sincity

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/other/Week%20in%20Gaming/week_in_gaming_image_23_01_2015-470-75.jpgIf last week belonged squarely to Nintendo and its gaming announcements then this week is property of Microsoft. Its big Windows 10 livestream contained plenty of exciting news for Xbox fans and non-believers alike, if you could sit through all the other slightly boring parts. By far the most exciting thing was the announcement of HoloLens – Microsoft's answer to the VR/AR trend and potential rival to Sony's Project Morpheus and the Oculus Rift. Don't get confused by the name though, there aren't any projected holograms here. Instead the HoloLens overlays images on whatever you are looking at, so you can build a Minecraft environment around your living room, making it even more like Lego but without the mortal danger of stepping on a piece barefoot. Like most VR/AR/hologram projects the HoloLens won't be on your face for a while, but when it does arrive we hope it won't be as expensive as Google Glass, and that it'll stick around for longer. In more tangible news, Windows 10 devices (laptops, desktops and tablets) will be able to stream Xbox One games so long as they are on the same Wi-Fi network. That means you could play Halo: The Master Chief Collection in bed without moving your TV and console from the living room. This is good news if you live in a divided household that's caught up in the console war – one of you can play PS4 and the vastly inferior Destiny downstairs, while the clearly superior human plays Halo upstairs, without the need for a second TV or moving your costly consoles around. You'll also be able to cross-platform play online, so you won't have to worry about friends who are streaming on their PCs. Game of Game of ThronesTellTale has confirmed the release date for the second episode of its amazing Game of Thrones game. Titled The Lost Lords it will be released February 3 on Steam, PS4 and PS3, February 4 on Xbox 360 and Xbox One and February 5 on iOS and Android. If you're a fan of the books or the TV show (or both) then this game is a must play. In true Game of Thrones style it will have you shouting at your TV from the start and I'd put money on it making you cry. You also get to experience an excruciating wait between episodes, and if there's one thing fans of George R R Martin's series enjoy it's waiting. If you still haven't watched Game of Thrones then it's time you came out of your cave. Seriously, just watch it, play this game, then come back and thank me in the comments. " width="420">YouTube : ESO used be an adventurer like you...This may be the least shocking news of 2015, and it's still only January: Elder Scrolls Online is removing its subscription options in favour of a Guild Wars 2 style buy-to-play option. But really, we all knew this was coming. The game hasn't quite lived up to the hype and they did take away the 6-month subscription plan in December, which was definitely a sign of things to come. If I was a fan of ESO I'd be feeling very worried about the future of this MMO right now. Luckily my soul belongs to World of Warcraft. And by luckily I mean, please god someone help me with my WoW addiction. It wouldn't be a week in gaming without a bit of Nintendo news. This week Nintendo announced that it will be closing Club Nintendo and starting up a new rewards system. Club Nintendo will be phased out in three stages, starting April 1 this year. So if you want novelty golf balls, a keyring or a Nintendo blanket now's the time to spend those hard earned stars. Also for Nintendo fans, here's a custom Amiibo of Villager in his true form: axe murdering psychopath (aka young Patrick Bateman). If you want to turn your Villager Amiibo into a similar vision of terrifyingly cute horror then you can buy a tiny axe for him here. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/other/Week%20in%20Gaming/villager_ax_amiibo_killager_by_chibisilverwings-d878kdr-420-90.jpg Talking of gleeful murder sprees, look at this video of some oldies playing Grand Theft Auto 5. It's hilarious. GTA is truly the great leveller – no matter your age or gender we all become maniacs when faced with an open world environment, a gun and zero consequences. Scary and yet quite comforting. " width="420">YouTube : http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/42a89f3d/sc/28/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610985832/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a89f3d/sc/28/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610985832/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a89f3d/sc/28/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610985832/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a89f3d/sc/28/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610985832/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a89f3d/sc/28/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610985832/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a89f3d/sc/28/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/iPhone/iOS%208/ios-8-camera-app-470-75.jpgYour iPhone's camera is capable of taking amazing shots, but the fun doesn't end there: you can apply a variety of adjustments and effects to liven up your pictures. Photos in iOS 8 has a bunch of new editing tools and holds its own against costly desktop editing apps. The tools you're likely to use most often are crop-and-rotate and, for portraits, Remove Red-Eye. You may also find the Auto Adjust option handy: one tap of this can improve many images. For more control, you'll want to get to know the new adjustment options inherited from iPhoto. In Photos in iOS 8 you can manually adjust Light (exposure, brightness and contrast) and Color, and create custom mono conversions. There's also a range of photo filter effects to add the look of cross-processing, instant-camera shots, or "Chrome" among others. There's everything you need to freshen up your shots or transform them completely. The real stars, however, are the extensions. These enable the Photos app to plug into other apps and add a near-limitless range of new effects and filters. How to edit photos quicklyEdit and Auto Enhance Open Photos to review the shots you've snapped, tap on one, then tap Edit (top right). The editing options appear; their location will vary depending on whether your iPhone is in portrait or landscape mode. Often the most immediately useful is Auto Enhance (the magic wand icon). Tap this and Photos attempts to improve the color and contrast of your photo. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/How%20to%20edit%20photos%20in%20iOS%208/A1-how%20to%20edit%20photos%20quickly-edit%20and%20auto%20enhance-420-90.jpg Crop and rotate Tap the Crop tool. If Photos detects a line in the image that it thinks should be horizontal, it automatically rotates the shot. You can fine-tune by using the wheel, or undo by tapping Reset. To crop, drag the white frame border or its corners, or tap the preset icon to select a fixed aspect ratio. A rule-of-thirds grid appears to help you perfect the composition. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/How%20to%20edit%20photos%20in%20iOS%208/A2-how%20to%20edit%20photos%20quickly-copy%20and%20rotate-420-90.jpg Using Photo Filters Use Photo Filters to add instant effects. Tap the filters icon to reveal a row of effect previews. Tap each in turn to see how it affects the image. Tap Done to finish. You can remove an effect by tapping its preview again or tapping None, and add further adjustments afterwards. You can revert to the unedited shot at any time, even if you've closed and reopened it. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/How%20to%20edit%20photos%20in%20iOS%208/A3-how%20to%20edit%20photos%20quickly-using%20photo%20filters-420-90.jpg How to add advanced effectsRemove red-eye Red-eye (caused by reflected camera flash) can be a problem in portraits. Photos has a built-in red-eye removal tool, which will appear if the app detects a face in shot. Tap the tool (the eye-shaped icon), then tap on each affected eye. Sometimes you need to tap a few times for Photos to locate the red-eye; it can help if you pinch to zoom in first. Tap Done. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/How%20to%20edit%20photos%20in%20iOS%208/B1-how%20to%20add%20advanced%20effects-remove%20red-eye-420-90.jpg Adjustments The new adjustment options offer both simple and advanced modes. Tap the dial icon, then tap the option you want to adjust (Light, say). You'll see a spectrum of small preview images. Drag this either way to apply the adjustment (lightening or darkening the image, increasing or reducing color saturation and so on). Tap Done to apply or Cancel to reject it. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/How%20to%20edit%20photos%20in%20iOS%208/B2-how%20to%20add%20advanced%20effects-adjustments-420-90.jpg Expert editing Want more control? Tap the arrow next to Light, Color, or B&W (or the menu icon with three horizontal lines next to any spectrum of previews) to reveal further controls. Tap an option, such as Highlights, then use the slider to adjust that specific setting. Tap the menu icon to return to the full set of controls. These make it possible to fine-tune images with precision. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/How%20to%20edit%20photos%20in%20iOS%208/B3-how%20to%20add%20advanced%20effects-expert%20editing-420-90.jpg How to use extensions in PhotosInstall and activate Extensions are a new addition to the Photos app, and they change everything. First you need to install a photo-editing app that supports extensions - we're using Camera360 Ultimate. After installing the app, open Photos, pick a shot and tap Edit. Now tap the Extensions icon (the circle with three dots in it), tap More, and switch on your chosen extension app. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/How%20to%20edit%20photos%20in%20iOS%208/C1-how%20to%20use%20extensions%20in%20photos-install%20and%20activate-420-90.jpg Access Extensions Your chosen app now appears in the list that pops up when you tap Extensions in Photos. Tap it (you might have to OK an alert the first time) and you'll see a bunch of new editing options, depending on the extension app you've chosen. In Camera360 there is a Blur option: tap this and choose the circular Blur icon. Tap the tick icon to apply the effect to your shot. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/How%20to%20edit%20photos%20in%20iOS%208/C2-how%20to%20use%20extensions%20in%20photos-access%20extensions-420-90.jpg Add Effects Continue adding effects with Camera360. When finished, tap Done to return to Photos, then Done again to save all your adjustments (including those added using Camera360). Tap and hold one finger on the image to view the original, so you can compare it with your edited version. To remove all edits, tap Revert, then Revert to Original. You can do this at any time. