Tag: updates

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Microsoft BUILD 2014 Developer Conference Kicks Off with Windows Phone 8.1, New Phones

micromax and prestigioIt’s  a big day for Microsoft. Kicking off their BUILD Developer Conference, Joe Belfiore took us through an on stage demo of  Windows Phone 8.1 and the new Cortana digital assistant.

New Phones

Microsoft announced new partnerships with MicroMax and Prestigio to develop hardware. These companies should help expand Windows Phone’s presence in European, African, and Asian markets.elop lumia 930 b

lumia 930 bOf course the premier line of Windows Phone handsets is the Nokia Lumia line. Stephen Elop took the stage to show off the Lumia 930, which looks like an international version of the Lumia Icon we’ve been reviewing over the past several weeks, only now we’ll have more colors than stingy Verizon was willing to offer up.

dual simNokia also has two mid range phones on the way, the Lumia 630 with 3G and dual sim variants, and the Lumia 635 with 4G LTE. The dual sim 630 will show off different colored Live Tiles for each of the sim accounts.

The Lumia 630 will be priced at $159 for single sim, $169 for dual sim, and $189 for LTE, and it’ll be the first phone to land with Windows Phone 8.1. It wasn’t announced what the screen resolution of the 630 will be, but it is arriving with the newer 3 rows of Live Tile arrangement found on the 1520 and Icon. Cortana will also be arriving for these entry level handsets.

ALL Nokia Windows Phone 8 Lumias will be upgraded to WP8.1 this summer, which is exciting even down to customers who opted for a sub-$100 Lumia 520, especially when compared to the Android market at that price point.

Windows Phone 8.1 Updates

A ton of new features and polish are coming to the Windows Phone platform. Demonstrated on stage, here’s a short list of some of the highlights!

word flow keyboardWordFlow keyboard is getting gesture “Swype” style typing. You can now slide your thumb around the keyboard to create words. This new keyboard now holds the Guinness Book world record for fastest text entry. Continue reading “Microsoft BUILD 2014 Developer Conference Kicks Off with Windows Phone 8.1, New Phones”

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Windows Phone 8.1: Better file management, Universal Apps, and New Notifcations

Windows Phone is growing up fast.

Details on the new SDK for Windows Phone 8.1 have leaked on Reddit, and Twitter user @AngelWZR has posted screen shots from the developer emulator showing all kinds of fun new features for Microsoft’s phone update.

angelWZR windows phone8.1 screenshots (1)Highlights include fixes for my top two gripes! Windows Phone will now have separate volume controls for media and alerts. It’s can be a painful experience listening to music and then having an email alert go off on your headphones.

We’ll also see radically improved file management in WP8.1. As it stands now, WP8 handles files much like the iPhone does. You don’t really have access to one central app where you can see file location. Now, like on Windows 8 and RT, WP8.1 will allow the new OneDrive app to manage cloud storage and local storage. We’ll also see improved support for memory cards, support app installation on removable media.

We’ll also see significant improvements to other services like NFC, screen sharing on TV’s, and WP8.1 will allow for 3rd party messaging apps. Alongside improvements to the actual phone OS, Microsoft is pushing forward with universal app support, so new apps being developed can work on both Windows Phone and the Metro interface for Windows 8. We knew this synergy was coming with the future Threshold update, but it’s exciting seeing pieces falling into place now. Right now apps don’t travel between phone, tablet, and computer, and I don’t want to have to buy Halo multiple times to play it on all of my various screens.

angelWZR windows phone8.1 screenshots (7)Best of all, Microsoft has stated that all WP8 phones will be eligible for the 8.1 update. This is a great step forward for the platform, as even the most entry-level phones like the Lumia 520 should be able to benefit from some of these updates.

The actual 8.1 update is rumored to arrive in April, which means we could see much stronger competition from this third place platform later in the year.  See some more screenshots of WP8.1 in action below!

 

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Will more attractive frames solve Google’s Glass perception problem?

new google glass titanium framesThey do look better, less sci-fi, more natural.

I think heads up displays are our wearable tech future. After using several fantastic smartwatches, nothing seems to solve the problem of eye-level information like Google Glass. Of course it brings a completely different kind of stigma in that you’re wearing a computer on your face, which really seems to weird people out. A common criticism of Glass is that it looks too geeky, and now it seems Google is taking steps to curb that complaint.

Following their partnership with eye wear designer Warby Parker, Google is piggy-backing on the designer’s Titanium Collection of frames with four new looks for Glass that Google is calling “The Titanium Collection”. Not very original, but Google isn’t known for fashion, so maybe it’s better they leave that job to the pros.

This also marks the beginning of Glass supporting prescription lenses. From the FAQ: “Google is in partnership with VSP Vision Care for VSP members and VSP eye care providers to receive reimbursement on Glass frames up to the frame allowance provided within their current vision benefit. The prescription lenses are also covered under the patients’ lens benefit offering through their VSP coverage.”

See the new frames in this Google promo vid:

This does not change the process by which you go about getting Glass, it’s still a very public BETA, and the Explorer program is still the gateway through which people acquire their own face computer. This is simply another iteration in the design of the heads up display, hopefully making them a bit more socially acceptable for people who are concerned about the design of the original Explorer Edition Glass. Google is pushing into very new territory, and that can make consumers squirrely. Restaurant owners asking Explorers to leave, law enforcement issuing citations for operating motor vehicles with screens visible to the driver, there’s a stigma to this product Google’s going to need to overcome. You know you’re in trouble when The Simpsons dedicates an entire episode to showcasing how socially awkward heads up displays are.

