Windows 10 is on 75 million PCs after only one month
If you’re still wondering why Microsoft made Windows 10 free, just consider the latest stats: It’s now on 75 million computers one month after its big launch, Windows corporate VP Yusuf Mehdi tweeted today. In comparison, it took six months for Microsoft to sell 100 million Windows 8 licenses, a more nebulous stat that didn’t necessarily include actual installs. None of this is a surprise though: We’ve written extensively about Microsoft’s desire to build a long-lasting Windows platform, and that starts with prioritizing the number of people running Windows 10 rather than mere revenues. Mehdi also divulged some other intriguing tidbits: More than “90,000 unique PC or tablet models” have upgraded to Windows 10; over 122 years of gameplay have been streaming to Windows 10 PCs from Xbox One consoles; and, perhaps most intriguingly, the Windows 10 store “has seen 6x more app downloads “per device than Windows 8.”
That last point is likely yet another big reason Microsoft chose to make Windows 10 a free upgrade. Microsoft worked hard to promote the Windows 8 app store, but it never managed to land a killer app (and in many cases, Windows 8 apps were simply worse than their iOS and Android counterparts). Developers waited until people actually started using Windows 8 apps, but that never really happened because there weren’t many to choose from. But with Windows 10, there’s an influx of new users eager to try out newer apps, and Microsoft has also made it easier for devs to bring over iOS and Android apps.
1. #Windows10: More than 75 million devices running Windows 10 – and growing every day. 1/10 pic.twitter.com/g0kqGizU0c
— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015
Filed under:
Software, Microsoft
Tags: microsoft, Windows10
Microsoft curbs sign-ups for Xbox One previews
Xbox Preview Programs have long been popular. They’re easy ways to get sneak peeks at features that won’t reach the masses for weeks, if not longer. Unfortunately, though, they’re now proving to be too popular — Microsoft is warning that it’s “slowing” the number of people it lets into the Xbox One Preview Program now that it’s “near-capacity.” The tech giant needs to “optimize” its pre-release user base for testing, according to a forum note. The timing of this move isn’t all that surprising, mind you. This year represents the first time that Microsoft will overhaul the Xbox One interface, rolling in big features like backwards compatibility and the Cortana voice assistant. It’s only logical that gamers would want an early look at these upgrades, especially when this portal could stick around for a good, long while.
Filed under:
Gaming, Microsoft
Source:
CNET
Tags: gaming, microsoft, preview, previewprogram, videogames, xbox, xboxone
Most of Google Now’s original development team left before I/O 2015 Now on Tap announcement
During Google I/O this year, the company showed off Now on Tap, which looks to be an extremely cool use of Google Now’s information scraping. Since then, Microsoft has already updated their Bing app to offer a similar experience, and it’s expected that Apple will do the same at some point. The competition in the digital personal assistant space is heating up very, very quickly, but unfortunately, Google may end up struggling to be competitive with other giants, according to some recent news.
Just before I/O this year, a majority of the original Google Now development team left the company for other things. Part of this is because of the shift of Now moving to a Google search project instead of a strictly Android project, and partly because of Sundar Pichai’s attitude towards Now. As of right now, only one original team member is still working with the project. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for the future of Now, but it does mean that the original creators’ vision for the project probably won’t ever be fully realized.
Now has moved from being a killer feature for Android as an OS and has moved to something Google offers across all of its platforms, whether you’re on a Chromebook, using Chrome on a laptop, or using an Android device. Pichai heads Chrome and Android, and he reportedly wasn’t willing to fight for Now to remain totally independent like it started. He also likely realizes that Google needs to keep new products flowing in and improving in order to continue making Google money. At the end of the day, making money is pretty high up on the to-do list for any company.
It’s tough to say exactly what direction Now will go in, but I wouldn’t worry about the feature going anywhere. Sometimes Google just restructures segments of their products, like we’ve seen with Google+, and like we’ve seen happen with Android, Chrome, and everything else.
