Facts About Windows 10

Microsoft's critics have had no trouble coming up with reasons to hate Windows 8. Poor app selection, awkward interface transitions, hidden menus -- the litany of complaints could go on and on. Though the criticisms have varied, a single subtext has united them all: With Windows 8, Microsoft wasn't listening to its customers.

But the Microsoft that launched Windows 8 isn't the Microsoft that's building Windows 10. In the two years since Windows 8 launched, the company announced a companywide reorg, named a new CEO, replaced several board members and major executives, absorbed Nokia's device business, and commenced the largest layoff in company history. That's a lot of change.

It's still unclear how it will all shake out. But with Windows 10, company execs have promised a more customer-focused process -- and they appear to be living up to that ideal. They'll need to, too. Though the company announcedrobust earnings last Thursday, due to strong server and cloud revenues, Windows remains a mixed bag, especially outside of volume enterprise licenses.

Microsoft launched the Windows 10 Technical Preview less than a month ago and released a follow-up build less than three weeks later. The speed with which Microsoft is iterating is encouraging -- but not as encouraging as the fact that the new build already includes some of Preview users' requested changes.

In addition to the quick build turnaround, Microsoft execs have published several blog posts that reveal important details about the company's OS roadmap. Company reps aren't answering all questions yet. But in contrast to the Windows 8 era, Microsoft seems legitimately committed to a more collaborative relationship between its OS teams and its customers.

How has Microsoft continued to build goodwill since releasing the Windows 10 Technical Preview? Here are seven ways the company and its flagship OS have evolved since Win 10 debuted.

1. The Technical Preview includes surprises for mobile users.

So far, Microsoft has focused on the desktop-oriented edition of Windows 10, with a preview of the version for tablets and smartphones expected early next year. That said, the first Preview build included at least one unannounced change, ostensibly aimed at hybrid devices, that's likely to show up in the mobile-oriented version: The onscreen touch keyboard includes predictive text, just like the Windows Phone keyboard.

The second build added a few more touches for touchscreen users: The onscreen keyboard automatically appears when users touch a text box; users can now swipe down from the top of a full-screen Modern app to reveal the title bar; and users can now swipe up from the bottom of full-screen Modern apps to reveal the taskbar.

2. Windows 10 brings Windows Phone features to the desktop.

In addition to predictive text, the PC version of Windows 10 will include several additional features from Windows Phone 8.1. The second Preview build introduced a rudimentary Action Center, for example, that currently displays basic notifications, but Microsoft said it will gain visual polish and additional functionality in future builds. Windows 10 also includes Windows Phone's Data Sense and Battery Saver features. The former hints at future notebooks with LTE support -- something Intel has said will bebuilt into its "Skylake" chips scheduled to start hitting the market late next year. The latter allows users to conserve battery life by automatically activating power-saving actions when the battery starts to drain. A user might set Battery Saver to dim the screen when the battery dips below a certain threshold, or to block app syncing until the device is plugged in.

3. Microsoft continues to refine the desktop.

The first Preview build delivered many big changes to the desktop UI, from the revamped Start menu to support for virtual desktops. The second build added several small refinements. Users complained that in the first build they couldn't always tell when they were switching between desktops, so Microsoft added an animation to make the move more obvious. Microsoft also added a variety of new keyboard shortcuts. Users with multi-monitor setups can now use WIN + SHIFT + <arrow> to move an active app to another display, for example. Other shortcuts allow users to create and toggle among virtual desktops; snap Windows into quadrants of the screen; and open Task View, the new Windows 10 feature that provides a bird's eye view of open apps.

4. Microsoft is showing its rough edges and opening up the dialogue.

After alienating many customers with Windows 8, Microsoft hopes to make Windows 10 a success by involving customers early and acting quickly on their feedback. While this is one of the most promising aspects of Microsoft's Windows 10 strategy, it presents a downside for Preview users: Sometimes features stop working.

Gabe Aul, who leads the Data and Fundamentals Team in Microsoft's Operating Systems Group, stressed in a recent blog post that new Preview builds might be buggy. The second build made it harder to join WiFi networks, for example, though Microsoft quickly issued a fix. The second build also introduced driver problems that caused some Start menus to disappear and prevented some machines from waking from sleep mode.

