Microsoft’s Surface Book is near impossible to fix yourself
If you took one look at Microsoft’s unique Surface Book and guessed that it’d be an absolute bear to fix… you guessed well. The do-it-yourself repair crew at iFixit has torn down the hybrid laptop, and it’s just as tough to repair as the Surface Pro line despite the larger two-piece design. Just about everything is glued or soldered, and the “upside down” circuitry means that you’ll usually be yanking out the whole motherboard to access parts. About the only thing you can realistically replace is the solid-state drive, and that’s provided that you can get the system open. The inaccessibility isn’t completely surprising — Microsoft had to slim down that oddball shape somehow, and fused-together components are usually how you do it. Still, this may be a disappointment if you were hoping to keep the Surface Book in tip-top shape without paying someone else to fix it.
Source: iFixit
Google’s VP of design rips into Windows 10 on Twitter
Shortly after recording his first podcast, Google’s vice president of design Matias Duarte has publicly slammed Microsoft and Windows 10 on Twitter. After the latest episode of Joshua Topolsky’s Tomorrow went live, Duarte tweeted that he had tried the Surface Pro 4 with Windows 10 — and that in his opinion, it felt like “XP with a flat design skin.” Needless to say, this triggered quite a response from the Twittersphere, and Duarte quickly followed up with: “Windows 10? More like Windows 10 years ago!” The tweets were partly sent in jest, as he later described them as “overly clever tweetbait.” However, Google’s design lead clearly has some issues with the way Microsoft’s desktop OS has evolved. Specifically, Duarte claims he has “no beef” with how Windows 10 looks, and is instead disappointed with how it works. As far as he’s concerned, the functionality is similar to the now ancient Windows XP: “I understand that’s a feature for many,” he later tweeted. “Not for me!”
Microsoft gives retailers another year to sell Windows 7 PCs
If you still want your next PC to run Windows 7, better act soon. Microsoft has updated its “Windows lifecycle” fact sheet, and the last day you’ll be able to buy a PC with Windows 7 preinstalled is October 31, 2016. Microsoft would have shelved Windows 7 awhile ago, since it normally sells previous versions just two years after the next one arrives. However, many people treated Windows 8 like it was radioactive, so Windows 7 Professional (OEM) was extended, and will actually come off the market after Windows 8, and on the same day as Windows 8.1. Apart from pre-installed copies of Windows 7 Professional, all other Windows 7 versions are already off the market.
Source: Microsoft
Microsoft Reduces OneDrive Storage for Office 365 and Free Users, Eliminates Unlimited Option
Microsoft tonight announced that it was making changes to its OneDrive cloud storage services, reducing the amount of storage both Office 365 and free users are granted and eliminating its unlimited option. The company says that the changes were needed to “ensure that we can continue to deliver a collaborative, connected and intelligent service.”
Since we started to roll out unlimited cloud storage to Office 365 consumer subscribers, a small number of users backed up numerous PCs and stored entire movie collections and DVR recordings. In some instances, this exceeded 75 TB per user or 14,000 times the average. Instead of focusing on extreme backup scenarios, we want to remain focused on delivering high-value productivity and collaboration experiences that benefit the majority of OneDrive users.
Office 365 Home, Personal and University subscribers will no longer have access to unlimited storage. Instead, these users will be limited to 1 TB of storage. The 100 GB and 200 GB plans are being eliminated for new users and will be replaced with a 50 GB plan for $1.99 a month, which will launch in early 2016. Free OneDrive users will see their storage decreased from 15 GB to 5 GB, with the 15 GB camera roll storage bonus also being eliminated. These changes will also roll out in early 2016.
Microsoft says it wants to make the transition for its users as easy as possible, outlining the steps its taking to notify users of the change. Office 365 subscribers that have more than 1 TB of storage will be notified and will be allowed to keep their increased storage for 12 months. Office 365 customers who no longer desire the service because of the change will be given a pro-rated refund. Free users who have used more than 5 GB of storage will have access to all their files for 12 months after the changes go into effect in early 2016 and will receive a free one-year subscription to Office 365. Individual OneDrive subscribers to the 100 GB and 200 GB plans will not be affected.
In June 2014, Microsoft boosted its storage plans for OneDrive, bumping Office 365 subscribers from 20 GB to 1 TB before adding unlimited storage in October 2014. The company also increased storage of its free service from 7 GB to 15 GB while also decreasing prices for the 100 GB and 200 GB plans.
