Microsoft owns up to issues with the Surface Book and Pro 4
When reviews of the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 hit, it seemed like Microsoft would be riding a wave of positive publicity into the holiday season. We liked both devices, and while the Surface Book wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, most reviews were also fairly positive. But things changed once they actually reached consumers. Some early buyers reported a variety of issues, including screen flickering, system instability and power problems. Those concerns prompted Microsoft to release several firmware and software updates within weeks (on top of a launch day fix), which helped with some issues. But they came too late to erase the idea that something was up with Microsoft’s new hardware.
And one big issue remains for Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 owners: erratic power management. Some users are reporting that the devices simply don’t go to sleep properly when you close their lids or put them into standby. Instead, they continue to drain power, which could be a nasty surprise if you don’t bring your charger along. That’s a particularly surprising issue for flagship devices in 2015 — it’s something that’s mostly been fixed by laptop makers over the past decade. Making things even worse, a Surface engineering manager noted earlier this month that the issue might not be fixed until 2016.
“We are focused on delivering a great experience to every Surface customer,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Engadget. “We know a small set of Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 customers are experiencing issues and addressing that is a top priority for us. We have dedicated engineering teams working to get updates and fixes out as quickly as possible and we will continue to use our Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 support forums to share new information directly with our customers as it becomes available.”
Microsoft also issued a brief apology last Friday for the “less than perfect” Surface experience, which basically urged users to keep updating their devices. There was no mention of the ongoing power issues.
It’s not unusual for brand new hardware to exhibit some growing pains, particularly unique devices like the Surface Book. But in those situations, being completely transparent with customers is usually the best response. It’s been nearly two months since the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 have been released, so it’s also surprising that they’re still exhibiting debilitating power issues.
Microsoft reps tell us that they typically don’t offer up timing expectations when it comes to fixes, as the Surface engineering manager (identified only as “Joe”) did. Every update requires extensive testing to make sure they don’t cause new issues, so it’s not simply a matter of writing up a fix and deploying it. Still, at least “Joe” actually said something about the power issues. Microsoft has yet to acknowledge it otherwise.
It’s not as if Microsoft is ignoring the Surface issues, though. It’s constantly tracking all of the issues being reported; some just take longer to fix than others, reps say. The company has also sped up the timing of Windows Updates so they can be deployed as soon as they’re ready, rather than just a few times a month.
Mostly, it seems that most of the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 issues caught Microsoft by surprise. While the devices went through plenty of internal testing, most of the problems only became apparent when they reached consumers. That may be a sign that Microsoft should open up its testing process a bit to a wider audience, before releasing new hardware. The company doesn’t have plans to do that yet, reps say, but that’ll ultimately be up to its engineers.
So where do things stand now? Microsoft is updating its Surface devices with all of the currently available fixes at the factory. If you’ve already got one, be sure to install all of the updates that get released. The company isn’t offering any special customer support path for Surface issues, but I hear the replacement process is fairly painless if you’re near a Microsoft store. Otherwise, contact Microsoft support and hope for the best. In some cases, they can send you a replacement before receiving your faulty device.
It’s always tough to judge just how extensive product issues are based on forum complaints. Consumers having a negative experience with new products are generally louder than the rest. But when those issues are being reported consistently, it’s worth noting. We’ve also seen a major issue with our pre-production: One Surface Book crashed after running a 3D benchmark and refused to boot. We initially chalked that up to just being early hardware, but some users are reporting similar booting issues.
One Surface Book owner I know — who was particularly eager to get one — had to replace their device three times at a Microsoft store. After getting tired of the issues, he just got a Dell XPS 13 instead.
[Deal] Enter now for your chance to win the Microsoft Surface Book
Tablet PC sales have been increasing in volume as they become more and more affordable. Additionally, the convenience factor that a tablet PC brings, is one of the driving forces in today’s market. Microsoft has been one of the leading providers for these devices ever since the launch of their Surface and Surface Pro lineups.
Earlier this year, Microsoft introduced another product to the Surface lineup; the Microsoft Surface Book. The Surface Book is a product designed to combat Apple head on in the tablet PC and Macbook space. This device features stunning resolution, a touchscreen, and Microsoft’s newly released Windows 10 design. Windows 10 brings a new interface to those Microsoft faithful, combining the previous iterations of Windows 7 and 8 with a tablet-like interface.
