Since rumours about the Facebook phone started floating, tech experts have been mulling about the phone’s acceptance in the market. And many passed their verdict that the phone will be a big failure. However, Mark Zuckerberg has squashed any such speculation and said that the company is not working on creating a Facebook phone but is aiming at supporting an ecosystem that can help apps build on Facebook.
You don’t need your keypad anymore to search on Google. Instead, you can use your fingers to scribble your way through Google Search. According to the company’s official blog, the search engine's mobile pages will let users draw letters on the page to conduct searches. If you have Android 2.3 and upwards, any iOS smartphone or tablet, you just have to reset your settings to get this feature rolling. The best part about this feature is that you can type anywhere on the screen and the Google will accept your search query. [Via Google Official Blog] Click here to read the full story
The social networking giant, Facebook has tied-up with Taiwan-based HTC to create a smartphone with Facebook's own version of the Android operating system. The phone is expected to arrive by mid 2013. Earlier there were reports of the smartphone being launched this year.
Reports suggest that there is an upsurge in people using Facebook on their mobile phones in comparison to their computers. This trend has been seen progressing over the past couple of years after the launch of Facebook apps on almost all mobile phones. 
Codenamed Buffy, Facebook has remained tight lipped about its mobile project. Previously, HTC launched it ChaCha with a dedicated Facebook button but this time the Facebook phone will have social networking at its core. After acquiring Instagram, Facebook introduced the Facebook Camera. So, the eight-year-old Harvard dormitory room company is seriously baking several cakes in its home grown oven and no one knows much about the Project Buffy as it is even speculated that Facebook is "going door-to-door to find the right talent for the project".
It's worth mentioning here that Facebook reported a drastic slowdown in revenue growth. The company's share fell to a record low and posted a net loss of $157 million due to hefty stock compensation charges related to its IPO.
Microsoft Corp. today announced quarterly revenue of $18.06 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2012. Operating income and loss per share for the quarter were $192 million and $0.06 per share.
The financial results reflect the previously announced non-cash, non-tax-deductible income statement charge of $6.19 billion for the impairment of goodwill and the deferral of $540 million of revenue related to the Windows Upgrade Offer. Adjusting for these items, non-GAAP fourth quarter revenue, operating income, and earnings per share were $18.60 billion, $6.93 billion, and $0.73 per share, which represented increases of 7%, 12%, and 6%, respectively, over the prior year period.
Download: Web
“We delivered record fourth quarter and annual revenue, and we’re fast approaching the most exciting launch season in Microsoft history,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft. “Over the coming year, we’ll release the next versions of Windows, Office, Windows Server, Windows Phone, and many other products and services that will drive our business forward and provide unprecedented opportunity to our customers and partners.”
“The combination of solid revenue growth and rigorous cost discipline drove double-digit operating income growth for the quarter, adjusting for the goodwill impairment and deferred revenue,” said Peter Klein, chief financial officer of Microsoft. “We are focusing our resources in strategic areas that will deliver shareholder value and long-term growth opportunities.”
For Microsoft’s fiscal year 2012, the company’s revenue, operating income, and earnings per share were $73.72 billion, $21.76 billion, and $2.00 per share. Adjusting for the goodwill impairment charge and deferred revenue, non-GAAP fiscal year 2012 revenue, operating income, and earnings per share were $74.26 billion, $28.50 billion, and $2.78 per share, which represented increases of 6%, 5%, and 5%, respectively, over adjusted non-GAAP fiscal year 2011 figures.
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The Server & Tools business revenue grew 13% for the fourth quarter and 12% for the full year. Enterprises are purchasing SQL Server and System Center to support their mission critical workloads and build their business intelligence and private cloud infrastructure. Windows Server 2012 will be available this September.
The Microsoft Business Division revenue grew 7% for the fourth quarter and 7% for the full year reflecting continued momentum in Office 2010 sales. Office is now installed on more than 1 billion PCs around the world. Earlier this week, we announced the customer preview of the new Microsoft Office.
The Windows & Windows Live Division revenue declined 13% for the fourth quarter and 3% for the full year. Adjusting for the impact of the Windows Upgrade Offer, Windows Division non-GAAP revenue declined 1% for the fourth quarter and 1% for the full year. Windows 7 adoption continued with more than 50% of worldwide enterprise desktops now running Windows 7. The next version of Windows will release to manufacturing this August and will become generally available October 26, 2012.
The Online Services Division revenue grew 8% for the fourth quarter and 10% for the full year reflecting growth in our search business. Bing organic U.S. search market share was 15.6% for the month of June 2012, up 120 points from the prior year period.
The Entertainment and Devices Division revenue grew 20% for the fourth quarter and 8% for the full year primarily reflecting the addition of Skype. Xbox has now been the top-selling console in the U.S. for 18 consecutive months. During the year, Xbox launched new television and video partnerships for Xbox LIVE, and announced Xbox SmartGlass, which connects phones, PCs, and tablets with the Xbox 360 console to enable more interactive and engaging entertainment.
“Delivering a record year takes great products, solutions, services, and tremendous execution by our people,” said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer of Microsoft. “Our enterprise business is firing on all cylinders and we couldn’t be more excited about the wave of innovation and new releases that position us well for the coming years.”
Business Outlook
Microsoft reaffirms fiscal year 2013 operating expense guidance of $30.3 billion to $30.9 billion.
Webcast Details
Peter Klein, chief financial officer, Frank Brod, chief accounting officer, and Bill Koefoed, general manager of Investor Relations, will host a conference call and webcast at 2:30 p.m. PDT (5:30 p.m. EDT) today to discuss details of the company’s performance for the quarter and certain forward-looking information. The session may be accessed at http://www.microsoft.com/investor/. The webcast will be available for replay through the close of business on July 19, 2013.
Adjusted Financial Results and Non-GAAP Measures
In addition to financial results reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), we have provided certain non-GAAP financial information to aid investors in better understanding the company’s performance. For fourth quarter fiscal year 2012 revenue, operating income, and earnings per share growth, we included the impact of revenue deferred during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012 relating to the Windows Upgrade Offer and excluded the impact of the goodwill impairment charge in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012. For full year fiscal year 2012 revenue, operating income, and earnings per share growth, we included the impact of revenue deferred during the fourth fiscal quarter of fiscal year 2012 relating to the Windows Upgrade Offer, excluded the impact of the goodwill impairment charge in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012, and excluded the impact of the tax settlement benefit in the third quarter of fiscal year 2011. Presenting these measures without the impact of these items gives additional insight into operational performance and helps clarify trends affecting the company’s business. For comparability of reporting, management considers this information in conjunction with GAAP amounts in evaluating business performance. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, the measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this release that are “forward-looking statements” are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors such as:
intense competition in all of Microsoft’s markets;
execution and competitive risks in transitioning to cloud-based computing;
Microsoft’s continued ability to protect its intellectual property rights;
claims that Microsoft has infringed the intellectual property rights of others;
the possibility of unauthorized disclosure of significant portions of Microsoft’s source code;
cyber-attacks and security vulnerabilities in Microsoft products that could reduce revenue or lead to liability;
improper disclosure of personal data that could result in liability and harm to Microsoft’s reputation;
outages and disruptions of services provided to customers directly or through third parties if Microsoft fails to maintain an adequate operations infrastructure;
government litigation and regulation affecting how Microsoft designs and markets its products;
Microsoft’s ability to attract and retain talented employees;
delays in product development and related product release schedules;
significant business investments that may not gain customer acceptance and produce offsetting increases in revenue;
unfavorable changes in general economic conditions, disruption of our partner networks or sales channels, or the availability of credit that affect demand for Microsoft’s products and services or the value of our investment portfolio;
adverse results in legal disputes;
unanticipated tax liabilities;
quality or supply problems in Microsoft’s consumer hardware or other vertically integrated hardware and software products;
impairment of goodwill or amortizable intangible assets causing a charge to earnings;
exposure to increased economic and regulatory uncertainties from operating a global business;
geopolitical conditions, natural disaster, cyber-attack or other catastrophic events disrupting Microsoft’s business; and
acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances that adversely affect the business.
