking Dead

Intel (INTC) kept mum when Qualcomm (QCOM) and Microsoft (MSFT) announced last December 8, 2016 that they are collaborating on a Windows 10 cellular PC using the ARM-based Snapdragon 835 processor. Microsoft and Qualcomm coined the term Cellular PC to glorify this ARM-based computer product. Microsoft also released a video last May 11 touting the near-native performance of its software emulation of x86 Win32 apps on a Snapdragon Windows 10 computer. Intel still kept quiet.

Qualcomm's May 31 announcement that it has recruited top PC vendors HP, Inc. (HPQ), Lenovo (OTCPK:LNVGY), and Asustek (OTC:ASUUY) as OEM partners for Snapdragon-equipped Windows 10 cellular computers also did not provoke immediate comment from Intel.

Intel likely consulted its lawyers first and reviewed its library of x86-related patents. On June 8, Intel issued a veiled threat to sue any firm that is creating a software emulator of legacy x86 Win32 apps without its permission. Intel did not name Microsoft and Qualcomm but the warning is loud and clear. Nobody can mess with Chipzilla's proprietary and patented x86 Instruction Set Architecture.

Intel's warning most likely rendered Microsoft' ARM-based cellular PC a walking dead proposition. There is no way Intel is going to allow Microsoft and Qualcomm to popularize ARM-based desktop/laptop computers. Intel has already conceded the mobile/smartphone application processor to ARM-based chips last year. However, Intel is going to fight like a wounded, cornered wolverine to protect its x86 PC application processor business. If provoked enough, Intel will really sue Microsoft and Qualcomm.

Qualcomm is already in an acrimonious legal fight against Apple (AAPL). It doesn't need the stress of being entangled in another courtroom battle with a feisty opponent like Intel. Apple only filed suit because Qualcomm was allegedly overcharging on its patents. The Arm-based Snapdragon Cellular PC concept is a direct stab at Intel's lucrative PC application processor business. Intel has more to lose if it allows Qualcomm and Microsoft to trample on its proprietary x86 Instruction Set Architecture [ISA].

My fearless forecast now is that Qualcomm is no longer enthusiastic for Microsoft's cellular computer ambition.

(Source: Motek Moyen/Microsoft)

Why Intel Is Scared Of ARM-Based Windows Desktop Computers

Selling personal computer processors may not be the most profitable segment but it still contributes the most to Intel's annual revenue. Computer application processor sales are under Intel's biggest segment, Client Computing Group. The Client Computing Group contributed $32.7 billion in revenue last year. Intel stands to lose tens of billions of dollars in revenue if it allows ARM-based processors invade the PC application processor industry.

(Source: Statista)

Intel already lost billions in its quixotic fight to carve out a share in mobile application processors. It will be suicidal for Intel now to allow ARM-based processors to endanger its 79.30% dominant share in global PC application processor sales. The scary future scenario is Intel will have to contend with several ARM-based processor vendors, not just Qualcomm. Instead of competing only with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) on desktop application processors, Intel will face a massive army that includes Nvidia (NVDA), Samsung (OTC:SSNLF), Apple, MediaTek, Huawei, and other ARM IP licensees.

(Source: PassMark Software)

Microsoft's alleged unauthorized software emulation of x86 Win32 software on an ARM-based Windows 10 computer is definitely poisonous to Intel. No sane being will accept and swallow a poison pill even if it is coated with chocolate (patent licensing fees).

An ARM-Based Windows Computer Without Win32 Software Compatibility Is Futile

Microsoft and Qualcomm's silence against Intel's June 8 threat could mean their lawyers still can't come up with winning answers which might salvage x86 Win32 software emulation on ARM-based Cellular PCs. I do not think HP, Lenovo, and Asustek will dare produce retail versions of Snapdragon Windows 10 Cellular PCs with Microsoft's integrated x86 Win32 apps emulation. Intel might sue them because they would be complicit in manufacturing patent-infringing products.

The Snapdragon Cellular PC might still see commercial launch but without x86 Win32 software emulation. An ARM-based Windows 10 computer that cannot run legacy Win32 apps is no better than Microsoft's long-dead Windows RT. PC OEMs like HP, Lenovo, and Asustek aren't going to waste time making Windows RT-like cellular computers.

Microsoft might go ahead and pay for the manufacture and distribution of ARM-based Cellular PCs like it's doing with its Intel-powered Surface line of computers. However, I doubt if many home users or business people will line up to buy cellular computers that can make phone calls, but can't run desktop versions of Microsoft Office 2016, League of Legends, Photoshop CC, or QuickBooks.

Microsoft really will just lose money if it pushes through with its own brand of ARM-based Windows 10 computers (that has no x86 Win32 software emulation/compatibility). It wrote-down $900 million for its Windows RT blunder.

The more sensible thing Microsoft could do now is to wave the white flag. It should just use an x86 processor from Intel if it wants its cellular PC dream to come to fruition. Yes, Intel doesn't have an x86 Atom CPU with an integrated LTE modem. However, a laptop or a desktop PC is large enough to host a discrete processor and a discrete LTE modem. Last month, Intel already expressed its interest to develop e-SIM to support Microsoft's cellular computer concept. Intel is not averse to supporting Microsoft's peculiar new product concepts.

The cellular PC with an x86 Intel processor doesn't need a software emulator to run Win32 apps. Performance-wise, an ARM-based cellular PC with software emulator will still lag behind an Intel-powered PC when it comes to running legacy Win32 apps like Microsoft Office 2016.

I have A Phone, I Don't Need A Cellular PC

Microsoft doesn't really need a cellular PC right now. What it needs is an x86-based Windows 10 Surface smartphone that can run commercial and custom Win32 software at real, not emulated, speed. The ARM-based Cellular PC from Microsoft is unnecessary and divisive. It has a small chance of seeing commercial success like Intel-powered Surface computers have done. The Snapdragon-based Windows 10 cellular computer concept only provoked anger/spite from Intel.

