loading-chartbeat – Page 25 – Tech Today w/ Ken May

What’s new in Windows 10 for PCs? A lot.

Coming into today’s Windows 10 event, we already knew a lot about Microsoft’s latest and greatest. The company explained the thinking behind its new OS back in September, and the Technical Preview has been available for months. The core change comes in the form of a revitalized desktop experience — one that puts the best of Windows 7 and 8 into a single package. Windows will also now better match the convertible devices Microsoft is pushing, with a consistent UI across all platforms, but there’s a whole lot more to explore here, including some features detailed today for the first time. Let’s take a closer look. Cortana If you’ve been following Windows Phone at all, you’ll know what Cortana is: Microsoft’s take on a personal digital assistant. The mobile version offers features that are a mix between Siri and Google Now, but the PC version has a few added benefits. Cortana plugs into Windows search, meaning if you ask for “PowerPoint slides about the charity account, ” it’ll search your computer and OneDrive accounts for relevant files. Microsoft is really pushing its natural-language and transcription abilities — onstage, Cortana was asked to “show photos from December, ” which it happily (and quickly) did, and also transcribed and sent an email entirely through voice commands. New, universal apps Perhaps the biggest news, though, even if it doesn’t benefit the majority of Windows users — is that Windows apps will now be universal and run across PC, tablet, phone and even Xbox One . That doesn’t mean PC users won’t be getting new apps as well. Microsoft blazed through a load of new apps for Windows. Most are refreshes of existing offerings, although there’s an entirely new Office suite that includes a new version of Outlook, which uses the Word engine for composing or displaying emails, and a refreshed Photos app. The biggest new addition, though? Project Spartan. Project Spartan As early reports suggested, Project Spartan is a new browser for Windows 10, entirely separate from Internet Explorer. Sure there’s a very clean, almost Chrome-like design, and a brand-new rendering engine, but the focus here is on social sharing. You can highlight and annotate websites before sharing them with friends, kind of like having Skitch built right into your browser. There’s also Cortana integration and a reading view that, much like Pocket, lets you read pages offline. Better settings Windows 10 goes a long way to fixing the fragmented Control Panel and Settings menus currently in Windows 8.1. A unified settings menu is coming, with a clean design and simple options, and there’s also the new Action Center (pictured above), which provides more toggles for switching on or off WiFi and other settings. Notifications will also pop up in this space, which will be synced across devices — if you dismiss a notification on your phone, you won’t see it when you next look at your PC, and vice versa. Continuum Not just the name of John Mayer’s mellow third studio album and an underrated sci-fi series, Continuum is now a big part of improving Windows on convertibles. We got a brief glimpse of it back at Microsoft’s last Windows event, but it’s now been fully explained. If you have, for example, a Surface Pro 3 with the keyboard docked, the experience will be very similar to Windows 7 (or Windows 8.1 in desktop mode). All apps are now windowed, whether they’re the new touch-friendly kind or legacy applications. But say you’re using an app like OneNote, and you want to undock your Surface and use it as a tablet: Do just that, and it’ll automatically expand the app into fullscreen mode, making it easier to use with your fingers. Gaming Sony has let you stream PlayStation 4 games to a Vita from launch. Microsoft’s response? To let anyone stream any Xbox One game to any Windows 10 PC or tablet . Sure, you have to be on the same network, but it’s still pretty massive news. Elsewhere, there’s a new Xbox app for PC and tablet that lets you access your activity feed, messages and friends list. It’ll even display information on games in third-party clients like Steam. Uhh… Holograms? We were promised a couple of surprises today, and it’s fair to say that Microsoft came through with a huge surprise: Windows Holographic . It’s an AR platform, letting you see 3D “projections” using a pair of AR goggles. You’re probably thinking this is some vague pipe dream, but it’s not. Microsoft also showed off HoloLens — a wearable, wire-free computer that will enable Windows Holographic — which the company says will be available at some point “in the Windows 10 time frame.” Free upgrades, but we don’t know when While it’s not really a feature, it’s definitely worth noting: Windows 10 will be free for everyone using Windows 7 or 8.1, provided you upgrade within the first year. As for when you can actually get all these new features on your computer? Microsoft is staying mum about that. The latest preview build, which’ll have many, but not all of the features announced today, is rolling out to Windows Insiders later this month, with a phone-friendly version coming in February. A consumer-ready version is still earmarked for “2015.” Filed under: Desktops , Gaming , Laptops , Tablets , Software , Microsoft Comments

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What’s new in Windows 10 for PCs? A lot.

