Microsoft introduces cheaper Surface Laptop and Surface Book 2 variants

Microsoft has introduced new price points for each of its Surface Laptop and Surface Book 2 models. Both now start at a lower price, albeit with reduced specs.

Starting with the Surface Laptop, the new base model comes with an Intel Core m3 processor with Intel HD Graphics 615, 4GB RAM and 128GB storage and is priced at $799. Previously, the point of entry for this computer was $999, which has a more powerful Core i5.

Surface Book 2

Similarly, the Surface Book 2 now starts at $1199 for the 13.5-inch model, and has an Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Previously, the cheapest variant was $1499 and had 256GB storage.

While positively rated, Microsoft's Surface computers are often criticized for their high prices. These new variants are cheaper but they also lose out on critical specifications, so the value proposition remains the same. However, if you are on a tight budget and don't mind a slightly slower processor or less storage, then these just might be within your reach now.

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Microsoft is developing a foldable tablet running Windows 10 on ARM

Back in 2009 and 2010, many rumors told us Microsoft was working on a folding tablet called Courier. In the end, that never saw the light of day, and Apple's iPads became the kings of that market.

Intriguingly though, Microsoft is now said to be developing another device that is similar, at least in concept, to the canceled Courier. It's codenamed Andromeda, and will be a folding tablet that will run Windows 10 on ARM.

Microsoft Courier

It will come with telephony capabilities, but won't be a smartphone - although, when folded, it's allegedly "pocketable". That said, the main selling points of this device will be centered around pen input and inking. For example, there's a notebook app built-in that mimics writing in a real notebook, with virtual pages spreading across the foldable device.

Expect to see the latest Snapdragon SoC powering Andromeda. Microsoft will not position this against any Android or iOS-running competitors, but instead it will try to create its own niche. A 'digital journal' is what it may be called. The company has in fact already admitted that if it ever makes a mobile product again, it will be a new kind of device, and not a smartphone. All of that fits perfectly with what we're now hearing about Andromeda.

It could be Surface-branded when (or if) it launches, something like Surface Note or Surface Journal. Microsoft's hardware partners might choose to create similar devices if it takes off, but this is just speculation for now. Unfortunately no specs have leaked for Andromeda yet, so we don't even know if it will have one folding screen or two separate displays separated by a hinge.

Anyway, if it is to ever become reality, don't expect Andromeda in stores earlier than next year.

Source | Via

Xbox One X pre-orders are fastest selling ever for a Microsoft console

Microsoft's Xbox One X is the most powerful gaming console ever created. It was initially unveiled in June, and it went on pre-order worldwide last Sunday night. It's only been seven days since that moment, but the company is already announcing a milestone.

As of now, the One X pre-orders are the fastest selling in Xbox console history. As a consequence, the console is unfortunately sold out in many countries around the world at the moment. For some retailers, it was actually the fastest Xbox to sell out - ever.

Microsoft plans another wave of pre-orders for next month, so those places where it's currently sold out will get new batches to offer. The console will become available on November 7. Developers have committed to enhancing more than 100 new and existing games for the Xbox One X.

Source | Via

HMD now owns 500 Nokia design patents, including one for the Lumia Camera UI

An interesting revelation comes today regarding Nokia, both old and new. About 500 design patents have been transferred from Microsoft Mobile to HMD Global. The former is the company that made the Microsoft and Nokia branded Windows handsets following the acquisition by Microsoft of Nokia's smartphone division many years ago. The latter is the company currently holding the exclusive license to use the Nokia name for smartphones. HMD Global has already launched the Nokia 3, 5, and 6, and will unveil the flagship Nokia 8 next month.

This top of the line offering may have something rather unexpected under its sleeve: the famous Lumia Camera UI, long hailed by many as one of the most intuitive in the business. This was created by 'old' Nokia for its Windows phones, and the design patent for that UI is one of the 500 transferred to HMD Global.

