With not long to go now until the general availability of Windows 8.1 on 18 October, Microsoft is attempting to get potential upgraders excited by highlighting the new operating system’s apps and services in a blog series called "Right from the Start".

The latest post covers Internet Explorer 11, and there’s lots of new and improved features in the updated veteran browser. "We are proud of the new Internet Explorer and how far the browser has come and we know that users will be impressed, too!" enthuses Ryan Gavin, General Manager, Microsoft Apps & Services.

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In the middle of a pissing match between the President and Congressional leadership it’s good to remember that the United States isn’t the only government that seems to have lost touch with reality. I was reminded of that today when I read this story about the contaminated water problem at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. Now here’s a government that is truly paralyzed!

The story from Japan Times, if you choose to read it, says Japanese Prime Minister Abe is reaching out to foreign experts in an attempt to deal with the problem of radioactive cooling water that is accumulating in hundreds of makeshift tanks that are now beginning to leak. “We want your expertise!” Abe proclaimed in a speech given in English.

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A new survey from tech analysts Juniper Research shows that 80 percent of smartphones will remain unprotected throughout 2013 despite growing consumer awareness of mobile security products.

Juniper reckons that the low level of take up is down to a number of factors, including poor consumer awareness about online attacks on mobile devices and a widespread consumer perception that the price of security products is too high.

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HBO original programming has become some of the most popular content on the small screen these days, including Game of Thrones, which holds the distinction of being the most downloaded show in BitTorrent history. Fortunately for the premium network, there are legal and profitable ways for viewers to obtain its shows.

Today, there is one more outlet being added to the mix -- Google Play. The search giant tweets that HBO is now a part of its app store, bringing along a number of its popular TV Series' to Android and Google TV customers.

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When I can get a good deal, I take it. Given the opportunity, I always try to leverage sites like Groupon and Livingsocial to save money on dinners, entertainment and even Christmas shopping. However, managing and remembering the deals you buy can be problematic. I have had Groupon deals expire before I have the chance to use them. Luckily, Microsoft has people like me in mind and announces the new Bing Offers Card-Linked program.

In a blog post that reads as if it's been translated from a foreign language, Microsoft says: "Since we launched the program [Bing Offers] we have been committed to exploring ways to make as easy as possible for you to find and redeem great offer. You told us to that one thing you didn't like having to pre-purchase deals that they might forget or not use due to inflexible redemption options. Also people didn't like the added hassle of having to print up coupons or display QR codes to redeem savings".

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When Yahoo announced plans to recycle inactive email addresses, concerns were raised about the possibility of the new address owner getting emails intended for the previous occupant. It turned out to be a valid fear as my own experience shows.

But Yahoo is not alone in recycling email addresses. According to a report from PC World, Microsoft is quietly doing the exact same thing with Outlook.com email accounts. A spokesman for the software giant told Webwereld, a Dutch IDG publication, "the email account is automatically queued for deletion from our servers. Then, after a total of 360 days, the email account name is made available again".

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Whenever I watch TV, my tablet is with me. I am often tweeting, instant messaging and playing games while "watching" TV. Because I am so distracted, I must use the term "watching" loosely and apparently, I am not alone. You see, tweeting while watching television is so prevalent, that Nielsen and Twitter teamed-up to establish a social TV rating last year.

At the time, Twitter said "as the experience of TV viewing continues to evolve, our TV partners have consistently asked for one common benchmark from which to measure the engagement of their programming. This new metric is intended to answer that request, and to act as a complement and companion to the Nielsen TV rating". Today, almost a year later, the results of the agreement have come to fruition.

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For Microsoft, Windows 8 is a necessary evil. The operating system has two main purposes: to usher the software giant into the modern mobile computing era and, at the same time, to get existing users on board with the changes on the new platform. So far, it is not difficult to see how the OS (and, by implication, Microsoft) has failed on both counts: its tablet market share is low and the growth of Windows 7 is higher than its own. Remember that Windows 8 is close to being a year-old while Windows 7 will soon have its fourth anniversary.

Despite what some might believe, Microsoft really had no other option but to bring something completely new to the table. It does not take long to realize that Windows 8 has been a step in the right direction, as Windows 7 was primarily designed for devices prior to the tablet era. But despite being well-intended, Microsoft has been facing an ongoing backlash over the efficacy of the new approach, which has led to severely crippled chances for mass market appeal. That is a place where no company wants to be, especially in a period of transition. So, as a result, the software giant is responding to the criticism with Windows 8.1, that now has, among other purposes, a different task: to change people's perception of its predecessor.