Satya Nadella is no Bill Gates. Yes, Mr. Gates was able to bully Intel in 1995 but times are very different now. The issue of ARM-based processors on Windows machines is a semi-existentialist threat to Intel's processor business. Mr. Krzanich will quickly lose his job if he allows Qualcomm and Microsoft to bully him. The long-term relevance of Intel is really what is at stake if it allows Microsoft to push through with x86 Win32 app emulation on ARM-based Windows computers.

Final Thoughts

I am long INTC and MSFT. Instead of politely quarreling, I want them to work together on next-generation PC and mobile computing. Microsoft's alliance with Qualcomm essentially died when Nadella wrote off $7.6 billion and ended the Lumia phone business. Pushing through with the cellular PC without Intel's help could possibly lead to Nadella writing off more losses.

The Qualcomm partnership was unprofitable on Microsoft Windows Mobile phones. The partnership on Snapdragon Windows cellular computers can also lead to more disappointment for Microsoft shareholders.

What matters most now is for Microsoft to de-escalate the simmering conflict with Intel. Intel is the top code contributor to Linux development for several years now. Intel can also definitely code a software emulator which could run x86 Windows-native applications on Linux, Chrome OS, Android, and Mac OS X.

As far as I know, Microsoft doesn't own the patents on proprietary x86 Win32 apps like Adobe's (NASDAQ:ADBE) Creative Cloud software suite and Autodesk's (ADSK) CAD and 3D modelling software family. Microsoft won't be able to stop Intel should it decide to create a better software emulator than WINE or PlayOnLinux to run Windows-native software on Linux. Intel could covertly release it too and Microsoft won't even know who made the said emulator.

Disclosure: I am/we are long INTC, MSFT, AAPL, AMD, NVDA, LNVGY, HPQ.

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.

Editor's Note: This article discusses one or more securities that do not trade on a major U.S. exchange. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.

Source: Why Microsoft's Snapdragon Windows 10 Cellular PC Is Walking Dead

How to backup your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch on a Windows PC

Home > How To > How to backup your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch on a Windows PC Here's how you can take a complete backup of your contacts, messages, photos and other data on iOS devices using a Windows PC.

Personal data stored on smartphones is valuable for almost everyone. This includes contacts, messages, photos, videos, bookmarks, notes and more. There are various ways in which you can backup all this data, and if you own an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, the procedure is even more simple. Unlike Android, where you need to take backup using third-party programs or on cloud, Apple has made the entire procedure quite simple with iTunes.

Apple iTunes works both on macOS and Windows-based PCs. And unlike third-party programs for Android that lets you backup data in bits and pieces, iTunes lets you take a complete, encrypted backup, and also restore it in the same state. The procedure is simple for those who backup their iOS devices on a regular basis, but for those who do it occasionally, or the ones who are doing it for the first time, we have simplified the procedure. ALSO READ: Apple iOS 11 public beta released: How to install it on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

How to backup your iOS device using iTunes on a Windows PC

Step One: To begin with, head over to this link, and download iTunes for your Windows PC. Once the download is complete, go ahead and install it.

Step Two: Open iTunes, click on Account on top, followed by sign-in, and login using your Apple ID credentials. Once that is done, again click on Account -> Authorizations -> Authorize this computer.

Step Three: Now, connect your iOS device to the Windows PC using a lightning cable. Once the device is detected, you will get a pop-up on the screen asking to allow the computer with access to information stored on your iOS device. Click on continue. On you iOS device, you will get a pop-up asking permission — simply tap on 'Trust' on your smartphone and that should be it.

Step Four: Once your iOS device is connected, click on the device icon on the top and on the summary page, you will see details such as the storage capacity, used and available storage and more. There is a separate section called Backups, under which you need to click on 'This computer' followed by 'back up now.' ALSO READ: iOS 11: Top 11 features that Apple didn't tell you about

Step Five: Apple also allows you to take encrypted backup of your data, which you can enable by clicking on 'Encrypt iPhone backup' in the backups section. The backup will be saved at a secure location on your Windows PC.

In case your device is lost and you need to restore data to a new phone, or you want to do a factory reset and restore data, connect your iPhone to the PC, and on the summary page click on 'Restore iPhone' on the top section. This will restore your iPhone to the exact condition when you took the backup.

Published: June 27, 2017 12:58 PM IST | Updated: June 27, 2017 12:58 PM IST
Source: How to backup your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch on a Windows PC

HMD Global might still make a 3G Nokia 3310

It's been some years since Nokia effectively sold its mobile phone business over to Microsoft, with the Nokia name itself being gradually phased out in favour of "Lumia" branded phones running Windows 10. Microsoft's own woes in the smartphone space are well known, but the deal with Nokia only excluded the company from producing new mobile hardware for a set number of years.

What Nokia then did was licence out the Nokia name for mobile devices to Finnish company HMD Global, who then set to producing a number of Nokia-branded phones. At Mobile World Congress, HMD/Nokia announced three new handsets, the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6.

HMD Global's CEO Arto Nummella was in Sydney for the local media launch of the new Nokia phones, and I had the opportunity to interview him around Nokia's brand ambitions, market positioning and whether we'd see that heavily hyped Nokia 3310 here in Australia any time soon.

Q: Australia is a very mature smartphone market with a number of established players in the mid-range space. Given that, how do you position Nokia phones?

Arto Nummella: "We have an absolutely unique take on Android devices. The foundation for that is that we are working very closely with Google, Qualcomm and our manufacturing partners and that enables us to have outstanding take on Android. We have three main differentiations in Android devices. They are all true to the brand of Nokia."

