Category: Desktop software
Switch view

Universal Microsoft Office apps arrive on Windows 10 Technical Preview

by 24 comments

Microsoft rolled out universal Office apps for Windows 10 Technical Preview. The trio includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

The touch-optimized applications are available for desktops, notebooks, and tablets with Windows 10 installed. Read more »

Google Chromecast scored 10 million sales in 2014

by 45 comments

It’s not surprising that Google’s Chromecast HDMI streaming stick has been quite successful. After all it’s cheap and relatively easy to use, and it can instantly make your TV smarter than it was. Today though we get the first glimpse of just how successful the Chromecast was, at least during last year.

That’s because for the first time ever Google has shared some sales numbers with the media. According to a report out of South Korea, the search giant’s arm in that country has revealed that 10 million Chromecasts were sold globally in 2014. Read more »

Weekly poll results: Windows 10 gets lots of fan love

by 110 comments

Windows 10, the embodiment of the One Windows concept Microsoft is keen to pursue, appears to be uniting users as well. Our weekly poll results are in, and paint a picture of future success for the Redmond giant.

The all-important new OS carries a lot of weight on its shoulders and needs to succeed if Microsoft is to stand a chance at more than marginal presence in the smartphone world. The dominant position in the desktop market seems stable but shouldn’t be taken for granted. Read more »

Dropbox acquires Pixelapse creative collaboration and version control suite

by 2 comments

Dropbox has recently been putting a lot of effort into expanding its service and striving for better integration with various third-party platforms and products. The latest step in this direction is the acquisition of Pixelapse with the intent to eventually integrate the interesting service into the core Dropbox experience.

Pixelapse offers a modern take on managing the workflow of various creative areas. It is intended to provide artist and designers with a fluent, intuitive and very visual way of managing the work process and collaborating. The software itself is beautifully executed both visually and in terms of performance. It runs on both Windows and OSX and is completely free for hosting public projects. Read more »

Microsoft confirms legacy apps and full desktop experience will only work on 8-inch and larger Windows 10 tablets

by 75 comments

Last week all eyes were on Microsoft and the announcement-rich event, held on January 21. A lot of groundbreaking and game-changing plans were unveiled to make the next installment of the OS a truly revolutionary experience. But perhaps the thing that excites us the most is the future of Windows on mobile devices.

Microsoft has made it clear that it will spare no resource in following its One Windows strategy and unifying the user experience across all devices. This, of course includes the unification of the app ecosystem, allowing developers to write code that works seamlessly across PCs, smartphones, tables and even Xbox consoles. Read more »

Weekly poll: Windows 10 – hot or not

by 144 comments

Undoubtedly the most important event of the week was the official unveiling of Microsoft Windows 10. The Redmond software giant skipped a digit, and is planning to offer a seamless multi-platform experience across all your devices.

From smartphone to tablet, to PC, Windows 10 will be the one operating system to rule them all. Read more »

Over 170,000 new Insiders signed up after Windows 10 event

by 45 comments

As most of you surely know Microsoft organized an event on January 21 to showcase the progress and innovations in Windows 10 and beyond. The conference was quite interesting and gave answers to a lot of pressing questions, especially regarding the new OS on mobile device and the new unified application ecosystem. After a few encouragements from the speakers apparently a lot more people got excited about the new insider program and Microsoft was happy to announce that over 170 000 new registrations were received for the program in the two days after the event.

Windows 10 is truly a major upgrade over previous versions and Microsoft made that abundantly clear not only through the wide array of exciting new announcements and the emerging One Windows ideology, but also through the new open development process with in-depth user-engagement along the way. A big part of that is Microsoft’s new “Insider program”. Read more »

Skype will be built into Windows 10, sync contacts with your phone and email

by 105 comments

With Windows 10 Skype will be making the transition from an important app to a part of the OS itself, both on phones and on the desktop. The new app will sync its contact book with that of your phone and your email, which will let you stay in touch even if your friends are using an Android or an Apple product.

Microsoft doesn’t quite make it clear how that will work, but on phones the app will handle SMS messages as well as its own Skype messages. Read more »

Microsoft details Project Spartan browser – legacy support still present, focus is on modern features

by 64 comments

Microsoft’s event was packed with new announcements and there just wasn’t enough time for details. Project Spartan is the new default browser for Windows 10 and it’s a universal app – it will run on PCs, tablets, phones and the Xbox.

In a post on its developers network, Microsoft has detailed some of the highlights of Spartan. Read more »

Cortana is now part of Windows 10 on PC

by 51 comments

The cloud-based Cortana assistant is officially going to be part of Windows 10 on the PC. It is now more intelligent and useful than ever. During today’s Microsoft Windows 10 event the assistant software was showcased in all its glory, working on a Desktop machine.

Cortana will not only be available on your computer, but she has gotten a whole lot better than on your phone. The software has undergone a major upgrade and is now specifically tailored for a full PC experience. Read more »

Start menu resurrected with Windows 10, but with Live tiles

by 67 comments

Windows 10 is taking a step back and forward – the Start menu is back, but unlike the classic menu this one has Live tiles in it. For those who enjoyed the full-screen mode, it’s still on board and is the default for tablet mode.

That’s right, Windows 10 will power both phones as well as tablets and convertibles. Read more »

Samsung to launch Kies 4 in Q1 2015

by 53 comments

Samsung’s smartphone manager Kies suite for PC and Mac is about to get a major overhaul, as noted by a development cited by SamMobile. The suite is going to be redesigned to be more inline with the company’s TouchWiz look for the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop update.

As a result, we expect simpler user interface and if the chatter is true, Kies 4 will launch in Q1 2015. Coincidentally, that’s when the company also launches its flagship smartphones, so hopefully the Galaxy S6 will have a new computer buddy to play with. Read more »

Chrome Remote Desktop by Google arrives on iOS

by 29 comments

Google’s Chrome Remote Desktop app made its way to iOS. Nine months after its Android sibling launched, the application is available to download and install for free in the Apple App Store.

Setting up Chrome Remote Desktop for iOS is easy. Read more »

Windows 10 gets a redesigned taskbar, Spartan and Cortana get closer

by 92 comments

Microsoft will be detailing the upcoming Windows 10 in two weeks, but the new features keep leaking on a daily basis. Recently we learnt Microsoft is working on a stand-alone web browser called Spartan, which should replace (though not put to rest) the Internet Explorer.

Today we get to see more of Spartan and the brand new and redesigned taskbar, which comes with the new looks of Windows. Read more »

Skype offers India users free mobile and landline calls to US and Canada

by 73 comments

Skype announced a new promotion today for its users in India. For a limited time up until March 1, 2015 (00:01 IST) all new and current Skype users in the fast-growing India market will be able to benefit from the offer. Interestingly enough calls can be both personal and business, but certain limitations do apply to prevent abuse of the service.

You can read the entire terms and services on the promotion page, but unsurprisingly Skype have taken steps to prevent unwanted telemarketing and spam throughout the promotional period. Read more »