Microsoft: If you wanted to reach a lot of phone customers, Windows Phone isn't the way to do it
The smartphone market is essentially a three horse race these days. Android and iOS lead the way, while Windows Phone (or Windows 10 Mobile) limps along at the rear, looking for all the world as though it needs to be put out of its misery at the knacker's yard.
Today at Build, Terry Myerson admitted that Microsoft's mobile platform has failed to set the world on fire, going on to say that the company's focus is very much on Windows 10 for non-mobile platforms. This means Windows 10 for the desktop, Windows 10 for Xbox One, and Windows 10 for HoloLens and the Internet of Things. He acknowledges that mobile is "the wrong place for us to lead".
Microsoft launches Skype Bots preview and Skype Bot Platform for developers
Seemingly having learned nothing from its AI Twitter chatbot, Tay, Microsoft is experimenting further with bots. At Build 2016 today, the company announced Skype Bots and the Skype Bots Platform.
Designed to "bring expertise, products, services and entertainment" to Skype conversations, Skype Bots can be programmed to respond to chats -- and Microsoft will no doubt be hoping it is not left making another red-faced apology if things go awry. It's all part of Microsoft's vision of "conversation as a platform" and bots are available for the Windows Desktop, Android, iPhone and iPad versions of Skype.
Apple knocks it out of the park by signing iPad Pro deal with MLB
When Microsoft signed a deal with the NFL, I was pretty surprised. While it isn't surprising that the football league took Microsoft's money to promote the Surface Pro, I was surprised that Apple let it happen. After all, the NFL is big business -- I would have expected Tim Cook to step in with his company's ubiquitous iPad instead.
Today, Apple essentially smashes the Surface Pro with a baseball bat, arguably outdoing Microsoft's deal with the NFL. You see, Major League Baseball will now be using iPad Pro tablets in the dugout. While it is debatable as to which sport will have a bigger impact on sales, one thing is undeniable -- there are many more MLB games played than there are NFL, though the NFL remains more popular attendance-wise.
Microsoft's Desktop App Converter helps devs bring Win32 and .NET apps to the Windows Store
Apple has been hugely successful in building up an app ecosystem over the years, Microsoft rather less so. Today at Build, the Windows 10 manufacturer announced a tool that it hopes will bolster the number of apps that appear in the Windows Store: Desktop App Converter, part of the Project Centennial program.
The tool has been designed to make it possible for developers to convert legacy desktop apps into Windows Store-compatible AppX apps. The quick-and-easy conversion to Universal Windows Platform apps will enable developers to bring their creations to not just Windows 10 on the desktop, but also Xbox One and the Windows Mobile platform.
Big Windows 10 Anniversary Update coming this summer
At Build 2016, Microsoft revealed that Windows 10 has now been installed on more than a quarter of a billion devices. But Build is about looking forward, not to the past or present. Windows 10 may have been lapped up by hundreds of millions of users, but there is already demand for the next big update -- and it's just on the horizon in the form of Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
Due for release late summer -- although no date has been given at this stage -- Windows 10 Anniversary Update is described as an "interim release", but one that will feature "significant new features". Timed to coincide with Windows 10's first anniversary, the update will enable developers to make use of hundreds of new features in an updated API set.
Acer Predator Z850 gaming projector now available -- play games on a 120-inch screen!
Many PC enthusiasts spend a lot of time researching two things -- games and hardware. While playing the actual games is the ultimate goal, sometimes it can be even more fun building computers and reading about all the cool new hardware. Even after your machine is built, you still can spend time finding the right mouse, keyboard, and monitor to name a few.
What if you didn't connect your tower to a monitor though? Am I talking about headless gaming? No, that would be silly. Obviously you need to see what you are doing! What I mean to say is, what about a gaming projector? Today, Acer's Predator Z850 projector -- which was announced at CES 2016 -- becomes available for purchase. It allows you to project a monstrous 120-inch screen!