"You can feel the heart and soul of Nokia in all these devices. It has to be made better, because it's Nokia. The second reason is our unique take on the design. We are using outstanding levels of quality in all we strive for, even in handsets down to $249 Nokia 3."

"The third one is in how we work closely with our hardware and software partners, so that you will get the best Android experience when you buy a Nokia device. Not only in the high end of the market, which Google has defined with the Pixel, but we are providing for similar kinds of experiences at all price points. It's pure Google, and that's the best experience available today."

"Then we make sure that it's always up to date. So we provide all security updates monthly, and also feature updates. There is nobody else currently providing these continuous feature updates and Android updates, even down to the price point of the Nokia 3."

Q: You've been quoted as saying that you're going to provide 2 year's worth of updates to these handsets?

"Yeah, that's what we're committed to. When you buy these devices, not only will you get the feature updates, but also the OS updates. And that also puts us in the position to ensure that our hardware is valid and running smoothly."

Q: The new phones were announced at MWC back in February, and they've launched elsewhere already. Any particular reason why Australia has been such a late launch market?

"No particular reason other than we have to make sure that the products are matching the Nokia quality expectation regardless of what market requirements are. So we rolled out first the Nokia 3, and that has been rolled out globally, and soon in Australia the Nokia 5 and Nokia 6. All of these will be available in Australia in July."

Q: Will you be offering the new phones through carrier partners, or on an outright basis? What's your market strategy here?

"In general markets we are looking for partners market by market. Here we have decided to work closely with operating carrier partners, and we will announce those later. In terms of retail partners we are working with JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman."

Q: You made quite a big splash at MWC 2017 with the launch of the iconic Nokia 3310. We won't see that handset here in Australia because it's 2G only, but was there ever any consideration given to making a 3G model of the 3310?

"The reason we did the 3310 in the first place was because consumers were asking us to do that. Actually they named so many different phones, but the 3310 was the highest on the list. It got huge attention at Mobile World Congress.

We have been listening to what consumers say, and what they need to ensure that devices will be compatible across the world. That is something consumers have been asking, and we are very keen on meeting consumer's expectations going forward."

Q: So is the feature phone market one you're keen to address?"The feature phone market is seen as quite steady now, and we have become now the #1 brand in terms of the feature phone. That is of course important to us in terms of the business, but it's also important to serve that portion of the population who want a feature phone. There is a huge amount of people who never want to have a smartphone."

Q: The 3310 was chosen because it was popular, but does your deal with Nokia include other of its phone brands? Could you do a new Nokia 5510 or Nokia Communicator for example?

"The licensing agreement is exclusive to us. We are working on how to brand these evolving devices. It covers every single aspect of ideas and unique brands that Nokia has done in the past."

Q: But presumably not the Lumia brand?

"Yes, Lumia is a Microsoft brand, and we're focusing on the Nokia brands, so no brand association with that."

Q: You've also clearly got an upcoming premium phone (generally tipped to be the Nokia 9) in the pipeline. Given Australia's love of a premium phone, will we see it in Australia?

"Australia is definitely a focus market, and there is a huge fanbase in this market, and Australia has a large degree of penetration for higher-end devices. I'm not in a position to comment on any new devices as yet, but the brand works well for all phones, from the true upper end to the low end, and you can't say that about all other brands or trademarks."

Q: Your focus for the existing phones is on a clean Android experience with little differentiation from Google's stock applications. Could you see a point where you would develop a uniquely "Nokia" suite of apps?

"We checked with young consumers as to what are the main pain points in Android. And they answered with exactly the things that Google itself is addressing with its own apps. So pure Android with updates. I don't see any reason to deviate from that right now."

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Source: HMD Global might still make a 3G Nokia 3310

BitPay launches a new Bitcoin Wallet app for Windows phone

BitPay launches a new Bitcoin Wallet app for Windows phone | On MSFT

BitPay launches a new Bitcoin Wallet app for Windows phone

One of the largest Bitcoin payment processors, BitPay, has launched an all-new app for those in the Windows ecosystem. Building on its long-term partnership with Microsoft, that has seen its Bitcore Bitcoin technology integrated into Azure, as well as the acceptance of Bitcoin payments in the Windows Store, BitPay is now bringing a new Bitcoin Wallet app to Windows phone devices.

The app, available now in the Windows Store, is compatible with Windows phone devices.

Previously known for its Copay wallet app on Windows phone, this new app brings in the new branding of BitPay, as well as the addition of new features and improved security.

Here are the features of the app:

Multiple bitcoin wallet creation and management in-app

Integration for loading, managing, and spending the BitPay Visa Card.

Integration for buying and selling bitcoin.

Integration for buying Amazon.com gift cards.

Intuitive multisignature security for personal or shared wallets

Device-based security: all private keys are stored locally, not in the cloud

Hierarchical deterministic (HD) address generation and wallet backups

Payment protocol (BIP70-BIP73) support: easily-identifiable payment requests and verifiably secure bitcoin payments

Support for 150+ currency pricing options and unit denomination in BTC or bits

Email and push notifications for payments and transfers

Easy spending proposal flow for shared wallets and group payments – Integrates with hardware wallets like Ledger and TREZOR.

Support for Bitcoin testnet wallets

Customizable wallet naming and background colors

The app is available now in the Windows Store.