For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of Microsoft’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft’s Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft’s Investor Relations website at http://www.microsoft.com/investor/.
All information in this release is as of July 19, 2012. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the company’s expectations.
For more information, financial analysts and investors only:
Bill Koefoed, general manager, Investor Relations, (425) 706-4400
Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news/. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. Shareholder and financial information, as well as today’s 2:30 p.m. PDT conference call with investors and analysts, is available at http://www.microsoft.com/investor/.
We earlier reported that Mozilla has released the beta version of Firefox 15. Another interesting news that comes bundled with this beta release is the fact that Mozilla developers have implemented a "radical idea" to force add-ons to release memory allocated to them. According to the developers, many add-ons are causing memory leaks by not releasing their DOM structures when a tab is closed. This creates what the developers call zombie compartments – areas of memory that are never released, H-online states. 
It is a known fact that individual tabs utilise their own privileged memory compartments, the add-ons have to reference memory addresses in those tab compartments in order to communicate with websites- that are recorded in a list. The tweak in the latest Firefox 15 ensures that this list is checked when tabs are being closed or at the time new pages are loaded. Superfluous DOM references can then be deleted based on this check.
According to an online report, “During testing with the infamous memory hog SiteAdvisor 3.1.4, the developers apparently detected 1.4 to 1.7GB of memory being released when closing 150 tabs – the previous version of Firefox had only freed 200MB. McAfee replaced this version of the plugin quite a while ago because of its memory leak problems.”
Starting the version 17 of the browser, Firefox developers are working on ways to reduce even more memory usage by enabling deletion of sandboxes that are not in use. At present, these add-ons are often left behind, consuming more memory in the process. This poses further issue when add-ons use the new JetPack API which uses sandboxes heavily.
Europe’s most powerful supercomputer was officially inaugurated by IBM during a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Leibniz-Rechenzentrum (LRZ) of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences in Garching, Germany. Used to solve difficult scientific questions in physics and fluid dynamics, SuperMUC, powered by SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server, ranks number four in the June 2012 TOP500 list of the world’s fastest supercomputers. SuperMUC is a System X iDataPlex from IBM and is equipped with more than 155,000 processor cores, which deliver an aggregate peak performance of more than 3 Petaflops of computing power.
A special feature of SuperMUC is an innovative, warm-water cooling technology, inspired by the human blood circulation and developed by IBM, that results in 40 percent less energy consumption than traditional air-cooled machines. Additionally, the system allows energy to be captured and reused to heat the buildings of the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre Campus.
“SuperMUC is many times more efficient than its predecessor. Where it makes sense we use frequency scaling, a Linux kernel function delivered with SUSE Linux Enterprise, which allows us to run applications at their optimal operating point. This means we use, wherever possible, newly developed energy efficiency mechanisms in Linux,” said Dr. Herbert Huber, head of high-performance systems at the LRZ.
“Since 1998, we have relied on SUSE for our high-performance computer sector at the Leibniz-Rechenzentrum. At that time, it was important to us that SUSE provided technical features that were not included in other Linux distributions,” explains Professor Dr. Arndt Bode, head of the LRZ. “But also important was the geographic vicinity, the direct connection to the development and product management teams at SUSE and their fast support response times. This is still a huge benefit for us and is why all of our high-performance computers and most other systems run on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.”
“In the past, there have been several opportunities to think about an operating system change, but SUSE Linux Enterprise Server always made the decision easy for us because of its reliability and performance,” commented Dr. Huber. “The collaboration between SUSE and our hardware suppliers always ran smoothly. For example, common features have been developed which have then been incorporated into the Linux kernel. This kind of cooperation is a prerequisite for the success of projects like SuperMUC.”
“We are very proud of our long-standing collaboration with the LRZ. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server has become, thanks to its scalability and performance, one of the most popular operating systems for high-performance computers. For SUSE, today's inauguration of SuperMUC is a great achievement toward our development work in high- performance computing,” said Meike Chabowski, HPC product marketing manager, SUSE.
For more information about the robust features enabled by Linux 3.0 kernel support in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP2, please visit:
http://www.suse.com/products/server/features/best-linux-server.html.
If you are the one who criticises Mozilla for releasing too many versions, you should be happy about the fact that the company is introducing some smart changes with each release.
Mozilla has released Firefox 14 which is no exception to the trend it has been following. The latest version of the open source browser offers new features and fixes. Firefox makers have kept the privacy of their users on top priority in Firefox 14. When the users make Google searches via the search bar, location bar, or right-click menu, Firefox 14 will take them through a secured, HTTPS connection. 
This 'behaviour tweak' is done to ensure better privacy for the users when it comes to searches in Google. This is a great feature since for many it is not much of an issue. It is worth mentioning here that Google is also working for the privacy of its users while they use the search engine. But, not many search engines follow Google's lines. Mozilla expects them to get more cautious about privacy factor like Google has.
Developers of the browser said in a blog post, “We automatically make your Google searches secure in Firefox to protect your data from potentially prying eyes, like network administrators when you use public or shared WiFi networks. Google is currently the only search engine that allows Firefox to make your searches private, but we look forward to supporting additional search engines with this feature in the future. Firefox makes it easier to see a website’s verified identity by changing the way that we display the icon to the left of the URL.”
For developers, Firefox now supports Pointer Lock API to allow applications, including first-person games to better control the mouse. Firefox 14 also offers full screen support for OSX Lion. This feature is sure to impress the owners of the 27.9-cm (11-inch) Macbook Air.
As Android tablets are becoming cheaper day by day, its popularity is steadily heading north. So, what to do after buying your first Android tablet? Well, instead of randomly downloading applications and trying them out, we have made a list of applications, which are worth trying.
To start with social networking, there are several apps in Google's Play Store but the following ones are the best in the social sector. You can try them out and choose:
Plume: The Twitter application for tablet isn't that smooth, so you can get Plume, a highly customisable Twitter app, that will help you with tweets on your Android tablet. 
Friendcaster: Well we all have the Facebook app, but try this out and feel the difference. Friendcaster for Facebook is far better than the official Facebook app.
IM+: You can stay connected with your friends on AIM, Google Talk, Skype, MSN, Yahoo, Facebook chat for free via IM+.
