Cyber-attackers recently breached LivingSocial's systems and illegally
accessed customer information for more than 50 million users, LivingSocial said.
Users need to change their passwords immediately.
As PCMag.com reported yesterday, LivingSocial sent data breach notification
emails to all affected customers informing them of a cyber-attack which resulted
in unauthorized access of customer data. More than 50 million accounts were
potentially affected, according to LivingSocial, making this one of the largest
password breaches this year.
It's not clear at this time how the breach occurred and what other pieces
of information were stolen. In these kinds of incidents, attackers typically
break in by secretly installing malware on employee devices and then work their
way around the network until they find sensitive systems, George Tubin, senior
security strategist at Trusteer, told SecurityWatch.
Providers "should expect hackers to target their systems to obtain customer
data or sensitive corporate information," Tubin said. At this point, "it’s
obvious that these providers are simply not doing enough to protect their
customers' information," Tubin said.
Salted, Hashed Passwords Not Crack-Proof
It's a good sign that LivingSocial had hashed and salted its passwords as
that will slow down attackers somewhat, but "it won't stop" the attackers from
trying, and succeeding, in figuring out the original passwords, Ross Barrett,
senior manager of security engineering at Rapid7, told SecurityWatch. While
salting slows down the cracking process, "eventually the attackers or their
network will get the information they’re after" Barrett said..
Hashing is a one-way encryption, where you always get the same output for a
certain input, but it's not possible to start with a hash and work out what the
original string was. Attackers frequently rely on rainbow tables, a series of
immense dictionaries containing every conceivable string (including dictionary
words, common surnames, even song lyrics) and the relevant hash values.
Attackers can match the hash from the password table with the rainbow table in
order to find the original string that generated the code.
Salting refers to the process of adding extra information to the original
input string before creating a hash. Since the attacker doesn't know what the
extra bits of data are, cracking the hashes becomes harder.
The problem, however, is that LivingSocial used SHA1 to generate the hash,
a weak algorithm. Like MD5, another popular algorithm, SHA1 was designed to
operate quickly and with a minimal amount of computing resources.
Considering recent advances in hardware and hacking technologies, SHA1
hashes, even salted, aren't crack-proof. LivingSocial would have been better off
with bcrypt, scrypt, or PBKDF-2.
Change Those Passwords Now
LivingSocial has preemptively reset passwords for all users and users
should make sure to pick new passwords that aren't being used anywhere else.
Many people tend to reuse the same password across sites; if users used the
LivingSocial password on other sites, they should change those passwords
immediately as well. Once the passwords are cracked, attackers can try the
passwords against popular services such as email, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
"These breaches are another reminder why it’s so important to maintain good
password hygiene and use different passwords for all accounts and sites,"
Barrett said.
Attackers can use also use dates of birth and names to craft phishing and
other social engineering campaigns. They can reference these details to trick
users into thinking these are legitimate messages. The stolen data will be
"powering attacks for a very long time," Barrett said.
The LivingSocial breach is "another reminder that organizations will
continue to be targeted for their valuable customer data," Barrett said.
2013年4月28日星期日
When you already have Place of work 2013
This 2nd examine configuring Business 365 for enterprises on cell products
focuses on the brand new cellular natural environment, for merly identified as
“Metro,” that is available in Windows 8 and RT. But do not get worried, classic
Computer system customers: I have a handful of strategies for those people using
more traditional PCs along with the desktop environment much too.
Whilst yesterday’s discussion about configuring Office 365 on Windows Cellular phone 8 was fairly uncomplicated, Microsoft is inside the center of remaking Home windows right into a platform that may be as in your house on ultra-mobile and highly-connected equipment like tablets mainly because it is on regular PCs. As a result Windows 8, and its ARM-based variant Home windows RT, includes both a whole new cell system, formerly referred to as Metro, and also the regular desktop environment.
While you could possibly assume, Place of work 365 is often surfaced in each environments. And while this series is directed at cell usage, I’ll offer a fast overview of your desktop-based configurations you should think about in this article furthermore to investigating the Metro facet on the fence. Having said that, most of this information is about configuring Business 365 inside the Metro atmosphere.
From any in the applications, you may change the account identify and figure out no matter whether to sync email (Mail), contacts (People), and calendar (Calendar). Take note the Calendar application does not work with Business 365/Exchange-based tasks.
Two in the apps even have a number of app-specific settings you might want to examine. In Mail, for instance, two weeks of electronic mail are downloaded by default, and there is certainly an e-mail signature pre-configured. And in Calendar, you may decide on which Office 365 calendars are exhibited, and what shade they use.
If you’re utilizing Home windows RT, or Windows eight on the tablet, you will unquestionably choose to seize the 2 currently available “Metro” Workplace applications, Lync and OneNote. Soon, more will likely be available, which include a SharePoint Newsfeed application.
Let’s check out Windows RT initial. While you could know, Windows RT will not be suitable with any Home windows desktop apps that really don't ship while using the base OS. For Office 365, this means a few items. You can’t download and install SkyDrive Pro, such as, and that means you will not have the ability to mechanically sync a SharePoint-based doc library with all your machine.
Windows RT does come with Office 2013, therefore you could make your SkyDrive Professional storage the default open/save place in Term, Excel, and PowerPoint. To take action, open up a kind of apps and afterwards tap the File menu button. Within the Open watch that appears, tap “Add a place” after which you can Workplace 365 SharePoint. Indicator into your Place of work 365 account as prompted, and Business office 365 might be additional to the record of spots that Business makes use of for documents. The truth is, it will probably be the default. (SharePoint often usually takes priority about SkyDrive in Business 2013.)
If you are applying a OneNote notebook in SharePoint On the internet in Workplace 365, navigate to that notebook from the web interface working with Net Explorer, open up it in OneNote Internet App, after which decide on Open up in OneNote to have it into OneNote 2013 on your Computer system. Any further, you can accessibility it seamlessly from your software instantly.
Windows 8 works likewise to Windows RT, however, you get some more niceties. First, if the Office 365 subscription supports it, you'll be able to put in Business 2013 more than the web, which edition of Workplace contains SkyDrive Pro-see Business office 365 Tip: Arrange SkyDrive Professional with your Personal computer for additional specifics of getting that going-and several other programs. And it automatically configures the Business office programs to make use of your SkyDrive Pro-based document library by default.
When you already have Place of work 2013 set up, or have individually acquired it, use the directions over for including SharePoint Online in Office environment 365 on your Workplace purposes. And never ignore Outlook 2013, which can be a far more impressive alternative for managing e mail, contacts, calendar, and, of course, responsibilities than will be the Metro-style mobile apps.
If you're applying an more mature model of Office-Office 2007 and 2010 are supported-you can make use of a distinctive utility downloaded from your Office 365 web-site to immediately configure individuals purposes to operate with your account. This may be uncovered in Configurations (gear icon), Business office 365 Settings, Software package, Desktop Set up.
http://www.windows7mart.com/windows-7-ultimate-product-key-p-3528.html
Whilst yesterday’s discussion about configuring Office 365 on Windows Cellular phone 8 was fairly uncomplicated, Microsoft is inside the center of remaking Home windows right into a platform that may be as in your house on ultra-mobile and highly-connected equipment like tablets mainly because it is on regular PCs. As a result Windows 8, and its ARM-based variant Home windows RT, includes both a whole new cell system, formerly referred to as Metro, and also the regular desktop environment.
While you could possibly assume, Place of work 365 is often surfaced in each environments. And while this series is directed at cell usage, I’ll offer a fast overview of your desktop-based configurations you should think about in this article furthermore to investigating the Metro facet on the fence. Having said that, most of this information is about configuring Business 365 inside the Metro atmosphere.
From any in the applications, you may change the account identify and figure out no matter whether to sync email (Mail), contacts (People), and calendar (Calendar). Take note the Calendar application does not work with Business 365/Exchange-based tasks.
Two in the apps even have a number of app-specific settings you might want to examine. In Mail, for instance, two weeks of electronic mail are downloaded by default, and there is certainly an e-mail signature pre-configured. And in Calendar, you may decide on which Office 365 calendars are exhibited, and what shade they use.
If you’re utilizing Home windows RT, or Windows eight on the tablet, you will unquestionably choose to seize the 2 currently available “Metro” Workplace applications, Lync and OneNote. Soon, more will likely be available, which include a SharePoint Newsfeed application.
Let’s check out Windows RT initial. While you could know, Windows RT will not be suitable with any Home windows desktop apps that really don't ship while using the base OS. For Office 365, this means a few items. You can’t download and install SkyDrive Pro, such as, and that means you will not have the ability to mechanically sync a SharePoint-based doc library with all your machine.
Windows RT does come with Office 2013, therefore you could make your SkyDrive Professional storage the default open/save place in Term, Excel, and PowerPoint. To take action, open up a kind of apps and afterwards tap the File menu button. Within the Open watch that appears, tap “Add a place” after which you can Workplace 365 SharePoint. Indicator into your Place of work 365 account as prompted, and Business office 365 might be additional to the record of spots that Business makes use of for documents. The truth is, it will probably be the default. (SharePoint often usually takes priority about SkyDrive in Business 2013.)
If you are applying a OneNote notebook in SharePoint On the internet in Workplace 365, navigate to that notebook from the web interface working with Net Explorer, open up it in OneNote Internet App, after which decide on Open up in OneNote to have it into OneNote 2013 on your Computer system. Any further, you can accessibility it seamlessly from your software instantly.
Windows 8 works likewise to Windows RT, however, you get some more niceties. First, if the Office 365 subscription supports it, you'll be able to put in Business 2013 more than the web, which edition of Workplace contains SkyDrive Pro-see Business office 365 Tip: Arrange SkyDrive Professional with your Personal computer for additional specifics of getting that going-and several other programs. And it automatically configures the Business office programs to make use of your SkyDrive Pro-based document library by default.
When you already have Place of work 2013 set up, or have individually acquired it, use the directions over for including SharePoint Online in Office environment 365 on your Workplace purposes. And never ignore Outlook 2013, which can be a far more impressive alternative for managing e mail, contacts, calendar, and, of course, responsibilities than will be the Metro-style mobile apps.
If you're applying an more mature model of Office-Office 2007 and 2010 are supported-you can make use of a distinctive utility downloaded from your Office 365 web-site to immediately configure individuals purposes to operate with your account. This may be uncovered in Configurations (gear icon), Business office 365 Settings, Software package, Desktop Set up.
http://www.windows7mart.com/windows-7-ultimate-product-key-p-3528.html
2013年4月20日星期六
Microsoft betting on smaller Windows 8 devices and subscriptions
Microsoft's current financial team has been laying out the company's future
strategy, and is hoping that a new rash of smaller Windows 8 PCs and cloud
revenues will secure Redmond's future.
During a call with financial analysts after reporting Microsoft's financial results for its third fiscal 2013 quarter on Thursday, departing CFO Peter Klein said that traditional PC shipments continue to decline and forecasts of a double-digit drop in sales next year remains probable. But the forthcoming Haswell and Atom processors from Intel and smaller PCs running Windows 8 cheaply should help Microsoft retain its operating system footprint, he said.
"We build Windows 8 with touch and mobility at the center of the experience, which positions us well in this new era," Klein opined.
"However, the transition is complicated, given the size of our hardware and software ecosystem," he added. "We still have an immense amount of work to do, yet we feel good about the foundation we have laid and are optimistic about the long-term success of Windows."
Microsoft still isn't releasing Windows 8 licensing figures, nor making any comment on the issue. Klein did say that Windows 7 was now running on two-thirds of enterprise desktops, and that the campaign to get people off XP was going well. But Windows 8 can't be selling that well, otherwise Redmond would be trumpeting it from the rooftops.
On the server-and-tools side, Klein said that companies were enthusiastically getting behind the new Server operating system, particularly in light of the cloud capabilities it offers. Double-digit revenue growth is expected next year, and Microsoft is confident it can hold its own against the competition.
The other part of the equation for Microsoft is the shift to cloud services. This would enable the company to book long-term revenue streams, allow it to continually upgrade its code, and make piracy less of an issue – or so Redmond hopes.
Office 365 is set to bring in a billion dollars a year in 2013, Klein said, and a quarter of Microsoft's business customers are now using it, although presumably only partially in most cases. What he didn't explain was how Office 365 revenues will be able to match the cash cow that is installed Office, and this seems highly unlikely. But Klein insisted there are benefits to such an approach.
"Long term it's a great trend because we're building up a banked book of business on the subscriptions side which will become less and less connected to the PC market," he said.
Communications software is also key to Microsoft's ambitions to get its money's worth from the Skype acquisition. Ninety members of the Fortune 100 are now using Lync, Klein said, and the merger of the platform with Skype and Windows Phone 8 will enable "true unified communications everywhere."
But on the more pressing matter of Microsoft's mobile operating system, almost nothing was said. It's been six months since the Windows Phone 8 launch, and so far it's not setting the world alight – although it's big in Russia and Eastern Europe, apparently.
This is Klein's swansong at Microsoft – he explained that he was leaving to spend more time with his family – but he insisted the company had a bright future and a firm bedrock upon which to build. The markets seem less hopeful – Microsoft's shares are down slightly in the day's trading and no one is forecasting a 2012 Apple-like rise anytime soon.
