Latest News: microsoft
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Jan 13, 2014
It isn't big news that Microsoft's Windows 8 hasn't been doing well. Despite losses amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars both in terms of Windows 8 and Windows RT based devices as well as software, Microsoft has kept plugging at it with the latest update being Windows 8.1, but even this doesn't seem to be taking off. Rumours have recently surfaced that Microsoft may be scrapping all the changes Windows 8 did and come back to the old Windows 7 interface. One of these rumours comes from Paul Thurott who is quite well known for Windows related news. What sets his rumour apart is that he predicts Microsoft will come out with Windows 9 in April 2015. According to him the announcement will come in April 2014 with the roll-out release next year. As a dedicated computer desktop user I can't say that I've been thrilled by the rather intrusive Windows 8 redesign, but it has been getting a following for it's various touchscreen devices. We still don't know what tech specs or features the Windows 9 revamp will have but it is rumoured to have three major points along with an optional Metro 2.0 feature. Stay tuned for more updates.
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Dec 18, 2013
While we've heard of a smaller Microsoft Surface Mini tablet from the Microsoft Surface range of tablets before, some other tech specs and a concept render have also recently surfaced. Apart from a previously revealed 8-inch 1080p display, the Surface Mini is said to also offer air gestures, be powered by an Intel Bay Trail chipset and arrive in 2014. While it is still unclear how the Surface Mini would implement air gestures (either through proximity sensors, IR sensors or LeapMotion like sensors) the feature certainly sounds interesting as is the concept render of the Surface Mini tablet. No Malaysia pricing or release dates were available though but we'll keep you updated.
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Dec 16, 2013
While Windows Phones continue to blaze trails in the smartphone market, most of them continue to be made by Nokia which was recently bought by Microsoft. To get any sort of real expansion for Windows Phones, Microsoft needs other smartphone makers to produce more Windows Phone devices and smartphones. To that end, blogger Eldar Murtazin recently tweeted that Microsoft has offered $1 billion a year to Samsung for it to make more Windows Phone devices. While this seems like a bribe, it is often used for developmental costs and seen as a Research and Development contribution. Before it was bought over by Microsoft, Nokia received $1 billion a year as well but this was marked as "platform support payments". So far, there doesn't seem to be any official word of consent or even denial from Samsung and this is still very much an unconfirmed rumour yet so take this with a good pinch of salt.
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Dec 13, 2013
Some rather contradictory rumours have appeared as well, stating that Microsoft could soon make their Windows Phone and Windows RT operating systems free for device makers. This would hopefully cause a drop in production costs as device makers currently need to pay license fees for every device. This contradicts earlier rumours that Windows RT would be replaced by Windows Phone but this could be another option which Microsoft are considering. According to this rumour, Microsoft would only ask for licensing fees from their Pro products like Windows 8.1 and other desktop operating systems. While this could let Microsoft compete with Android, doing so would mean a heavy blow to their revenue streams as this is how Microsoft makes their money. It also raises the question of "Would you get Windows RT if it was free?". Considering the limitations of Windows RT, only for educational or other specific situations. A free Windows Phone operating system on the other hand would definitely help raise Microsoft's profile and perhaps sell more Windows Phone based devices, but it wouldn't help Microsoft make money, unless they got creative with Office and other solution pricing. As usual, take this rumour with a pinch of salt.
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Dec 01, 2013
It appears that some users of the recent Microsoft Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets have been having problems with their tablets related to overheating. The main symptom of this is that the screen for the tablets becomes so dimmed that users can't see what they are doing. This often comes up when either the Surface 2 or Surface Pro tablets were doing processor intensive tasks like games or multi-tasking (multiple programs running at the same time). When contacted, Microsoft have said that the company is aware about the problem and are currently working on an update to fix the problem. According to them, a quick fix is to let the overheated tablets cool down first, which should take about a minute or two. The screen should then return to normal brightness afterwards. Here were their exact words:
"Surface devices may dim the screen as thermal temperatures rise from extended, high CPU intensive activities - like gaming. In some scenarios this does not appear necessary...We’re working on a tuning update that will remove this unnecessary dimming event. You can expect this update in an upcoming Windows Update package. In the meantime allow the Surface to cool down for a minute or so in order to return the screen to previous brightness levels."
