Did our first glimpse of Metro Office apps just appear in Microsoft's Windows 8.1 ...

Did our first glimpse of Metro Office apps just appear in Microsoft's Windows 8.1 ...

Microsoft let many cats out of myriad bags in its whopping 1,817-word reveal of Windows 8.1 yesterday, but it's what the company didn't talk about that's almost more intriguing. Mixed in among all the chatter was a curious screenshot of the Windows 8.1 Start screen, and tucked away in amongst its Live Tiles were four eye-opening squares.

Folks, I think we just got our first look at modern-style Office apps. Or at least their Live Tiles.

Modern Office apps

Microsoft

(Click to enlarge.)

Check out the image above, from Microsoft’s own Windows 8.1 blog post. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote all make an appearance, positioned there next to the SkyDrive app.

So what, you ask? Microsoft owns Office! Indeed it doesâ€"but Microsoft does not offer modern UI versions of its core Office programs. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are only offered as desktop programs as of today. And pinning those desktop productivity programs to the Windows 8 Start screen creates tiles with the same light blue background as any other desktop appâ€"and not the colorful squares shown in Microsoft's blog post.

Microsoft does offer a modern app for its Lync communications software, though, and its Start screen tile bears a striking resemblance to the Office app tiles in the Windows 8.1 blog post, from the simple colors to the "open book"-style design.

In the screenshot to the right, you’ll see tiles of Microsoft’s modern Lync app alongside tiles for the core Office desktop programs, all from my Windows 8 Start screen. See what I mean?

Now, the appearance of colored Office tiles in Microsoft's blog post could just mean that we’ll have the ability to choose background color for tiles derived from desktop programs, which would be pretty cool in and of itself.

But consider that no other desktop program was shown in any of Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 screenshots... and the four tiles' close resemblence to the Lync app's tile, and the Start screen tiles for Microsoft's other preinstalled such as Video, Music, and Maps... and that those intriguing modern-style Office “Gemini” rumors have been floating around.

Suddenly, the Office tiles in the Windows 8.1 screenshots start to look like a lot more than mere squares. We may know for sure soon. If the Gemini rumors hold true, modern-style Office apps may just land on Start screens around the globe later this year.

 

Samsung teases new Android, Windows devices for June 20 event

Samsung teases new Android, Windows devices for June 20 event

Monday, May 27, 2013, 02:17 pm

By AppleInsider Staff

On the heels of launching its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4, Samsung is now gearing up to introduce more Android devices, as well as new Windows products, at a June 20 event in London.


In an invitation sent out to members of the press on Monday, Samsung teased that the company will introduce new products to its Galaxy and Ativ lineups. Galaxy is the brand Samsung uses for its electronics powered by Google's Android platform, while Ativ represents devices running Windows Phone, Windows RT and Windows 8.

Samsung's event will be held just 10 days after Apple's own keynote presentation at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. There, Apple has to show off new versions of both its iOS and OS X platforms.

It's also expected that Apple will introduce upgraded MacBook models at WWDC featuring Intel's latest-generation Haswell processors. The company is not expected, however, to launch new iPhones or iPads until later this year.

It's unknown exactly what devices Samsung plans to introduce, aside from additions to its Galaxy and Ativ lineups, but the company did accidentally leak images of its forthcoming Galaxy S4 mini on its apps website this weekend. When sorting the company's large smartphone lineup, a thumbnail of Galaxy S4 mini models could be viewed.

Samsung's press conference will begin at 2 p.m. Eastern time, 8 p.m. local time in London. The event will be live streamed via Samsung Mobile's official YouTube account.

In addition to being in close proximity to Apple's WWDC, the Samsung media event will also occur less than a week before Microsoft's annual Build developer conference. That event runs from June 26 through 28 in San Francisco.

Microsoft announced today that it is revealing a next-generation Xbox console ...

Microsoft announced today that it is revealing a next-generation Xbox console ...

After eight years on the shelves and having sold some 70 million units, Microsoft's Xbox 360 is finally getting a successor today. The Xbox reveal comes a bit late to the party, as the last of the big three home console makers to announce a new system. Exactly three months ago today, Sony introduced the PlayStation 4, which will be out this holiday season and Nintendo released its Wii U late last year.

So what does Microsoft have to put on the track in forthcoming gaming console race? We'll get details this afternoon at Microsoft's event in Washington at 10 a.m. PT/ 1:00 ET., but in the meantime, here is a guide as to you can expect.

The new Xbox -- the Xbox One -- has been announced. Check out all the details here.