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When thinking of personal radio, services such as Pandora, Rdio, Spotify and others come to mind. Windows Azure is not a part of this word association game, but the Microsoft service is capable of powering such apps for mobile platforms, and works with Windows Phone, iPhone and Android.

Now Long Zheng, formerly of the ChevronWP7 team, has announced his startup 121Cast is releasing Omny -- which the company hopes will change the way people use their mobile devices for music, email, news and more. "I know the word 'revolutionize' is very much a cliché for tech startups but I do think we've come up with an easier, more interactive, and all around better way for the busy mobile individual to listen to news, entertainment, music and important updates on the go", Zheng states. "Omny expands on that idea [SoundGecko] to provide a more diverse range of content such as professional radio shows, podcasts and music through Spotify, Rdio, Songl and iTunes", he continues.

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Ever wanted to emulate an Android phone or tablet on your PC or Mac? Perhaps you’re a developer who wants a more convenient way to test code, or you’re looking to demonstrate Android in some way. Or perhaps you’re simply someone who wants to give Android a test run without going the whole hog and spending good money before giving it a whirl?

There’s a simple solution to all of the above -- and that’s to install the free Genymotion 1.3.0 for Windows, Mac and Linux.

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When it comes to modern smartphones, it is easy to feel underwhelmed. After all, they are mostly just rectangular touch-friendly slabs at this point. Lately, the only "innovation" is to simply make them bigger (a bit too big in my opinion). Luckily, innovation is not dead, as LG announces the world's first flexible OLED display panel for smartphones. In other words, smartphones may soon be more than rectangular slabs.

"LG Display is launching a new era of flexible displays for smartphones with its industry-leading technology...the flexible display market is expected to grow quickly as this technology is expected to expand further into diverse applications including automotive displays, tablets and wearable devices. Our goal is to take an early lead in the flexible display market by introducing new products with enhanced performance and differentiated designs next year", says Dr. Sang Deog Yeo, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of LG Display.

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VMware's recent release of a new version of its flagship server virtualization product vSphere 5.5 means that many businesses will be planning to upgrade to the new software. However, as with all major upgrades there's a degree of risk involved, especially if the software is part of your enterprise's core infrastructure.

Operations management specialist CloudPhysics rides to the rescue of hard-pressed system admins with a number of tools to streamline the upgrade. The software as a service offering performs a number of checks to help ensure that the vSphere upgrade goes smoothly.

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Agile Web Solutions has released 1Password for Mac 4.0.1, a major update to its encrypted password manager tool. Also available for Windows and iOS, the latest version comes with the promise of over 90 new features, including support for multiple and shared vaults.

Other highlights include bypassing the cloud via Wi-Fi Sync, 256-bit authenticated encryption, iCloud support and a completely revamped user interface.

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Many people are settling into the idea that a 7 inch screen is the ideal size for a tablet. The extra screen space provided by a 10 inch model sounds great in theory, but it does result in a device that is slightly more cumbersome to take from place to place. Looked at in terms of portability, 7 inches is perfect -- large enough to make most tasks easy, but small enough to easily slip into a bag, if not necessarily a pocket.

The slightly smaller size also makes an important difference to the price tag, and there is a burgeoning market for tablets of this size. It is interesting to see that as the screens of phones gradually get larger and larger, the general trend for the tablet is to shrink -- the two are on a collision course!

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For an exclusive Windows user, the prospect of owning a Mac has been an exciting to-do to cross off my enthusiast bucket list. I have owned two iPhones and one iPad, and have enjoyed all three, but I have never bought a Mac nor have I used one extensively. I have always been curious to see what's on the other side, but some constraints, one of which was Windows-only engineering software, prevented me from looking at any Mac with serious consideration. Luckily, or not, things have changed, and at the beginning of September I bought a new 13.3-inch MacBook Air, hoping to see what all the fuss is about.

I'll admit to being quite passionate about new devices, and always looking to get to know the basics before they arrive at my doorstep. Yes, I too scour the InterWebs searching for the tiniest of details. I just can't help it (and no, I do not believe that I am a control freak). But this time around I decided that the MacBook Air (I'm going to call it MBA from now on) needs a fresh take. Before it arrived, my impressions were that the hardware will not be a surprise (why would it be?) and that the software will take some getting used to. I thought everything was going to be smooth sailing once I settled in... and I was wrong.

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