Microsoft Windows 8 and Surface tablet launch Oct 25. Surface ads in SF.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Microsoft Windows 8 and Surface tablet launch Oct 25.  Surface ads in SF.

Microsoft has sent out the invitations for the Windows 8 and Surface tablet  launch in October 25, 2012, at an event to take place in New York, USA.

Surface Tablet ads are all over the  BART station in San Francisco:

Google market value overtakes Microsoft.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Google market value overtakes Microsoft.

Google has overtaken Microsoft for the first time in terms of market value, becoming the third-most valuable company on public markets behind Exxon Mobil and Apple.

Based on closing prices yesterday, Google's shares ended the day to value the company at US$249.1 billion, nearly US$2 billion more than Microsoft. Google is in an escalating arms race with Apple (US$628 billion), the next company in Google’s sights, after Apple launched its own less-than-stellar maps application that replaced a Google-powered version on the iPhone.

HTC launched the Windows Phone 8X and 8S smartphones. Pictures and specifications. Video promo.

HTC launched the Windows Phone 8X and 8S smartphones. Pictures and specifications. Video promo.

In a press conference at New York , HTC and Microsoft introduced two new smartphones , the Windows Phone 8X and the Windows Phone 8S with beats audio and  in a wide range of colors. Pictures and specifications all the way down:

Windows Phone 8X:

The Windows Phone 8X (above) sports a a 4.3-inch Super LCD 2 display with Gorilla Glass 2 protection and 720p resolution, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 16 GB of storage, and two amazing cameras: The 8MP rear camera shoots full 1080p video, while the front has a 2.1MP, 1080p-capable camera with an 88 degree viewing angle. The 8X comes in California Blue, Graphite Black, Flame Red, and Limelight Yellow.

Please click on the images to enlarge the view:

Windows Phone 8S:

The Windows Phone 8S has a 4-inch Super LCD display with Gorilla Glass, dual-core 1GHz processor, 5MP rear camera, and 4GB of internal storage. Its two-tone polycarbonate body comes in four color combinations.

Please click on the images to enlarge the view:

Video: 

Microsoft Surface tablets estimated prices.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Microsoft Surface tablets estimated prices.

The hardware cost of Surface RT is at US$300-400 and US$400-500 for the x86 version. Since the devices will not need to pay the licensing fee for the operating system. The RT version will be priced below US$399, while the x86 version is estimated to be US$100-200 higher based on hardware costs and priced at US$500-700.

Since CEO Steve Ballmer in a recent interview pointed out that a price level between US$300-800 will be the sweet spot for PC sales, some market watchers have interpreted the statement as a hint for Surface pricing.

Source: Digitimes

RIM licensed patent to Microsoft and shares jump.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

RIM licensed patent to Microsoft and shares jump.

Microsoft said the patent being licensed by RIM greatly expands the size of files that flash memory devices can handle and increases the speed at which those files can be accessed. The technology also provides the ability to seamlessly transfer data between a variety of different devices.

"This is potentially money out of RIM's coffers for the right to use the ex-FAT patent in its technology. But what it does for investors and others is provide a glimpse into what the BlackBerry 10 devices can do," said Kevin Restivo, a mobile device analyst at global research firm IDC.

RIM hopes the BlackBerry 10 will help it regain market share that has been ceded to snazzier devices such as Apple's iPhone and others that run on Google Inc's Android operating system.

Speculation has been around from sometime now about what and how many BB10 devices will RIM launch in early 2013:

RIM is preparing BB 10 models L-Series all-touchscreen and N-Series w/keyboard.

RIM readying two BB10 beta devices for USA carriers.

RIM shares closed 21 Canadian cents higher at C$7.24 on Tuesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange. On Nasdaq, they closed 2.3 percent higher at $7.42.

($1=$0.97 Canadian)

Source: Reuters

Office 2010 to Office 2013 upgrade program.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Office 2010 to Office 2013 upgrade program.

