Hasta La Gadget!

Welcome to Friday evening, everyone. Today was a pretty big day in the world of tech, with both Windows 8 and Microsoft Surface launching and the iPad mini going up for pre-order. Microsoft was actually handing out £50 coupons to the Microsoft Store for giving those in the UK who pre-ordered a Surface conflicting messages about when it will ship, and the company even managed launch Xbox Smartglass for Android alongside Surface and Windows. Microsoft said it will be giving Windows 8 Pro users a free upgrade to Media Center, while Steven Sinofsky talked up the company’s new products, managing to get a couple of shots in at Apple at the same time.

On the Apple side of things, iPad mini pre-orders went pretty quick today, but not as fast as Apple devices normally go, leaving us to wonder if Apple finally managed to get stock issues right or if the iPad mini just isn’t all that popular. We heard that iPad mini LTE models could arrive as early as November 21, and Apple was seen knocking PC manufacturers for being afraid to drop old technology.

Of course, it would have been a very strange news day if there weren’t any new Nexus leaks, but thankfully we had a couple big ones to report. One Google employee apparently used the camera on the back of the Nexus 10 to snap pictures on his vacation, while we got to see the tablet up close and personal in a series of new leaked photos. Speaking of Google, the company released a new video showing new Windows 8 users how to quickly install Google search and Chrome onto their machines, and we received a new Google Maps update that adds colored terrain, which is a pretty cool feature if you ask us.

There’s a particularly scary Borderlands 2 exploit making the rounds, while Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition players got a skins pack featuring a whopping 55 Halloween-themed skins for just two smackers. Nintendo introduced a new Charizard 3DS XL that’s sure to be super rare, and GameStop announced that it will be opening a number of retail stores aimed at young children. Paul Ceglia was arrested for fraud after it was determined that he forged documents saying he was entitled to a huge stake in Facebook, and Volvo was touting its traffic jam self-driving technology today. Netflix detailed its Windows 8 app today too, so have a look at the company’s new video if you want to get familiar of all of the new features.

We’re almost done with the Wrap-Up, but before we go, be sure to have a look at the original articles that went up today. Chris Davies tells us why he’s cancelled his Microsoft Surface pre-order, while Chris Burns asks if Apple will adopt wireless charging technology if Google introduces it in its Nexus line. Burns also got the chance to interview famed artist Futura at a recent Samsung event, so don’t miss that one! That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, we hope you have an excellent weekend!

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: October 26, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you’re a Netflix user who happens to be upgrading to Windows 8 today, then you’ll be pleased to know that the video streaming service has gone into detail about its Windows 8 app. Now available on the Windows 8 Store, the Netflix app lets you browse and watch content without actually going to the Netflix site, and it’s been engineered to work with both touch controls and the more traditional mouse and keyboard. Netflix director of product innovation Michael Spiegelman and engineering manager Matthew Trunell have even put together a little video that walks users through all of the new features of Netflix on Windows 8.

The Netflix Windows 8 app isn’t all that different from Netflix on other platforms, but there are few cool features that are worthy of a mention. For instance, Netflix has introduced a new feature called “Semantic Zoom,” which allows users to pinch and zoom out on the Home screen to see a broad overview of their recommendations. You can use Windows 8′s search function to find TV shows and movies within the Netflix app, and Netflix has also included a drop down ribbon at the top of the screen that you can use to get back to the Home screen or browse through the top 10, new releases, and genres. Have a look at the video below for more information on this new Netflix Windows 8 app.

Interestingly, Forbes is reporting that Netflix stock was trading up today after rumors of a potential Microsoft buyout hit the Internet. We’re not sure if Microsoft actually is planning to purchase Netflix, but the fact that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings recently stepped down from Microsoft’s board of directors has some people thinking that a deal is in the works. Whether or not that’s actually the case, Netflix’s stock is up this afternoon, ending the trading day up $8.07 and settling at $69.58.

That’s a pretty significant gain of 13.12%, so investors must be excited about something. It’s worth pointing out that in after hours trading, Netflix has lost a bit of what it gained during the day, dropping $0.78 or 1.12%, but even when you count that, Netflix still had a great day. The question now becomes – is Microsoft truly plotting a buyout, or is all that nothing more than speculation? Hopefully we’ll be finding out soon.

