Lumia 950, 950XL are here, but can they beat iPhones?

Microsoft has unveiled its first Windows 10 smartphones as it launched a series of new gadgets in a bid to win a bigger share of the competitive mobile market.


The technology giant's two premium Lumia smartphones take aim at popular devices offered by Apple and Samsung and add a few original features, such as a security tool that unlocks the phone by scanning a user's eye.

The launch marks the latest step by chief executive Satya Nadella to build on the July release of Windows 10, which Microsoft said was now running on 110 million devices around the world.

"We now begin a new chapter of Windows 10 with new devices built for Windows 10," Nadella said at the New York launch event.

"What matters most is the mobility of your experience more than the mobility of any specific device."

The latest smartphone pitch follows a bruising rethink of the technology following Microsoft's disastrous 2014 acquisition of Nokia for some $7.2 billion. Microsoft subsequently wrote down the Nokia assets by $7.5 billion and eliminated more than 25,000 jobs.

Microsoft's Lumia 950 features a 5.2-inch high-definition screen and a 20MP camera, while the Lumia 950 XL has a larger 5.7-inch screen.

The Lumia 950 will price at $549, while the Lumia 950 XL at $649. A third, more modest phone with fewer functions, the Lumia 550, will start at $139. The Lumia phones will be launched in November.

Both phones can be connected by a small portable display dock accessory into a personal computer, a large screen or another display device. A keyboard or mouse can be connected, expanding the capacity of a smartphone to operate like a personal computer.

"We want to bring Windows 10 to life in your pocket," said Panos Panay, corporate vice president for Microsoft's Surface division.

Analysts said there is little chance for Microsoft to quickly shift the dynamics of the smartphone business, in which it holds only about three percent, according to IDC.

Forrester Research analyst Frank Gillett said the phones' innovative eye-screening security and ability to link to other computing capacities were intriguing ideas, with the latter of particular interest to enterprises.

Ref - TOI

First look: #Microsoft Surface Pro 3

To appreciate Microsoft's latest tablet computer, you need to accept the notion that one device can do it all. 

The Surface Pro 3 works as a tablet when you want to watch video or read e-books. It works as a laptop when you need to get serious work done. The Surface delivers on both, though it falls short of meeting Microsoft's claim to do so without compromising on either. 

The Pro 3 runs a full version of Microsoft's Windows 8 system, the same as you get on a traditional desktop or laptop computer. That means that, unlike other tablets, it can run just about any program designed for Windows: Microsoft Office, Photoshop and more. 

The Surface has a touch screen like other tablets, but it also has an optional cover that opens to reveal a physical keyboard and touchpad. It has a USB port and one for external displays, both of which are rare on tablets. 

It also matches laptops in price. Although the new Surface starts at $799, the keyboard cover is $130 extra. As a laptop replacement, you'll want a faster processor and more memory. Configurations run up to $1,949, or $2,079 with the keyboard. A comparable MacBook Air laptop costs $1,749 — though buying a separate tablet will run you a few hundred dollars more. 

The mid-range configuration comes out June 20, with the rest coming out later this summer. Microsoft began taking orders Wednesday. I've had about a day with the Surface since Tuesday's announcement. 

I wrote this story with my feet on my desk and the Surface on my lap. The previous model had a kickstand that rests in two positions - one for the desk and one for the lap. The new one gives you a range of angles, akin to adjusting a laptop screen on its hinge to any position. I was able to adjust the angle to reduce glare from overhead lights. 

Of course, the MacBook also does all that, while allowing me to hold it in one hand. When I try to do that with the Surface, the keyboard or screen moves back and forth like a swing. 

Then again, the MacBook isn't convenient to open on a crowded subway or bus, and it isn't comfortable for watching video in bed. The Surface, without the keyboard, is ideal for those situations. 

Apple's iPad is good for that, too, and it has a greater range of tablet-specific apps unavailable for Windows or even Android. 

The Surface and other Windows tablets have the benefit of being able to run multiple apps side by side, something I long for in the iPad when I want to check e-mail or Facebook while watching video. The Surface also has a bigger screen, at 12 inches diagonally, compared with the iPad's 9.7 inches. 