Next in line is entertainment. These are the apps we shortlisted for satisfying all your entertainment needs.
MXPlayer: This is an eye-candy for Android tablets. It can play several different video formats including popular ones like avi, mkv, divx.
IMDb: Which movie to watch? Which movies to download? Get to know all about movies via the IMDb app for free.
Kindle: We are definitely not talking about the Kindle fire tablet! This Kindle is a free app through which you can buy kindle e-books.
Sketchbook Pro: A full touch Android tablet can be a perfect canvass for the artist inside you. Spend $5 and you get to draw and paint with virtual tools and brush styles that can be really used to create art. You can save up to six layers per file and export files to photoshop.
Crackle: This is a free release from Sony. You can streams full-feature movies and popular TV shows to your Android tablet via Crackle for free.
Camera Launcher: Camera Launcher lets you access camera in the Nexus 7 and flip it into a dedicated camera app so you can take self portraits. Also, it records video too.
Stitcher Radio: Stitcher Radio can play over 10,000 radio stations, shows and podcasts from the best of NPR, CNN, Fox, BBC, Freakonomics, Adam Carolla, etc.
A couple of more applications will make your Android experience easy.
File Manager HD: Through this app, you know what's going on inside your Android buddy! File Manager reveals the file structure of the OS so you can find files, transfer stuff around and more.
Evernote: If you want to take and manage your notes, then Evernote is the ideal app for you. It's free and you can take notes, pictures, record voice notes and upload files to carry it on the cloud.
Evernote has released version 4.1 of its app for Android smartphones and tablets. This new update will bring a redesigned interface for tablets along with a number of other improvements. The updated version of Evernote will come along a brand new home screen for tablet users and will also provide quick access to create a new note or view existing notes. There are new swipe gestures for navigating throughout the app, such as making the note list full screen. The tablet version now also includes a list view to quickly see basic information about the group of notes, Mobile Burn reports.
At an event in San Francisco today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer previewed a new version of Office, the company’s widely used productivity software suite. This is no ordinary upgrade: with “Office 15,” as the software is know internally, Microsoft is effectively changing the way it has positioned the product from stand-alone application software to be cloud-aware and Web-centric.
You can download the a preview of the new version of Office from the company’s website.
Most startling to many will be the focus on subscription-based consumer versions of the software, to be offered under the company’s Office 365 software-as-a-service brand. In effect, the company is beginning a move to gently push Office customers away from “perpetual licenses” – the kind you get when you buy a shrink-wrapped application at retail – and toward subscription-based licenses, where you effectively pay as you go and store information in the cloud. The moves today also will cash a new spotlight on SkyDrive, the company’s cloud-based storage service.
New logo!
While the cloud-based versions of Office still involve installation of desktop-client software, they include multiple changes in the way you interact with the software and your data. For one thing, the software will assume as a default that you want to store your data on the cloud in the company’s SkyDrive service, and not only on your PC. The idea is to make it easy to work on documents from any of your devices – and even devices that aren’t yours. Subscribers will get ongoing updates of the software, eliminating the need to manually download updates and patches.
Even the old-fashioned perpetual-license versions of the software will start with the assumption that your documents are going to be stored in the cloud.
Another key aspect of the overhaul: the new versions of Office have been rewritten to take advantage of the touch features built into Windows 8, the soon-to-be-launched new version of the company’s operating system software.
“We are taking bold steps at Microsoft,” Ballmer said in a statement. “The new, modern Office will deliver unparalleled productivity and flexibility for both consumers and business customers. It is a cloud service and will fully light-up when paired with Windows 8.”
The new Word start screen.
Customers who sign up for the subscription versions of Office will be able to install the software on up to five devices, and will be able to access some version of the software on any PC, Mac, or mobile device. The software will synch documents and settings, so you can easily stop work on one device and pick up again on another one. For working on a guest device, Microsoft will allow subscribers to log in to the service and download a version of the software on a temporary basis; subscribers also will be able to access versions of the applications via a Web browser.
The subscription services include 20 GB of storage on SkyDrive as well as 60 free minutes a month of Skype usage.
Other key aspects of the announcements this morning:
The company said the full lineup of offerings and pricing plans will be announced in the fall. But Microsoft did say that there will be three new Office 365 subscription services, all of which will include the new 2013 editions fo Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access. Subscribers all will get upgrades to all versions, in addition to the rights to install the software on up to five devices.
The three new versions:
As often is the case with Microsoft, the company is at risk of confusing the heck our of everyone with their approach to product naming, so let’s review:
P.J. Hough, corporate VP for development in the Microsoft Office Division, says buying Office as a subscription shifts the purchase from buying the software for a PC to buying it for yourself – no matter where you are or what device you happen to be using.
“Overall, this is a very exciting release of Office for us,” Kurt DelBene president of the Microsoft Office Division, said in an interview with FORBES. “It continues a transformation of the business that we have been on for a while.” He notes that Office has been performing well of late. The company recently said it now has more than 1 billion Office users around the world. The business had just shy of $6 billion in revenue in the March quarter, up about 9% from a year go. He notes that Microsoft has made a move to make Office more social with the acquisition of Yammer; he adds that the user base for Office 365 is growing strongly, though he declines to give any specific customer numbers.
“Office 15 is a very ambitious release for us that continues our transformation to the cloud,” adds new versions of Office 365, adds new device support and touch capability and including inking in products like OneNote, he says.
The next version of Microsoft's Office features a new, cleaner interface with no border around the application and much more white space.
Microsoft has been beefing up its design chops in recent months, pushing the sleek Metro user interface in Windows 8 and diving into hardware design with its striking Surface tablet prototype.
But maybe the most daring makeover comes today as Microsoft unveils the new-look Office. The productivity software suite is among Microsoft's longest-in-the-tooth products, dating as it does back to 1989. It's ballooned from a relatively compact offering of word-processing, spreadsheet, email and presentation software to a vast collection of applications, each of which gets countless new features with every release.
Elegant design is often about simplicity. Office, more than just about any other Microsoft product, is anything but simple. As Microsoft pondered the next version of the workhorse product, it faced up to the challenge.
"People didn't have much of an emotional connection to Office," said Owen Braun, principal group program manager. "Our brand researcher said it's like a dependable SUV. It's useful, but you don't really care about it that much."
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It will be months before Braun will know if Microsoft has succeeded in creating the kind of customer connection usually reserved for Apple fanboys. Microsoft won't say when the new version of Office, which gets an unveiling today at a press conference in San Francisco, will go on sale, though it won't be before Windows 8 debuts in October. Much of the focus will be on the new touch-computing features and build-in connection to Microsoft's SkyDrive Web-based storage.
But the new design, more than a passel of new capability, may be the key to building a bond with customers. That's why Microsoft took an entirely new approach to developing the new Office.
Design is king
"We have ramped up the size of our design team," said Kurt DelBene, president of Microsoft's Office Division. "We have made them an integral part of the development goals of the product."
