Sep 14

VMware Fusion 4 brings full Lion support, wants to make Windows act less like Windows

Posted in: mac os x, MacOsX, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, os x, OsX, refresh, software update, SoftwareUpdate, Today's Chili, update
Leave it to VMware to put the spotlight back on Lion when this is, without a doubt, Windows 8’s week. The company just announced Fusion 4, the latest version of its virtualization software, and, as you’d expect, it pledges to play nice with Apple’s newly minted OS. In addition to fully supporting Lion features like Spotlight, though, it makes Windows look more like, well, a Mac. The software includes improved support for Expose and Spaces on the Windows side, and adds the ability to use Mission Control and launch Windows apps from Launchpad. Additionally, you can run Lion as a virtual machine within Snow Leopard and VMware makes vague claims about improved performance, 3D graphics and resource-hogging. It’ll cost $50 through the end of the year, with the price jumping up to $80 in January. Fittingly enough, VMware picked up on the fact that Apple’s moving away from optical drives, and instead chose to ship the software with a USB drive (you can also download it and do the whole drag-and-drop installation thing). Oh, and if you bought the last-gen version of the software on July 20th or later, you’ll get the new version gratis. Lots of screen shots below, and full PR after the break.

Gallery: VMWare Fusion 4

Continue reading VMware Fusion 4 brings full Lion support, wants to make Windows act less like Windows

VMware Fusion 4 brings full Lion support, wants to make Windows act less like Windows originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 14

Google outbid itself by 33 percent in Motorola Mobility acquisition, SEC filing reveals

Posted in: Android, financial, Google, industry, merger, mobilepostcross, money, moto, motorola, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, price, smartphone, Software, Today's Chili
Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility is already starting to lose that new car smell, but a fresh batch of financial details has now emerged, providing deeper insight into how the deal actually went down. According to an SEC filing that Motorola Mobility released yesterday, Google made an initial offer of $30 per share on August 1st, but soon raised that bid to $37 per share on August 9th, after Moto and its advisers asked for $43.50. On that same day, Google again raised its offer to $40 per share, even though Motorola wasn’t accepting bids from other firms, for fear that a public auction would jeopardize its sale. This 33 percent increase ultimately added some $3 billion to the pot, bringing the final price tag to $12.5 billion. A Mountain View spokeswoman declined to comment on the negotiations, though its aggressive bidding suggests that the search giant desperately wanted the deal to go through. The documents also reveal that patent-related issues were at the forefront of discussions from the very beginning, when Google’s Senior Vice President Andy Rubin met with Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha to talk about their mutual concerns, way back in July. According to the Wall Street Journal, these talks eventually convinced Jha that his company would be better off under Google’s stewardship, amid fears that Moto could get swallowed by the stormy seas of patent litigation — anxieties that the exec made all too apparent just four days before the merger was announced. You can dig through the full SEC filing at the source link below.

Google outbid itself by 33 percent in Motorola Mobility acquisition, SEC filing reveals originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 04:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 13

Windows 8 developer preview: when and where to download (update: right now, here!)

Posted in: breaking news, developer, developers, download, Microsoft, minipost, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, Software, Today's Chili, Windows, windows 8, Windows8

Got a brain full of Windows 8? Can’t stop obsessing about it? Fret not — as of 8PM PT this evening (just under eight hours from now), you’ll be able to download a copy of the Windows Developer Preview to your 32- or 64-bit x86 machine (no activation required) from dev.windows.com. Sorry, ARM hopefuls! Per usual, we’d recommend doing so on a separate partition (or a spare machine altogether) in order to prevent unforeseen conflicts, and we’d also suggest having a stiff glass of patience waiting nearby. Something tells us Redmond’s servers are going to be hammered.

Update: The download is live! Click here to try it out yourself, while the slightly less daring can hang on for our first impressions of Microsoft’s latest and greatest once we’ve installed and given it a try.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Windows 8 developer preview: when and where to download (update: right now, here!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 13

Windows 8 details: new features, UI enhancements and everything in between

Posted in: apps, AppStore, arm, cloud, Microsoft, multitouch, nfc, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, Software, Today's Chili, Windows, windows 8, Windows8

Today, Windows Division prexy Steven Sinofsky treated Build 2011 attendees to a walkthrough of the various tweaks, subtle or otherwise, Microsoft’s made to Windows 8. Staying true to its roots, the new OS implements the familiar keyboard commands users have become accustomed to over the years — you know, like CMD and Ctrl+F. And as for its update to Internet Explorer, MS has imbued its tenth iteration with the ability to switch between the much-hyped Metro-style UI and plain old desktop view — all according to your whimsy. Of course, Redmond’s instituted other sweeping changes across the platform, and you can check some of the highlights after the break.

Gallery: Windows 8 details roundup

Continue reading Windows 8 details: new features, UI enhancements and everything in between

Windows 8 details: new features, UI enhancements and everything in between originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 13

NVIDIA opens Windows 8 developer program with support for Kal-El tablets

Posted in: developer, developers, Microsoft, NVIDIA, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, Software, tablet, tablets, tesla, Today's Chili, Windows

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know Microsoft’s Build developer conference is going on right now in Anaheim, California, and Windows 8 is the belle of the ball. Earlier today, Windows chief Steven Sinofsky spilled more details about the OS, touting the minimum requirements and NFC support, while we fessed up to having had some quality hands-on time ourselves. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the company’s hardware partners are also ready to start talking. NVIDIA just opened its Windows 8 developer program, and says it’ll embrace not just x86-based PCs, but Tegra-powered tablets as well. Specifically, that means support for its forthcoming quad-core Tegra platform, codenamed Kal-El, along with PCs packing GeForce, Quadro and Tesla cards. Any developers who happen to be hanging around the Anaheim Convention Center can sign up at NVIDIA’s booth, though there’s also an online registration page for everyone else. Find that at the source link, along with the full PR after the break.

