Kinect for Windows SDK Beta 2 adds Support for the Microsoft Windows 8

Last week was the one year anniversary of Kinect and Microsoft showed the new Kinect Effect blog relating to the device.  But now, here is the new Kinect for Windows website.

What is important is that this kick starts the journey for the Kinect for Windows commercial program that’s coming in early 2012. Microsoft has over 200 applicants on their pilot program, including Toyota, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Razorfish and more than 25 Fortune 500 companies.

What is Kinect?

Kinect is a camera for Xbox 360. Simply put to its most simple: Kinect is an Xbox 360 peripheral. You can think of it as a high tech webcam that plugs into the console’s USB port and which looks like it belongs with a PS3.

Project Natal now is …

For over a year the talk was about “Project Natal.” That was just the working title. Now, it’s called Kinect, which is confusing to those of us who played Nike Kinetic on Sony’s EyeToy.

What do you get with K Kinect for Windows SDK Beta 2

Here are some of the features available with the Beta 2 version

faster skeletal trackingbetter accuracy rate when it comes to skeletal tracking and joint recognitionthe ability to plug and unplug your Kinect without losing work/productivity

What is XBOX 360?

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox game device which was discontinued in 2005. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony‘s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo‘s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. As of September 30, 2011, 57.6 million Xbox 360 consoles have been sold worldwide.

The Commercial Version of Kinect

Microsoft had previously disclosed that they are working on a commercial version of the Kinect Windows SDK which should be released sometime in 2012. Software developers and game enthusiasts should find a lot to be happy about. They will most likely create a number of interesting Kinect applications, and of course games, that will run on Windows PCs.

But even more so, for developers where it is likely to be of greater interest because they will be able to make some money off their Kinect apps, although Microsoft has not yet  announced the terms of the licensing agreements.

What Else?

This new Kinect for Windows SDK Beta 2 adds support for the Microsoft Windows 8 Developer. You can download the new version of the SDK here.

View the original article here

Microsoft unveil Windows 8 app store- Details of new feature inside

Feedbacks      

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here

Microsoft on Changes to Start Menu of Windows 8

Posted by matthewkol in Uncategorized on October 4th, 2011 | 2 responses Tweet

In a blog post on the Building Windows 8 blog, Steven Sinofsky (who we all know well as the head of the Microsoft Windows Division), wrote that Microsoft has been getting a lot of reactions and suggestions. I hope that means some changes are on the way! Check out this fan-made video:

That is some pretty cool stuff.
In other news, Microsoft is also holding a virtual Windows 8 Developer Preview Install fair this weekend on October 8 and 9. Their engineers will be there to guide you through the installation process, and Microsoft is encouraging you to feel free to talk about what you like or dislike about the process, or simply just offer feedback on Windows 8. Have you installed Windows 8 DP? What do you like about it, and do you have any issues? I installed it on my new Toshiba laptop, and I like it for the most part….except that I can’t access the internet. I’m planning to redownload an updated version of the DP and reinstall. Sound off in the comments!

Related posts: Windows 8 Beta Release imminent?Microsoft to impose one tablet only restriction for Windows 8 tablet chipmakersMicrosoft Shows off Windows 8 UI/Tablet in Commercial? UPDATEMicrosoft begins shipping Windows 8 Build 7971 via ConnectWindows 8 Build 7955 screenshots show that Microsoft is serious about the Ribbon?

View the original article here

Microsoft Can Remotely Delete Windows 8 Apps

Microsoft has revealed some news on its new Windows 8 app store over the last few days. While going through some of the documentation for this new app store, it has been discovered that Microsoft will have the ability to remotely kill or delete apps on your Windows 8 machine without your permission. This “kill switch” which deactivates/removes apps is actually quite common in most app stores.

Both Google and Apple have these sort of switches on the Android and iOS app markets. If you have a look at the Windows Store terms of use  you’ll be able to see for yourself what Microsoft will have control over. However, while you may be somewhat concerned at Microsoft’s control over your apps, they’ll only ever really use this “kill switch” if it’s for your own safety.

“In cases where your security is at risk, or where we’re required to do so for legal reasons, you may not be able to run apps or access content that you previously acquired or purchased a license for,”

In the case that you have purchased an app that has suddenly been deleted from your device for some reason or another, Microsoft will give you a refund which is fair enough. However Microsoft may also delete all data associated with that application from your machine, which could be somewhat irritating if you have some important files or documents that were associated with the app.

While Apple also has this “kill switch” on their app store, they’ve never actually used it. Each approved app must go through rigorous testing before it’s finally approved for the App Store, and while Apple has removed previously approved apps from the App Store, these apps are still on people devices and running fine and haven’t been remotely removed.