[via Netflix Blog]

Netflix details Windows 8 app as rumored Microsoft buyout leads to stock jump is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

When Microsoft announced that they would be getting rid of Windows Media Center and all of its codecs for DVD playback and broadcast television in Windows 8, many home theater PC fanatics were effectively disappointed and probably really aggravated. However, it looks like the company is offering anyone who has Windows 8 Pro a free upgrade to Media Center until the end of January.

Microsoft said that they essentially got rid of Windows Media Center because there weren’t a lot of users who were taking advantage of it, but the home theater PC crowd is large enough that Microsoft received enough flack for it that they’re bringing it back for free to some users. From now until January 31, 2013, Windows 8 Pro users can sign up to receive a free upgrade to Windows 8 Media Center.

Of course, Windows Media Center is still widely available for Windows 8 users, but it doesn’t come with the OS itself. Users must purchase it as an add-on in the Windows Store for $10. Granted, that’s not a lot of money at all, especially for all the features that you get, but considering that it was once a free feature that came with Windows, we can see how HTPC enthusiasts would be upset.

To get your free Media Center upgrade, all you have to do is head to Microsoft’s website and enter in your email address, your Windows 8 Pro product key, and the captcha code. Once that’s done, all you have to do is wait patiently for your Windows 8 Media Center license code to appear in your inbox.

[via Engadget]

Microsoft offering Windows 8 Pro users free upgrade to Media Center is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Windows 8 is here at last and, for the most part, we think it’s pretty great. However, as with all new Windows installs, Internet Explorer and Bing are both present. Most people would rather leave those two behind and use different browsers and search engines instead, and today we’re seeing Google capitalize on that. Google has launched a new “campaign” of sorts to get new Windows 8 owners using both its search engine and Chrome as quickly as possible.

It’s called “Get Your Google Back,” and the big G has even launched a new website with the sole purpose of getting its products on your Windows 8 machine. The process seems painlessly simple – once you’ve got Windows 8 installed on your computer, open up Internet Explorer and direct it to getyourgoogleback.com. Once you’re there, you’ll be prompted to install the Google search app for Windows 8.

The website also has a button to make Google Chrome your default browser, and clicking that button will begin the install of Google’s much-loved Chrome. The whole process is laid out in the handy little video posted below. Google gets bonus points for setting the video to a strikingly good cover of Jackson 5′s I Want You Back.

And there you have it – just a few simple steps and you can have Google search and Chrome tiles right there on your Start screen. Are you a new Windows 8 user who will be following Google’s advice, or are you going for a different search/browser combo? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out our story timeline for more on Windows 8!

Google shows Windows 8 users how to easily ditch Bing and IE is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Yesterday, Microsoft officially unveiled their new products like Windows 8 and the new Surface tablet running Windows RT. President of the Windows and Windows Live Division Steven Sinofsky spoke about the company’s new products and how they deliver modern computing at a lower cost by no doubt bringing Apple into the equation.

Sinofsky mentioned to AllThingsD that there are full-featured Windows 8 laptops that sell for as little as $279, which is less than what Sinofsky calls a “seven-inch recreational tablet” that sells for pricy $329. Sinofsky pointed out that he is very pleased with OEMs like Acer, Lenovo and Dell who have released thin and light touchscreen Ultrabooks that sell for much less than a MacBook Air.

However, he notes that these companies are “not just discounting” their products, but that it’s simply “engineering work that drives the cost down.” Sinofsky also says that the tablet-optimized Windows RT OS will hold a lot of appeal, and that the Surface tablet “really is a PC for everyone.”

Then again, Sinofsky asked, “Is it for everyone all the time?” His answer was no, but he said Microsoft’s Surface tablet will suffice during long business trips, and would outdo the iPad when it comes to long trips like that, since he mentioned that Apple’s tablet might only be good for shorter trips.

[via AllThingsD]

Microsoft exec Steven Sinofsky talks up Windows 8 hardware, downplays Apple is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.