But in the blog post, Aul laudably alerted Preview users to these problems before the build rolled out. Microsoft officials have said from the start that Windows 10 isn't as stable as a final release and shouldn't be used in production environments. Microsoft could have merely issued this initial warning and then left users to wade through bugs, but instead, the company has tried to foster frequent and more open communication.

Moreover, the number of bugs in new builds is dwarfed by the number of improvements. In the three weeks between the initial Windows 10 preview release and the second build, Microsoft implemented nearly 7,000 improvements, most of them under the hood. Time will tell if Microsoft's efforts result in a great OS, but the company's giving customers reason to feel optimistic.

5. Microsoft is focused on enterprise-grade security.

At the Windows 10 launch, Microsoft execs promised Windows 10 would offer advanced security features while still allowing IT to easily manage all types of devices. In an Oct. 22 blog post, the company revealed more about its plans.

Windows 10 will include a form of two-factor authentication that Microsoft calls "Next Generation Credentials." It will allow users and admins to protect devices not only with a password but also a PIN or a fingerprint scan. Microsoft says this approach will limit thieves' ability to pull data from stolen devices. Microsoft also promised users will be able to enter any and all their Win 10 devices under a single authentication profile, and that the profile can also be used to access mobile services.

Windows 10 will also allow IT admins to define policies that encrypt all corporate data and determine which apps are allowed to access sensitive content. Microsoft claims the tactic will help businesses manage corporate data without interfering with personal content on employees' devices.

6. Microsoft is still seeking the right release cadence.
With Windows 10, Microsoft plans to iterate more quickly, pushing improvements in constant updates rather than occasional feature packs. But how fast is too fast?

As the bugs in the second Preview build attest, when developers move quickly, features can break. That second build reached Preview users only a week and a half after passing through Microsoft's "Canary Ring" -- the first round of internal users to see the build after engineers have created it.

To avoid overwhelming users, and to determine the optimal update rhythm for Win 10's final release, Microsoft has added update speed controls to the latest preview build. In PC Settings, users can now choose to be on "fast" or "slow" update tracks. Microsoft previously announced it will offer multiple Windows 10 update options for businesses, which are generally more sensitive than consumers to changes.

7. Microsoft is focusing on feedback.
As mentioned, user feedback inspired several changes in the second Preview build, such as the animation for switching desktops. It's a small change -- but it's also encouraging to see Microsoft react so quickly. The company says other requested features will be implemented in future builds.

Overall, Microsoft's Technical Preview quickly attracted more than a million registrants to the company's Insider Program. Preview users have submitted more than 250,000 pieces of feedback through the Windows Feedback app and written more than 25,000 posts in the community forum.

Joe Belfiore, corporate VP of Microsoft's OS Group, says users are providing thoughtful feedback rather than kneejerk reactions. In a blog post, he noted that only 36% of Windows 10 instances are running in virtual machines. Moreover, nearly 70% of users are launching more than seven apps per day. These healthy usage stats suggest users are not just "trying out" Windows 10, Belfiore said. If he's right, and if Microsoft continues an open dialogue with its customers, could Windows 10 be to Windows 8 what Windows 7 was to much-maligned Windows Vista?

We'll find out next year, but in the meantime, Microsoft might have a few more Preview experiments planned to help it collect a wide variety of customer perspectives. According to a ZDNet report that cited unnamed Microsoft insiders, the company will begin distributing different builds to different Preview users, rather than distributing a single build to the entire group.


Credit 

Mozilla Critiques Windows 10

Mozilla, the company behind the web browser Firefox, is accusing Microsoft of discouraging users from changing default applications in Windows 10.

Microsoft's latest operating system, released this week, changed the way to set preferred applications for Internet browsing, calendar and other apps. Now a user has to work through more options and pages to make basic changes.

The move drove Mozilla CEO Chris Beard to pen an open letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, urging the company to respect user choice.

