Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve been hearing a lot about Windows 8.1 lately, and while it’s been confirmed for a little while, very few details have made their way into the ether. However, Microsoft unwrapped plenty of details about the upcoming update, and there are a handful of updated apps and new features, as well as the return of the Start button, as previously rumored.

First off, the Start button is back, but don’t get too excited just yet. As rumored yesterday, the new Start button doesn’t work like in past Windows iterations, and clicking on it will simply bring up a metro-style list of all the apps installed, but you can move these around to your liking. So while it’s not exactly like the traditional Start button that we know and love, it’ll be slightly similar.

Personalization will be an added bonus when the Windows 8.1 update lands next month. Users will be able to use their lock screens as a slideshow to show off their favorite set of photos from vacation, and it’ll even pull photos from SkyDrive. Users will also have more options as far as choosing a Start screen background, and Microsoft also included motion wallpapers that animate. You can make your desktop background the same background on the start screen as well, in order to make the start screen less segregated from everything else going on around you.

There’s also some minor changes coming to the Start screen itself, including the ability to quickly move around apps to your liking by resizing them and moving multiple apps around at the same time. You’ll also be able to create groups and name them what you want, and to see a quick list of all your apps on one page, you simply swipe up from the bottom to make it happen.

Windows 8 Search also is receiving a nice little bump, allowing for quicker search results and reducing the time it takes to search for something and actually clicking on it to bring it up. Currently, searching for something will bring up results in categories, but the update will deliver direct links to users, getting rid of an extra step that wasn’t a huge deal to begin with, but quicker is always better in our eyes. Bing search results from the web will also appear alongside your local files.

As for built-in apps in Windows 8, Microsoft is improving all of them in some way or another, as well as improving multitasking between apps. Microsoft says that the Photos app will come with some new editing features, and the Music app has been redesigned. As for multitasking, Windows 8.1 will allow users to “snap” up to three apps on one screen, and you’ll be able to resize apps to any size you want, so those with multiple monitors will be able to have a ton of apps open and viewable at once, which is pretty cool.

Cloud storage is also a larger focus in Windows 8.1. Microsoft’s SkyDrive is integrated much more deeply into the operating system than before, allowing users to save files directly to SkyDrive without any friction. The new SkyDrive app also gives you access to your local files, as well as files that are in the cloud. Plus, you’ll even be able to access these files offline. Settings will also be saved to SkyDrive, meaning that when you log into a new Windows 8.1 device using your Microsoft account, all of your personalized settings will activate.

Microsoft says that there’s plenty of information still to come, including changes to built-in apps (and we have yet to hear about a boot-to-desktop feature). Plus, we should be hearing a heck of a lot more about the update come next month when Microsoft hosts their annual BUILD conference, where the company will officially release Windows 8.1 into the wild.

Windows 8.1 fully detailed with return of Start button is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

What’s apparently Evernote‘s “most-requested feature” is now available on the company’s note-taking app for iOS, Mac, and the web. The app has been updated to include reminders that give you the ability to notify yourself of a note that you posted in Evernote, making sure that you don’t forget about it at a later time.

The reminders are pretty easy to set up as well. All you do is select the note that you want reminded about, and click the small alarm clock icon in the upper-right corner. From there, you just set the time and date, and the reminder is created and ready to go. You can also set other parameters, like how you want to be notified (through an email, notification, etc.).

This feature can be extremely handy, especially for work or school purposes where you have a deadline or due date for a particular project or essay. Personally, I really wish I had this feature during my college days, as I would save research notes and then quickly forget about them as I move onto another project.

Reminders are also synced across platforms, so setting a reminder on your Mac will also have it appear in the iOS app and web app as well. Sadly, Evernote hasn’t yet rolled this feature out to Android or Windows apps, but it should be only a matter of time before that happens. In the meantime, you can use the web app on Windows if you want reminders that badly.

Evernote is continuing to outpace its competitors by becoming more than just a minimal note-taking app. It may have started off as one, but it quickly became a feature-filled product that act as an all-in-one file cabinet of sorts, allowing you to save websites, images, documents, and other notes, as well as the ability to take photos and scan documents and have them upload straight to Evernote. Other apps are trying to keep up, but Evernote already has a strong hold on the note-taking market.

VIA: Evernote Blog

SOURCE: Evernote, iTunes App Store, Mac App Store

Evernote reminders come to iOS, Mac, and the web is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

During BlackBerry Live this week we got to speak with Vivek Bhardwaj, BlackBerry’s Head of Software, about the future of BB10. In light of the the platform’s first major software update rolling out to its devices, we asked about the plans for future releases. Bhardwaj told us that the plan is for them to come at a regular cadence of one major code update per year, with other, incremental updates for specific devices sprinkled in as needed. A particular focus is to do so while delivering devs fully realized hardware and to avoid fragmentation in the code base — making it easier to create BB10 apps.

While he wouldn’t dish details about features coming to BB10 in those updates, Bhardwaj did explain that he’s working on making BB10 a platform particularly suited for use not only in cars, but also in the healthcare and financial services industries. That focus is a part of the mobile computing ethos espoused by CEO Thorsten Heins meant to have BB10 devices be users’ personal, portable computing terminal that is simply plugged into a screen — whether it’s a desktop monitor, a car or somewhere else — that delivers a uniform experience. When asked whether those screens would include TVs, Bhardwaj didn’t rule it out, but he did say that home experiences weren’t a priority because it’s a crowded space and BB10 “is all about getting things done.” As a result, the number one focus is building out a compelling automotive platform, with healthcare and financial services coming in a close second. So, folks thinking BB10 was BlackBerry betting on consumers instead of the enterprise, think again. The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same — at least when the folks in Waterloo are involved.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

Comments

Google Play Music received a big update yesterday during Google I/O when the company launched its All Access music streaming service (we even got a quick hands-on session). However, as the old saying goes, if something gets added on then something must be taken off, and it seems the Nexus Q falls right in line with that. The latest update to Google Play Music drops support for the Nexus Q.

Both Android Police and Phandroid say that they have received official confirmation that the Nexus Q was dropped from Google Play Music support. A Google liaison said that, indeed, “the latest version of Google Play Music isn’t compatible with the Nexus Q.” Whether this officially spells the end for the media streamer is still anyone’s guess, but it sure seems that way.

Of course, we can’t be too surprised by this, as the Nexus Q quickly became a dud shortly after it was released. In fact, the device was already halted before it was officially launched, with people who pre-ordered the device getting it for free, while ongoing sales were stopped indefinitely.

The Nexus Q was then eventually removed from Google’s Nexus landing page, where the company highlights its line of Nexus devices. The Q was sadly missing from the bunch, making us all scratch our heads as to what Google’s plans were with the media streaming device. However, back in January, the Nexus Q was discovered as no longer available in the Google Play store, pretty much all but confirming that the device has seen its death.

Then again, we knew the Nexus Q was going to be a disaster right from the beginning — it didn’t take a genius to figure out that the Nexus Q wasn’t going to be a hint. It was an interesting concept, and the device is beautifully designed, but the need for it wasn’t really there, and it simply offered an alternative to other already-established media streaming solutions.

SOURCE: Android Police and Phandroid

Google Play Music update quietly drops support for Nexus Q is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows Blue will officially be called Windows 8.1, dropping the codename altogether and moving further into reality. The Redmond-based company also announced that the update will be coming later this year, and will be available for free in the Windows Store, allowing users to update when they see fit.

The company also reiterated that a preview version of Windows 8.1 will be available starting June 26, and will be launched during Microsoft’s BUILD conference that week, which the company first confirmed earlier this month. Preview versions will be available for both Windows 8 and Windows RT.

As for what this update will bring, that’s still a slight mystery. There will obviously be the usual bug fixes and performances enhancements all around, but it’s been rumored that Windows 8.1 will allow for smaller Windows tablets to come into play, allowing Microsoft to compete against Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire series. Microsoft said that the update will help them “to deliver the next generation of PCs and tablets,” so it’s possible that we could be looking at 7-inch slates this next generation. We recently heard about the possibility of new HTC tablets coming with an updated version of Windows RT. This would mark the return of tablets for HTC if true, but we’ll have to keep our ear to the ground for the time being.

Microsoft said that they will have more details about the Windows 8.1 update “in the coming weeks,” so it’s definitely worth it to sit tight for the time being if you’re looking forward to an update to Windows. It’s said that Microsoft will bring back the Start button, as well as include an option for straight-to-desktop booting, but we’re taking those rumors with a large grain of salt for now.

Windows Blue officially called Windows 8.1, coming later this year is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.