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Nov 25, 2013
Many in the tech industry feel that Windows RT and subsequent Windows RT-based devices lack many of the capabilities and features of more capable Microsoft operating systems and devices. Rumours about the death of Windows RT have circulated for quite some time at practically every chance. But so far, most of the rumours have been from third-parties, this time around, we have a comment from within Microsoft itself that could indicate Microsoft officially killing off Windows RT. The comment comes from Julie Larson-Green, who is Executive Vice President of the Devices and Studios and one of the big movers in Microsoft. Her comment was:
"We have the Windows Phone OS. We have Windows RT and we have full Windows. We're not going to have three. We do think there's a world where there is a more mobile operating system that doesn't have the risks to battery life, or the risks to security. But, it also comes at the cost of flexibility. So we believe in that vision and that direction and we're continuing down that path."
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Oct 08, 2013
While initially Microsoft was rumoured to have approached HTC about loading Windows Phone on Android, it appears that HTC wasn't the only one Microsoft talked to. According to reports, Microsoft have also approached Samsung and Huawei with Windows Phone OS for smartphones and Windows RT for tablet for free as an incentive. They have also supposedly added on compensation for the required adaptation costs. While none of the above parties have really confirmed anything, a rumoured 12.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab which can dual-boot between Windows RT and Android is supposedly on the way. Tech specs for this device include very high pixel resolutions, a super thin plastic chassis made to look like metal (probably a chrome finish) and is supposedly very fast. Most of this info comes from Russion blogger Eldar Murtazin, who has mostly been accurate when it comes to Nokia - Microsoft related rumours. However, he was wrong about Tizen so take this rumour again with a pinch of salt. No Malaysia release dates or pricing just yet though.
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Sep 24, 2013
Diversifying what you can do with your Microsoft Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2 tablet is Microsoft's new touch covers, one of which is the new Surface Remix Project which has resulted in the Surface Music Kit cover. Compatible with the Microsoft Surface 2, Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro tablets, the customized touch cover features a set of sliders and buttons similar to those on a DJ's mixing table. When attached to the aforementioned tablets, the accompanying mixing app installs automatically, allowing you to mix a song complete with vocals, drums, bass and keyboards as well as other templates. The custom cover is pressure sensitive so you can have a more intuitive experience controlling beats, instruments and vocals. The app syncs beats per minute automatically and also provides mixing recommendations while also exporting resulting mixes into MP3, WAV or WMA formats. DJ and Linkin Park member Joe Hahn has also been invited to act as the Surface Remix project product ambassador while the #RemixProject competition has a free Surface 2 + Surface Music Kit combo for creative Vine video submissions on remixing your life. Microsoft eventually hopes to see other Touch Cover possibilities come from this with many interesting creations already in development which you can see from the videos in this article.
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Sep 24, 2013
We've been hearing rumours about the Intel Haswell refresh of Microsoft's Surface tablet range for months, so it comes as no surprise when Microsoft officially announced the new Surface Pro 2 tablet. While the new version packs in a better 4th generation Intel Core i5 processor it also adds in tech specs and features which include 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options, 4GB to 8GB of RAM and a 10.6-inch full HD ClearType HD display. The new Intel Haswell chips increase battery life by up to 75% and the Surface Pro 2 adds on new cover options such as the Power Cover which includes a 30wh battery to help extend battery life even further.
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Sep 24, 2013
In line with the Intel Haswell revamp of the Microsoft Surface Pro tablets, the Surface RT line of tablets gets a revamp as well in the form of the new Microsoft Surface 2 tablet. Featuring Windows 8.1 RT and running on a new NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor, the Surface 2 is thinner, lighter and faster. Other tech specs include a microSD card slot, a USB 3.0 port, 32GB and 64GB storage along with a 10 hour battery. The new Touch Cover 2 keyboard is also very much updated including backlit keys, 1092 sensors and is 1mm thinner than the original Touch Cover. Other features include a free pre-installed Microsoft Office 2013 RT suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, One Note and Outlook RT along with 200GB of free SkyDrive cloud storage for up to 2 years and one year's worth of International Skype calls. Pricing in Malaysia hasn't been determined yet but we estimate the Surface 2 to be at $449 (RM1437) for the 32GB version and $549 (RM1757) for the 64GB version. For more information check out the Surface 2 site.
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Daily Top 10 Hits
1. | Infinix Note 40 Pro 5G | RM 898 |
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2. | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | RM 5075 |
3. | Infinix GT 20 Pro | RM 1249 |
4. | Samsung Galaxy A55 | RM 1499 |
5. | HONOR X9b | RM 949 |
6. | Oppo Reno 11 Pro | RM 1879 |
7. | Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus | RM 1299 |
8. | Xiaomi 14 Ultra | RM 4488 |
9. | HONOR X7b | RM 615 |
10. | Redmi Note 13 Pro | RM 1119 |