After well over a decade of service, Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows XP, meaning that no further updates will be released from here on in.
Hot on the heels of Apple's CarPlay, Microsoft's effort is decidedly similar to that of the iPhone maker. Windows in the Car follows the same approach in that it will allow users of Windows Phone devices to take over a car's built-in entertainment and navigation systems using the Mirrorlink standard, with all input duties then taken over by a large touch screen built into the car's dashboard.
Plenty of Windows Phone users had been waiting on the announcement of Windows Phone 8.1 at BUILD 2014, and finally got their wish today as Microsoft reeled off an extensive list of new features soon headed to current Windows Phone 8 devices in the form of a gleaming new update. As well as the likes of Action Center and significant improvements to the lock screen and home screen, one of the key new features of Windows Phone 8.1 is Cortana, the voice assistant that will serve as the software giant’s very own take on Siri, and given the cult status of Apple's digital slave, Microsoft seized upon the opportunity to release a series of clips explaining why Cortana will be better.
It's immediately apparent, when checking out the new features of the Windows 8.1 Update 1, that Microsoft is pandering to the large faction of users still running a traditional desktop PC rig. From tweaking the way that the search and power options are accessed to ensuring that Windows Store apps play nicer with the keyboard and mouse, there's no doubt that today's announcement at BUILD 2014 was aimed squarely at the traditionalists. Following the announcement of the new Windows 8.1 Update 1, Microsoft’s Terry Myerson also took the opportunity to showcase how Windows 8.1 will eventually offer users the chance to roll back the clock with the return of the traditional Start Menu.
Microsoft has just taken the wraps off the eagerly-awaited Windows Phone 8.1 update, and as expected, it packs a host of new and exciting features that should help bring Microsoft's fledgling mobile OS up to scratch with the likes of Android and iOS. All of the details you need to know can be found after the break!
Today has been a busy day for Microsoft, and in particular, its Office suite. Having finally made its way to the App Store for iPad following an announcement by Satya Nadella, users of the Apple tablet can finally enjoy Word, Excel and PowerPoint on their devices. A subscription service, Office 365 costs $99.99 per year for those looking to create, edit and save their documents on-the-go, but for a limited time, the software giant is offering one year's free Office 365 to iPad users prepared to traipse over to their local Microsoft Store.
In a move to inspire a new generation of coders and young software engineering enthusiasts, Microsoft has joined forces with the Computer History Museum to release the source code for the iconic MS-DOS, as well as Word for Windows. Full details of this deal, as well as what it could potentially mean for the technologists of tomorrow, can be found found after the fold.
As Google's Chromecast continues its expansion to other countries around the world, the company appears to have begun to refocus its energies into the little HDMI dongle. Offering buyers a way to get video and audio onto a television via both Android and iOS devices, Chromecast is almost an alternative to an Apple TV for those that don't need the kinds of features that particular product offers.
Earlier on this month, Microsoft revealed that it would be taking the wraps off DirectX 12 at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco this week, and true to its word, the software maker has delivered the goods. The landmark release, which offers several improvements to the graphics and gaming API, supports a plethora of the software maker’s major platforms, including the Xbox One, mobile, and of course, PC. Catch the full details right after the leap!
Microsoft's Xbox One, which released late last year in the UK and US before trickling out to several other regions, will have its reach greatly expanded by September, with the company's own Major Nelson having revealed its plans to release the console to 26 new markets in that month.