Further reading: Bitcoin, BitPay, Copay, Microsoft, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows Phone

Xbox news recap: Gigantic graduates from beta in July, Destiny's PS4 exclusives go to Xbox in October and more

Windows 10 Mobile news recap: Leaks show off Continuum 2.0, Windows Store gets a new look and more

Streamlabs adds Mixer integration

Windows 10 news recap: SUSE brings Linux to the Windows Store, Wall Street Journal ending its app, and more

Microsoft news recap: two arrested for trying to hack Microsoft, Face Swap comes to iOS, and more

A new Microsoft patent aims to stop laptop thieves by making use of emergency call technology

BitPay launches a new Bitcoin Wallet app for Windows phone

SUSE brings 2 of its Linux distros to the Windows Store for Windows 10 Insiders

Source: BitPay launches a new Bitcoin Wallet app for Windows phone

Windows 10 Mobile news recap: Leaks show off Continuum 2.0, Windows Store gets a new look and more

Windows 10 Mobile news recap: Leaks show off Continuum 2.0, Windows Store gets a new look and more

Welcome back to our weekly Windows 10 Mobile news recap series, where we go over the top stories of the past week in the world of Microsoft's mobile operating system. Let's get started.

Leaked video shows off Continuum 2.0

Agiornamenti Lumia is back at it again with some seriously high quality leaks. This new video leaked by the Italian Windows Mobile news site shows off what we think is Continuum 2.0 – something that seems functional on a new build. The new version of Continuum seems like it's going to be drawing much closer parallels to the classic Windows experience, giving users the ability to open multiple applications, switch between them, and resize windows.

Windows Store gets a new look

Windows Store is continuing its journey towards being a sleeker, better looking application. The latest updates to the mobile and desktop build of the Windows Store app has introduced something that Insiders have had for a while – a new look that's consistent with the fluent design philosophy that Microsoft is stepping into with Windows 10 Mobile. White boxes now separate apps in a nice-looking grid, and a new font style keeps it looking fresh.

Concept work for foldable Surface Phone looks stunning 

Nothing official here, but an industrial designer by the name of Ryan Smalley has put together some nice looking concepts for a foldable Surface Phone that matches up with some of the rumors we've heard about Microsoft's (potentially) upcoming device.  While this doesn't really mean much, it's a great window into the future of Windows 10 Mobile for people who believe all of the rumors.

Microsoft offers 4 free months of Groove

Another small thing to come out of this week, but people who have an ear for music might just get a kick out of it. Microsoft is offering an opportunity for people to get a free 4 months of Groove, the company's music service. While this is only valid for brand new users (the service gives 3 additional months to people who sign up for a one month trial) it's still a good value. Even if you've tried the service before, it wouldn't hurt to sign up with a new email to get the free time.

Thanks for joining us. If you want all of the news as it happens, keep an eye on our Windows 10 Mobile tag.

Further reading: Groove, Microsoft, Surface Phone, Windows 10 Mobile

Xbox news recap: Gigantic graduates from beta in July, Destiny's PS4 exclusives go to Xbox in October and more

Windows 10 Mobile news recap: Leaks show off Continuum 2.0, Windows Store gets a new look and more

Streamlabs adds Mixer integration

Windows 10 news recap: SUSE brings Linux to the Windows Store, Wall Street Journal ending its app, and more

Microsoft news recap: two arrested for trying to hack Microsoft, Face Swap comes to iOS, and more

A new Microsoft patent aims to stop laptop thieves by making use of emergency call technology

BitPay launches a new Bitcoin Wallet app for Windows phone

SUSE brings 2 of its Linux distros to the Windows Store for Windows 10 Insiders

Source: Windows 10 Mobile news recap: Leaks show off Continuum 2.0, Windows Store gets a new look and more

Bitpay to Launch Bitcoin Wallet App for Windows Phone Market

Bitcoin payment processor Bitpay Inc. has announced that it will be making its bitcoin wallet app available to Windows Phone users, despite Windows representing less than 1% of smartphone market.

Also Read: Bitpay's Bitcoin Prepaid Card Now Available to 131 Countries

Bitpay Has Catered to the Windows Phone Market Since 2015 in the Form of Copay Wallet

Leading bitcoin payment processor Bitpay has announced the development of their bitcoin wallet app for Windows Phone users. With Windows accounting for less than 1% of the total smartphone market share, the array of mobile cryptocurrency applications available to Windows smartphone users has been very limited, as many developers have opted to focus their attention on the Apple and Android smartphone markets.

Although Bitpay has catered to the Windows phone market since 2015 in the form of the Copay wallet, Bitpay is excited to integrate Visa debit and other functions not currently available via Copay into its Windows products.

Bitpay and Microsoft have partnered previously. In 2014, Bitpay partnered with Microsoft to allow customers to make purchases using bitcoin in the Windows store. When announcing Bitpay's plans to offer its full wallet services to Windows Phone users, the company stated that "Microsoft's continued commitment to blockchain technology and interest in smart contracts makes our bitcoin wallet platform – the foundation of many exciting smart contract projects – a powerful addition to the Windows Phone app ecosystem", suggesting the likelihood of future partnerships between the companies.

Bitcoin-Adopting Windows Phone Users Are Welcoming the Collaboration

Many within the bitcoin community do not share Bitpay's enthusiasm for Microsoft's explorations into cryptocurrency technology. The recently announced global public-private partnership ID2020 illustrates Microsoft, Accenture and Avanade's willingness to leverage the blockchain for the purposes of centralization.

The project plans to leverage Accenture's Unique Identity Service Platform to manage sensitive data such as fingerprints, iris recognition, and biometric data via the blockchain. Although the project is ostensively designed to better assist in the management of refugees and displaced peoples, many within the cryptocurrency community are concerned that said technology could be utilized for more Orwellian purposes.

Despite reservation from some within the bitcoin economy regarding Microsoft's involvement in the ID2020 project, bitcoin adopting Windows Phone users are welcoming the collaboration.

What do you think of the parnership between Microsoft and Bitpay? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Images courtesy of Shutterstock and BitPay

Do you want to vote on important Bitcoin issues? Bitcoin.com has acquired Bitcoinocracy, and rebranded the project to Vote.bitcoin.com. Users simply sign a statement with a non-empty Bitcoin address and express their opinions. The project focuses on determining truth backed by monetary value and transparency.