- Weighs just 3.34 lb
- Packs incredible resolution (3000 x 2000)
- Includes a detachable screen to use like a clipboard
- Handles demanding creative tasks
- Lasts for up to 12 hours per charge
- Runs Windows 10 Pro
- Includes the Surface Pen for a pen-on-paper effect
Enough talking about what the Microsoft Surface Book was designed for, now for the fun part. Just in time for the holiday season, AndroidGuys with StackCommerce is giving away one of Microsoft’s most anticipated devices of 2015. Yep, you won’t have to pay a dime to get your chance to win the Microsoft Surface Book.
Why buy an expensive laptop when you can win one? The Surface Book is Microsoft’s best work yet, running Windows 10 Pro and packing a detachable screen to be used as a clipboard. It’s as powerful as Bill Gates himself, and it’s all yours for absolutely no money. It’s simple, enter to win for your chance to call the Surface Book your own.
All you need to do is head over to the AndroidGuys Deals page, sign up for StackCommerce, and hit the “ENTER TO WIN” button. Then voila, you’re entered into the giveaway for the Surface Book.
In the meantime, drop us a line below and let us know what you think about Microsoft’s new Surface Book, and whether this is a device if you would use on a regular basis. If not, let us know why, and what you would use instead.
You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals page. Backed by StackCommerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!
AndroidGuys Deals: Microsoft Surface Book Giveaway
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‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5’ quietly comes to PS3 and Xbox 360
The previous-gen versions of Activision’s poorly received Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 are quietly launching this week. Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games were due out November 13th, but have only hit the US today. Physical and digital versions are available in the US, while the UK launch appears to be digital only.
It’s fair to say that Pro Skater 5 isn’t the strongest entry in the series. Despite its adequate presentation and gameplay, the game’s launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One was marred by game-breaking glitches and bugs. The result of the inexcusably botched launch was twofold. First, the game was panned by critics and fans alike. Second, the previous-gen versions were delayed while Activision focused on putting things right for those that had already paid money for the game.
For what it’s worth, Activision did just that: a couple of weeks ago it released a massive (7.8GB) update, 1.03, that significantly improved stability issues. Let’s hope the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 ports are based on 1.03, otherwise, you’ll be seeing a lot of this:
Source: Eurogamer
‘Fable Legends’ will launch after spring 2016
Fable Legends — Lionhead’s free, multiplayer-focused fantasy romp for Xbox One and Windows 10 — is scheduled to launch after spring 2016. It was originally on tap to release this holiday season. The game’s open beta will go live in the spring, ostensibly with the full release close behind. For now, Fable Legends will remain in closed beta, with the studio inviting 100,000 additional players over the coming weeks (sign up for that here).
“To be honest with you, we rather underestimated just how big of a game Fable Legends is becoming,” Creative Director David Eckelberry says in a video posted today. “We’ve really created two games at once: We’ve got a multiplayer RPG on one side and a kind of RTS on the other. On top of that, we’ve built a new world and a whole new story to tell. This is the most ambitious game we’ve ever done at Lionhead and it’s taking more time than we thought.”
Microsoft and Lionhead announced Fable Legends in 2013 — and it’s a shift for the series. The Fable games traditionally include an in-depth single-player campaign, though this one sends players only on multiplayer or AI-assisted missions. As a free game, Legends features microtransactions, though Lionhead says players will be able to complete all quests and storylines without forking over any cash.
Source: Fable Legends
Meet the firm designing futuristic UI for Iron Man and Samsung
Remember Tony Stark’s glass smartphone and transparent coffee table in the Iron Man movies? Or how about that gorgeous statue rendering of the Avengers in action at the end of Age of Ultron? You’ve got one company to thank for those sequences: Perception, a New York City-based visual design firm. It’s carved out a unique spot building forward-thinking design concepts for films and major tech companies, including the likes of Samsung, Microsoft and Ford. Perception’s work makes it clear we’ve moved on from the days when interface design was merely an afterthought for movies, and when few tech companies brought cinematic depth and emotion to their products. Now, there’s a sort of virtuous cycle of design, where movies lift from tech, and tech companies find inspiration in films.
Perception started in 2001 as a high-end motion graphics firm founded by Danny Gonzalez and Jeremy Lasky. It initially served broadcast studios, ad firms and just about anyone looking for spiffy visual effects. “When you see holograms, or fantastical interfaces in blockbuster movies, we deliver our version of the future to those films,” said John LePore, Perception’s creative director. “And we spend the other half of the time creating concepts for next-generation technologies or particular user interfaces.”