There's no visible price on these screen shots, if Office upgrades will be free, to be confirmed yet.

It appears the upgrade offer for Office will be for Windows users who purchase Office 2010 Home & Student, Home & Business 2010, Professional 2010 or University 2010 and Mac users who purchase University 2011 or Home & Student 2011 between October 19 and April 30, 2013. Windows users who buy these SKUs will have a choice of upgrading to Office 365 Home Premium (which is currently one of the new Office versions that is being beta tested) or Office 2013 SKUs that are more comparable to what's out there already.

The chart above shows some of the differences between Office 365 Home Premium and these more traditional Office 2013 releases. Office 365 Home Premium can be installed on up to five PCs and/or Macs and is licensed to a user as a one-year subscription, which will need to be renewed to continue usage. The more traditional Office 2013 SKUs can be installed on only one Windows PC with a non-transferrable license. (The Office for University and Mac Home & Student users will have the option to upgrade to Office 365 Home Premium only.)

The link  www.office.com/offer not working at this time.

ZDNet.

HP and Microsoft Joint Private Cloud initiative solutions accelerates Entreprises Journey to the Cloud.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

HP and Microsoft Joint Private Cloud initiative solutions accelerates Entreprises Journey to the Cloud.

HP Accelerates Enterprises’ Journey to the Cloud.

HP CloudSystem optimized for Microsoft Windows Server 2012 delivers single-vendor experience.

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 5, 2012

---

HP today announced it is expanding its Converged Cloud portfolio with joint HP and Microsoft solutions that simplify and enhance every aspect of a client’s private cloud journey.

The HP and Microsoft Joint Private Cloud initiative features optimized, preintegrated solutions based on extensive joint technology development, and offers one-stop-shop life cycle sales and support.

While organizations are attracted by the flexibility and financial benefits of cloud, they are struggling with how to get started quickly while addressing risk areas such as data loss, security and vendor lock-in. By providing a clear, proven path along with a single-vendor client experience, HP and Microsoft are greatly simplifying and accelerating the evolution to cloud computing.

The agreement between HP and Microsoft Corp. builds on the HP Converged Cloud strategy to extend the power of the cloud across infrastructure, applications and information, providing customers with choice, confidence and consistency. As the industry’s first strategy and portfolio based on a single open architecture, HP Converged Cloud enables the integration of any combination of private, managed and public cloud, as well as traditional IT.

The new HP and Microsoft Joint Private Cloud initiative includes:

• Accelerated on-ramp to cloud deployment with new preintegrated solutions and reference architectures
• Simplified management across both physical and virtual environments with comprehensive management integration
• Trusted single-source engagement with Windows Server 2012 and Microsoft System Center 2012 SP1 available directly from HP

“As customers move to private clouds, they are looking for a simplified approach that minimizes risks, increases their flexibility and allows for greater cost savings,” said Stephen DeWitt, senior vice president, Enterprise Group, HP. “Through this relationship with Microsoft, we’re providing customers with a trusted, single-source experience to provide them an easy on-ramp to cloud.”

“Because Windows Server 2012 was built from the cloud up, it represents a transformational leap for businesses. The HP Converged Cloud solutions with Windows Server 2012 give customers a clear path to go beyond virtualization and accelerate their journey to the cloud,” said Michael Park, corporate vice president, Windows Server Marketing, Microsoft. “With this private cloud agreement and more than 30 years of proven cooperation, HP and Microsoft are committed to helping customers drive success for their organizations as they experience the benefits of the cloud.”

Accelerated path to private cloud

The expanded HP Converged Cloud offerings include the integration of HP CloudSystem and Microsoft solutions to help clients rapidly transform virtualized resources into self-service private and hybrid cloud environments. HP CloudSystem optimized for Microsoft provides faster time to value by providing preintegrated solutions that include HP Converged Infrastructure, cloud management from HP, Windows Server 2012 and Microsoft System Center 2012 SP1.