Personally, I only ever use Google Now on my phone, never on my laptops or desktops. How often do you utilize Google Now cards across your devices?
source: re/code
Come comment on this article: Most of Google Now’s original development team left before I/O 2015 Now on Tap announcement
Playdate: Taking stock of ‘Gears of War: Ultimate Edition’
Gears of War practically defined the Xbox 360. And as is the recent trend, it’s getting a fancy schmancy remaster that runs at 1080p and 60 frames per second. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is the first project from the new Gears studio, The Coalition, and it worked as a sort of training exercise for the team to learn what the series means before shipping Gears of War 4. So what’s that mean for you and me? Well, that today starting at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT we’re going to broadcast two hours of Ultimate Edition on Twitch. Perhaps best of all, we’ve got a special surprise for you: Microsoft has given us a custom white Xbox One adorned with Gears of War graphics. Want in? All you have to do is enter below during the broadcast.
So! Join us this afternoon on the Engadget Gaming homepage, this very post or twitch.tv/joystiq as myself and Sean Buckley work our way through the opening bits of the campaign, live on the internet.
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embed
[We’re streaming Gears of War: Ultimate Edition via OBS at 720p, which is to say it’s going to look an awful lot better on your TV and in your house.]
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) 500GB Xbox One Console painted by The Coalition Art Director Chris Matthews, one (1) standard wireless controller painted to match console, one (1) Kinect sensor, one (1) digital full-game download of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Deluxe Edition (out of box).
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Engadget and AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted on August 25th from 6:00PM ET until 8:00PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Tags: contest, gaming, gearsofwar, gearsofwarultimateedition, giveaway, hd, hdpostcross, microsoft, playdate, thecoalition, twitch, xbox, xbox360, xboxone
ICYMI: Massive Minesweeper, Android 4 BlackBerry and more
Today on In Case You Missed It, I’ve replaced Kerry Davis in a sinister plot to take over the show while she’s on vacation drinking Angry Orchard by the lake. In actual news, we celebrated Windows 95’s 20th birthday with a throwback to “The Rachel” in a promo video for Microsoft’s famed OS, starring Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry. In related, all be it more panic-inducing news, someone’s made a giant game of Minesweeper to drive you bat shit crazy. A Brazilian vlogger gave us a glimpse of the world’s most popular operating system on one of the world’s least popular phones. And, finally, someone with a whole lot of time on his hands came up with the ultimate way to sink your battle ship.
If you come across any interesting videos, we’d love to see them. Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd. And if you just want to heap praise on your handsome guest host, feel free to hit me up @mr_trout.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Gaming, Software, Microsoft, Nintendo
Tags: Android, BlackBerry, ICYMI, incaseyoumissedit, mario kart, microsoft, minesweeper, nintendo, video
Microsoft’s prototype keyboard cover has an e-ink touchscreen
Tablets are becoming more useful for getting real work done. Looking to further bridge the gap between slate and laptop, Microsoft Applied Sciences built a prototype device it calls the DisplayCover: a keyboard cover that houses an e-ink touchscreen display. The 1,280 x 305 resolution panel not only provides access to app shortcuts, but it can also handle touch gestures for navigation and accept stylus input. The stylus feature seems to make things like signing documents and scribbling notes a breeze, based on the demo video. In the case of an app like Photoshop where you need constant access to tool palettes, those items can be parked at the top of the keyboard so they don’t take up valuable space on the tablet’s display (in this case a Surface).
Why e-ink? Well, the team says the material was selected because it wouldn’t put too much added strain on battery life like a full-color touch panel would. Sure, the DisplayCover is a prototype that’s obviously far from finished. However, it’s interesting to take a look at what companies are doing to make efficient use of small screen sizes for maximizing productivity.
[Thanks, Antonio]
Filed under:
Peripherals, Microsoft
Source:
Microsoft Applied Sciences
Tags: cover, displaycover, e-ink, keyboardcover, microsoft, surface, tablet, touchscreen
Microsoft wants you to scan in 3D using only your phone
If you want to do some 3D scanning, you usually have to get either a dedicated scanner or a less-than-elegant add-on. Microsoft Research and the University of Oxford think there’s a better way, though. Their MobileFusion project captures 3D models using only an app on your smartphone. The software scans objects by comparing image frames from your phone’s camera and creating stereo depth maps from the results — you just have to walk around an object to get more detail. It’s much like Kinect Fusion, but you’re not tied to either a PC or a clunky peripheral.