On the other hand, the trademarks for PureView, ClearBlack, and PureMotion are still registered to Microsoft. So don't expect any of those to show up in a Nokia smartphone in the near future. From the key co-brands of Nokias past for now we'll have to make do with seeing Zeiss on the Nokia 8. At the moment, Microsoft Mobile still has about 200 design patents and it's unclear whether some or all of those are to be transferred to HMD too.

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MS Paint to be removed in the next Windows 10 update

Microsoft published a list of applications and services that will be removed or deprecated in the upcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. One of the applications stated for deprecation is the 32 year old MS Paint, that has been part of every version of Windows ever made.

After an overwhelming response from users on the internet, Microsoft announced in a blog post that the venerable drawing utility will be removed as part of default software suite but will be available as a download through the Windows Store. Microsoft instead wants users to use Paint 3D, which was introduced earlier this year in the Windows 10 Creators Update and features a much expanded set of drawing tools, including 3D objects.

The new version of Windows will be available later this year in fall.

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Microsoft announces Windows 10 S

Microsoft has launched a new version of Windows 10. Called Windows 10 S, it is aimed primarily at budget PCs for the education sector.

Windows 10 S has been streamlined to be able to run on low-end computers with lower hardware requirements and smaller install size. It is also designed to work faster, with the login process now taking only about 15 seconds from boot, which is quicker than Windows 10 Pro on the same hardware. Schools will also be able to configure multiple machines with a USB drive. Using preconfigured options, simply plugging in the drive in a Windows 10 S system will cause the PC to set itself up according to the preconfigured settings.

One of the major differences between Windows 10 S and Pro, however, is that Windows 10 S will only run applications from the Windows Store. Developers will have to package their existing apps and provide them through the Windows Store for users to install them. As usual, Microsoft will be curating all the apps on the Store.

Windows 10 S will be appearing on new education PCs starting $189 this summer and will also include free subscription to Minecraft: Education Edition and free Microsoft Office 365 for Education with Microsoft Teams. Schools currently on genuine Windows Pro PCs will get Windows 10 S for free.

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Microsoft Surface Laptop unveiled with a 13.5" non-detachable touchscreen

The Surface line ventured close to laptop territory with the Surface Book but now Microsoft made a true laptop. The Surface Laptop promises a non-detachable 13.5” PixelSense display with touch and stylus support. It's a 3:2 screen with 2,256 x 1,504px resolution (201ppi).

  
Surface Laptop in Cobald Blue, Platinum, Graphite Gold and Burgundy

Curiously, the backlit keyboard is covered in Alcantara, a suede-like material. It will be available in Platinum, Burgundy, Cobalt Blue and Graphite Gold. The whole thing should weigh just 1.25kg (2.76lbs) and measure 14.5mm at its thickest point (and 9.9mm at its thinnest).

Despite these highly portable dimensions, the Laptop promises 14.5 hours of Netflix binging before its battery runs out. Surface chief Panos Panay says the new portable computer is faster than a MacBook Pro but lighter than a MacBook Air.

  
A closer look at the Burgundy version • Note the Alcantara keyboard

The Microsoft Surface Laptop will run Windows 10 S, Microsoft's education-oriented OS. Configurations start at $999 and you get a choice of Intel Core i5 or i7 processors and up to 512GB of SSD storage.

But the $999 only gets you an i5 (7200U), 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. The fully loaded model - i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD - is a whopping $2,200. A bit much for a Chromebook alternative, no?

     
Lifestyle images of the Microsoft Surface Laptop

Microsoft managed to fit a sinular full size USB 3.0 Port, a mini DisplayPort, though there’s no USB-C to be seen. There’s a proprietary Surface port on the right and nothing on the back.

Source | Via

Microsoft to out cloud-based Windows 10 S and take on Chrome OS on the education market

Google's web-based Chrome OS and the accompanying array of affordable Chromebook devices are hardly chart-toppers when it comes to overall market shares on today's tech scene. Still, there is one specific market niche, where Google's brainchild really reigns supreme. And a pretty important and prospective one at that. At the end of last year, Chromebooks comprised a whopping 49% of the K-12 education sector, up from 40% in 2015 and only 9% in 2013.