With HP CloudSystem optimized for Microsoft, customers can streamline and expedite both the service design and provisioning processes using proven templates based on best practices, such as HP Cloud Maps, and virtually eliminate common risks associated with cloud deployments. This solution also includes increased efficiency in storage management with HP 3PAR autonomic thin provisioning, automated data tiering and nondisruptive data mobility features.

In addition, for midsized businesses looking for an economical entry point to cloud computing, HP and Microsoft have worked together to deliver a two-node HP Departmental Private Cloud Reference Architecture. This solution combines HP Converged Infrastructure with “shared nothing” live migration, Hyper-V replica and the other breakthrough capabilities of Windows Server 2012, optimally balancing price and simplicity with performance, manageability and high availability.

Innovative management

The integrated HP CloudSystem offerings include comprehensive interoperability between HP Insight Management and Microsoft System Center. This enables System Center to deploy, monitor and update HP infrastructure without the administrator having to switch between multiple consoles.

The HP and Microsoft integration enables enterprises to:

• Save time and training costs while consolidating operations with more than 1,400 points of integration between HP Insight Control and Microsoft System Center⁽¹⁾
• Reduce risk and remove the need for scheduled downtime with nondisruptive, cluster-aware firmware and driver updates for HP ProLiant servers
• Deliver seven times faster volume creation and live storage migration with minimal network impact using HP 3PAR and Windows Server 2012 offload data transfer (ODX)⁽²⁾
• Allow IT departments to move virtual machines between sites up to 100 kilometers apart without disrupting end users.

Removes complexity

Clients can procure the entire HP CloudSystem optimized for Windows Server and Microsoft System Center directly from HP or an HP authorized reseller. Clients get a single point of contact for their HP-Microsoft solutions, including purchase, deployment, integration and maintenance, as well as support to enhance the customer experience and speed resolution time. In addition HP will be able to offer Windows Server 2012 and Systems Center 2012 at a price commensurate with a customer’s existing Microsoft Enterprise Agreement, enabling HP to match the pricing level and offer the value of an end-to-end solution transaction.

HP Departmental Private Cloud Reference Architecture

The HP Departmental Private Cloud Reference Architecture is optimized for delivery through HP channel partners. As part of their multiyear agreement in cloud and management, HP and Microsoft have earmarked significant funding for partner cloud programs, incentives, marketing, demand generation and training for sales and deployment of the HP Departmental Private Cloud.

Pricing and availability

For HP customers purchasing cloud and virtualization solutions that include Windows Server and Microsoft System Center, HP’s pricing will be competitive with their current Enterprise or Select Plus agreement.

Select HP Converged Cloud solutions, including the HP Departmental Private Cloud Reference Architecture, are available now through HP and its worldwide channel partners. Solutions that require Systems Center 2012 SP1 will become available in early 2013.

Additional information is available at Windows Server 2012.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

---

⁽¹⁾ Based on HP internal sales estimates of HP CloudSystem and other cloud solutions.

⁽²⁾ Results depend on IP network bandwidth, server and array models, drive types and rotational speeds, number of disk drives and other factors based on HP internal testing and analysis.

Samsung ATIV Tab Microsoft’s Windows RT specifications.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Samsung just launched a portfolio of new devices under its new “ATIV” brand, and among them is a pure tablet running Microsoft’s Windows RT and a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. The ATIV Tab, as Samsung calls it, is a beautiful 10-inch tablet that delivers a full Windows 8 experience and features that intersects the lifestyles of casual user and professional. The best thing about a tablet running on a Snapdragon processor is that unlike traditional PC processors, a Snapdragon powered-device is designed to provide a full day of use on a single charge, while lasting days on standby.