The 5,000-employee Office division now includes 170 user experience designers and researchers, twice as many as it had a year ago. And they have baked the modern Metro interface that's now at the heart of Windows Phone, Xbox, and Windows 8 into the new Office. There are some striking changes, such as the lack of "chrome," the frame that separates Office applications from other apps and the desktop. And there are subtle tweaks too, such as animations that let customers know that specific tools that could help are available, but don't scream for attention.
"The phrase I like to use is over-the-shoulder envy, so that if you're sitting beside somebody who's using a previous version of Office and they see you using the next version, they say, 'Oh my gosh, what are you using? I've got to use that," DelBene said.
Microsoft has also weaved touch into Office so that it doesn't feel added on. In touch mode, for example, the icons and other targets automatically spread out, making it easier for fat fingers to tap precisely. Microsoft has added thumb controls for users holding a tablet with both hands so they can quickly delete or reply to emails, for example.
It's a bold bet for a product that may be one of the most dominant offerings in business history. Office runs on roughly 1 billion computers worldwide. Microsoft vanquished its packaged productivity software rivals years ago. In fact, Office is so lucrative that the Microsoft division that includes productivity software generates the biggest revenue and profits of any group at the company -- even more than the Windows unit.
At the same time, Office faces a host of new Web-based rivals, such as Google Apps and Zoho, which are either free or far less expensive. And while they still account for a tiny slice of the productivity application market, those offerings are gaining traction with customers who, in a different era, might have turned to Office. Most seem not to mind that the Web-based apps don't offer all of the functionality of Office.
"There are enough undercurrents that if Microsoft doesn't pay attention, they will really start hemorrhaging revenue," said Guy Creese, an analyst with the Gartner research firm.
Microsoft needs to continually prove to the customers that pay for Office that the product is worth it. And with the latest version of Office, the company is leaning heavily on design to make that case.
"It's a change from the old culture, which was 'We have a gazillion features, how can we add more?'" Creese said. "The user interface is much simpler. It's less overwhelming."
Bloat is in the eye of the beholder
With Office, though, there's only so much refining you can do. Office critics often complain that most customers only use about 10 percent of the productivity suite's functions. The rest is seen as bloat. The problem, though, is that it's a different 10 percent for each user. That makes it hard to simplify the software. Hiding any given feature is going to alienate millions of people.
It was a problem designers faced as they began rethinking the appearance of Word when users first opened the application to begin working on a document. Word 2010 is a cluttered collection of icons, lines, words, and colors, all screaming for users' attention in order to let them know that the function they might need was just a click away.
The designers, wanting to clean that up, came up with an approach that was diametrically opposed. They proposed a virtual blank slate. The designers eliminated much of the gradient in the coloring of the application that made it feel dense, creating more white space and a cleaner look. They refined the toolbar, removing the lines around the words "File," "Home," "Insert," and the others, that create the impression that they are folder tabs.
Designers in the Office group pushed for a simplified user interface, coming up with a clean slate for Word. User testing, though, found the look too spare and unfamiliar, leading the company to add the "ribbon" of available features back.
(Credit: Microsoft)
"We were saying, 'Look, let's dial it as far down as we can,' because we know that there is this feeling that people have when encountering the full capability of Office, that it can be overwhelming," Braun said.
Most daringly, the designers removed the ribbon, that collection of dozens of Word's vast functions, available at a glance. The ribbon isn't just a huge real estate hog. It's ugly. To the eye of a designer, there's nothing sleek or modern about it.
"It ended up at a whisper versus this carnival that was happening," said Steve Kaneko, Microsoft design lead, who also worked on the design of Xbox, Zune, and Windows and was Microsoft's first industrial designer when the company hired him in 1991.
Ribbonless Word: A step too far
Turns out, it was too daring. Even though users could open the ribbon if they wanted, the fact that it wasn't on by default was jarring when Microsoft tested the new look. In their bid for simplicity, the designers went too far. They were whispering too quietly.
"We found that when we went into the labs and did user research studies on Word in particular, frankly, people want all those editing capabilities right in front of them," Office president DelBene said. "We learned over time and really got things right."
As pleasing as the clean slate of ribbon-less Word looked, it was bad design. Users felt challenged to find the features they wanted at the moment they needed them. And so the ribbon returned.
The design group also pushed to give the new Office a bit of personality, maybe even a bit of whimsy. With the new Office, when users puts their cursors over the zoom icon, they get a message: "Zoom to the level that's right for you. For zoomier zooming, use the controls in the status bar."
Microsoft added a bit of personality to the new version of Office, giving the program a more casual voice when users click on features such as Zoom.
(Credit: Microsoft)
For the button-down, workplace application that is Office, it's a big shift. The language replaces the much more stiff, pedantic wording in Office 2010: "Show the Zoom dialog box to specify the zoom level of the document. In most cases, you can also use the zoom controls in the status bar at the bottom of the window to quickly zoom the document."
The conversational persona pops up again and again. Want to turn on spellcheck? You'll see a dialogue box that reads: "Typos? Not on our watch. Let us check your spelling and grammar." Need to find the sum of selected cells on a spreadsheet? You'll get: "Automatically add it up. Your total will appear after the selected cells." (For now, the tone in the two international versions Microsoft is releasing--Spanish and Japanese--remain mostly straightforward.)
The new tone isn't just about creating a sense of fun. Designers wanted Office's tone to be conversational, easy to approach and understand.
"You're building a character, almost like a character in a novel, where you have to decide on a particular personality," Braun said. "The fact that we're willing to be a little bit less serious in places and a little bit more restrained in others (creates) dimension. It's more like a person. It's more interesting. People are not 100 percent consistent. Occasionally they surprise you."
Of course, Microsoft has tried infusing Office with personality before, most notably with Clippy, the paperclip character that eagerly offered to help folks write emails or create spreadsheets, often too eagerly. With the new Office, designers considered and then dismissed some phrases such as "Aw snap," "Yikes," and "My bad."
Individually, the changes of removing lines or adding personality might seem like quaint touches. But collectively, Microsoft is betting that they'll infuse the new Office with a design that users will crave.
"We don't think we're done," Office president DelBene said. "This is a sea change for the Office development team that will run for many releases to come."
Microsoft’s Windows Server 2012 will be released to manufacturers sometime in August and become generally available for sale in September, the company announced July 10. The software giant also detailed its plans to lure customers to its Hyper-V virtualization platform and away from industry leader VMware.
On the second day of its Worldwide Partner Conference in Toronto, Microsoft shared with an audience of about 16,000 Microsoft partners the performance improvements in Windows Server 2012 that will manage on-premise, cloud and hybrid environments for enterprises. Collectively, Windows Server 2012, its cloud counterpart Windows Azure and Microsoft System Center for managing the entire system, make up the Microsoft “Cloud OS,” said Satya Nadella, president of the Server and Tools Business at Microsoft.
Microsoft also announced a community technology preview of a trio of hosting services that will make it possible for service providers to offer their customers turnkey cloud services, including highly scalable Web site and virtual machine hosting with an extensible self-service portal experience. These services, recently made available on Windows Azure, will now be added to Windows Server 2012, Nadella said.
The company also touted specific performance enhancements in Windows Server, including benchmarks that best those of rival VMware. Windows Server 2012 will support up to 320 logical processors per server, up to 4 terabytes of memory per server and up to 64 virtual processors per virtual machine, said Jeff Woolsey, senior program manager for Windows Server Virtualization at Microsoft.