During a call with financial analysts after reporting Microsoft's financial results for its third fiscal 2013 quarter on Thursday, departing CFO Peter Klein said that traditional PC shipments continue to decline and forecasts of a double-digit drop in sales next year remains probable. But the forthcoming Haswell and Atom processors from Intel and smaller PCs running Windows 8 cheaply should help Microsoft retain its operating system footprint, he said.
"We build Windows 8 with touch and mobility at the center of the experience, which positions us well in this new era," Klein opined.
"However, the transition is complicated, given the size of our hardware and software ecosystem," he added. "We still have an immense amount of work to do, yet we feel good about the foundation we have laid and are optimistic about the long-term success of Windows."
Microsoft still isn't releasing Windows 8 licensing figures, nor making any comment on the issue. Klein did say that Windows 7 was now running on two-thirds of enterprise desktops, and that the campaign to get people off XP was going well. But Windows 8 can't be selling that well, otherwise Redmond would be trumpeting it from the rooftops.
On the server-and-tools side, Klein said that companies were enthusiastically getting behind the new Server operating system, particularly in light of the cloud capabilities it offers. Double-digit revenue growth is expected next year, and Microsoft is confident it can hold its own against the competition.
The other part of the equation for Microsoft is the shift to cloud services. This would enable the company to book long-term revenue streams, allow it to continually upgrade its code, and make piracy less of an issue – or so Redmond hopes.
Office 365 is set to bring in a billion dollars a year in 2013, Klein said, and a quarter of Microsoft's business customers are now using it, although presumably only partially in most cases. What he didn't explain was how Office 365 revenues will be able to match the cash cow that is installed Office, and this seems highly unlikely. But Klein insisted there are benefits to such an approach.
"Long term it's a great trend because we're building up a banked book of business on the subscriptions side which will become less and less connected to the PC market," he said.
Communications software is also key to Microsoft's ambitions to get its money's worth from the Skype acquisition. Ninety members of the Fortune 100 are now using Lync, Klein said, and the merger of the platform with Skype and Windows Phone 8 will enable "true unified communications everywhere."
But on the more pressing matter of Microsoft's mobile operating system, almost nothing was said. It's been six months since the Windows Phone 8 launch, and so far it's not setting the world alight – although it's big in Russia and Eastern Europe, apparently.
This is Klein's swansong at Microsoft – he explained that he was leaving to spend more time with his family – but he insisted the company had a bright future and a firm bedrock upon which to build. The markets seem less hopeful – Microsoft's shares are down slightly in the day's trading and no one is forecasting a 2012 Apple-like rise anytime soon.
A 7-inch Home windows eight tablet in the $200
Microsoft has verified that scaled-down Windows 8 tablets will come to
industry in the close to foreseeable future. These will fill a gap during the
Home windows ecosystem and improve demand from customers for Home windows 8 by
addressing important downsides to the early Floor tablets.
Windows pill product sales appeared to start off impressively, nevertheless the overall final results so far are mediocre at best. Microsoft is not sharing the figures, but current stories counsel that 1.5 million Surface area tablets have marketed, with four hundred,000 of them Area Pro. The Surface area Pro offered out almost instantaneously, but with no real income details, it is difficult to know irrespective of whether which is spectacular.
If a single matter has hampered the achievements of Home windows eight tablets, it is really selling price. The Surface area RT is surely an spectacular piece of hardware and also a worthy pill competitor, but it prices the same $500 given that the entry-level design of your incredibly well-known iPad-and just about double the price of the Amazon Kindle Fireplace eight.9 Hd. Starting at $900, the 10.6-inch Floor Professional is astronomical to get a pill. Regardless that it is definitely a tablet-ultrabook hybrid of kinds, it really is perceived as a pill.
An additional related handicap of Home windows 8 tablets is size. Led with the authentic Amazon Kindle Hearth and followed via the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Google Nexus and iPad Mini, the 7-inch tablet market has exploded. The fact that more compact tablets are inclined to price tag about half about their bigger counterparts includes a good deal to do with that.
Windows 8 has long been blamed for the steep fall in Laptop profits, while using the most important offender currently being the missing Commence button. Having said that, modern Personal computer profits information does not consist of tablets-not even people such as the Area Professional, which can be practically a Personal computer running the full Home windows eight OS. IDC's most up-to-date investigate did not depend something that has a thoroughly removable keyboard as being a Computer system.
The future Home windows eight.one, codenamed “Windows Blue," will spark need for Windows. Many rumored, critical updates and alterations are determined by leaked builds. For instance, Home windows Blue may possibly boot straight to the additional acquainted Home windows 7-esque desktop manner, and even return the start button.
What's going to ignite product sales of both Windows 8.one and Home windows eight.one tablets? Smaller sized, more cost-effective Windows 8 tablets.
A Home windows 8 Pro pill can swap a standard desktop or notebook computer simply because it's, in truth, a complete Pc. Tablets functioning Windows RT, however, can arguably substitute a conventional Computer system for numerous customers, however they just cannot operate legacy Windows program. For all those who are not seeking to change their Personal computer, nevertheless, a lesser tablet makes much more perception.
The Surface area Pro is simply marginally lesser, thinner and lighter than most Home windows notebooks or perhaps ultrabooks. Corporations and people who definitely have now invested within a Windows laptop computer attain tiny worth from paying for a Windows 8 tablet.
A 7-inch Home windows eight tablet in the $200 selling price range would transform every thing, driving adoption of Home windows 8. It could fill a niche between smartphone and laptop computer, and supply the steady Home windows expertise alongside equipment like Microsoft Office environment. You can find the rumored gain that Windows Blue will automatically sync applications and configurations involving the desktop or notebook along with the pill. A stylus or digitizer would sweeten the deal.
"It's a (great) indication the new Microsoft is aggressively and proactively heading to engage in in just about every new components segment," claims Onuora Amobi, main editor in the WindowsBlue web site. "They'll prevent to determine if it's a good determination later. That's a great method."
Windows pill product sales appeared to start off impressively, nevertheless the overall final results so far are mediocre at best. Microsoft is not sharing the figures, but current stories counsel that 1.5 million Surface area tablets have marketed, with four hundred,000 of them Area Pro. The Surface area Pro offered out almost instantaneously, but with no real income details, it is difficult to know irrespective of whether which is spectacular.
If a single matter has hampered the achievements of Home windows eight tablets, it is really selling price. The Surface area RT is surely an spectacular piece of hardware and also a worthy pill competitor, but it prices the same $500 given that the entry-level design of your incredibly well-known iPad-and just about double the price of the Amazon Kindle Fireplace eight.9 Hd. Starting at $900, the 10.6-inch Floor Professional is astronomical to get a pill. Regardless that it is definitely a tablet-ultrabook hybrid of kinds, it really is perceived as a pill.
An additional related handicap of Home windows 8 tablets is size. Led with the authentic Amazon Kindle Hearth and followed via the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Google Nexus and iPad Mini, the 7-inch tablet market has exploded. The fact that more compact tablets are inclined to price tag about half about their bigger counterparts includes a good deal to do with that.
Windows 8 has long been blamed for the steep fall in Laptop profits, while using the most important offender currently being the missing Commence button. Having said that, modern Personal computer profits information does not consist of tablets-not even people such as the Area Professional, which can be practically a Personal computer running the full Home windows eight OS. IDC's most up-to-date investigate did not depend something that has a thoroughly removable keyboard as being a Computer system.
The future Home windows eight.one, codenamed “Windows Blue," will spark need for Windows. Many rumored, critical updates and alterations are determined by leaked builds. For instance, Home windows Blue may possibly boot straight to the additional acquainted Home windows 7-esque desktop manner, and even return the start button.
What's going to ignite product sales of both Windows 8.one and Home windows eight.one tablets? Smaller sized, more cost-effective Windows 8 tablets.
A Home windows 8 Pro pill can swap a standard desktop or notebook computer simply because it's, in truth, a complete Pc. Tablets functioning Windows RT, however, can arguably substitute a conventional Computer system for numerous customers, however they just cannot operate legacy Windows program. For all those who are not seeking to change their Personal computer, nevertheless, a lesser tablet makes much more perception.
The Surface area Pro is simply marginally lesser, thinner and lighter than most Home windows notebooks or perhaps ultrabooks. Corporations and people who definitely have now invested within a Windows laptop computer attain tiny worth from paying for a Windows 8 tablet.
A 7-inch Home windows eight tablet in the $200 selling price range would transform every thing, driving adoption of Home windows 8. It could fill a niche between smartphone and laptop computer, and supply the steady Home windows expertise alongside equipment like Microsoft Office environment. You can find the rumored gain that Windows Blue will automatically sync applications and configurations involving the desktop or notebook along with the pill. A stylus or digitizer would sweeten the deal.
"It's a (great) indication the new Microsoft is aggressively and proactively heading to engage in in just about every new components segment," claims Onuora Amobi, main editor in the WindowsBlue web site. "They'll prevent to determine if it's a good determination later. That's a great method."
2013年4月16日星期二
Microsoft Working With Suppliers on Designs for Touch-Enabled Watch Device
Microsoft Corp. MSFT -0.35% is working on designs for a touch-enabled watch
device, executives at suppliers said, potentially joining rivals like Apple Inc.
AAPL -2.32% in working on a new class of computing products.
Earlier this year, Microsoft asked suppliers in Asia to ship components for a potential watch-style device, the executives said. One executive said he met with Microsoft's research and development team at the software company's Redmond, Wash., headquarters. But it's unclear whether Microsoft will opt to move ahead with the watch, they said.
Microsoft declined to comment.
Some investors and big technology companies are betting on a boom in wearable, computerized devices built around the growing power and slimming size of sensors that can detect body temperature, geographic location and voice commands of people on the go.
Some of the new wearable gadgets, like Nike Inc.'s NKE -1.50% FuelBand, measure physical activity, while others are intended to supplement functions of a smartphone, such as receiving text messages, taking photos or checking the weather. Apple has also experimented with designs for a wristwatch-style device, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year.
Startup Pebble Technology Corp. is selling a watch that syncs wirelessly with smartphones and vibrates to alert wearers to incoming phone calls, Twitter posts and emails. Google Inc. GOOG -1.03% is testing with consumers a device it calls Google Glass, an eyeglass-style gadget that displays certain computerized information in a user's field of vision.
"We see growing demand for wearable gadgets as the size of the smartphone has become too big to carry around," said RBS analyst Wanli Wang. "A smart watch that is compatible with a smartphone and other electronics devices would be attractive to consumers."
Research firm Gartner expects the market for wearable smart electronics to be a $10 billion industry by 2016.
This isn't the first time that Microsoft has shown an interest in wearable gadgets. Microsoft a decade ago unveiled a "Smart Watch" powered by the company's software. For a subscription fee, Smart Watch wearers could have news headlines, sports scores and instant messages beamed over FM radio to their wrists. But sales stopped in 2008.
For its potential new watch prototype, Microsoft has requested 1.5-inch displays from component makers, said an executive at a component supplier.
The tests of a computerized watch also underscore Microsoft's ambitions in expanding its hardware offerings. Last October, Microsoft launched the Surface tablet-style computer, and the company is prepping more homegrown computing devices including a smaller, 7-inch version of a tablet to compete with popular gadgets like Apple's iPad Mini, people familiar with the matter have said.
Microsoft also is continuing to test its own smartphone, although it isn't clear whether it will bring such a device to market, component suppliers said.
Earlier this year, Microsoft asked suppliers in Asia to ship components for a potential watch-style device, the executives said. One executive said he met with Microsoft's research and development team at the software company's Redmond, Wash., headquarters. But it's unclear whether Microsoft will opt to move ahead with the watch, they said.
Microsoft declined to comment.
Some investors and big technology companies are betting on a boom in wearable, computerized devices built around the growing power and slimming size of sensors that can detect body temperature, geographic location and voice commands of people on the go.
Some of the new wearable gadgets, like Nike Inc.'s NKE -1.50% FuelBand, measure physical activity, while others are intended to supplement functions of a smartphone, such as receiving text messages, taking photos or checking the weather. Apple has also experimented with designs for a wristwatch-style device, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year.
Startup Pebble Technology Corp. is selling a watch that syncs wirelessly with smartphones and vibrates to alert wearers to incoming phone calls, Twitter posts and emails. Google Inc. GOOG -1.03% is testing with consumers a device it calls Google Glass, an eyeglass-style gadget that displays certain computerized information in a user's field of vision.
"We see growing demand for wearable gadgets as the size of the smartphone has become too big to carry around," said RBS analyst Wanli Wang. "A smart watch that is compatible with a smartphone and other electronics devices would be attractive to consumers."
Research firm Gartner expects the market for wearable smart electronics to be a $10 billion industry by 2016.
This isn't the first time that Microsoft has shown an interest in wearable gadgets. Microsoft a decade ago unveiled a "Smart Watch" powered by the company's software. For a subscription fee, Smart Watch wearers could have news headlines, sports scores and instant messages beamed over FM radio to their wrists. But sales stopped in 2008.
For its potential new watch prototype, Microsoft has requested 1.5-inch displays from component makers, said an executive at a component supplier.
The tests of a computerized watch also underscore Microsoft's ambitions in expanding its hardware offerings. Last October, Microsoft launched the Surface tablet-style computer, and the company is prepping more homegrown computing devices including a smaller, 7-inch version of a tablet to compete with popular gadgets like Apple's iPad Mini, people familiar with the matter have said.