Super Bowl XLIX to be livestreamed by NBC

In what has become a tradition since 2012 , the Super Bowl will be streamed online again this year . The kind gesture, which is free of charge to anyone in the US, comes courtesy of NBC — the network that started the trend of livestreaming The Big Game. For Super Bowl XLIX , set to take place on February 1st in Arizona, NBC plans to have an 11-hour block of video coverage over the internet, including pre-game analysis, the popular halftime show and an all-new episode of the primetime series The Blacklist . As Variety points out , the Peacock channel intends to heavily promote its TV Everywhere efforts during the stream, hoping to drive demand for services like the NBC Sports Live Extra app — one that typically requires a pay-TV login. Online viewers can watch Super Bowl XLIX, between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots , on NBC’s website as well the Sports Live Extra application. The latter option, however, is only going to be available for tablets, since Verizon owns the rights for smartphones streams via the NFL Mobile app . For people overseas, NFL GamePass could be a solution, both for live or on-demand streaming , but you’ll have to pay a small fee if that’s how you plan to consume the biggest game of the season. [Image credit: Associated Press] Filed under: Internet , HD Comments Source: Variety

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Super Bowl XLIX to be livestreamed by NBC

Los Angeles’ subway is getting cellphone service and WiFi

A few cities in the US have wireless service in their subway systems , but not Los Angeles. Take a trip to Wilshire Boulevard, for example, and you’ll stay incommunicado until you’re back above ground. You won’t be out of touch for too much longer, though. The city and InSite Wireless have started deploying both cellular service and WiFi at subway stations, beginning with the Red Line. The launch will be modest early on, with four stations getting WiFi by May and cellular service coming in August. LA’s plans are much more ambitious in the next couple of years, however. A second wave should get both the Purple Line and more of the Red Line up and running by June 2016, while the Gold Line railway’s tunnels should be connected by March 2017. As is often the case with these kinds of upgrades, transportation officials see wireless as both a convenience and a necessity. It’s not just for checking Facebook while you’re on your way home from work; you won’t miss important messages that could make you change course, and you might just save a life if you can call 911 without having to leave the station. Some Angelenos will no doubt abuse their newfound freedom (like making you listen to their way-too-loud phone conversations), but it could be worth the sacrifice if the service keeps you in contact with the outside world at a crucial moment. [Image credit: Frederick Dennstedt, Flickr ] Filed under: Cellphones , Transportation , Wireless , Networking , Mobile Comments Via: The Verge Source: Los Angeles Daily News

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Los Angeles’ subway is getting cellphone service and WiFi

Marriott plans to bring Netflix to your hotel room TV

The next time you’re on a trip, you may have something to watch on the hotel room TV besides the usual so-so channels and on-demand movies. Marriott has confirmed to Bloomberg that it’s trialing access to streaming services like Hulu, Netflix and Pandora on TVs in eight of its hotels. It’s not certain what the company will charge (if anything) if it launches this feature in earnest, although it’s reportedly mulling a few options that include a “premium” internet tier with TV streaming on top of the usual WiFi. That last choice might not be very popular when you can already curl up on the bed with your laptop at no extra cost. Having said this, Marriott hasn’t committed to anything yet — there’s a lot left to decide before you can watch House of Cards on a big screen during your vacation. Filed under: Home Entertainment , Internet , HD Comments Via: The Verge , Lucas Shaw (Twitter) Source: Bloomberg (Daily Transcript)

Bangladesh blocks mobile messaging apps to thwart protests

Countries are occasionally tempted to block mobile messaging apps when protests or riots flare up, and Bangladesh just gave in to that urge. The nation has blocked two popular services, Tango and Viber , on the grounds that anti-government protesters (some of whom have turned violent) are using these chat clients to coordinate their activities. Officials say the bans will last “for the time being, ” which suggests that locals shouldn’t get their hopes up for a reprieve — it might not let up unless the demonstrations come to an end. Whether or not this is effective is another matter. It shouldn’t be hard for these political opponents to find alternatives to Tango or Viber (WhatsApp comes to mind). Also, censorship of social apps has a tendency to galvanize resistance rather than break it down — whether or not the protesters are backing a good cause, they may see messaging blackouts as proof that they’re fighting injustices. [Image credit: AP Photo/A.M. Ahad] Filed under: Cellphones , Internet , Mobile Comments Source: AFP (Phys.org)

Deep-fried graphene may be the key to long-lasting batteries

The deep frying process isn’t just useful for livening up your food — it might also be the ticket to better batteries in your mobile devices. South Korean researchers have created highly conductive, stable electrode materials by spraying graphene oxide droplets into a very hot blend of acid and organic solvent, much like you’d dip chicken into oil. The resulting “pom-poms” (what you see above) aren’t at all tasty, but their open 3D structure makes them far better for transferring electrical charges than plain graphene. Other scientists have developed 3D graphene before, with similar energy capacitance. However, this deep-fry method is a lot easier to translate to mass production — it’s simple and scales easily to larger batches. This is just one piece of the puzzle (albeit an important one), so it’ll be a while before you see batteries based on this trick. Should everything pan out, though, your future smartphone or electric car may last much longer thanks to some carbon-based cuisine. [Image credit: Chemical Materials ] Filed under: Science Comments Via: Daily Dot Source: Chemical & Engineering News