Source: Bitpay to Launch Bitcoin Wallet App for Windows Phone Market

WhatsApp to support all file types on Android, iOS, Windows Phone soon

Not just doc, ppt, pdf, docx file types,  WhatsApp will soon allow you to share all file types on the chat platform. By all file types, we are talking about file formats like apk, mp3, zip and similarly more.

According to WaBetaInfo, WhatsApp is testing the feature and may soon roll out across all platforms. Until now, users had to upload the large files on Cloud or drive to share it with others. This update will shorten the process of exchanging large size files by simply attaching them within chat.The process of attachment is expected to be similar to how we send other files on chat app now which is using the paper clip icon seen within the app. According to WaBetaInfo,  WhatsApp currently has different maximum file size across different platforms. For example, the maximum file size for iOS is 128MB, Android it is 100MB, Windows Phone 104.86MB and on Web it is 64MB. The new update will apparently allow to send files without any compression. This means you can share files and videos without any compression, thus, retaining the original quality of the photos and videos. The feature is in its beta phase and has been rolled out to select users only.

Also Read: WhatsApp extends support for BlackBerry OS, Nokia S40 platform till December 2017

There are also rumours that WhatsApp is working on increasing the group chat size limit. According to WaBetaInfo, the new limit could be 265. However, it hasn't confirmed anything yet. The group chat size limit that started with just 100 members allowed at a time was increased by the company to 256 earlier this year.

Reportedly, WhatsApp is also working on a recall/revoke button in the chat app. This is the most hotly anticipated feature awaited from WhatsApp for this year. The revoke button, when comes, will solve the biggest misery of life, by allowing to recall those embarrassing messages that are accidentally sent to our contacts sometimes. Apparently, the revoke button will delete the message from both ends. However, the revoke option has to be used within a particular frame of time.

For more news from India Today, follow us on Twitter @IndiaTodayTech and on Facebook at facebook.com/indiatodaytechFor news and videos in Hindi, go to AajTak.in.ताज़ातरीन ख़बरों और वीडियो के लिए आजतक.इन पर आएं.

Source: WhatsApp to support all file types on Android, iOS, Windows Phone soon

Samsung, Nokia doing far better than most people think

Perception can be quite deceiving.

Nokia's exit from the mobile phone business and Samsung's battery explosion saga might have left investors with the impression that the two are goners, but the truth is, both companies are very much alive and kicking.

Samsung's share price has set new highs recently. Nokia, on the other hand, has successfully transformed itself into the world's second-largest telecom equipment maker.

Samsung suffered a massive setback shortly after it rolled out Galaxy Note 7 in August last year. It was forced to recall and kill the production of the fire-starting smartphone model.

As a result, its smartphone sales plunged by 14.2 percent in the third quarter of last year, according to Gartner, marking the worst quarterly sales in its history. Its total mobile phone sales dropped 8 percent in 2016 from the previous year.

The company ceded its leadership in the smartphone market to Apple as its market share fell 10 percentage points to 17.8 percent.

Its share price dropped to 1.52 million won (US$1,332) in early September last year, from 1.68 million won in early August.

Many feared that Samsung might collapse after the Note 7 saga, and that it might even drag down the whole economy of South Korea.

However, its share price has started to rebound since late last year and hit a record high of 2.4 million won on Tuesday, up 43 percent from the level before the battery explosion scandal.

There are at least two reasons for Samsung's surprisingly good performance.

First, many people view the firm simply as a smartphone producer, but its biggest source of profit is actually elsewhere.

True, last year its telecommunication equipment unit led by mobile phones remained the largest revenue source, generating an income of 100.3 trillion won, down 3 percent from the previous year. That represented 44.5 percent of its total revenue.

However, its other businesses such as semiconductor, memory and liquid crystal display (LCD) have contributed more profits as they have higher gross margins than smartphones.

Through these businesses, Samsung actually benefited tremendously from increasing handset sales of its major rivals like Apple.

For example, the material cost of an iPhone 7 is US$219.8, according to iFixit, of which display, random access memory and flash memory account for more than a quarter. Samsung, in fact, is Apple's largest supplier.

Samsung reported operating profit from its parts business hit 15.9 trillion won last year, or 54 percent of its total profit. By comparison, its telecommunications equipment unit generated a profit of 10.8 trillion won.

Second, the impact of the battery explosion is not as severe as many had expected. Samsung has a wide range of low and middle-range products in the Note series.

Also, it has recalled and ended the production of Note 7. As a result, its sales bounced 8.4 percent in the first quarter of this year.

Separately, many might think that Nokia has gone out of business amid overwhelming competition in the smartphone market.

Actually, Nokia exited the handset market and sold its business, along with the Lumia and Asha brands, to Microsoft for US$7.2 billion in 2013.

Its most profitable business is now selling telecom equipment such as servers, routers and switches to global telecom operators.

Nokia has established itself as the world's second-largest telecom equipment maker, with last year's revenue reaching US$24.9 billion.

It has acquired businesses from main rivals like Siemens and Alcatel-Lucent to further strengthen its position in the sector.

Currently, Nokia has a market cap of 34 billion euros (US$38 billion), compared with less than 8 billion euros in 2012. Indeed, it has staged a successful comeback.

This article appeared in the Hong Kong Economic Journal on June 21

Translation by Julie Zhu

[Chinese version 中文版]

– Contact us at [email protected]

RT/CG

Source: Samsung, Nokia doing far better than most people think

Microsoft Releases a Windows 10 Mobile Build That Nobody Cares About

Microsoft rolled out a major Windows 10 build for PCs a few hours ago, once again providing insiders with a plethora of new features and improvements, but at the same time, the company also published another yawn-inducing Windows 10 Mobile build that's boring to say the least for the Slow ring.