Google on the other hand has had to use their remote “kill switch” a couple of times due to a number of malicious apps being found on its store which is not subject to the same stringent quality and security control tests that Apple implement.

So I guess it’s a good thing as well as bad thing that Microsoft will be able to remotely deactivate and delete malicious apps.

What do you think? Is it a good or bad thing?

Source:

PCWorld

View the original article here

Microsoft Details Drastic Memory Improvements In Windows 8

Posted by matthewkol in Microsoft News, Windows 8 News on October 9th, 2011 | no responses Tweet

When Windows 7 was released, Microsoft had set out to erase the bad rap Windows had gotten because of Windows Vista, which was notorious for being a memory hog. And now, with Windows 8, Microsoft is aiming to do the same thing – on devices with even lower system specs than Windows 7 required, especially because of the rise of tablet devices and SoC based devices that are distinguished by low power consumption. Using up RAM (random access memory) also saps power from the device. Therefore, if an operating system uses a lot of memory, then more physical RAM will have to be built into a device, and bam! – less battery life.

Windows 7 Memory Consumption

                           Windows 8 Memory Consumption                                    

The above graphs perfectly illustrate the new improvements in Windows 8, which include:

Memory Combination: When a program is called, it may allocate memory for future use – but if the user never invokes the function that requires that memory, then it pretty much goes to waste. If multiple applications are doing this, then there will be redundant copies of memory around the system, which is not good for memory efficiency. So what Windows 8 will do is scout for redundant copies, free them up, and keep a single copy. This process can save tens to hundreds of megabytes of memory.

Service Changes and Reductions: Windows has always had a lot of services running in the background that no one has ever really cared for – and so Microsoft has removed some of those, moved some to “manual start” and another group to “start on demand,” which a triggered by some action in the OS, say, perhaps, device arrival, and they execute these steps.

1.) Start.

2.) Do whatever it needs to do.

3.) Hang around, make sure its existence is completely useless before

4.) Going away.

Lazy initiation of the “desktop”: We all know that Microsoft is intending to bake the familiar appearance of the Windows “desktop” into Windows 8 via system application. So the OS components that you’ll find unique to the desktop application will not be initiated at startup because some people will stay completely inside the Metro UI, which saves memory.

Giving priorities efficiently: Let’s say you’re in Windows 7, opening Excel while you have a bunch of different apps open as well. Let’s also say that you also have antivirus software that checks the files you’re opening for your safety. Well, the specific memory that the antivirus software is allocating to check that one file will probably never be used again. If Windows 7 is low on memory, it may delete memory that helps Excel – even though the antivirus software is finished and doesn’t still need the memory. Windows 8 solves this issue by allowing any program to allocate memory as “low priority,” so you won’t lose important work even if the system is low on memory.

Related posts: The Future of Windows: Metro UIMicrosoft starting major improvements for Windows 8 soonDetails: Windows 8 Build 7989Microsoft begins shipping Windows 8 Build 7971 via ConnectMystery Quad-core Windows 8 Tablet??

View the original article here

Kinect for Windows SDK Beta 2 adds Support for the Microsoft Windows 8

Last week was the one year anniversary of Kinect and Microsoft showed the new Kinect Effect blog relating to the device.  But now, here is the new Kinect for Windows website.

What is important is that this kick starts the journey for the Kinect for Windows commercial program that’s coming in early 2012. Microsoft has over 200 applicants on their pilot program, including Toyota, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Razorfish and more than 25 Fortune 500 companies.

What is Kinect?

Kinect is a camera for Xbox 360. Simply put to its most simple: Kinect is an Xbox 360 peripheral. You can think of it as a high tech webcam that plugs into the console’s USB port and which looks like it belongs with a PS3.

Project Natal now is …

For over a year the talk was about “Project Natal.” That was just the working title. Now, it’s called Kinect, which is confusing to those of us who played Nike Kinetic on Sony’s EyeToy.

What do you get with K Kinect for Windows SDK Beta 2

Here are some of the features available with the Beta 2 version

faster skeletal trackingbetter accuracy rate when it comes to skeletal tracking and joint recognitionthe ability to plug and unplug your Kinect without losing work/productivity

What is XBOX 360?

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox game device which was discontinued in 2005. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony‘s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo‘s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. As of September 30, 2011, 57.6 million Xbox 360 consoles have been sold worldwide.

The Commercial Version of Kinect

Microsoft had previously disclosed that they are working on a commercial version of the Kinect Windows SDK which should be released sometime in 2012. Software developers and game enthusiasts should find a lot to be happy about. They will most likely create a number of interesting Kinect applications, and of course games, that will run on Windows PCs.

But even more so, for developers where it is likely to be of greater interest because they will be able to make some money off their Kinect apps, although Microsoft has not yet  announced the terms of the licensing agreements.

