Windows 8 Review

Microsoft reveals the new Xbox One

May 21, 2013 matt No comments

After months of hype and speculation, Microsoft has finally come out with detailed information about the new generation of Xbox gaming console. The most important detail is that it will be called the Xbox One, but there are still a few small technical details to go along with that.

Frankly, over the course of an hour long announcement, we learned a lot.

The initial emphasis was on the Kinect.Every console will come complete with a slightly modified Kinect bar that will allow you to control most important aspects of navigation.Voice commands make it possible to watch live television, navigate your media library, scroll through and select applications, and more.

The TV tuner capabilities that we expected to see talked about are tied in to this feature set.Thanks to the Kinect it will be easy to flip through channels without all the hassle of moving your thumbs!

This then moves into video conferencing.As predicted, Microsoft wants Skype to be an important part of your Xbox One experience.You’ll be able to handle all the usual tasks, up to and including group video calls.Skype will even be dockable without losing video connection.

If the snap feature sounds familiar, it should.This appears to be exactly the same functionality that we have gotten used to with Windows 8’s Modern UI.It does look a lot better suited for a television than on most desktops, though.

Gaming was obviously the important part of this presentation, but they took a while to get around to it.

The updated Xbox Live brings with it a few interesting features.They implemented something called “Game DVR” that should allow for the same sort of playback that Sony came up with for the PS4.It’s probably going to be handy for many gamers, honestly, but it isn’t exactly exciting anymore.

In addition to all the other fun games that are sure to pop up, it appears there will be 15 exclusive launch titles for the Xbox One.8 of these are going to be new franchises.That could be a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s nice to see something new for a new console alongside the obvious HALO, FIFA, CoD, etc. collection.

The hardware specs are nice enough to be worth commenting on, especially since they address many of the current generation console’s shortcomings.

Xbox One stats

“Three” Operating Systems (Xbox OS, Windows Kernel, and an intermediary layer)
8 Core CPU
8GB Memory
500GB Hard Drive
Blu-Ray Optical Drive
Internal 802.11n Wireless
USB 3.0
HDMI In / Out

The controller update is less exciting.It looks good, though!Flatter, less bulky, not as much battery case projection, and the directional pad is greatly improved.It’s an incremental upgrade on the already popular design.

I could go into detail about the games they showed off and how nice everything looks, but that’s pretty much a given at this point.All the high points, from sports to shooters, were covered.Everything looks fantastic.We’ll be hearing more about the game selection and who Microsoft has managed to get on board already when E3 hits.

Microsoft News, Xbox Kinect, Skype, Xbox Event, Xbox One, Xbox Reveal

A Review of modTuner Pro for Windows 8

May 21, 2013 holly No comments

Looking for an app to help tune your violin, cello, or most any other instrument? ModTuner Pro is one of the best quality apps I’ve seen in the Windows 8 marketplace so far, both for musicians and in general. You can download a free, or a paid version with additional features, for just $1.49.

ModTuner uses your PC or tablet’s microphone to record and display notes on the screen as they are played. The display is a crisp white on black with large, easy-to-read text that can be seen from a distance if needed. In addition to white-on-black, modTuner Pro also offers black-on-white, and other personalized theme colors. The notes correspond to their placement on the 88-key piano, and range from A0-C8, going from low to high.

The noise cancellation, calibration A, and drop/capo settings are in both the taskbar and app settings. As long as you know the Windows 8 navigation style, finding these options shouldn’t be a problem.

I really like that the free app is ad-free, and it is suitable for basic tuning, but for a more personalized experience, I suggest going for the Pro version. The app is helpful for musicians of all skill levels.

ModTuner Pro is especially helpful for new musicians learning how to tune an instrument, musicians with hearing loss, or in noisy environments. The app flashes when the note is in tune, and includes a noise cancellation feature that cuts out background noise. I wish I had this back when I was in orchestra!

ModTuner Pro is an simple, easy-to-use, but very powerful app. It requires a microphone, but modern PCs and tablets should have no problem supporting this app. I look forward to observing what’s in store for music in the app marketplace. The recording quality will only get better as computers and mobile devices improve.

