Hasta La Gadget!

We’re live from Microsoft Windows president Steven Sinofsky’s keynote at D9, and there’s something rather exciting on stage — a pair of experimental Windows 8 dev boards running an OS that looks very much like Windows Phone 7’s Metro UI. All Things D actually sat down with the man earlier today and got a sneak peek at what to expect starting with the live tiled screen you see above — and yes, like Windows Phone 7, this OS is designed for touch.

There’ll be two kinds of applications for Windows 8, one that runs in a traditional desktop, and the other pseudo-mobile apps based on HTML5 and Javascript, but both environments — rather, the entire OS — have been designed from the ground up for touchscreen use. Keyboard and mouse will still be options for both sets of programs, but there are multiple virtual sets of keys for different form factors, including a split keyboard for vertical slate use. Multitasking is simply a matter of swiping running apps into the center of the screen, and you can pull windows partway to “snap” them in place alongside other windows — even mixing and matching traditional desktop programs with web apps simultaneously (like Twitter alongside your spreadsheet). There’s a new version of Internet Explorer 10 (which runs Silverlight) and an app store built into the touchscreen interface, along with integrated services like Office 365. Microsoft says the new OS will run on laptops, tablets and desktops when it appears — whenever that might be.

All Things D didn’t have any details on when we’ll get pricing or availability, but we’re looking at some Intel Atom-based demo units on stage right now, and Microsoft says it will have ARM designs (the OS will support NVIDIA, TI and Qualcomm) viewable on the Computex show floor, and more will be revealed at the Build Windows developer conference in September. We should note that “Windows 8” is just a codename for what we’re seeing here — “we’ll figure out the real name in due time,” Sinofsky told the crowd — but we don’t see much harm in calling it Windows 8 for now.

Update: Video after the break!

Continue reading Microsoft unveils Windows 8 (video)

Microsoft unveils Windows 8 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eager for more? We’re settled in (again) at D9 here in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, and with HP’s boss headed for stage right, it’s Steven Sinofsky finding a comfortable spot in the hot seat. For those needing a refresher, he’s the president of Windows and Windows Live, and with rampant talk of Windows 8 dominating the news this week, we’re clearly hoping to catch a few quips about how the outfit’s next major OS release will be (prayerfully) tailored for tablets. Join us for the blow by blow just after the break!

Continue reading Live from D9: Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky talks Windows and more

Live from D9: Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky talks Windows and more originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft’s Computex keynote today was all about the software giant’s expansive portfolio of current offerings, but it started off with a pretty awesome promise: a partner preview event is coming tomorrow (Taipei time) where we’ll get to hear about the next version of Windows. Steve Guggenheimer, the man who dished up this delicious tease, naturally had nothing more to say on the matter, but we do know that said event kicks off at 10AM local time, making it 10PM ET (on Wednesday!) in the US. Whichever side of the Pacific you’re on, however, rest assured that we’ll have all the details that Microsoft is willing to disclose about its future as soon as they become available.

Update: Remember, there’s a remote chance that we might see Windows Next (aka, Windows 8) revealed a few hours earlier when Steven Sinofsky hits the stage at the D9 conference Wednesday afternoon. Naturally, we’ll be bringing the conversation with Microsoft’s president of Windows to you live, just as soon as things kick off at 3:15PM PT (6:15PM ET).

Microsoft will talk about ‘the next version’ of Windows at Computex tonight originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft is showing the next version of Windows sometime this week. On a tablet. With a brand new touch interface. I will wager it’s one that’s not stupid. More »

No matter how large your record collection is, there’ll always be days when you’re sick and tired of everything you own. There are some pretty easy fixes to this, of course — streaming music services, internet radio, and even the old fashioned terrestrial variety, but none attack the problem quite as directly as Bronze. The app was co-created by Golden Silvers’ front man, Gwilym Gold, in part as a clever way to promote his new track, “Flesh Freeze,” a hushed, Robert Wyatt-esque number, which just so happens to be the only song that it’s compatible with at present. Bronze combats musical stagnation by altering the music itself, assuring that no two listens of a song are ever quite the same, running an algorithm that jumbles the sequence and presence of elements including the instruments and vocals. The changes are generally fairly subtle from play to play, taking a few listens to really pick up on what’s unfolding. At present, it’s available as a download for the Mac, with Windows and mobile versions to follow. It’s free for now, but that, like the song, should change soon enough.

Bronze makes your music collection sound downright lazy originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 04:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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