The Surface comes with a stylus that feels like a real pen. Clicking on it takes you to Microsoft's OneNote app, where you can start handwriting or doodling, just as you would on a pad of legal paper. The screen is sensitive enough to tell whether you're pressing lightly or hard, and what appears adjusts accordingly, just like real paper. 

One potential annoyance: The pen doesn't have a rechargeable battery. You need a AAAA battery (the first time I've heard of that size) plus two wristwatch-type coin-cell batteries. And you need a small screwdriver, not included, to replace the coin-cell batteries. 

The new Surface departs from most other tablets, including previous Surface models, in adopting a screen ratio of 3:2. Most tablets use 16:9 for widescreen television. The iPad uses 4:3, which is common for older TV shows and standard digital photographs. 

That means you'll get wasted space whether you watch 16:9 or 4:3 video. It tends to be one or the other on other tablets, though the amount of wasted space is larger when you do have it. Microsoft says the 3:2 ratio is the "sweet spot" that covers both types of content. It's also good for photos from single-lens reflex, or SLR, cameras. 

A bigger consideration than the screen ratio is whether you need a single device that does all things. 

There are plenty of professions that don't involve sitting at desks all day: health care, retail and teaching, to name a few. A hybrid might make sense in those cases. 

But I'm not one of those people. 

When I'm reading e-books on a train or a bus, I prefer a smaller tablet or dedicated e-reader. When I'm editing photos or writing, I prefer a laptop with a larger screen. When I'm watching video, I prefer a streaming device attached to a big-screen TV. 

The Surface is good for those who want just one device, but there are trade-offs, notwithstanding Microsoft's insistence otherwise.

Ref - TOI

#Microsoft offers #WindowsPhone #OS free to #Indian players

Desperate times call for desperate measures. With Windows Phone failing to make a significant dent in the market share of Google's Android and Apple's iOS in the last four years, Microsoft is waiving the licence fee and offering it to at least two Indian phone makers for free.

Last month at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Microsoft announced that more phone makers, including two from India — Lava and Karbonn — will produce Windows Phone devices in the coming months. Both companies already make Android devices using Google's mobile OS which is free to use. Their Windows Phone devices are likely to hit the market in the next few months.

Multiple industry sources with knowledge of Microsoft's negotiations with Indian phone companies told TOI that it was in talks with local firms to produce affordable Windows Phone devices since last year. But the agreements were clinched only when Microsoft agreed to remove the licence fee it charges from phone makers for its OS.

This is unprecedented. Microsoft didn't even give the OS free to Nokia, which agreed to exclusively make Windows Phone in 2011. It reportedly charged Nokia between $20 to $30 for each Lumia device the Finnish company sold. Making the OS free also shows signs of growing frustration within the company at the lack of traction for Windows Phone in the market.

Historically, licensing the software has always been bread and butter for Microsoft. "For our planned Windows Phone handsets, we are not paying Microsoft a licence fee. The company is obviously exploring new models for Windows Phone. It must have realized that the older model where it licenced the OS did not work out well, even with Nokia's support," a senior executive with an Indian phone company told TOI.

While Microsoft is likely to offer Windows Phone OS to other manufacturers, including the global companies, under similar terms, the agreements with the two Indian firms are specific to them.

A Microsoft spokesperson refused to comment on the specifics of the talks the company held with Indian phone makers . But, the spokesperson said, "We have extensive programmes to help our partners build great devices. Our licensing model allows us to partner with OEMs across the world."

"Free Windows Phone is part of a strategic partnership. For both Microsoft and us, it is an experiment. Windows Phone still doesn't have lot of appeal in the market but now that it doesn't have any licence fee, it becomes easier for us to experiment with it," said another senior executive.

According to the latest IDC figures, Windows Phone OS has less than 10% share in India's smartphone market, which is dominated by Android. An IDC analyst said the "free" Windows Phone will definitely help Microsoft.

"If Microsoft has decided to waive the licence fee for Windows Phone, it is great news for local phone makers. Local phone makers are comfortable with Android. They are still not sure of the appeal of Windows Phone. If the OS is free to use, they will feel more confident while experimenting with it in the market," said Manasi Yadav, a senior market analyst at IDC.