Microsoft also is continuing to test its own smartphone, although it isn't clear whether it will bring such a device to market, component suppliers said.
Those people of you who are nonetheless
Microsoft these days introduced updates for five from its 6 Bing Apps for
Windows eight. With this update, the News, Finance, Sporting activities, Travel
and Maps applications - all of which might be put in by default on Home windows
8 units - now all activity quite a few new options and improvements that, as
Microsoft puts it, “make it easier to personalize and personalize them to finest
fit your requirements.” The company also declared an update on the Bing
Temperature Application, but this new edition will not be obtainable yet.
Not one of the updates will rock your earth, but all of them are welcome additions, specifically for the reason that they generally felt considerably confined in their early iterations.
Those people of you who are nonetheless coming to grips along with the impending demise of Google Reader, for instance, will recognize the point that the Bing News application now supports RSS feeds and offline reading through. Moreover, the application now also options extra customization selections so that you can “keep tabs on unique tale groups, matters, or news sources that make any difference for you.”
The Maps application now includes targeted visitors incident notifications and enhanced driving, transit and going for walks instructions. Customers also can now bookmark areas they take a look at frequently for their start display.
The Finance app now contains an updates watch checklist and real-time U.S. inventory updates, and also the Athletics app provides 29 new leagues. The Travel app now incorporates information from Lonely World and Frodor’s, likewise as Frommer’s, which the first owners just bought back from Google.
The Temperature application also received a handful of exciting new resources, including the ability to have weather conditions at ski resorts in 24 nations throughout the planet (just in time with the finish on the ski year), likewise as improved relocating weather conditions maps.
Not one of the updates will rock your earth, but all of them are welcome additions, specifically for the reason that they generally felt considerably confined in their early iterations.
Those people of you who are nonetheless coming to grips along with the impending demise of Google Reader, for instance, will recognize the point that the Bing News application now supports RSS feeds and offline reading through. Moreover, the application now also options extra customization selections so that you can “keep tabs on unique tale groups, matters, or news sources that make any difference for you.”
The Maps application now includes targeted visitors incident notifications and enhanced driving, transit and going for walks instructions. Customers also can now bookmark areas they take a look at frequently for their start display.
The Finance app now contains an updates watch checklist and real-time U.S. inventory updates, and also the Athletics app provides 29 new leagues. The Travel app now incorporates information from Lonely World and Frodor’s, likewise as Frommer’s, which the first owners just bought back from Google.
The Temperature application also received a handful of exciting new resources, including the ability to have weather conditions at ski resorts in 24 nations throughout the planet (just in time with the finish on the ski year), likewise as improved relocating weather conditions maps.
2013年4月12日星期五
Windows XP's looming retirement won't shake PC business out of sales funk
The looming retirement of Windows XP won't stem the dramatic drop in PC
sales this year, but it may help bolster Microsoft's revenue, analysts said
today.
Although experts expect some business laggards to buy new hardware as they try to replace the 12-year-old XP before it's retired in April 2014, the quantities won't be enough to move the PC shipment needle to the positive side of the meter.
"Replacements for Windows XP won't be enough to offset the declines on the consumer side," said David Daoud, an analyst with IDC.
Earlier this week, both IDC and rival Gartner released estimates of PC shipments for the first quarter. Both said sales had plummeted, with IDC pegging the contraction at 14%, a record in the 19 years since the firm began tracking shipments. Much of that decline was due to consumers ignoring new Windows 8 PCs, said IDC.
Microsoft has saidit will not issue security updates for Windows XP after April 8, 2014, and shows no sign of bending on the date.
"They've drawn a line in the sand," said Matthew Casey of Technology Business Research.
IDC, which has already integrated potential replacement PC sales into its forecasting model, said that the new wares will contribute to a slightly better second half of 2013, along with the usual back-to-school and holiday sales seasons.
The retirement of XP "will help the commercial PC market, but it will do zero for the consumer," said Bob O'Donnell, another IDC analyst.
But while PC makers suffer, Microsoft software will come out smelling much sweeter: It's likely to reap more revenue from the disappearance of XP than will system builders, as many corporate customers will do in-place upgrades to Windows 7 on current hardware.
In February, CFO Peter Klein said that while Microsoft was seeing a mix of in-place upgrades and hardware refreshes by companies moving off XP, to date "a lot of these upgrades [are] happening on existing hardware."
That's feasible for two reasons. First, few of the machines still running XP are as old as the operating system -- corporate refreshes have taken place since XP debuted, even if many of them were downgraded to that OS to keep corporate environments as homogeneous as possible. Second, Microsoft has reduced the hardware requirements of Windows 7 to the point where the OS can run on old-but-not-ancient PCs.
Two months ago, Klein credited Windows 7 upgrades on existing hardware for boosting volume licensing revenue. In fact, Microsoft earns considerably more from an upgrade license sold to customers than it does for a new license it sells to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), or computer makers, for equipping new systems with an OS.
Rod Helm of Directions on Microsoft could not put a figure on the difference -- in part because what Microsoft charges OEMs for a new license is one of the Redmond, Wash. developer's most closely-guarded secrets -- but said that the System Builder version was the priciest OEM license Microsoft sells, and so a maximum for what it charges computer makers.
Microsoft will probably post Windows revenue figures during 2013 that outperform the PC business because of in-place upgrades, Helm said.
In a purchase of 1,000 upgrade licenses for Windows 8 Pro -- which include downgrade rights to Windows 7 Professional -- each license costs $184 under Microsoft's Open Licensing program, one of its most expensive. Meanwhile, a copy of Windows 8 Pro System Builder costs $96 on Amazon.com.
In other words, Microsoft makes about twice as much from a corporate in-place upgrade than it does from a sale to an OEM. No wonder the company's happy to see businesses move off XP by upgrading existing hardware.
But not all XP users will bother to upgrade. IDC's Daoud said that many businesses have downsized to the point where they have a surplus of PCs, and will simply set aside older systems running XP. Consumers, on the other hand, are even less likely to buy a new PC to replace their aging XP machines, instead steering toward smartphones and tablets as substitutes.
Microsoft will hold its quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts next week, on April 18, starting at 2:30 p.m. PT, when it will reveal revenue figures, signaling whether in-place upgrades helped offset the drop in income from OEM licensing.
Although experts expect some business laggards to buy new hardware as they try to replace the 12-year-old XP before it's retired in April 2014, the quantities won't be enough to move the PC shipment needle to the positive side of the meter.
"Replacements for Windows XP won't be enough to offset the declines on the consumer side," said David Daoud, an analyst with IDC.
Earlier this week, both IDC and rival Gartner released estimates of PC shipments for the first quarter. Both said sales had plummeted, with IDC pegging the contraction at 14%, a record in the 19 years since the firm began tracking shipments. Much of that decline was due to consumers ignoring new Windows 8 PCs, said IDC.
Microsoft has saidit will not issue security updates for Windows XP after April 8, 2014, and shows no sign of bending on the date.
"They've drawn a line in the sand," said Matthew Casey of Technology Business Research.
IDC, which has already integrated potential replacement PC sales into its forecasting model, said that the new wares will contribute to a slightly better second half of 2013, along with the usual back-to-school and holiday sales seasons.
The retirement of XP "will help the commercial PC market, but it will do zero for the consumer," said Bob O'Donnell, another IDC analyst.
But while PC makers suffer, Microsoft software will come out smelling much sweeter: It's likely to reap more revenue from the disappearance of XP than will system builders, as many corporate customers will do in-place upgrades to Windows 7 on current hardware.
In February, CFO Peter Klein said that while Microsoft was seeing a mix of in-place upgrades and hardware refreshes by companies moving off XP, to date "a lot of these upgrades [are] happening on existing hardware."
That's feasible for two reasons. First, few of the machines still running XP are as old as the operating system -- corporate refreshes have taken place since XP debuted, even if many of them were downgraded to that OS to keep corporate environments as homogeneous as possible. Second, Microsoft has reduced the hardware requirements of Windows 7 to the point where the OS can run on old-but-not-ancient PCs.
Two months ago, Klein credited Windows 7 upgrades on existing hardware for boosting volume licensing revenue. In fact, Microsoft earns considerably more from an upgrade license sold to customers than it does for a new license it sells to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), or computer makers, for equipping new systems with an OS.
Rod Helm of Directions on Microsoft could not put a figure on the difference -- in part because what Microsoft charges OEMs for a new license is one of the Redmond, Wash. developer's most closely-guarded secrets -- but said that the System Builder version was the priciest OEM license Microsoft sells, and so a maximum for what it charges computer makers.
Microsoft will probably post Windows revenue figures during 2013 that outperform the PC business because of in-place upgrades, Helm said.
In a purchase of 1,000 upgrade licenses for Windows 8 Pro -- which include downgrade rights to Windows 7 Professional -- each license costs $184 under Microsoft's Open Licensing program, one of its most expensive. Meanwhile, a copy of Windows 8 Pro System Builder costs $96 on Amazon.com.
In other words, Microsoft makes about twice as much from a corporate in-place upgrade than it does from a sale to an OEM. No wonder the company's happy to see businesses move off XP by upgrading existing hardware.
But not all XP users will bother to upgrade. IDC's Daoud said that many businesses have downsized to the point where they have a surplus of PCs, and will simply set aside older systems running XP. Consumers, on the other hand, are even less likely to buy a new PC to replace their aging XP machines, instead steering toward smartphones and tablets as substitutes.
Microsoft will hold its quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts next week, on April 18, starting at 2:30 p.m. PT, when it will reveal revenue figures, signaling whether in-place upgrades helped offset the drop in income from OEM licensing.
IDC has ever seen since it commenced monitoring the Computer
Computer sales are plummeting simply because consumers are baffled and sad
with Windows eight, and there's no conclude in sight. So concludes an IDC
report, which suggests the sinking profits are definitely the worst it is really
at any time witnessed.
The IDC report located that around the globe Personal computer shipments had been seventy six.three million models in 2013's to start with quarter, down thirteen.9% from a year preceding, as well as even worse than the 7.7% drop that IDC had forecast. The fall is the worst that IDC has windows key shop ever seen since it commenced monitoring the Computer sector just about every quarter in 1995. It really is also the fourth straight quarter that Pc sales have declined year-on-year.
That is just the begin from the undesirable news for Microsoft. IDC concludes that that drop has actually been fueled with the lousy layout and failure of Windows eight, not simply because of the increasing acceptance of tablets. Bob O'Donnell, IDC Program Vice chairman, Clientele and Shows had these harsh words for Home windows 8 and Microsoft:
"At this level, sadly, it appears distinct that the Windows eight launch don't just failed to supply a beneficial boost on the Computer industry, but seems to possess slowed the industry. Even though some individuals enjoy the brand new type elements and contact abilities of Home windows 8, the radical improvements to your UI, removal in the common Start out button, and also the charges associated with touch have built PCs a significantly less desirable different to focused tablets and other competitive units. Microsoft must make some incredibly hard decisions relocating forward if it really wants to enable reinvigorate the Laptop current market."
"While people today much like the general look and come to feel on the tiles, they?ˉre also really confused and pissed off by the not enough get started menu and spend loads of their time in (traditional) desktop manner. And so the base line is I believe they have got designed a condition wherever it?ˉs quite challenging for people and people which have a Laptop that actually works just fine are indicating it?ˉs confusing, it expenditures additional income and i don?ˉt actually require it."
O'Donnell and many others at IDC imagine that until Microsoft helps make significant variations to Windows eight to generate it far more acquainted and consumer-friendly, items will only get worse. Jay Chou, senior exploration analyst on IDC?ˉs quarterly Pc monitoring support, mentioned:
"Although IDC had not envisioned Windows eight to get a big driver that will help stem the tide of Personal computer quantity drop, it now appears that and not using a class correction from Microsoft, the Laptop marketplace is headed towards a fair worse contraction for 2013 than previously assumed."
O'Donnell is true. Microsoft created a huge gamble in building Home windows 8 as an running program made additional for tablets and touch than for standard PCs, and in providing it dueling and confusing interfaces. Microsoft hoped that familiarizing people today while using the contact interface would spur individuals to purchase Windows 8 and Home windows Rt tablets, but that hasn't happened. Now it seems that Home windows eight is helping to considerably depress product sales of traditional PCs likewise.
The IDC report located that around the globe Personal computer shipments had been seventy six.three million models in 2013's to start with quarter, down thirteen.9% from a year preceding, as well as even worse than the 7.7% drop that IDC had forecast. The fall is the worst that IDC has windows key shop ever seen since it commenced monitoring the Computer sector just about every quarter in 1995. It really is also the fourth straight quarter that Pc sales have declined year-on-year.
That is just the begin from the undesirable news for Microsoft. IDC concludes that that drop has actually been fueled with the lousy layout and failure of Windows eight, not simply because of the increasing acceptance of tablets. Bob O'Donnell, IDC Program Vice chairman, Clientele and Shows had these harsh words for Home windows 8 and Microsoft:
"At this level, sadly, it appears distinct that the Windows eight launch don't just failed to supply a beneficial boost on the Computer industry, but seems to possess slowed the industry. Even though some individuals enjoy the brand new type elements and contact abilities of Home windows 8, the radical improvements to your UI, removal in the common Start out button, and also the charges associated with touch have built PCs a significantly less desirable different to focused tablets and other competitive units. Microsoft must make some incredibly hard decisions relocating forward if it really wants to enable reinvigorate the Laptop current market."