After working with Marvel on a few of its direct-to-video animated films, the studio was brought in for its first major film project: Iron Man 2. At first, it was tasked with generating an interface for a massive screen at the Stark Expo early on in the movie. But as they were meeting with Marvel, they also heard some rumblings about a “glass phone” that Tony Stark would be carrying throughout the film.
Starting with that kernel of an idea, the Perception team mocked up their vision for a glass phone interface back at the office. As LePore tells us, they had a slab of glass cut out in the shape of a phone and used that to produce a demo video for Marvel. In the end, it was so well received that Perception wound up producing the interfaces for Stark’s bevy of gadgets, including his transparent coffee table and omnipresent household screens.
You’ll notice a common style throughout all of those interfaces: They’re dynamic and somewhat ostentatious, but at the same time they’re also surprisingly pragmatic. Basically, exactly what you’d expect from an egotistical playboy super genius who managed to build a suit of robot armor in a cave (with a box of scraps!). Perception isn’t only crafting pretty graphics; it’s also trying to give us some insight into the people who use those interfaces.
Iron Man 2 was an auspicious start for the company, as Marvel ended up tapping it for a variety of other projects. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Perception developed the windshield interface for Nick Fury’s car, as well as the montage sequence that (spoiler) revealed the depths of Hydra’s infiltration into world governments. It was also responsible for designing the elaborate supercomputer housing Arnim Zola’s personality, which was powered by old-school tape drives and displayed on green monitors.
“It’s almost like his soul was inside the machine,” LePore said. “To be able to do that in a way that was both low-fi, and make it feel he was taxing these systems as much as they could possibly handle. … It was a really interesting instance where we’re not just making UI that follows the personality traits of the person that’s using it, but the UI itself is the personality.”
Perception’s high-profile film work attracted a bevy of technology clients, most of which you’ve probably heard of. Samsung tapped it to work on some next-generation interface concepts, and the Korean company ended up using some of its ideas in its TouchWiz interface. They were even brought on to work on augmented reality concepts for HoloLens by Microsoft before Perception even knew what that product was. (Unfortunately, it can’t say what, exactly, it built for HoloLens.) And who can forget the Grid 10 tablet from Fusion Garage, whose only redeeming quality was an intriguing grid interface that Perception built from scratch?
While much of the company’s tech contributions remain under wraps, Perception’s work has been featured in some recent high-profile announcements. Its dashboard interface sits at the heart of Ford’s 2017 GT supercar, as well as recent SpaceX streams. It’s also working with IBM, Intel, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, among others.
If you’ve ever heard anyone compare an interface to Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, you’re probably well aware that there’s a pretty close relationship between techies and sci-fi films. LePore says that’s particularly true for the Perception crew. “There’s certainly a lot of people from the tech world who say, ‘I’d like to take what we saw in this film and make it a reality,’” he said. Similarly, Perception’s experience working with real-world tech helps to bring a dose of reality to films. Working with SpaceX, for example, comes in handy when designing aeronautical interfaces for movies.
It makes sense for movie studios to enlist extra design help, but it’s surprising that so many tech companies are doing the same. You can chalk that up to the rising emphasis on distinctive design. While Apple has always emphasized aesthetics, that hasn’t been a driving force for competitors like Microsoft and Samsung. So they look to companies like Perception for the equivalent of a creative booster shot. Just compare what Samsung’s TouchWiz UI looked like a few years ago to today, where it’s now influenced by Perception’s designs.
While there’s no shortage of motion graphics firms out there, for the most part they focus on film and television. Only a few dabble in technology projects. Perception’s ability to straddle those two worlds is a sign of our maturing design tastes. Most of us are carrying touchscreen computers in our pockets, and our mobile apps look years beyond the blocky desktop programs we used to rely on. Bad design simply can’t cut it anymore when we’re used to something better.
Check back soon for our in-depth story on how Perception designed the Avengers monument from Age of Ultron.
Microsoft Allowing OneDrive Users on Free Tier to Keep 15GB Free Storage and Camera Roll Bonus
In November, Microsoft made the controversial decision to reduce its unlimited OneDrive storage to 1TB for Office 365 Home, Personal and University subscribers early next year. OneDrive’s free storage will also be reduced from 15GB to 5GB, and the 15GB camera roll bonus will be discontinued.
Microsoft’s decision was poorly received by OneDrive customers, who created an online petition called “give us back our storage” with over 70,000 votes. The backlash has prompted the company to apologize and introduce a new offer for OneDrive customers to keep their 15GB free storage and 15GB camera roll bonus.
