Microsoft confirms Windows 8.1 launching October 17th

Microsoft confirms Windows 81 launching October 17th

Microsoft has announced that Windows 8.1 will be arriving on October 17th (well, in the US, anyway), confirming an earlier rumor of a mid-month launch. For some reason, the company’s specified an exact release time of 12am on October 18th in New Zealand, which is 4am PT or 7am ET on October 17th. At that time, the free update will begin rolling out across local Windows Stores, and will be available “at retail and on new devices” from the 18th onwards, depending on your region. Check out our hands-on and subsequent coverage for an idea of what to expect from the update.

Filed under: , , , ,

Comments

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft previews Windows 8.1 on camera, forgets the Start button (video)

Microsoft previews Windows 8.1 on camera, forgets the Start button (video)

While it’s not exactly our “first look” at Windows 8.1, Microsoft’s put together an official preview video showing off several features of the OS update. If you caught our overview of what’s coming in the next version, there isn’t anything in the clip you won’t know already — in fact, the (sort of) return of the Start button isn’t discussed at all, although it does briefly pop up on the screen of the Surface Pro used in the demo. You’ve been reading about it and inspecting screengrabs, but if an official video talkthrough is what you’ve been hankering for, there’s four and a half minutes of just that waiting for you after the break.

Filed under: , , , ,

Comments

Source: Microsoft

Mystery 13-inch Sony Ultrabook slider pops up in horribly grainy YouTube video

Mystery 13-inch Sony Ultrabook slider pops up in horribly grainy YouTube video

We’ve already seen Sony take a stab at a Windows 8 hybrid in the form of the VAIO Duo 11, and now a clip has appeared on YouTube apparently showing an unannounced 13-inch Ultrabook slider with a 1080p Triluminos touchscreen display. Allegedly, the video is being used for training at UK retail chain Dixons, and in addition to repeatedly collapsing and opening the slim white and silver unit, the demonstrator plays around with a stylus in Microsoft’s Fresh Paint. There are a couple of text overlays near the end of clip, highlighting the “SurfSlider design,” backlit keyboard, ClearAudio+ and ActiveSleep tech, as well as its 10 hours of battery life. NFC is also said to be on board, along with an 8-megapixel camera with Exmor RS sensor, Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD. The incredibly grainy video is embedded after the break, and although we can’t verify its authenticity, we also can’t ally it to any known product.

Update: There’s also a handful of press images — we’ve included one after the break too.

[Thanks, Aiga and Christopher]

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: YouTube, Notebook Review forums

Nokia Music app launched for Windows 8 and RT hardware (video)

Nokia Music app launched for Windows 8 and RT hardware

You may know Nokia Music as the resident DJ on many WP8 handsets, and now the app’s looking to play sets at some larger venues. It’s popped up on the Windows Store for Windows 8 or RT hardware, and looks pretty similar to the WP8 version, albeit formatted for bigger screens. It doesn’t just serve as a front-end for accessing your personal music library — you’ll also find artist info, genre-specific mixes for online streaming and offline listening, as well as the option to create mixes of your own. The software will push tunes to compatible smart TVs or DLNA-equipped kit, and you can plug in your Nokia Music+ subscription details or check out the free seven-day trial for some extra features: better quality songs, unlimited skips and offline mixes, as well as synced lyrics where available. Currently, the app is only available in Australia, the US, the UK and Ireland, but will be coming to everywhere Music+ has launched over the “coming weeks.” Windows 8 or RT users can head to the source link for the download. If you need us, we’ll be off memorizing Bieber lyrics.

Filed under: , , , , ,

Comments

Via: My Nokia Blog

Source: Windows Store, Nokia

ASUS VivoBook S500 / S550 Windows 8 laptops now on sale for $699 and up

ASUS VivoBook S500 / S550 Windows 8 laptops now on sale for $699 and up

With Books, Pads, Tabs, Fones and the intriguing Transformer AiO, we can only wonder what else ASUS has in the stockroom. Recently liberated from the warehouse are the VivoBook S500 and S550 — they’re the biggest of the new VivoBook range, with 15.6-inch, 1,366 x 768 displays supporting multitouch for prodding at Windows 8. The S500 comes in one configuration: 1.7GHz Core i5, 6GB RAM, Intel GMA HD GPU and a 500GB HDD with 24GB SSD for fast-booting Redmond’s latest OS. Almost identical is the S550, which has Core i3 / i5 / i7 options, as well as an optical drive for “physical media,” whatever that is. You can call an S500 your own for $699 and ASUS has kindly put a slim list of retailers stocking the notebooks on its product page, though we can only find the i5-laden S550 for circa $750. Amazon seems to have had both on sale since March 4th, but ASUS thought it’d leave it a week before issuing a minimalist PR, which you’ll find below.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: TechPowerUp