"While people today much like the general look and come to feel on the tiles, they?ˉre also really confused and pissed off by the not enough get started menu and spend loads of their time in (traditional) desktop manner. And so the base line is I believe they have got designed a condition wherever it?ˉs quite challenging for people and people which have a Laptop that actually works just fine are indicating it?ˉs confusing, it expenditures additional income and i don?ˉt actually require it."
O'Donnell and many others at IDC imagine that until Microsoft helps make significant variations to Windows eight to generate it far more acquainted and consumer-friendly, items will only get worse. Jay Chou, senior exploration analyst on IDC?ˉs quarterly Pc monitoring support, mentioned:
"Although IDC had not envisioned Windows eight to get a big driver that will help stem the tide of Personal computer quantity drop, it now appears that and not using a class correction from Microsoft, the Laptop marketplace is headed towards a fair worse contraction for 2013 than previously assumed."
O'Donnell is true. Microsoft created a huge gamble in building Home windows 8 as an running program made additional for tablets and touch than for standard PCs, and in providing it dueling and confusing interfaces. Microsoft hoped that familiarizing people today while using the contact interface would spur individuals to purchase Windows 8 and Home windows Rt tablets, but that hasn't happened. Now it seems that Home windows eight is helping to considerably depress product sales of traditional PCs likewise.
2013年4月10日星期三
There's no really need to apologize for it
An individual needs to refer to the Mayan calendar, a Sumerian tablet, or
even the Oracle of Algernon, due to the fact I am basically over the very same
facet as Ed Bott on this week's argument, "Windows eight: Can this OS be saved?"
Perfectly, except for one thing: I do not believe Windows 8 demands saving. So
to me, the debate's premise is type of moot. Will probably be appealing to view
the arguments on this just one, but critically, Windows 8 doesn't need to have
preserving. Maintain off on reducing the lifeboats.
Each individual time Microsoft releases a whole new model of its functioning process, there is certainly a little bit of controversy and combating that requires location. And i understand your adore for Home windows XP or your attachment to Windows 7, but it is time to embrace the long run.
In my mind's eye, I envision two nerds getting into the argument about regardless of whether Home windows eight is often saved and ending up inside a slap combat that inevitably is broken up by considered one of their mothers. Situations like this just make me hold my head in embarrassment. But that's the mother nature of IT folk. It can be sort of like arguing Windows vs. Linux, or Computer vs. Mac.
Religion is belief-based. Know-how is observation-based. Learn the primary difference in advance of getting a aspect.
Now getting mentioned that, I will explain to you that in my humble opinion, Windows Vista and Home windows Me had been completely bogus and completely pointless efforts. Sorry, I realize that i stated in a past publish that I'd never doggy Vista again, but it truly is these an easy focus on which i are not able to resist. The mere mention of it can be like Kryptonite to me. And i am favourable that too considerably publicity to Vista would sooner or later destroy me. I digress.
I have been to quite a few retail retailers and a single lower price retailer all around town, and i have witnessed Home windows 8 on numerous systems. New laptops with touchscreens, desktops, netbooks, and, needless to say, the Surface area tablet line.
I mounted it on a laptop and have however to see something erroneous with it. Admittedly, I'd get pleasure from it more if I'd one of many new touchscreen, types but you can find practically nothing mistaken with Windows eight. And i have set it as a result of its paces. I have not been awesome to Windows eight. I hated it initially, but I pressured myself to change using the situations and operate with it. The Home windows eight Metro-style interface is the foreseeable future of computing.
The mouse might be a thing with the past pretty shortly in our post-PC period that on the list of debaters writes about so often. If you, and he, actually think that we're now into the post-PC era, why the heck would you will need to save Home windows 8?
Windows eight is usually a whole operating technique that may run authentic applications. There's no really need to apologize for it. It is a great working technique - each little bit as good as Windows XP, as well as in numerous strategies, a lot better than Windows 7. One among my most loved characteristics of Windows eight is its spectacular boot time. 30 seconds from energy on, I am opening applications. Windows seven, conversely, normally takes various minutes within the exact same components.
Home windows eight doesn't want conserving anymore than Windows 95 did. Men and women are afraid of anything new, but in this instance, they should not be. And neither ought to you. Home windows 8 is actually a very good functioning system that warrants a respected position in record together with other innovative technologies innovations
You wanted an functioning process that could run about the components that you simply have now because you will not want to commit the money to up grade. Done. You desired an running program that runs over a range of hardware so that your user practical experience is similar on windows 7 professional product key all units. Accomplished. You required an functioning method that's very easy to use. Completed. You required an Apple-like working experience with swipey icons and an application store. Carried out. You wanted an functioning system that does not just take a long time besides up - therefore the entire geeky tales of "going to secure a cup of espresso while it boots". Finished.
Each individual time Microsoft releases a whole new model of its functioning process, there is certainly a little bit of controversy and combating that requires location. And i understand your adore for Home windows XP or your attachment to Windows 7, but it is time to embrace the long run.
In my mind's eye, I envision two nerds getting into the argument about regardless of whether Home windows eight is often saved and ending up inside a slap combat that inevitably is broken up by considered one of their mothers. Situations like this just make me hold my head in embarrassment. But that's the mother nature of IT folk. It can be sort of like arguing Windows vs. Linux, or Computer vs. Mac.
Religion is belief-based. Know-how is observation-based. Learn the primary difference in advance of getting a aspect.
Now getting mentioned that, I will explain to you that in my humble opinion, Windows Vista and Home windows Me had been completely bogus and completely pointless efforts. Sorry, I realize that i stated in a past publish that I'd never doggy Vista again, but it truly is these an easy focus on which i are not able to resist. The mere mention of it can be like Kryptonite to me. And i am favourable that too considerably publicity to Vista would sooner or later destroy me. I digress.
I have been to quite a few retail retailers and a single lower price retailer all around town, and i have witnessed Home windows 8 on numerous systems. New laptops with touchscreens, desktops, netbooks, and, needless to say, the Surface area tablet line.
I mounted it on a laptop and have however to see something erroneous with it. Admittedly, I'd get pleasure from it more if I'd one of many new touchscreen, types but you can find practically nothing mistaken with Windows eight. And i have set it as a result of its paces. I have not been awesome to Windows eight. I hated it initially, but I pressured myself to change using the situations and operate with it. The Home windows eight Metro-style interface is the foreseeable future of computing.
The mouse might be a thing with the past pretty shortly in our post-PC period that on the list of debaters writes about so often. If you, and he, actually think that we're now into the post-PC era, why the heck would you will need to save Home windows 8?
Windows eight is usually a whole operating technique that may run authentic applications. There's no really need to apologize for it. It is a great working technique - each little bit as good as Windows XP, as well as in numerous strategies, a lot better than Windows 7. One among my most loved characteristics of Windows eight is its spectacular boot time. 30 seconds from energy on, I am opening applications. Windows seven, conversely, normally takes various minutes within the exact same components.
Home windows eight doesn't want conserving anymore than Windows 95 did. Men and women are afraid of anything new, but in this instance, they should not be. And neither ought to you. Home windows 8 is actually a very good functioning system that warrants a respected position in record together with other innovative technologies innovations
You wanted an functioning process that could run about the components that you simply have now because you will not want to commit the money to up grade. Done. You desired an running program that runs over a range of hardware so that your user practical experience is similar on windows 7 professional product key all units. Accomplished. You required an functioning method that's very easy to use. Completed. You required an Apple-like working experience with swipey icons and an application store. Carried out. You wanted an functioning system that does not just take a long time besides up - therefore the entire geeky tales of "going to secure a cup of espresso while it boots". Finished.
2013年4月7日星期日
Google Opens Up Access to Compute Engine Cloud Service
The company also reduced the pricing for its IaaS offering as it ramps up
the competition against Amazon Web Services and others.
Google is opening up access to its Google Compute Engine cloud computing environment, letting customers of its Gold Support package take advantage of the infrastructure as a service.
Google officials also are adding several upgrades to the Compute Engine, which the search giant introduced in June 2012 as a competitor to Amazon Web Services' (AWS) cloud computing service and other similar offerings from the likes of Rackspace and Savvis.
In addition, Google is reducing the pricing for Compute Engine by 4 percent.
In an April 4 post on the Google Developers Blog, Marc Cohen, a developer programs engineer on the Google App Engine blog, said response to the Compute Engine over the past nine months has been positive.
"We're happy to hear that, because one of our main goals in building Compute Engine is to enable a new generation of applications with direct access to the capabilities of Google's vast computing infrastructure," Cohen wrote.The infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is becoming increasingly competitive, with a growing number of vendors opening up their data center resources to organizations looking to run their workloads on rented infrastructures. AWS is among the largest and best-known, though other top-tier vendors are looking to make inroads in to the space. Most recently, Pivotal—a company that was spun out of EMC and VMware—became official April 1, though its formal introduction is scheduled for April 29.
Former VMware CEO Paul Maritz is running Pivotal, whose infrastructure will surely include technology from both EMC—a major storage player—and virtualization pioneer VMware. Maritz sent a memo to Pivotal employees, noting how the aim is to "enable customers to build a new class of applications, leveraging big and fast data, and do all of this with the power of cloud independence."
When they introduced the Compute Engine last year, Google officials said they had similar goals of allowing businesses to run their applications across the search giant's massive infrastructure. It also initially was released in limited preview.
Now Google is extending it to Gold Support package customers, who pay $400 a month for the package.
The enhancements to the Compute Engine include an improved management consol. The Google Cloud Console enables organizations to administer all their Google Cloud Platform services through a single unified interface.
In addition, users now have the option of booting from persistent disks that are mounted as the root file system, get persistent disk snapshots, check and restore contents of network resident persistent disks on demand, and attach and detach persistent disks from running instances.
Google also introduced five new instance type families and 16 new instance types, and said there are two new supported zones in Europe, which will help lower latency and increase performance for European users. An enhancement to Google's qcutil command line tool makes it easier to migrate virtual machines from one to another.
Google is opening up access to its Google Compute Engine cloud computing environment, letting customers of its Gold Support package take advantage of the infrastructure as a service.
Google officials also are adding several upgrades to the Compute Engine, which the search giant introduced in June 2012 as a competitor to Amazon Web Services' (AWS) cloud computing service and other similar offerings from the likes of Rackspace and Savvis.
In addition, Google is reducing the pricing for Compute Engine by 4 percent.
In an April 4 post on the Google Developers Blog, Marc Cohen, a developer programs engineer on the Google App Engine blog, said response to the Compute Engine over the past nine months has been positive.
"We're happy to hear that, because one of our main goals in building Compute Engine is to enable a new generation of applications with direct access to the capabilities of Google's vast computing infrastructure," Cohen wrote.The infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is becoming increasingly competitive, with a growing number of vendors opening up their data center resources to organizations looking to run their workloads on rented infrastructures. AWS is among the largest and best-known, though other top-tier vendors are looking to make inroads in to the space. Most recently, Pivotal—a company that was spun out of EMC and VMware—became official April 1, though its formal introduction is scheduled for April 29.
Former VMware CEO Paul Maritz is running Pivotal, whose infrastructure will surely include technology from both EMC—a major storage player—and virtualization pioneer VMware. Maritz sent a memo to Pivotal employees, noting how the aim is to "enable customers to build a new class of applications, leveraging big and fast data, and do all of this with the power of cloud independence."
When they introduced the Compute Engine last year, Google officials said they had similar goals of allowing businesses to run their applications across the search giant's massive infrastructure. It also initially was released in limited preview.
Now Google is extending it to Gold Support package customers, who pay $400 a month for the package.
The enhancements to the Compute Engine include an improved management consol. The Google Cloud Console enables organizations to administer all their Google Cloud Platform services through a single unified interface.
In addition, users now have the option of booting from persistent disks that are mounted as the root file system, get persistent disk snapshots, check and restore contents of network resident persistent disks on demand, and attach and detach persistent disks from running instances.
Google also introduced five new instance type families and 16 new instance types, and said there are two new supported zones in Europe, which will help lower latency and increase performance for European users. An enhancement to Google's qcutil command line tool makes it easier to migrate virtual machines from one to another.
A fresh Quiet Hrs purpose helps you to silence
Windows 8's to start with significant update is on the way, giving much
more capacity to customise touch-enabled Commence screens on Windows 8 equipment
with distinct sized dwell tiles.
The update, codenamed Windows Blue, which in former variations of Windows would have been identified to be a Service Pack, has leaked to the world-wide-web.
It looks from Warren's video that Microsoft will more closely align the consumer interface of office 2011 mac product key with that of its Home windows Cell phone eight smartphone platform. A brand new Customise button around the Start monitor helps prevent the accidental movement of the live tiles.
New gestures include added operation. A swipe up within the bottom with the monitor provides a list of all mounted apps whilst a swipe down provides an influence off solution.
The Settings Allure contains a new Personalise button, for more honing of non-public preferences, and there are various much more selections for track record colors and designs.
Microsoft's digital tough disk push supplying SkyDrive presently comes set up with Home windows eight, but Home windows Blue involves the option to back up data files to SkyDrive from within Windows 8's Options web page, signalling a better connection amongst software program and information set up about the personal computer and those saved on-line within the cloud.
