OSnews - Exploring the Future of Computing

Google overhauling flagship search

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-15 Google 23 Comments

"During its Keynote today, Google announced new features coming to its flagship search function - you know, that thing we all started using Google for. VP Amit Singhal spent some time discussing what Google's search functionality will eventually morph into. Google's strategy is summarized by three words: answer, converse, and anticipate. Singhal explained that many of the pieces of these upcoming changes can already be seen in products that Google has recently introduced - namely, Google Knowledge Graph and Google Now, with perhaps a splash of Google Glass, too." I hold on to my hat every time Google changes Search. It's such a vital product in my daily life.

Google demands Microsoft pull YouTube app from WP

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-15 Google 85 Comments

"Wired has obtained a copy of a cease and desist letter sent by Google to Microsoft today, demanding Microsoft immediately remove the YouTube app from its Windows Phone Store and disable existing copies on consumers' devices by May 22. The YouTube app for Windows Phone - developed by Microsoft not Google - strips out ads and allows downloading, both violations of YouTube's terms of service." Incredibly petty. Just come up with a solution, you bunch of kids.

Android Studio early access preview

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-15 General Development 25 Comments

"Android Studio is a new Android development environment based on IntelliJ IDEA. Similar to Eclipse with the ADT Plugin, Android Studio provides integrated Android developer tools for development and debugging." Lots of ooh's and aah's from the developer crowd as this one was demoed.

Google announces Galaxy S4 ‘Google Edition’

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-15 Google 13 Comments

The big Google I/O keynote is still going on, but one piece of news deserves its own news item: Google just announced the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition. This is a Galaxy S4 with completely stock Android, the same you'd find on a Nexus 4. The bootloader is unlocked, it is carrier unlocked, and will receive update straight from Google. It'll be available from Google Play 26 June. Now - let's hope this comes to all popular Android phones. I'm throwing money at my screen for an HTC One Google Edition.

Review: high-PPI Toshiba Kirabook

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-15 Hardware 20 Comments

"We're sure that more high-density Windows laptops are on the way, but the Kirabook is the first to make it to market. The laptop raises some natural questions: Does a computer that is both thinner and lighter than the Pixel and the Pros skimp on battery life to achieve these feats? Is the Kirabook good enough to justify its jaw-dropping $1,599.99 starting price? Most importantly, can Windows support high-density displays as well as OS X, Chrome OS, iOS, Android, and others can?" Great laptop, great screen, decent battery life - but Windows' scaling is a terrible mess. Metro is fine, but the proper desktop is a disaster.

A new look at the newly official NVIDIA Shield

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-14 Games 12 Comments

"The major functionality - gaming - is all there. Shield runs 'stock' Android, but NVIDIA's TegraZone curated app space is downright beautiful. Some thought was put into that UI. From there, you can play your Shield-optimized games, purchase new ones, and (if you have the proper NVIDIA graphics card on your PC), use Shield to control games being played on a PC gaming rig. The latter feature will launch in beta. We've used it twice now, and it's surprisingly lag-free, though it does have the occasional connection hiccup." I don't really know what to think of this thing. It looks insane and I don't see it competing with smartphones and other handheld gaming devices, but it does have some cool technology and I must admit that as a gamer, I'd love to have one. I have no idea where this will go.

Nokia unveils Lumia 925

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-14 Wireless 11 Comments

"Following reports, Nokia's own teaser campaign, and a last-minute leaked image, the Lumia 925 is official today. The Finnish smartphone maker is taking the wraps off its latest flagship Windows Phone, and there's a slight twist: it's made from aluminum. Nokia's latest smartphone is trading a full polycarbonate unibody for an aluminum casing. It's not fully metal - the rear of the device will be polycarbonate, and the front is naturally made of glass - but it marks a new shift for Nokia's Windows Phone design." This will be the Lumia that turns it all... Nevermind.

BlackBerry Messenger coming to Android, iOS this summer

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-14 Wireless 6 Comments

"If you're already a fan of BlackBerry Messenger, we've got some exciting news designed to make it easier for you to connect with your entire mobile social network. BlackBerry plans to make BBM, our wildly popular mobile messaging service, available for the first time to iOS and Android users this summer (subject to approval by Google Play and the Apple App Store, as applicable). This means that, once available, you can welcome your friends and family using these other mobile platforms to connect over BBM and share in the Team BlackBerry love." Another inevitability. Love the note about the application stores.

Submitted by lucas_maximus 2013-05-14 Windows 71 Comments

"Today at the JP Morgan Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in Boston, Tami Reller shared with the audience that the update previously referred to as 'Windows Blue' will be called Windows 8.1 and will be a free update to Windows 8 for consumers through the Windows Store." They really didn't have much of a choice, but good news anyway.

