Showing posts with label Windows 10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows 10. Show all posts

Friday, March 10, 2017

Microsoft is apparently working on a new Windows 10 Mobile device for 2017; Surface Phone expected in 2019

Microsoft is apparently working on a new Windows 10 Mobile device for 2017; Surface Phone expected in 2019

Getty Images
By 
Microsoft may be working on a new Windows Phone device for the year. While not the much-awaited Surface Phone, this device is expected to be a regular Windows 10 Mobile-based smartphone.
The new device, which is expected towards the end of this year, is said to be just like the regular Windows Phone devices that a fractional minority of the smartphone world still uses today.
The new phone is not expected to feature the ARM compatible version of Windows 10 or support Win32 Windows Store apps, reports Softpedia.
Softpedia points to various German sources which also suggest that a Windows 10 Mobile-based device is coming this year and that a Surface Phone with an ARM-compatible version of Windows 10 will come around 2019.
These are rumours of course, and we can’t see why Microsoft is even working on Windows 10 Moble devices even today. Microsoft has lost so much market-share in the smartphone space that the sales figures border on insignificant.
Microsoft fans still hold hope for the Surface phone, and to be fair, there’s no reason not to. The Surface lineup is showing a lot of promise even today, with the Surface Pro 4, the Surface Book and the Surface Studio together forming a compelling collection of elegant and unique computing options.
One can only hope that the Surface Phone meets these expectations.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Microsoft Windows 10: ‘Second update’, Focused inbox and mentions come to Mail app

Microsoft Windows 10: ‘Second update’, Focused inbox and mentions come to Mail app

Terry Myerson, Microsoft. Image Credit: Reuters
By 
Microsoft has been working on the next update to its operating system Windows 10, ever since the announcement last year at the launch of Microsoft Surface Studio. The next version of Windows as previously reported is dubbed as Microsoft Creators Update. This update comes right after the launch of Anniversary Update in August last year.
But interestingly, the company shared some details about the version that will come after Creators Update. The second update has not been given an official name but it is being labelled as “Second Update in 2017” as reported by Forbes. The details were revealed when noted developer Rafael Rivera took a screenshot of the upgrade timelines during the announcement made by Microsoft during Ignite Australia earlier this month.
There were no official details on the features that will come with the second update, but we can expect the radical redesign of the UI termed as “Project NEON” to come with the second update. One important thing that the report hinted at was the arrival of ‘Windows Cloud’.
Windows Cloud is pegged to compete with Chrome OS where it will be preloaded on devices without any cost. It will spiritually succeed Windows RT as it will only run Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. Another report pointed out that the OS will run win32 apps but only if those apps were sourced from Windows Store.
In addition to Windows Cloud, the second update will come with a suspected ‘People Bar’ that was delayed from Creators update according to Thurrott. One thing to note is that the Creators update will come with a new feature which will allow Samsung users to unlock Windows 10 devices using Samsung Flow.
Microsoft also rolled out updates for it UWP Mail and Calendar apps where the Mail app will finally get the Focused Inbox feature that is already present on its iOS and Android apps. Mail app gains another feature that will allow users to ‘mention’ other email users. The feature works like ‘tagging’ or ‘mention’ works on other platforms like Facebook where you use ‘@’ symbol in an email and tag a name.
Once you tag a person, their name is highlighted in the message in blue helping them quickly see that they have been asked to take some action in the email according to the set context. Tagging automatically adds the person in the ‘To’ field if they have not already been added.
Calendar app gains coloured categories which will allow the users to quickly categorise events in a number of colours. Microsoft has also added ‘Interesting Calendars’ to the app which allows users to easily and quickly import calendars that take the data from Bing. Some examples of these calendars can be to keep a tab on your favourite TV shows, sports teams or movies.
The company will expand features from different regions and interest groups to this feature. Last but not the least, the app gains the ability to show you details about your travel reservations and package delivery details from the overview area.
This will help people quickly check the details of the travel reservation or delivery details without hunting for the email in the focused inbox or the other inbox, enabling users to quickly check in for lights or change hotels or rental car reservations from the calendar app.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Russia launches case against Microsoft over alleged violation of competition laws

Russia launches case against Microsoft over alleged violation of competition laws

Image Credits: Reuters
Russia has launched a case against US IT giant Microsoft over alleged violation of the country’s competition law, Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service said on Thursday.
Anatoly Golomolzin, deputy head of the anti-monopoly watchdog, said Microsoft was suspected of violating the Russian law on the protection of competition for misusing its dominant position in the Russian software market, Xinhua news agency reported.
The investigation was prompted after Russian computer security company Kaspersky Lab accused Microsoft of making the Russian anti-virus manufacturers unable to compete with Microsoft by reducing the adaptation time of Russian anti-virus software producers from two months to six days in its latest Windows 10 operating system.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been urging state entities and local companies to use domestic software out of concerns over security and reliability.
According to Russia’s Minister of Communications Nikolay Nikiforov, the government has produced a list of nearly 2,000 Russian software products that state-run companies should use instead of foreign brands.
IANS

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Microsoft fixes critical Windows vulnerability revealed by Google; update now!