A fresh Quiet Hrs purpose helps you to silence purposes all through pre-set moments therefore you will get some slumber devoid of e-mail and Fb notifications waking you with a ping.
A few new purposes have Windows Blue - an alarm clock, calculator, sound recorder and movie maker - but the most significant can be a new edition of its Web Explorer web browser IE11. This incorporates the ability to synchronise favorite sites and browsing heritage concerning Windows eight products.
The update, codenamed Windows Blue, which in former variations of Windows would have been identified to be a Service Pack, has leaked to the world-wide-web.
It looks from Warren's video that Microsoft will more closely align the consumer interface of office 2011 mac product key with that of its Home windows Cell phone eight smartphone platform. A brand new Customise button around the Start monitor helps prevent the accidental movement of the live tiles.
New gestures include added operation. A swipe up within the bottom with the monitor provides a list of all mounted apps whilst a swipe down provides an influence off solution.
The Settings Allure contains a new Personalise button, for more honing of non-public preferences, and there are various much more selections for track record colors and designs.
Microsoft's digital tough disk push supplying SkyDrive presently comes set up with Home windows eight, but Home windows Blue involves the option to back up data files to SkyDrive from within Windows 8's Options web page, signalling a better connection amongst software program and information set up about the personal computer and those saved on-line within the cloud.
A fresh Quiet Hrs purpose helps you to silence purposes all through pre-set moments therefore you will get some slumber devoid of e-mail and Fb notifications waking you with a ping.
A few new purposes have Windows Blue - an alarm clock, calculator, sound recorder and movie maker - but the most significant can be a new edition of its Web Explorer web browser IE11. This incorporates the ability to synchronise favorite sites and browsing heritage concerning Windows eight products.
2013年4月6日星期六
Samsung and Android: The next Wintel or destined for divorce?
Samsung's pole position in the Android ecosystem is about get another boost
when the Korean electronics giant unveils the Galaxy S4 in New York on Thursday
night. But, while it’s all glitz and glamour this week, there's an underlying
tension between Samsung, Google, and the Android ecosystem that is about to
reach a crossroads in 2013.
The Android leader
Samsung's current flagship phone, the Galaxy S3, became the best-selling Android device in the world in 2012. In its first six months on the market, the Galaxy S III sold over 40 million units. In the third quarter of 2012, it even passed the iPhone as the single best-selling smartphone in the world -- though Apple snatched back that distinction in Q4 with the launch of the iPhone 5.
Now, Samsung is so bullish on the S4 that it is reportedly ordering enough parts to handle sales of 10 million phones per month. With much of the world still converting from old-style cellphones to smartphones, there’s certainly a solid case for that kind of bullishness. But, it also assumes that Samsung will remain Google’s pre-eminent Android partner over the next 12-18 months. The big question is how safe that assumption is.
If you want to know how key Samsung has been for Android, just look at the fact that when Google bought Motorola in May 2012, Eric Schmidt flew directly to Samsung’s headquarters in South Korea to personally assure its executives that Motorola would not get special status in the Android ecosystem.
"I told them that the [Android] ecosystem has to be favored at all costs," Schmidt said. "The Motorola products can't be unduly favored, unless you're also unduly favoring Samsung. If it looks unfair, and then the ecosystem unravels, then it's a terrible mistake."
True to Schmidt's word, Google has not shown Motorola any outward favoritism. Since the acquisition, Google hasn’t even tapped Motorola to build any of Android’s flagship Nexus devices. And, during the past year, Samsung’s leading role in the Android market has only been enhanced, with the help of runaway hits like the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note.
Samsung now owns 40% market share of all Android sales. Second place? Huawei with about 7%.
Samsung has certainly earned its success. You can’t begrudge it that. The company has out-executed other Android device makers in both hardware design and software enhancements.
It also did a better job of emulating best practices from Apple than any of the others Android vendors. While that strategy cost a lot in legal fees after a protracted court battle with Apple (that revealed just how closely Samsung was stalking Apple’s moves), it ultimately came to a stalemate. Meanwhile, Samsung devices soared to the head of the class in Android.
The bottom line is that Samsung and Google forged an Android alliance that successfully stemmed Apple’s momentum in mobile devices. Ironically, it was very similar to the way Intel and Windows stemmed Apple’s momentum in personal computers a generation ago. And, let’s not forget that Samsung is also the leading seller in the Android tablet market and the leading laptop seller in the Google Chromebook market.
The Google-Samsung combination is the most potent new partnership in computing and it is putting tremendous competitive pressure on Apple and Microsoft. But, can the partnership hold together? There are several competing interests that are driving a wedge between the two companies, as is common with these types of partnerships. However, in this case, the future of both companies in the mobile business as well as the overall health of the Android ecosystem itself is at stake.
Emerging threats
The first issue is that Samsung’s lead over the rest of the Android phone makers is beginning to evaporate. Just as Samsung skillfully executed plays from Apple’s playbook, now other Android vendors are emulating Samsung.
HTC is taking a page out of the Apple and Samsung playbooks by consolidating down to one flagship smartphone. In this case, it’s the HTC One, a sharp new device that was announced in February and is generally drawing strong reviews. Remember, HTC was the leading Android phone maker before Samsung’s recent ascent.
Meanwhile at CES 2013 in January, Chinese device maker Huawei unveiled a pair of high-end Android devices that are aimed squarely at Samsung’s two hit products, the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note. The 6.1-inch Huawei Ascend Mate is a phablet that goes even a little larger than the Galaxy Note, with a very similar design.
The Huawei Ascend D2 also emulates Samsung’s thin plastic design and features a quad core processor, 32GB of built-in storage, 2GB RAM, a 13 megapixel camera, a screen with 443dpi pixel density (surpassing both the S3 and iPhone 5), and a 3000mAh battery that rivals the Droid Razr Maxx. Those are eye-popping specs that the Galaxy S4 will struggle to match when it is unveiled on Thursday.
After the Samsung Galaxy S3, the next hottest Android phone of 2012 was the Nexus 4, built by Google in partnership with Samsung’s Korean rival LG. In fact, the Nexus 4 would likely have taken a bigger chunk out of Galaxy S3 sales if the product hadn’t been sold out for most of the fourth quarter due to overwhelming demand.
With Google subsidizing the Nexus 4 so that it could be sold for US$299 (8GB) or US$349 (16GB), one of the Nexus 4’s greatest features was clearly its price tag -- since the device is unlocked and does not require a contract with a wireless carrier. The unlocked version of the Galaxy S3 costs US$500 to US$600.
The Nexus 4 price tag is great for consumers and for Google, who simply wants to get more Android smartphones in the hands of more people because it makes money off of people using its mobile platform. However, it’s not so great for Samsung, which makes its money off of selling devices. And, that is where the major conflict comes into play.
Bolstered by the success of the Nexus 4 and a similar scenario with the Nexus 7 tablet (built by ASUS), we have to expect Google to get even more aggressive in selling inexpensive Nexus smartphones and tablets directly to consumers to help free them from expensive and onerous contracts with wireless carriers and to help get more Google-centric devices in the hands of more people.
Google has been betting on this scenario since the launch of the Nexus One in January 2010 and it finally generated significant momentum around the concept in 2012. As such, I fully expect Nexus devices to take a bigger chunk out of Samsung’s Android market share in 2013.
While fighting low-priced Nexus devices on one front, Samsung will also have to deal with the re-emergence of HTC and the rise of Huawei, which could steal customers away from its core business of selling subsidized phones to consumers on traditional wireless plans.
Since Samsung's devices are based on standard industry hardware components that any of the electronics companies can use and the Android software platform is open for any company to co-opt, that leaves Samsung very little room to innovate as an Android device maker. And when there's little room to innovate, the primary differentiator becomes price.
Samsung's parachute
The primary product innovation that catapulted Samsung into the lead in the Android ecosystem in 2012 was arguably that it did a better job than its Android competitors of integrating hardware and software.
While Samsung’s Android success can also be attributed to its go-to-market strategy (getting its devices sold everywhere with wireless carriers and retailers), its massive advertising budget, and its ability to get parts inexpensively from its affiliates, the demand for its products was ultimately driven by a perception of quality and ease-of-use.
Again, Samsung had a jump on its Android competitors by being able to watch how Apple carefully integrated hardware and software on the iPhone since Samsung was one of Apple’s key parts suppliers for the product during its early years.
Samsung learned those lessons well and by the time it launched the Galaxy S3, it had included a variety of unique feature that showed its growing savvy in software as well as strengths in hardware-software integration, including:
S Beam sharing that lets you tap two Galaxy S3s together to share photos, videos, or files
Smart Stay eye-tracking technology that automatically keeps the screen bright for as long are you’re looking at it
Best Photo camera feature that takes eight continuous photos and then suggests the best one (and lets you override it and manually select the best one of the eight)
Direct Call lets you lift your phone to your ear to automatically call someone that you had been texting
S Voice (right) for enhancing the built-in voice commands that come with Android (read this TechRepublic article for some great S Voice tips)
Split-Screen Multitasking that lets you run two programs at once
For more on Samsung software features, read James Kendrick's Samsung Android: Better than Google's Android.
While Samsung is likely to continue this kind of innovation in Android to help its devices stand out against HTC, Huawei, Motorola, LG, and others, these types of software add-ons will inevitably remain outside of the core Android functionality and will be overlooked by lots of mainstream users, who are more likely to be influenced by price and ease-of-use.
So, unless Samsung can leap forward by being the first to integrate a groundbreaking technology like the flexible OLED displays that its affiliates are developing, then it’s destined to face long-term trouble in the Android market where it is going to become a race to see who can sell advanced smartphones at the lowest price. With Google being willing to sell Nexus devices at cost and Huawei being able to take advantage of Chinese manufacturing to bring its costs super-low and make profit on volume, Samsung could very likely get squeezed or be forced to lower prices and jeopardize its mobile profits.
That’s why Samsung is doing Tizen, which could eventually become its parachute for jumping off the Android bandwagon.
Tizen was originally the next-gen mobile OS to replace Symbian, back when Intel and Nokia were collaborating on it and it was called “MeeGo.” But, when Nokia hired Steven Elop as CEO and he burned all bridges and moved the mobile pioneer exclusively to Windows Phone, that left MeeGo abandoned. So, Samsung swooped in and picked up the pieces. It formed a new partnership with Intel, integrated its own LiMo project into the platform, and Tizen was born.
It seemed like a minor, futile endeavor when Tizen was announced in September 2011, but it’s increasingly looking like it could become a critical part of Samsung’s future. At Mobile World Congress 2013 last month in Barcelona, Samsung put the spotlight on Tizen and gave the tech industry a sneak peek at the platform (see screenshot on right). Our sister site CNET has reported that the first Tizen phones will arrive this summer.
Tizen is still very raw, but it’s clear that Samsung is getting more and more enthusiastic about the platform. It not only folded its LiMo project into Tizen but it has now reportedly also folded its other pet project, Bada, into the Tizen platform as well.
Don’t expect the Tizen phones released in mid-2013 to be much of a threat to the Galaxy S4 or the iPhone, but you should keep an eye on how many software innovations and hardware/software integrations like the ones we’ve seen from Samsung recently are integrated into Tizen. Many of the Galaxy features Samsung rolled out last year are core functions that could form the heart of an excellent mobile platform.
Samsung will be testing the waters. It won’t quickly abandon the Android ecosystem and put a lot of potential phone sales at risk. Any time the question of Tizen is brought up, the overwhelming reaction on Internet forums from existing Samsung phone users is that they would likely stick with Android and switch to an HTC or Nexus phone if Samsung went all Tizen. So, this isn’t going to be something radical that happens in 2013.
But, 2013 could be the sea change.
I’ll give you one scenario to consider. If the Galaxy S4 remains the best-selling Android phone in the world (but with greater competition) and Tizen becomes a modest hit (with Samsung giving it a few exclusive features), then we could see Samsung move a lot more aggressively. For example, what if Samsung used the equity of the Galaxy brand to push Tizen? What if the Galaxy S5 or the Galaxy S6 becomes a Tizen phone? What the Galaxy Note 3 or 4 becomes a Tizen tablet?
Sure, Samsung would lose some users in those scenarios, but it would protect the profitability of its popular high-end devices. It would also gain the ability to make money off of services on the devices, rather than only making money on the hardware sales and then letting Google make all of the money from services, as Samsung currently does with Android. That’s why the Tizen experiment is more than just a hedge or a negotiating tool to get a revenue-sharing deal with Google to get a cut of that services money.
If the Android ecosystem becomes a race to the bottom on smartphone prices and Google refuses to share any services revenue with Samsung, then Tizen could become the platform where Samsung redirects mosts of its energy. Even then, I doubt it would completely pull the plug on Android devices, but it could certainly bet on the Samsung brand and Samsung products being just as appealing to the market as Android.
In other words, Samsung isn’t likely to market Tizen phones under the Tizen brand. It will focus on the Samsung brand, and it will attempt to create not just a device but a platform and an ecosystem. In the long run, that’s where almost all of the innovation -- and the profits -- will be as the mobile device market matures.
The thing to watch will be how effectively Samsung can create its own platform and ecosystem versus how aggressively Google makes concessions to keep Samsung primarily focused on the Android platform and ecosystem.
The Android leader
Samsung's current flagship phone, the Galaxy S3, became the best-selling Android device in the world in 2012. In its first six months on the market, the Galaxy S III sold over 40 million units. In the third quarter of 2012, it even passed the iPhone as the single best-selling smartphone in the world -- though Apple snatched back that distinction in Q4 with the launch of the iPhone 5.