During a live demonstration, Woolsey said that VMware says they can deliver a maximum of 300,000 input/output instructions per second (I/Os) from a single virtual machine, but that Microsoft, with Windows Server 2012, can deliver more than 1 million I/Os.
“That’s over three times VMware and, folks, I’m just getting warmed up,” said Woolsey.
The new server OS also adds a feature Woolsey called “offloaded data transfer” (ODX) for faster backups to storage. He tried to move a 10GB file to storage without ODX and noted how network utilization spiked because of the load. With ODX on, the file was backed up to storage in about 10 seconds.
“This type of performance is unheard of … and it makes Server 2012 a no-brainer for cloud storage,” Woolsey concluded.
Microsoft made another dig at VMware by unveiling a “Switch to Hyper-V” program. Virtualization is essential to enable cloud computing, and VMware has been the leader in virtualization technology, though Microsoft has been challenging it with its Hyper-V hypervisor and related technology. But switching virtualization vendors is a complicated task because of all the configuration issues involved. With the Switch to Hyper-V program “you’ll get tools, resources and guidance to take the risk out of these migrations,” said Nadella.
He then touted a couple of successful customer conversions to Hyper-V. Fyrsoft, an enterprise consulting services provider, was able to move Pella, a maker of windows and doors typically seen in residential construction, from VMware to Hyper-V, while Microsoft partner Avanade, a technology managed-services provider, successfully migrated Unilever, a global consumer products company, to Hyper-V.
Of Windows Server 2012, Nadella said there have already been more than 500,000 downloads of the release candidate of the OS and that 250 customers are already trying it out, some of them in production. And in true “eat your own dog food” fashion, he said the Microsoft Bing search engine runs on Windows Server 2012.
The Worldwide Partner Conference began July 9 with news that the Windows 8 operating system for desktops, laptops and tablet computers, would be released to manufacturing the first week in August and would be generally available by the end of October.
Google Nexus 7 is creating waves around the world, while tech lovers in India are waiting with baited breath for it to arrive. Well, the wait seems to have finally ended. The tablet is available for order online on a number of online shopping sites. 
To start with, Indiatimes Shopping has put the tablet up for sale at a price of Rs 16,952. This is available with an EMI option as well. Not only that, eBay.in has a seller who promises to ship the product to India within 14 days. This surely will arrive much before it is officially launched in the country. He is offering it at a price of Rs 17,690 for the 8GB version.
This also brings to light the disparity in pricing. Google has priced the tablet at $199 overseas and in India it is being made available at a much higher price. This tablet, manufactured by ASUS is not just designed to take on Apple’s highly successful iPad, but will also pose a stiff threat to the Amazon Kindle Fire and Google aims to tackle the competition better with its pricing strategy. The Google Nexus 7 tablet is available in two storage capacities, which are 8GB and 16GB and the brand has priced it extremely competitively at $199 and $249, respectively, Tech 2 reports.
Here comes another update for Facebook’s Android app. The new version, 1.9.7, will be downloaded on your device only if your phone runs Android 2.2 or up. This new update will offer some messaging and integrated camera enhancements. The camera app will now support front-mounted shooter, while messaging will make it seamless to switch between conversations, including friends of friends, sharing bigger photos and seeing who is available. Check out the Google Play store to update your app!
Its time for tablets devices to galore in the Indian education space. Coming soon is a new entrant in the market, EduTab, that promises to make the lives of students of Class I-XII better than ever before. The tablet comes pre-loaded with the content for these classes for both ICSE and CBSE boards.
EduBridge, who has brought EduTab to the Indian market, claims that this is one device which can make learning much more effective. Speaking to EFYTimes.com, Neeraj Gaur, chief operating officer, EduBridge, said, “So far the tablet is being offered as a part of our EduBridge package, which is an open-source technology based solution for educational institutions. It includes everything from making an interactive website to to setting up a lab. EduTab is presently a part of that solution which is given to the students and teacher for interactive learning.”
Research In Motion (RIM) might be facing a tough time recently, but they are planning big with their upcoming BlackBerry 10 operating system. After winning the confidence of application developers by guaranteeing $10,000 per developer, we had a talk with an application developer at the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour, held at New Delhi and asked what exactly he feels about BlackBerry. “We have worked with platforms like Android, iOS, Symbian but BlackBerry is our main focus because we get the most revenue from this platform,” said Abhishek Vinod Singh, co-founder and CEO, DbyDX Software.
This comes as a major surprise since Android is the most sold operating system in India. Singh said, “A few BlackBerry users generate more revenue than thrice the number of Android users.” He further elaborated, "I believe this is mainly due to the culture. BlackBerry users are mainly focused on the enterprise segment. People get a lot of free application in Android but when it comes to buying they hardly do it while in the case of BlackBerry, users don't mind trying out new applications." 
Apart from the revenue aspect, Singh said, "We are doing BlackBerry applications since 2007, during those days BlackBerry (BB) was the only platform apart from Nokia platform to feature applications. The BB platform has evolved a lot. The most important thing that I find in BB platform is very good support for background tasks, we can achieve various operations that are not possible on other platforms."
Explaining further, Singh added, “For example, there is an application called AT&T drive mode. What this application does is as soon as you start driving all incoming and outgoing calls and messages are blocked and the caller is directed to the voice mail. When you stop driving, all the settings automatically gets restored. This application is possible in Android but not at all possible on iOS, because the background task is not fully available and iOS is not multi-tasking and it doesn't not allow call blocking."
Seagate has launched the all-new Backup Plus storage devices, which the company touts as a reinvention in the consumer storage product family. The Backup Plus storage solution provides easy setup, one-click backup and ability to save and share your content on Facebook and Flickr.
The company claims that these external storage drives work interchangeably across platforms but, there's a catch. It works interchangeably only with Windows and Apple products and does not include any open source platform. Vermount Hoh, product marketing manager, Seagate Singapore International Headquarters Pte Ltd, explains the reason for not choosing any open source operating system for their product. Hoh said, “Currently the drives support only Apple and Windows platforms. We are willing to explore a possibility for Linux platform as well. Officially, we are not supporting any open source platform because most of the consumers out there use either iOS or Windows based machines. But moving forward we may consider making Backup Plus Linux compatible if there is enough feedback and data about it to show that there is demand for Linux supported products in certain region. Before we get on with any product we always look at the market trends and for now, we do not have very strong data supporting Linux. But as I said, we will look at users' considerations and if there is a need, we will surely bring products compatible with open source operating systems.” 
Now that the ban on Samsung Galaxy 10.1 has been upheld, the company has revealed plans to develop a Windows tablet. Samsung told media that it is working on a tablet that will run the Windows RT operating system, which is a part of Microsoft's line of Windows 8 software. The tablet, according to the company, is expected to be launched in October.