At its “Hey Siri” event this year, Apple announced price reductions for its own cloud storage service, iCloud Drive. 5 GB of iCloud storage is free while 50 GB is priced at 99 cents per month, 200 GB is $2.99 per month and 1 TB is $9.99 per month.
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Microsoft shrinks OneDrive storage for Office 365 and free users
If you’re a OneDrive user, the changes Microsoft just announced for its cloud storage service are almost certainly cutting down the amount of space available to you. Last year it was flying high and announced unlimited OneDrive storage for Office 365 consumer users — an option that is now disappearing. Now, if you’re on Office 365 Home, Personal or University your space is capped at a (still sizable) the old limit of 1TB that matches its professional offering, but is a far cry from the 75TB Microsoft claims some were using its service to hold. Next year, both current and new free users will see their available space shrink too — from 15GB to 5GB — and the 15GB camera roll bonus go away. There were paid plans for 100GB or 200GB of storage, but they’re going away too, with only a $2 per month 50GB plan remaining.
Source: OneDrive Blog, OneDrive Changes FAQ
Now you can create Windows 10 apps without writing a line of code
The Windows Store isn’t exactly known for being a robust app marketplace, and Microsoft knows it. The company is always looking for new ways to attract developers to the platform. In the past, Microsoft made tools designed to port iOS and Android apps to Windows, and created the Universal app system that puts all Windows apps on the same platform. Now, Microsoft has updated its App Studio to allow users to create, prototype and submit an app for release from the comfort of a web browser — without installing Visual Studio or writing a single line of code. It works, too: I just created a functional Windows 10 app in less than ten minutes.
Windows 10 upgrade push changes things for IT pros and bootleggers
Microsoft mistakenly pushed Windows 10 upgrades to existing Windows 7/8 users through the Update process earlier this year, but next year it will do it on purpose. That’s just one of several changes coming to the update process, as it targets IT professionals doing mass upgrades, and even people running less-than-legit copies of Windows. The office IT guys out there will appreciate a future update to the Media Creation Tool so it can create a single image capable of upgrading older Windows PCs whether they’re 32-bit, 64-bit, Home or Pro, and even wipe a system to do clean installs. Also coming soon to users in the US (and later in other countries), will be an easy one-click activation process to “get Genuine” via the Windows Store, even with a code purchased elsewhere. Of course, even if you don’t fall into those categories and just want to keep your old version of Windows, you’ll need to be more careful starting in 2016.
Source: Blogging Windows
Windows 10’s latest preview sends web videos to your TV
If you’ve wanted nothing more than to sling web videos from your Windows 10 PC to your TV, today’s a very big day. Microsoft has released a Windows 10 Insider Preview build that gives early adopters (specifically, those on the Fast ring) the ability to cast media in Edge. The web browser now sends audio, photos and videos to any DLNA- or Miracast-capable device (an Xbox One should do it) on your network, whether it’s a YouTube clip or a Pandora radio stream. There is a big gotcha, unfortunately: copy-protected content won’t work, so don’t expect to put Netflix on the big screen. Even so, it’s good to have an alternative to Google’s Chrome browser, Cast API and Chromecast hardware for easily sharing web content with the rest of your home.
Source: Windows Experience Blog
10 best new Android apps and games from October 2015
October is coming to a close and we’re about to officially move into 2015’s holiday season. The first full month of autumn saw a ton of huge apps and games releases. As the year gets older, the apps and games releases are only going to get hotter so let’s take a look at the best new Android apps and games from October 2015!
Adobe Capture CC and Adobe Illustrator Draw
[Price: Free]
Adobe started out October by releasing not one, but two new Android apps and they are Adobe Capture CC and Illustrator Draw. Capture CC is a design app that lets you create things like brushes, stamps, shapes, and other similar things for later use. It’s a fairly simple app to use and comes with Adobe Creative Cloud support. Illustrator Draw is a drawing app that lets you use vectors, layers, zoom, and various other tools to create works of art. Both apps have a few issues here and there, but they’re both entirely free to download and use.
Get Adobe Capture CC now on Google Play!
Get Adobe Illustrator Draw now on Google Play!
Cloud Chasers
[Price: $4.00]
Cloud Chasers is a survival-adventure game about a man and his daughter who are trying to make it to a better place. You’re stuck in a desert and you must worry about things like feeding yourself and protecting yourself from obstacles and bad guys. There are some unique game play mechanics and game itself has been consistently described as beautiful which we agree with. It’s $4.00 with no in-app purchases which is a decent price, but do beware because the game is experiencing some early bugs.