Windows 10 Mobile build 15223 was originally released to the Fast ring on June 13, and 8 days later, the company decided to publish it for the Slow ring as well, but once again, there is nothing to be excited about because there are no new features in here.

Three fixes, one known issue

In fact, build 15223 comes with only three bug fixes and one known issue and there's a good chance that none of them concerns your device.

For example, this build addresses a bug where only the first VPN profile was displayed in the VPN settings page in Settings > Network & wireless > VPN, as well as as an issue causing a meeting time zone to be garbled in Chinese or Japanese. And last but not least, Microsoft has renamed Phone Update to Windows Update to be aligned with PCs running Windows 10.

There is also one known issue in this Windows 10 Mobile, with Microsoft explaining that in some cases, the WeChat app may crash on launch, with no workaround available for the time being.

As far as a more important release is concerned, there are no details available just yet, but people close to the matter said Microsoft is already preparing a reboot for Windows 10 Mobile based on CShell.

Work on this project advances behind the closed doors, but there's still no ETA as to when the go-ahead would be given for insiders. For the time being, these boring builds are all we get on Windows phones and expect more of them to land in the coming weeks and months as well.

Source: Microsoft Releases a Windows 10 Mobile Build That Nobody Cares About

Its Official: WhatsApp Windows Phone 8.0 support to end on…

We had couple of days ago reported that WhatsApp will be discontinuing support for Older versions of Windows Phone.The company has now announced that the most used messaging application will no longer be supported for Windows Phone version 8.0 from 1st Jan 2018.

The company had earlier announced that it will discontinue support for Nokia S60, S40 along with Blackberry and Android 2.3.7 and earlier versions, but later extended the deadline for Blackberry OS, Blackberry 10 after 31st Dec 2017 and Android 2.3.7 after Feb 1st 2020.

Now the team has finally come up with the full list of devices which will not be supported by the Facebook owned company after June 30th and Dec 31st  2017. Below is the full list of devices:

Nokia Symbian S60 after June 30, 2017.

BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10 after December 31, 2017.

Windows Phone 8.0 and earlier versions after December 31, 2017.

Nokia S40 after December 31, 2018.

Android 2.3.7 and earlier versions after February 1, 2020.

Coming to Windows Phone 8.0, users would need to upgrade to Windows Phone 8.1 or higher to continue using the world's most popular messaging application on their smartphones. Now that the company is ending support for Windows Phone 8.0 users and Microsoft announcing plans to drop support for Silverlight apps very soon, it remains to be seen whether the Facebook owned company would be releasing a Universal Application for Windows 10 Mobile users as it has already released a Windows 10 Desktop application converted via Desktop Bridge. 

Source: Its Official: WhatsApp Windows Phone 8.0 support to end on…

New video shows Continuum 2.0 running on leaked internal W10M build in action

New video shows Continuum 2.0 running on leaked internal W10M build in action | On MSFT

New video shows Continuum 2.0 running on leaked internal W10M build in action

A couple of weeks ago, the Windows Insider team went to hit the big red button as they did for all of their builds. But instead, what released was an internal preview that should never have been seen by consumers. As a result, enthusiasts have been picking it apart only to find the previously leaked Windows C-Shell would reinvigorate what some fans are calling Continuum 2.0.

Today, Agiornamenti Lumia posted a video showing off their hands-on experience with this internal release pieced together with a Lumia 950 XL.

As mentioned before, the most noticeable feature in the leaked Continuum is that the mobile experience will mimic more of a desktop feel. Users are able to open multiple applications, resize, and switch between them seamlessly. Another similar feature to the desktop experience is the ability to move the Continuum taskbar on any side of the screen.

The limits of Continuum 2.0 seems to be that it only runs applications native to Windows 10 Mobile, which might be crushing news to the rumor speculating about Win32 apps via Continuum. Here are some other issues that they found (roughly translated):

It is still possible to move from the home to the list of installed applications

Once closed the connection with the device connected via Miracast, in the device installed with C shell remains fixed a dart (he brings with him from the previous connection)

The connection with Miracast suffers sometimes lag of flashy (no such problem encountered with connection via Dock)

The preview of the applications in the task manager is not always displayed correctly

Sometimes, opening the Continuum of applications, automatically also on the smartphone it is opened

Not the resize icon appears (although it is running, as shown above)

Lack of jump list: This is not a problem, but an absence which, for the moment, leave a space difference between Windows 10 Desktop and Continuum

Obviously this is an early build and Continuum 2.0 is going to have its issues. After all, we weren't exactly meant to even see it this early in its development, but as it stands, we can't be sure how close Microsoft is to finishing it. Let us know what you think about the next version of Continuum and will it be worth holding out for Windows 10 Mobile news through the silence?

Further reading: Continuum, CShell, Lumia, Microsoft, Windows 10 Mobile

Microsoft to hold third annual Egde Web Summit in September

New video shows Continuum 2.0 running on leaked internal W10M build in action

Microsoft will work Station F to support the largest startup campus in the world

Check out the word's smallest workstation from Lenovo

Azure Test Drive allows free use of products without subscriptions

You can now download Spotify from the Windows Store

Microsoft indirectly responses to Kaspersky antitrust complaints, outlines antivirus efforts

Microsoft wins Xbox video patent suit, not infringing on Biscotti patent

Source: New video shows Continuum 2.0 running on leaked internal W10M build in action

Less than $10 Phones Reviews

Nokia Lumia 930

With its great display, brilliant camera and attractive, colourful design, the Nokia Lumia 930 has most of what you'd expect from a top-end Windows Phone device. It's battery lets it down though and with an unimpressive selection of apps still available from the Windows Phone store, a high-end Android device with a good camera will likely be a better option for many of you.