New Hardware
No, this isn't just another one of Microsoft's software-updates-to-Xbox events. The company is expected to show off the new Xbox hardware, which is said to be powered by an eight-core AMD processor and a very powerful graphics processor. Codenamed "Durango," the console, gaming site Kotaku reports, will have 500GB of storage space, 8GB of RAM and USB 3.0 connectivity. It might have a Blu-ray drive.

Kotaku also reported that the Kinect camera and sensor, which attaches to the Xbox now to put players in the games, will be upgraded to a full 1080p sensor. It also reports that Kinect, which ships separately now, will be included with every Xbox. The Verge reports that it will also have advanced voice command functionality. No word on what the controllers will look like and if they will rival Sony's DualShock 4 Controller.

RELATED: PlayStation 4 First Details

Less likely, but still possible, features may include an augmented reality headset that looks something like a cross between Google Glass and the Occulus Rift. This theory emerged after documents leaked last summer, pointing to AR on the roadmap for Xbox. Microsoft Research has also been experimenting with a projection device called the Illumiroom, which may factor into its plans to transform the next generation of living rooms into fully immersive environments.

A New Name
"Durango" is but one of many codenames the next Xbox has gone by, and while the final name is still up in the air, the Internet has had a field day with guess-work. Reddit seems to believe that Xbox Infinity (or jokingly, xfinity) will be the triumphant title. "Xbox 720" has been kicked around as the logical successor to the 360 name, though fans, developers and domain registration documentation has also posited NextBox, Loop, Xbox 8, Kryptos and Yukon as potential nomenclature.

New Gaming Services
Of course, that hardware will enable some really stunning gaming graphics. Similar to the PlayStation 4 event, we expect Microsoft to demo the next-generating gaming platform with some graphical oohs and aahs. Microsoft has said that it won't be detailing the launch titles until the E3 gaming show in June, but all signs point to them showing off at least some Microsoft-created games, like Kinect Sports, to exemplify the graphics.

There's speculation that the next Xbox would require an Internet connection or an always-connected state. With that, we expect there to be talk of social or connected gaming.

New Content and Video Services
But those that think the Xbox is just a gaming console should think again. Microsoft is bound to focus on the entertainment and content aspects of the hardware that lives in the living room. While there are already a number of media services integrated into the Xbox 360, including streaming video services and content stores, there are greater reports that Microsoft wants to take over the cable box.

According to The Verge, a feature will allow it to integrate with a cable or set-top box, allowing it to display your cable content alongside other Internet content. And in keeping with that always-on theme, an online connection will allow for more streaming and always-connected TV services.

Now Here's An Interesting Problem About Google Glass And Prescription Lenses

Now Here's An Interesting Problem About Google Glass And Prescription Lenses

OK Glass, Mute The Children (#GeekyMom) Techonomy Contributor Is Google Glass Cool? Panos Mourdoukoutas Contributor Google Glass Just Got Its First YouTube App Parmy Olson Forbes Staff Developer Warns Of Google Glass Security Risks Following His Jailbreak Exploit Andy Greenberg Forbes Staff

It’s said that Google Google is experimenting with Google Glass and prescription lenses. To cater to those who need eyesight correction but don’t want to either wear contacts or to cram the Google Glass frames on over their regular spectacles. Which sounds exceedingly sensible to me I must say. However, this then brings its own problems, at least over here in Europe it will. For over here, at least in most countries, you either can’t sell prescription glasses online or face strict restrictions upon who may do so. And Google Glass is going to be much too expensive to want to have pairs in each and every opticians so that the opticians can sell them:

You had to look closely on the Google I/O show floor, but a few Google employees were wearing Glass prototypes with actual prescription glasses attached. Designed in-house at Google, they actually look good: crisp modern lines, but not exactly for the Ray-Ban set. Mark Shandy, seen above, was kind enough to show them off and discuss how they felt so far.

It’s been reported that Warby Parker could be getting into the Google Glass-designing game, but there’s a good chance that Google’s own in-house design team will come up with some good-looking frames, too, based on these early results, although how easy it’ll be to fit those frames with standard prescription lenses isn’t clear.

Here’s what the problem is with making prescription lenses. There’s an almost infinite variation in the number of prescriptions that can be needed. Reading glasses come in very few variants, which is why in many countries you can now just buy them off the rack at the drug store for a couple of $ a pair. But the more traditional prescription glasses have tens of thousands at least of lens variations. Left and right eye prescriptions can be wildly different, one must correct for pupillary distance (in case you’re wondering, yes I have looked into all of this as part of a business plan just recently, although not with Google Glass in mind), then there’s setting of the lenses for astigmatism, and that’s before we get into bifocals and varifocals, tints and so on.