All those eagerly waiting for the London Olympics to commence, here is some good news. Yahoo! India has launched a website that will carry anything and everything about the London Olympics, so you can feel like a part of the mega event. The site has four dynamic sections, which include: Photos, Calendar, News, and Memorable Moments. To deliver original and superior digital content experience to its audience Yahoo! has brought together a panel of experts comprising of Gold Medal Olympians Dan O'Brien (Track and Field), Summer Sanders (Olympics), Shannon Miller (Gymnastics) and sports writers from Yahoo!’s editorial team, Tech 2 reports.
Apps are where it’s at in today’s economy. If you can make a great app, you are guaranteed a steady income and the benefit of working for yourself. Having an easy-to-use development ecosystem makes all the difference in attracting people to your device, hence why Apple is able to get so many exclusive apps on iOS. Microsoft is hoping to emulate that success with Windows Phone 8.
Microsoft is obviously proud of the work they’ve done with Windows Phone 8 and they want to let developers know that they have not left them out. In a recent blog post, the Windows Phone 8 team details all the features that they feel should make developers want to make apps for Windows Phone.
The biggest and best part about Windows Phone 8 is the shared core. That means that the OS running on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 is nearly identical. It makes it super easy to develop an app for one platform and then port it to the others. Granted, Windows Phone 8 apps are meant to be ported to tablets and vice versa. I don’t know if there’s much of a market for mobile apps on desktops unless it’s gaming related.
Going hand in hand with the shared core is the native code support. To enable the ease of development across platforms, Microsoft has made it so that developers can code their apps in C++ and C. Another benefit of this is that developers can mix and match code to match their needs. The team uses the example of a game for Windows Phone 8 that was built in DirectX but uses XAML for the main menu.
On another note, Microsoft made their fortune and name in Enterprise. It’s what the company is best at and it seems kind of insane that they haven’t adopted more Enterprise support into Windows Phone yet. That’s all going to change with Windows Phone 8, however, as the company will be adding two new features for enterprise developers: Company Hub and LOB app deployment.
The Company Hub is a custom app framework that can be built as “one-stop shop for enterprise-specific apps and information.” LOB app deployment will help companies control how their business-related apps get deployed to devices, either through installing from a Web site, SharePoint or email.
As for the other features that developers can look forward to in Windows Phone 8, here’s the breakdown:
Improved multitasking – In Windows Phone 7.5, we introduced multitasking. In Windows Phone 8, we’re expanding it to cover two critical new scenarios – VoIP and background location services. Now you can continue tracking your progress on a run while keeping up on the latest sports scores or quickly check a text message while taking a VoIP call.
Talk to your apps – Speech has always been an integral part of Windows Phone experience. In Windows Phone 8, we’re taking it to the next level by delivering a comprehensive speech platform for developers. You can now enable your apps to be launched with commands to perform (“Start Netflix, play Princess Bride”), or allow users to issue speech commands that work within the app itself.
In-app purchase – We’re committed to help provide new ways for our developer community to make money on the Windows Phone platform. In Windows Phone 8, we’ll deliver an in-app purchase service that lets developers sell additional content and experiences within the app itself or via the Windows Phone Marketplace and the new built-in Wallet feature.
Marketplace expansion – With Windows Phone 8, apps will be available for download from Marketplace in more than 180 countries and regions—roughly three times what we serve today. Developers in these markets can also submit apps via AppHub, up from 38 markets today.
It’s obvious that Microsoft is definitely catering to developers, but will it be enough to sway people away from the already entrenched iOS and Android? Those who have already been developing for Windows Phone 7 will obviously make the jump, but I just can’t shake the feeling that it may be too little, too late for Microsoft at this point. I really hope not, however, as Windows Phone 8 is looking great.
Microsoft Corp. today announced that it will take a non-cash, non-tax-deductible income statement charge for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012 for the impairment of goodwill in its Online Services Division segment, mostly related to its 2007 aQuantive, Inc., acquisition.
Under accounting guidelines, companies are required to conduct an annual goodwill impairment test for each business unit. Goodwill arises in an acquisition when the fair value paid for a business exceeds the value of the identifiable net assets. The goodwill in the Online Services Division was substantially the result of the 2007 acquisition of aQuantive. As a result of its 2012 impairment review, Microsoft has determined that a write down of its Online Services Division goodwill of approximately $6.2 billion is required.
Bing search share in the U.S. has been increasing, revenue per search (RPS) has been growing, MSN is the No. 1 portal in 29 markets worldwide and the company’s partnership with Yahoo! has continued to expand geographically. While the Online Services Division business has been improving, the company’s expectations for future growth and profitability are lower than previous estimates.
Microsoft completed its acquisition of aQuantive on Aug. 13, 2007, in an all-cash transaction valued at just over $6.3 billion. While the aQuantive acquisition continues to provide tools for Microsoft’s online advertising efforts, the acquisition did not accelerate growth to the degree anticipated, contributing to the write down.
Microsoft does not expect this accounting write down to affect its ongoing business or financial performance.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
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Statements in this release that are “forward-looking statements” are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially. For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of Microsoft’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft’s Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft’s Investor Relations Web site.
All information in this release is as of July 2, 2012. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the company’s expectations.
Delivering the keynote 'Vision Talk' at the CEO Conclave of Bangalore Bio 2006, CSIR director, R. A. Mashelkar, advocated, “If India has to get some respectability in the global biotech region, it has to occupy one of the top five slots of the big club. With this kind of 37 per cent growth YoY basis, we hope that India can achieve it without any problem.”
He urged scientists to convert the present bio-hype into bio-hope for the benefit of common man so that they can reap the benefits. “Biotech is not an end. It is a means to an end. It is to be used for welfare for common man and for wealth creation. Lot has been said about biotech. It is not a hype. We have to act fast to convert this hype into bio-hope.”
Mashelkar said that with three great personalities occupying the highest offices in the country president (a scientist), prime minister (an economist) and union minister of science and technology Kabil Sibal, “it is the right time to act fast, otherwise, it will be too late.”
He also called on the Indian Diaspora to help the Indian biotech sector to move up to the next level. “The returning Indians have already added to the Indian resource pool. There are around 2 per cent of Indian diaspora working in the Silicon Valley and earns equivalent to India’s GDP. We are more interested in their knowledge base rather than the investment they could bring.”
He also called upon venture capitalists to take some risks, instead of treading on the beaten path. “They have to be adventure capitalist. If the venture capitalists can take some more risks, these entrepreneurs can definitely make a difference and take Indian biotechnology to a new level. The windows of opportunity is open and it will be open for only a short time.”
After IT and BT, Bangalore will be the place for Nano Biotechnology (NBT). However, Mashelkar coined a new acronym saying NBT should refer to Next Best Technology or New Biotechnology. “India’s strength lies in IT, not information technology but Indian Talent. Bangalore has lot of abundance and we should cash on it.”
All right ladies and gentleman, please stop speculating that Research In Motion has any plans to switch over to Android or Windows Phone. The company will stick to its very own BlackBerry OS no matter what, said Alec Saunders, vice president, developer relations, Research in Motion.
Rubbishing all the speculations, Saunders told EFYTimes.com, “I don't have a clue where has this come from. We are not adopting Android or Windows Phone OS. We will stick to BlackBerry OS and there should be no speculation about it, particularly at the time when we are working for the next version of our operating system.” 