Microsoft fixes critical Windows vulnerability revealed by Google; update now!

By 
Microsoft has finally fixed a “critical” Windows kernel vulnerability that could potentially allow a hacker full control of a PC.
The vulnerability was first reported by Google, which came under fire from Microsoft and some security experts for exposing the flaw without giving the company time to fix the problem.
The vulnerability also affects Adobe Flash and both companies (Adobe and Microsoft) were given 10 days to fix the issue. Adobe issued a patch in time, but Microsoft wasn’t able to do the same. This is understandable considering the complexity of an operating system.
Do note that if you’re running the latest version of Windows 10 and a modern, updated browser like Chrome or Edge, you’re already safe. The vulnerability affects older systems and browsers.
Hackers are already exploiting this vulnerability in the wild and Microsoft was understandably frustrated at Google’s disclosure. “We believe in coordinated vulnerability disclosure, and today’s disclosure by Google puts customers at potential risk,” said Microsoft in a statement.
The patch, made available last night, fixes the issue on all supported Windows versions (from Windows Vista SP2 onwards). In other news, Google is yet to fix a critical privilege escalation vulnerability (called Dirty Cow) that affects all Android phones. In fact, Google will probably take over 30 days to address the issue.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Microsoft stops sales of Windows 7 Pro, Windows 8.1 to PC makers...It's all Windows 10





After extending deadline by two years, Microsoft sticks a fork in the world's most popular operating system.


Microsoft today quietly put an end to sales of Windows 7 licenses to computer makers, marking a major milestone for the seven-year-old OS.
According to Microsoft’s rules, the Redmond, Wash. company stopped selling Windows 7 Professional or any version of Windows 8.1 to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) as of Oct. 31.
The end of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 left only Windows 10 as a long-term choice for OEMs that pre-load Windows on their wares.
The original end-of-sales deadline for Windows 7 Professional was to be Oct. 31, 2014—two years after the launch of Windows 8—but early that year Microsoft broke with practice and only called for an end to consumer systems. It left open the cut-off for Windows 7 Professional, saying it would give a one-year warning before it demanded that OEMs stop selling PCs with that edition.
Organizations with enterprise licensing agreements and Software Assurance—the annuity-like program that provides additional rights—may continue to purchase new PCs, then downgrade the OS from the already-installed Windows 10 to Windows 7 if they want to keep using the older edition.
And new Windows 7 Professional PCs won’t vanish immediately; OEMs will be allowed to use what licenses they have in stock.
For example, Dell’s online store today still listed 17 different notebook configurations equipped with Windows 7 Professional. The same goes for smaller computer sellers, like Puget Systems, an Auburn, Wash. custom PC maker: Such shops can continue to build new Windows 7 Professional PCs until their supply of licenses dries up.
Microsoft pulled the plug on Windows 7 even though it remains the most popular operating system on the planet. Windows 7 has lost about a fifth of its user share since the mid-2015 launch of Windows 10, but according to U.S. analytics vendor Net Applications, it powered 48% of all personal computers in October, more than twice Windows 10’s share.
Windows 7 support is to continue until January 2020, giving users just over three years to migrate to another operating system.



Monday, October 31, 2016

Microsoft Launches Surface Studio: Company’s First PC



By Luke Jones - October 26, 2016 5:27 pm CET 210

As predicted, Microsoft launched the Surface Studio all-in-one, a beautiful aluminum desktop that is aimed at true creativity.


While the official reveal of the Windows 10 Creators Update was pretty huge, Microsoft’s event was about one thing. We suspected the New York event would be about launching a new device. That was widely believed to be the Surface all-in-one PC. That was indeed that case as Microsoft dropped the Surface Studio.

For a company based on supplying software for PCs, it is perhaps surprising that only now has Microsoft built an actual PC. However, thanks to the success of Surface, Microsoft has some serious hardware chops these days. In the computing sector at least.