The resulting images aren’t so detailed that you’d mistake them for the real thing, but they’re good enough for 3D printing, augmented reality and any other purpose where a quick scan should do the trick. You could recreate a museum statue for friends back home, for example, or spruce up your eBay auction with a 3D representation of what you’re selling. While you can’t try MobileFusion yet, there are hopes to release it soon with support for Android, iOS and Windows.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Science, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Source:
Inside Microsoft Research
Tags: 3dscanner, 3dscanning, android, iphone, microsoft, microsoftresearch, mobilefusion, mobilepostcross, scanner, scanning, video, windows, windowsphone
Cortana for Android now available for download as a public beta in the US
Cortana, Microsoft’s personal voice assistant, is now available for all residents of the United States to download in public beta form. Microsoft launched a closed beta of the app on Android back in July, but now the voice assistant can be downloaded by anyone who opts in to the beta testing program.
Similar to the functionality Google Now or Siri provides, Cortana is able to perform a number of tasks like setting alarms, scheduling appointments and even performing simple Bing searches. The app just saw a big update recently that would allow Cortana to be launched via the home button shortcut on Android, instead of Google Now.
Don’t miss: Cortana for Android Beta hands on (and vs Google Now)
Microsoft notes that there are a few differences between Cortana on Windows and Cortana on Android. For example, Android users aren’t yet able to toggle settings, open specific apps or launch the voice assistant by saying “Hey Cortana”. These features are only available on Windows for now, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see them come to the Android version in the future.
If you’re interested in downloading the beta version of Cortana for Android, follow the link below and select “Become a beta tester”. After you’re signed up, simply follow the Play Store link to start your download.
Cortana officially arrives on Android via public beta
Following a leak last month, Microsoft’s virtual assistant officially arrived on Android. Thanks to a public beta, Redmond keeps its promise to bring Cortana to the Google faithful. As we’ve already seen, you can use Cortana to help with things like answering random questions, setting reminders, tracking flights and a number of other tasks. What you still can’t do, however, is use the “Hey Cortana” voice command to alert the virtual assistant to your needs. That remains a Windows-only feature for now, though Microsoft says it’ll be “continually improving the experience.” Perhaps that tool will arrive later, but for now, head to Google Play to nab the software in its current form.
Filed under:
Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Source:
Google Play, Microsoft
Tags: android, beta, cortana, microsoft, mobilepostcross, software, virtualassistant
Microsoft releases Cortana public beta for “all” Android devices
After months of hiding, and hoping for being able to find the APK somewhere else, everyone can now jump on the Cortana bandwagon. While this isn’t the final version, Microsoft feels that they have made enough progress to be able to let everyone get their hands on it.
For those who haven’t been aware, Cortana is Microsoft’s version of Google Now and Apple’s Siri, but is the first that is truly available across platforms. Microsoft had announced that Cortana would be available everywhere, but up until now, we haven’t really had an idea of when that would come to fruition.
It seems the time is nearing, as Microsoft successfully released Windows 10, with Cortana in tow. Microsoft also released the companion app for Windows 10 that will help everyone get their devices synced with Windows 10, with ease.
The Cortana app can do most of the things Cortana does on your PC or on a Windows phone. With the app, you can manage your hectic lifestyle by setting and getting reminders, searching the web on-the-go, tracking important information such as flight details as well as starting and completing tasks across all of your devices.
While Microsoft is stating that Cortana will run on every Android device, it seems that I may be the one stuck in left field. I’ve signed up for the public beta, and when I try to install Cortana on my Moto X 2014, there’s a notification that says that Cortana is not compatible with my device.
Regardless of that, maybe there’s a fix in the works to not have to worry about the Moto Display options and Microsoft will get Cortana truly working for everyone. If you are interested in signing up for the public beta, head to the link here, and try out Cortana on your device. Once installed, let us know what you think about Microsoft’s personal assistant in the comments below.
Source: Microsoft
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AIVAnet 