Applications Burnt Fuse, modTuner Pro

A Review of AppSwitch for Windows 8

May 16, 2013 holly No comments

Most people own devices that use one or more of the major software platforms including Windows 8, iOS, BlackBerry, and Android. AppSwitch serves as a search engine for related apps across device platforms.

AppSwitch is set up to fit into the overall Windows 8 theme with tiles going horizontally across the app’s main screen. I think the user interface is very clean and well laid out. The menu on the left side of the screen provides quick access to options such as favorites, user suggestions, and the store.

Tap or click an app’s tile, and AppSwitch displays details about the app and provides screenshots. It also shows the matching app in iOS and the other major platforms. You can choose which platforms you want to match in AppSwitch’s settings. It doesn’t necessarily match up with the app’s exact equivalent, however. For example, Kindle for Windows 8 is matched with Apple’s iBooks rather than the iOS Kindle app.

AppSwitch displays app reviews in addition to the details and screenshots. I find that especially handy because Windows 8 apps are fairly new, and many still have room for improvement. I was surprised that AppSwitch put the spotlight on the Windows 8 Kindle app because the reviews of it are not very positive. So, it is nice to have a central location where you can pull up apps and get help deciding whether you want to download and/or purchase them.

There doesn’t appear to be a large collection of comparable Windows 8 apps yet, and reviewers mentioned this when reviewing AppSwitch. But, the OS is fairly new still, so the collection will continue to grow as time passes and as more Windows 8 app developers acknowledge the need for comparable cross platform apps.

AppSwitch is off to a great start with an easy to navigate interface, and you can’t beat free! I look forward to seeing what more it can offer as the Windows 8 app marketplace continues to grow and improve.

Uncategorized appswitch

Windows 8.1 (Formerly ‘Blue’) Confirmed Free By Microsoft

May 15, 2013 matt No comments

We’ve been talking a lot about Windows Blue lately, trying to figure out what kind of changes it would bring. In the last few weeks the codename Windows Blue has fallen away in favor of Windows 8.1. Microsoft has now come forward to confirm that Windows 8.1 will be the official designation of the upgrade pack and that it will be available completely free of charge to all users, despite some speculation to the contrary.

It is also confirmed that a preview release will be available to the public within the next 30 days. Microsoft has already made it clear that developers will have access to the latest build as of the BUILD conference running June 26-28. Tickets have already sold out to that event, though they found room to release a few more beginning at 9am PDT today if you’re interested in attending.

Windows 8.1 will bring in a number of changes intended to placate the OS’s more vocal detractors and turn around the slow sales trend.

Leaked builds that have surfaced lately offer plenty of hints. Installing these, despite their being unfinished, allows access to a greatly expanded Start Screen personalization screen, improved Charms and Bing-powered searching, and a collection of new built-in apps. People have also dredged up signs of a Boot to Desktop option, the return of the Start button, an upgrade to Internet Explorer 11, and more.

It will be interesting to see how this turns out. Certain likely portions of the update, including the anticipated return of the Start button, will remove much of the room for complaints that have become common. There is little chance that it will kick off a wave of consumer upgrades from Windows 7 without the added incentive of a sale, but adding more familiar interface elements back in will make selling to business clients far simpler.

The same blog that finally formally acknowledged that there have been some missteps. Tami Reller, Windows CMO/CFO, came forward to talk about what they’ve done wrong and how things are getting fixed. Microsoft is working more closely with hardware partners now to get touchscreen devices into circulation (a necessity to get the very most out of Windows 8). They’re also trying to respond to a great deal of the customer feedback that has been generated since its launch back in October.

Reller said in a recent interview that “we don’t want customers to hesitate in any way.” Hopefully by acknowledging more of the customer complaints they will be able to pull that off. While 100 million licenses sold since October is a great start and puts things on par with the Windows 7 launch, it’s going to take a lot more for this to be recognized as a successful first year.

Microsoft News, Windows 8 UI, Windows 8.1 Interview, Upgrade, Windows 8.1, Windows Blue

Skype and the Xbox: Microsoft’s Set-top Future

May 14, 2013 matt No comments

We have some time yet before Microsoft reveals the details of their new Xbox hardware, but the speculation already points to certain interesting applications. Chief among these is the possibilities presented by serious Skype integration. Properly implemented, this could open up whole new markets and drastically expand the potential audience for the next generation of Xbox.