Microsoft Group Program Manager Douglas Pearce (via The Verge):
In November we made a business decision to reduce storage limits for OneDrive. Since then, we’ve heard clearly from our Windows and OneDrive fans about the frustration and disappointment we have caused. We realize the announcement came across as blaming customers for using our product. For this, we are truly sorry and would like to apologize to the community. […]
In addition, for our biggest fans who have been loyal advocates for OneDrive, we are adding a new offer that lets you keep your existing 15 GB of free storage when the changes happen next year. If you also have the 15 GB camera roll bonus, you’ll be able to keep that as well. From now until the end of January, you can sign up to keep your storage at the link below.
OneDrive users who sign up by January 31, 2016 will be able to keep their 15GB of free storage and 15GB camera roll bonus, even after Microsoft reduces its free storage tier to 5GB next year. OneDrive customers using more than 5GB of free storage will also receive a free Office 365 Personal subscription with 1TB storage for 12 months.
Microsoft is not backing down from its larger plans to discontinue unlimited storage, a decision it made because a small number of users exceeded 75 TB storage, or 14,000 times the average, by “backing up multiple PCs and and storing entire movie collections and DVR recordings.” The changes take place in early 2016.
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[TA Deals] Win a Microsoft Surface Book!
Want a new laptop? Head over to Talk Android Deals and enter a giveaway that could end up getting you a Microsoft Surface Book.
In early October, Microsoft unveiled the newest members of its Surface line. The Surface Pro 4 was joined by the company’s very first legitimate laptop, known as the Surface Book. The Surface Book combines elements of laptops and tablets by having its display detach from the keyboard. The display, with its 4:3 aspect ratio meant for productivity, is 13.3 inches and images and video are at a crisp resolution of 3000×2000. Under the hood is Intel’s latest Skylake processor, so you know the Surface Book will just go and go.. and go. All of this is encased in a slim, attractive body made of magnesium.
Software is another strong point for the Surface Book and Microsoft is using Windows 10 Pro with optimizations for the included Surface Pen that has a pen-on-paper feel. Use it as a laptop and you’ll have Windows’ conventional interface. Detach the display from the keyboard to use the Surface Book as a tablet and it’ll be optimized for touch. Regardless, it’s still powerful and will last hours on a single charge.
Believe me when I say the Surface Book is a beautiful laptop. I own one! And you have nothing to lose by participating in the Surface Book giveaway on Talk Android Deals because there’s no entry fee. All you have to do is head over to the giveaway’s page, provide some information, and follow the rest of the directions to enter.
The contest ends in mid-January and you can read the official rules right here.
Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Win a Microsoft Surface Book!
5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly
Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Here are your headlines for this week!
- Nova Launcher is currently selling the prime version of their iconic launcher app for a mere $0.99 and our readers have informed us that it’s even less in other regions. We don’t know how long the sale will go for but it was still going strong for right now. Get it quick because this won’t last forever.
- The waffling by Google to release their Contacts and Phone app to the Play Store continued this last week. First they were up, then Google took them down but at the time of the making of this video, are back up again. They’re totally free but it seems like you can only get them on select Nexus devices right now.
- Amazon announced a new initiative called the Streaming Partners Program. The object of this is simple. With your Prime subscription, you can access third party streaming services such as AMC, Showtime, Starz, and IndieFlix. The big players like Hulu or Netflix aren’t available to the surprise of no one, but this could make Amazon Prime a little more fun.
- After a long wait, Google is finally releasing a family plan for Google Play Music. It’ll be $14.99 per month and can be shared with up to six family members. In applicable regions, you’ll also get YouTube Red access. That’s an excellent deal for pretty much everyone and you can get it right now.
- Dropbox announced that it was going to shut down its Mailbox and Carousel service in early 2016. While I know there are some people who will be upset about this, the truth is that neither service really took off and they were never really as good as competitor apps. They will join Google Helpouts as great ideas that very few people ever actually used.
For even more Android apps and games headlines, updates, and new releases, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter! We had a ton of stuff we didn’t get to include here that you may find interesting. If you so choose, you can sign up for the newsletter using the form below and we’ll send it to you every Sunday!
5miles
[Price: Free]
5miles is a new application that performs a lot of the same functionality as Craigslist. It’s essentially a classifieds service that lets you sell things, post services and job openings, and a whole lot more. The app uses GPS and zip code to find listings in your area and you can do things like post voice descriptions, register with Facebook, and there’s even a built-in messaging system. It’s a little rough around the edges, but keep an eye on it.
Get it now on Google Play!