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Deep-fried graphene may be the key to long-lasting batteries

New York governor wants statewide 100Mbps internet by 2019

With a $1 billion plan, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo hopes to have every New Yorker hooked up to high-speed internet by 2019. The administration is billing it as the largest state investment in universal broadband in the country. Just how fast are we talking, here? In most cases, the program calls for providers to offer at least 100 Mbps, or as Chief Digital Officer Rachel Haot described it at a press conference, “more than 10 times the federal definition of ‘broadband.'” The plan, known as the New New York Broadband Program (yes, that is two “News”) would include $500 million in capital funds (taken from recent bank settlements). The state wants those funds to serve as an incentive for private companies by offering 1:1 financial matching for broadband providers willing to invest their own money — hence the $1 billion total size. The program is part of Cuomo’s 2015 State of Opportunity Agenda and although those matching funds call for providers to offer at 100 Mbps speeds in most cases, it does allow for as low as 25Mbps in extremely remote areas of the state. According to Ookla’s Net Index Explorer, New York ranks third in the US with an average broadband speed of around 39 Mbps. However, stats from the state’s Broadband Program Office show that large swaths of the population lacked broadband access as recently as July 2014. In Greene County, for instance, the office estimates 91 percent of the county’s 50, 000 residents lack access to 100Mbps broadband — and 79 percent can’t even muster 6Mbps. While it’s obviously very early days for the program, Cuomo’s office seems mighty bullish about its potential, even with the not-so-far-off January 1st, 2019 deadline. “At the end of the next four years, ” New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said, “you’ll see that every business in this community, in this state, is connected and will have the fastest-speed broadband of any state in the nation.” [Image credits: Bloomberg via Getty Images, New York State] Filed under: Networking , Internet Comments Source: New York State

New York City’s first commercial wind turbine proves its worth

Sunset Park in Brooklyn is home to New York City’s first commercial-scale wind turbine , and it’s already flexing its green muscle. In under a month, the 160-foot-tall power source produced enough juice to power two homes for more than 12 months. It’s not being used to supplement regular energy use, though, as it feeds a recycling plant at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal — a facility that already gets 16 percent of its power from solar panels. NYC seems like the last place a massive wind turbine would make a difference, but the height of this installation, coupled with the open landscape on the shore of Sunset Park, makes for an effective combo that’s capable of generating up to 100 kilowatts. Attempts to harvest the wind in New York City are nothing new, but they’re typically used to power much smaller buildings, so their size and output are a fraction of this one at Sims Metal Management. Construction costs tallied $750, 000, and the project is expected to pay for itself in five years. [Photo credit: AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews] Filed under: Science Comments Source: New York Times

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New York City’s first commercial wind turbine proves its worth

AT&T took a $10 billion hit, but it’s hoping you won’t notice

In an extra-special Friday-night-before-a-holiday-weekend news dump, AT&T just announced that its Q4 results will include about $10 billion in charges. That includes a $7.9 billion “related to actuarial gains and losses on pension and postemployment benefit plans”, plus a $2.1 billion charge for abandoning some copper lines it says it doesn’t need anymore. Of course, you’re probably already well into whatever your weekend plans are, so you’ll barely even notice this happened once you get back to work on Tuesday — which is just how AT&T hoped it would go. [Image credit: shutterstock] Filed under: HD , Mobile , AT&T Comments Via: Reuters Source: AT&T

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AT&T took a $10 billion hit, but it’s hoping you won’t notice

HMV overtakes Amazon to become the UK’s biggest seller of physical music

Two years ago, British high-street retailer HMV was staring bankruptcy in the face . It was subsequently picked up by administration specialist Hilco , which immediately set about reversing the company’s fortunes. As a result of cost-cutting measures, HMV was forced to sell its iconic Oxford Street store and place a renewed focus on what made it popular: selling music. It certainly seems like it’s paid off, because the company has just reclaimed the number one spot as the UK’s biggest seller of physical music, overtaking Amazon in the process. CityAM reports that the company’s vinyl sales reached their highest level in over 20 years, jumping 170 percent over the past year. And in the two weeks leading up to Christmas, it was responsible for selling one in every three CDs and DVDs in the UK. It’s certainly been a good year for HMV, especially after it announced that all of its stores are now profitable. It now faces the challenge of sustaining that growth while competition continues to heat up, something that GAME has admitted is taking its toll on profits as it slashes its margins. However, the company is confident — 2015 looks set to be a bumper year for movie releases and it believes DVD, BluRay and physical music sales will continue to grow over the next 12 months. It might have the hipsters to thank for that. [Image credit: Mark Hooper, Flickr ] Filed under: HD , Amazon Comments Source: CityAM

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HMV overtakes Amazon to become the UK’s biggest seller of physical music