RIM recently organised a developers' meet for Indian developers in New Delhi where they gave a glimpse of what their next-generation operating system is all about.
Speculations about RIM adopting Android and Windows Phone began because of the company losing its ground in global market. Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer, Microsoft, had reportedly approached RIM offering a partnership with Windows Phone Operating system. Google’s Matias Duarte also showed his interest in BlackBerry's hardware during an interview recently. He said, “I love hardware keyboards. Many of the products that I have worked on had hardware keyboards.” For him there is a place for hardware keyboards. Duarte continued expressing his passion for hardware keyboards and went ahead to say that he would love to see RIM adopt Android. He said, “I would really welcome if RIM wanted to work with Android. They make great physical keyboards.”
But RIM has denied the claims and settled the speculations terming them as 'rumours'.
We reported earlier that Libre Office for Android is in works but here we have some update, right from the horse’s mouth. Michael Meeks, a Linux desktop architect at SUSE who coordinates LibreOffice development work shared some update on the same. 
While the work on the desktop version of LibreOffice 3.6.0 is in process, the Android version of the popular open source productivity suite is heading in the right direction, says Meeks. In fact, reportedly Google Summer of Code participant Iain Billet is “working hard to make a nice viewer out of LibreOffice for Android,” Meeks wrote in a blog post on Tuesday.
He further explained that: Billet is apparently working on a Java viewer interface for LibreOffice that will integrate nicely into the platform and provide fast pan/zoom/page-flip browsing and all that good stuff you expect.
Here are the advancements in the software as reported by PC World:
Cross-Compilation: Cross-compilation to both Android and iOS works “rather acceptably,” Meeks said. “Almost the entire code-base cross-compiles out of the box,” in fact.
Basic System Functions: Basic system functions and bootstrapping work for the new LibreOffice for Android, Meeks said. Packaging, signing, installing, and running “works reasonably reliably,” and the software can now pass a number of LibreOffice unit tests.
All in all, however, the current state is still “a fairly horrific, bolts and all, barely usable (even with keyboard and mouse) office suite on your tablet,” admitted Meeks, who offered the picture below.
LibreOffice for Android's user interface is still "utterly horrible for a tablet device," developer Michael Meeks says.
Tiled Page Rendering: Meanwhile, though, work is also being done on tiled page rendering to textures. “That will allow us to quickly render portions of document content at any scale, asynchronously in a background thread, to suit the viewer,” he added.
A viewer/file-manager shell is already in place to allow managing and selecting documents on the SD card.
Ongoing Work: Included among the ongoing work on the software's new viewer is a move to a new linker for faster startup as well as expanded page rendering abstractions for spreadsheets and presentations, and a new focus on Android/x86, Meeks wrote.
Also on the way are “tons of UI/viewer improvements, 3D transitions, pretty page flips, and more,” he added.
When Amazon launched its Kindle Fire tablet, Apple and Google would not have thought the impact on their business. Now if reports about the company planning a smartphone are true, then Apple has every reason to be up and alert! According to two sources close to the matter, Amazon.com Inc is developing a smartphone that would vie with Apple’s iPhone and handheld devices that run Google ‘s Android operating system, Bloomberg reported. 
The report further stated that Foxconn, the Chinese mobile- phone maker, is working with Amazon on the device. Amazon is seeking to complement the smartphone strategy by acquiring patents that cover wireless technology and would help it defend against allegations of infringement, other people with knowledge of the matter told the site.
A smartphone would give Amazon a wider range of low-priced hardware devices that would boost its strategy of minting money from digital books, songs and movies. It would help the company to have a good slice of the market for advanced wireless handsets. Amazon spokesperson refused to comment on the speculation.
According to researcher IDC, manufacturers led by Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple shipped 398.4 million smartphones in the first quarter.
Fancy the handy clock or calendar and temperature gadgets hanging on your desktop? It’s time to bid adieu. Sources from Win8China say that those widgets may not be a part of Windows 8. The site claims to have laid their hands on the latest versions of Windows 8. The decision to axe the gadgets altogether might stem from Microsoft’s persistent Metro push and the fact that developers can build Metro-style apps, Crazy Engineers reports.
With Jelly Bean aka Android 4.1 round the corner, we need to see how the acceptance of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) will change. In the latest data from Android Developer, the dashboard numbers for Google's Android operating system have been released. As per the data, one in ten devices is leveraging Ice Cream Sandwich as their mobile OS of choice. Last updated on 2 July, put Gingerbread (Android 2.3) in first place with a 64-percent install base; followed by Froyo (Android 2.2) with 17.3-percent and ICS with 10.6-percent, Engadget reports
It’s raining tablet news today. First the mini iPad news coming in October followed by ICS update for all Samsung tablets and now as per some online reports, Amazon will be launching its Kindle Fire 2 as soon as this month. A fresh report from the Unwired View, who has taken information from China Times suggests that the tablet will be unveiled either this month or August. 
The report reads: “According to the Chinese paper, Amazon has already ordered 2 million 7-inch Kindle Fire 2s from Quanta, for early August delivery. Which sounds about right for the rumoured new Kindle Fire announcement on 31 July. The new 7-inch Kindle Fire will have a metal frame, the rest of the chassis in plastic, with displays coming from LG and touch panels supplied by TPK.”
Based on reports featured so far, it is believed that Kindle Fire 2 will have better integrated lighting and more hardware improvements. There are also reports that this new version will suspend the launch of the 8.9-inch tablet. The original Kindle Fire was being touted as the 'iPad Killer', primarily because of its attractive price tag. Moreover, reports suggest that Amazon may also announce Kindle Touch, which will be at a lower price point. This will phase out the tablets that are ‘low budget but non-performing’. Let’s wait and watch!
A leaked report suggests that Microsoft is testing a curved keyboard for the upcoming Windows Phone 8. Mobile tech site WMPowerUser claims to have access to the leaked Microsoft Research presentation which contains a photograph of the new keyboard in action. The image shows a curved keyboard with the QWERTY layout but with the characters grouped together in such a way as to allow single-handed use.
atapulted in the heart of fierce smartphone battle, Android is allying with Ubuntu to chew off Apple's ever rising threat to the former's empire. Apple is steadily fortifying its consumer base by bringing in new trendy technology along with killer looks to its devices and Google is taking a serious note of the enemy advancements. However, a weak zone has been spotted in Apple's defences which Ubuntu can exploit. Apple's iPhone 'doesn't have the ability to dock and act like a computer.' 
Ubuntu has an alternative vision for smartphone/PC convergence and it's teaming with Android hardware makers on devices that will hit the market later in 2012, according to a CNET report. In the crisis hour, the Linux brothers- Android and Ubuntu may team up to defend itself from the wrath of the opposition. CNET noted Android had won over more users than Apple in 2010 and 2011 since Android was available on more carriers, and cost less than the then $200 base price of the iPhone.
Canonical is showing interest in the mobile industry as it demonstrated Ubuntu for Android at the Mobile World Congress in February. According to CNET, Ubuntu for Android allows a phone to function normally as a smartphone or when making calls, but Ubuntu takes over when the smartphone is docked, giving the user the feel of a standard computer.