Windows 8 sales have been ‘slow going,’ Microsoft said to be blaming OEMs

Windows 8 sales have been 'slow going,' Microsoft said to be blaming OEMs

We’ve already heard about Windows RT’s “modest” beginning, and now there’s talk full-blown Windows 8 ain’t flying off the shelves either. According to MS aficionado Paul Thurrott and one of his “most trusted sources,” uptake of the new OS isn’t hitting Redmond‘s targets, with the blame being put on OEMs and their “inability to deliver” more inspiring hardware with better availability. Some corroboration of Windows 8’s tricky birth comes from Merle McIntosh, senior VP of product management of NewEgg, who says the online retailer was “prepared for an explosion” at launch, but that sales have “been slow going” to date. However, he says that early sales figures shouldn’t be compared to Windows 7, since that OS arrived to “solve a Vista problem.” He expects Windows 8 to gain traction in Q2 2013 when “pricing normalizes,” which would certainly help to temper any launch frustrations.

Filed under: , , ,

Windows 8 sales have been ‘slow going,’ Microsoft said to be blaming OEMs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWinSuperSite, ReadWrite  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft’s November security updates include critical Windows 8 and RT patches

Microsoft's November security updates include critical Windows 8 and RT patches

Microsoft recently issued its “Security Bulletin Advance Notification” for this month, detailing which operating systems and software will be updated on November 13th. While many products are being addressed, including Office for Mac, newly released Windows 8 and RT are the most notable entries on the list. The first patches since they hit the market will fix “critical” issues which open them up to “remote code execution.” Microsoft hasn’t gone into specifics (obviously), but you can register for a webcast being held on the 14th (see source link) should you want enlightening. If you thought your fresh machine or slate was flawless, we’re afraid to say it’s just another member of the ‘Patch Tuesday’ club.

Filed under: , , ,

Microsoft’s November security updates include critical Windows 8 and RT patches originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Nov 2012 02:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Inquirer  |  sourceMicrosoft, Microsoft TechNet Webcast  | Email this | Comments

Windows 8 upgrade diary: a defiantly successful installation

Windows 8 upgrade diary: a defiantly successful installation

Nothing’s nicer than a happy ending. Except maybe a happy beginning, which is precisely what you’re looking at above — Microsoft’s new OS captured in all its glory within minutes of completing the installation. What’s more, if you saw the first part of this upgrade diary, then you’ll know I was aiming for a trickier-than-average setup, with Windows 8 Pro running on a brand new and untouched SSD, alongside Windows 7 Ultimate running in dual-boot mode on my old HDD. As it turned out, this configuration was a breeze — so long as I totally ignored the Getting Started instructions that came in the box. Read on if you’d like to know more.

Continue reading Windows 8 upgrade diary: a defiantly successful installation

Filed under:

Windows 8 upgrade diary: a defiantly successful installation originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 18:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Windows 8 upgrade diary: the buying experience

Windows 8 upgrade diary part one: the buying experience

There were balloons. There were streamers. There were brand new Ultrabooks, members of staff unfurling banners, and — once other customers started to arrive — there was even a vibe of genuine excitement for today’s official launch of Windows 8 in the UK. But whichever aisle I scanned, nowhere was to be found what I had come to buy: a Windows 8 disc for desktop upgraders. It was a faltering start, but it was also strangely symbolic of my mission — namely, to explore what Microsoft’s latest operating system can do for regular desktop folk. People who, in other words, aren’t yet looking to invest in touch-enabled monitors or laptops or all-in-ones; who rarely get the chance to lean back with a media-consumption tablet; and who simply want to upgrade their traditional tower PC before getting on with their lives. Read on past the break and you can begin this potentially short, hopefully sweet journey with me, starting with a quick rundown of my test rig (which also happens to be my mission critical work computer) and an anti-climactic revelation about whether, in the end, I ever found the software box I was looking for.

Continue reading Windows 8 upgrade diary: the buying experience

Filed under: ,

Windows 8 upgrade diary: the buying experience originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Windows 8 is in stores today — are you buying a copy?

Windows 8 is in stores today  are you buying a copy

That special moment has come which usually rolls around only once every three years: Microsoft has released a new version of Windows. For the version 8 update, though, the stakes are higher than ever. Redmond isn’t just trying to convince legions of existing Windows users that they should break their PC update cycles. It’s trying to reclaim a foothold in a tablet space that’s now dominated by Apple and Google — and it’s dipping into self-designed computers for the first time with a Surface tablet that theoretically represents Microsoft’s perfect vision. But how well is Windows 8 resonating with you? Did you download a copy as soon as the servers were warmed up, or do you see it as a calamity that restricts a perfectly good platform? Sound off in our poll and in the comments below.

[Image credit: Steven Sinofsky, SkyDrive]

View Poll

Filed under: , , ,

Windows 8 is in stores today — are you buying a copy? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments