Hasta La Gadget!

Microsoft confirmed today that it will indeed be ditching the Metro branding for Windows 8, and said it plans to introduce a new brand sometime later this week. We had a feeling that something like this was going to happen, thanks to this week’s leak of internal Microsoft memos which signaled such a change. Apparently, Microsoft’s decision to dump the branding comes from talks with “an important European partner” that left the company without much choice in the matter. To put it simply, Microsoft probably picked the term “Metro” without realizing that one its partners already held the trademark.

So, now Windows 8 will get a bit of new branding. Metro was the term Microsoft used to describe the design and feel of Windows 8 and Windows RT, and don’t expect the phrase to disappear overnight. Microsoft hit the ground running with this branding, mentioning the name Metro at every chance. Now that the term Metro has been used so much, it’s going to be incredibly hard for Microsoft to flush it from the minds of those who have been following the development of Windows 8.

ComputerWorld points out that the “important European partner” may be Germany-based Metro AG. The company is the fifth-largest retailer in the world, so it isn’t hard to imagine why it might be upset with Microsoft’s choice of branding in this instance. Neither company will confirm nor deny this speculation, and Microsoft says that this change was not brought on by litigation. If the two companies were at odds over the Metro brand, Microsoft seems to have diffused the situation before it ended up in a court room.

We won’t be waiting long for this new brand to arrive, as Microsoft’s announcement that it will be coming “this week” means that the company will be revealing it either later today or tomorrow. Once this new brand arrives, expect Microsoft to begin using it as much as humanly possible. We’ll have details on this new brand for you once Microsoft makes its announcement, so keep it tuned right here to SlashGear.

Microsoft officially leaving Windows 8 Metro brand in the dust is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Good news for those looking to get their hands on Windows 8 before everyone else does, the final build of Windows 8 has just been leaked online. This news comes a day after it was announced that the final version of Windows 8 had been finished. MSDN and TechMet customers won’t be able to download their version of Widnows 8 until August 15th, an enterprise version of Windows 8 is currently making rounds at different file sharing websites across the web.

Unfortunately, if you were hoping for the Windows Media Player to be included in this version, you’re out of luck as it is the “N” version of Windows 8 which doesn’t come with the Player. Microsoft was forced to create a “N” build of its operating system as the European Commission ruled in 2004 that they need to create a version of Windows OS without the Windows Media Player included. Microsoft has yet to release a comment on the situation yet. Consumers will be able to get their hands on Windows 8 officially starting October 26th. We’ll keep you updated on the situation as more info becomes available and let us know in the comments section below if you plan on downloading the leaked build of Windows 8.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Windows 8 leaked online, Modern Reader: first Windows 8 app revealed?,

If you’ve seen most of Microsoft’s design language for nearly three years, there’s only one word that sums it up: Metro. In spite of that urban look being the underpinning of Windows Phone, Windows 8 and even the Zune HD, Microsoft now claims to ZDNet and others that it’s no longer fond of the Metro badge. Instead, it’s supposedly phasing out the name as part of a “transition from industry dialog to a broad consumer dialog” while it starts shipping related products — a funny statement for a company that’s been shipping some of those products for quite awhile. Digging a little deeper, there’s murmurs that the shift might not be voluntary. Both Ars Technica and The Verge hear from unverified sources that German retailer Metro AG might waving its legal guns and forcing Microsoft to quiet down over a potential (if questionable) trademark dispute. Metro AG itself won’t comment other than to say that these are “market rumors,” which doesn’t exactly calm any frayed nerves over in Redmond. Should there be any truth to the story, we hope Microsoft chooses an equally catchy name for those tiles later on; Windows Street Sign Interface Windows 8-style UI just wouldn’t have the same ring to it.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Microsoft downplays Metro design name, might face a lawsuit over all that street lingo originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 17:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have you heard about Splashtop before? It is touted to be the easiest and fastest way to access your Windows-based PC or Mac remotely with Windows 8 as the operating system of choice. It is said that Splashtop Remote Desktop for Windows 8 has now arrived at the Windows Store for those who are interested, where it comes in the form of a consumer preview version. It is said that Splashtop Remote Desktop’s user interface has been specially optimized for Windows 8 native gestures, and among these include an easy to use, drag-and-drop computer favorites list in addition to the ability to swipe to reveal hidden menus.

With Splashtop Remote Desktop for Windows 8, Windows 8 users will be able to join up with over seven million Splashtop users of mobile devices, ranging from tablets to smartphones, helping you access your Windows-based PCs and Macs in order to run applications remotely, allowing you to view and edit files, watch HD movies and play graphic-intensive games at an impressive 30 frames per second.

You will be able to enjoy remote access support with full audio and video over Wi-Fi and 3G/4G networks, now how about that? Apart from supporting Windows 8, Splashtop will also be made available for iOS and Android devices. [Press Release]

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Splashtop for iPad now supports Windows 8, Final version of Windows 8 leaked online,

Microsoft just isn’t getting much Windows 8 love from the game community, full stop. Following Blizzard and Valve anxieties, Minecraft developer Notch (the man on the left) is himself cautious about the shift to the Windows Store and the seeming discouragement of third-party outlets. Despite sharing an affinity with Microsoft for square-shaped worlds, he sees any further lockdown of Windows 8 as potentially “very very bad” for indie game developers and overall competition in the gaming business. Not that Notch is singling out the OS for concern: he’s also maintaining his resistance to Valve’s Steam and doesn’t want the Portal creator to “rent games” instead of selling titles that buyers can keep forever. While Notch isn’t adverse to producing games for closed systems when it’s the only choice, he’s joining a growing chorus of those worried that openness is on the endangered list.

Filed under: Gaming, Software

Minecraft creator warns locked down Windows 8 could be ‘very bad’ for indies, stays wary of Steam too originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 14:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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