Microsoft has reached the 1 million subscriber mark with its Office 365 Home Premium product, officials said on May 29.
The company launched Office 365 Home Premium on January 29. For $99.99 per year, Office 365 Home Premium allows users to install Office client apps on up to five PCs and/or Macs in total. Users who subscribe rather than buy the single-use Office 2013 complement outright, also are supposed to receive regular feature updates and synchronization capabilities by signing in through Office.com.
Microsoft is trying to convince more users to subscribe to its software as if it were a service.
Microsoft officials are saying that the company reached the 1 million mark in about 100 days, or 3.5 months, according to the graphic in today's Office News Blog post. Microsoft officials compare that growth rate to those of other subscription services, like Instagram (which took 2.5 months to reach the 1 million mark, according to Microsoft); HuluPlus (5 months to 1 million); Spotify (5 months to 1 million); Dropbox (7 months to 1 million) and Facebook (10 months to 1 million).
I've asked Microsoft how many copies of Office 2013 (the local, non-subscription version) the company has sold to date. I'm doubtful the Softies are sharing that number, but if they do, I will update this post.
Source: http://foxhippo.com/388828
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
5 Windows 8 Gripes Microsoft Must Address
Thanks to low-cost tablets and Ultrabooks, more powerful processors and a growing diversity of form factors, Windows 8 might be primed to make gains.
The OS remains unpopular, though, so the appeal of better, cheaper machines will take hold only if Win8 itself becomes more satisfying. That puts the pressure squarely on Windows 8.1.
All the pieces will need to come together by this fall, lest Redmond suffer poor back-to-school and holiday sales for the second consecutive year. But June will still be the OS's first major proving ground. At the beginning of the month, the company will face many of its corporate customers and developers at its TechEd conference in New Orleans, and at the end of the month, it is expected to debut a preview version of Windows 8.1 during its developer-centric Build conference in San Francisco.
[ Is Windows 8.1 doomed by its own release date? Read Windows 8.1 Timing All Wrong. ]
Until Redmond actually divulges new details, it remains to be seen how much -- and how quickly -- its new OS will change. Even so, June represents an opportunity for Redmond to reclaim the Win8 narrative and to circumvent a summer of continued negative buzz. Here are five Windows 8 criticisms Microsoft is likely to address in the next 30 days:
1. Windows 8's learning curve is too confusing.
Even Windows CMO/CFO Tami Reller now admits that Windows 8 needs to be easier to use, but Microsoft officials have also stalwartly defended the new OS's Live Tile-oriented Modern UI as a key part of the Windows line's long-term vision. Redmond recognizes, in other words, the need to mollify confused and dissatisfied users, but it's not clear how willing the company is to make tweaks.
The rumor mill has already concentrated on several potential fixes -- namely, whether Microsoft will restore the Start button or allow desktop users to boot directly to the desktop. If Win 8.1 integrates these features, aggravated users will no doubt appreciate that familiar tools have been resurrected to help them along. But it won't be enough.
Many Win8 features rely on hidden controls, such as the Charms Bar, which is central to navigating the OS but only accessible if users know how to swipe it into visibility. This sort of absence of visual clues or other guides has contributed to Win8 user frustration, and many will expect Microsoft not only to implement key features -- such as a "boot to desktop" mode -- but also to make the OS more intuitive from top to bottom.
2. Windows 8 is too schizophrenic.
This criticism is related to the above but deserves its own breakout category. For all the success Microsoft users have enjoyed syncing documents across devices via SkyDrive, it's ironic that cohesion between Win8's two interfaces is so poor. Internet Explorer is a particularly notable offender; if a user switches from IE in the Modern UI to IE in the traditional desktop mode, the Web browser will behave like a distinct app in each environment. Open tabs can't be synced as the user jumps from one UI to the other, for example. Windows 8.1 is rumored to include IE11, so Microsoft will have a chance to address this problem, and it's also rumored to include similar fixes, such as making the Control Panel equally accessible in each environment.
3. Windows 8 doesn't have enough apps.
The Windows Store now included nearly 80,000 Modern apps -- a far cry from the 700,000 or so that both iOS and Android enjoy, but still a substantial tally that somewhat negates the "not enough" criticisms. Microsoft isn't out of the woods, though; if the problem was originally "not enough," it's morphed into "not good enough."
Indeed, at least one study has suggested that Win8 users barely touch Modern apps, and it's not unreasonable to implicate Microsoft's lackluster native apps for setting a weak example. The OS's built-in Mail app, for example, lacks the functionality offered in Outlook.com, Microsoft's free Web mail service. To Redmond's credit, the company has been making efforts to attract developers, and Windows Store submissions have picked up after leveling off during the first few months of the year. Even so, there's still more work to be done.
4. Windows RT seems pointless.
Windows 8 has attracted its share of criticism, but Windows RT has been an absolute dud, with -- literally -- a 0% share of the OS market, and little support from OEMs. Microsoft raised many eyebrows when it decided to split its new OS into full-fledged and lightweight versions, and the decision makes even less sense today than it did then.
By this fall, Atom-based Win8 tablets could cost as little as $300 to $400 -- less, in other words, than Microsoft initially charged for its Surface RT. If the complete OS -- including its x86 access, which RT lacks -- can be had for such a low price, why should anyone pay comparable sums for an RT device? Will Redmond and its partners produce RT offerings that are cheaper than low-cost Android tablets? Will Microsoft and company reveal some other appeal?
Rumors have suggested Microsoft will debut a smaller Surface model this month, possibly an RT-based tablet to compete with the iPad Mini. It remains to be seen if this gossip translates to a real product, but it certainly adds to the intrigue in the meantime.
5. Windows 8 offers nothing for desktop users.
Windows chief Julie Larson-Green has insisted in recent weeks that Windows 8's new Start Screen is superior to the Start button it replaces. So far, desktop users haven't been persuaded. Worse, some traditional users have felt alienated by Redmond's recent touch-centricism. For desktop users, Win8 features some stability improvements under the hood -- but the benefits of the Modern UI, such as they are, have so far been most apparent on tablets.
Microsoft knows that many enterprises are still moving to Windows 7, and that a large portion of its user base might consequently wait to upgrade again until Windows 9 appears. Nevertheless, many will look for the company to reassert its dedication to not only today's mobile-oriented BYOD users but also the desktop-minded users who've helped Microsoft make its name.
Source: http://foxhippo.com/883764
The OS remains unpopular, though, so the appeal of better, cheaper machines will take hold only if Win8 itself becomes more satisfying. That puts the pressure squarely on Windows 8.1.
All the pieces will need to come together by this fall, lest Redmond suffer poor back-to-school and holiday sales for the second consecutive year. But June will still be the OS's first major proving ground. At the beginning of the month, the company will face many of its corporate customers and developers at its TechEd conference in New Orleans, and at the end of the month, it is expected to debut a preview version of Windows 8.1 during its developer-centric Build conference in San Francisco.
[ Is Windows 8.1 doomed by its own release date? Read Windows 8.1 Timing All Wrong. ]
Until Redmond actually divulges new details, it remains to be seen how much -- and how quickly -- its new OS will change. Even so, June represents an opportunity for Redmond to reclaim the Win8 narrative and to circumvent a summer of continued negative buzz. Here are five Windows 8 criticisms Microsoft is likely to address in the next 30 days:
1. Windows 8's learning curve is too confusing.
Even Windows CMO/CFO Tami Reller now admits that Windows 8 needs to be easier to use, but Microsoft officials have also stalwartly defended the new OS's Live Tile-oriented Modern UI as a key part of the Windows line's long-term vision. Redmond recognizes, in other words, the need to mollify confused and dissatisfied users, but it's not clear how willing the company is to make tweaks.