Continue reading NVIDIA opens Windows 8 developer program with support for Kal-El tablets

NVIDIA opens Windows 8 developer program with support for Kal-El tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 13

Microsoft shows Windows 8 on existing Ultrabooks, acts like it’s never seen a thin laptop before

Posted in: breaking news, laptop, Microsoft, notebook, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, Software, Today's Chili, Windows, windows 8, Windows8

The majority of first-gen Ultrabooks aren’t on sale yet — not even with Windows 7 — but Microsoft’s already showing off tomorrow’s best and brightest with Windows 8. We already knew that Windows 8 would theoretically run on a now-ancient Lenovo S10, but if you’re concerned about “futureproofing,” it looks as if the thinnest and lightest in the Wintel world will be good enough to run a developer build of Win8. You know — when the files hit the wild tonight at 8PM PT.

Gallery: Windows 8 on Ultrabooks

Microsoft shows Windows 8 on existing Ultrabooks, acts like it’s never seen a thin laptop before originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 13

Windows 8 Store to sell both Metro-style apps and conventional Win32 programs

Posted in: breaking news, Microsoft, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, Software, Today's Chili, Windows, windows 8, Windows8

Oh, sure — you’ve already started digging into the upcoming Windows Store (or, at least what it’ll deliver), but Microsoft just revealed a cute little nugget about its future functionality here at Build 2011. In keeping with its mantra of making Windows 8 a one-size-fits-all affair, the Store will be home to both Metro-style apps (useful for tablets and desktops alike) as well as traditional Win32 programs. You know, like Quicken. The outfit is hoping for this to provide more visibility for the programs that we all grew up on, and so long as the categorization is under control, we’re all for it.

Not surprising, given that there’s “no overlay” here. Whatever you see, it’s “all Windows.” The company’s playing up its flexibility for coders, with a full spate of supported coding options explained in graphical detail just after the break.

Follow our continuing Build 2011 / Windows 8 coverage here!

Continue reading Windows 8 Store to sell both Metro-style apps and conventional Win32 programs

Windows 8 Store to sell both Metro-style apps and conventional Win32 programs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 13

Windows 8 for tablets hands-on preview (video)

Posted in: hands-on, HandsOn, impressions, Microsoft, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, preview, Software, Today's Chili, Windows, windows 8, Windows8

Just last week, we got our paws on Samsung’s Series 7 Slate, and it’s already making its second debut. This time around, however, it’s sporting a much more mouthwatering setup. No, it’s not dawning Lady Gaga’s edible leftovers; this new look comes courtesy of Microsoft’s much teased and hotly anticipated touch-friendly OS, Windows 8. As you’ve likely already heard, the latest incarnation of the operating system is something entirely new for Redmond, and, as it turns out, the world. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before, but that won’t stop us from making comparisons.

Like Apple’s latest attempt at a desktop OS, Windows 8 borrows largely from its mobile kin, Window Phone 7, bringing its signature live tiles to tablets and PCs, and from what we’ve seen it does so effortlessly. Before we go ruining a good thing, however, we have to point out that this isn’t everything Windows has to offer — it’s still a developers preview (and in turn, an OS under construction), and the device it’s running on hasn’t been approved as an official Windows 8 slate. Got all that? Good. Read on for our first impressions!

Gallery: Windows 8 for tablets hands-on preview

Continue reading Windows 8 for tablets hands-on preview (video)

Windows 8 for tablets hands-on preview (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 13

Windows 8 can run on an Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM

Posted in: breaking news, lenovo, Microsoft, netbook, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, performance, Software, Today's Chili, Windows, windows 7, windows 8, Windows7, Windows8

Curious what the minimum specifications for Windows 8 will be? As are we. Microsoft’s remaining mum on specifics, but the outfit’s Steven Sinofsky — President of Windows and Windows Live — just confessed during the opening Build 2011 keynote that an antediluvian Lenovo S10 was potent enough to run Windows 8. And in fact, it’ll do so with more poise than with Windows 7. A brief demonstration explained that Win8 demanded fewer system resources (barely, but still) than Win7 on the same hardware, proving that an early-gen Atom CPU and 1GB of RAM is “enough” to run the outfit’s upcoming operating system. We highly doubt it’s enjoyable, but at least you (probably) won’t be forced into an upgrade if you don’t want to be. Have a gander at the actual numbers just after the break!

Continue reading Windows 8 can run on an Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM

Windows 8 can run on an Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 12

We’re live from Microsoft Build 2011!

Posted in: developers, Microsoft, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, Today's Chili, Windows, windows 8, Windows8

There’s been a lot of speculation surrounding what’s going down at this week’s Microsoft Build developers conference, and now we’re here, in the land of the cartoon mouse (that’s right — right around the corner from Disneyland), hoping to get to the bottom of all the Windows 8 talk. We’ve already been privy to a number of previews and teases and even caught a quick glimpse of a handful of ARM-equipped Windows 8 development devices. We’ve reported on an upcoming Windows 8 App Store, a WP7-style Start Menu and, most recently, some super speedy boot times. All of these are part of a much bigger puzzle, one that’s already promised to shake up the Windows brand, but we’ve yet to get a full reveal. If you ask us, it’s about time Microsoft let it all hang out, but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. So keep it locked here for updates from the Anaheim Convention Center — we promise you won’t regret it.

Protip: Use our “build2011” tag for all the Build news this week!

We’re live from Microsoft Build 2011! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 22:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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