There is simply no way that one can stock stores with all of these variations: one has to stock frames, then lenses separately and then assemble (and often, fine machine  the lenses to meet the exact prescription) them to order for each individual customer.

Traditionally this is done by the optician in the shop for very simple sets. Or the numbers are sent off to a small manufacturer who fits the required lenses to the frames and sends them back to said optician. I don’t think that this model would work for Google: the major reason being that Google Glass isn’t going to be cheap but such a model would require a full stock of frames (with all of the associated computing parts) at opticians across the land available to be so modified with the correct lenses.

In recent years it has been possible, in some countries at least, to do this over the net. The prescription itself is provided by the optician but then is copied into the website and then the lenses are fitted to the frames and shipped. It’s actually an acquaintance of mine who broke the UK opticians monopoly in this area. This means only one stock of frames: greatly reducing costs over the opticians model.

However, this model is not legal in all European countries. In some it’s definitely illegal, in others one would have to have a locally qualified optician on the staff to sign off on prescriptions: essentially, it’s one of the areas where the Single Market of the European Union just isn’t a single market. National regulations would prevent you from running a single website to supply across the continent.

Which leaves Google with something of a problem as to how to distribute Google Glass over here. One method, using the traditional opticians networks, would be extremely expensive in terms of stock. And a centralised website wouldn’t be legal to supply right across the continent. There is a possible solution but that in itself might well imply the necessity to pay corporation tax on any profits. So that’s out for Google too then.

Of course, if Mssrs. Schmidt, Brin and Page want to get in touch to hear that solution I’m always open to a consultancy gig……

Google Glass: the future's in face and object recognition

Google Glass: the future's in face and object recognition

Facebook, for instance, announced that it is working on an app for Glass. This is the social network which already employs technology to recognise who is in a photograph â€" take a picture, or video with Glass and it might instantly know who you’re with, where you are and, by inference at least, what you’re doing. This is not here yet, but it is an obvious next step. Ebay, too, is working on an app which, say, in a shop might in future alert you instantly to cheaper options by recognising what you’re looking at. None of this is as far away as it sounds. Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder and the head of Glass, told me with certainty that such gadgets will soon be common “all over” the world.

Galaxy S4 shot of pure Android boosts relationships, not sales

Galaxy S4 shot of pure Android boosts relationships, not sales

A pure Android Galaxy S4 isn't likely to drive blowout sales, but it could give Samsung and Google a boost in other ways.

Google on Wednesday at its Google I/O developer conference unveiled a special model of Samsung's flagship smartphone that runs a pure version of Android. What that means is the GS4 model won't ship with Samsung's oft-criticized TouchWiz user interface, and the device will receive Android system updates as soon as they're available.

But the device also has some drawbacks. It's pricey -- $649, to be exact -- and is only available through the Google Play store. It also only runs on ATT and T-Mobile, and it likely won't be promoted by the carriers. In addition, it's unclear whether all features of the mainstream GS4 will translate to the pure Android version.

"For lots of consumers, the initial cost is so high," Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi said. "They're not doing it for sales."

So why offer it? Google and Samsung likely never expected many mainstream consumers to buy the device. But it could appeal to developers and ultra Android fans who deride custom software interfaces slapped on top of Android. Other handset vendors, like HTC, also offer special developer versions of their devices with an unlocked bootloader, which allows users to install custom ROMs.

For Samsung, the device could mean earlier access to the newest releases of Android, while appeasing other handset makers that don't have the same privilege. Google simply can point out that the relationship is similar to the Nexus program, which always gets preferential treatment. And it's a way for Samsung to play nice with its close softw are partner, quelling some recent talk of troubles with Google.

The device also allows Samsung to offer a pure Android experience -- to the users who really want it -- without giving up its strong Galaxy branding. In addition, even if some people buy the Google version of the GS4 instead of the regular version, it's still sales for Samsung.

For Google, it allows the company to offer one of the best smartphones on the market with software the way Google envisioned it. Google hasn't had much success selling devices through its store, and most of those products didn't come with the highest-end hardware. The LG Nexus 4, for example, didn't incorporate 4G LTE, despite that the technology was becoming standard in most new devices. The GS4, however, is expected to post blockbuster sales, and Google now can say one of the world's most popular devices comes with a pure Android option.

The device also may buy Google a little time to get the much-rumored an d highly anticipated Motorola phone ready. If the online giant wants that device to be successful, it wouldn't make much sense to release a new Nexus phone right before its launch.

So even if sales are low, it might not matter at all to Samsung and Google. They're likely getting exactly what they expected.

Meet the stunning Samsung Galaxy S4 (pictures)

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