The rumor mill has already concentrated on several potential fixes -- namely, whether Microsoft will restore the Start button or allow desktop users to boot directly to the desktop. If Win 8.1 integrates these features, aggravated users will no doubt appreciate that familiar tools have been resurrected to help them along. But it won't be enough.
Many Win8 features rely on hidden controls, such as the Charms Bar, which is central to navigating the OS but only accessible if users know how to swipe it into visibility. This sort of absence of visual clues or other guides has contributed to Win8 user frustration, and many will expect Microsoft not only to implement key features -- such as a "boot to desktop" mode -- but also to make the OS more intuitive from top to bottom.
2. Windows 8 is too schizophrenic.
This criticism is related to the above but deserves its own breakout category. For all the success Microsoft users have enjoyed syncing documents across devices via SkyDrive, it's ironic that cohesion between Win8's two interfaces is so poor. Internet Explorer is a particularly notable offender; if a user switches from IE in the Modern UI to IE in the traditional desktop mode, the Web browser will behave like a distinct app in each environment. Open tabs can't be synced as the user jumps from one UI to the other, for example. Windows 8.1 is rumored to include IE11, so Microsoft will have a chance to address this problem, and it's also rumored to include similar fixes, such as making the Control Panel equally accessible in each environment.
3. Windows 8 doesn't have enough apps.
The Windows Store now included nearly 80,000 Modern apps -- a far cry from the 700,000 or so that both iOS and Android enjoy, but still a substantial tally that somewhat negates the "not enough" criticisms. Microsoft isn't out of the woods, though; if the problem was originally "not enough," it's morphed into "not good enough."
Indeed, at least one study has suggested that Win8 users barely touch Modern apps, and it's not unreasonable to implicate Microsoft's lackluster native apps for setting a weak example. The OS's built-in Mail app, for example, lacks the functionality offered in Outlook.com, Microsoft's free Web mail service. To Redmond's credit, the company has been making efforts to attract developers, and Windows Store submissions have picked up after leveling off during the first few months of the year. Even so, there's still more work to be done.
4. Windows RT seems pointless.
Windows 8 has attracted its share of criticism, but Windows RT has been an absolute dud, with -- literally -- a 0% share of the OS market, and little support from OEMs. Microsoft raised many eyebrows when it decided to split its new OS into full-fledged and lightweight versions, and the decision makes even less sense today than it did then.
By this fall, Atom-based Win8 tablets could cost as little as $300 to $400 -- less, in other words, than Microsoft initially charged for its Surface RT. If the complete OS -- including its x86 access, which RT lacks -- can be had for such a low price, why should anyone pay comparable sums for an RT device? Will Redmond and its partners produce RT offerings that are cheaper than low-cost Android tablets? Will Microsoft and company reveal some other appeal?
Rumors have suggested Microsoft will debut a smaller Surface model this month, possibly an RT-based tablet to compete with the iPad Mini. It remains to be seen if this gossip translates to a real product, but it certainly adds to the intrigue in the meantime.
5. Windows 8 offers nothing for desktop users.
Windows chief Julie Larson-Green has insisted in recent weeks that Windows 8's new Start Screen is superior to the Start button it replaces. So far, desktop users haven't been persuaded. Worse, some traditional users have felt alienated by Redmond's recent touch-centricism. For desktop users, Win8 features some stability improvements under the hood -- but the benefits of the Modern UI, such as they are, have so far been most apparent on tablets.
Microsoft knows that many enterprises are still moving to Windows 7, and that a large portion of its user base might consequently wait to upgrade again until Windows 9 appears. Nevertheless, many will look for the company to reassert its dedication to not only today's mobile-oriented BYOD users but also the desktop-minded users who've helped Microsoft make its name.
Source: http://foxhippo.com/883764
Microsoft Announces Skype And Lync Interoperability With IM & Audio To Start, Video Soon
Microsoft announced today that two of its big-name communications services – consumer-facing Skype and enterprise-ready Lync – will now interoperate, meaning users can access their Lync contacts via Skype and vice versa, and then message them or place an audio call. Support for video calling and other features, as well as support for additional platforms, are still in the works.
This news was pre-announced in February at a three-day conference solely dedicated to Lync, when the company spoke of Lync’s enterprise traction, noting that 90 out of the Fortune 100 companies use the service, and the entire ecosystem includes over 1,000 partners. Lync subscriptions have also grown from 3 million over a year ago to over 5 million, as of February, Microsoft said at the time.
But as Tony Bates, President of the Skype division at Microsoft, explained then, the idea with Lync and Skype interoperability is to enable what he dubbed “B2X.” “B2X places the focus of business communication on enabling human interactions. B2X puts people first and looks at communications in a unified way, not as disparate technology silos focused on one task or protocol,” he had said.
With the latest version of Skype, the Lync connectivity goes live just a couple of days ahead of the promised June launch timeframe. After signing in with a Microsoft ID, Skype users can search for Lync contacts by email, send them contact requests, then start chatting or Skype call them. (More detailed instructions are here http://foxhippo.com/523892).
Meanwhile, Lync users, too, can follow a similar process to communicate with their friends and family on Skype. However, in this case, the setup process has to first be kicked off by the Lync administrators. Enterprise I.T. staff has to enable Lync-Skype connectivity in either Lync Server, or in the admin center within the Office 365 portal for Lync Online. Again, Skype users will need to have the latest client (Mac and Windows only for now), while Lync users can use either Lync 2010 or Lync 2013 to initiate the communications, including any of the 2013 mobile clients. (Instructions for Lync are here http://foxhippo.com/332776).
Though Lync has been designed for the enterprise with those needs in mind, including things like administration with Active Directory, archiving and compliance tools, integration with Microsoft Office, extensibility with public APIs, and more, being able to reach any of Skype’s now 300 million active monthly users dramatically broadens the service’s reach going forward.
The effort to make this happen was no small undertaking. As TechCrunch previously reported, Microsoft made a lot of changes to Skype’s underlying P2P architecture as it scaled the service for the Live Messenger to Skype upgrade in advance of this move.
Source: http://foxhippo.com/759964
This news was pre-announced in February at a three-day conference solely dedicated to Lync, when the company spoke of Lync’s enterprise traction, noting that 90 out of the Fortune 100 companies use the service, and the entire ecosystem includes over 1,000 partners. Lync subscriptions have also grown from 3 million over a year ago to over 5 million, as of February, Microsoft said at the time.
But as Tony Bates, President of the Skype division at Microsoft, explained then, the idea with Lync and Skype interoperability is to enable what he dubbed “B2X.” “B2X places the focus of business communication on enabling human interactions. B2X puts people first and looks at communications in a unified way, not as disparate technology silos focused on one task or protocol,” he had said.
With the latest version of Skype, the Lync connectivity goes live just a couple of days ahead of the promised June launch timeframe. After signing in with a Microsoft ID, Skype users can search for Lync contacts by email, send them contact requests, then start chatting or Skype call them. (More detailed instructions are here http://foxhippo.com/523892).
Meanwhile, Lync users, too, can follow a similar process to communicate with their friends and family on Skype. However, in this case, the setup process has to first be kicked off by the Lync administrators. Enterprise I.T. staff has to enable Lync-Skype connectivity in either Lync Server, or in the admin center within the Office 365 portal for Lync Online. Again, Skype users will need to have the latest client (Mac and Windows only for now), while Lync users can use either Lync 2010 or Lync 2013 to initiate the communications, including any of the 2013 mobile clients. (Instructions for Lync are here http://foxhippo.com/332776).
Though Lync has been designed for the enterprise with those needs in mind, including things like administration with Active Directory, archiving and compliance tools, integration with Microsoft Office, extensibility with public APIs, and more, being able to reach any of Skype’s now 300 million active monthly users dramatically broadens the service’s reach going forward.
The effort to make this happen was no small undertaking. As TechCrunch previously reported, Microsoft made a lot of changes to Skype’s underlying P2P architecture as it scaled the service for the Live Messenger to Skype upgrade in advance of this move.
Source: http://foxhippo.com/759964
It pays to watch the advert breaks: Patent shows Microsoft's new Xbox One could reward watching adverts and TV
Have you gorged on an entire series of Game of Thrones? Then you deserve a reward. Microsoft plans to give special “awards” to viewers in return for watching television shows and adverts on its new Xbox One console.
A patent application lodged by the computer giant reveals that the company wants to incentivise television viewing by offering tangible “achievements” to everyone watching video content on its devices.
The concept, an extension of the “achievements” which Xbox 360 users unlock by completing in-game tasks, could lead to viewers getting free Microsoft products in return for watching television.
But the awards system would also require a hi-tech monitoring system to track every programme and advert watched by its users and confirm that they have actively engaged with the rewardable content.
The Microsoft patent states that television watching currently “tends to be a passive experience for a viewer.”
To increase interactive viewing and “encourage a user to watch one or more particular items of video content, awards and achievements may be tied to those items of video content,” the document logged with the US Patent and Trademark Office said.
“Producers, distributors, and advertisers of the video content may set viewing goals and award a viewer who has reached the goals.”
The reward could be virtual, in the form of extra scores on a game, or “coupons for an advertised product or service, or an actual product.” Viewers who complete a series could be rewarded with free downloads of a future show or a new game.
What if a viewer simply leaves their device in “play” mode before disappearing to play with their iPad? The patent suggests that the reward system could me made compatibile with Microsoft’s Kinect sensor.
The viewing behaviour could include “an action performable by the viewer and detectable by one or more sensors, such as a depth camera.” A sensor could detect whether a viewer’s eyes were really on the screen.
The patent also mentions a system “configured to track the viewing behaviours of one or more viewers” that can “compile one or more user-specific reports of the viewing behaviors, and send the user-specific reports to a remote device to determine whether the user-viewing goal has been met.”
Microsoft believes its patent, which it called The Awards and Achievements Across TV Ecosystem, will find favour with advertisers struggling to target viewers who can now speed through commercial breaks at high speed using digital catch-up services.
However Jeremy Toeman, CEO of Dijit Media, a startup which aims to transform the way in which people discover television programmes, said the Microsoft plan failed to grasp the motivation behind the viewing experience.
“The accomplishment of finishing Game of Thrones or (Netflix download series) House of Cards is that you watched it, you enjoyed it, and you gave up thirteen hours of your life to have that enjoyment,” Mr Toeman said. “I haven’t seen any success yet from any TV reward programme. What the industry doesn’t get is that watching the show is the reward.”
The patent did not state which platform the reward system would operate through but it is believed that the new Xbox One and 360 consoles are the likeliest targets.
Source: http://foxhippo.com/528587
A patent application lodged by the computer giant reveals that the company wants to incentivise television viewing by offering tangible “achievements” to everyone watching video content on its devices.
The concept, an extension of the “achievements” which Xbox 360 users unlock by completing in-game tasks, could lead to viewers getting free Microsoft products in return for watching television.
But the awards system would also require a hi-tech monitoring system to track every programme and advert watched by its users and confirm that they have actively engaged with the rewardable content.
The Microsoft patent states that television watching currently “tends to be a passive experience for a viewer.”
To increase interactive viewing and “encourage a user to watch one or more particular items of video content, awards and achievements may be tied to those items of video content,” the document logged with the US Patent and Trademark Office said.
“Producers, distributors, and advertisers of the video content may set viewing goals and award a viewer who has reached the goals.”
The reward could be virtual, in the form of extra scores on a game, or “coupons for an advertised product or service, or an actual product.” Viewers who complete a series could be rewarded with free downloads of a future show or a new game.
What if a viewer simply leaves their device in “play” mode before disappearing to play with their iPad? The patent suggests that the reward system could me made compatibile with Microsoft’s Kinect sensor.
The viewing behaviour could include “an action performable by the viewer and detectable by one or more sensors, such as a depth camera.” A sensor could detect whether a viewer’s eyes were really on the screen.
The patent also mentions a system “configured to track the viewing behaviours of one or more viewers” that can “compile one or more user-specific reports of the viewing behaviors, and send the user-specific reports to a remote device to determine whether the user-viewing goal has been met.”
Microsoft believes its patent, which it called The Awards and Achievements Across TV Ecosystem, will find favour with advertisers struggling to target viewers who can now speed through commercial breaks at high speed using digital catch-up services.
However Jeremy Toeman, CEO of Dijit Media, a startup which aims to transform the way in which people discover television programmes, said the Microsoft plan failed to grasp the motivation behind the viewing experience.
“The accomplishment of finishing Game of Thrones or (Netflix download series) House of Cards is that you watched it, you enjoyed it, and you gave up thirteen hours of your life to have that enjoyment,” Mr Toeman said. “I haven’t seen any success yet from any TV reward programme. What the industry doesn’t get is that watching the show is the reward.”
The patent did not state which platform the reward system would operate through but it is believed that the new Xbox One and 360 consoles are the likeliest targets.
Source: http://foxhippo.com/528587
Cisco: Microsoft's Deal With Skype Is Monopolistic
Cisco Systems, the world's leading network equipment maker, asked an EU court on Wednesday to annul the approval of Microsoft's purchase of Skype, saying EU regulators were wrong to allow the creation of a monopoly.
Cisco's challenge at the Luxembourg-based General Court follows the European Commission's approval of the $8.5 billion deal in 2011. Microsoft was not required to make any concessions for buying the Internet video and voice messaging company, which Cisco argues has given Microsoft/Skype an unfair advantage.
A third of the world's voice calls are now on Skype while over 280 million users use the service more than 100 minutes every month, Microsoft chief operating officer Kevin Turner said in March. Skype had 170 million users at the time of the deal.
The case is important as Internet-based voice and video has become a vast market, with many consumers and corporates abandoning traditional fixed-line and mobile as a result, and is an area in which Cisco had hoped to expand its presence.
The Microsoft acquisition "marked a tipping point in the video communications market,'' Cisco's lawyer, Luis Ortiz Blanco, told judges at Europe's second-highest court.
"The merger created an effective monopoly and condemned competitors to a niche. The reasoning applied (by the commission) incurred numerous errors,'' he said.
Corneliu Hoedlmayr, a lawyer for the commission, said Cisco's arguments were unconvincing.
"The applicants have failed to provide evidence of competitive harm,'' he told the court, citing the existence of other rivals to Skype such as Google Talk and Cyprus-based calling and messaging servicer Viber.