Ref - TOI

#Microsoft to launch low-cost Windows tablets in India

Microsoft will launch low-cost Windows tablets in the coming months, specifically made for consumers in India. The tablets, which could sell for as low as Rs 10,000, will help Microsoft achieve price parity with Android devices in the market.

The tablets will likely be made by Microsoft's traditional computer partners like HP and Dell as well as by local Indian firms like Karbonn and Lava.

In India, the market is dominated by devices running on Google's Android, mostly because these tablets are cheap, affordable and easy to find. In developed countries like the US, Microsoft competes with Android tablets with Surface devices, which the company believes are too expensive for markets like India.

"We are reducing our required hardware specification for Windows to bare minimum that is needed for good experience. We want to be price competitive with Android. We want to get the bill of material for Windows tablets down," Amrish Goyal, director of Windows business group, told TOI.

"We will probably not sell a tablet for Rs 5,000. But yes, we will sell tablets with a price of around Rs 10,000 by middle of this year," Goyal added.

While Goyal refused to confirm that Microsoft was slashing licence fee it charges from its hardware partner for Windows 8.1, there were reports that to help companies create low-cost tablets the software giant might slash its Windows licence price by up to 70%. For devices that cost less than $250, the company would reportedly charge $15 for Windows instead of usual $50.

With the personal computer market, where Microsoft is very strong, almost entering negative growth phase, for Microsoft as well as its hardware partners, tablet market is very crucial. So far, Microsoft has been slow to address this market. Most of the Windows tablets available in the market currently are targeted at "pro" users and sell for a hefty premium compared to iPad and Android tablets. Most of these tablets cost around Rs 30,000 or more. In comparison, Android tablets like Nexus 7 (older version) are available for less than Rs 10,000.

According to Gartner figures released on Monday, Microsoft sold 4 million tablets worldwide in 2013. This gave the company a market share of 2.1%. In comparison, Apple sold 70 million tablets and Google's Android powered 121 million tablets.

Vishal Tripathi, Gartner's principal analyst who tracks the tablet market, said if Microsoft can deliver on its promise, it will definitely benefit. "The Windows brand still resonates with people. They use Windows computers in offices. They are comfortable with it and if they have an option to get a Windows tablet at price that is similar to an Android tablet, they will likely pick it," he said. "A low-cost Windows tablet is not going to shake the market but it will help Microsoft gain some consumers who will otherwise go to Android."

He added, "A Rs 15,000 Windows tablet with decent build quality and touch response will also interest a lot of enterprises that are looking to get tablets for their employees."

Ref - TOI

Satya Nadella is #Microsoft CEO

Hyderabad-born Satya Nadella has been named the CEO of the legendary tech giant Microsoft, that has given the world products like Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook Express.

#BillGates involved in #Microsoft, but doesn’t want to run it

Bill Gates, the chairman and former chief executive of Microsoft, is more involved with the company now than he has been in years. But he does not -- repeat, not -- want to run it. 

Since Microsoft began a search for a new chief executive months ago, Gates and people close to him have said that he won't return to lead the company. For good measure, Gates said it again on Tuesday, in an interview on Bloomberg Television. 

Yet Gates, even as he hobnobs this week with the powerful and wealthy in Davos, Switzerland, is deeply engaged at Microsoft. He is regularly meeting with company executives, offering input on products and weighing in on the search for a chief executive, according to several people who have either spoken to Gates directly or are aware of his recent comings-and-goings at the company. Those people would speak only anonymously to protect their relationship with Gates. 

The precise nature of Gates's current and future involvement at Microsoft has been a hot topic of speculation as the company searches for a new chief. That interest has only intensified as the search has dragged on longer than many investors and people inside the company had hoped. 

When Alan Mulally of Ford, the presumed frontrunner for the job at one point, dropped out, many people watching the process from a distance concluded that Gates's presence at Microsoft was harming the process. What rational person would lead the company, this line of thinking goes, with Gates breathing down his neck and second-guessing his every move? (All of the presumed candidates are men.) 

The reality of Gates's status is a bit more nuanced. One of the people with knowledge of his activity at the company, who is also informed about board discussions, said Gates was willing to dial up or down his involvement with Microsoft based on the wishes of the new chief. 