The Surface Studio is a Windows 10 all-in-one that ticks all the right boxes. For a start, it is as beautiful as any Apple PC, the company often held as an aesthetic benchmark in the computing industry.



As the name suggests, this has been built for creators and professionals. That is not to say consumers will not be interested, especially if top end specs and design are your thing. It has the thinnest LCD ever made at 12.1mm, even with touchscreen. It is a 28-inch panel and has more pixels per inch than a 4K TV.
Surface Studio Specs and Price

As we say, the Surface Studio is truly focused on being a creative tour de force. The price certainly reflects its power user-appealing aspiration. If you want to get your hands on this PC, you will have to pay $2,999 for the entry level. This is a lot of PC, but that is also a lot of cost. However, the price point does also fit in to the general market for high end desktops.


Below are some of the key specs:
28-inch PixelSense touchscreen with 3:2 aspect ratio
Up to quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (6th-generation ‘Skylake’)
up to 32GB RAM
up to 2TB ‘rapid hybrid drive’
Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M graphics
HD webcam
Audio port
SD card slot
Mini DisplayPort
Ethernet port
4 USB 3.0 ports
Stereo speakers with Dolby Audio Premium

The Suface Studio also scores some peripheral accessories that will actually be available to all Windows 10 machines. Chief among them is the Surface Dial, which acts as an interaction tool to be placed on the display. Pushing down on the dial brings up a contextual radial menu which allows rotation and scrolling for smoother interaction. The Surface Dial costs $99.99.

The Surface Studio will launch December 15. Three configurations of the Surface Studio are available to pre-order today:

Intel Core i5 / 8GB RAM / 2GB GPU / 1TB storage | $2,999
Intel Core i7 / 16GB RAM / 2GB GPU / 1TB storage | $3,499
Intel Core i7 / 32GB RAM / 4GB GPU / 2TB storage | $4,199

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Lenovo, Dell, HP, Acer and Asus will ship Windows 10 VR headsets starting at $299

Lenovo, Dell, HP, Acer and Asus will ship Windows 10 VR headsets starting at $299

By 
At the big Microsoft event held in New York, the company made its keen interest in virtual and augments reality, among other thing quite evident. Interestingly, the company also said that third-party vendors will now offer ‘affordable’ virtual reality (VR) headsets for Windows 10 PCs.
Acer, Asus, Lenovo, HP, and Dell are said to the companies that will begin offering the headsets soon, starting at $299 (roughly Rs 20,000). The headsets will offer users the experience of reality content like 3D version that has been customised in the new Paint 3D app on desktop.
“By supporting the launch of these new devices, Microsoft wants to avoid the cost and complexity of powerful VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, and even Microsoft’s own HoloLens augmented reality (AR) headset. And because they’ll work with Windows 10 PCs, they might not require all the high-end specs you’d find on a powerful desktop VR rig — a laptop may be just fine on its own,” VentureBeat explains.
Furthermore, these headsets are said to be the first to come with inside-out six-degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) sensors. “We are building Windows for each of us (and enabling) people to experience computing in new ways,” Chief Executive Satya Nadella said at a New York event to launch the new products.
According to reports, revenue for the Windows and computing unit fell 1.8 percent last quarter to $9.29 billion. It forecasts division sales of as much as $11.6 billion for this quarter, well below year-earlier results of $12.7 billion. However, Microsoft is riding high on its fast-growing cloud business, which companies can use to host their websites, apps or data. Shares of Microsoft have doubled since August 2013, with Nadella restoring investor confidence by focusing on mobile and cloud computing rather than PCs.

Sunday, October 16, 2016

The latest version of the Windows 10 Start menu lets you hide the app list. Here's a look at how it works.





Image: iStockphoto.com/terry6970

By Greg Shultz | October 14, 2016, 10:36 AM PST

In recent articles, I've explored the changes to the Start menu that were introduced in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update and shown how you can use them to your advantage. InHow to customize the Windows 10 Anniversary Update Start menu using the "Pare It Down" technique, I explained that because the All Apps list now appears on the left side of the Start menu by default, you can create a more efficient application launcher by removing all the tiles and resizing the menu. And in How to customize the Windows 10 Start menu with numbered shortcuts, I showed you how to improve the efficiency of the pared-down Start menu by numbering the shortcuts.

To build upon the work it did on the Start menu in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft is continuing to improve the Start menu. In build 14942, available on the Windows Insider Fast Track, Microsoft has introduced the ability to hide the app list on the Start menu.
SEE: Windows 10: Microsoft reveals new features to guard against crashes and give firms more control
The release announcement

In Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14942 for PC, Donna Sarkar, a software engineer in the Windows and Devices Group, introduced this new feature:

"We are releasing a new feature that enables you to collapse the app list in the Start menu. This has been a top feedback request from Windows Insiders."