Get it now on Google Play!
Drivemode
[Price: Free]
Drivemode is an application that is meant to be used in the car. It works by giving you swipe gestures and large, colorized buttons to help you keep your eyes on the road and off of your smartphone. It seems to work pretty well and can be useful for those who use their phones in the car. With it, you can listen to music, answer texts, answer phone calls, and plenty of other tasks. The unique UI and usability make it a pretty decent app to pick up and it’s totally free with no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Minecraft: Story Mode
[Price: $4.99 with in-app purchases]
Minecraft: Story Mode is the latest episodic adventure game out of Telltale Games. This one features Minecraft-style graphics but instead of the usual grinding and open-world exploring, you’re actually playing through a story line. It’s voiced by an all-star cast of actors and actresses including Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Corey Feldman, and many more. As with most Telltale Games, your story decisions affect other parts of the story, which is always a nice touch.
Get it now on Google Play!
Minion’s Paradise
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Minion’s Paradise is a game that was meant to come out with the latest Minions movie so we were disappointed when it was delayed for about a month for most people. In this game, you must help Phil the minion build a paradise for his fellow minions. You’ll be in charge of pretty much all of the construction and there will be cameo appearances from the movies. All in all, it’s a well-done world-builder type of game if you can get passed the in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Parchi
[Price: Free]
Parchi is a free and lightweight note taking app that came out of Microsoft’s Garage Project. As you’d expect, you can take a variety of notes with it including regular notes and lists. You can also add extra stuff if needed. The unique feature of this app is the use of hashtags to help label notes. Using the hashtags, you can easily search and find the notes you’re looking for or a series of notes if you reuse hashtags. It’s totally free with no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist
[Price: $4.99]
Legend of the Brofist may be a a really lame title for a game but darn it all, it’s actually a fun game. It’s a 2D platformer that uses retro graphics so the game play and feel of the game shouldn’t be too unfamiliar to people who have played games for a while. The game also features little tidbits and references to various Internet memes and several famous YouTube gamers make appearances. It’s a tad pricey but at least there are no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Prune
[Price: $3.99]
Prune is an atmospheric puzzle game with a simple, but strangely enjoyable premise. In each level, you’ll be given a tree that is growing and a light source. Your job is to prune the tree in such a manner that it grows into the light so it can blooms pretty flowers. It’s simple to play but can be challenging to complete. The music, graphics, and even game play mechanics are made to help you feel relaxed while playing it and that’s definitely a vibe we got. There are also no in-app purchases with this game.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wonderwall
[Price: Free]
Wonderwall is a backgrounds and wallpapers app released earlier this month. It’s done with a simplicity that we found enjoyable and most of the wallpapers were landscape camera shots. This is a fun little app to try if you’re into that kind of stuff and it even gives you the option to contribute your pictures if you want to. Other features include an option to set the wallpaper automatically each day and various settings to control things like your search history, data usage, and more. It’s totally free with no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Xcerpt for Twitter
[Price: Free]
Last up this month is Xcerpt for Twitter. This is an app that allows you to create good looking screenshots of webpages so that you can share them on Twitter. The idea is that you can share a quote or some text from a page without wasting your valuable 140 characters when you go to tweet it out. It’s a simple app that works off of screenshots that you take and it’s quite easy to use. It’s also totally free with no in-app purchases and a must-have for Twitter users who share stuff.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great new Android apps and games, tell us about them in the comments! If you want to stay up to date on the latest Android apps and games news, you can sign up for our weekly newsletter using the form below! To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
Skype video and voice chats come to Office and Outlook on the web
You can already have Skype text chats while you’re collaborating on Office Online docs or checking mail at Outlook.com. But wouldn’t you rather talk to your colleagues and keep your hands free for, you know, work? You’re about to get just that: Microsoft says it will bring Skype’s video and voice chats to everyone using Office Online and Outlook.com, starting in November. On top of this, it’s trotting out a Chrome extension that lets you quickly work with Office and Sway content in the browser, whether it’s stored on your PC or in the cloud. All told, you don’t have to worry quite so much about leaving Office’s native apps behind.
Via: The Next Web, WMPoweruser
Source: Office Blogs, Chrome Web Store
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