If the new chief executive wants Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft and one of the founding fathers of the tech industry, to chime in more often on company matters, Gates will do it, this person said. If the new chief executive wants Gates doing less around Microsoft, he will respect that, too. 

Several people associated with Microsoft and Gates for years say they believe that he doesn't want to have to be called in to rescue the company from a perilous situation, which would require day-to-day attention. 

The company is still healthy, but it has lost its advantage in several areas. If a new chief executive failed, the company could fall further behind. 

In interview after interview, most recently the one on Bloomberg Television, Gates has shown little interest in leaving his full-time work as a globe-trotting philanthropist with the Gates Foundation. 

Following the example of Michael Dell or Howard Schultz, executives who came back to lead Dell and Starbucks after those companies went astray, does not seem to be his ambition. 

Gates is spending more time on Microsoft now, in other words, to avoid spending more time on it later. 

"I think it will be very important for Bill to assure for himself that he has put in place a good steward for the company who can provide the right technical direction for the future, and not someone who just reduces costs for a couple years and leaves the company without the problems having been fixed," said Rick Sherlund, a veteran Microsoft analyst with Nomura Securities. 

A Microsoft spokesman declined to comment, as did a spokesman for Gates. 

The future of Microsoft's chief executive, Steven Ballmer, is also an intense topic of discussion. Ballmer does not have a large foundation waiting to occupy him once his successor is found. He is a meaningful shareholder and board member of the company. And he is the architect of many major projects at Microsoft that are still in motion, including a broad reorganization of the company and the acquisition of Nokia's handset business. 

It's those initiatives that could complicate Ballmer's dealings with his successor, should the new chief executive decide to change the playbook. For that reason, Matt McIlwain, a venture capitalist in Seattle with Madrona Venture Group, predicts that Ballmer will leave the company's board in the next six to 12 months, when the spotlight has shifted to Microsoft's new leader.

McIlwain says he also believes that Gates will end up doing more at Microsoft than in past years. He sees fewer hazards associated with that than with Ballmer staying involved. 

"Bill has a strong personality, but he has more distance and perspective," McIlwain said. 

So the search for a new Microsoft chief executive continues. Progress on the search has slowed this week because of Microsoft's earnings announcement on Thursday and Gates's trip to Davos, said the person briefed on the process. 

With Mulally and other external candidates fading, McIlwain and others speculate that Microsoft is leaning toward selecting a Microsoft executive as its new chief. Many senior executives brought into Microsoft from the outside have not fared well at the company, and that point is widely discussed among employees. McIlwain said he favoured Satya Nadella, who has led the company's cloud computing efforts and big parts of its corporate software business. 

Wherever the person comes from, the company can't afford to have its body reject its new part. Gates seems acutely aware of that.

Ref - TOI

#Microsoft #Skype's #Facebook, #Twitter accounts hacked

LOS ANGELES: The Syrian Electronic Army, an amorphous hacker collective that supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, claimed credit for hacking into the social media accounts of internet calling service Skype. 

The group also posted the contact information of Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's retiring chief executive, on its Twitter account along with the message, "You can thank Microsoft for monitoring your accounts/emails using this details. #SEA" 

That message was an apparent reference to revelations last year by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden that Skype, which is owned by Microsoft, was part of the NSA's program to monitor communications through some of the biggest US internet companies. 

A message posted on Skype's official Twitter feed, apparently by the hacking group, read: "Don't use Microsoft emails (hotmail, outlook), They are monitoring your accounts and selling the data to the governments. More details soon. #SEA" 

Similar messages were posted on Skype's official Facebook pages and on a blog on its website before being taken down in late afternoon. TheSEA later tweeted out copies of the message "for those who missed it." 

Representatives for Microsoft could not be reached for comment. 

The NSA's practices essentially made Microsoft and other technology companies partners in government surveillance efforts against private citizens in the United States and elsewhere. 

Last month Microsoft joined seven other top technology companies in pressing President Barack Obama to rein in the US government's electronic spying in a meeting at the White House. 

Media companies, including the New York Times and the BBC, have repeatedly been targeted by the Syrian Electronic Army and other hacker activist groups that deface websites and take over Twitter accounts. 