"Other technologies are emerging. If these succeed, it may render Skype a relic,'' he said.
Cisco is appealing together with Italian fixed-line and Internet telephone provider Messagenet SpA.
udges will rule in the coming months. Their verdict can be appealed to the European Court of Justice, the EU's highest court.
The last successful challenge to a commission merger-approval decision at the court was in 2002 in a case involving the Sony Music and BMG record labels. In the vast majority of cases, the court rules with the commission.
Cisco's challenge is one of four cases against the European Commission's rulings in merger cases, underlining the increasing willingness by companies to challenge decisions which they disagree with.
Deutsche Boerse last year filed an appeal against the commission's rejection of its merger with NYSE Euronext while UPS has also gone to court against a regulatory veto of its proposed TNT buy.
Ryanair has similarly said it will fight the commission's veto of its plan to buy Aer Lingus.
Source: http://foxhippo.com/542263
Cisco's challenge at the Luxembourg-based General Court follows the European Commission's approval of the $8.5 billion deal in 2011. Microsoft was not required to make any concessions for buying the Internet video and voice messaging company, which Cisco argues has given Microsoft/Skype an unfair advantage.
A third of the world's voice calls are now on Skype while over 280 million users use the service more than 100 minutes every month, Microsoft chief operating officer Kevin Turner said in March. Skype had 170 million users at the time of the deal.
The case is important as Internet-based voice and video has become a vast market, with many consumers and corporates abandoning traditional fixed-line and mobile as a result, and is an area in which Cisco had hoped to expand its presence.
The Microsoft acquisition "marked a tipping point in the video communications market,'' Cisco's lawyer, Luis Ortiz Blanco, told judges at Europe's second-highest court.
"The merger created an effective monopoly and condemned competitors to a niche. The reasoning applied (by the commission) incurred numerous errors,'' he said.
Corneliu Hoedlmayr, a lawyer for the commission, said Cisco's arguments were unconvincing.
"The applicants have failed to provide evidence of competitive harm,'' he told the court, citing the existence of other rivals to Skype such as Google Talk and Cyprus-based calling and messaging servicer Viber.
"Other technologies are emerging. If these succeed, it may render Skype a relic,'' he said.
Cisco is appealing together with Italian fixed-line and Internet telephone provider Messagenet SpA.
udges will rule in the coming months. Their verdict can be appealed to the European Court of Justice, the EU's highest court.
The last successful challenge to a commission merger-approval decision at the court was in 2002 in a case involving the Sony Music and BMG record labels. In the vast majority of cases, the court rules with the commission.
Cisco's challenge is one of four cases against the European Commission's rulings in merger cases, underlining the increasing willingness by companies to challenge decisions which they disagree with.
Deutsche Boerse last year filed an appeal against the commission's rejection of its merger with NYSE Euronext while UPS has also gone to court against a regulatory veto of its proposed TNT buy.
Ryanair has similarly said it will fight the commission's veto of its plan to buy Aer Lingus.
Source: http://foxhippo.com/542263
Friday, May 24, 2013
Nokia EOS With 41-Megapixel PureView Camera Confirmed; Release Date Rumored For July 9
Nokia is reportedly working on a Windows-running Lumia smartphone with a monstrous 41-megapixel PuerView camera technology.
Last year, Nokia had set the benchmark for smartphone camera that sports a monstrous 41 megapixel in its Nokia 808 PureView smartphone running Symbian operating system.
Since the launch of Nokia 808 PureView, there have been rumors about the company working on Windows-running Lumia smartphone with PureView camera technology, code-named EOS, but the rumors were silenced after the 2013 Mobile World Congress (MWC) that took place in Barcelona back in February.
Now, new rumors have again surfaced which say that the device would look similar to the recently launched Lumia 920 and will be launched in the second week of July or on July 9, according to MobileGeeks.
The most recent rumor indicates that the device will come with polycarbonate case and that it spots a 4.5-inch display at 1280 x 720-pixel resolution. The Nokia EOS will feature the 41-megapixel camera at the back with a Carl Zeiss lens along with a new Nokia Pro Camera application, a new Camera UI.
The PureView Camera will allow capturing at a maximum of 34-megapixel resolution just like the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone. It will also have a Full HD and HD video recording capabilities at different frames rates.
Earlier, rumor by MyNokiaBlog suggested that Nokia built two different models of EOS smartphone with similar PureView camera technology. Both EOS smartphones had the same specifications although each will be powered by different processors; one with dual-core CPU and another with Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU.
Though Nokia is working on both versions of EOS handsets, the blog mentions that the company is likely to release only one smartphone. The blog also explains that the quad-core model of EOS has poor battery performances, which ultimately led Nokia to release a dual-core variant of EOS smartphone. Nokia tested the quad-core version with a 2000 mAh battery similar to that of the Lumia 920.
Last year, Nokia had set the benchmark for smartphone camera that sports a monstrous 41 megapixel in its Nokia 808 PureView smartphone running Symbian operating system.
Since the launch of Nokia 808 PureView, there have been rumors about the company working on Windows-running Lumia smartphone with PureView camera technology, code-named EOS, but the rumors were silenced after the 2013 Mobile World Congress (MWC) that took place in Barcelona back in February.
Now, new rumors have again surfaced which say that the device would look similar to the recently launched Lumia 920 and will be launched in the second week of July or on July 9, according to MobileGeeks.
The most recent rumor indicates that the device will come with polycarbonate case and that it spots a 4.5-inch display at 1280 x 720-pixel resolution. The Nokia EOS will feature the 41-megapixel camera at the back with a Carl Zeiss lens along with a new Nokia Pro Camera application, a new Camera UI.
The PureView Camera will allow capturing at a maximum of 34-megapixel resolution just like the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone. It will also have a Full HD and HD video recording capabilities at different frames rates.
Earlier, rumor by MyNokiaBlog suggested that Nokia built two different models of EOS smartphone with similar PureView camera technology. Both EOS smartphones had the same specifications although each will be powered by different processors; one with dual-core CPU and another with Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU.
Though Nokia is working on both versions of EOS handsets, the blog mentions that the company is likely to release only one smartphone. The blog also explains that the quad-core model of EOS has poor battery performances, which ultimately led Nokia to release a dual-core variant of EOS smartphone. Nokia tested the quad-core version with a 2000 mAh battery similar to that of the Lumia 920.
Microsoft and Google working together on new YouTube Windows Phone app
Google is announcing today that it's working together with Microsoft on a new YouTube application for Windows Phone. Following a fight with Microsoft over its unauthorized YouTube app, the pair appear to have resolved their differences.
Google demanded that Microsoft should remove its app by May 22nd, but Microsoft issued an update to address some of Google's concerns earlier this week. Google says "Microsoft and YouTube are working together to update the new YouTube for Windows Phone app to enable compliance with YouTube’s API terms of service, including enabling ads, in the coming weeks."
Microsoft, for its part, has said that it's happy to include ads in its YouTube Windows Phone application if Google allows it and provides access to an official API. It appears that Google is now willing to grant Microsoft access to its official API, following complaints from the software giant that Google has previously prevented it from offering consumers a fully featured YouTube app for Windows Phone.