Source: Less than $10 Phones Reviews

Less than $10 Phones Reviews

Nokia Lumia 930

With its great display, brilliant camera and attractive, colourful design, the Nokia Lumia 930 has most of what you'd expect from a top-end Windows Phone device. It's battery lets it down though and with an unimpressive selection of apps still available from the Windows Phone store, a high-end Android device with a good camera will likely be a better option for many of you.

Source: Less than $10 Phones Reviews

How To Change Your Microsoft Account Phone Number

While creating a Microsoft account, the sign-up page asks you to add an alternative email address and a phone number as security information to your Microsoft account. The alternative email address and phone number will be used when you want to change or reset forgotten Microsoft account password or to alert you if Microsoft finds suspicious activity on your account.

It's a good idea to keep the phone number and alternative email address associated with your Microsoft account to up-to-date. Therefore, when you change your phone number or alternative email address, be sure to change the phone number or alternative email address linked to your Microsoft account as well.

In this guide, we will explain how to change the phone number associated with your Microsoft account.

Complete the given below instructions to change or remove your Microsoft account phone number.

Step 1: First of all, head over to this page of Microsoft in a web browser. As always, sign in to your Microsoft account.

Step 2: Once you sign-in, you will see the following page with various details about your Microsoft account. Click the Security tab.

Step 3: On this page, you should see options to change your password, update security information, and review recent activity. Click Update info button.

Step 4: Clicking the Update info button will take you to the following page where you need to verify your identity by either selecting your current contact number or secondary email address.

Choose one of the options, enter last four digits of your phone number currently associated with your Microsoft account or type the secondary email address, and then click Send code button to receive the verification code to your phone number or secondary email address.

Step 5: Type in the verification code. Click the Submit button to verify your identity.

Step 6: Upon successfully verifying your identity, you will see this page with security information. To change your Microsoft account phone number, click the Remove link next to your contact number. If you don't have a contact number for your account, skip to the next step to add one.

When you see the confirmation dialog, click Remove button to remove the phone number from your account.

Step 7: Now, on the same page, click Add security info link.

Step 8: Select A phone number from the first drop-down box, select your country, enter your phone number which you want to associate with your Microsoft account, and select a method to verify the contact number (text or call).

Click Next button.

Step 9: If you have chosen text method to verify your number, you will receive a code to your phone. Finally, enter the code received on the phone in the field and then click Next button. And if you opted for a call, you will receive a call from Microsoft to verity the contact number. That's it! You have successfully changed or added your phone number to your Microsoft account.

If you want to receive alerts (when Microsoft finds unusual activity on your account), click Change alert options link on the same page, and simply check the box next to your phone number.

Hope you find this guide helpful!

Source: How To Change Your Microsoft Account Phone Number

Windows 10: How to backup/move Favorites Bar folder to new computer?

Yes, it was that bar. In the meantime, I just noticed another thing I'd like to mimic in Edge. Above the Favorites Bar on my IE11 computer are the following options (probably a tool bar):File Edit View Favorites Tools Help

Is there something similar in Edge and if so, where can I find it and how can it be added above the Favorites Bar items?

Thanks!

You're welcome, Dutch.

As you know Edge is one of many Universal Windows Platform apps, which are designed to run across all devices so to be familiar using any device with touch screen, keyboard (including screen keyboard), and mouse. Here we'll concentrate on how these apps are intermingled making tasking and storage across all devices easier. Much of this involves the cloud. Much of this is referred to by MS as "Windows as a service".

Edge is designed to be a lightweight, safe browser app with a new way of multitasking with its own new features. I'm sure new features will be added with time. For now, the tool/menu bar has been replaced with its own menu bar as with all UWP apps.

You can save a web page via the "Web Note" feature (pen icon). Click that, make a note if you wish, and click on the floppy icon to save with an option of your choice, either to OneNote, to Reading list, or Favorites. The three-dot menu to print and other options. The option of OneNote to view, make (more) notes, or print at a later time.

"What's new and tips" on the 3-dot menu or F1 is Help. This is very useful to learn features.

The more one uses/plays with the menu the more one can see all the useful features. BTW, I have a tower PC, lappy, and a Lumia phone all with Windows 10. Also, I'm an insider and there are more features added to Edge in our latest Insider Preview build. F11 full screen is one.

Make a note (or not) and save.

Save in the Reading list to view offline.

Saved in the Reading list.

View offline.

Opened in OneNote.

Save in Favorites to view online again.

The Windows 10 operating system introduces a new way to build, deploy, and service Windows: Windows as a service. Microsoft has reimagined each part of the process, to simplify the lives of IT pros and maintain a consistent Windows 10 experience for its customers. These improvements focus on maximizing customer involvement in Windows development, simplifying the deployment and servicing of Windows client computers, and leveling out the resources needed to deploy and maintain Windows over time. More here: Overview of Windows as a service (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs Universal Windows Platform apps

Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps[1] (formerly Windows Store apps and Metro-style apps)[2] are apps that can be used across all compatible Microsoft Windows devices, including personal computers (PCs), tablets, smartphones, Xbox One, Microsoft HoloLens, and Internet of Things. UWP apps are primarily purchased and downloaded via the Windows Store.

More here: Universal Windows Platform apps - Wikipedia
Source: Windows 10: How to backup/move Favorites Bar folder to new computer?

WhatsApp Update Download Available for Windows Phone

It's no secret that WhatsApp is one of the most popular instant messaging apps in the entire world. During the last few years, the app gathered quite an impressive fan base from all corners of the globe and across multiple platforms, devices and operating systems. Today we're discussing the new WhatsApp update that recently came to Windows Phones. Let's see what it brought new.