What Else?

This new Kinect for Windows SDK Beta 2 adds support for the Microsoft Windows 8 Developer. You can download the new version of the SDK here.

View the original article here

Microsoft Shows off Windows 8 UI/Tablet in Commercial? UPDATE

Tweet

A new ad has appeared on Vimeo for Microsoft’s Windows Enterprise group. What’s particularly interesting about this (that Winrumors first spot) is a new taskbar UI for Windows that Microsoft seems to display twice in the video. It is to be noted that in the video normal versions of Vista and Windows 7 are shown, giving me the impression that many Microsoft OS’s are being displayed here, so the one with the new taskbar could very well be Windows 8. The design is in accordance with the Metro UI design paradigms: a flattened Windows Start icon with a clock in the middle. It also seems to be translucent. Keep reading for what Windows8Center saw in the video! UPDATE: Winrumors has updated its post stating that the taskbar is just a theme from a popular theming tool called Rainmeter; however, the next part of the article still stands.

A glimpse into Windows 8?

What Windows8Center discovered was a tablet with a Fujitsu logo. It seems very similar to the picture of the “mystery quad-core tablet,” which you can read about here. The woman in the ad appears to be using it for work and is seen typing on some sort of virtual keyboard. Since two Microsoft operating systems can be found in this video (Vista and Windows 7), it’s not a stretch that Microsoft would include Windows 8. Not to mention the fact that Fujitsu was actually the company that announced the world’s first Mango smartphone earlier this week. What do you think of the relationship between Microsoft and Fujitsu? Sound off in the comments!

Related posts: Microsoft to impose one tablet only restriction for Windows 8 tablet chipmakersWindows 8 Build 7955 video leaks – shows off Metro UI elementsMystery Quad-core Windows 8 Tablet?Windows 8 Tablet Design Demos to come in JuneDell Peju Windows 8 Tablet?

View the original article here

5,000 Microsoft Developers Get Samsung Windows 8 Tablets

Well Microsoft certainly was feeling very gracious today, after Steve Sinofsky gave us a good look at Windows 8 for the first time he also showed just how easy it will be for developers. A Microsoft developer created an app there and then on the stage just to demonstrate how easy it is to do it much to the delight of the 5000 developers in attendance.

The Samsung tablet runs on a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel i5 chip and has an 11.6-inch screen and weighs just under 2 pounds. It’s actually quite a nice piece of kit and will be perfect for testing out and developing new apps for Windows 8. Microsoft have also added NFC (Near Field Communications) technology to it as well as several gyroscopes and accelerometers.

Then as if that wasn’t good enough, AT&T are also throwing in one year of free data access of up to 2GB a month.  The tablet also comes with 4GB of RAM and a 64GB storage drive.

The tablet was used several times throughout the demonstration of Windows 8 and seemed to be a good solid, quick device. Microsoft also briefly showed us Windows 8 running on an ARM based tablet but didn’t talk too much about it nor show us much which would lead us to thinking there’s still a bit of work to be done there.

There was a whole rake of Windows 8 tablets and PC’s on show at the conference today including a new breed of ultrabooks which were incredibly thin laptops with high performance and nearly instant boots.

One thing is for sure, Microsoft are onto a winner here with Windows 8, it’s definitely a brilliant tablet interface and is finally a credible competitor to the iPad, we just have to see how soon it gets to the market.

A developer preview edition will be available soon enough which can be downloaded from here

View the original article here

Microsoft Promises Robust USB 3.0 Support For Windows 8

Over on the building Windows 8 blog, Microsoft have announced that they will have robust USB 3.0 support in Windows 8. To be honest this is a bit of a no-brainer, I mean why wouldn’t Microsoft’s newest OS not support the most recent version of USB? This is good news for everyone really. USB 3.0 is up to 10 times faster than the current USB 2.0 standard that we all use. It can reach speeds of up to 5 Gbit/s. It also has improved power management that results in longer battery life.

The post written by Dennis Flanagan who is the Director of Program Management for the Devices and Networking group, goes into great detail about USB. He gives a brief history on USB and then how Microsoft worked to bring USB 3.0 support to Windows 8.

It makes perfect sense for Microsoft to bring USB 3.0 to Windows 8, because as Flanagan points out, USB 3.0 is going to be big. By 2015 all PCs sold will have USB 3.0 ports and there will be around 2 billion USB 3.0 devices sold that year alone.

This new “Superspeed” USB standard will allow you to copy a high definition movie from a USB storage drive in about 80 seconds instead of the 15 minutes it currently takes for USB 2.0. Now that is a lot quicker. The new specification also provides 80% more power than USB 2.0 which means that it will be a lot faster charging connected devices.