Microsoft's move to release its own full YouTube Windows Phone application, instead of a simple link to a mobile site, was a clear move to thrust the issue into the public domain and apply pressure to Google to open up its API or face the risk of appearing unreasonable. Microsoft will now work with Google on the new app, and will "replace the existing YouTube app in Windows Phone Store with the previous version during this time," according to a Google spokesperson.
The controversy follows months of bickering between the two technology giants, and this latest episode follows an uproar that led to Google removing a block of its Maps service for Windows Phone users. A collaboration will clearly benefit mutual customers of Microsoft and Google who simply want to use a Windows Phone with Google's web services.
Google demanded that Microsoft should remove its app by May 22nd, but Microsoft issued an update to address some of Google's concerns earlier this week. Google says "Microsoft and YouTube are working together to update the new YouTube for Windows Phone app to enable compliance with YouTube’s API terms of service, including enabling ads, in the coming weeks."
Microsoft, for its part, has said that it's happy to include ads in its YouTube Windows Phone application if Google allows it and provides access to an official API. It appears that Google is now willing to grant Microsoft access to its official API, following complaints from the software giant that Google has previously prevented it from offering consumers a fully featured YouTube app for Windows Phone.
Microsoft's move to release its own full YouTube Windows Phone application, instead of a simple link to a mobile site, was a clear move to thrust the issue into the public domain and apply pressure to Google to open up its API or face the risk of appearing unreasonable. Microsoft will now work with Google on the new app, and will "replace the existing YouTube app in Windows Phone Store with the previous version during this time," according to a Google spokesperson.
The controversy follows months of bickering between the two technology giants, and this latest episode follows an uproar that led to Google removing a block of its Maps service for Windows Phone users. A collaboration will clearly benefit mutual customers of Microsoft and Google who simply want to use a Windows Phone with Google's web services.
Microsoft: Over 1 Billion Next-Gen Consoles Will be Sold
"Most industry experts think the next generation will get upwards of about 400 million units."
Microsoft believes there will be over 1 billion lifetime sales of next-generation consoles, and is also hoping to break the 100 million sales mark for Xbox 360s in the next five years.
In an interview with OXM, the company's senior vice president of Interactive Entertainment Business Yusuf Mehdi explained that the consoles' broad multimedia focus would help them transcend the sales figures traditionally seen by consoles.
Microsoft believes there will be over 1 billion lifetime sales of next-generation consoles, and is also hoping to break the 100 million sales mark for Xbox 360s in the next five years.
In an interview with OXM, the company's senior vice president of Interactive Entertainment Business Yusuf Mehdi explained that the consoles' broad multimedia focus would help them transcend the sales figures traditionally seen by consoles.
"Every generation, as you’ve probably heard, has grown approximately 30%. So this generation is about 300 million units," he shared. "Most industry experts think the next generation will get upwards of about 400 million units. That’s if it’s a game console, over the next decade.
"We think you can go broader than a game console, that’s our aim, and you can go from 400 million to potentially upwards of a billion units. That’s how we’re thinking of the Xbox opportunity as we go forward."
As it currently stands, the PlayStation 2 is the best-selling console of all time with 155 million units shipped, though the Nintendo DS is a close second with 153.87 million units sold. At the end of last year it was reported that the PlayStation 3 has now surpassed the worldwide shipped total of Xbox 360; the former has moved 77 million units, compared to the 76 million of the latter.
Despite this, Mehdi went on to say he's hopeful the Xbox 360 will break the 100 million unit sales mark within the next five years, and confirmed that the company has a number of ideas to help make this happen.
"We believe over the next five years we can break a 100 million unit installed base," he explained. "That’s something we’re shooting for, it’s not a financial plan as such, it’s just rough numbers if you will.
"To sell another 25 million, half of those will probably come from replacements, but half will come from new buyers. And the way we’ll break into those segments is by hitting new price points, getting new classes of entertainment to come with the Xbox, and breaking into new customer segments. So you’ll see the Xbox 360 continue to exist, even as we launch the next generation Xbox One."
Friday, May 10, 2013
No iTunes for Windows 8 devices anytime soon
Microsoft Windows 8 users will likely get access to all the most popular apps in Apple's iTunes store. But it's doubtful they'll get iTunes anytime soon, according to a recent interview a Microsoft exec gave to CNN Money.
Tami Reller, chief financial officer of Microsoft's Windows division, said that by the holiday season the Microsoft will support the most popular apps in Apple's App Store in its own app store. Microsoft now has more than 60,000 apps available, and users have downloaded about 250 million of them.
But the one app that is likely to elude Windows 8 users for some time will be Apple's music and video app iTunes, Reller said.
"You shouldn't expect an iTunes app on Windows 8 any time soon," she told CNN Money. "ITunes is in high demand. The welcome mat has been laid out. It's not for lack of trying."
This doesn't mean that Windows 8 PC andtablet users can't get iTunes at all. They can. But their devices must be in "desktop mode." This is the traditional PC interface that works much better with a keyboard and mouse than a touch screen interface.
Apple has a long history of offering software for Windows computers, including iTunes as well as its Safari browser and its multimedia software Quicktime. It makes sense for Apple to play nice with Microsoft when it comes to providing software for its computers. After all, Apple is still a niche player in this market compared to Microsoft.
But when it comes to tablets, Apple still rules the roost with its own iPad product line. And it's clear that the company is not looking to make it any easier for Microsoft to compete in the tablet arena with its Windows 8 tablets.
Microsoft offers its own Music app for Windows 8 devices that helps people organize their music. But Reller admitted to CNN Money that iTunes is still more popular.
Microsoft's tablets using Windows 8 RT have struggled against the competition. And analysts aren't expecting strong sales for some time. Next year, the market for Windows 8 tablets that use Windows RT, will only be about 4 million. By 2014, that figure is expected to grow to 11.6 million, according to market research firm NPD Display Search.
There's no question Apple still dominates the tablet market with about 72 percent of all tablet sales in 2012, NPD Display Search has said. Apple may lose some ground to competitors in the next few years. But it won't be much. By 2017, the market research firm estimates Apple will control 50.9 percent of the market. Android, which has about 22.5 percent of the market today will grow to 40.5 percent by 2017. Meanwhile, Windows RT is forecast to garner only 7.5 percent of the tablet market by 2017.
Nokia unveils Lumia 928 in attempt to break into US market
Nokia has unveiled a new high-end smartphone, the Lumia 928, which it will sell exclusively through the second-largest US carrier, Verizon, aiming to expand its share in the premium market after years in which it has fallen behind rivals Samsung and Apple.
The announcement comes ahead of a high-profile announcement next Tuesday in London where the company is expected to outline its strategy for its smartphone business, now tied entirely to Microsoft's Windows Phone platform. Analysts reckon success in the high-margin smartphone market will be crucial for the Finnish company's long-term survival.
The new Lumia 928, priced at $99 if customers mail in a $50 rebate and sign to a two-year deal with Verizon, is similar to the Lumia 920 model currently sold through AT&T, but is lighter and slightly different in appearance.
It weighs 162g compared with 185g for the 920, which some critics had said was too heavy. The 4.5in screen also extends to the edge of the phone, giving a sharper impression than the curved edges of the 920. The new models also come in black and white, compared with the colourful options including blue, red and yellow, of the earlier Lumia range.
Most other features, such as a 8.7MP camera and 1.5GHz dual core processor by Qualcomm, are the same as the 920.
