A friend pointed me to this Engadget article: Microsoft finishes migrating Hotmail users to Outlook.com, adds direct SkyDrive sharing
I wonder if now all the login issue, sluggishness for contact’s sync and speed of the Outlook.com portal will reach a reliability that, in those last three months has been missing…
Tuesday I found this article, which made the double think on how fortunate I am to deal (mostly) with OS X or GNU/Linux software distributions…
The quarterly report shows that 74 different programs from 24 different vendors are installed on the average UK PC and 28 of them, just over a third, are from Microsoft.
That third, and the operating systems, are mostly kept up to date with Microsoft’s Windows Update system. But beyond that, there’s another 23 different autoupdate mechanisms for the remaining programs which need to be monitored or managed.
While some programs have auto-update mechanisms with silent updates, other programs which need regular updates require the user to visit the vendor’s web site to check whether an update was needed.
…
The report notes that around 8.9% of users have unpatched operating systems and estimates that, on average, 6.5% of programs on a PC aren’t up to date. Around 3.4% of programs on the average PC are also end-of-lifed and no longer have security patches available for them.
the H-security ☞ The update jungle: PC owners have to watch 24 sources for fixes
via Geek & Poke
During the first few days, I tried using the Yoga as a tablet on several occasions and thoroughly enjoyed myself, but after my initial excitement cooled down, I find that I barely use the laptop’s touch capabilities, except when triggering them by mistake when trying to get rid of dust on the screen. Having said that, it’s nice to be able to use Windows 8 as its meant to be, and I’m sure that with time, I will find more and more uses for the Yoga’s excellent touch screen.
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via MakeUseOf – Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Ultrabook Review & Giveaway
I can remember Steve Jobs too saying something about the bad ergonomics of a touchscreen on a desktop machine …
Windows Phone 8 is a stunning operating system. It has matured in functionality since Windows Phone 7, and it is very easy to use. Microsoft has quality hardware partners, too. Nokia’s Lumia 920 is powerful, with a stunning camera, and HTC’s 8X is one of the sleekest, prettiest phones available. As hardware, both can compete with the latest from Apple and Samsung.
The available third-party software is another story, and Microsoft’s core problem: Windows Phone 8 has an app ecosystem weaker than convenience store coffee. Today’s game announcement shows just how far behind it is. Microsoft is repeating the fiasco of its Windows Phone launch announcement, when everybody wanted (and expected) Instagram and got Pandora instead. Now, when everybody is expecting Temple Run: Oz or Candy Crush Saga, we’re getting a handful of old or mediocre (or old and mediocre) games. It’s a repeat of when Microsoft announced that Draw Something had come to the Windows Phone Store, long after the Draw Something craze had passed. The crowds are gone. All that’s left is a lonely app.
The Windows Phone Store is only beginning to look like what the App Store did two years ago. That’s a problem. Windows Phone is going down a beaten path, one iOS and Android have long forgotten. Instead of sprinting ahead, the company looks more and more like a poorly stocked used bookstore. Worse, Microsoft is trying to bill its app releases as something “new.” It wants you to think these refurbished-for-Windows Phone games and apps mean its store is on par with the App Store or Google Play, and its phones compare to the best iOS and Android handsets.
- Alexandra Chang | Microsoft Endlessly Disappoints With ‘New’ Windows Phone Apps
The proliferation of rich interactive web applications across the cloud and mobile devices continues to create new opportunities for creative design and development. As these technologies evolve, Microsoft is committed to providing best-in-class tools for building modern applications. In support of these industry trends Microsoft is consolidating our lead design and development offerings — Expression and Visual Studio — to offer all of our customers a unified solution that brings together the best of Web and modern development patterns.
Software that can translate spoken English into spoken Chinese almost instantly has been demonstrated by Microsoft:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20266427 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Adams
Well, someone years ago wrote this…
Meanwhile, the poor Babel fish, by effectively removing all barriers to communication between different races and cultures, has caused more and bloodier wars than anything else in the history of creation.
- The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy
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Windows 8 - Geek & Poke