"It now takes more than twice the number of mouse clicks, scrolling through content and some technical sophistication for people to reassert the choices they had previously made in earlier versions of Windows," he said in the letter. "It's confusing, hard to navigate and easy to get lost."

Microsoft released a statement of its own, asserting that they give users ample chances to set their preferences.

"During the upgrade, consumers have the choice to set defaults, including for web browsing. Following the upgrade, they can easily choose the default browser of their choice,” the company told Mashable in an emailed statement.

But a Mozilla video tutorial underscores how much harder it is to change preferred apps.

In previous versions of Windows (and currently in Mac OS X), it asks if you want to set it as default the first time you use a browser different from the built-in one. All you have to do is click yes, and the change is made.

But now, if you click yes, you’re taken to a settings page where you’ll have to manually designate a different browser as default.

Microsoft has tremendous incentive to prevent users from using third party apps. The company's new Edge browser launched alongside Windows 10. The company also now leans on its own apps and services more than ever, going so far as putting them on competing platforms like iOS and Android too. If people don't use and depend on Microsoft services on Windows, they might leave for other apps or platforms.

Mozilla isn’t your usual tech company; it's a nonprofit which promotes free open-source programs on the web.

"Mozilla exists to bring choice, control and opportunity to everyone. We build Firefox and our other products for this reason," said Beard in the open letter.

Credit : Marsable

Photos : Amazing Full Moon Views by Stargazers

The second full moon of July wowed skywatchers around the world - and even in space - on Friday, offering the lunar treat of a so-called Blue Moon that won't be seen again until 2018.

NASA and Space.com readers across the United States and abroad captured amazing photos of the Blue Moon on Friday (July 31), but perhaps the most remote view came from space.

"Once in a #BlueMoon. When in space 4 a [year] everything is possible," NASA astronaut Scott Kelly wrote on Twitter while posting a photo of the full moon. Kelly is spending a year in space aboard the International Space Station. Friday was his 126th day in orbit. [Video: Science of the Blue Moon Explained]

Friday's full moon followed just a few weeks after the first full moon of the month, on July 1, meeting. The "two full moons in a month" definition of a Blue Moon, which became popular in the 20th century, is actually one of two classifications for the lunar sight. The term originally referred to the third full moon in a season that had four full moons, a special event since most three-month seasons have just three full moons (one a month).

The next Blue Moon will occur in 2018 on Jan. 31 and be promptly followed by a second Blue Moon on March 31. Both months in that year have two full moons, according to EarthSky.org.

But definitions aside, Friday's Blue Moon full moon appeared to be an epic sight.

In Washington, D.C., NASA photographer Bill Ingalls captured spectacular views of a huge full moon rising behind the dome of the U.S. Capitol. He even caught an airplane flying across the face of the moon.

Photographer Shreenivasan Manievannan in South Carolina woke up extra early to photograph the full moon on Friday (the moon actually reached its full phase at 6:43 a.m. EDT (1043 GMT)).The result: breathtaking views of the Blue Moon over Table Rock Mountain in Table Rock State Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

"I started from home at 4 a.m. for an hour and half drive to capture the Blue Moon at its 100-percent fullness," Manievannan wrote in an email toSpace.com. "As soon as I reached, the moon went behind the huge chunk of cloud, I wanted to wait it out to see if the moon will show up before it sets. And after half hour of wait, the moon decided to stop playing hide and seek with me to show itself over the Carolina mountains in all its glory"

In San Antonio, Texas, skywatcher Shenandoah Sanchez was excited to see the Blue Moon finally appear from behind clouds. 

Some moon revelers like Elisa Barnes-Shizak, toasted the Blue Moon with a frosty beverage.

"Enjoying two blue moons in Caledonia, Mississippi," Barnes-Shizak wrote in an email. In her photo, a bottle of Blue Moon beer is held up next to the bright moon. The Blue Moon Brewing Company that makes the beer celebrated its 20th anniversary during the Blue Moonwith a series of events on Friday

Space.com also received photos from skywatchers from locales as far flung as Canada, Australia, Poland, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

In Ohrid, Macedonia, amateur astronomer Stojan Stojanovski of the Ohrid Astronomy Association captured stunning views of the bright moon shining over the sea near Ohrid.