The 920 had only limited success for Nokia in the US; in the past four quarters the company has sold a total of just 2m phones in North America, and just 400,000 in the first quarter, according to its financial figures. But demonstrating the promise of the region, North America has had the highest average selling prices for phones for seven of the last eight quarters – despite also being the Finnish company's smallest region by volume and revenue. The US is the richest phone market in the world, though Samsung and Apple have increasingly cornered its smartphone segment: according to ComScore, 82m of the 137m smartphone users there use on or the other, while Windows Phone has around 3m users.
The 928 is the latest in Nokia's Lumia range of smartphones which use Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 software.
Nokia switched to Windows Phone in 2011, aiming to compete with Apple's iPhones and rivals using Google's Android system. Though worldwide sales of Lumia phones have grown in recent quarters, at 5.6m in first quarter they still account for only around 5% of the overall smartphone market, which now makes up more than half of all mobile phone sales.
Earlier this week chief executive Stephen Elop launched a series of new products running Nokia's "Asha" software, which gives it some smartphone-like capability, priced in the lower and mid-tier range to protect its position in emerging markets such as India and China. However Nokia itself doesn't class Asha phones as smartphones, and the new models don't have 3G data capability.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
A Humbled Microsoft Outlines How It’s Rebooting Windows 8
A Microsoft executive is acknowledging what many tech-watchers already knew: The company’s Windows 8 software hasn’t gone off without a hitch, and Microsoft is turning itself inside out to respond.
Last fall’s launch of the new operating system was supposed to be a milestone to catapult Microsoft and its allies into the market for new kinds of computing devices–including tablets and convertible products–and help generally get consumers more interested in buying new PCs. Six months after the operating software’s debut, it isn’t yet a hit by the accounts of some PC executives and research firms.
One market-research firm, IDC, went so far as to say that Windows 8 did more than fail to revive the PC market–it actually turned off users with changes to basic elements of the widely used operating system.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal last week, Windows co-head Tami Reller was more candid than other Microsoft executives in saying Windows 8 hasn’t come on like gangbusters, though she said the company is seeing steady if not steep sales progress. She said Microsoft has sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses.
Without offering many details yet, Ms. Reller outlined how Microsoft is working on changing software features, helping people overcome obstacles to learning the revamped software, altering the shopping experience for consumers, getting more of people’s favorite apps available for Windows 8 and making sure a wider array of Windows 8 computing devices will be on sale.
Ms. Reller said Windows 8 was built to be ready to “evolve” to changing demand. “We didn’t get everything we dreamed of done,” she said in a meeting at Microsoft’s San Francisco offices.
She said Microsoft executives will make two sets of relevant disclosures in coming weeks. They will focus on Windows Blue, which Ms. Reller confirmed is both the codename for a coming update to Windows 8–with additional features and improved services–as well as a name for a broader strategy shift to provide faster changes to its key software than the typical pattern of providing new version once every three years or so.
First up soon will be details about pricing, packaging and an official name. (The “Blue” name will give way to an official brand, just as Microsoft’s Web-search engine was dubbed “Kumo” internally before it was launched as Bing.) The updated software will be available later this year in time for the holiday season, Ms. Reller said.
Ms. Reller said a second Blue update is expected before late June explaining the technical vision, addressing user gripes about Windows 8, and outlining options for new Windows 8 devices. Microsoft previously has acknowledged it is working to make Windows 8 available to power the suddenly popular smaller tablets, in the mold of the 7-inch Google GOOG -0.38% Nexus.
Ms. Reller declined to discuss Microsoft’s plans for more homegrown computing devices in addition to two models of its Surface tablet-style computer introduced since October. The Wall Street Journal has reported Microsoft’s is working on a new lineup of devices including a 7-inch version of the Surface.
Ms. Reller said people shouldn’t expected the company to discuss its Surface roadmap in coming weeks, dousing expectations of some analysts who had expected the company might do so at a June conference for software developers.
Ms. Reller also said what Windows 8 users and retailers have said for many months–Windows 8 is a better experience on touchscreen computers–and vowed that Microsoft will put all its weight behind touchscreen devices. She said Microsoft is spreading the message to retailers that if they want help from Microsoft’s marketing and promotional muscle, they will need to offer more and more variety of touchscreen Windows 8 machines.
Ms. Reller said by the fall, and certainly by the holiday shopping season, Microsoft expects there will be a wider array of touchscreen Windows 8 PCs at many different screen sizes, types and prices. She said Microsoft’s marketing push behind the updated Windows 8 will rival the hundreds of millions of dollars the company spent on TV commercials and other promotions around the fall Windows 8 launch.
Still, Ms. Reller acknowledged Windows 8 device sales would have been better if Microsoft and its allies had gotten a better mix of touchscreen devices last year. “If we could have done a better job accomplishing that in the holiday launch or [the] selling season following, that certainly would have made a positive difference,” Ms. Reller said.
Since the November departure of Steven Sinofsky, who had led Windows 8 development at Microsoft, Ms. Reller has overseen the Windows division with Julie Larson-Green. In their power-sharing role, Ms. Reller is responsible for the business functions of Windows, while Larson oversees engineering and other technical aspects of Windows software and hardware.
It remains to be seen whether Ms. Reller will stick around long enough to see Windows 8 through its changes. Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Peter Klein recently said he plans to step down from his post and leave the company at the end of June, and Microsoft-watchers have speculated Ms. Reller’s professional experience seems to make her a good fit as his replacement.
Ms. Reller said, “I do love my current job,” but demurred when asked whether she might take the CFO post.
And a willingness to discuss Windows 8’s faults didn’t mean Ms. Reller was willing to concede to all the critics of Windows 8. She said she disagreed with IDC’s conclusions that Windows 8 was responsible for the first-quarter dropoff in PC shipments.
She said it is difficult for IDC and others to measure PC shipments at times of transition in the computing market. Ms. Reller showed a PowerPoint slide of weekly Windows 8 sales since its Oct launched that showed a slow trend of increasing sales.
Last fall’s launch of the new operating system was supposed to be a milestone to catapult Microsoft and its allies into the market for new kinds of computing devices–including tablets and convertible products–and help generally get consumers more interested in buying new PCs. Six months after the operating software’s debut, it isn’t yet a hit by the accounts of some PC executives and research firms.
One market-research firm, IDC, went so far as to say that Windows 8 did more than fail to revive the PC market–it actually turned off users with changes to basic elements of the widely used operating system.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal last week, Windows co-head Tami Reller was more candid than other Microsoft executives in saying Windows 8 hasn’t come on like gangbusters, though she said the company is seeing steady if not steep sales progress. She said Microsoft has sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses.
Without offering many details yet, Ms. Reller outlined how Microsoft is working on changing software features, helping people overcome obstacles to learning the revamped software, altering the shopping experience for consumers, getting more of people’s favorite apps available for Windows 8 and making sure a wider array of Windows 8 computing devices will be on sale.
Ms. Reller said Windows 8 was built to be ready to “evolve” to changing demand. “We didn’t get everything we dreamed of done,” she said in a meeting at Microsoft’s San Francisco offices.
She said Microsoft executives will make two sets of relevant disclosures in coming weeks. They will focus on Windows Blue, which Ms. Reller confirmed is both the codename for a coming update to Windows 8–with additional features and improved services–as well as a name for a broader strategy shift to provide faster changes to its key software than the typical pattern of providing new version once every three years or so.