This all relies on efforts to redefine the Xbox as more than just a gaming device. We have what seems to be solid information that it will be capable of HDMI passthrough as well as cable TV integration. That fits in with the ongoing attempt to make Microsoft devices into a media center mainstay. We’ve also heard a fair amount of speculation that the Kinect peripheral will be an integral part of the new console.

Put those things together and we have something really interesting. If they were to push Skype as a major feature, it would have the potential to make every television into a telecommunication device.

That’s not exactly a surprising application given how much time and effort Microsoft has invested in developing Skype as a core part of their business, but it wouldn’t have been possible before now. Because the Kinect was something that came post-launch for the Xbox 360 console it was impossible to make design choices that relied on the assumption of its presence. This time around there will be more to work with.

The big sticking point will be how the console is priced. There has been some interesting speculation surrounding that as well.

It is possible, though not quite as probably as the general Kinect integration, that a cut-down model of the next generation Xbox will be available solely as a passthrough device that improves the media center experience. The rumors surrounding this model indicate that it would have minimal onboard storage and no optical drive, but that it would be able to handle most of the non-gaming tasks of the full-feature device.

If that were to be made available at a price around $100-150, it would open a lot of doors. There is already a small market built up around names like Roku that provide living room access to Netflix and other media services for a minimal initial investment. Bringing some form of the Windows 8 experience to a set-top device would provide a superior experience at a comparable price.

While speculative, there’s a lot of potential here. If Microsoft is really looking to make the Modern UI a unified environment spanning pretty much everything with a screen, which seems to be the case, televisions won’t be overlooked. Having Skype available on any screen at any time would certainly help with that and more.

Uncategorized Modern UI, Skype, Xbox

How long before Microsoft moves entirely to subscriptions?

May 10, 2013 matt No comments

Adobe recently announced that they were eliminating their Creative Suite software in favor of a web-based service. This once again introduces some speculation that Microsoft will follow a similar path by getting rid of its Office software, and possibly more, in favor of the Office 365 service.

For the moment that is not going to be an issue. In a recent blog post from Office team spokesman Clint Patterson, we learned that the move has been considered already but has not been deemed wise for the moment. Specifically, Patterson states that “we think people’s shift from packaged software to subscription services will take time.”

That does indicate a sense of inevitability about the whole transition. While the time frame that Patterson presents is around a decade, which incidentally puts him right in line with other such estimates that have come out of the company before now, that only covers the Office side of business. There is also the chance that other pieces of Microsoft software, up to and including Windows itself, could be brought to the same model.

The appeal of the subscription model is obvious. It can interest more customers thanks to the lower initial adoption cost while providing a more reliable income stream as time goes on. Customers also benefit in many ways thanks to the constantly updated nature of such services. Microsoft gets a smaller fee each month that adds up to far more than a single purchase ever would as time goes on while the customer is assured of the very latest features, improvements, and compatibility.

It sounds great when you put it the right way, but it isn’t a model that will work for all users. Many volume license accounts have no interest in updating to the latest version on a regular basis. The emphasis is on stability rather than keeping current. Software as a service doesn’t account for that approach nearly as well. Rolling updates for something like Windows 8 would only introduce more such conflicts, given how even minor interface adjustments can have a significant short term impact on productivity.

As it stands, we can expect to see the subscription option become the standard on a number of products. Office is pretty much inevitable. The shift to Office 365 as the basic package has already been emphasized in marketing and development efforts and there’s no sign of that stopping. It allows for a lot more flexibility on the personal level, opening up the software to far more people, and the web apps associated with it present a lot of opportunities.

Operating systems and other such basic functions will take a while longer. It’s likely that there will be at least some attempt to run a subscription-based Windows environment at some point, but the resistance to that is likely to make the bad publicity Windows 8 has enjoyed look negligible. We know it’s going to be attempted in some form and that efforts will certainly begin in the next few years, but success would be a long shot.