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/How%20to%20edit%20photos%20in%20iOS%208/C3-how%20to%20use%20extensions%20in%20photos-add%20effects-420-90.jpg 10 best iPhone camera and photo editing appshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/42a75a4b/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610995964/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a75a4b/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610995964/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a75a4b/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610995964/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a75a4b/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610995964/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a75a4b/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610995964/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a75a4b/sc/4/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/LG/LG%20G3/Hands%20on%202/LG_G3_Review%20(5)-470-75.JPGLG's USA mobile Twitter account has revealed that the LG G3 is about to be upgraded to Android 5.0 Lollipop in the US. "Introducing Lollipop: a sweet treat for your #LGG3," the message reads, with an image that spells "coming soon." "Life with your LG G3 is about to get sweeter," the image further says. Lollipop began rolling out to LG's current flagship in November, though only in Korea. It was only a matter of time before it made its way here. We've no idea on the time frame beyond "soon," so keep an eye out for the update to arrive if you're a proud LG G3 owner just waiting to be back on the cutting edge. Android 4.4 has been usurped, but it was king in its dayhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/42a6de30/sc/28/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610992334/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a6de30/sc/28/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610992334/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a6de30/sc/28/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610992334/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a6de30/sc/28/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610992334/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a6de30/sc/28/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610992334/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a6de30/sc/28/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Android/xperia_lollipop_android_moviecreator-470-75.jpgIf there's one thing Sony Xperia users everywhere have been just dying to see, it's how their phones' navigation buttons will look once Android Lollipop arrives on Xperia devices. Today's a very lucky day, as Sony released some screenshots promoting a recent update to its Movie Creator app - and inadvertently revealed exactly what those soft buttons will look like, reports XperiaBlog. There's nothing very surprising here, but it is interesting for Xperia fans to catch a glimpse of the simpler, cleaner button icons. We know that Android 5.0 Lollipop is scheduled to hit the Sony Xperia Z3 in February, but chances are we'll see more leaks before then. Read the TechRadar review of Apple's iPad Airhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/42a580bc/sc/28/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132235807/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a580bc/sc/28/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132235807/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a580bc/sc/28/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132235807/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a580bc/sc/28/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132235807/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a580bc/sc/28/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/219132235807/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a580bc/sc/28/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/office_365-470-75.jpgMicrosoft has announced that it has purchased Equivio, an Israeli-based text analysis software startup. Equivio's aim is to help its customers tackle "legal and compliance challenge" that's linked to managing large amounts of email and documents. Office already offers some of these features but the acquisition of Equivio should boost that significantly, not least because of its machine learning capabilities, which can be improved simply by adding more compute resources, either locally or through the cloud (think Azure). In theory, it means that an Equivio system can be trained and replicated across several locations and can benefit – almost instantly - from a corpus of knowledge acquired from other similar Equivio systems as well. Speed demonIt's not the first purchase by Microsoft in that field; the company purchased FAST, an enterprise search product, back in 2008 for a whopping $1.2 billion, which became the core of Microsoft's Enterprise Search Group. FAST technology is also what powers a new Office product called Delve, which uses the Office graph to facilitate information discovery. Details of the deal haven't been disclosed but various reports put the deal value between $150 and $200 million. Check out our review of Office 365http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/42a4ef59/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132234567/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a4ef59/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132234567/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a4ef59/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132234567/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a4ef59/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132234567/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a4ef59/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/219132234567/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a4ef59/sc/4/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%20RT/metro%20start%20screen-470-75.jpgMicrosoft has confirmed that it hasn't yet pulled the plug on Windows RT, its once-promising, often-misunderstood operating system based on Windows 8 and running on ARM processors. Windows veteran Paul Thurrott was told that Windows RT will not be upgraded to Windows 10 but will get an update that will offer some of the functionality of Windows 10. Windows RT was supposed to be Microsoft's vision of the future, a platform that borrowed the best bits from mobile and desktop operating systems like an app store and a tightly controlled environment. For Microsoft, it also meant being able to work with a whole new set of processor vendors (instead of relying on Intel only). Significant backingThere was some significant industry backing at launch with all major players – bar Acer - having at least one Windows RT device but things quickly fizzled out for two main reasons. Users were confused as to what Windows RT did (and the fact that it wasn't compatible with existing x86 applications) and also the relatively poor performance of products. Microsoft released a Surface RT device, dropped the RT when it launched a Surface 2 tablet before launching Surface 3 Pro without a Surface 3 sidekick. Via Cnet Check out our feature on what we want to see from Surface 3http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/42a44042/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132231742/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a44042/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132231742/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a44042/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132231742/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a44042/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132231742/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a44042/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/219132231742/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a44042/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/3D/Blender/Dotd-42-Blender-470-75.jpgBuild stunning 3D models, flesh them out and animate them, or even create your own games – it's all possible in Blender, and totally for free. Why you need itLearning the ropes when it comes to 3D modelling can be a time consuming process, so why pay for a program before you feel confident? Blender is a genuinely comprehensive, professional 3D modelling program that is available completely for free, making it ideal if you're dabbling in 3D work but don't want to shell out a small fortune if you're not even sure it's for you. One of the great things about Blender is its versatility. Whether you want to create photorealistic renderings for use as product mockups, or you just want a quick creation to help you sketch out an idea, Blender has the tools available to help you achieve your goal. So, for example, there's support for HDR (high dynamic range) lighting to help you ensure your models are perfectly lit, easy weight painting and skinning to turn skeletons into fleshed out models, powerful animation and sculpting tools and much more. Blender also has its own compositor, so there's no need to export your work to a third party app – saving you even more money. The same goes for Blender's game engine, which allows you to code in game logic, Python scripting and more. There really is an amazing array of features available in Blender, which seems all the more incredible given it's completely free and open source. Key featuresWorks on: PC, Mac, Linux, FreeBSDVersions: FreeCreate 3D models: At its core, Blender is a 3D modelling program, so you'll find everything you need right hereCreate games: Blender has its own game engine, so you can create assets and then build your game around them, all within the same programTons of uses: There are so many features contained in Blender that it should be of use no matter what your project isYou'll also likeSketchupFree DWG ViewerLightworksAvidemuxWindows Movie Makerhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/42a34d03/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610934033/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a34d03/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610934033/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a34d03/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610934033/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a34d03/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610934033/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a34d03/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610934033/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a34d03/sc/4/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/events/AAvents/Windows%2010/windows10-spartan-470-75.jpgMicrosoft has confirmed that it will ship Windows 10 with both the "old" Internet Explorer 11 and the "new" Spartan rendering engines, but the company has made it clear that it will be focusing its resources on the latter. It also seems as if two separate browsers will be available with Spartan being seen as the way forward for Microsoft, according to the Group Program Manager for Internet Explorer, Jason Weber. What's up with Windows 10's HoloLens?Webber wrote on the MSDN blog that Spartan is designed to work across the entire Windows 10 device family regardless of whether they come with traditional input peripherals (mouse, keyboard) or whether they will rely on touch entirely. On callThe IE11 engine, he suggested, would be kept for legacy enterprise websites "when needed" with the new rendering engine used for websites. That apparent "forking" ensures that the browser is compatible across a very broad spectrum. "Interoperatbility" was mentioned six times in the post which shows how focused the company is on making sure that its brand new browser works with the rest of the web. Will Spartan join our list of best web browsers? Surely, probably… Everything you need to know about Windows 10http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/42a2b4df/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610960646/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a2b4df/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610960646/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a2b4df/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610960646/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a2b4df/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610960646/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a2b4df/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610960646/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a2b4df/sc/4/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/23rd%20Jan%2015/5dealsmain-470-75.jpgTake a deep breath, everyone - it's nearly the weekend. So while you wait for the clock to tick past five O'clock , have a browse through this week's final round-up of tech deals. As usual we've got tablets, TVs, soundbars, accessories, portable storage and more! Let's kick off with a great deal on an excellent HD TV. Samsung's H6400 series was one of our favourites from 2014. It already represented great value, but now things are even better. You can get the 48-inch Samsung UE48H6400 TV, with Freeview HD, voice control, 2x 3D glasses, free 12 month MUBI movies subscription and a 3 month pass to music streaming service Deezer - all for just £529! Today's Big Dealshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/23rd%20Jan%2015/1lenov-580-100.jpg Looking for a super cheap Android tablet? Look no further than the heavily discounted Lenovo S5000 7-incher. Currently going for £87.99 at Argos/eBay. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/23rd%20Jan%2015/2bamboo-580-100.jpg Great deal on the Wacom Bamboo Pad Light Touchpad with digital stylus - now just £19.54 at Amazon. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/23rd%20Jan%2015/3sounds-580-100.jpg No room for a soundbar in front of your TV? Think about getting a soundbase which your TV can sit on top of. This one from Orbitsound is great and currently just £119.99 at Amazon. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/23rd%20Jan%2015/4mini-580-100.jpg Want a Mac for less than £340? You can currently get a refurbed Mac mini with Core i5 Intel CPU for just £339. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/23rd%20Jan%2015/5gopole-580-100.jpg And if you're an extreme sports enthusiast with a GoPro, you can currently get a good deal on an extension pole for your action cam. This GoPole is currently just £35.99! MORE DEALSEE 4G 6GB Pay As You Go Mobile Broadband Combi Sim - £14.99 HP 15 Laptop, Intel Core i3, 4GB RAM, 1TB, 15.6" - £349.95 WD My Passport Ultra 1TB USB 3.0 Portable Drive with Auto and Cloud Backup - Black - £50 Swees® 50W 5V / 10A 5 Port USB Charger Wall Charger Adapter - £13.99 Toshiba 320GB Store.E Basics Portable Hard Drive - £29.99 SEIKI SE39UY01UK 39-Inch 4K Ultra HD - £259.99 Duracell MN2400 Plus Power Alkaline AAA Size Batteries (Pack of 12) - £4.50 Sony MDRZX310 Foldable Headphones - Metallic Black - £12.50

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/events/wwdc/2013/color%20banner%20logo-470-75.jpgAfter some hefty number crunching, analysts have found that iOS app developers raked in $10 billion during the course of 2014, which was more than US box office takings over the same period. Total App Store revenues (since 2008) have reached $25 billion, according to Asymco, while app prices rose 50% across the year. Overall, apps are dominating the revenue earned by both Apple and its developers from the iTunes Store. More revenue is generated by apps than books, TV shows, movies and music put together. Take that, TinseltownIf you're about to ditch your agent for a coding tutor then here are some more Asymco stats to encourage you: some app developers can earn more than the big Hollywood stars and the average developer earnings are higher than those for actors. The US box office figures show a little over $10 billion was spent in 2014, so presumably App Store revenue only just pipped it - if only you'd watched Guardians of the Galaxy again instead of buying Monument Valley, it might have been a different story. 2015 is off to a good start, too: Asymco says that $500 million was spent on iOS apps in the first week of January, so another record-breaking year could be on the cards. "It's also likely that the app industry is healthier [than the movie industry]," says Asymco's Horace Dediu. http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/42a05589/sc/36/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132214702/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a05589/sc/36/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132214702/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a05589/sc/36/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132214702/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a05589/sc/36/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132214702/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a05589/sc/36/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/219132214702/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42a05589/sc/36/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/Generic/Stress/PCA176.hd_extra.istkcrsh-470-75.jpgAs Ipswitch expands its suite of free tools with new offerings for managing four of Microsoft's most popular products, we spoke to Alessandro Porro, vice president of international sales at Ipswitch. We wanted to determine why the company is giving away tools and what difference this move will make for systems administrators and IT teams. TechRadar Pro: What free tools is Ipswitch making available? Alessandro Porro: Ipswitch is providing systems administrators and IT teams with free tools to monitor application availability and performance for Microsoft Active Directory, Exchange, IIS and SQL Server applications. These free tools are designed to be as easy to download and use as apps from the Apple or Google app store. They comprise of the following: WhatsUp Active Directory: Monitors and tracks Microsoft Active Directory availability and performanceWhatsUp IIS Monitor: Monitors Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) and identifies performance issuesWhatsUp Exchange Monitor: Ensures application availability in a Microsoft Exchange environmentWhatsUp SQL Server Monitor: Monitors and keeps Microsoft SQL Server running smoothlyTRP: Why give away something for free? AP: Our mission is to take what's complex about IT and make it simple. Part of achieving that mission is arming IT professionals with tools that allow them to quickly identify issues anywhere across their infrastructure. System administrators thrive in an open source world and these tools are designed to help them confidently pinpoint issues on four commonly used applications. Of course, in the long run we want to help IT professionals understand the power of Ipswitch WhatsUp Gold products – however, there are no strings attached. We believe that these free tools will simply help develop trust. TRP: What is the market need that these free tools address? AP: These free tools are helpful resources for IT teams charged with protecting business critical applications. They provide the ability to simply and concisely identify the root cause of an application problem that can save IT professionals hours of guesswork and troubleshooting when issues appear. TRP: What is the business impact for system administrators and IT teams if they don't have a set of tools like this? AP: The real impact is wasted time. IT teams could, and often do, spend hours trying to identify the root cause of a network slowdown and never find it. This means the problem can recur and continue to impact users while the IT department follows various scenarios trying to troubleshoot. These free tools are designed to pinpoint problem areas fast and save time. TRP: Is this a freemium model – i.e. you only get basic functionality unless you pay? AP: No, the free tools provide full monitoring functionality based upon the particular technology they are designed to support. TRP: Why only Microsoft? AP: Organisations across the world rely on Microsoft products to help create the best experience for their users. These four free application performance monitoring tools focus on applications that are commonplace across a wide variety of organisations and can impact the speed of business when issues arise. TRP: Will the range of tools be extended to cover other environments? AP: In the future, as we identify additional high value applications, we will consider additional free tools to support them. http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/429a466a/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610942779/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/429a466a/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610942779/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/429a466a/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610942779/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/429a466a/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610942779/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/429a466a/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610942779/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/429a466a/sc/4/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/events/Windows%209/windows10-02-470-75.jpgI'd bet the change in my pocket that there's a few confused OS X users out there today. Easy to spot, they're the ones walking around in a daze, muttering something about Minecraft, holograms and some girl they'd dreamt about last night called Cortana. I should know: I'm one of them. Last night, Microsoft revealed Windows 10's best bits, and while no single new feature alone is enough to reel me back in, piecing together its seemingly disparate elements reveals an OS that marries convenience, productivity and entertainment into a single free, tantalising package. Meet HoloLens, a wireless headset for holographic viewingFor the first time since swapping a Windows 7 gaming PC for a 27-inch iMac running Snow Leopard back in 2010, I'm considering returning to the platform I used (and mostly loved) for 15 years. Here's why. Windows 10 has universal appealI'm seriously excited about Windows 10's universal apps, which let you change between devices without losing your place in apps. I'm a serial device user; a hoarder who's happiest when chopping and changing between desktops, tablets, 2-in-1s and smartphones, so having a consistent experience across devices when working on documents is a big plus. http://cdn3.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/events/AAvents/Windows%2010/windows10-calendar-420-100.jpg Sure, Continuity provides similar functionality between iOS devices and Macs running OS X Yosemite, but I'm a happy Galaxy Note 3 user and don't plan on making the switch to an iPhone. As TechRadar Associate Editor Kevin Lee notes, Microsoft has made its Office apps available for free on non-Windows 10 devices -- including Android -- meaning I can take advantage of universal apps without buying a new smartphone. This is Microsoft's cross-platform mobile strategy at work, and it's sucking me right in. Windows 10 will let me get my game onI haven't completely abandoned Windows in the past five years: a solitary Windows 8.1 Boot Camp installation has existed on my Retina MacBook Pro throughout, and it's been excellent for having blasts of anything from Team Fortress 2 to Skyrim. But it's left me wanting more. A switch to a Windows 10 laptop means that I wouldn't have to repeatedly log out of OS X, restart the machine, hold down alt and boot into Windows before launching a game -- it would be seamless just like in the old days. http://cdn3.