Now, Samsung is so bullish on the S4 that it is reportedly ordering enough parts to handle sales of 10 million phones per month. With much of the world still converting from old-style cellphones to smartphones, there’s certainly a solid case for that kind of bullishness. But, it also assumes that Samsung will remain Google’s pre-eminent Android partner over the next 12-18 months. The big question is how safe that assumption is.
If you want to know how key Samsung has been for Android, just look at the fact that when Google bought Motorola in May 2012, Eric Schmidt flew directly to Samsung’s headquarters in South Korea to personally assure its executives that Motorola would not get special status in the Android ecosystem.
"I told them that the [Android] ecosystem has to be favored at all costs," Schmidt said. "The Motorola products can't be unduly favored, unless you're also unduly favoring Samsung. If it looks unfair, and then the ecosystem unravels, then it's a terrible mistake."
True to Schmidt's word, Google has not shown Motorola any outward favoritism. Since the acquisition, Google hasn’t even tapped Motorola to build any of Android’s flagship Nexus devices. And, during the past year, Samsung’s leading role in the Android market has only been enhanced, with the help of runaway hits like the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note.
Samsung now owns 40% market share of all Android sales. Second place? Huawei with about 7%.
Samsung has certainly earned its success. You can’t begrudge it that. The company has out-executed other Android device makers in both hardware design and software enhancements.
It also did a better job of emulating best practices from Apple than any of the others Android vendors. While that strategy cost a lot in legal fees after a protracted court battle with Apple (that revealed just how closely Samsung was stalking Apple’s moves), it ultimately came to a stalemate. Meanwhile, Samsung devices soared to the head of the class in Android.
The bottom line is that Samsung and Google forged an Android alliance that successfully stemmed Apple’s momentum in mobile devices. Ironically, it was very similar to the way Intel and Windows stemmed Apple’s momentum in personal computers a generation ago. And, let’s not forget that Samsung is also the leading seller in the Android tablet market and the leading laptop seller in the Google Chromebook market.
The Google-Samsung combination is the most potent new partnership in computing and it is putting tremendous competitive pressure on Apple and Microsoft. But, can the partnership hold together? There are several competing interests that are driving a wedge between the two companies, as is common with these types of partnerships. However, in this case, the future of both companies in the mobile business as well as the overall health of the Android ecosystem itself is at stake.
Emerging threats
The first issue is that Samsung’s lead over the rest of the Android phone makers is beginning to evaporate. Just as Samsung skillfully executed plays from Apple’s playbook, now other Android vendors are emulating Samsung.
HTC is taking a page out of the Apple and Samsung playbooks by consolidating down to one flagship smartphone. In this case, it’s the HTC One, a sharp new device that was announced in February and is generally drawing strong reviews. Remember, HTC was the leading Android phone maker before Samsung’s recent ascent.
Meanwhile at CES 2013 in January, Chinese device maker Huawei unveiled a pair of high-end Android devices that are aimed squarely at Samsung’s two hit products, the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note. The 6.1-inch Huawei Ascend Mate is a phablet that goes even a little larger than the Galaxy Note, with a very similar design.
The Huawei Ascend D2 also emulates Samsung’s thin plastic design and features a quad core processor, 32GB of built-in storage, 2GB RAM, a 13 megapixel camera, a screen with 443dpi pixel density (surpassing both the S3 and iPhone 5), and a 3000mAh battery that rivals the Droid Razr Maxx. Those are eye-popping specs that the Galaxy S4 will struggle to match when it is unveiled on Thursday.
After the Samsung Galaxy S3, the next hottest Android phone of 2012 was the Nexus 4, built by Google in partnership with Samsung’s Korean rival LG. In fact, the Nexus 4 would likely have taken a bigger chunk out of Galaxy S3 sales if the product hadn’t been sold out for most of the fourth quarter due to overwhelming demand.
With Google subsidizing the Nexus 4 so that it could be sold for US$299 (8GB) or US$349 (16GB), one of the Nexus 4’s greatest features was clearly its price tag -- since the device is unlocked and does not require a contract with a wireless carrier. The unlocked version of the Galaxy S3 costs US$500 to US$600.
The Nexus 4 price tag is great for consumers and for Google, who simply wants to get more Android smartphones in the hands of more people because it makes money off of people using its mobile platform. However, it’s not so great for Samsung, which makes its money off of selling devices. And, that is where the major conflict comes into play.
Bolstered by the success of the Nexus 4 and a similar scenario with the Nexus 7 tablet (built by ASUS), we have to expect Google to get even more aggressive in selling inexpensive Nexus smartphones and tablets directly to consumers to help free them from expensive and onerous contracts with wireless carriers and to help get more Google-centric devices in the hands of more people.
Google has been betting on this scenario since the launch of the Nexus One in January 2010 and it finally generated significant momentum around the concept in 2012. As such, I fully expect Nexus devices to take a bigger chunk out of Samsung’s Android market share in 2013.
While fighting low-priced Nexus devices on one front, Samsung will also have to deal with the re-emergence of HTC and the rise of Huawei, which could steal customers away from its core business of selling subsidized phones to consumers on traditional wireless plans.
Since Samsung's devices are based on standard industry hardware components that any of the electronics companies can use and the Android software platform is open for any company to co-opt, that leaves Samsung very little room to innovate as an Android device maker. And when there's little room to innovate, the primary differentiator becomes price.
Samsung's parachute
The primary product innovation that catapulted Samsung into the lead in the Android ecosystem in 2012 was arguably that it did a better job than its Android competitors of integrating hardware and software.
While Samsung’s Android success can also be attributed to its go-to-market strategy (getting its devices sold everywhere with wireless carriers and retailers), its massive advertising budget, and its ability to get parts inexpensively from its affiliates, the demand for its products was ultimately driven by a perception of quality and ease-of-use.
Again, Samsung had a jump on its Android competitors by being able to watch how Apple carefully integrated hardware and software on the iPhone since Samsung was one of Apple’s key parts suppliers for the product during its early years.
Samsung learned those lessons well and by the time it launched the Galaxy S3, it had included a variety of unique feature that showed its growing savvy in software as well as strengths in hardware-software integration, including:
S Beam sharing that lets you tap two Galaxy S3s together to share photos, videos, or files
Smart Stay eye-tracking technology that automatically keeps the screen bright for as long are you’re looking at it
Best Photo camera feature that takes eight continuous photos and then suggests the best one (and lets you override it and manually select the best one of the eight)
Direct Call lets you lift your phone to your ear to automatically call someone that you had been texting
S Voice (right) for enhancing the built-in voice commands that come with Android (read this TechRepublic article for some great S Voice tips)
Split-Screen Multitasking that lets you run two programs at once
For more on Samsung software features, read James Kendrick's Samsung Android: Better than Google's Android.
While Samsung is likely to continue this kind of innovation in Android to help its devices stand out against HTC, Huawei, Motorola, LG, and others, these types of software add-ons will inevitably remain outside of the core Android functionality and will be overlooked by lots of mainstream users, who are more likely to be influenced by price and ease-of-use.
So, unless Samsung can leap forward by being the first to integrate a groundbreaking technology like the flexible OLED displays that its affiliates are developing, then it’s destined to face long-term trouble in the Android market where it is going to become a race to see who can sell advanced smartphones at the lowest price. With Google being willing to sell Nexus devices at cost and Huawei being able to take advantage of Chinese manufacturing to bring its costs super-low and make profit on volume, Samsung could very likely get squeezed or be forced to lower prices and jeopardize its mobile profits.
That’s why Samsung is doing Tizen, which could eventually become its parachute for jumping off the Android bandwagon.
Tizen was originally the next-gen mobile OS to replace Symbian, back when Intel and Nokia were collaborating on it and it was called “MeeGo.” But, when Nokia hired Steven Elop as CEO and he burned all bridges and moved the mobile pioneer exclusively to Windows Phone, that left MeeGo abandoned. So, Samsung swooped in and picked up the pieces. It formed a new partnership with Intel, integrated its own LiMo project into the platform, and Tizen was born.
It seemed like a minor, futile endeavor when Tizen was announced in September 2011, but it’s increasingly looking like it could become a critical part of Samsung’s future. At Mobile World Congress 2013 last month in Barcelona, Samsung put the spotlight on Tizen and gave the tech industry a sneak peek at the platform (see screenshot on right). Our sister site CNET has reported that the first Tizen phones will arrive this summer.
Tizen is still very raw, but it’s clear that Samsung is getting more and more enthusiastic about the platform. It not only folded its LiMo project into Tizen but it has now reportedly also folded its other pet project, Bada, into the Tizen platform as well.
Don’t expect the Tizen phones released in mid-2013 to be much of a threat to the Galaxy S4 or the iPhone, but you should keep an eye on how many software innovations and hardware/software integrations like the ones we’ve seen from Samsung recently are integrated into Tizen. Many of the Galaxy features Samsung rolled out last year are core functions that could form the heart of an excellent mobile platform.
Samsung will be testing the waters. It won’t quickly abandon the Android ecosystem and put a lot of potential phone sales at risk. Any time the question of Tizen is brought up, the overwhelming reaction on Internet forums from existing Samsung phone users is that they would likely stick with Android and switch to an HTC or Nexus phone if Samsung went all Tizen. So, this isn’t going to be something radical that happens in 2013.
But, 2013 could be the sea change.
I’ll give you one scenario to consider. If the Galaxy S4 remains the best-selling Android phone in the world (but with greater competition) and Tizen becomes a modest hit (with Samsung giving it a few exclusive features), then we could see Samsung move a lot more aggressively. For example, what if Samsung used the equity of the Galaxy brand to push Tizen? What if the Galaxy S5 or the Galaxy S6 becomes a Tizen phone? What the Galaxy Note 3 or 4 becomes a Tizen tablet?
Sure, Samsung would lose some users in those scenarios, but it would protect the profitability of its popular high-end devices. It would also gain the ability to make money off of services on the devices, rather than only making money on the hardware sales and then letting Google make all of the money from services, as Samsung currently does with Android. That’s why the Tizen experiment is more than just a hedge or a negotiating tool to get a revenue-sharing deal with Google to get a cut of that services money.
If the Android ecosystem becomes a race to the bottom on smartphone prices and Google refuses to share any services revenue with Samsung, then Tizen could become the platform where Samsung redirects mosts of its energy. Even then, I doubt it would completely pull the plug on Android devices, but it could certainly bet on the Samsung brand and Samsung products being just as appealing to the market as Android.
In other words, Samsung isn’t likely to market Tizen phones under the Tizen brand. It will focus on the Samsung brand, and it will attempt to create not just a device but a platform and an ecosystem. In the long run, that’s where almost all of the innovation -- and the profits -- will be as the mobile device market matures.
The thing to watch will be how effectively Samsung can create its own platform and ecosystem versus how aggressively Google makes concessions to keep Samsung primarily focused on the Android platform and ecosystem.
As for tales of Home windows seven components
Lots of the Home windows 7 laptops however offered are priced greater than
their Home windows eight equivalents, an examination of numerous on the internet
retailers reveals. At the 10-month mark in their lifecycle, Home windows seven
laptops with Main i5 Sandy Bridge processors and 15-inch shows were being
selling for approximately $400, a 34 percent drop from their introductory price
tag, DealNews reports. By comparison, the cost of likewise configured Windows
eight devices have dropped a whopping 46 % at their 10-month mark.
Lots of the Windows seven laptops nevertheless out there are priced greater than their Home windows 8 equivalents, a look at a number of on the internet merchants reveals.
Some consumers are trying to find more mature methods as a way in order to avoid Home windows 8, which sporting activities a whole new consumer interface that all those buyers don't need to be compelled to discover. "This hesitation to adopt?aand adapt?ato the touchscreen-happy UI of Windows eight may well also reveal why we're looking at this kind of steep special discounts on Windows 8-equipped Ivy Bridge laptops," DealNews asserted.
Discount rates on Home windows RT and hybrid-style programs have also been noticed at Microsoft's on the web store, but these reductions usually are not within the excessive concentrations noticed by DealNews.
Incorporating for the woes of Windows eight is definitely the information that a whole new edition on the operating system, code name Windows Blue, are going to be arriving this summer months in time for back-to-school shopping for sprees. That can ignite even further promotions on Windows 8 programs.
Using a achievable components refresh in sight, it is not stunning to find out discounts appearing for Home windows eight systems, according to Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst with all the Enderle Group in San Jose, Calif.
As for tales of Home windows seven components selling in a premium over newer Windows 8 systems, that is a simple circumstance of provide and demand from customers. "There's a massive lack of Home windows 7 hardware as the OEMs had been questioned to stop rendering it final year," Enderle stated to PCWorld.
Windows Blue isn't increasing issues, possibly. "Whether Windows Blue will be an update or new release has not been evidently articulated by Microsoft and that confusion will not aid matters," Enderle noted.
He predicted that the future generation of Home windows 8 components will probably be lots a lot better than the primary techniques jogging the OS. The processors will probably be much more effective plus the equipment will likely be lighter and less expensive.
http://www.windowsanyway.com/windows-7-home-premium-product-key-p-3526.html
Lots of the Windows seven laptops nevertheless out there are priced greater than their Home windows 8 equivalents, a look at a number of on the internet merchants reveals.