The Explorer program isn’t getting the job done. For as many people who are fantastic ambassadors for this technology, there are just as many Glassholes who taint the product in the minds of people who might be apprehensive about its capabilities and their privacy. Google is still publicly stating “the end of 2014” for the consumer launch of Glass, but they’ve got some significant PR hurdles to clear before then. These new frames at least area  step in the right direction.

RELATED: Chris Emerson Interview – Two Months as a Glass Explorer

Full Google FAQ below: Continue reading “Will more attractive frames solve Google’s Glass perception problem?”

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Google Chrome for Android and iOS now includes data compression

chrome bandwith management reduce data usage

It’s funny how tech moves in cycles.

When data networks were slow, and our mobile smartphones were far less powerful, we usually could count on unlimited data here in the States, even through the 3G revolution. Companies like Opera would release 3rd party browsers to help reduce data use and to speed up web browsing. Especially during the Windows Mobile days, this was tremendously helpful as web browsing could be somewhat painful on smaller screens and under-powered hardware.

Now we have devices which do a remarkable job of replicating the desktop web browsing experience, on screaming fast hardware, with broadband bandwidth over the air. Unfortunately, all of these improvements came with caps and throttling for most consumers. We don’t necessarily need the speed benefits of compression anymore, but saving a few MB’s while browsing would certainly come in handy.

Rolling out today, Chrome will now offer up data compression for Android and iOS. Once you’ve received the update, go into settings, hit Bandwidth Management, and enable “Reduce Data Usage”. Easy peasy. This wont help reduce data on any of your other apps or services, but if you use the browser, it will be able to reduce your data footprint by up to 50%, while improving your “Safe Browsing” security.

Android users will also receive an update to add website shortcuts to their homescreen directly from the browser menu. Not too shabby.

Check the Google Chrome Blog for the full scoop.

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Viber releases new app for Windows 8

viber for windows 8 screenshotViber is quickly becoming one of the primary third-party competitors to services like Google Voice and Skype. Allowing users to call, text, and send voice and video messages to each other over the internet. They rolled out a service during the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, allowing people to call land lines, which became a standard part of the Viber package.

Now they’re expanding their service again, with a proper Metro app for Windows 8. This is pretty significant, as it continues their build out on being a global service. Currently supporting Android, iOS, Blackberry, Windows Phone, traditional Windows Desktop, and OSX. Now Windows 8 Hybrids and tablets can utilize the service without leaving the modern UI. Doubly helpful for folks using Windows RT, which can’t install third party software.

If Viber is the way you keep your family connected, it’s always nice having an additional option for how you might use that service.

Viber in the Windows App Store.

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Dropbox improves folder sharing for Android app users

dropbox mobile-shared-blogpost-image-v2I’m so happy to see this.

I’ve been stuck in situations using the Dropbox app where I’ve needed to create and share folders with people, and the experience hasn’t always been seamless. Often I’d just wait until I could get to a proper computer to finish the job, but now it looks like I wont have to do that anymore. Dropbox is cleaning up the quick actions on sharing and creating folders in their Android app. If you’re burning through a lot of cloud storage on DB like I am, this should be a welcome improvement to the service.

I especially appreciate the new folder settings page for controlling permissions and user options. Greatly appreciated.

Go hit the update on Google Play! It’s only available for Android users at this time, with word that iOS should get an update soon.

(via Dropbox Blog)

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Google Sheets rebuilt to better compete with Microsoft Excel

new-google-drive-sheetsGoogle is getting more serious with their office and productivity solutions.

Sheets was one area where Google Docs solutions fell flat. It was good for basic usage scenarios (my wife and I share one for our household finances), but it was severely limited for more business-grade spreadsheet needs. Limitations like 400,000 cells and 256 columns, meant it couldn’t be incorporated into a mainstream workflow. No longer. Sheets has been rebuilt. Google has the technology. It’s stronger, faster, better.

According to the video posted below, you can now work with millions of cells, with no limit on columns or the number of cells you can cut and paste. The engine driving Sheets is smoother, allowing for faster scrolling, and offline support has been beefed up a bit for those times you’re working without a data connection. 20 new functions are on board for your programming needs, and Google is including custom views to help you organize the data you’re looking at without affecting other people who might be working on the same spreadsheet.

In all, a pretty formidable update, and good timing by Google as they’ll be facing more Office enabled tablets from Microsoft next year. Hit the video for more info.

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Chromecast supporting 10 new apps, Plex and Avia media streaming!

google chromecast tv hdmi dongle somegadgetguyDevelopers are moving forward with Chromecast integration, and it’s starting to look really good.

Announced today on the Chrome Blog, ten new apps have been officially added to the Chromecast repertoire. The list of standalone services includes VEVO, Red Bull.TV, Songza, PostTV, Viki, Revision 3, and BeyondPod.

What’s also interesting is the growing list of local streaming apps. Chromecast allows you to share a tab on your computer’s browser, but it wasn’t a great solution for streaming music or video stored on your computer’s hard drive. Now with Avia, RealPlayer Cloud, and Plex this process should get a lot easier.

Alongside recent additions like Hulu, HBO Go, and Pandora, the Chromecast ecosystem is looking a little healthier. Who needs a Nexus TV AmIRite?

Our setup and review video of the Chromecast!

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