At 10-inches, the Samsung ATIV Tab boasts one of the best-looking screens on a tablet, complete with a 1,366-by-768 resolution. In addition to an optimal viewing experience, the ATIV Tab is exquisitely thin, measuring a scant 8.9mm and weighing just 570 grams (~1.26 lbs), yet it made room for features such as USB 2.0, micro HDMI, microSD slot (up to 64MB) and front (1.9Mpxl) and rear-facing (5 Mpxl) cameras. One of the main strengths of the ATIV Tab is that it’s so well-connected with the gamut of wireless connections, including Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11n WiFi Direct, NFC, and GPS.

Qualcomm.

Microsoft executive to Samsung: "Windows Phone is looking gooooood right now"

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

On a tweet made by Bill Cox MSFT senior director of marketing communications on allthingsd:

Windows Phone is looking gooooood right now.

– Bill Cox, senior director of marketing communications for Microsoft’s Windows Phone Division comments on Apple’s big legal win over Samsung

Source: allthingsd

Microsoft Unveils new Look, with a new logo. Video.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Microsoft Unveils new Look, with a new logo. Video.

It’s been 25 years since Microsoft updated the Microsoft logo and now is the perfect time for a change,.

This is an incredibly exciting year for Microsoft as they prepare to release new versions of nearly all of their products. From Windows 8 to Windows Phone 8 to Xbox services to the next version of Office, you will see a common look and feel across these products providing a familiar and seamless experience on PCs, phones, tablets and TVs. This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of their most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so their logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning.

The Microsoft brand is about much more than logos or product names. We are lucky to play a role in the lives of more than a billion people every day. The ways people experience our products are our most important “brand impressions”. That’s why the new Microsoft logo takes its inspiration from our product design principles while drawing upon the heritage of our brand values, fonts and colors.

The logo has two components: the logotype and the symbol. For the logotype, we are using the Segoe font which is the same font we use in our products as well as our marketing communications. The symbol is important in a world of digital motion (as demonstrated in the video above.) The symbol’s squares of color are intended to express the company’s diverse portfolio of products.

Starting today, you’ll see the new Microsoft logo being used prominently. It will be used on Microsoft.com – the 10th most visited website in the world. It is in three of our Microsoft retail stores today (Boston, Seattle’s University Village and Bellevue, Wash.) and will shine brightly in all our stores over the next few months. It will sign off all of our television ads globally. And it will support our products across various forms of marketing. Fully implementing a change like this takes time, so there may be other instances where you will see the old logo being used for some time.

We’re excited about the new logo, but more importantly about this new era in which we’re reimagining how our products can help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.

Source: Microsoft

Unity Technologies Announces Support for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, for gaming 3D boost.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Unity Technologies Announces Support for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, for gaming 3D boost.

This will mean developers will have a very easy time porting high quality, graphics-intensive games to Windows Phone 8.

The news has been confirmed by Edge-Online.com where Unity Technologies CEO David Helgason revealed 53% of mobile game developers already uses the engine.

“Our mission at Unity has always been to provide solutions for developers to effortlessly bring their work to as many different platforms as possible,” Helgason said.

“The Unity community has been asking for access to Windows Phones and have been eagerly anticipating the release of Windows 8. We’re happy to announce that we will support both.”

You can watch a video game sample made with their engine, Metal War game trailer and the Press Release after the brake:

Press Release:

Unite 2012: Unity Technologies Announces Support for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS, Aug 22, 2012 — Unity Technologies, provider of the Unity multi-platform engine and development tools, today announced support of Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 platforms during the keynote at Unite 2012. Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 deployment options will be provided during the Unity 4 release cycle.

The Windows 8 deployment tool and Windows Phone 8 deployment add-on are among the most eagerly awaited platform additions within the Unity development community and will empower developers to push their interactive 3D content to Windows 8 powered computers and Windows 8 Phone mobile handsets.

"Our mission at Unity has always been to provide solutions for developers to effortlessly bring their work to as many different platforms as possible," said David Helgason, CEO of Unity Technologies. "The Unity community has been asking for access to Windows Phones and have been eagerly anticipating the release of Windows 8. We’re happy to announce that we will support both."