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/events/AAvents/Windows%2010/windows10-crossplay-420-100.jpg Additionally, Windows 10 would allow me to take advantage of DirectX12, which ships with the OS. I'm more likely to pick up a thin-and-light laptop with integrated graphics than a portable frag tank, so I'm hoping that the improved performance DirectX 12 is said to bring to Intel's integrated HD Graphics solutions will make gaming on the go with modest graphical grunt a viable option. Oh, and then there's the little matter of cloud-enabled cross-platform multiplayer gaming between the Xbox One and Windows 10. I've been waiting for an excuse to pick up Microsoft's console, and I'm struggling to think of anything more convincing. Windows 10 means I can switch back to attractive hardwareWhile Apple continues to work on its long overdue Retina MacBook Air, a fleet of Intel Broadwell-equipped Windows laptops have shimmied into view -- including the Lenovo LaVie Z and Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1 -- and they're becoming hard to ignore. Sticking with OS X is increasingly feeling like being tied to a banged-up three wheeler when four Lamborghinis are parked in the garage. (Disclaimer: the Retina MacBook Pro is a beautiful machine, but it's feeling heavier every day.) http://cdn3.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/laptops/Lenovo/LaVie%20Z/Hands%20On/lenovolaviez-1-420-100.jpg Moreover, Windows 10 makes the prospect of switching to a new 2-in-1 particularly alluring thanks to its new Continuum feature, which automatically resizes apps to make them full screen when you switch into tablet mode by removing the device's keyboard. I don't currently own a tablet, and picking up something like a Surface Pro 3 loaded with Windows 10 has just gained heaps of appeal. Windows 10 has OS X-like featuresMy desire to switch to Windows 10 is less about dissatisfaction with OS X and more about the possibilities of what I could do with Microsoft's new operating system, so I have no qualms about it sneaking in some distinctly OS X-like features. I've always been a big fan of OS X features like Spaces (and later Mission Control), so Windows 10's equivalent feature, Task View, should go some way to making me feel at ease with organising open windows and working with virtual desktops. http://cdn0.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/software/Windows/windows9/Tech-Preview_Task-view-420-100.jpg Some of Windows 10's other new features aren't a million miles away from OS X either -- from its Spotlight-resembling Search function embedded in the Taskbar to the new Notification System. Windows 10 even trumps OS X in some areas -- such as the ability to natively snap windows to the sides and corners of the screen -- something that OS X users need a third-party app for. 110 Days with Windows 10: what's it really like to use?http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/429a4670/sc/15/mf.gif

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/22nd%20Jan%2015/main-470-75.jpgHappy Thursday! It's nearly the weekend and to celebrate we've got more daily deals for you! Today we've got some cheap smartphones, TVs, cameras, headphones, tablets, portable hard drives and more! Let's kick off with some excellent portable bargains? If you're after a smartphone AND a camera, why not get both in one device? The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is an Android smartphone and a compact camera all in one and is currently available for £139. Or if portable gaming is more your thing, how about this Zavvi deal on a New Nintendo 3DS bundle which includes the new handheld as well as Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - all for £174.99. Today's Dealshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/22nd%20Jan%2015/tablet-580-100.jpg Looking for a kick-ass new tablet? Look no further than the Google Nexus 8.9-inch Android tablet. Packing powerful components and running the latest version of Android Lollipop, it's currently available on Amazon for £389.81. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/22nd%20Jan%2015/tv-580-100.jpg If a TV is what you're after, this is a big one at a great price. The Panasonic TX-55AS640B is a 55-inch 1080p TV which has now been reduced to £699 at Currys. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/22nd%20Jan%2015/soundbar-580-100.jpg While we're on living room entertainment, if you're buying a TV or just want to upgrade your existing set, this Philips soundbar is now just £49.99! http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/22nd%20Jan%2015/akg-580-100.jpg Need some new headphones? Check out the AKG K619 - now just £39.99 down from £99! http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/22nd%20Jan%2015/philips-580-100.jpg If wireless headphones are more your bag though, we've still got you covered - these Philips Bluetooth headphones are now just £49.99! MORE DEALSSamsung NX2000 20 Megapixel Digital Camera Twin Lens Kit (20-50mm amd 16mm) - White - £279 Kingston 240GB V300 SSD - £63.99 Nikon L330 20MP Bridge Camera - Black - £99.99 Binatone Terrain 750 Twin Walkie Talkie - £25 Panasonic 42 inch VIERA TX-42A400B Series 4 Full HD Freeviw HD LED TV - £295 Kingston Technology 16GB DataTraveler Micro USB Flash Drive - £5 Samsung Memory 64GB Evo MicroSDXC UHS-I Grade 1 Class 10 Memory Card without Adapter - £22.76 HTC Flip Clip-On Case Cover for HTC One (M8) - White - £7.98

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/22nd%20Jan%2015/main-470-75.jpgHappy Thursday! It's nearly the weekend and to celebrate we've got more daily deals for you! Today we've got some cheap smartphones, TVs, cameras, headphones, tablets, portable hard drives and more! Let's kick off with some excellent portable bargains? If you're after a smartphone AND a camera, why not get both in one device? The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is an Android smartphone and a compact camera all in one and is currently available for £139. Or if portable gaming is more your thing, how about this Zavvi deal on a New Nintendo 3DS bundle which includes the new handheld as well as Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - all for £174.99. Today's Dealshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/22nd%20Jan%2015/tablet-580-100.jpg Looking for a kick-ass new tablet? Look no further than the Google Nexus 8.9-inch Android tablet. Packing powerful components and running the latest version of Android Lollipop, it's currently available on Amazon for £389.81. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/22nd%20Jan%2015/tv-580-100.jpg If a TV is what you're after, this is a big one at a great price. The Panasonic TX-55AS640B is a 55-inch 1080p TV which has now been reduced to £699 at Currys. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/22nd%20Jan%2015/soundbar-580-100.jpg While we're on living room entertainment, if you're buying a TV or just want to upgrade your existing set, this Philips soundbar is now just £49.99! http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/22nd%20Jan%2015/akg-580-100.jpg Need some new headphones? Check out the AKG K619 - now just £39.99 down from £99! http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/techradar/TechRadar%20Deals/22nd%20Jan%2015/philips-580-100.jpg If wireless headphones are more your bag though, we've still got you covered - these Philips Bluetooth headphones are now just £49.99! MORE DEALSSamsung NX2000 20 Megapixel Digital Camera Twin Lens Kit (20-50mm amd 16mm) - White - £279 Kingston 240GB V300 SSD - £63.99 Nikon L330 20MP Bridge Camera - Black - £99.99 Binatone Terrain 750 Twin Walkie Talkie - £25 Panasonic 42 inch VIERA TX-42A400B Series 4 Full HD Freeviw HD LED TV - £295 Kingston Technology 16GB DataTraveler Micro USB Flash Drive - £5 Samsung Memory 64GB Evo MicroSDXC UHS-I Grade 1 Class 10 Memory Card without Adapter - £22.76 HTC Flip Clip-On Case Cover for HTC One (M8) - White - £7.98 http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/429d89b4/sc/28/mf.gif

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/utilities/Autoruns/Dotd-41-Autoruns-470-75.jpgPrograms that load up as Windows starts can reduce your startup time to a crawl. Give Autoruns a try – it cuts through the fluff and disables the unwanted programs that drag your load times through the floor. Why you need itAs you use your computer over the years, more and more programs get set to start up automatically with your computer – many of which you may be completely unaware of. Any PC that has to spend a long time launching programs on startup is obviously going to take longer to get going, so getting rid of unnecessary startup programs can help improve your computer's performance. Developed by Microsoft's Sysinternals team, it lets you disable startup programs with just the click of a button. You can also hide Microsoft-signed programs that you know will be safe – that means you'll just see third party apps that start up with your computer, enabling you to disable any unwanted programs much more quickly. Once you've identified the software you want to disable, it's as simple as unticking a checkbox next to the program's name. Autoruns will ensure it will no longer load up when you log in to Windows, thereby helping your system to get started at a swifter pace. Key featuresWorks on: PCVersions: FreeIdentify programs: Autoruns identifies every app that loads with Windows, allowing you to quickly see what's necessary and what's notOne-click disabling: Stopping a program from automatically starting is as simply as unticking the checkbox next to its nameYou'll also likeRevo Uninstaller FreeCCleanerDefragglerTuneUp UtilitiesSiSoftware Sandrahttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4298aa5d/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610918432/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4298aa5d/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610918432/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4298aa5d/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610918432/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4298aa5d/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610918432/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4298aa5d/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610918432/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4298aa5d/sc/4/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/http://cdn1.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/events/AAvents/Windows%2010/windows-10-phone-features-470-75.jpgYesterday's Windows 10 event was full of surprises both big and small, not least the remarkable HoloLens (although it's difficult to see it as a practical reality, it really is an exciting development technically). Microsoft's announcement that Windows 10 would be free for anybody currently running Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 (plus Windows Phone 8.1) was certainly a headline-grabber. But there's an ulterior motive as to why it's so important that everybody is running Windows 10 instead of an earlier version (and probably why it was so important to bring back the Windows 10 Start menu). The biggest thing that was reinforced by yesterday's keynote isn't anywhere near so sexy as HoloLens, but it is crucial for Microsoft's future. Everything Microsoft does will now be universal. The idea is that everything can work on every device. And specifically that means apps, apps, apps, from developers, developers, developers. http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Windows/Windows%2010/windows%2010techpreview1-420-100.png Here at TechRadar we were so critical of Microsoft's inability to inspire developers for Windows 8 (Modern UI) apps and even more critical that Redmond was sluggish to develop its own Skype app, and that it took a year to even get Facebook on the platform (remember that's a company Microsoft owns a little bit of a stake in). And we were right. Microsoft got too cocky with the success of Windows 7 and clearly forgot it had totally messed up everyone's computer with Windows Vista. It just assumed the apps would come – in the same way as it just thought people would get used to the Start screen. Big mistakes. 