Applications, Office 2013 Office 365, SAAS, Software as a Service, Subscription Model

Nook may become Microsoft’s iBooks competitor after $1 Billion purchase

May 9, 2013 matt No comments

The folks over at TechCrunch have acquired some internal Microsoft documents that detail a proposed purchase of Nook Media LLC, Barnes & Noble’s digital arm. They are offering to pay $1 Billion for the eBook, eReader, and Tablet assets that the Nook brand represents. Other portions of this fairly recent spinoff from Barnes & Noble, such as their college book division, would be left behind.

This follows rumors, seemingly confirmed by the same internal documents, that Nook Media plans to discontinue its Android tablet line. We were hearing some talk back in February that indicated a move toward platform agnostic eBook sales, but this is the first solid evidence that has turned up.

People who already own Nook Tablets were recently given open access to the Google Play store as Nook Media ended its attempts to run a closed app store of their own. It was thought to be an attempt to lure in users who might otherwise be tempted by the competing Kindle Fire HD, but it’s entirely possible that they are already setting up to completely abandon the whole Android device market.

Instead of running on proprietary devices, the Nook digital product line will be served up through “third party partner” devices. There is a very good chance that the partner being alluded to here was already Microsoft, given their early investment in the company and the level of integration we’ve seen from the Nook app currently available in the Windows Store.

If this sale were to take place, it could be the start of some interesting changes in the Windows 8 device selection. While they have never managed to get on top for long, Barnes & Noble put together one of the most impressive eReader platforms in use. Couple that with a popular, if not wildly successful, tablet line and there’s a lot of potential for Microsoft’s development.

The obvious prospect, a Windows 8-based eReader that carries an integrated Nook app but still allows access to other content providers, would only be the start of things. It wouldn’t hurt either company at all to have a reliable brand showing off one of the first new 7” Windows RT tablets to hit the market toward the end of this year. New Nook Tablets could only improve, seeing as their major shortcoming until recently has been the lack of an app selection comparable to Amazon’s/

Neither Microsoft nor Barnes & Noble has been willing to comment on these documents so far.

If Microsoft does manage to make this deal, they would be getting away with a fairly cheap purchase, all things considered. Nook Media was valued at over $1.7 Billion when it was created back in October and even impressively bad sales on the hardware side of things have not been sufficient to tank the company’s value that much.

Either way Microsoft will continue to have a close relationship with Nook Media. This purchase may be the only way we’ll see a Windows 8 branded Nook Tablet in the future, though.

Microsoft News, Windows 8 Hardware Barnes & Noble, Nook, Nook Media, Windows Nook, Windows Tablet

Windows 8.1 Preview Confirmed for June Release by Microsoft

May 8, 2013 matt No comments

In a recent Q&A session over at the Blogging Windows site, Tami Reller gave some information about the current situation and near future of Windows 8. While there were a number of things touched on, the most interesting is probably the confirmation of Windows Blue. It’s not news in itself, but Microsoft has largely been quiet about things so far. Later, at the Wired Business Conference, Julie Larson-Green not only confirmed this but set a release time for the public preview.

As many have suspected before now, Microsoft will be releasing Windows Blue to developers at the Build conference. That means we’ll have access to functioning previews before the end of June. The leaked builds are handy, but it’s fair to say that this will be a far more informative release.

The Reller interview emphasized that Microsoft is interested in responding to customer feedback as much as possible in this update. That explains things like the Boot to Desktop feature that’s been rumored as well as the greatly improved multitasking capability that we can already see at work in leaked builds.

Obviously the majority of the changes that we’re expecting will focus on improving the “Metro” experience for desktop users. Everything from a new personalization interface to an expanded Microsoft app selection has been observed. That doesn’t mean no other needs will be addressed, though.

Battery life improvements are likely to be the most appreciated tweak for a lot of people, but things like broader support for currently unsupported resolutions will be more than welcome as well. The Windows 8.1 release toward the end of this year will certainly bring with it any number of smaller devices ready to take advantage of every new niche that Microsoft opens up. If there’s one thing the Windows tablet market could use right now, it’s affordable smaller devices with decent battery life and backward compatibility.