In Whitstable, England, skywatcher Rose Chapman used her phone to snap a picture of the Blue Moon and recall the memory of a family member lost during a previous Blue Moon.

"This Blue Moon is sentimental to me because the last one I saw was August 20, 2013," Chapman wrote in an email. "That day was my 35th birthday, and also the day we lost my husband's granddad. This is our first visit back to England since the funeral."

Chapman said that the Blue Moon clearly did not look blue to her eye, and with good reason. The "Blue Moon" moniker is just a name, with the moon usually shining as its bright white self and not actually appearing blue. In rare occasions, the moon can take on a blue hue due to ash in the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions, NASA officials have said.

Editor's note:Thank you to all the Space.com readers who sent in photos of the Blue Moon on Friday. If you have a moon photo, or any other night sky view, that you'd like to share for a possible story or gallery, send images and comments in to managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

Motorola Promises It's Smartphones Will Love You Back

Motorola, on Tuesday launched three new handsets -- Moto X Style, Moto X Play and a refreshed Moto G -- designed to end the "one-sided relationships" between smartphones and consumers.

People have been living with phones that nag during drives, make outbursts during meetings, and run out of juice just when they're most needed, the company said. Adding insult to injury, they are often mismatched with their owners' style and character.

Motorola promised its newly introduced suitors will change all that.

Moto's Upgraded Fleet

The Moto X Style (pictured above) isn't exactly a cheap date, but at US$399 without a contract and compatible with all major wireless carriers in the U.S., it's well positioned to compete in the middle and high-end markets.

The 5.7-inch QuadHD Moto X Style has a 21-MP rear-facing camera partnered with a 5-MP selfie camera. It's kitted out with specs of flagship caliber, including a 1.8-GHz hexa-core Snapdragon processor. It can deliver 10 hours of service on a 15-minute charge, making it the world's fastest-charging smartphone, according to Motorola.

Flanking the flagship, the Moto X Play, a gunship of sorts, has a smaller 5.5-inch display. It doesn't have quite the Style's might, but it does have a 3600 mAh battery, which allows two days away from a charger, the company said.

The work-ready refresh of the Moto G sails right through the center of the mid-range market for smartphones, offering a 5-inch display that has an IPX7 water-resistant rating that means it can survive a fall overboard into the drink. The $180 Moto G has a 13-MP rear shooter that captures 720p video, and it sports an all-day battery.

A Sea of Voices

While the highlights and talking points are there in Motorola's refreshed lineup, the company is still fighting to be heard above the sea of voices in the increasingly crowded Android market.

This latest refresh may be more about establishing harmonies than standing out.

"One of the concerns about the Android OS is the disconnect between the OS and the hardware manufacturers," noted Michael B. Spring, associate professor of information science and technology at theUniversity of Pittsburgh.

"The recent Stagefright vulnerability was recognized and patched by Google, but it is not clear when manufacturers will push it out," he told TechNewsWorld.

Android Losing Cachet?

Motorola may be taking the appropriate steps to make Android devices more appealing to customers shopping in every tier, but to compete at the high and low ends, the hour might be too late.

Android's developer ecosystem has been getting weaker, and more codies invest their resources in iOS, noted Trip Chowdhry, managing director, Global Equities Research.

"In the premium segment, Android customers are switching to become Apple iPhone customers," he told TechNewsWorld. "At the low end, Xiaomi, Micromax and others are taking the marketshare away."

Google has encouraged its Android community to "be together, not the same."

Still, with the market demanding a unified experience across all mobile devices, Android may have to become more like iOS to stay in the game, according to Chowdhry.

"I wouldn't say there will be a consolidation in the space, as in someone buying someone else. I don't think that will happen," he said, "but I think there will be a weeding-out process, and only the low end of the Android market will be attractive."

On the other hand, the strength of the Motorola brand should not be discounted, according to Spring.

"Smartphone purchases are almost religious," he said. "Apple and Samsung have devoted followers, but so do LG and Motorola. The only one who appears to be destined to lose is Microsoft."