So while many of us have been happily trudging along with the existing Start menu, exploring customization techniques, or turning to third-party solutions, the elite cadre of Windows Insiders has been pounding Microsoft with requests to improve the menu. And now this new Hide App List In Start Menu feature is making its appearance. There's no indication of when the feature will be available to the general public or whether there will be additional enhancements to the Start menu, so we'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, let's take a closer look at the feature in Windows 10 build 14942.
The Hide App List In Start Menu feature

To begin, you can immediately see that the Start menu in build 14942 looks like the current version, as shown in Figure A. The All Apps list appears on the left and the tiles appear in two columns on the right.
Figure A
The Start menu in build 14942 looks the same as in the current version.

To enable the Hide App List In Start menu feature, you right-click on the

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Microsoft Tasks Pegatron with Making New Surface Hardware



Chinese manufacturer Pegatron Technology will build Microsoft’s next generation of

Surface products, including the Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2.
Microsoft’s current plans for the Surface line are currently up in the air. The company has confirmed nothing. Certainly the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book are unlikely to be refreshed this year. However, a Chinese outlet has offered the clearest indication that the company is developing new products.
Economic Daily News (EDN) says that Chinese manufacturer Pegatron Technology has been tasked with building new Surface devices. Beyond that, we are still left speculating exactly when Microsoft will launch new products. More importantly, we do not know which devices will be launched.
Of course, there is plenty of insider information and speculation to chew through. For example, we know that no new Surface tablets or laptops will arrive this year. However, Microsoft is reportedly going to launch its much-rumored Surface all-in-one PC.
At the moment, Cardinal (PC codename) is expected to arrive in three screen sizes (21, 24, and 27 inches). However, we would say the 24-inch is unlikely, so expect just a 21-inch and 27-inch version. While we are dubious about the need of a Surface desktop, it is a logical hardware progression.
It makes sense that Microsoft will give the all-in-one a clear run without any other competing product launches.

Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2

That leaves Microsoft planning the Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2. This is where Pegatron’s involvement comes into play. The Chinese company has likely already started building those devices ahead of their launch next year.
Awards and accolades continue to arrive for Microsoft’s excellent hardware. In other words, the Pro 5 and Book have plenty of time before they need to be refreshed. We have reported before that Microsoft is waiting until the launch of Windows 10 Redstone 2 before launching the new hardware. That would mean a spring 2017 announcement.


    Thursday, October 6, 2016

    Nvidia's new Game Ready drivers are optimized for Gears of War 4, Mafia III and Shadow Warrior 2


    By Shawn Knight on October 6, 2016, 2:30 PM



    Nvidia on Thursday published a new GeForce Game Ready driver that’s optimized for a trio of upcoming high-profile games.

    The Nvidia GeForce 373.06 WHQL Game Ready driver preps gamers for Gears of War 4,Mafia III and Shadow Warrior 2. The driver also adds an SLI profile for Iron Storm, re-enables the Battlefield 1 SLI profile that was removed over the summer and adds 3D Vision profiles for Ashes of the Singularity, Gears of War 4, Mafia III and Shadow Warrior 2 (the last two are listed as “not recommended”).

    Nvidia’s latest fixes a trio of issues in Windows 10 although 17 bugs in Microsoft's current OS persist, most of which affect SLI configurations. There are also nine known issues dating back to Windows 7.



    Those planning to pick up Gears of War 4 may want to hop over to Nvidia’s website as they’ve posted a helpful optimization guide. The Coalition has baked in nearly three dozen graphics settings as well as several configuration options for displays and input devices. Gears 4 is also compatible with Nvidia G-Sync technology, no doubt good news if you have a compatible monitor.

    Gears of War 4 arrives on October 7 for those that purchased the Ultimate Edition and October 11 for everyone else. Mafia II, the sequel to 2010’s Mafia II, also launches tomorrow while those clamoring for Shadow Warrior 2 will have to wait until October 13.

    PS - AMD just yesterday released a new set of Radeon Software Crimson Edition drivers that are optimized for Gears of War 4 and Mafia III.

    How to use the Shell command to view all your applications in File Explorer




    By Greg Shultz | October 6, 2016, 1:00 AM PST

    The Shell command offers a handy way to view your Applications folder. Here's how it works--and why you might find the trick useful.