Unity Technologies and Microsoft are currently working hard to bring both deployment options to developers using Unity as soon as possible and will be discussing the process during a session at this Unite 2012, Unity’s dedicated developer conference.

"We are excited that the Unity community will now be given the opportunity to develop world class titles for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8," said John Richards, Senior Director, Windows App Marketing at Microsoft. "The number of high quality Unity-authored games for the PC, Xbox, and mobile devices already created is staggering and we’re looking forward to seeing these products appear in the Windows Store and the Windows Phone Marketplace."

Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 deployment tools will both be part of the Unity 4 release cycle. For more information about Unity 4 and the other services that Unity Technologies offers, please visit http://unity3d.com/.

About Unity Technologies

 Unity Technologies is the creator of Unity, an intuitive and flexible development platform used to make wildly creative and intelligently interactive 3D and 2D content. The "author once, deploy everywhere" capability ensures developers can publish to all of the most popular platforms. Unity Technologies boasts a thriving community of 1.2 million registered developers including large publishers, indie studios, students and hobbyists. Unity Technologies aggressively re-invests in its award-winning 3D development tools and democratization initiatives, such as the Asset Store digital content marketplace and Union game distribution service, in order to remain at the forefront of innovation. Unity Technologies is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices in Canada, China, Denmark, Lithuania, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Japan and Korea. For more information, visit: http://unity3d.com .

About Unite 2012 Unity Technologies is holding Unite 2012, its sixth annual developer conference, August 22 – 30, 2012 at the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam. Unite 2012 is an event for developers, publishers, enthusiasts and others interested in Unity to come together to learn more about the market-leading platform for creating high quality video games, training simulations, medical and architectural visualizations and other 3D interactive content — and how to get the most out of it.

Unite 2012 offers three days of learning including advanced hands-on class tutorials, technical sessions and an opportunity to attend awesome parties. Unity Technologies will host a Unity Training Day on August 21, the day before Unite 2012 to give new and inexperienced users a foundation for Unity development. For more information on Unite 2012 and the Unity Training Day, visit: http://unity3d.com/unite/ .

Unity and all other product names are trademarks of Unity Technologies or its subsidiaries or affiliates. All other product names and trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Windows 8 upgrade pre-orders now open.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Windows 8 upgrade pre-orders now open.

The window to upgrade to the next version of Microsoft's computer operating system is now open.

Microsoft Corp. began accepting orders for Windows 8 this week. The new operating system won't be delivered until Oct. 26, however.

People who own a personal computer running earlier versions of Windows can buy the revamped system for $14.99 to $39.99.

The lower price is being offered to PC owners who have bought a machine powered by Windows 7 since June 2. Everyone else with a Windows-based computer will have to pay the higher price if they want to upgrade.

The chance to upgrade at these prices expires Jan. 31.

Microsoft designed Windows 8 so it can power both traditional PCs and tablet computers in response to the iPad's popularity.

From the Microsoft site:

Get the PC you need today and upgrade later

1. Buy a Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013. * 
   (You can even use our PC Selector to help you choose.)
2. Register for the offer at windowsupgradeoffer.com before February 28, 2013.
3. We'll send you an email with your promotion code and purchase instructions whenWindows 8 Pro is available.
4. Download and install Windows 8 Pro on a compatible Windows-based PC withWindows Upgrade Assistant.

Plus, the offer includes 90 days of Microsoft technical support at no charge. **

Already purchased a Windows 7 PC?

Great, we’ve still got you covered. If you bought a PC preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate on or after June 2, 2012, just go to windowsupgradeoffer.com and register. We'll send you an email with your promotion code and purchase instructions when Windows 8 Pro is available. You can then download and install Windows 8 Pro on a compatible PC with Windows Upgrade Assistant.