Clearly the web giant is on to something and is seems Redmond wants in. Windows Central recently obtained some insider information, hinting that Microsoft's upcoming May 2 event, will see the release of a new cloud-based variant of Windows 10. One designed specifically to take Chrome OS head on in the classroom. Rumors suggest it will go by the name "Windows 10 S" and that it is thankfully a lot closer to Microsoft's current Universal Windows Platform apps and advanced cloud services, than the company's last misguided attempts at budgets ARM-based solutions - the dreaded Windows RT.

Judging by the minimum specs sheet, as well as some additional leaked info, Windows 10 S indeed appears to be intended for standard x86 PC hardware and should run on the unified Windows 10 kernel. This theory is further backed up by the fact that it is said to offer an upgrade path to Windows 10 Home or Pro, through the purchase of an additional license.

Microsoft's game plan here will be to offload a lot of tasks from the machine on to the cloud, just like Google does with its Chrome OS. This shouldn't be hard either, since Microsoft's lineup of cloud services, like OneDrive and Office 365 have really come a long way. If Redmond plays its cards right, it could benefit from the long-standing Windows compatibility and versatility arguments as well. Not only is Win32 compatibility for regular desktop applications possible with this approach, but the company's ongoing push towards the UWP model has created tools like Desktop Bridge, or "Project Centennial", for easy migration and running of older code in Microsoft's new ecosystem.

And if the US giant is at all serious in its plans to take on Chrome OS in the K-12 realm, this push towards the more streamlined and manageable UWP format needs to become even harder. One of the main reasons Google has been so successful and popular for the particular K-12 use case has always been simplicity to both operate and manage Chrome OS with ease. Teachers, professors and other educators and IT support staff benefit just as much from having a user-friendly experience on the administrative end of the ecosystem. Remote lockups and assistance, strict content control, seamless data transfer are all things Microsoft needs to personally supervise under the UWP flag, so Windows S doesn't get drowned in the sea that is traditional Widows support.

But, we digress. Circling back to the May 2 event, some industry insiders hope to see interesting K-12 hardware offers on stage as well. Most speculations seem to revolve around a cheaper laptop-style device, with a non-detachable keyboard, economical enough to make and sell in mass. Still, just like a Surface tablet, it will most likely have a touch screen and perhaps even a stylus. Also, a Lenovo Youga-style hinge setup to properly utilize touch input. Still, others believe Microsoft will hold off on any potential hardware announcements until its Build conference, the following week.

Even if that doesn't come to pass and Microsoft decides to rely on third-party compatible hardware offers instead of ones under its own Surface brand, Windows 10 S still holds a lot of potential.

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Microsoft: Sales of Hololens are in the thousands

HoloLens, Microsoft’s augmented reality headset has been on sale in several countries since the beginning of December. Both the Developer Edition and the Commercial Suite cost $3,000 and are sold through the Microsoft Store.

At the Education technology conference BETT in United Kingdom Roger Walkden from the HoloLens team revealed, that sales of the headset are so far in the ‘thousands’, insisting that’s all the company needs.

"We're not trying to sell hundreds of thousands or millions or anything, it's expensive, and it's not in huge numbers. So we're happy with the level of sales that we've got - I can't tell you anything about the numbers, but it's in thousands, not hundreds of thousands, and that's fine. That's all we need," he said.

Asked about future plans of waiting the production costs to lower, Walkden assured that HoloLens is currently in its version one and the VR market is new. “There’s a roadmap we’re following. For now this is the only device we need in order to get people started on their journey.”

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Skype for Linux Alpha updated with ability to auto-start, launch minimized

Microsoft has pushed out a new update to Skype for Linux Alpha. The update bumps the app to version 1.15 and brings along some new features and improvements, including an auto-start feature, which you can access by heading to Tools->Launch at Login.