First up soon will be details about pricing, packaging and an official name. (The “Blue” name will give way to an official brand, just as Microsoft’s Web-search engine was dubbed “Kumo” internally before it was launched as Bing.) The updated software will be available later this year in time for the holiday season, Ms. Reller said.
Ms. Reller said a second Blue update is expected before late June explaining the technical vision, addressing user gripes about Windows 8, and outlining options for new Windows 8 devices. Microsoft previously has acknowledged it is working to make Windows 8 available to power the suddenly popular smaller tablets, in the mold of the 7-inch Google GOOG -0.38% Nexus.
Ms. Reller declined to discuss Microsoft’s plans for more homegrown computing devices in addition to two models of its Surface tablet-style computer introduced since October. The Wall Street Journal has reported Microsoft’s is working on a new lineup of devices including a 7-inch version of the Surface.
Ms. Reller said people shouldn’t expected the company to discuss its Surface roadmap in coming weeks, dousing expectations of some analysts who had expected the company might do so at a June conference for software developers.
Ms. Reller also said what Windows 8 users and retailers have said for many months–Windows 8 is a better experience on touchscreen computers–and vowed that Microsoft will put all its weight behind touchscreen devices. She said Microsoft is spreading the message to retailers that if they want help from Microsoft’s marketing and promotional muscle, they will need to offer more and more variety of touchscreen Windows 8 machines.
Ms. Reller said by the fall, and certainly by the holiday shopping season, Microsoft expects there will be a wider array of touchscreen Windows 8 PCs at many different screen sizes, types and prices. She said Microsoft’s marketing push behind the updated Windows 8 will rival the hundreds of millions of dollars the company spent on TV commercials and other promotions around the fall Windows 8 launch.
Still, Ms. Reller acknowledged Windows 8 device sales would have been better if Microsoft and its allies had gotten a better mix of touchscreen devices last year. “If we could have done a better job accomplishing that in the holiday launch or [the] selling season following, that certainly would have made a positive difference,” Ms. Reller said.
Since the November departure of Steven Sinofsky, who had led Windows 8 development at Microsoft, Ms. Reller has overseen the Windows division with Julie Larson-Green. In their power-sharing role, Ms. Reller is responsible for the business functions of Windows, while Larson oversees engineering and other technical aspects of Windows software and hardware.
It remains to be seen whether Ms. Reller will stick around long enough to see Windows 8 through its changes. Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Peter Klein recently said he plans to step down from his post and leave the company at the end of June, and Microsoft-watchers have speculated Ms. Reller’s professional experience seems to make her a good fit as his replacement.
Ms. Reller said, “I do love my current job,” but demurred when asked whether she might take the CFO post.
And a willingness to discuss Windows 8’s faults didn’t mean Ms. Reller was willing to concede to all the critics of Windows 8. She said she disagreed with IDC’s conclusions that Windows 8 was responsible for the first-quarter dropoff in PC shipments.
She said it is difficult for IDC and others to measure PC shipments at times of transition in the computing market. Ms. Reller showed a PowerPoint slide of weekly Windows 8 sales since its Oct launched that showed a slow trend of increasing sales.
Steve Ballmer: The boss who bet his company on Windows 8 – and lost as computer giant announces 'biggest product U-turn since New Coke'
Updated version of operating system will take into account complaints made by users as decision to overhaul the much-maligned operating system has put Bill Gates’s successor under pressure
It was, proclaimed Microsoft’s irrepressible salesman Steve Ballmer, a “bet-the-company” moment.
But the wager on Windows 8, a new operating system which would halt the slide in PC sales and challenge Apple’s iPad, has turned sour after the computer giant announced a humiliating U-turn.
In what has been described as the biggest admission of commercial failure for a major product launch since “new Coke” was withdrawn 30 years ago, Microsoft is to overhaul Windows 8, the software update which prompted a backlash from customers who found it impossible to navigate.
Pitched as an operating system for both desktop computers and tablets, Windows 8’s touch-screen interface confused Microsoft’s customers with its interactive “tile”-based start screen and the omission of the brand’s famous “Start” button.
Mr Ballmer, the Microsoft CEO, said he was “betting the company” on the worldwide launch of a range of Windows 8 desktops, laptops, notebooks and the company’s answer to the iPad, the new “Surface” tablet.
However, the Surface has failed to make an impression in the tablet market, and the lack of affordable touch-laptops able to use Windows 8 meant customers were left flailing with an operating system they had little idea how to use.
Despite selling 100 million licences, interest in Windows 8 has flagged and Tammy Reller, head of marketing and finance for the Windows business, announced a retreat, admitting that the software had defeated many users. “The learning curve is definitely real and we need to address it,” she said.
A new update, provisionally called Microsoft Blue, will be rolled out by the end of the year. Analysts expect it to restore the Start button. A “boot-to-desktop” option could bypass the unloved Windows 8 interface altogether. Ms Reller said: “We’ve considered a lot of different scenarios to help traditional PC users move forward as well as making usability that much better on all devices.”
Investors are beginning to ask whether the exuberant Mr Ballmer, 57, who took over as CEO from Bill Gates in 2000, is still the man to take Microsoft forward after allowing rivals to revolutionise the market with touch-based mobile computing devices. Global PC sales slumped by 14 per cent in the first quarter of 2013.
Mr Ballmer should quit now, said Joachim Kempin, a former Microsoft executive who helped to build the Windows business. “Microsoft is going into surface tablets. These tablets are OK products, but nothing really distinguishes them either,” he told the BBC.
Microsoft has alienated its manufacturing partners, Mr Kempin said, noting how Hewlett-Packard and Samsung are now producing tablets for Android, not Windows.
Investors talk of a “lost decade” at Microsoft but if they want Mr Ballmer out, it will require the support of Mr Gates, who remains the largest individual shareholder. Mr Gates hand-picked Mr Ballmer and has supported his attempts to move the company from desktop software to a cloud-based, networked future.
Under Mr Ballmer, Microsoft revenues have nearly tripled from $25.3bn (£16.6bn) in 2001 to $74.3bn in 2012. But the share price has failed to match rival Apple’s soaring stock-value.
The Windows 8 U-turn was inevitable, according to analysts. Richard Doherty, of technology research firm Envisioneering, said: “This is like New Coke, going on for seven months.”
Microsoft will make Windows 8 compatible with smaller, seven and eight inch tablets, which would allow hardware makers to compete against such popular devices as the iPad mini, Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire.
Bill Gates: iPad Users 'Frustrated,' Need Microsoft Surface
Only the Surface can provide a keyboard, apparently. -Bill Gates
The Microsoft Surface had a bit of a slow start over the past year, but Bill Gates still thinks the hybrid tablet offers some advantages over its main competition. Speaking to CNBC on Monday, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates stated iPad users are upset by a lack of physical keyboard and the unavailability of the Office productivity suite .
"With Windows 8, Microsoft is trying to gain market share in what has been dominated by the iPad-type device. But a lot those users are frustrated," said Gates. "They can't type. They can't create documents. They don't have Microsoft Office there."
As you might have guessed, Gates is referring to the Surface and Surface Pro. Admittedly, there's a lot to be gained from the addition of a physical keyboard, when compared with the sometimes aggravating inaccuracy of Apple's virtual offering in iOS. But at the same time, there's a wide assortment of third-party peripherals on the market, and apps like Google Docs are growing in popularity with tablet users.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with promoting your own company's products. And according to a report from research firm IDC, the Surface could use the boost. Microsoft's device only moved 900,000 units in the last quarter, compared to 19.5 million iPads.