Link: Windows8 Upgrade

Microsoft`s Windows 8 Build 2.0 developer conference in Oct 30-Nov 2.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Microsoft`s Windows 8 Build 2.0 developer conference in  Oct 30-Nov 2.

Microsoft will hold a Windows 8 Build 2012 (2.0) developer conference at Microsoft Campus, in Redmond, Washington, from October 30 to November 2, 2012 . Registrations opens in August 8, 2012 at 8:00 A.M PDT

Microsoft`s first Build conference was held in Anaheim in September 2012.

Build 2012

Windows 8 apps: You can try-it before buy-it.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Windows 8 apps: You can try-it before buy-it.

When you're considering an app from the upcoming Windows 8 Store, you'll be able to try it for free for seven days before you have to shell out cash for it.

All Windows 8 apps will have a price tag of $1.49 or higher (up to $999.99). 

While you're able to return Android apps for a refund within 15 minutes of purchase, Microsoft is truly offering a real try-it-before-you-buy-it option. While this is no doubt exciting for future owners of Windows 8, the news may also affect other operating systems if it proves successful. After all, if the public responds favorably to a try-it-before-you-buy-it scheme, it may very well become the standard.

SkyDrive Windows Phone app, updated.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

SkyDrive Windows Phone app, updated.

The new app release follows the availability of a new version of the desktop SkyDrive application, and brings along a new logo, along with various other visual updates. 

All the features and capabilities previously included in the application are there as well, such as the possibility to access documents in the cloud, or the option to upload photos or videos straight from the phone. 

Moreover, SkyDrive for Windows Phone enables users to share files and photos with their friends and family, while also providing them with file management capabilities, such as the possibility to move, delete, rename, or create new folders. 

The new SkyDrive for Windows Phone, version 2.2, is available in the Windows Phone Marketplace

SkyDrive

Description:

SkyDrive is the place to store your files so you can access them from virtually any device. Windows Phone has built-in access to SkyDrive right from the Office and Pictures hubs. It can also automatically upload pictures that you take to SkyDrive for easy access. Now the SkyDrive app for Windows Phone makes it even easier to manage and share files—all in one place.

Features:
• Access all of your SkyDrive content including files shared with you.
• View recently used documents.
• Upload photos or videos from your phone.
• Share your files and photos—send a link in email or get a link you can copy and paste.
• Manage your files—move, delete, rename, or create new folders.

If you have problems opening Office documents from SkyDrive, go to the following page to see possible solutions: http://bit.ly/SkyDriveWP7

New in version 2.2:
New SkyDrive logo and visual updates.

October 26, 2012 Windows 8 General Availability.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

October 26, 2012 Windows 8 General Availability.

The computer giant Microsoft said Wednesday that its operating system Windows 8 will be released on October 26, after updating the program to accommodate a greater variety of mobile devices.

"Steven Sinofsky announced at Microsoft's annual business meeting where clients will be Windows 8 as updated or a new computer from October 26," the group announced on his blog, which had already released the month release but not the exact day.

The Windows version 8 continues to Windows 7, which was launched in October 2009 and will be available in 109 languages ​​in the world.

The new version of operating system, used in most of the world's computers will be adapted to the tablet computer, including  the SURFACE to be released by Microsoft this year itself.

The group also provides an update of your office tools (Word, Outlook, Excel, Powerpoint) with Office 15.

Office 15 Webinar: Quick Access Toolbar. Video.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Office 15 Webinar: Quick Access Toolbar. Video.

In this week's webinar, you'll learn about the master key of shortcuts: the Quick Access Toolbar. With this tool (in Office 2007 and Office 2010), you can have your favorite commands right in front of you no matter what Office program you have open. Get the references and links for this webinar athttp://aka.ms/customer123. 

This is a recording of an Office 15-Minute Webinar. Doug Thomas hosts these free how-to tidbits from the Office.com help writers. See how to watch these webinars live and participate in a Q&A session: http://aka.ms/offweb.