110 Days with Windows 10: what's it really been like to use?With the advent of Windows 10, Microsoft wants to deal with that, but also an even bigger problem – that the developer base just isn't there for Windows Phone. It's one of the many reasons why people aren't that interested in Windows Phone, which is not a bad mobile platform (in fact, we actually rather like it). But what if developers could develop apps that work on Windows 10 across all devices – Windows Phones, Windows tablets and PCs and Xbox One as well? Wouldn't that be a little more compelling? That is what is going to happen, and while we've pretty much known it was going to happen for a while, yesterday it not only got confirmed, but we saw many of the basic apps in action across phone and desktop including Photos, People and Messaging, Mail and Calendar plus Xbox on Windows 10. http://cdn3.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/events/AAvents/Windows%2010/windows10-calendar-420-100.jpg The thinking is pretty simple – there are hundreds of thousands if not millions of people working on developing apps for Windows PCs right now. There have been for decades. So what if many of those apps could run on phones, too? The same apps on every deviceWhat we saw yesterday app-wise was clearly head and shoulders above the terrible functionality of Windows 8 apps. All have the same look and feel across devices and everything is kept in sync, whether you're on a phone or PC. Continuum also plays into this – the tech which means that Windows on 2-in-1 devices now adapts to whether a keyboard or mouse is docked or not. This is another key pillar of the 'continuous experience' that Microsoft wants to create across Windows devices. Swapping from your PC to your phone or vice versa? Well now the experience should be a lot more fluid. Part of this fluidity could come through Cortana, the personal voice assistant now coming to Windows desktop, but we'll reserve judgement on how well this actually works in practice. Action Center is on the desktop version of Windows 10 – again ported from Windows Phone – and now synchronises across all devices. http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/features/Windows%2010%20Continuum/windows10continuum-hero-420-100.jpg Crucially, we also saw Microsoft Office working universally, too, with a touch-first experience across phone, tablet and PC which Microsoft has certainly made us wait for (presumably because of the universality). Interestingly, Microsoft basically confirmed Office 2015 as the next version of the desktop office suite, too (maybe that won't be the name, but it will be out this year and we already know a new version is coming for the Mac, too). We'll find out a lot more about universal apps in late April at Build 2015. We're expecting to be in beta territory with Windows 10 by then. Likewise, we'll find out more about Microsoft's plans for phones with Windows 10 (presumably they are still called Windows Phones) at Mobile World Congress 2015 in early March. Another message that was reinforced is that the future of software is to rent it, not buy it. Okay, so we've already seen this with Adobe's Creative Cloud and Microsoft's own Office 365, but isn't it remarkable that in the future you'll buy a Windows device and the software will never date. You'll get updated for the entire life of that device. Obsoleting devices is no longer in Microsoft's makeup. Can universality happen?So can Microsoft's utopian dream of universality work? Certainly. Will it? Possibly. It all depends on what devices you have. You'll get way more benefit from this if you use solely Windows devices. And how many of us can currently say that's what we have? http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/press/windows10-01-420-90.jpg To build a seamless, universal future, Microsoft certainly needs a sea-change in the numbers of people buying Windows Phones and tablets (people are still buying millions of PCs, somewhere around 80 million were shipped last quarter). But we'd no longer bet against that happening – providing Microsoft can get the message across that its app ecosystem is now strong on phones and Xbox as well as the desktop. We're really keen to see how that will play out. You certainly wouldn't bet against Microsoft making it happen. Post-Ballmer, this is a reenergised corporation. It's easy to remember the numerous mistakes Microsoft has made, but we are still talking about one of the most successful and dominant corporations of all time. Who can possibly say Redmond can't make it work? http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/42987693/sc/5/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610935962/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42987693/sc/5/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610935962/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42987693/sc/5/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610935962/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42987693/sc/5/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610935962/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42987693/sc/5/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610935962/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42987693/sc/5/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/Software/Windows%2010%20Jan%202015%20Hands%20On/Terry%20Myerson%20HoloLens-470-75.jpgWhen Microsoft first announced Windows 10 last year, there were a lot of questions about how it could deal with the perceived failure of Windows 8. The initial preview left many questions unanswered and while the releases that have come through the Windows Insider program have shown progress, the most exciting features stayed as rumours. Now Microsoft has confirmed that yes, the Cortana voice assistant will be in Windows 10, and it's shown how well it's integrated, giving you both voice control and dictation plus an improved interface for local and web search. The rumoured Spartan browser is coming as well, although it's not the new system some have expected – think of it more as a fresh way of presenting the same rendering engine with the most problematic legacy features stripped away, and the best of phone browsing (both Cortana and the clean layout of reading mode) and OneNote integrated. Check out our Hands on with Windows 10We've also had a better look at the touch Office apps, especially the version of Outlook that puts email and calendar on both PCs and phones, and it's a clean design with powerful tools that are clearly influenced by the recent Microsoft acquisition of Accompli. Common senseThere's a lot of common sense in the Windows 10 features Terry Myerson and Joe Belfiore demonstrated in Redmond. Microsoft has made the modern apps like Photos, Messaging, and Maps into the simple but powerful tools they should have been when Windows 8 launched. It has also presented a credible compromise for touch that drops confusing elements – like an app switcher that ignored the programs running on your desktop – but keeps useful features like dragging apps to the bottom of the screen to close them. If you love Windows 8.1 just the way it is, you'll still miss features in Windows 10 – but talking to various members of the Windows 10 team, it's clear that there's still a lot of discussion going on about which features may return, as well as steady progress on building features like Cortana. Microsoft also showed a lot of common sense regarding phones and small tablets. Yes, they'll run the same OS, Windows 10. No, it won't have a different name. Small tablets look very much like Windows 10 phones, but they have the desktop because they're PCs and you might plug in a keyboard and screen, but you don't have to use it if you don't want to. And yes, there will be flagship Windows handsets CEO Satya Nadella confirmed – when Windows 10 ships. That will be later this year – when it's ready – and hopefully in time for the holidays, Terry Myerson confirmed. Put it all together with the free upgrade for Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 users for the first year (and no, Microsoft isn't saying what happens after that year – mainly because it's still figuring it out) and Windows 10 is something of a no-brainer for most users. Loving WindowsBut while this is an utterly pragmatic move (getting users on the most recent version of Windows has big advantages for Microsoft in terms of security and how many old versions it has to support), Microsoft doesn't want you to use Windows because it's free, or even because it does what you need it to do. "We have bigger hopes, higher aspirations for Windows," Satya Nadella said. "We want to move from people needing Windows to choosing Windows to loving Windows. That is our bold goal with Windows." Getting there will require a lot more than the table stakes of making Windows 10 a compelling upgrade, and a way of continuing to get new features in the future, because Windows will get them as regular updates. It's more than making Windows and Windows Phone and Xbox One work together and pass your information back and forth seamlessly – again, if Microsoft can't do that, it shouldn't be building operating systems. It's not even enough that Windows becomes the "home for the very best of Microsoft experiences" where Cortana and OneDrive and the Microsoft account are "seamlessly harmonis[ed]" and the interface "as well as the applications, come together in the most seamless, delightful, personal way for users." Microsoft needs its apps and services on all devices, but if it can't make them great on Windows, then why would it even bother. What Microsoft really needs Windows 10 to do is reinvent the way we think about the PC – and the tiny PC that is the phone. That will need more than flagship handsets and PC makers coming up with new and interesting designs (and we saw the second of those at CES at least). Microsoft needs us to think about PCs as exciting again, and that's what Surface Hub and HoloLens do. Exciting developmentsSurface Hub is a giant PC – a gorgeous 80in 4K screen with a pen that produces ink as smooth as Surface Pro 3, offers great but really simple videoconferencing using Skype for Business, and a whiteboard that you can walk up to, draw on and then mail to yourself before it wipes itself clean for the next meeting. It's both clever and easy to use and it's exactly what businesses need to get people working together rather than messing around with cables and projectors for half of the meeting. It's a PC that doesn't work like a PC. http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Wearables/Microsoft/HoloLens/microsoft-hololens-orange-420-100.jpg And HoloLens is a PC you have to keep reminding yourself is a PC. It's far from finished and maybe it will turn out to be a gimmick, but if Microsoft can deliver what it showed yesterday, it will have an engaging, immersive, delightful way of putting digital information into the real