In addition, the update includes the ability to launch minimized (Tools->Launch Minimized). Further, the update also enables a context menu with copy/paste commands in the message input area. And finally, "many smaller improvements and bugfixes" are included as well.

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Microsoft Arrow Launcher now lets you customize name and icon for apps

Microsoft has pushed out a new update to its Arrow Launcher Android app. The update brings along several changes, including the ability to change names and icons for apps. "Customize the icon and name of individual app – Just long press on any app to change it," the change-log for the update explains.

In addition, the update also adds a new backup and restore feature. You can use this feature to save your app layout and settings, something which is helpful in situations where-in you need to re-install Arrow.

Finally, the updated Arrow app also features some wallpaper-related enhancements as well as bug and crash fixes.

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IBM and Samsung with most patents in 2016, Apple not even in Top 10

Due to a fundamentally flawed system the patent have become a synonym for trolling and suffocating innovation. Yet sometimes they also indicate a forward-driving spirit and amount of innovative ideas. The patent data experts from IFI CLAIMS published a Top 10 list of tech companies who filed most patents last year.

As you can see from the graph IBM is on top with huge lead ahead of Samsung. If we put it in perspective, IBM filed 22 patents a day, while the Korean company had 15/day. Following is a closely packed group featuring Qualcomm, Google and Intel with almost 8 patents per day while LG, Microsoft, TSMC and Sony are completing the top 10 with 5-6/day. Industry profit leader Apple didn't make it to the list.

There’s an explanation for having so many patents. Companies don’t always put all this technology in action in their devices - they just want to make sure that no-one uses an idea they came up with first. And, of course, this graph shows us all patents, which stretch far beyond mobile divisions.

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Microsoft Surface Pro 5 to arrive before the end of March with 4K screen

Back in June a rumor told us that Microsoft was only aiming to launch the Surface Pro 5 2-in-1 device in spring of 2017. This apparently has to do with the company waiting for Intel's Kaby Lake processors to become available, since they will draw less power hence aiding battery life.

Months have passed and today we get a new rumor on the matter, which goes into a little bit more detail. The Surface Pro 5 is now said to be launching in the first quarter of next year, so before the end of March. Additionally, the device will reportedly have a 4K UHD touchscreen and magnetic charging stylus.

Pegatron Technology will manufacture the new Surface for Microsoft, and it should have a starting price of $899 - though for that amount of cash you might not be getting the 4K screen, which could be relegated to only the top of the line model costing $1,599.

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Microsoft Surface Pro 4 receives £75 price cut in UK

If you are in the UK, and are planning to purchase the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, you might want to check out the deal Amazon UK is offering. The retailer has the tablet/laptop hybrid (Intel Core m3 variant) listed on its website for under £675 - £674.10 to be precise.

That translates into a discount of around £75, given that the device usually carries a price tag of £749.99 on Amazon. A quick look at the model's listing on Microsoft's UK website reveals no discount - the device carries the same £749 price tag.

There's currently no information on when the deal ends, so those planning to avail it may have to act fast.

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Lumia 950 XL now $299 at the Microsoft store

Microsoft has slashed the price of its flagship smartphone offering by a massive $200 and the Lumia 950 XL now costs a modest (for its top-shelf status) $299. The Lumia 950 (non-XL) goes for $249, $150 off, but is out of stock.

You could splurge and get an HP Elite x3 - that one rocks the newer Snapdragon 820 chipset, and not the troubled 810 in the 950XL. HP's smartphone is also discounted, but at $649, it's not as great a deal as the Lumia. Then again, the price includes the Desk Dock, which can make the Elite X3 sort of a desktop PC, Continuum and all.

The offers are valid until December 24, but make sure you order before the 20th, if you want to put them under the Christmas tree.

Source | Via

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 gets new update

Microsoft has pushed out a new update to the Surface Pro 4. It's a minor update that includes improvements related to the device's Realtek audio driver. The software giant says the update will result in better Cortana performance and system stability in general.