"The Ubuntu solution is providing a complete PC operating system. Canonical has always seen the opportunity for Ubuntu for Android. It's something that's always been discussed, but once the hardware was ready then we realized the timing was good for this. [The software] is mature enough for us to engage with an OEM today," said Richard Collins, the Product Manager for Ubuntu for Android in a GMA report.
The week that has just gone by saw too many happenings in the world of open source technology. Google showcased its 'revolutionary' tablet Nexus 7 and Microsoft disclosed its intentions behind going the open source way despite calling Linux 'cancer' years back. An all-new Aakash tablet that will run Google's Android Ice Cream Sandwich was announced and we shared some tips for maintaining the health of your Android devices too. We understand that it’s difficult for you to keep track of every headline in this fast moving world of technology, so we have hand picked the best stories for this week that you would certainly not like to miss. Check out our top 10 FOSS bites of the week…
1. Google Nexus Tablet To Be Priced Around Rs 11,000 : If you are planning to buy a low cost tablet device, you surely would want to wait for this one. Google Nexus tablet is expected to be the next big thing in the tablet world. The kind of specs that are being speculated for the device make it an interesting piece of technology. The recently launched tablet will be priced at around Rs 11,000. This price along with its features like a quad core processor and HD screen makes it one of the most lucrative options for the tablet buyers. As reported earlier, the tablet will run on Google's Android 4.1 aka Jelly Bean. The tablet will offer a 1280X800 pixel IPS display along with Android 4.1. Read More...
2. "Ubuntu Adoption Grew 160 Per Cent In India Last Year" : India is surely getting open to open source. Don't believe it? Well, in that case you gotto read this one. Canonical's CEO has revealed that Ubuntu adoption in India increased by about 160 per cent last year. Speaking to EFYTimes.com, Jane Silber, chief executive officer, Canonical said, “We have chosen India for our biggest retail expansion after China because we see tremendous opportunity and growth in this country. India is one of the countries where Ubuntu is most successful and well received. We see significant growth in Ubuntu adoption in India. Over the last year we saw 160 per cent growth. So, we believe that there is real potential and demand here. I would like to make special mention of our partners because this is done with them. So we can go to the market through our OEMs. Canonical is not building computers and Canonical does not have stores. Our OEM partners know very well and have much more data than we do about the many machines that ship in India with Ubuntu pre-installed. Our OEM partners believe that we can grow with proper marketing and education.” Read More...
3. An Android 4.0 Tablet For $49 Only : ITOne digital company, China-based OEM and ODM manufacturer is all set to cater to your affordable tablet PC needs. Priced at only $49, with 17.78-cm (7-inch) capacitive display and a processor with an unspecified brand clocked at 1.2 GHz, it is surely going to grab headlines. Its uniqueness does not end here, the device runs the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. Read More...
4. Here’s How Zorin OS 6 Can Make Windows To Linux Transition Easy! : With the era of Windows 8 platform just round the corner, people have all the more reason to shift to the Linux platform. While there are existing user friendly distros such as Ubuntu Linux and Linux Mint, there is one lesser known flavour that was specifically designed to make the Windows to Linux switch smooth- in fact, Zorin OS 6, the Ubuntu-based Linux distribution is called as the ‘gateway to Linux for Windows users’. Read More...
5. Tips To Keep Your Android Device Healthy : You need to care for your smart Android partner if you want it to be with you whenever you are in need. From finding near by restaurants to taking care of your official e-mails, it helps you in carrying your world with you. If you are observant, then you will surely notice that your Android device has become slower after a few months of use than it was when you first bought it. First and the most foremost question: How often do you switch off your Android device? If your answer is once a week or a month, then start caring about your buddy and allow it to sleep for at least 15 minutes a day. The second most important question: How often do you charge the battery and how do you charge it? If you want the most of your Android phone or tablet, recharge the battery only when it indicates less than 20 per cent. Never leave your Android battery on power throughout the day. Also, stop charging immediately when as soon as it shows 100 per cent. The best way to boost your phone is by restoring the factory settings, but you risk losing your data and may have to reconfigure your phone. Here are a few steps to cure any Android troubles. Read More...
6. Here Is Why Microsoft Is Warming Up To Open Source! : It was just a decade before when Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft called Linux 'cancer'. Times have changed and so has Microsoft and its attitude towards open source technology. Microsoft has not only gone warm towards open source technologies but has taken a concrete step forward in the direction by opening an all-new open source subsidiary for its initiatives. EFYTimes.com spoke to Mandar Naik, director, platform strategy, Microsoft India about Microsoft's changed attitude and why Linux is no more 'cancerous' for the company. Read More...
7. Aakash 2 Tablet Coming In August @Rs 2,263 : Human resources and development minister, Kapil Sibal announced the new and improved Aakash tablet day before. The minister is now confident about the release of Aakash 2 tablet, which is also called UbiSlate 7 and is positive about the device reaching masses. The improved Aakash tablet now has a 17.78-cm (7-inch) capacitive multi-touchscreen, supports Wi-Fi and GPRS a micro SD card slot and a USB port, but doesn’t have 3G compatibility. Read More...
8. Pre-Order Samsung Galaxy Beam Projector Phone For Rs 29,990 : Samsung is now taking pre-orders for its Galaxy Beam Android projector phone in India. The smartphone is listed on Samsung's official e-store and is priced at Rs 29,990. It was announced in March 2012 and still there is no official word on the release date of the smartphone. However, we are expecting it to arrive very soon. Now, this smartphone can actually work as a proper projector and can beam videos, photos and movies on a screen of 127-cm (50- inch). Powered by a dual-core 1 GHz processor with 768 MB RAM, it runs Android 2.3 aka Gingerbread. It sports a 4.0-inch WVGA TFT screen and 5MP camera with Flash. It includes 8 GB Internal storage, that is expandable up to 32GB via MicroSD slot. The USP of the phone is the 15 lumens pico projector in the device that can show images up to 50-inches wide. Read More...
9. Microsoft Has No Intentions Of Being Open Source- Canonical's CEO : Gone are the days when Microsoft considered open source technology a cancer to the society. It's time when the company has stopped bashing open source and has initiated steps to become open source friendly. The proprietary software king has become one of the largest contributors of Linux and has come up with an entirely new open source subsidiary. Microsoft has also allowed Linux on Azure platform. What more! Open source companies are taking such initiatives from Microsoft in a positive light. EFYTimes.com spoke exclusively to Jane Silber, chief executive officer of Canonical about recent open source friendly efforts from Microsoft. Read More...
10. NVIDIA Employee Extends Support To Linux : After Linus Benedict Torvalds, the Linux creator gave a middle finger to NVIDIA, the latter mentioned that they would take Linux more seriously. Stephen Warren, an NVIDIA employee sent out a mailer to the Kernel Summit mailing list asking for a different approach for better support towards Linux. While speaking at an event in front of students on 14 June at the Aalto University Center for Entrepreneurship in Otaniemi, Finland, Linus Torvalds unexpectedly made a middle finger gesture when a girl in the audience asked him about NVIDIA graphics card driver support for Linux, since she faced some difficulty with her laptop that was running NVIDIA Optimus Technology. Read More...