Of course Microsoft are going to continue supporting the older types of USB, they have to really. They’ve created a brand new Microsoft USB Test Tool to ensure everything works perfectly.

You can read the full post here

View the original article here

Should Microsoft Rush Windows 8?

Today I was getting curious as to when Microsoft would release Windows 8. I was wishing they would just hurry up and get on with it. Microsoft employ nearly 100,000 worldwide,surely it can’t take them too long to put together a new OS? Microsoft proved that they can get a good OS together in no time with Windows 7. They released that several months earlier than they had previously scheduled it. There’s plenty of people out there who are wishing that Microsoft would release Windows 8 tomorrow, so why don’t they just hurry up already and get Windows 8 out there?

Of course we know that that isn’t going to happen, but it also won’t happen this year, and probably not until well into next year. Many people want Windows 8 because they just want to play with something new, however the majority of consumers and certainly businesses are more than happy with Windows 7. They don’t want to go through all the hassle of updating their operating systems again. There’s no need to either. Windows 7 is doing pretty much everything it says on the tin and more. The vast majority of users are more than happy with it, and you know the old saying “if it ain’t broke,don’t fix it”

And that’s exactly what Microsoft are thinking as well. Let’s face it, it’s only the limited tech minority who are eager to get their hands on Windows 8 so soon. There’s always going to be a group of hardcore enthusiasts looking to get their hands on the next edition of something as soon as the current one is released. But I’m sure Microsoft have identified that their largest market is the general consumer and corporate enterprises. They know that these people aren’t shouting out looking for something new. This wasn’t the case with Vista. Everyone was complaining about it so Microsoft had to get their act together quickly and get Windows 7 out there. Now that people have it they are more than content, and so are Microsoft. It’s got constant steady growth and good stable sales figures and is closing in on finally putting Windows XP to bed. At the moment there is no real reason that Microsoft need to rush and get a new OS out there to put things right.

Or is there?

If you look at the other side of the coin there’s a different story. While Windows 7 sales figures are going strong, some enterprises are going to put off upgrading to Windows 7 in anticipation of Windows 8. It takes nearly a year for large organisations to roll out a new operating system so they might as well just wait for Windows 8 before updating all their systems. Even some consumers are thinking like this as well.

But the other main reason is because of the rapidly evolving tablet market. Apple, even with Steve Jobs gone from the helm of their ship, are still the dominant player in this market and will be for quite some time unless somebody big like Microsoft comes up with a viable option for consumers. The one thing lacking from Windows 7 is it’s tablet support – while it is there, it just isn’t good enough. A whole host of manufacturers have got plans to release Windows 8 tablets, but what’s the point in promising releases for late 2012 when we all want tablets now?

If Microsoft want to get a foothold in the tablet market before it’s too late, they need to get onto to it now. This is really the only reason why Microsoft would need to rush along Windows 8. Apple have a much higher refresh rate with their iOS operating system and it’s letting them increase their lead a bit more every day.

Personally I’d just be happy with a beta edition of Windows 8 for the moment to play around with as I’m not really into owning tablets myself. However I know plenty of you guys are itching to get Windows 8 now.

So tell me, should Microsoft rush Windows 8? If so, why? Is it not better that they take their time and do it properly to avoid another Vista disaster?

View the original article here

Microsoft Could Release A Windows 8 Preview Next Week

Next week Microsoft is holding its Worldwide Partner Conference from July 11 through July 14. This conference is designed to prep developers for what Microsoft has in plan for the future, so obviously Windows 8 is a big part of that. As a result it is quite possible that Microsoft will release an early developer preview of Windows 8 at the conference.

It’s a bit of a long shot however so don’t count on it, I’d take this rumor with a pinch of salt. The news comes from the Twitter account of MSFTtm, who have actually proven fairly accurate in the past when it comes to Windows 8 build details in the past. They say Microsoft will release a Community Technical Preview (CTP) at the conference.

Zdnet did also recently report that a CTP build of Windows 8 could be released towards the end of July which would coincide somewhat with this report as well. It’s important to remember however that even if these reports do prove to be true, a CTP build of Windows 8 will not be available to the consumer, it’s aimed at developers, IT pros and the technical community.

We recently covered a story here at Windows8News that Microsoft will be unveiling Windows 8 at Build 2011 in September. So it would be kind of surprising if Microsoft took the covers off of it’s latest OS next week with that event planned. I say we may get another little teaser or a bit more information but nothing substantial. I reckon Microsoft will save that for the Build 2011 conference in September

Microsoft did give us a good look at the new tablet interface for Windows 8 a while back, but no more than that. So it’ll be interesting to see if Microsoft have more to show us behind that fancy tablet UI

View the original article here

Windows 8 Features … What will Microsoft Add?