Obama and his national security team are trying to decide what recommendations to adopt from an outside panel's review of the NSA's activities. 

A US District judge in December ruled that the US government's gathering of Americans' phone records is likely unlawful and raised what he called "serious doubts" about the value of the so-called metadata counter-terrorism program. 

A second federal judge ruled later in the month that the program was constitutional, raising the likelihood that the issue will be settled by the US Supreme Court. 

This week, a monitoring group said the death toll in Syria's civil war, which began in March 2011 as peaceful protests against four decades of rule by Assad's family, had risen to at least 130,000.

#Microsoft blocks censorship of #Skype in China

Microsoft has made it harder to monitor calls and chats over its Skype phone service in China, a freedom of expression advocacy group said, as the Chinese government steps up censorship of the internet. 

Skype said it had ended an eight-year joint-venture with Hong Kong-based TOM Group - 51% owned by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing - and found a new partner in China. 


"After careful analysis of the new Skype, we believe that Microsoft have lifted all censorship restrictions on their China product," the advocacy group, GreatFire, said on Wednesday. 

"All user calls, chats and login information are encrypted and being communicated directly to Microsoft via HTTPS. This is a complete about-face for Microsoft from the TOM-Skype era, when all information was processed by TOM and stored by TOM on servers located in China with absolutely no privacy controls in place." 

A Microsoft spokeswoman in China declined to comment and a public relations official at Skype's Asia-Pacific regional office could not immediately be reached. 

Skype's new partner in China is Guangming Founder (GMF), a joint-venture of Beijing-based newspaper Guangming Daily and the Founder Group, a Beijing technology conglomerate established by Peking University, according to the new GMF-Skype website. 

The Skype-TOM partnership has come under criticism from rights groups for allowing censorship and surveillance. Studies have shown the TOM-Skype service was subject to blacklisted keyword checks that could trigger monitoring of its users. 

New censorship measures
Foreign internet companies must tread a careful path in China to exploit bountiful business opportunities without compromising a carefully-nurtured image as champions of open societies and free speech. 

In 2010, Google conducted a partial pull-out from China on the basis of censorship and after it suffered a serious hacking episode that the company said emanated from China. 

Google's search market share in China fell to 1.7% last month from 12% in August 2010, although its Chinese business has benefited from strong demand for its Android software. 

Websites such as those of Facebook, YouTube - which is owned by Google - and Twitter are all blocked in China by what is known as the "Great Firewall". 

The ruling Communist Party sees censorship as key to maintaining its grip on power, recognizing that social media offers a platform for citizens to air grievances and criticism of the government, a potential trigger for social unrest. 

The government unveiled new measures in September threatening jail for spreading "rumors" online. The measures mostly target domestic internet services such as Sina's Sina Weibo, China's most popular microblogging service. 

Outside China, Skype's security and privacy protection have been under the spotlight following revelations, disclosed by Edward Snowden in his leaks of US National Security Agencydocuments, that the online communication service was part of the NSA's PRISM program to monitor communications through some of America's biggest internet companies.

Microsoft #Xbox One sales top 1 million within 24 hours

Microsoft sold over 1 million of its new Xbox One game consoles within 24 hours of their hitting store shelves on Friday, on par with Sony's PlayStation 4 despite launching in far more countries. 

The new console, which launched in 13 countries, set a record for first-day Xbox sales and is currently sold out at most retailers, Microsoft said in a statement. 

Sony said it sold 1 million PS4 units in 24 hours after launching last Friday in just the United States and Canada. The PS4 expands to other regions, including Europe, Australia and South America, from November 29. It then hits Japan in February. 

Microsoft is locked in a console war with Sony this holiday season. The software giant hopes the Xbox One not only entices gamers but attracts a broader consumer base of TV fans and music lovers with its interactive entertainment features and media apps. 

"We are working hard to create more Xbox One consoles," said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of marketing and strategy at Xbox. 

Robert W Baird & Co analyst Colin Sebastian has said he expects shipments of 2.5 million to 3 million units for both the Xbox One and PS4 in the fourth quarter. 