Microsoft and Canonical bring Ubuntu Linux binaries and Bash Shell to Windows 10
Well folks, today we witness history. For the longest time, Microsoft and the Linux community have been like Ford and Chevy, or Coke and Pepsi -- bitter rivals. Users have often chosen a side, and then hated the other. Of course, Windows has many more followers on the desktop -- Linux is largely insignificant in that regard. Mobile and servers are a different story, but I digress.
Today, pigs must be flying, as Microsoft does the unthinkable, and brings Ubuntu binaries and Bash Shell to Windows 10. Steve Ballmer would be rolling in his grave -- if he were dead, that is.
Windows 10 now powers over 270 million devices
Since releasing Windows 10 last year, in late-July, Microsoft has provided a couple of updates on the adoption rate of its latest operating system. In early January, for instance, we were told that over 200 million active devices were running Windows 10 across the globe -- at the time, NetMarketShare placed it at 10 percent usage share.
Nearly three months later, we can expect Microsoft to boast even higher adoption figures. And, with Build 2016 underway, the software giant reveals that, indeed, there are many more devices now running Windows 10, over 270 million in fact.
Find, install and update popular PC software with RuckZuck
Migrating to a new PC can be a lengthy and tedious business, especially if you have to manually find, download and install all the programs you had on your old system. RuckZuck is an open source package manager which helps you manage the process in a few clicks.
The program is portable, and surprisingly small -- a single 176KB executable -- although that’s partly because it uses PowerShell 4 to do most of the work.
Evernote 6 Beta sees further user-interface revamp, existing features refined
Evernote has unveiled Evernote for Windows 6.0.2 Beta, an early release version of the next major update of its desktop client for Windows users. The new release sees another user interface revamp, plus focuses on refining existing tools rather than introducing major new features.
Version 6.0.2 opens with support for High DPI displays, and rolls out various improvements to the Assisted Search tool. This includes moving the Search bar to the top of the note list, providing more detailed descriptions of the search results and the extension of the tool to cover the user’s entire account, with options for expanding the search to include recently deleted notes as well as general refinements.
Amazon bans non-standard-compliant USB Type-C cables and adapters
There are many USB Type-C cables on the market, but, as it has been pointed out numerous times, not all are standard compliant. Even the cable that ships with OnePlus 2, one of the few smartphones that support USB Type-C, is out of spec, and may not work flawlessly with other handsets. And this is a serious problem.
Cables that do not comply with the USB Type-C standard can cause permanent damage, as Google's Benson Leung has explained in his reviews of various options available on the market. Amazon has taken notice, banning such products that do not comply with the official standard.
New program ensures enterprises are prepared for cyber attacks
If a data breach happens customers expect a fast and reassuring reaction from the company affected. It's therefore crucial for businesses to have an incident response plan, but often those plans are only tested when a breach occurs.
According to an upcoming survey from customer security company AllClear ID the two most common challenges during a breach response are people related, with 66 percent citing internal politics and 60 percent "too many cooks in the kitchen".
The changing role of the firewall in network security
The firewall is still at the center of most network security strategies, but it needs to evolve as cloud technology, software defined networks and next generation firewalls take hold.
This is among the conclusions of the latest State of the Firewall Report from network security specialist FireMon, which finds that 91 percent of IT security professionals believe firewalls are still as critical or more critical than ever to their security architecture.
How enterprises can benefit from archiving in the cloud
Most businesses have information they need to keep for compliance and other reasons. Traditionally this has been in the form of paper archives, but the availability of low-cost cloud storage offers an attractive alternative.
Data management company Solix Technologies has produced an infographic looking at the advantages of cloud archiving.
Samsung Pay arrives in China
Samsung Pay made its debut last year in South Korea in August and then launched in the US in September. At the end of 2015, the company announced that it was bringing its mobile payment service to China.
After a one month beta period, Samsung Pay is now available for local users with a Galaxy S6 edge Plus, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge.
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