What Windows 8 Features will Microsoft offer next?

Will Windows 8 support DVD drives? Everton’s recent post indicates it won’t. So what else is in store for Windows 8? What other things will it support or not support?

Here is a short list of upcoming changes to the system.

Do you like Mac’s Time Machine Backup System? Then you’ll like History Vault. Apple’s Time Machine is a backup utility. The software works with the Time Capsule as well as other internal or external drives. So Microsoft is planning to add the History Vault as a backup system in Windows 8.IE 10 will be the default browser on the Windows 8 System. Whether it will be locked into the OS is still unclear. When Microsoft made the Internet Explorer a part of the Windows XP system, Europe forced Microsoft to break it out so other browsers could work on the OS.Windows 8 Versions galore. Expect to have a Home, Pro, and Ultimate versions of Windows 8 available.Intel and ARM processors will be the defacto processors for Windows 8 tablets.Microsoft has learned a lot from Apple (so have many other companies for that matter). And one of the interesting things to come out of it is the Windows store, to compete with the Apple store.Online storage service. Microsoft will have access to the Azure online storage similar to Apple’s iDisk.Built in PDF support. On a Mac this has been a standard for years now; Microsoft will follow suit.Boot up time will be faster with hybrid boot. The PC will be in semi-hibernation mode and will keep certain files pre-loaded to make boot up faster.Pre-loaded Piracy Check Software. This will let users know if their version of the software is pirated or not.

While these are in the rumor stage, some have been confirmed by Microsoft and others await information displays on the Builds that come out.

Source: winrumors

View the original article here

Microsoft To Improve File Management Processes In Windows 8

The recently created Building Windows 8 blog seems to be up in full swing, with new articles about the upcoming operating system being released regularly. Steven Sinofsky revealed in “Improving our file management basics: copy, move, rename, and delete” that Microsoft intents to improve file management processes under Windows 8.

According to Steven, Microsoft had three goals to improve the copy experience:

One place to manage all copy jobs: Create one unified experience for managing and monitoring ongoing copy operations.Clear and concise: Remove distractions and give people the key information they need.User in control: Put people in control of their copy operations.

Consolidating the copy experience is a great idea. This means that you won’t have to deal with multiple copying windows when you run multiple copy or move operations in the operating system. All copy jobs are now consolidated in one screen.

Microsoft furthermore added the ability to pause copy processes, which goes along with a new real-time throughput graph that users can display on the system.

The copy conflicts screen gets an overhaul as well. The screen, which is very confusing and with to much text has been replaced with an easier to access conflicts window that is giving the user more control over the process.

Here are all screenshots of the new features that have been posted by Microsoft:

The consolidating of copy jobs, pausing copy jobs and a better conflict experience are all features that will be well received by users of the new operating system. Sometimes it is the little things that make more of an impact than larger changes.

And here is a video with the announcement:

You can read the full announcement over at the Building Windows 8 website.

View the original article here

Microsoft Recruiting For Marketing Of Windows 8

From what we know, we reckon that Microsoft will give us a better look at Windows 8 at its BUILD conference in September and some reckon that Microsoft will release their latest OS in April 2012. However for the moment these are only hints and rumors that we’re going on. But there’s more evidence to support that Microsoft are getting ready to gear up for the launch of Windows 8.

Withing the past week, two job listings have appeared up on the Microsoft Careers site which refer to Windows 8. The first job is for Belgium as “Retail Windows & Office Category Marketing Manager” while the second claims to be non-location specific and is for “ Retail Windows and SDA Category Marketing Manager”

There is a whole bunch of details and requirements to go along with the jobs which can be found at the links above, but I’ve just taken out a section from them that refers to Windows 8

Key Measures of Success
Key measures of success are tired directly to the Windows and SDA scorecard.
• Windows FPP/WAU revenue and unit performance
• Windows @ Retail scorecard metrics
• Strength of relationship across Windows @ retail internal and external ecosystem including OEM, BG, CCG
• Landing of Windows 8 launch in the channel including retail offers
• Successful design and implementation of Category Programs in the region
• Proactive communication on issues and opportunities to the Windows and SDA leadership in region and HQ
• Consumer retail experience
• Successful implementation of marketing assets in the region
• Business analysis and insight and reporting through ROB

Maybe some of our readers reckon that they’re suitable for the job? Unfortunately I don’t have the experienced or qualifications required at the moment so I won’t be submitting my application that’s for sure!

Anyway, this is yet another clear sign that Microsoft is gearing up to launch Windows 8 soon enough, more than likely within the next 12 month.

