Hasta La Gadget!

With the Windows 8 launch in full swing, there is a lot of communication coming from Microsoft, but a Bill Gates interview is arguably much more interesting than a TV commercial. Of course, it won’t come as a surprise that Bill Gates supports the Microsoft Surface tablet, but it’s probably clear that it has to be more than a bit special for him since he was supported the “tablet” idea for so long.

Bill gates was still around when Microsoft’s CTO Ray Ozzie coined the “three-screen and a cloud” (TV, PC, Mobile — in 2009) which sets the goal of having a consistent experience across multiple devices. A few years later, this vision is about to have its best implementation yet with the arrival of Windows 8, Windows 8 RT and Windows Phone 8. It’s not hard to imagine that he is genuinely excited about this.

“You can’t appreciate it, without seeing it. Go to a store” says Bill Gates. Now that Microsoft stores are popping all over the country, that may ultimately be the easiest thing to do. for the details, stay tuned for our own review of the Microsoft Surface as it should come out within days. So far, what do you think of the Surface, and what would you like to see in a review? Watch the video in the full post.  (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Microsoft Surface for Windows RT at $199, possible or not?, Windows 8 companion app for Windows Phone 8 spotted,

It goes without saying, Microsoft, who owns Skype, will be working to roll out a new version of Skype. This should not come across as a surprise considering how Microsoft, too, has a new Windows operating system for the masses known as Windows 8, so it would be a no-brainer to roll out Skype for Windows 8. It is said that Skype for Windows 8 sees Microsoft focus on how folks are using Skype today, while re-imagining Skype for everyday communications worldwide. If we were to summarize it, one can say that Skype for Windows 8 is simple, fast and beautiful.

It makes communication easier when recent chat messages and calls can be seen the moment you launch Skype, in addition to seeing folks who you come into contact with the most. Adding to your favorite contacts is as easy as a simple tap or click away. Calling landlines or smartphones directly has been simplified as well thanks to the new and modern dial pad. Windows 8 knows whether you are using a desktop, laptop, tablet or convertible PC, as it has Skype running in the background without causing too much of a drain on your battery life, which is a good thing especially when you’re using a mobile device. Are you looking forward to Skype for Windows 8?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Skype 2.1.23 update for Belle FP2 could be the last, Windows 8 Gets a Hulu Plus App,

This morning we’re gearing up for one gigantic week of releases, starting with a massive (yet mini) Apple event and ringing through the center with Windows 8′s official release. Start your morning off right with Bill Gates discussing Windows 8 with the Surface tablets starting the party the right way. Have a peek at Apple’s education strategy with the iPad mini as well – nothing has been confirmed as of yet, but it’s looking more and more likely!

It’s suddenly 1993 again as a group releases the making-of the Velociraptor for the students of the Stan Winston School of Character Arts. It’s also time to end a rather old relationship if tips are to be believed, that being the Apple/Samsung LCD business, tipped to be cut due to bad blood and a new pricing strategy gone wrong. The retro updates continue with a brand new cassette tape prototype that’s able to store a whopping 35 terabytes of data.

We’ve got three reviews of products you’ll be freaking out over, the first of them being no less than a full Windows 8 review in all its glory. We’ve also got a Samsung Series 3 Chromebook review and a Libratone Zipp review as well – AirPlay on the go!

There’s been a discovery of a completely unknown Roman catacomb this week with no more than a stray cat archeologist bringing it out to light. Windows 8 will be blasting forth with a new Skype app for the masses. A home-striking meteorite has appeared this past week – consider yourself lucky that it didn’t smack your car instead.

There’s a brand new Google Glass in town, this time bringing engineer-grade wearable technology to the forefront with the name Motorola Solutions HC1. Samsung’s flexible AMOLED technology has been delayed until 2013. Those of you in to the world of NAS will be glad to see the wild universe of Synology’s quad-tuner DVDs with remote placeshifting.

If you really want to look forward to the future, you’ll freak out at the leak surrounding the Google event on the 29th of October – Jelly Bean 4.2 plus LG Nexus 4, Nexus 7 3G, and the new Nexus 10 tablet as well. There’s been a leak of the HTC DLX that you’ll want to have a peek at.

SlashGear Morning Wrap-up: October 22, 2012 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates sat down and talked for the first time about Microsoft’s upcoming launch of its Surface tablet and Windows 8. Gates talks about the future of Windows with touch and tablet experiences, which are new for the company, but he also mentioned that the shift towards tablets is a big step for Microsoft.

Gates sat down with Microsoft’s own Steve Clayton, and while the former CEO hasn’t been in charge of Microsoft for several years now, he’s still well aware of what’s going on with company and had a lot to say about Microsoft’s upcoming products. Gates spent most of the five-minute interview talking up and praising Windows 8 and the new Surface tablet, but he had some insights as to what the future holds for Microsoft.

Gates said that users simply “want to consume their mail, reading, [and] video anywhere, and they want it to be awfully simple.” Touch capabilities make that happen simply and easily, but Gates also mentioned that “you want to incorporate touch without giving up the mouse and keyboard capability that is just so natural in most settings.” Because of this, Gates says that Microsoft “is blending all the different forms of input” to make devices easier to use for everyone.

Gates continued by saying that users will be “amazed” at the amount of effort that Microsoft is putting into its upcoming products, and that it’s sort of a turning point for the company as far as innovation and the importance of its new product line. Gates simply says that “this is the big time” for Microsoft.

[via Next at Microsoft]

Bill Gates discusses future of Microsoft with Surface and Windows 8 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

With Windows 8 going on sale in just four days, Microsoft is doing a sensible thing and releasing a version of Skype optimized for Win 8. As you’d expect, Skype for Windows 8 has the same overarching look and feel as other apps, which is to say you can swipe from left to right to see different categories, such as recent activity, favorites and a complete contacts list. But the integration with Windows 8 goes a little deeper than that. Just as you can pinch your Live Tiles to zoom out and make them easier to navigate, you can use semantic zoom to sift through a long list of contacts. And, because Skype runs in the background, you can set up your Start Screen so that the Skype Live Tile shows notifications for things like missed calls. Additionally, Skype is now baked into the People Hub, so that someone’s Skype handle shows up alongside other forms of contact, like an email address or phone number.

The in-call experience has also been modified to take advantage of certain features in Win 8. For one, you can link your Skype and Microsoft account, so that when you log into your system using your Microsoft ID, you’ll already be logged into Skype. While on a call, you can conduct video chats using the whole screen, at which point chat messages from that person will show up as text bubbles on the side of the screen. At any time, you can swipe to see other recent activity, which could be handy if you’re juggling multiple IM conversations at once.

If you prefer, you can also dock Skype on the side of the screen, as you can with any other program in Win 8. With the Skype chat taking up just a third (or two thirds) of the screen, you can use that remaining real estate for an IM chat within Skype, or maybe a web search. Lastly, if you return to the home screen, there’s a large phone icon up top where you’ll find the dialer, whose number pad allow your fingers plenty of room to hit the right keys. You’ll see your balance listed there, too, in the event you’re not planning on making a free call to another Skype user. That’s our quick summary of what’s new, but if you like you’ll soon be able to experience it for yourself: the app will be available for free in the Windows Store on October 26th.

Continue reading Microsoft announces Skype for Windows 8: full-screen calls, push notifications and People Hub integration

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

Microsoft announces Skype for Windows 8: full-screen calls, push notifications and People Hub integration originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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