Some consumers are trying to find more mature methods as a way in order to avoid Home windows 8, which sporting activities a whole new consumer interface that all those buyers don't need to be compelled to discover. "This hesitation to adopt?aand adapt?ato the touchscreen-happy UI of Windows eight may well also reveal why we're looking at this kind of steep special discounts on Windows 8-equipped Ivy Bridge laptops," DealNews asserted.
Discount rates on Home windows RT and hybrid-style programs have also been noticed at Microsoft's on the web store, but these reductions usually are not within the excessive concentrations noticed by DealNews.
Incorporating for the woes of Windows eight is definitely the information that a whole new edition on the operating system, code name Windows Blue, are going to be arriving this summer months in time for back-to-school shopping for sprees. That can ignite even further promotions on Windows 8 programs.
Using a achievable components refresh in sight, it is not stunning to find out discounts appearing for Home windows eight systems, according to Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst with all the Enderle Group in San Jose, Calif.
As for tales of Home windows seven components selling in a premium over newer Windows 8 systems, that is a simple circumstance of provide and demand from customers. "There's a massive lack of Home windows 7 hardware as the OEMs had been questioned to stop rendering it final year," Enderle stated to PCWorld.
Windows Blue isn't increasing issues, possibly. "Whether Windows Blue will be an update or new release has not been evidently articulated by Microsoft and that confusion will not aid matters," Enderle noted.
He predicted that the future generation of Home windows 8 components will probably be lots a lot better than the primary techniques jogging the OS. The processors will probably be much more effective plus the equipment will likely be lighter and less expensive.
http://www.windowsanyway.com/windows-7-home-premium-product-key-p-3526.html
2013年4月5日星期五
Revealed, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's 'first' social website
It contains various programs and applets allegedly created by the teenager,
one of which, "The Web", appears to be an early model of a social
networking site.
Zuckerberg is said to have created the site in 1999, while he was still in
high school.
Evidence of his youth may lie in the "About Me" section, where he
first acknowledges one of his heroes, rapper Eminem, by claiming "my
name is...Slim Shady. No, really, my name is Slim Shady", before
conceding "Just kidding, my name is Mark".
He goes on to explain that the site is a way to promote his new AOL program, "The
Vader Fader".
Although social networking may not have been the primary aim of the website,
Zuckerberg seems to have recognised its potential even from this early
stage. He says "As of now, the web is pretty small. Hopefully, it will
grow into a larger web."
The early network has just a few dozen members, compared with over a billion who reportedly use Facebook today.
"The Web" required people to email Zuckerberg himself to be linked to someone already on the network, where they could then be connected to two more people.
Other applets on the site include games, a program for calculating your Grade Point Average, and a molecule viewer, which Zuckerberg explained he wants to improve when he has learnt the molecules' true shapes "next year in chemistry".
The site was discovered by a user of social news website Hacker News.
Claims that it was created by a young Zuckerberg seem to be genuine, as it lists Mark Zuckerberg as its creator, as well as including an email account belonging to Mark's father, Dr Edward Zuckerberg.
http://www.windowsanyway.com/windows-7-anytime-upgrade-c-630.html
The early network has just a few dozen members, compared with over a billion who reportedly use Facebook today.
"The Web" required people to email Zuckerberg himself to be linked to someone already on the network, where they could then be connected to two more people.
Other applets on the site include games, a program for calculating your Grade Point Average, and a molecule viewer, which Zuckerberg explained he wants to improve when he has learnt the molecules' true shapes "next year in chemistry".
The site was discovered by a user of social news website Hacker News.
Claims that it was created by a young Zuckerberg seem to be genuine, as it lists Mark Zuckerberg as its creator, as well as including an email account belonging to Mark's father, Dr Edward Zuckerberg.
http://www.windowsanyway.com/windows-7-anytime-upgrade-c-630.html
There is lots of factors products
There are actually only 5 Windows RT tablets or hybrids on keep shelves and
they’re not selling effectively, as a single analyst has identified this 7
days.
There is lots of factors products like the Asus VivoTab RT TF600T and Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 haven’t challenged the iPad’s dominance - substantial prices, weak availability, failure to invest in marketing and advertising, dislike of Windows RT, extremely silly names - but I can increase a single even further justification into the list: confusion between shops
This individual gadget, despite the title on that site, doesn’t run Windows 8. It runs Windows RT. There’s no clarification within the specs listing. The sole point out of working programs within the website page is while in the Concern and Remedy instrument, in which consumers have had to talk to if it operates Home windows RT or Home windows key shop; an Argos “Helper” promised to alter the website page, but that was back in mid-February and also the error remains.
Number of on the standard shops I’ve visited present any explanation of the distinctions involving Windows 8 and Windows RT to customers. John Lewis would be the exception that proves the rule, supplying a minimum of two strains of clarification: “Windows RT can be a new edition of Microsoft Windows that’s constructed to run on ARM-based tablets and PCs. It really works exclusively with apps out there during the Windows Keep.”
A lot more typically than not, on the net stores only use copy equipped from the companies - if you have at any time paid close attention while buying a certain item across numerous suppliers, you’ll have noticed there is apparently plenty of chopping and pasting likely on. Just take Asus. Here’s the copy it plainly equipped to Debenhams (which apparently sells tablets today - who knew?):
“Asus VivoTab RT, Asus’ initial Windows RT pill that offers buyers the brand new Windows experience in a moveable, still impressive device. Featuring the award profitable Transformer Pad structure, the VivoTab brings the popular Home windows platform to the pill world that transforms to comprehensive notebook productiveness when connected to the Cell Dock.” There is no mention of Windows 8, but it really rarely points out what RT is and isn’t, either.
Pc Earth is minor much better. Its Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 webpage says: “The new process lets you to definitely customise the start screen, make your important purposes towards your liking. You'll be able to swipe, pinch and contact your way however the brand new functions and beautiful interface. Crafted close to applications the Windows RT running technique tends to make perform and engage in less complicated, successful, social and wholly trusted.” You’d have thought Computer system Earth may well not less than point out that your existing Home windows software program won’t do the job with it.
Nonetheless, Samsung and various companies might have helped their very own induce by evidently outlining what Home windows RT is and is not to merchants and would-be consumers. Undoubtedly, anyone who purchased the “Samsung Ativ Home windows 8″ from Argos is in for any bit of a surprise.
There is lots of factors products like the Asus VivoTab RT TF600T and Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 haven’t challenged the iPad’s dominance - substantial prices, weak availability, failure to invest in marketing and advertising, dislike of Windows RT, extremely silly names - but I can increase a single even further justification into the list: confusion between shops
This individual gadget, despite the title on that site, doesn’t run Windows 8. It runs Windows RT. There’s no clarification within the specs listing. The sole point out of working programs within the website page is while in the Concern and Remedy instrument, in which consumers have had to talk to if it operates Home windows RT or Home windows key shop; an Argos “Helper” promised to alter the website page, but that was back in mid-February and also the error remains.
Number of on the standard shops I’ve visited present any explanation of the distinctions involving Windows 8 and Windows RT to customers. John Lewis would be the exception that proves the rule, supplying a minimum of two strains of clarification: “Windows RT can be a new edition of Microsoft Windows that’s constructed to run on ARM-based tablets and PCs. It really works exclusively with apps out there during the Windows Keep.”
A lot more typically than not, on the net stores only use copy equipped from the companies - if you have at any time paid close attention while buying a certain item across numerous suppliers, you’ll have noticed there is apparently plenty of chopping and pasting likely on. Just take Asus. Here’s the copy it plainly equipped to Debenhams (which apparently sells tablets today - who knew?):
“Asus VivoTab RT, Asus’ initial Windows RT pill that offers buyers the brand new Windows experience in a moveable, still impressive device. Featuring the award profitable Transformer Pad structure, the VivoTab brings the popular Home windows platform to the pill world that transforms to comprehensive notebook productiveness when connected to the Cell Dock.” There is no mention of Windows 8, but it really rarely points out what RT is and isn’t, either.
Pc Earth is minor much better. Its Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 webpage says: “The new process lets you to definitely customise the start screen, make your important purposes towards your liking. You'll be able to swipe, pinch and contact your way however the brand new functions and beautiful interface. Crafted close to applications the Windows RT running technique tends to make perform and engage in less complicated, successful, social and wholly trusted.” You’d have thought Computer system Earth may well not less than point out that your existing Home windows software program won’t do the job with it.
Nonetheless, Samsung and various companies might have helped their very own induce by evidently outlining what Home windows RT is and is not to merchants and would-be consumers. Undoubtedly, anyone who purchased the “Samsung Ativ Home windows 8″ from Argos is in for any bit of a surprise.
2013年4月4日星期四
Coming today: A Facebook phone?
The long-rumored Facebook phone might finally be ready to make its
debut.
The company is expected to announce a new HTC smartphone running a special Facebook-centric version of Android on Thursday, according to numerous rumors and leaks on tech sites and major publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and 9to5Google.
Expanded smartphone integration is a logical step for the social media company, which has been working hard to increase its mobile presence and make more money off of mobile advertising.
The only official hint doled out by Facebook so far is that the announcement has something to do with Google's Android mobile operating system, with the invite asking press to "Come see our new home on Android" at its Menlo Park, California headquarters.
Rumors of a Facebook phone have been swirling for years, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg has repeatedly denied the company was "building" a phone, saying Facebook was not interested in becoming a hardware company. Those carefully worded denials should still stand. Facebook hasn't built a phone, it's just partnered with a phone manufacturer to place its service and apps more front and center on a typical Android smartphone.
That device is expected to be an HTC 4.3-inch smartphone called the HTC First that bears a passing resemblance to the iPhone, comes in multiple colors, and packs in the usual mid-range specs at moderate price. There doesn't seem to much exceptional or new about the hardware itself beyond the Facebook makeover.
Screens shots that purportedly show the new Android homepage, possibly called Facebook Home, show buttons along the top for common Facebook actions, such as updating a status, posting a photo or checking into a location, and icons for the major Facebook apps including Instagram and Messenger in the center of the screen.
Facebook might also release a similar new standalone Facebook Android app for all Android phones.
The homepage retooling would expand Facebook's reach beyond the standalone Facebook app, spreading its presence into more parts of the smartphone experience. People would end up spending larger amounts of time using the social network's features, in turn giving Facebook more opportunities to collect data and serve up relevant ads.
Smartphone users are already checking Facebook an average of 14 times a day, according to a recent survey by IDC. Facebook was the most popular mobile app across platforms in 2012 in the U.S. according to comScore, and in January more people were checking Facebook on their mobile devices than desktop computers for the first time.
If priced low enough, a Facebook-ified phone could be appealing to Facebook fans in developing countries, where the network is popular and smartphone sales are still rising sharply. The partnership could also be a boost for Taiwanese phone manufacturer HTC, which has been struggling to keep up with smartphone leaders Samsung and Apple.
Facebook has been focusing intensely on mobile since going public in mid-2012. In the past year it has revamped its iOS and Android mobile apps and started displaying ads on mobile devices. The company had signficant success making money on mobile. According to a recent report from research company eMarketer, Facebook is currently the second largest mobile ad publisher in the U.S. after Google, and is expected to make $964.9 million in mobile ad revenue in 2013.
This is the third major product announcement from Facebook in recent months. The first was for Graph Search, an advanced search tool for more effectively drilling down into your Facebook to network to find people and pages and companies. Last month the company unveiled a redesigned news feed that looks more like its mobile apps.
http://www.windowsanyway.com/microsoft-office-for-mac-home-and-business-2011-product-key-p-3551.html
The company is expected to announce a new HTC smartphone running a special Facebook-centric version of Android on Thursday, according to numerous rumors and leaks on tech sites and major publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and 9to5Google.
Expanded smartphone integration is a logical step for the social media company, which has been working hard to increase its mobile presence and make more money off of mobile advertising.
The only official hint doled out by Facebook so far is that the announcement has something to do with Google's Android mobile operating system, with the invite asking press to "Come see our new home on Android" at its Menlo Park, California headquarters.
Rumors of a Facebook phone have been swirling for years, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg has repeatedly denied the company was "building" a phone, saying Facebook was not interested in becoming a hardware company. Those carefully worded denials should still stand. Facebook hasn't built a phone, it's just partnered with a phone manufacturer to place its service and apps more front and center on a typical Android smartphone.
That device is expected to be an HTC 4.3-inch smartphone called the HTC First that bears a passing resemblance to the iPhone, comes in multiple colors, and packs in the usual mid-range specs at moderate price. There doesn't seem to much exceptional or new about the hardware itself beyond the Facebook makeover.
Screens shots that purportedly show the new Android homepage, possibly called Facebook Home, show buttons along the top for common Facebook actions, such as updating a status, posting a photo or checking into a location, and icons for the major Facebook apps including Instagram and Messenger in the center of the screen.
Facebook might also release a similar new standalone Facebook Android app for all Android phones.
The homepage retooling would expand Facebook's reach beyond the standalone Facebook app, spreading its presence into more parts of the smartphone experience. People would end up spending larger amounts of time using the social network's features, in turn giving Facebook more opportunities to collect data and serve up relevant ads.
Smartphone users are already checking Facebook an average of 14 times a day, according to a recent survey by IDC. Facebook was the most popular mobile app across platforms in 2012 in the U.S. according to comScore, and in January more people were checking Facebook on their mobile devices than desktop computers for the first time.