View the original article here

Microsoft Locking Down Windows 8 to Stop More Leaks

We’ve had loads of copies of Windows 8 leaked to the web over the last couple of months. Each build brings us closer to the final product and we know that in September at Microsoft’s Build conference they’ll be showing us the first official preview of the OS. However it’s being reported by Winrumors that Microsoft is locking down Windows 8 to prevent unauthorized personal from downloading and installing the OS.

Of course it’s perfectly understandable that Microsoft don’t want people going through their OS and leaking all the new features in it before anything has been finalised and officially released to the public. It’s reported that the latest leaked build 8064 is the developer preview that Microsoft will be probably reveal at the Build conference next month. Apparently in an attempt to secure the build, Microsoft has set up unique product keys which are now required to install the operating system instead of the existing keys.

The source of this news reportedly comes from an internal email at Intel that was published by Winrumors announcing that the generic product keys will not activate this latest build of Windows 8.

“IntelDistrib would like to announce the immediate availability of Windows 8 x86 Client Build 8039 for testing at Intel.

NOTE:
There are two changes to the EEAP builds starting with this EEAP that you should be aware of:

All OS installations using these builds will now require the unique key for the Windows Developer Preview. Installation with previous generic keys will no longer be supported. PRODKEY.TXT files containing generic keys will no longer be included in the build packages. You will have to get the New Product Key provided on the product site. This is a special key as part of the partnership Intel has with Microsoft.The name of the EEAP builds in this package contain “FBL_EEAP” instead of “WINMAIN”. This change is a name change only, and will not affect your ability to download or use these builds in your testing.”

Microsoft have also taken some extra steps to prevent people from discovering new features from the DLL files. They’ve taken extra precautions to prevent conventional hacking methods from discovering new features in those DLL files.It’s fair enough that Microsoft don’t want the features of Windows 8 leaked to the public before they are official, but unfortunately for all you enthusiasts, you’ll have to wait a little longer to find out what Microsoft have in plan for us.

View the original article here

Microsoft Showcases New Windows Explorer With Ribbon UI

We already know that Microsoft is working on improving the file management capabilities of the Windows 8 operating system. Back when we published the story we suspected that Microsoft would improve other core areas of the operating system as well. Today, Alex Simons posted a large, and I mean very very large, article on the Building Windows 8 blog that demonstrates how the new Windows Explorer will look like in Windows 8.

Microsoft engineers basically took a look at how Windows Explorer is used under Windows 7 to come up with a streamlined version of the program that will improve the workflow for the majority of users. In particular, the goals where the optimize the program for file management tasks, to create a streamlined command experience and to respect Explorer’s heritage.

After evaluating several user interface concepts, Microsoft made the decision to go with a ribbon style UI that many Windows users are already familiar with. The interface is not without criticism though, and it will be interesting to see how users react to the new layout of Windows Explorer. Lets take a look at one of the screenshots that Alex posted in the announcement.

You see the ribbon interface at the top. It is only natural that the interface takes up more screen estate with the possibility to minimize it with a click on the minimize button.

The most common commands are displayed as buttons in the interface, from copying and pasting information and files to deleting and renaming them. Microsoft has created a screenshot that demonstrates how often select commands are used in Windows Explorer.

Paste is the most used command with 19% of all activities in Windows Explorer followed by Copy and Properties with 11% each, Delete with 10% and Rename with 8%.

The tabbed design means on the other hand that some elements are only accessible after switching tabs.

The share tab lists sharing options that include zipping, emailing or printing files.

The View tab lists all common view modes settings, for instance to hide or display the preview pane, change the file listing mode or hide or display columns in the listing.

Some of those features are not as easily accessible anymore as before, which includes the ability to change the view mode of a folder.

Depending on the folder, other tabs may be displayed. This includes a Library Tools, Picture Tools or Disk Tools tab. It will be interesting to see how users get along with the Disk Tools tab for instance when they open computer, as it allows them to format, cleanup or optimize a drive.

Windows Explorer under Windows 8 displays more visible files and folders than Explorer on Windows 7. This is mainly due to the minimalistic status bar. Microsoft has furthermore changed the font to a more readable one judging from the screenshots.

Here is a video that announces the new Windows Explorer.

You can read the whole announcement over at the Building Windows 8 blog.

View the original article here

Will Microsoft Abandon the PC as Windows 8 moves to the tablet format?

There is a lot of speculation about the track that Windows 8 will take. On the one hand Microsoft says it will be Windows 7 backwards compatible, but on the other it plans to develop the OS around ARM processors. And this leads to a conundrum. Will Microsoft abandon the PC as Windows 8 moves to the tablet format?

The question comes from the fact that the entire PC industry has been supplanted by the smaller is better mentality personified by the mobile/smart phone technology and the iPad/tablet technology. This will make the technology makers look at the products in a different light.