Both the PS4, priced at $399 in the United States, and the Xbox One, with a price tag of $499, offer improved graphics for realistic effects, processors that allow faster game play and a slew of exclusive video games.

How to fix 7 #Windows 8.1 upgrade issues

Microsoft recently released Windows 8.1, an upgrade to Windows 8 which arrived with mixed reviews. Most people see Windows 8.1 as a type of Service Pack. The updates introduced by Windows 8.1, however, are much more pervasive and consequently seem to be causing more trouble than Service Packs in previous Windows versions.

Windows 8.1 can cause several issues during the process of upgrading and even more afterwards. If you're faced with one of them, read on to see if there's a potential fix. Alternatively, if you're considering an upgrade, make sure to prep your computer for Windows 8.1 beforehand.

Hardware support 

An issue that is often experienced is reduced hardware support. For one reason or another, Windows 8.1 changes something deep in the system that can affect drivers, resulting in unrecognized or malfunctioning hardware. In this case, the backlight of the laptop was no longer controllable — it was ridiculously too dim, and the brightness buttons on my keyboard wouldn't change the setting.

Ultimately, to fix issues like this, make sure that all of your drivers are up to date via various channels. The best places to look are at the manufacturer's website or Windows Update, as sometimes it can deliver driver updates. A personal issue here was resolved whenSamsung released a "brightness fix patch" via their SW Updater software package. Make sure to check your respective sources as well.

Bad drivers

On a related note, Windows may refuse to upgrade to 8.1 if it doesn't like certain drivers. For example, a select number of people have a specific driver which Windows asks you to remove in order to upgrade. Of course, you'll need to do so in order to continue. Alternatively, you may be able to just update your drivers to a possibly Windows 8.1-friendly version, so that you don't have to remove it completely.

SkyDrive files gone "Online Only"

If you're an avid SkyDrive user, you may come across an issue where SkyDrive claims that all of the files that were once downloaded to your computer are now "online only". This is incorrect, and the files are actually still on your computer as they previously were. All you need to do to resolve this "blemish" is to open Windows Explorer, right click on SkyDrive in the left-hand pane of common folders, and click on "Make available offline". This should make sure that all your SkyDrive files will be synchronized, or just mark them as synchronized if they're already present.

Upgrading from Windows 8.1 preview

If you were a user of the Windows 8.1 Preview, you will probably face issues upgrading to the real release. Microsoft already announced the problem ahead of time, stating that you'd most likely be able to upgrade to the final code, but you would have to reinstall all of your desktop and Windows Store apps. If that's the case, you might as well go ahead and do a complete reinstall when upgrading to the final code, as clean installs are much less buggy than upgrades.

Error screens

If you received a "Couldn't update to Windows 8.1″ error with a code of 0xC1900101 - 0x40017 or something similar, you can attempt to get around the problem by unplugging all of your peripherals — except the necessary ones like your mouse and keyboard, obviously — and make sure that your graphics card driver is up-to-date before performing the upgrade. The bug still remains at large, but these tips can give you a better chance at beating it. The good thing about this error, at least, is that the installer rolls your system back to Windows 8, so you're not stuck with a bricked system.

If you receive an error stating "Sorry, it looks like this PC can't run Windows 8.1. This might be because the Users or Program Files folder is being redirected to another partition.", and this is actually the case, then you'll need to move your User or Program Files folder back to the primary system hard drive/partition. Since this error wouldn't show up without you having changed the location of those folders, just follow the same instructions to move them back.

Secure boot watermark 

If, after successfully upgrading to Windows 8.1, you see a watermark in the corner of your desktop saying "Secure Boot isn't configured correctly", then you'll need to head into your computer's BIOS and mess with the Secure Boot settings to enable or configure it. Afterwards, Windows should stop complaining.

Conclusion

Windows 8.1 introduces many new and improved features, including the option to boot to the desktop, deep SkyDrive integration, and an updated UI, which now supports dynamic Snap for multiple apps or sharing the desktop wallpaper with the Start screen. Most of the changes, however, are behind-the-scenes, which may be why so many people are having issues. Generally, it is recommended that you stick with Windows 8, unless you read about a Windows 8.1 feature that you absolutely need. In that case you should prepare to upgrade to Windows 8.1 with the option to roll back.