world where it's really useful. When you use Skype or build a 3D design in Holostudio, nothing is further from your mind than the Start menu or the desktop or any other Windows features. But you're using a Windows 10 PC – just one like no PC you've ever imagined. HoloLens is one of the most inventive, exciting things Microsoft has done in years. If a PC running Windows can be this, rather than a box on the desk or just another tablet, then maybe we can all get excited about PCs and Windows the way Nadella is hoping. http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/42987697/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610935961/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42987697/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610935961/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42987697/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610935961/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42987697/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610935961/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42987697/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610935961/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/42987697/sc/4/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Nokia/Lumia1520/Review/lumia-1520-review-76-470-75.jpgThere was a whole heap of Windows 10 information announced yesterday and while we're still digesting it all there's one more nugget to add: the Lumia Camera will be the stock camera app for all Windows 10 devices. This wasn't revealed in Microsoft's presentation, but Engadget has since got confirmation. The Lumia Camera app was included as part of the recent Lumia Denim update for Lumia handsets, so many Windows Phone users will already have experienced it, but as the name suggests it's so far only been available for Lumia devices. This latest news means that even Windows 10 handsets made by other manufacturers, such as HTC or Samsung, will have Lumia Camera built in, giving Windows 10 phones a level playing field as far as camera software goes. Feature overloadLumia Camera has a number of useful features, including 4K video recording, which also allows you to pull individual frames from the footage and save them as a photo. Then there's auto-HDR and Rich Capture, which can shoot and merge multiple images together, and a Dynamic Flash mode that will take a photo both with and without flash, then let you alter the amount of flash used in the shot. The new Lumia Camera app should also launch and take successive shots faster than the current version. Obviously the camera hardware will still vary between handsets, but if you're one of the four Windows Phone users that doesn't have a Lumia then at least you'll soon enjoy some of its best software features. Windows Phone is dead.http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4297749d/sc/28/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610911003/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4297749d/sc/28/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610911003/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4297749d/sc/28/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610911003/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4297749d/sc/28/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610911003/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4297749d/sc/28/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610911003/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4297749d/sc/28/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Streaming%20Services/Stan/Stan%20Pricing%20Confirmed-470-75.jpgThe Australian streaming service StreamCo has officially announced that they will be opening the doors to the video on demand service Stan on Monday. Following the launch of the Presto Entertainment last week, Stan has confirmed it will be the next key player in the subscription VOD market in Australia. StreamCo, the company backed by Channel 9 and Fairfax Media has confirmed it is offering access to its entire catalogue of TV and movies – including a free 30-day trial – for a flat rate of $10 per month. The Australia Day launch is fitting, considering Stan is set to have the broadest range of Australian television shows of the new subscription services, emerging from comprehensive deals with both the ABC and SBS. Day-stream believerStan is currently boasting exclusive access to all five seasons of Breaking Bad plus its new prequel Better Call Saul, which will premiere through the subscription service on February 9th. The entire first season of the Golden Globe winning show Transparent will also be exclusive to the service. Other premium titles include the critically acclaimed Mozart in the Jungle and Fargo, a successful spin off of the 1996 Coen brothers film. For a more detailed analysis on Stan's programming, check out our full rundown of Stan's content. On the movie front, both The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and An Unexpected Journey will be available, as well as the entire collection of James Bond films and a comprehensive list of titles from SBS World Movies. The service also includes a decent range of children's television shows and will be available to access through multiple devices including, computers, iOS and Android phones, Chromecast and Apple TV Airplay. Check out the Stan Review for a full rundown of the service

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Apps/WhatsApp/WhatsApp_Logo_Sketches-470-75.jpgWhatsApps users can now send and receive messages on the chat service using a website on desktop computers, the company has announced. This marks WhatsApps' first major evolution since being bought by Facebook for $19 billion (about £12.5b, AU$23.5b) last October. Users can connect their mobile apps to the web client and resume their conversations between devices by visiting web.whatsapp.com. But currently that won't work for iPhone users, thanks to "Apple platform limitations," WhatsApp said in a blog post. Hopefully that doesn't last long, but you never know. In addition messages still live on your phone, which must be connected to the internet for the web service to function, the company said. Cracking downProbably not by coincidence, WhatsApp also recently began cracking down on users of unofficial WhatsApp clients, reports Android Central. With the company finally making big post-Facebook moves, maybe the social network's staggeringly large investment in it will eventually pay off. The iPhone 6 has plenty of other things going for it thankfullyhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4292a940/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132151090/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4292a940/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132151090/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4292a940/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132151090/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4292a940/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132151090/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4292a940/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/219132151090/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4292a940/sc/15/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/features/Windows%2010%20Continuum/windows10continuum-hero-470-75.jpgFor those of you that were hoping for a Microsoft-made phone-laptop-tablet hybrid to come out of the Redmond firm's big January 21 Windows 10 event, I'm not sorry. Why? For one, that would have been a train wreck. Secondly, as a consolation of sorts, Microsoft VP of Operating Systems Joe Belfiore solved one of the biggest problems with 2-in-1 laptops and other devices in one 90-second demo. One of the leading minds behind Windows teased a new approach to the hybrid device conundrum from Windows 10, called "Continuum", during Microsoft's smaller Windows 10 unveiling back in last September. For those who are reading about this for the first time, Continuum is the way in which Windows 10 will resolve users switching from laptop to tablet mode in those fancy hybrid devices, like the Surface Pro 3 and Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro. Basically, the new Windows will just be smarter about it, like it should have been all along - since Windows 8, frankly. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/Windows%2010%20Continuum/windows10continuum-1-420-90.jpg Windows that knowOn stage, Belfiore showed off exactly how Continuum works. On a Surface Pro 3, the Windows lead simply disconnected the device from its keyboard cover, and a prompt appeared. On the lower right hand screen, Windows 10 asked whether he wanted to switch to tablet mode. Upon tapping the prompt, all of the apps on the device instantly went full-screen. The method for switching between apps immediately changed to swiping in from the left of the screen. When Belfiore pressed the Start button, a full screen version of the Start menu - think of a cross between that and the Windows 8 Start screen - appeared. Then, as soon as Belfiore reconnected the keyboard cover, the operating system asked whether he'd like to return to laptop mode in just the same way, in just the same spot. Pressing that prompt reverted whatever apps were open into their same size and position. In just 90 seconds, one of my biggest beefs - and arguably one of the biggest problems overall - with 2-in-1 devices was squashed. I don't want to overstate this, but this feature alone could help grease the wheels for hybrids on the whole. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/Windows%2010%20Continuum/windows10continuum-2-420-90.jpg What's the big deal?At the moment, Windows 8.1 provides little to no prompts, assistance or change when you switch between modes on a hybrid device. As a new user, you're on your own to figure out how the hell to use this thing as a tablet. As a veteran, you're annoyed that nothing special happens to make use of this new form factor. No one wins. Makers of 2-in-1 devices have been left to their own devices to find ways to help users make the best use of their debatably versatile products. Lenovo created the Yoga Picks app, and loads it onto all Yoga-branded devices, to help you figure out how to use your device in these new usage modes. But frankly, any measure like this is more work than device makers should have to do to sell these products that are supposed to be further enabled or even elevated by a new OS - not hamstrung. (And most of these "aftermarket" solutions end up being hamfisted at best, anyway.) http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/Windows%2010%20Continuum/windows10continuum-3-420-90.jpg So, yeah, for Microsoft to finally recognize this problem and make one huge leap toward solving it is huge. It's huge not only for the 2-in-1 device makers, but more importantly for the end users that will finally be better enabled, if not encouraged, to switch it up. I, for one, cannot wait to try out this new feature once it makes it into the Windows 10 Technical Preview. Now, all that's left is to give us more reasons to switch modes in the first place. Windows Phone just died, but that's not so badhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4292a942/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132151089/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4292a942/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132151089/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4292a942/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132151089/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4292a942/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132151089/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4292a942/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/219132151089/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4292a942/sc/15/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/events/AAvents/Windows%2010/windows10-hololens-sink-470-75.jpgMicrosoft’s preview of Windows Holographic is clearly a grab for headlines, a way for it to brand itself as a future-facing company. It wants to achieve what the now-paused Google Glass Explorer program could not and what Oculus has not. This announcement, though, came at the end of a presentation where “rough build” was a term frequently used to refer to the fact that Windows 10 is far from finished. Everybody wants to build hoverboards and jetpacks, but this is a Microsoft that still has the great responsibility of powering the enterprise world, where there’s going to be a lot of heavy lifting in the transition away from Windows 7.1 and 8.1. While Microsoft highlighted and promoted their Windows Insider program, which has been working to finesse Windows 10, we now know that this isn’t getting 100% of the the company’s full attention. How valuable is all of the praise Satya Nadella is winning this week for Windows Holographic if Windows 10’s extremely hyped launch doesn’t go off well? The Insider program is a clever way to use an excited group of loyalists to iron out bugs and receive feature requests, but is it enough? The word “monumental” was frequently used about “this day” in Windows history. Hopefully it’ll be for the right reasons. The launch dateThe odds of everything going smoothly - for every single user - on launch day are extremely low. But one headline grabbing glitch could taint this moment. That’s why I’m hoping Microsoft is internally prioritizing the enterprise, desktop, and laptop experiences, in that order. This version of Windows may see the most early adopters that Microsoft has ever dealt with, thanks to Microsoft’s free-for-the-first-year upgrade offer. While the change in strategy nods to the industry-wide devaluation of software, it certainly raises the stakes for the final shipped build of Windows 10. Companies with tons of early adopters love to celebrate that fact, but there is inherent risk provided by a legion of various and diverse installations. There will be a lot of excitement around this launch, we could even see many jumping to download it without question. In the business world, Microsoft is encouraging an even blinder approach to updates. Their Windows Update path, where all of the latest updates get deployed from Microsoft themselves, is akin to loaning the keys to your business. That kind of agreement requires a trust to exist, one that isn’t hampered by concerns of a Microsoft spread too thin. Look at Apple: in Tim Cook’s push to pump out major yearly updates on desktop and mobile, the quality of said software has dropped. People don’t trust over-the-air updates to not brick their phone, and analysts are warning people against installing the major releases, instead advising people to wait for the .1 or .2 update to fix expected bugs. That’s a situation that hasn’t been seen in a long time for Apple, and a dangerous spot for the company to be in, when competitors can easily challenge the marketing notion that their products “just work.” Today’s eventWith a 2+ hour event, featuring two surprising new products, and cloud services positioned to rival Google Apps and conquer iCloud, Microsoft is telling the world that they can walk, chew bubble gum, stream music, and Skype all at the same time. It wants you to think that Windows 10 is the long-promised OS that integrates all of your computers, with apps that look and work the same everywhere. That promise has never been met before, and now they’re going to tag holographic VR on top? Not just any holographic VR, but one with the same apps that are supposed to work up and down the line in Windows 10? With a killer app that allows you to build your own holographic designs, which can later be 3D printed? It doesn’t take much to look at these historically grand aspirations with suspicion. Early in the event, Terry Myerson (Executive VP of Operating Systems), made a very proud and hopefully not foolish claim that their security software could have stopped recent headline making attacks from happening. He didn’t even say it in a modest tone, but as a fact (and almost as a challenge). What success could meanFortunately, Microsoft seems to be aware of their brand problems. Throughout the event, many nods were made towards rebuilding the trust Microsoft has with the public. That there are 1.5 billion people relying on Windows to do their jobs; to have everything function as advertised. Nadella was humble to admit that many today just see Windows as a platform they need, rather than one they have any want or affection for. For that need to continue, Windows has to be seen as reliable for businesses. Success in these new fields would certainly lift Nadella’s Microsoft, which isn’t willing to stand still, but the commercial world is fickle and trends can just go poof. The enterprise, one of Microsoft’s core businesses, the market that has yet to abandon Microsoft, needs to be receiving the most finished product possible. When Microsoft ships their first HoloLens sets to customers, growing pains like bugs and differences aren’t just inevitable, but allowed. They are going to be defining a market, and it may not look exactly like what customers expect. They don’t have that much room for error with businesses, where one crash or bug could lead to a company going through the next Sony-level hack. Sure, Cortana is being positioned as SuperSiri, ready to assist in all levels of Windows 10, but she won’t be able to save the company in times of crisis. http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4291f03e/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610886469/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4291f03e/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610886469/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4291f03e/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610886469/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4291f03e/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610886469/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4291f03e/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610886469/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4291f03e/sc/4/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/press/windows10-04-470-75.jpgAt today's Windows 10 event Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella set forth an ambitious goal to make its latest operating system "the most loved release of Windows." Those are some big words from the Redmond company especially after the PC user crowd's chilly reception towards Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. Personally, as a Windows 7 holdout who has never willingly touched Windows 8 and 8.1 aside from having the OS thrust upon me on laptop review units, Windows 10 has to do some pretty spectacular things in order to win me over. Surprisingly there's a large number of features that have piqued my interest finally into? upgrading the operating system on my home PC tower. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/events/AAvents/Windows%2010/windows10-tabletmode-420-90.jpg The price of freeIt's hard to turn your ear away from anything when it's free, especially when free OS upgrades have been completely unheard of from the Microsoft. Taking a page out of Apple's book, Windows 7 and 8 users will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 completely free of charge. Of course, this deal also comes with the caveat it will only be available for one year. Microsoft also likely has ulterior motive to try and migrate all its users over to its newest version of its software – though I can't really blame the software maker. It would be so much easier to keep updating one OS with features and security patches, especially in lieu of Windows 7 mainstream support has ended. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/events/AAvents/Windows%2010/windows10-music-420-90.jpg By your devices combinedOne of the most repeated catchphrases of the entire Windows 10 event was the "Mobility of the Experience." It's one of Windows 10's new tenets that will allow to users to switch between devices using the same applications. Users will be able to effectively use a new suite of universal applications, allowing them to do things like editing a word document on their phone and sliding it over to their desktop for a closer look. Alternatively, it also means being able to work on a PowerPoint slideshow and then throw it onto a tablet for a presentation. It's a feature that's very similar to Continuity between iOS devices and Macs running OS X Yosemite. The main difference is Microsoft has made many of these same Office apps on available for free on Android and Apple devices, which could mean universal apps will sync with other mobile gadgets other than Windows 10 phones and tablets. The possibilities of syncing files across an Android tablet, Mac, iPhone and my Windows PC is an exciting prospect, as well as it should be to most users and businesses. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/events/AAvents/Windows%2010/windows10-crossplay-420-90.jpg Gaming evolvedOddly enough new tight integration between the Xbox and the PC was one of the most exciting parts of the entire Windows 10 keynote that was glossed over quickly. Not only are you able to freely explore the Xbox dashboard using a desktop app, users can also tune into Xbox streams without having to hog the big screen TV. What's more, PC gamers and console jockeys can finally play together in the same games. This cross-play features is a new addition some users have been clamoring about for years. Plus there's the added feature of streaming any Xbox One game to your Windows 10 PC. I can only hope Microsoft will come up with some way for allowing users to buy games on both the PC and Xbox One similar to what Sony has done with titles users can play on both the PS4 or PS3 and PS Vita. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/events/AAvents/Windows%2010/windows10-cortanayoda-420-90.jpg Talking a stormAs lazy and weird as it sounds, I can't wait to start talking to my computer. Apple has yet to integrate Siri into OS X yet – though you can do voice searches on MacBooks and Chrome OS - and so Cortana will be the first personal assistant available to desktops. But Cortana isn't just a virtual avatar you can talk to and command. Like the smartphone version of the digital assistant, Cortana will intelligently learn more about you and perform functions like setting up appointments for you. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/events/AAvents/Windows%2010/windows10-hololens-manipulate-420-90.jpg Coming into the Windows 10 event, I expected Microsoft to dial it in with a new operating system that returned to the tried and true style of Windows 7. At the conclusion of the event, however, there's a lot to be excited about with the new OS. Microsoft has doubled down on its cloud computing ambitions and a much more intuitive user interface for convertible laptops. After the time spent trying to fix the mess that was Windows 8.1, Microsoft may have a great new OS on its hands that users, including Windows 7 holdouts, should upgrade to. After using Windows 10 for 110 day, see what we thought about Microsoft's latest operating system in our reviewhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4291f040/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610886468/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4291f040/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610886468/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4291f040/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610886468/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4291f040/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610886468/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4291f040/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610886468/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4291f040/sc/15/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/events/AAvents/Windows%2010/windows10line-1-470-75.JPGToday’s Microsoft Windows 10 event was a marvel of innovation. From groundbreaking holographic technology to improved productivity applications to a new way to browse the web, Microsoft once again proved itself an ambitious trend-setter in consumer and enterprise technology. Unfortunately, one aspect went almost wholly ignored during today’s event: despite opening the press conference by claiming Windows 10 would have the best security features available on any operating system, Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s EVP of Operating Systems, never circled back to unveil any application, feature or device to back that claim. It’s one thing to boldly claim your unreleased operating system will be the best, it’s another to make that claim after your previous disaster of an operating system had oodles of flaws. Why we should be concernedWindows 8 was a playground for hackers. Earlier this month, Google dropped a dime on a Microsoft bug that enabled restricted users to grant themselves access to sensitive functions. Prior to that, it was learned that hackers were able to take advantage of Windows 8’s easy-to-access “picture passwords” that were designed to enable users to scroll over an image in a pre-determined pattern to authenticate log-ins. In November, it was learned that hackers were capable of infiltrating web servers, FTP servers and internal networks to command a computer to execute arbitrary code to perform unwanted actions, such as a DDoS attack or malware deployment. These are just a few of the many security issues that have plagued Windows 8 - recently and at its inception - which is why it was important for Microsoft to get ahead of speculation regarding potential holes in Windows 10. The skinny on Windows 10Previously, Microsoft had done a decent job explaining the benefits of Windows 10’s security features, such as teasing tools like identity protection and access control built to withstand phishing attacks, two-factor authentication that requires a PIN or biometric, and a data loss prevention tool that automatically encrypts corporate data based on paths predetermined by system administrators. Unfortunately, Microsoft also infuriated many of its Windows 10 beta users by collecting keystroke and voice information in order to learn about how users were implementing the operating system. Microsoft was well within its rights to conduct this data collection - it stated it would in its user agreement - but as we’ve seen with previous data collection experiments, users don’t like being spied on and they have a right to be worried about how their data could be exploited if it fell into the wrong hands. Today would have been an excellent opportunity for Microsoft to begin to set the record straight about how it planned to make Windows 10 the most secure operating system on the market. Unfortunately, all Microsoft did was make an empty claim. Hopefully we’ll learn about Windows 10’s security chops the next time Microsoft takes the stage to tout its features, rather than when it decides to patch an already-exploited bug. http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4290f127/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132144731/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4290f127/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132144731/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4290f127/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132144731/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4290f127/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/219132144731/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4290f127/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/219132144731/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4290f127/sc/4/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Windows/Windows%2010/windows%2010techpreview1-470-75.pngOn Sunday, it was 110 days since the Windows 10 Technical Preview hit the streets. Or rather, hit the PCs of 1.5 million developers and other interested parties who are members of Microsoft's recently-established Windows Insider Program. So we thought it was high time we reviewed how we've found it so far – especially given that we'll see another build of the OS launch this week. It's important to stress that the Technical Preview is NOWHERE NEAR the finished article and there are bugs. But Microsoft is getting a lot of information back from the userbase – according to Microsoft's Gabriel Aul "Windows Insiders are using Windows 10 preview builds more actively than with any prior beta release of Windows". Microsoft requested (and common sense dictates) that a pre-beta such as the Technical Preview should not be installed on a main PC, but that's no way to test an OS (and anyway we don't do things by halves here at TechRadar), so we installed Windows 10 instead of Windows 8.1 on our workday laptop – an Asus Zenbook. 10 great new features in Windows 10And we've been using it every day since. The overall experience has been surprisingly pleasant. Day to day operation has revealed remarkably few major issues. The main problems we've had involve dual-screening (we use the Zenbook connected to a second monitor in the office) and connecting Bluetooth devices which has always been a really weak point of Windows. Three milestonesThe Developer Preview has received updates including three 'milestone' releases. We're now on Build 9879 which has been the buggiest of the three releases – Microsoft has released fixes (and indeed has rolled out a completely new version of the latest build for everybody). Many issues that were in the original 30 September version have since been fixed and other enhancements made over the duration of the Technical Preview. Aero Snap didn't work properly on multiple screens initially plus there have been improvements to Internet Explorer and the OneDrive integration (yes, OneDrive is totally, fully integrated in Windows 10, though you can ignore it if you want), numerous UI enhancements including refreshed icons. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/software/Windows/Windows%2010/windows%2010techpreview3-420-100.png A pop-up Action Center has been ported over from Windows Phone, while there are new gestures for precision touchpads, too. Indeed, the number of changes Microsoft has made based on feedback from users are in the tens of thousands. One key problem we had when we came to use Windows 10 was that we're used to using Windows 8. As you may have heard, the charms bar on the right of the screen have disappeared. They are still present within the codebase of Windows 10 (and a version of it will almost certainly be present for touch users), but they are absent within the Technical Preview. That meant we had to get used to shutting down our PC using the Start Menu. That sounds simple, but it took us a good couple of weeks before we were used to it, just in the same way as it took us ages to adapt to Windows 8. It just shows how confusing Microsoft has made access to basic Windows functions during the Windows 8 period. Hopefully it has learned from its mistakes now. Searching for problemsAnd that brings us onto the new Start Menu. Now, we love the fact it's like Windows 7, as will you. And we love the ability to search within it as we could in earlier versions of the OS. But the results aren't any better than the Start Screen and Search Charm in Windows 8 and 8.1. Let's go for an example. We've got Excel files on our PC that are called, Holiday 2008.xls, Holiday 2009.xls and so on. Up to 2015, you'd rightly guess. But Windows' search only insists on showing the files for 2010 and 2011. Why? We hope this is improved for later builds. Will adding in Cortana help at all? The jury's still out on the Modern UI apps within Windows 10 and the Start Menu. It is effective being able to preview pictures using the Photos app on the desktop. But because the menus and functions in these apps are in the Modern UI-style (in other words, they are at the bottom), you have to adapt to them – they just don't work like full desktop apps. Users that come from Windows 7 to this will still find it jarring. As for the Modern UI elements in the Start Menu, we actually found this reasonably useful. We're not logged into our personal email at work, but the Mail app is, so we were able to see if any new emails had arrived as well as peruse news and weather headlines whenever we opened the menu. However, we did not use the Modern UI Start Menu tiles to launch apps and we believe most users just won't bother customising the panel unless they're helped to do so. Task View is an acquired taste. We are used to using Alt+Tab to switch apps, so we continued to do that rather than using the taskbar icon. However, it's clearly going to be a boon for those who don't use keyboard shortcuts to switch between apps. And being able to add additional desktops is extremely useful when you need to switch gear completely into a different workspace – this was great when we were using one desktop for web and email but wanted to have another area for laying out a document in Adobe InDesign. We really like the new Aero Snap features enabling you to snap windows to each quarter of the screen, having variable width windows. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/software/Windows/Windows%2010/windows%2010techpreview2-420-100.png Finally, though, the PC Settings app is still a noddy Control Panel and we'd prefer to just use the Control Panel please. Microsoft clearly doesn't want to bin the work done in Windows 8 and 8.1 by having a separate app, but it just doesn't make sense to have two places to change settings. According to leaked builds, it does seem like more updates are planned for this app, though. But enough of that, the fact remains that our third-of-a-year play with Windows 10 has been an unqualified success. We're really looking forward to seeing what Microsoft can offer us in the Consumer Preview. http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/428b9e87/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610860027/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/428b9e87/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610860027/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/428b9e87/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610860027/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/428b9e87/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/218610860027/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/428b9e87/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/218610860027/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/428b9e87/sc/4/a2t.img