The rest of what we’ve seen so far has been an emphasis on the successes that have been managed despite the questionable consumer reviews.

The Windows Store now contains six times the number of apps that it did at launch, for example. According to Reller, that puts them ahead of where the iOS app store was in their first year, even if it’s fairly unimpressive compared to the present state of other ecosystems. Another cited stat indicates that over 250 million apps have been downloaded, which includes over 90% of the catalog being downloaded every month. Admittedly that’s got to be seen as fairly good news.

BUILD Windows Conference, Windows 8.1 BUILD, Windows 8.1, Windows Blue

A Review of Slot Bonanza for Windows 8

May 6, 2013 holly No comments

Casino game lovers will have a lot of fun with Slot Bonanza, a free slot game for Windows 8 devices. Slot Bonanza includes eight different slot board layouts, including themes such as princesses and aliens.

No real money is lost or gained in this app, but you have a balance that increases or decreases if you hit or miss. Collect bonuses every day, and your bonus amount increases with each day. There’s also a huge jackpot and mystery boxes to unlock.

There are lots of casino games on the major mobile platforms. There must be something addicting about them even without the money incentive, because I see people playing them for for hours.

The graphics are really impressive for a free app, and are designed to recreate the slot machine look that you’d find in a Las Vegas casino. I think the best way to recreate the casino experience is to play it on a Surface tablet. You can select the number of matches to shoot for, either horizontal, vertical, or zig zag. You’ll get points based on how many of the pieces match. The sound effects make a nice touch.

The only issue I have with Slot Bonanza is the ease of navigation. It might help to make the buttons a little more prominent. It took me awhile to find the play and main menu buttons because they blend in so well with the slot machine.

Want to play or compete with friends? Slot Bonanza connects with Facebook. The app also works with or without internet connection.

Reviews are calling Slot Bonanza the best casino game for Windows 8. It is compatible with all Windows 8 computers and mobile devices. There really isn’t much to the game as far as a learning curve. Just something repetitive and addicting to pass the time on the subway, a doctor’s office, or if you’re bored on a rainy day.

Applications Infiapps, slot bonanza

Hotmail is over, welcome to Outlook.com

May 3, 2013 matt No comments

It’s official, Microsoft has made the complete transition to Outlook.com. Hotmail is no longer active and all former Hotmail users have been moved over to the new service. It’s a huge accomplishment, a major rebranding, and an opportunity to finally begin introducing new features rather than devote every resource to the transfer. Also, nobody is likely to open a new *@hotmail.com account from this point on, to the relief of us all.

The bit announcement contained some details about the transfer as well as the amusing infographic below.

Apparently over 400 million accounts are now active on Outlook.com. Of these, around 300 million seem to have been transferred from the Hotmail service. A sharp increase from the 60 million active accounts that we heard about in February.

In the past six weeks, Microsoft moved over 150 petabytes of data. That’s an absurd amount of email, in case anybody wasn’t sure.

All told, it’s definitely something to brag about on Microsoft’s end. Fortunately they’re using the opportunity to do more than make a PR move. A couple new features have already been introduced.

Outlook.com users can now take advantage of SMTP Send, for example, which makes life much easier for people working through multiple email addresses. It’s being rolled out worldwide at this point, but should be available to most of the US right away.

SkyDrive integration has also been drastically expanded. Rather than simply uploading attachments, it’s now possible to select items from your SkyDrive and add them. They will be included with thumbnail links that already have the proper permissions to share with the recipient. Pictures shared in this way will automatically generate photo mail.

Perhaps most importantly, Skype is being built directly into the Outlook interface. It’s a beta feature at the moment, but first the UK and then the US and Germany will be getting audio and video calling right in their inboxes. If you consider the other new feature testing at Skype right now, video messaging, it makes even more sense. Complete integration could eventually make Outlook.com into a far more functional substitute for the now defunct MSN Messenger service.

There’s still room to grow and a number of new features to look forward to that haven’t been discussed yet, but this is progress. It’s completely fair to say that Microsoft has come up with a reliable alternative to Gmail for the average user. At this point, given the antagonism between the two companies, they couldn’t really afford to do anything less.

Microsoft News Hotmail, Outlook.com

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