Windows Phone Boss Terry Myerson on Microsoft’s Challenges, Android’s Messiness
Windows Phone head Terry Myerson is happy to talk about the limitations of his rivals.
From Microsoft’s way of thinking, the iPhone is too closed, and Android is too open.
Or, as Myerson puts it, Android “is still kind of a mess.” So why then is Windows Phone still struggling to expand beyond the single digits in market share?
Myerson did his best to address that, and more, while in the hot seat at D: Dive Into Mobile. He also foreshadowed more aggressive ads that take direct aim at rivals, as well as the need for Microsoft to better compete on price.
As for whether Microsoft needs its own phone, Myerson didn’t explicitly rule it out, but suggested that — for now, at least — Redmond is happy with the work being done by Nokia, HTC and others.
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Nokia Teases Enhanced Imaging on the Nokia Lumia 928
A new teaser site, designed to wet the appetites of potential Lumia 928 owners, has now appeared on Nokia’s US website.
The site, which is available here, seems to highlight the new Lumia flagship’s low-light picture taking abilities. In it, the device is shown taking pictures at a beach near dusk, however the picture we see in the viewfinder is quite a bit lighter than the actual beach seen in the background. Words and phrasing at the bottom of the picture also indicate that the focus of this Lumia flagship will be on picture taking, with a phrase reading “Capture the Highlights | Stay tuned for updates about the newest Nokia Lumia.”
Pictures of the Nokia Lumia 928 first leaked this past April and indicated that the device would feature Xenon flash instead of the Dual-LED flash of the Nokia Lumia 920. A Lumia device with Xenon flash would allow for crisper imaging in little to no lighting. These pictures also confirmed that the Lumia 928 will ship with Nokia’s PureView imaging technology. The Lumia 920’s PureView technology included Optical Image Stabilization for taking photos that require long exposure times without getting blurred shots, and a back side illuminated sensor for better low light photos.
The Nokia Lumia 928 is believed to have a dual-core 1.5 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM and a 4.5 inch display with a resolution of 1280 x768. All of Nokia’s mid-range to high-end devices also ship with wireless charging, however as the Lumia 928 is expected to be the first to use a metal enclosure instead of the colored polycarbonate of the Lumia 800, Lumia 900 and the Lumia 920.
Verizon documents and screenshots obtained by Nokia-Lumia-928.com indicated that Lumia 928 would ship in white, red and black. Though Bloomberg also indicated that the device would be available on Verizon, the outlet made no mention of different color options being made available to customers.
The device is expected to be fully announced by Nokia at its upcoming press event on May 14th.
Nokia Lumia 925 release date, news and rumours
The Nokia Lumia 925 is thought to be the new flagship smartphone which is currently in the works over at the firm's Finnish HQ.
Originally dubbed the Nokia Catwalk in earlier leaks, more recently we've seen reports suggesting that this production name will be changed to the Lumia 925 once it's been made official.
From what we've heard so far from the good old rumour mill, the Nokia Lumia 925 appears to be a slightly updated Lumia 920 rather than an entirely new handset.
We've trawled the web for all the "upstream supply sources", leaks, slips-of-the-tongue and speculation to bring you the clearest possible picture on Nokia's next big phone - and we'll dispense this information now.
While Nokia is staying schtum on any future devices - as you'd expect - it has scheduled an event in London on May 14, sending out an invite which teased "see what's next" and "the Nokia Lumia story continues".
Although this doesn't single out the Lumia 925 various suggestions appear to point towards this event for the launch of the new flagship device.
We'll be in attendance at the event to bring you all the news, so keep your eyes peeled for the official low down and our hands on Nokia Lumia 925 review - assuming that's what Nokia will be showing off.
In terms of when we may see the Lumia 925 hit shelves we're probably looking at June or July, although there's an outside chance we could get our hands on it sooner if Nokia manages to produce a fast turn around time a la Apple and BlackBerry (with the Z10).
We've not seen anything on a price yet, but considering the Lumia 925 is expected to be Nokia's next flagship device you can probably look at the likes of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 as a benchmark.
The not-so-big screen
While many manufacturers seem to be stuffing gigantic screens into smartphones Nokia is apparently being a little more reserved with the Lumia 925.
According to reports the 925 is set to sport a 4.5-inch display, although don't expect to see the full HD resolution we've been treated to on the current crop of superphones.
A leak over in China suggests the Lumia 925 will feature a 1280 x 768 resolution - which would match the offering on the 920.
Say cheese, in the dark
Round the back the Lumia 925 is said to carry a 8.7MP camera which once again puts it in line with the 920, although it could come with even better low light qualities.
Over in the States we've seen various leaks and adverts for the Nokia Lumia 928, which is presumed to be the US variant of the Lumia 925 - with billboards screaming "the best low-light smartphone camera".
Bold claims indeed and we've got to admit we were mightily impressed with the 920's performance in near darkness, so the 925 has its work cut out - especially now we have the ultrapixel-toting HTC One is knocking about.
Some may be a little disappointed that Nokia may not plump for a snapper similar to the 13MP lens found on the Sony Xperia Z, or even take its crazy 41MP Pureview technology to stick inside the phone - but remember none of this information is confirmed so we'll just have to wait and see.
More of the same
There's no surprises in the operating system department with the Lumia 925 tipped to run Windows Phone 8 - which is the sole platform used by Nokia in all its smartphones now.
It doesn't get much more exciting with a mooted dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a 2000mAh non-removable battery, which all smacks of a phone that came out last year and one that isn't particularly cutting edge.
Let's hope Nokia has a trick or two up its sleeve.
Tipped to ditch
One of the big differences between the Lumia 920 and the rumoured Lumia 925 could be the chassis, with the latter tipped to ditch the polycarbonate, found on Nokia's current crop of smartphones, for a premium aluminium finish.
There's an ongoing debate over what material our smartphones should be made from. In one corner there's the plastic brigade headed up by the Galaxy S4 who talk up the material's flexible and lightweight assests.
In the other is the premium glass and metal fans who want a device which feels like the price they paid for it, with the likes of the Xperia Z, iPhone 5and HTC One flying the high-class flag.
While Nokias have always been well made its current handset crop has been described as looking a bit toyish, and a brushed aluminium finish on the Lumia 925 would see it elevated above these.
As well as sporting a new material the Lumia 925 is also said to be lighter and thinner than the 920, with Nokia shedding 50g of weight and 2.3mm round the middle - which would wedge it in between the Galaxy S4 and HTC One.
Hulu Plus Arrives on Windows Phone 8
Hulu has launched its Hulu Plus mobile app on Microsoft's Windows Phone store, offering video streaming of popular TV shows on your WP8 device.
Shows on offer include hits like "Family Guy," "Glee," "Modern Family," "Community," "The Vampire Diaries" and others. Ad-free kids shows are also available, including "SpongeBob SquarePants," "iCarly," "Caillou" and others. And, if you want to get rid of (most) ads, you can get a limited advertising version of the app for $7.99 a month.
The app offers daily feed of "Trending Now" clips, adding videos to queue for instant access, search, and the ability to resume watching where you left off on supported devices. WP8 device owners will be happy to learn that the app also offers Live Tile updates on hottest shows.
Of course, while the app itself is free, it won't do you much good without a Hulu subscription.
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