After weeks of apparent deliberation over the name and months of screenshots, Microsoft has just taken the wraps off Windows 10, and below, we've all the key details as revealed by the software company.
Microsoft's next version of Windows has been casually referred to as "Windows 9", which makes a great deal of sense given that the current Windows 8.x was preceded by Windows 7. But while it's still a distinct possibility that the software giant will retain the numbered system, the company has also tried to ramp up hype of the impending Windows Technical Preview by keeping enthusiasts guessing as to what name the next major build will take, and with an official moniker expected to be officially revealed soon, a site set up specifically for the Tech. Preview appears to have slipped "Windows TH".
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have finally been released, but while the rush of sales may greatly increase Apple's bank balance, market share and ecosystem, there are also some benefits to be had by those rivaling the Cupertino company. Given Apple's plans to roll out iCloud Drive completely along with OS X 10.10 Yosemite in the near future, the battle of the cloud storage services has well and truly commenced, and as new iPhone owners await iCloud Drive's big launch, fierce rival Microsoft has sniffed an opportunity to point consumers in the direction of OneDrive. In what the Xbox maker describes as "a limited time offer" - one that will end before October's iCloud Drive formal rollout - iPhone users can enjoy 30GB of storage for free, with 15GB of basic space allied to 15 GB "camera roll bonus."
How would you feel about one single keyboard accessory that works with your smartphone or tablet, regardless of the platform that powers it? Microsoft has today introduced its new "Universal Mobile Keyboard" that can function with Apple iPads, iPhones, Android powered smartphones and tablets as well as all Windows based tablets that contain Bluetooth Human Interface Device support (HID) and are 10mm or thinner.
As tech consumers, we've something of an affinity to voice assistants, particularly new ones. The massive fuss made when Apple dropped Siri a couple of years ago was equaled by the fanfare surrounding Windows Phone 8.1's Cortana, and while Microsoft's effort is naturally a more refined, well-rounded and personable feature than Siri was at launch, Cortana remains a work in progress. In fact, right now, Microsoft is attempting to spread Cortana beyond the confines of Windows Phone and onto the other major segments of its ecosystem, and a new Windows 9 screenshot offers a sneak peek of how it may eventually take shape on the desktop and tablet.
Mojang, the company behind the ever-popular Minecraft, has just been snapped up by Microsoft for $2.5 billion. The deal, which was heavily rumored throughout last week, sees Mojang as the ideal purchase as it attempts to build and increase its gaming portfolio, and given that the software giant has nothing it its repertoire remotely close to Minecraft, the purchase does make a great deal of sense.
A couple of days back, we saw the new and improved Start Menu from Windows 9 in action thanks to a leaked video, and today, the same German source has provided us with another leak that shows the multiple desktops / virtual desktops in Windows 9, and they look pretty slick. More details and video can be found right after the break.
It's a tad early in the life cycle of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for the yearning for new color configurations to begin. But with Microsoft having already confirmed that a white edition of its newest console courtesy of the Sunset Overdrive bundle, it's likely that we'll begin to see all manner of different variants as both Sony and Microsoft look to broaden appeal. If you happen to live in Dubai, however, you can already pick up both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in shiny gold, and given that real rose gold is used in the modification process as opposed to gold plating, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that it costs a bomb.
Samsung may have taken the earliest possible opportunity to mock Apple's latest iPhone - and let's be honest here, we wouldn't expect anything less from the maker of the Galaxy Series of devices - but it seems that the unveiling of the iPhone 6 may be adversely affecting the Korean company in a way they'd never care to admit. In the aftermath of Tuesday's media event at the Flint Center, buyback service Gazelle are reporting that requests for Samsung hardware trade-ins were up over 200% as consumers look to free up some financial capacity to purchase the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus when it hits the shelves.
Microsoft looks set to take the wraps off the Windows 9 Technical Preview very soon, and having already seen scattered leaks of the new operating system in screenshots, we now have what appears to be the clearest look yet at what the software maker has in store. A new batch of screen grabs, which do include another peek at the eagerly awaited return of the traditional Start menu, can be seen below, and while Microsoft is still very much pressing ahead with its motion to blend desktop interface with the contemporary touch-based environment, it's also abundantly clear that Windows 9 will be at least a partial reversion to type.