What's New

First and foremost, it needs to be noted that the update consists in several new features and tweaks that were already present in the beta testing version of the app. Now, version 2.17.204.0 has brought along new options to regular users that developers already had the occasion to try out in the beta version.

One of the new features is the option to share a live location update with your contacts for a limited amount of time. This is already available in the Facebook Messenger app, and seeing that Facebook is the parent company of WhatsApp now, it's only natural for them to implement these features across the board in all their subsidiaries. And, on top of this new feature, you can now also pin a chat to the very top of the chat list, just like you would do with an important post on Facebook.

This new pin feature allows you to keep an important chat always on hand and make it incredibly easy to access at all times. In this way, you will never lose track of an important conversation. The third and final new feature that WhatsApp now has on the Windows Phone is video preview. The video preview feature allows you to view a video while it's downloading. You no longer have to wait for the download to be completed to watch the contents of a video.

 

Source: WhatsApp Update Download Available for Windows Phone

Microsoft Surface Family event in Paris: an interesting discussion with the French Surface team

Today, Microsoft is releasing its new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro in 25 markets around the world, which represents a new milestone for the family of premium Windows 10 PCs. To the celebrate company's biggest product launch this year, Microsoft France held a Surface Family event at the company's headquarters in Paris yesterday, where select members of the local "House of Fans" programme got the chance to try the new products a day before their official launch.

I attended the event to learn more about Microsoft France's local strategy for Surface products, but it was also quite interesting to discuss with real Surface fans. First of all, Microsoft France Surface Product Marketing Manager Quentin Hilbert gave us a demo of all the new products, including the Surface Studio which is also launching today in France. This was followed by a short Q&A session, and some questions from the audience were really interesting.

The Surface Laptop (left) and the new Surface Pro (right).

I was sitting next to a freelance designer who had quite a unique point of view on Microsoft's Surface devices. He explained that he was really excited about the new Surface products, but they're unfortunately too underpowered for his needs. As a mobile worker, he told us that he used a top of the line Asus gaming laptop as his main work machine, but he often feels uncomfortable using this laptop in front of his clients. Indeed, gaming laptops don't look very professional, to say the least.

As he explained, designers like him don't really care about thickness or weight, they just need a versatile product with high-end specs, which means Core i7 processors, a minimum of 32 GB of RAM and powerful NVIDIA GPUs. Drawing a comparison with Apple's freshly announced iMac Pro, he asked Microsoft France if the company was planning to follow this path with its Surface line, including the creation of a real Surface workstation similar to Apple's Mac Pro.

As you can expect, Microsoft France didn't have an answer to this, telling us that Redmond doesn't share its long-term product roadmap with its local subsidiaries. However, the Surface Product Marketing Manager said that he totally understood the designer's issues with current Surface products. Obviously, Microsoft has just released the v1 of its most powerful Surface PCs, which are the Surface Book and the Surface Studio, but the company will hopefully pay more attention to the needs of demanding users in the future.

The Surface Book is still struggling to find its audience, Microsoft France told me.

Following the Q&A session, I approached the Surface Product Marketing Manager to learn more about Surface sales in France. While Hilbert didn't share any hard data with me, he told me that many big French companies were now adopting Surface devices, including many popular banks and leading telecommunications company Orange. Surface devices are also increasingly popular with French consumers, even if Microsoft doesn't do a lot of marketing in the country.

Talking about marketing, I asked him a question about sponsoring and product placement. As you know, Microsoft has a much-talked about deal with the NFL in the US, which seems to have delivered mixed results to this day. Microsoft France has no such thing here, but I recently noticed something interesting when watching French TV. France Info, a national news channel is an early adopter of Microsoft's Surface Hub, and you can see many journalists using the digital whiteboard during news bulletins. As it turns out, I was told that it was France Info which approched Microsoft and not the reverse.

The French news channel France Info is an early adopter for the Surface Hub digital whiteboard..

More interestingly, Microsoft also did some product placement in "Marseille," the first Netflix Originals series specifically created for the French market. Just like in Hawaii Five-0 and Scorpion, there are Windows PCs, Surface devices and Lumia phones everywhere in this show, which I think was quite surprising for the French audience. However, I was told that Microsoft France doesn't discuss these product placement deals as of today, and they couldn't tell my if this deal was directly negotiated by Microsoft France or Redmond.

Product placement in the Netflix Original series "Marseille."

Lastly, I wanted to know more about how Microsoft France operates, and I also really wanted to know if the subsidiary was still using Windows phones internally. Seing that Hilbert was using a Samsung Galaxy phone and one of his colleagues an iPhone, they explained me that Microsoft does have a "Bring your own device" (BYOD) policy though many employees were still choosing Windows phones as their work phones.

As you can guess, Hilbert couldn't gave me any information about the rumored Surface phone or the future of Windows 10 Mobile. Actually, I was a bit surprised when he told me that he didn't have access to internal Windows 10 builds, which are more advanced that the Fast Ring builds that Windows Insiders have access to. The Product Marketing Manager did tell me that some Microsoft France employees have access to internal Office builds, but that's pretty much it.

Overall, I really enjoyed my first visit to Microsoft France and I hope to get more opportunities to meet with the local Surface team going forward. I also had my first hands-on experience with the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, which I really liked. I was quite skeptic about the Surface Laptop, especially its Alcantara material-covered keyboard, but it turns out to be pretty good. I think an old-school clamshell device is exactly what the Surface brand needs to achieve more mainstream success, though we'll have to wait to see if it was a good idea to make the Surface Laptop ship with the new Windows 10 S.

Further reading: France, Microsoft, Microsoft France, Surface, Surface Hub, Surface Laptop, Surface Pro, Surface Studio
Source: Microsoft Surface Family event in Paris: an interesting discussion with the French Surface team