ARM

Microsoft has already shown that Windows 8 can run on ARM. That is a 32 bit RISC based architecture that uses less power than traditional Intel or AMD processors. Indeed, as far back as 2005 almost 98% of the mobile phones had at least one ARM processor running the device. Since then it has found a place in consumer electronics, including PDAs, mobile phones, digital media and music players, hand-held game consoles, calculators, and computer peripherals such as hard drives and routers.

Tailored Apps

The success of the tablets comes in part from the fact that each user can customize the tablet by an App. In this case, the App is like and unlike a software program on a PC. It is like a PC program because it will use the traditional CPU, memory, drivers, and hardware components to work. But it is unlike a PC program because the Apps doe one thing only in a compact way. In addition they are very inexpensive. Forget about spending $200.00 plus for a program, when you can spend .99 cents for a program that will do what you want.

In that regard, Microsoft will launch special development tools for developers so they can create “tailored apps” for Windows 8. What will be different from the current crop of Windows applications is that they will automatically take over the entire screen when launched. In this way the full screen take over will help create a different and immersive tablet computing experience.

So with that in mind, the question is, how long will the PC last? If Microsoft abandons this technology it will be doomed. A new generation of hardware may be in the making now.

Source: Tablets-Planets

View the original article here

Microsoft Confirms Windows 8 will run on Existing PCs

This is something we’ve all known for a while now, especially with Microsoft’s move to low-power 1GHz ARM processors, but now PC Pro magazine are reporting that Microsoft have confirmed that WIndows 8 will have no higher minimum hardware requirements than Vista or Windows 7.

In a statement, Tami Reller, the corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Windows Division said…

In both of our Windows 8 previews, we talked about continuing on with the important trend that we started with Windows 7, keeping system requirements either flat or reducing them over time, Windows 8 will be able to run on a wide range of machines because it will have the same requirements or lower.”

The move is hardly surprising as Intel and ARM have both been pushing for the last few years for lower-power, lower-cost processors that can run as effectively as their more expensive, and power-hungry, cousins.  A good example of this is the ARM C-50 chip which at only 1GHz can run some Windows tasks faster than an Intel Atom running at 1.6GHz.  You can read my review of the C-50 on our sister site gHacks.

Reller went further, saying that…

“We’ve also built intelligence into Windows 8 so that it can adapt to the user experience based on the hardware of the user, so, whether you’re upgrading an existing PC, or buying a new one, Windows will adapt to make the most of that hardware.”

This is an interesting statement and implies that the power settings of Windows have been enhanced beyond that which we’ve already seen in Windows 7.  With the current OS, some features, such as the Aero Glass effects, are switched off for processors that won’t be able to run them effectively.  This new move could mean that Windows 8 will examine the processor and other core hardware further at installation and adapt services and core OS processes to take the best advantage of the hardware you have, and, in the case of tablets and laptops, to give you the very best power consumption.

It’s clear that power consumption will be a major factor in how successful, or not, Windows 8 will become.  Microsoft clearly recognise this.  Currently no tablet is able out outlast Apple’s iPad with it’s 16 hours of battery life, though a few can scrape twelve hours.  A cleverly written OS can clearly help as this is a factor that currently prevents both Windows 7 and Google’s Android operating system from being efficient enough to reach iOS’s huge battery life.

Currently the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 7 are a 1GHz processor with 1Gb of RAM, 16Gb of hard disk space and DirectX9 graphics for the 32-bit version, and 2Gb of RAM and 20Gb hard disk space for the 64-bit versions.

This does not necessarily mean however that you will have a happy experience running Windows 8 on low-power machines.  If the rumours about the inclusion of Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualisation client being built into the OS are true, and they probably are, this could mean that the company is finally dropping legacy support from the OS.

This would certainly help make the operating system much leaner and more power and processor-efficient.  however it could mean that some software that currently runs of netbooks and Windows 7 tablets in compatibility mode will no longer run under Windows 8 on the same hardware.  This will be because the virtualisation software required to run older programs in the new OS will require beefier hardware than some single-core Atom processors can muster.

This is all speculation however but it’s generally good news for people who might not want to, or be able to afford to upgrade their PCs next year.

We’ll continue to bring you all the latest news about Windows 8 here at Windows8News.com

View the original article here

Microsoft Cancels Pre-Conference Sessions at Windows 8 Build Event

Those of you who are eager to find out more about Windows 8 are probably well aware about the Build Event that Microsoft are holding next month. Already the event is sold out and developers and tech enthusiasts alike are looking forward to seeing Windows 8. If you’re one of those people lucky enough to get a ticket and are attending the event, I’m afraid that the scheduled pre-conference has been cancelled.