Report: HTC First to be discontinued

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-13 Wireless 13 Comments

"The HTC First, or 'Facebook phone' as many prefer to call it, is officially a flop. It certainly wasn't a good sign when AT&T dropped the price of HTC's First to $0.99 just one month after its debut, and now BGR has confirmed that HTC and Facebook's little experiment is nearing its end. BGR has learned from a trusted source that sales of the HTC First have been shockingly bad. So bad, in fact, that AT&T has already decided to discontinue the phone. Our source at AT&T has confirmed that the HTC First, which is the first smartphone to ship with Facebook Home pre-installed, will soon be discontinued and unsold inventory will be returned to HTC." Wow. That's pretty bad - but not unexpected.

New Android boss finally reveals plans Android

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-13 Google 22 Comments

The only thing from the interview I care about: "We are thinking about how to make Android handle updates better. We see ways we can do this. It's early days. We're talking with our partners and working our way through it. We need time to figure out the mechanics, but it's definitely an area of focus for me and for the team." We've seen empty promises about this before, though.

Guest post by Kyuss 2013-05-13 Microsoft 48 Comments

"Most people understand that Windows is used by a variety of people who have a variety of needs, ranging from corporate server to workstation to POS terminals to home PC and beyond. Most people accept that whenever Microsoft updates Windows, it has to balance the competing requirements to find some kind of workable compromise. There is however another set of competing requirements that many do not really register, even those that call themselves power users or are IT admins. It is a conflict between developers/programmers and Microsoft itself."

Samsung is hurting Android

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-12 Wireless 27 Comments

"Last week our HTC One vs Samsung Galaxy S4 head-to-head concluded that Samsung no longer makes the best Android phone. But after developments this week, I wonder whether Google wants Samsung to continue making Android phones at all." Yup.

Windows 8: New Coke?

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-12 Windows 21 Comments

"Microsoft's communications chief has a tough job these days, and with Windows 8 is under attack from all sides he's bravely called for a return to the center and a less partisan conversation about the new OS. There's just one problem: The periodicals he’s called out for engaging in 'sensationalism and hyperbole' are in fact right about Microsoft's strategy. And ignoring that is the real problem."

Windows “slower than other operating systems”

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-11 Windows 221 Comments

"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.

Lumia 928 for Verizon debuts

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-10 Wireless 22 Comments

"The Lumia 928 sports a 4.5-inch AMOLED display (PureMotion HD+), 8.7MP camera (PureView, Carl Zeiss, OIS and Xenon flash), 4G LTE connectivity, wireless charging, three HAAC microphones and a loud speaker. It's an improved Lumia 920." This is the Lumia that will turn Nokia and Windows Phone around. I'm super-serious you guys!

The Facebook Home disaster

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-10 Wireless 30 Comments

"The reviews are in: Facebook Home, Mark Zuckerberg's grandiose stab at totally controlling our mobile experience, is an unmitigated disaster. On Wednesday, AT&T announced that it was dropping the price of the HTC First smartphone, which comes with Facebook Home built in, from $99 to 99 cents. Think about that: a new smartphone, priced to jump off the shelves at Dollar General. It's a great deal, but it is also hugely embarrassing for Zuckerberg. For confirmation we need only look at the Google Play store, where the Facebook Home app, which can be installed on select Android phones, has now fallen to the No. 338 ranking in the category of free apps. That's 200 spots lower than it ranked just two weeks ago." Totally did not see this coming whatsoever.

Nokia unveils Asha 501 smartphone with new software

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-09 Wireless 38 Comments

This is the Nokia I remember. The company just unveiled the Nokia Asha 501, which has a completely new version of the Asha software platform. Fast, responsive, stunningly great and simple hardware, and an unbeatable price ($99!). It borrows a lot from MeeGo on the N9, and overall excites me infinitely more than their Lumia offerings. I want one of these so bad.

Using Google Glass: at a Justin Timberlake concert

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-09 Google 15 Comments

"'Those are some unique glasses.' 'Are you wearing Glass?' 'He's got Google Glass on!' My appearance can be ostentatious at times, but wearing Google Glass in public drew a truly unparalleled amount of attention - never have I seen so many strangers (and people I know) give me this look of, 'uh, what's on your face?'" Gamechanger. If not Glass, at least something similar. Hunching over to use you phone is unnatural, and you close yourself off from your surroundings. No such thing with Glass - that alone will change the game.

New Zealand bans software patents

Thom Holwerda 2013-05-09 Legal 28 Comments

New Zealand leads the way. "The government has announced a change to planned new patent rules today which has put an end to fears that computer software might be covered by new patent protection." Also, here's the evidence that nobody (except lawyers, (un)paid company lackies, and corporate managers) wants software patents: "Matthews said a recent poll of more than 1000 Kiwi IT professionals found 94 per cent wanted to see software patents gone." Let that sink in for a while: 94%.