SwiftKey Symbols
[Price: Free]
SwiftKey Symbols is a new, very different type of keyboard. Instead of words and letters, SwiftKey Symbols uses symbols to allow people to communicate. This is a great application and can potentially be useful for those with autism or other, various communication disorders. It’s a bit simplistic right now and users are already asking for more symbols, but still, this is a pretty great little thing.
Get it now on Google Play!
Snap Swipe Drawer
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Snap Swipe Drawer is a new app that kind of gives you a second notification shade. Except this one has a bunch of widgets in it. Think of it like a stash for your widgets so you don’t have to use so many on your home screens. It can be configured to be available at any time you want it. There are some release day bugs but that’s to be expected. Don’t let that prevent you from giving it a shot because it is pretty nifty.
Get it now on Google Play!
Age of Empires: World Domination
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Age of Empires: World Domination is the latest Age of Empires game to launch on Android. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to try this one ourselves because it is only available in select markets right now, but you can expect a full release sometime in the near future once the kinks have been worked out. We can tell you that it’s going with a Freemium model which is different from prior titles so it won’t cost you anything to try it.
Get it now on Google Play!
Cortana
[Price: Free]
After a long wait, Microsoft has finally released Cortana to the wild. As expected, the app and service are a little rough around the edges, but we’ve no doubt that Microsoft will cure the bugs and improve the service over time, much like Google did with Google Now. It’s totally free to download and use so there’s no harm in seeing it for yourself. It’s also worth noting that you must have a PC running Windows 10 and opted into Cortana before you can use the app.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
Did we miss any awesome Android apps and games news? If so, tell us about it in the comments! Thanks for watching and read, and we’ll see you next week!
Microsoft: “you can have your 15 GB of OneDrive storage back”
While most of us around here are all about Google Drive, some of you still like to take advantage of what other cloud storage services have to offer. Namely, we all love having all that free storage these services, and it sure doesn’t feel good to have it taken from you.
This is what happened in November, when Microsoft decided to stop offering unlimited storage for Office 360 and cut down on free OneDrive storage to 5 GB (from 15 GB). That is quite the cur down, and it really isn’t a pleasant thing to see for customers. After all, you should never ask for a gift back, right?
See also: 10 best cloud storage apps for Android
Microsoft has decided to give legacy customers their full 15 GB back. You just have to go to Microsoft’s dedicated page and request your free 15 GB before January 31st. Your storage will go down and stay at 5 GB otherwise. Just make sure you sign up before then.
It still makes no sense to me that new users will have to conform with just 5 GB of free storage. That is below the current standard, and Google Drive does still offer 15 free GB of cloud storage. Whatever happened to competition? Well, at least current users can keep the original storage amount, right?
After outcry, Microsoft bumping OneDrive storage up
A little over a month ago, Microsoft announced that they were bringing an end to the unlimited storage available to many users of their OneDrive cloud storage platform. As part of the changes, they were also planning to cut available free storage from 15GB down to only 5Gb. After an outcry from their user base, Microsoft announced today that they are modifying their offerings yet again to try to address some of the problems they created.
Besides the general criticism Microsoft faced from all corners for offering up unlimited storage and then having to back off of that, the company also saw over 72,000 customers get on their case on their UserVoice forum. Designed to get suggestions, the forum turned into a honeypot for customers upset by Microsoft’s decision.
In a post today, Microsoft acknowledged that the way the original decision was communicated gave the appearance the company was penalizing good customers for the action of a few customers thought to be abusing the service. Douglas Pearce, Group Program Manager with Microsoft, said the company was sorry and wanted to apologize for giving that impression.
Microsoft is also bringing back the 15GB of free storage for users who already have a OneDrive account with an existing 15GB of storage. Microsoft is also going to let users who had a bonus 15GB camera roll add-on keep that drive space as well. In order to take advantage of this change though, users do have to take the step of signing up to keep their storage. Microsoft has setup a special page that users can visit to make sure their account stays the same after the change to 5GB for free storage is made. This step has to be taken no later than January 31, 2016.
Users who have 1TB through Office 365 Home, Personal and University subscriptions will still get 1TB of storage and Microsoft will honor any additional storage space for up to 12 months. They will also offer a full refund for anyone who does not want to continue with unlimited storage.
If you have a Microsoft OneDrive account, be sure to hit the source link below for additional details and the link to let Microsoft know you want to keep your plan at the 15GB level if that is what you currently have.
source: Microsoft
via: Business Insider
Come comment on this article: After outcry, Microsoft bumping OneDrive storage up
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