If priced low enough, a Facebook-ified phone could be appealing to Facebook fans in developing countries, where the network is popular and smartphone sales are still rising sharply. The partnership could also be a boost for Taiwanese phone manufacturer HTC, which has been struggling to keep up with smartphone leaders Samsung and Apple.
Facebook has been focusing intensely on mobile since going public in mid-2012. In the past year it has revamped its iOS and Android mobile apps and started displaying ads on mobile devices. The company had signficant success making money on mobile. According to a recent report from research company eMarketer, Facebook is currently the second largest mobile ad publisher in the U.S. after Google, and is expected to make $964.9 million in mobile ad revenue in 2013.
This is the third major product announcement from Facebook in recent months. The first was for Graph Search, an advanced search tool for more effectively drilling down into your Facebook to network to find people and pages and companies. Last month the company unveiled a redesigned news feed that looks more like its mobile apps.
http://www.windowsanyway.com/microsoft-office-for-mac-home-and-business-2011-product-key-p-3551.html
That is not astonishing in any way
Even though Computer maker Dell is at the moment from the middle of a
system that can direct to using alone back into a non-public business, it really
is still building new Computer solutions dependant on Home windows 8. This 7
days, an govt at Dell indicated the company plans to refresh windows 7 home premium activation key its Home windows 8
lineup of PCs later this yr.
That is not astonishing in any way; in reality it truly is expected. However, as PCWorld.com reports, Dell vice-president Steve Lalla did point out that the corporation is exploring designs for long run Home windows eight tablets which are bigger in comparison to the ten inch styles which have been currently available from Dell, including the Home windows 8-based Latitude 10 and also the Home windows RT-based XPS 10.
It isn't still acknowledged if these larger tablets is going to be a part of Dell's 2013 Computer products designs. Lalla did condition that Dell will offer some new Windows 8 notebooks and convertibles that may be thinner and lighter than their present-day goods. Lalla also mentioned the corporate is still working on Home windows RT-based products, jogging on ARM processors, but wouldn't go into particulars.
It's most likely that Personal computer makers are waiting right up until the Computex trade event in Taiwan to reveal more details regarding their 2013 Home windows eight start ideas. The trade show might be held this calendar year from June 4-8.
That is not astonishing in any way; in reality it truly is expected. However, as PCWorld.com reports, Dell vice-president Steve Lalla did point out that the corporation is exploring designs for long run Home windows eight tablets which are bigger in comparison to the ten inch styles which have been currently available from Dell, including the Home windows 8-based Latitude 10 and also the Home windows RT-based XPS 10.
It isn't still acknowledged if these larger tablets is going to be a part of Dell's 2013 Computer products designs. Lalla did condition that Dell will offer some new Windows 8 notebooks and convertibles that may be thinner and lighter than their present-day goods. Lalla also mentioned the corporate is still working on Home windows RT-based products, jogging on ARM processors, but wouldn't go into particulars.
It's most likely that Personal computer makers are waiting right up until the Computex trade event in Taiwan to reveal more details regarding their 2013 Home windows eight start ideas. The trade show might be held this calendar year from June 4-8.
2013年4月1日星期一
Microsoft rolling out some Windows 8 core app updates this week. What about the rest?
Microsoft officials announced on March 25 that starting tomorrow, March 26,
they'll make available via the Windows Store significant updates to the Mail,
People and Calendar apps that are built into Windows 8 and Windows RT.
Update: Microsoft began rolling out these updates late on March 25. If you don't see the updates listed for download, you can proactively check for them. To do this, you must be inside the Windows Store app. From there, swipe in from the right to get the Charms. Then go to Settings and App Update to see if there are any available apps ready for download. Since putting the new Mail app on my Surface RT, I've noticed much-improved mail performance. Huzzah!
For a list of all the new features that will be part of this push, check out my ZDNet colleague Ed Bott's post on the Mail/Calendar/People updates. Like many early Windows 8/Windows RT, users, I'm happy to see Mail get updates like the ability to create and delete folders and the ability to search for mail on the server, among others. Supposedly performance of all three apps is improved, even on low-power Surface RT devices.
But what about the other "core" Windows 8 and Windows RT apps -- especially Xbox Music, which has felt half-finished since it debuted as one of the bundled apps Microsoft delivered last October with Windows 8 and Windows RT? Today's blog post from the Windows services team is solely about Mail/Calendar/People. But according to one of my sources, who mentioned the coming March core-app updates, Xbox Music and the Bing AppEx applications were supposedly going to be refreshed this month, too.
There are still six more days in March, so it could happen. Or maybe these won't actually roll out until April.
I asked my original tipster whether the Xbox core-app refresh is imminent and was told that the Xbox Entertainment app team was still releasing minor internal updates over the weekend, but that they are "almost done."
Update: The Xbox Music update is available as of March 26. It's by no means a huge update, but it does provide performance improvements and more granular controls for volume, semantic zoom and playlists, according to those who've already grabbed the update.
The Bing AppEx team apps -- Weather, News, Sports, etc., which shipped preinstalled on Windows 8 and Windows RT -- may be poised for new updates. So far, no word from the Bing team on that, however.
Late last week, some of us took the appearance of a list of Microsoft-developed apps in the System Log on our machines that the expected refreshes of all the core Windows 8/Windows RT apps were set to arrive imminently.
It turns out this may be unrelated, as Martin Geuss from drwindows.de noted over the weekend. Geuss said that all core apps are listed in the event entry on Windows 8 and Windows RT systems because all of these apps have received at least one update since Windows 8 and Windows RT RTM'd.
Event-entry relevance aside, the expected and (hopefully) useful core app updates are on their way.
http://www.windowsanyway.com/
Update: Microsoft began rolling out these updates late on March 25. If you don't see the updates listed for download, you can proactively check for them. To do this, you must be inside the Windows Store app. From there, swipe in from the right to get the Charms. Then go to Settings and App Update to see if there are any available apps ready for download. Since putting the new Mail app on my Surface RT, I've noticed much-improved mail performance. Huzzah!
For a list of all the new features that will be part of this push, check out my ZDNet colleague Ed Bott's post on the Mail/Calendar/People updates. Like many early Windows 8/Windows RT, users, I'm happy to see Mail get updates like the ability to create and delete folders and the ability to search for mail on the server, among others. Supposedly performance of all three apps is improved, even on low-power Surface RT devices.
But what about the other "core" Windows 8 and Windows RT apps -- especially Xbox Music, which has felt half-finished since it debuted as one of the bundled apps Microsoft delivered last October with Windows 8 and Windows RT? Today's blog post from the Windows services team is solely about Mail/Calendar/People. But according to one of my sources, who mentioned the coming March core-app updates, Xbox Music and the Bing AppEx applications were supposedly going to be refreshed this month, too.
There are still six more days in March, so it could happen. Or maybe these won't actually roll out until April.
I asked my original tipster whether the Xbox core-app refresh is imminent and was told that the Xbox Entertainment app team was still releasing minor internal updates over the weekend, but that they are "almost done."
Update: The Xbox Music update is available as of March 26. It's by no means a huge update, but it does provide performance improvements and more granular controls for volume, semantic zoom and playlists, according to those who've already grabbed the update.
The Bing AppEx team apps -- Weather, News, Sports, etc., which shipped preinstalled on Windows 8 and Windows RT -- may be poised for new updates. So far, no word from the Bing team on that, however.
Late last week, some of us took the appearance of a list of Microsoft-developed apps in the System Log on our machines that the expected refreshes of all the core Windows 8/Windows RT apps were set to arrive imminently.
It turns out this may be unrelated, as Martin Geuss from drwindows.de noted over the weekend. Geuss said that all core apps are listed in the event entry on Windows 8 and Windows RT systems because all of these apps have received at least one update since Windows 8 and Windows RT RTM'd.
Event-entry relevance aside, the expected and (hopefully) useful core app updates are on their way.
http://www.windowsanyway.com/
Home windows eight is true smack within the center
Windows 8 might be by far the most polarizing solution that Microsoft has
at any time introduced.
The truth is, it would be one of several most polarizing tech goods to at any time begin to see the light-weight of day.
There is absolute confidence that Windows eight contains a significant number of outright haters. It’s even impressed comparisons together with the much-loathed Windows Vista.
But it is not easy to inform no matter whether that outpouring of anger is just the echo chamber amplifying a vocal minority or regardless of whether it truly represents a prevalent damaging opinion.
Home windows 8 is in truth much less well-known than Home windows seven, which has extremely higher acceptance ratings. But it’s far additional well-known than Windows Vista, which was perfectly and certainly hated.
In my encounter, a 4- or 5-star ranking can be a reliable thumbs-up. A score of 2 or 3 stars signifies “Meh.” Plus a 1-star ranking will be the equivalent of a raised center finger. If you read the testimonials that accompany 1-star rankings, you will uncover equivalent pieces rage and buyer’s regret.
By that common, Windows Vista can be a world-class villain, an object of scorn and mock, with 42 p.c of all reviewers offering it the bottom feasible score.
Against this, a mere 17 p.c of Home windows 7 reviewers hated it sufficient to award it a one-finger salute. And Windows eight was right smack from the center of these two, with 29 % of reviewers giving it just one star.
Slightly more than fifty % all Home windows 8 potential buyers like it. That’s a lot less in comparison to the whopping 67 percent approval rating for Home windows seven, but much beyond the puny 38 percent of Vista consumers who gave it a thumbs-up vote.
In reality, like a evaluate of how deeply despised Vista was, take note which the range of 1-star rankings was higher as opposed to overall of 4- and 5-star ratings. That is not the situation whatsoever with the far more recent versions.
The common score for Windows 7 on Amazon’s 1-5 scale is three.seven. Look at that together with the extremely very poor 2.seven score for Windows Vista. The moment once more, Home windows eight is true smack within the center of these two, earning a mean ranking of three.two.
(With the sake of comparison, I checked out by far the most latest edition of OS X that Amazon sold. Apple sells the more recent Lion and Mountain Lion on line only, but Snow Leopard, which was launched across the similar time as Home windows 7, is only marginally extra common than its Home windows rival. Snow Leopard earns an average ranking of three.nine, when compared to Home windows 7’s 3.7. And, you realize, "haters gonna despise.” For that evidence, take note that 14 % of Snow Leopard potential buyers gave the Apple OS a 1-star rating. Which is only 3 details decreased than the "I loathe Home windows 7" score.
I think that none of such conclusions are stunning to the Microsoft supervisors and product or service planners who introduced Home windows 8. That they had to find out that many of their design and style selections were being going being unpopular. People today never like it any time you move their cheese. Time will convey to if those people customers move in other places or slowly but surely arrive all around.
The truth is, it would be one of several most polarizing tech goods to at any time begin to see the light-weight of day.
There is absolute confidence that Windows eight contains a significant number of outright haters. It’s even impressed comparisons together with the much-loathed Windows Vista.
But it is not easy to inform no matter whether that outpouring of anger is just the echo chamber amplifying a vocal minority or regardless of whether it truly represents a prevalent damaging opinion.
Home windows 8 is in truth much less well-known than Home windows seven, which has extremely higher acceptance ratings. But it’s far additional well-known than Windows Vista, which was perfectly and certainly hated.
In my encounter, a 4- or 5-star ranking can be a reliable thumbs-up. A score of 2 or 3 stars signifies “Meh.” Plus a 1-star ranking will be the equivalent of a raised center finger. If you read the testimonials that accompany 1-star rankings, you will uncover equivalent pieces rage and buyer’s regret.
By that common, Windows Vista can be a world-class villain, an object of scorn and mock, with 42 p.c of all reviewers offering it the bottom feasible score.
Against this, a mere 17 p.c of Home windows 7 reviewers hated it sufficient to award it a one-finger salute. And Windows eight was right smack from the center of these two, with 29 % of reviewers giving it just one star.
Slightly more than fifty % all Home windows 8 potential buyers like it. That’s a lot less in comparison to the whopping 67 percent approval rating for Home windows seven, but much beyond the puny 38 percent of Vista consumers who gave it a thumbs-up vote.
In reality, like a evaluate of how deeply despised Vista was, take note which the range of 1-star rankings was higher as opposed to overall of 4- and 5-star ratings. That is not the situation whatsoever with the far more recent versions.
The common score for Windows 7 on Amazon’s 1-5 scale is three.seven. Look at that together with the extremely very poor 2.seven score for Windows Vista. The moment once more, Home windows eight is true smack within the center of these two, earning a mean ranking of three.two.
(With the sake of comparison, I checked out by far the most latest edition of OS X that Amazon sold. Apple sells the more recent Lion and Mountain Lion on line only, but Snow Leopard, which was launched across the similar time as Home windows 7, is only marginally extra common than its Home windows rival. Snow Leopard earns an average ranking of three.nine, when compared to Home windows 7’s 3.7. And, you realize, "haters gonna despise.” For that evidence, take note that 14 % of Snow Leopard potential buyers gave the Apple OS a 1-star rating. Which is only 3 details decreased than the "I loathe Home windows 7" score.
I think that none of such conclusions are stunning to the Microsoft supervisors and product or service planners who introduced Home windows 8. That they had to find out that many of their design and style selections were being going being unpopular. People today never like it any time you move their cheese. Time will convey to if those people customers move in other places or slowly but surely arrive all around.
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