Microsoft had originally planned to host a pre-conference on Monday September 12th, which would then be followed by 4 days of sessions.

This is a cached image for the Build Conference Agenda

The official statement from Microsoft as to why the pre-conference has been cancelled is as follows:

In order to better focus on all the new content that will be covered at BUILD, we decided to optimize for the four main days of the event, which will include an enormous number of speakers and sessions. Registration is open on Monday but there will not be any formal sessions for attendees that day. We’re communicating the change now so people have the option to change their travel arrangements.

I suppose it’s not really a big deal, what were they going to talk about at the pre-conference anyway? They couldn’t really start presenting Windows 8 at the pre-conference, they’d have no big surprise left for the actual conference then.

Microsoft officials have said that attendees will have a chance to play with Windows 8, but haven’t confirmed whether or not a beta or developer preview build of Windows 8 will be made available.

View the original article here

Microsoft Brings Games on Demand to the Web With New PC Game Store

Microsoft Corp. announced the Games for Windows Marketplace, a new online PC games store that combines the convenience of the Web with the power of Games on Demand online distribution. Launching Nov. 15, the Games for Windows Marketplace will offer PC gamers a robust lineup of games they love, easier navigation and purchase, and recurring specials such as Deal of the Week.

“With Games for Windows Marketplace, we set out to create a digital store built for PC gamers end-to-end,” said Kevin Unangst, senior global director, PC and Mobile Gaming, at Microsoft. “And by integrating with our existing Xbox LIVE and Windows Live services, we’ve made it easier than ever for millions of gamers to see for themselves how easy buying PC games can be.”

A Streamlined Experience

Built from the ground up for convenience and performance, the Games for Windows Marketplace (http://www.gamesforwindows.com) will remove the barriers between gamers and the games they love by offering the following:

Online access, anywhere. Optimized for speed, the store allows for ultra-fast downloads; this means fewer clicks to purchase and download, delivering faster turnaround for gameplay. And since the service lives on the Web, gamers can download games on a PC, anytime, and can easily redownload games they purchase if needed.Deals and discounts galore. Gamers can check out screaming deals on select games every time they visit the Marketplace, as well as the Deal of The Week and other recurring and seasonal offers.Game search functionality. Gamers can search by titles or genres to quickly find the games they want; they can even find new games from their favorite publishers with dedicated publisher pages.Fresh design. The clean, intuitive look and feel makes browsing for games a simple, enjoyable experience. Gamers can easily navigate between pages as they search for the perfect game.

A Growing Portfolio

Games for Windows Marketplace will launch with a managed portfolio of 100 top-quality titles. The launch roster includes blockbuster games such as “Fable: The Lost Chapters” (Microsoft Game Studios) and “Grand Theft Auto III” (Rockstar Games Inc.) from some of the industry’s biggest developers, such as Capcom Entertainment Inc., 2K Games, Square Enix Co. Ltd. and more. In addition to top retail games, the portfolio will bring new indie titles to the forefront and continue to grow with many of the best games in the industry including titles such as “Lego Universe” (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment) and “CarneyVale” (Microsoft Game Studios), which will hit the Games for Windows Marketplace and retail stores at the same time and date; recent hits such as “Dead Rising 2” and “Lost Planet 2” (both from Capcom); and perennial best-sellers such as “Max Payne” (Rockstar) and “Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition” (Square Enix).

“We plan to deliver some of our biggest and best PC franchises on Games for Windows Marketplace from day one,” said Christian Svensson, corporate officer and vice president of Strategic Planning and Business Development at Capcom. “Digital distribution continues to drive growth in PC gaming, and we’re excited to partner with Microsoft and bring amazing games to this growing marketplace.”

Games for Windows Marketplace will also be the place to find iconic franchises from Microsoft Game Studios, such as “Flight Simulator,” “Gears of War,” “Halo” and “Zoo Tycoon,” as well as upcoming blockbusters “Fable III,” “Age of Empires Online” and “Microsoft Flight.”

Easy Access to a Massive Gamer Community

Using the new marketplace is a breeze: anyone with a Windows Live ID (Windows Live, Xbox LIVE, Games for Windows – LIVE or Zune account) can login and immediately start shopping in the Games for Windows Marketplace. The new store also supports Microsoft Points (as well as credit card purchasing), allowing the more than 25 million users of Xbox LIVE, Zune Marketplace and Games for Windows — LIVE to use their Microsoft Points balance seamlessly across platforms.

The new Games for Windows Marketplace launches Nov. 15 at http://www.gamesforwindows.com.

Related posts:

Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 now available in stores35% off Select PC’s at Microsoft store!Windows Live Messenger,3 new games now available on Zune HDXBOX Live available in 9 more countries from November 10Xbox.com website gets major overhaul

View the original article here