Software & Apps News - Page 153

Microsoft is getting their hands dirty with Windows 8, and one of the things they're tweaking at the moment is the way the next-gen operating system manages multi-monitor setups, starting with the next major release of their OS.

Mark Yalovsky, a lead program manager on the User Experience team, had gone into detail explaining some of the features that have already been baked into the Consumer Preview, such as taskbar options for multiple displays, and some that will change like the ability to launch Metro apps on any display - but this post has been taken down.

Microsoft have collected data through the Windows Feedback Program, which points to 14-percent of desktop PCs and approximately 5-percent of laptop PCs sporting multiple monitors. Microsoft have taken this information, and made multi-monitor support better in Windows 8. They have set themselves a few goals: make the desktop a more personal experience, improve the efficiency of accessing apps across monitors, improve the efficiency of accessing system UI, and allow side-by-side Metro style and desktop apps.

Chinese search company Baidu has whispered into the ears of TechCrunch that they have some big plans for the Baidu Cloud Smart Terminal system that runs their newly-announced phone. Baidu wants to push Baidu Cloud into all major mobile operating systems, including Windows Phone, iOS and Android.

According to a Baidu spokesperson, the company wants to eventually produce a Windows Phone with Baidu Cloud, as well as an iOS-based device. A Windows Phone I could see happening, but an iOS device? It would really require Apple's complete permission, and I just can't see this happening.

Baidu Cloud is a suite of apps tied into Baidu's storage, music and search offerings. The phone announced today, is a low-cost phone, dubbed Changhong H5018 and sports a 3.5-inch 480x320 touchscreen, 3G connectivity, and a 3-megapixel camera. It will be available for $158, which earns it the right to be dubbed a low-cost smartphone. Baidu Cloud runs on top of Android 2.3, and because Google gives Android partners much more freedom in adapting their OS, it gives Baidu the chance to start off on Android.

I'm really hoping that struggling RIM (Research in Motion) and their next-generation OS, BlackBerry 10 (BB10) bodes well against the likes of Apple and Google. Just hours ago, there was a media briefing for RIM's next OS in London.

BB10's home screen has been hidden, until now. The media event showed off the swish looking home screen, which is now populated with widgets, but the change is that all of the on-screen widgets are actually active applications that will dynamically change based on your activities.

Most of BlackBerry 10's interface is gesture-driven, where you can quick swipe to the right to bring up the full launcher, where a swipe to the left will open the unified inbox. Definitely not revolutionary, or even resolutionary, but it's better than previous iterations of RIM's operating system. RIM have also updated the BB10 software keyboard, where RIM's Head of Software Portfolio, Vivek Bhardwaj has stated that the company spend a lot of time and effort trying to replicate the capabilities of the company's iconic plastic keyboards.

Microsoft kinda wants to turn the Xbox 360 into a PC, but kinda doesn't. Today's "kinda does" includes news that the OS and gaming giant will release Internet Explorer 9 to the Xbox 360, which would include Kinect voice and gesture support.

The Xbox 360 already sports voice search functions with Bing, but the results are limited to just media only. Having Internet Explorer would give the Xbox 360 a full-on web browsing experience, in an unrestricted environment. The Verge is reporting this, so it gives the news some big credit.

If the Xbox 360 owner has the Kinect motion-sensing device, they could use it for voice and gesture control within Internet Explorer. This would be a pretty nifty thing to have on the couch, and would really give credit toward Kinect being a huge feature for the next-generation Xbox. Because text can't be easily entered in with a console controller, voice control makes perfect sense. E3 isn't too far away, and I have a feeling we should see and hear about it then.

Flipboard CEO, Mick McCue has revealed that the apps number of downloads in China will "easily surpass" what they're seeing in the US in the near future. The company is also looking to create a Chinese base of operations, too.

The company launched a Chinese service last December, which even included a dedicated editorial team. March of this year saw an iPhone app, and just yesterday we saw the app hit the Samsung GALAXY S II. McCue has said that the number of downloads of Flipboard in China is already equal with those in the US.

Flipboard is looking at 5 million downloads in China by the end of 2012, and in order to help that growth, McCue has revealed that an official Android-based application will hit the country. This is a good move, as Android represents 68.4-percent of smartphone sales in China, according to Analysys research.

Microsoft is banning alternative browser on the upcoming ARM-based Windows 8 platform, or so Mozilla is claiming. It seems as though this could be an anti-competitive practice in which Microsoft may end up getting sued. But, let's examine the reasons that Microsoft isn't allowing alternative browsers. Trust me, you'll get quite the laugh.

"They're trying to make a new version of their operating system which denies their users choice, competition, and innovation," said Harvey Anderson, Mozilla's general counsel. "Making IE the only browser on that platform is a complete return to the digital dark ages when there was only one browser on the Windows platform."

Microsoft Deputy General Counsel David Heiner told Mozilla the reasons they wouldn't be able to write a browser for Windows 8 ARM, Anderson said:

Google has released version 6.7 of Google Maps for Android. Sorry iOS users, but you guys are left out of the features that come with this update. Google Maps for Android now features indoor walking directions and Google Offers integration with participating venues. The announcement states that these features are only available in the United States, but it appears that the walking directions extend to Japan at the least.

Google Offers hasn't exactly spread like wildfire and is currently on the decline. However, this new integration within Google Maps should give the service a boost as it will allow users to purchase or use nearby offers straight from Google Maps. A perfect example is if you are taking a roadtrip and are looking for a place to eat.

Google's blog post:

Microsoft are really wanting to make Windows 8 stand out, bigger than most operating systems they've released before. Today, the Redmond-based company have announced that Windows Media Center is not going to be included with Windows 8.

If you'd like to have access to Windows Media Center, you'll need to pay for it. You're thinking this is bad, ridiculous, how could they? Well, Microsoft are promising that Windows 8 will "deliver a world-class video and audio entertainment experience", and they've made it clear that DVDs are not part of this. Windows Media Player will continue to be included with Windows 8, but the ability to play DVDs, will not.

ZDNet's Ed Bott has noted:

As I reported yesterday, users of the iOS Rock Band app received a message that they would no longer be able to play the game and thanked them for 'rocking out with us.' Users, of course, flipped out and started posting bad reviews on the app and demanding their money back across a plethora of online communities.

The developers of Rock Band were caught off guard by the message, so they redirected all questions to EA Mobile. Apple additionally directed questions to EA, who remained quiet in the face of it all. EA has finally come out with a statement blaming the message on an error and that the game would still be playable.

Rock Band for iOS will remain live-the in-app message users received yesterday was sent in error. We apologize for the confusion this caused. We're working to clarify the issue that caused the error and will share additional information as soon as possible.

Valve have released a Steam beta client which has a new feature tucked into it called Remote Downloads. Remote Downloads is a feature that lets users manage their game libraries remotely. This means that users can login to the official Steam site and have access to their game list.

From here, they can start downloads and monitor their progress. The only requirement is that Steam has to be left running on their PC, which is obvious. Because Remote Downloads is done through a standard web browser, this means that smart devices like smartphones and tablets should be able to get in on the fun.

At the moment, the Steam apps for iOs and Android allow game purchases, but don't play well with a home installation of Steam. This function should be baked into the app once Remote Downloads makes its way out of beta, and into Steam as a proper feature. Nice work, Valve!