    In recent articles, I've shown various techniques for making the best of the Windows 10 start menu:
    How to customize the Windows 10 Anniversary Update Start menu using the "Pare It Down" technique
    How to customize the Windows 10 Start menu with numbered shortcuts

    While many readers are using Windows 10 Start menu as is, and others are settling for third-party solutions, a lot of users tell me they like trying alternative ideas. So I keep on the lookout for new tricks—and I recently found another one.



    I discovered a way to view the Applications folder in File Explorer by using the Shell command. This special folder includes traditional Desktop Applications as well as Universal Windows Apps. Being able to view all your applications in File Explorer can come in handy in certain circumstances. Let's take a look.
    Running the Shell command

    To view All Apps in File Explorer, you'll use a Shell command shortcut. Hidden underneath the Windows architecture is a host of special shortcuts known as Shell commands. To use a Shell command, all you need to do is press [Windows]+R to access the Run dialog box. Then, type the word Shell followed by a colon (:) and the Shell folder name, as in:

    Shell:foldername

    Notice that there are no spaces between the word Shell and the colon and the folder name—it is essentially one word.
    SEE: How to tweak the Windows 10 Action Center to make it less annoying
    Accessing the Applications folder

    Now that you have a general idea of how the Shell command works, you can use it to view the Applications folder in Windows 10. To do so, press [Windows]+R, type shell:AppsFolder in the Open text box (Figure A), and press Enter.
    Figure A
    You can launch the Shell command from the Run dialog box.

    All your applications will appear in one scrollable window, as shown in

    Wednesday, October 5, 2016

    Windows 10 Anniversary Update: Fix for endless reboot problem coming soon, says Microsoft




    Microsoft promises it is close to resolving an issue with an update that refuses to install on some PCs.

    By Nick Heath | October 4, 2016, 4:28 AM PST
    Microsoft marked the first birthday of Windows 10 by giving the OS a major upgrade.
    Image: Nick Heath / TechRepublic

    Microsoft is in the final stages of fixing a Windows 10 update that endlessly rebooted some PCs.

    Issued last Friday, the patch, known as Cumulative Update 14393.222, would keep restarting some Windows 10 computers in a vain attempt to install itself.

    Microsoft has acknowledged the problem affecting the patch for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update and said it is on the verge of correcting it.


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    "We've been working diligently on this issue and are finalizing a clean-up script that will fix the underlying issue preventing the install of KB3194496 (Cumulative Update 14393.222) for affected users," said a Microsoft employee on the firm's official forums.

    "Your patience during our research and subsequent work is greatly appreciated."

    Microsoft has been criticised for releasing this latest update to the general public after the installation problem was spotted by people testing early builds of the OS under the

    Sunday, October 2, 2016

    How to create a Windows 10-based kiosk with Assigned Access







    By Greg Shultz | September 30, 2016, 6:12 AM PST

    The Assigned Access feature lets you configure a kiosk so that only one app is available. Here's how it works in Windows 10.


    A kiosk provides a great way to display information about your company and its products or services. You can also use a kiosk to limit access to a certain application. In Windows 10, the Assigned Access feature allows you to easily configure a system so that the user has access to just a single Windows app. This could be any native Windows 10 app, a Windows app from the Windows Store, or a custom app you have created and side loaded on a Windows 10 system.

    In this article, I show how to set up and use the

    Saturday, October 1, 2016

    How to install Windows 10 in a VM on a Linux machine




    Image: iStockphoto/Pannawat



    Learn how to install Windows 10 on your Linux machine using the bundled license key on preassembled systems, and get tips on how to reduce the amount of system resources Windows uses.

    By James Sanders | July 11, 2016, 6:20 AM PST


    For Linux users, making a clean break from the Microsoft ecosystem is often a rather challenging task. Even in 2016, the possibility of needing Windows to perform some task still exists—perhaps as part of an employer requirement, a dependency on legacy technology such as

    Friday, September 30, 2016

    How to Disable Specific Keys on Your Keyboard in Windows 10



    Dave LeClair September 30, 2016 0 minutes



    The answer is clear: just disable that key!

    1-Download and launch the free tool called Simple Disable Key.
    2-Select the field labeled Key.
    3-Hit the key want to disable on your keyboard.
    4-Click Add Key.
    5-Choose whether you want the key disabled in specific programs, during certain times, or always.
    Click OK.

    If you decide you want to quickly enable all the keys you currently have disabled, click Tools, then Enable All Keys. Also, make sure to click Options, and enable Run on Windows startup so that you’ll have always have your disabled keys in place.
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