Here is what the official change-log for the update says: "Realtek Semiconductor Corp. driver for Realtek High Definition Audio (SST) - v6.0.1.7895 - Improves system stability and Cortana performance." This is the first Surface Pro 4 update that Microsoft has pushed out in last four months.

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Microsoft expands availability of its HoloLens headset to more markets

Microsoft has announced that its HoloLens augmented reality headset - which has only been available in the US and Canada so far - is now also available for purchase in Australia, Ireland, France, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Both Development Edition as well as Commercial Suite are now on sale in these new markets.

The announcement came in the form of an email that the Redmond, Washington-based company sent out to customers today. The email also revealed that the device is currently up for pre-order in Japan, with shipments scheduled for next month.

Via | Microsoft Store

Microsoft CEO fans the Surface phone flames with talk of an "ultimate mobile device"

Microsoft's current Surface line of products has been enjoying quite a lot of popularity. Those span across the PC segment and tablet market, but fans are naturally left wondering about smartphones and their future.

The Surface Phones have already been featured in alleged renders and even leaked benchmark results. Today, however, brings the biggest proof for their existence or at least the presence of an active development effort and it comes from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, himself.

We don't want to be driven by just envy of what others have, the question is, what can we bring? That's where I look at any device form factor or any technology, even AI," he said. "We will continue to be in the phone market not as defined by today's market leaders, but by what it is that we can uniquely do in what is the most ultimate mobile device.

So apparently Microsoft isn't denaturing the mobile business. The path it will take is far from clear at this point, but it appears we are about to see some sort of a twist.

Satya did also refer to an undisclosed future handset offer as an "ultimate mobile device". This does fit in with a recent leak, linking the Surface Phone future to "laptop-class" Intel processors. Keeping that in mind, more powerhouse handsets like the HP Elite x3 with a mix of mobile and desktop pedigree might very well be the future Microsoft is planning.

Using x86 CPUs would definitely help enrich the experience, opt for a full-fledged Windows platform and break free from the Universal apps limitations. That is one theory, at least.

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Rumor says HP and Microsoft are working on new consumer-grade Windows 10 phone

According to a new rumor, HP - in partnership with Microsoft - is working on a new Windows 10 Mobile smartphone. The device, the rumor says, could be made official in February next year, an year after the business-focused HP Elite x3 was unveiled.

Sadly, nothing much is known about the handset at the moment, except that it'll feature typical Lumia features like Glance and double tap to wake, and it's likely the same device that Microsoft internally announced recently in Redmond.

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DEAL: Microsoft Surface Pro 4 tablet for $749

Save 16.7% on the 128GB Surface Pro 4 from Microsoft

Microsoft has a new deal for its entry-level version of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 tablet. You can now buy the 128GB model powered by the 6th Gen Intel Core m3, and equipped with 4GB of RAM for $749. That is a $150 or 16.7% discount off of the usual $899 price. The discount starts today and runs through November 12th, or until supplies of the tablet run out.

For those who have forgotten what the Surface Pro carries in the way of hardware, the tablet is equipped with a Gorilla Glass 4 protected 12.3-inch  display carrying an 1824 x 2736 resolution. A microSD slot is available for those seeking additional storage. The replaceable battery offers up to nine hours of video playback. An 8MP camera adorns the back of the slate, and a 5MP front-facing snapper takes selfies and handles video chats. And don't forget the Surface Pen that comes with the tablet right out of the box.

With the Type Cover, your Surface Pro 4 becomes a laptop. With the Surface Dock, the Surface Pro 4 can sit on your desktop with ports available for two high-resolution screens, a keyboard and. a mouse. With Windows 10 Pro installed, the Surface Pro 4 becomes a valuable device at home, in the office or on the road.

The deal is available only in the U.S. from the Microsoft Store. You can get there quick as a wink by clicking on the sourcelink.

source: Microsoft via WMPoweruser