Nokia, the one-time king of the smartphone world, has finally come to a point where the Finnish giant is taking the back seat and leaving the smartphone world for good. That’s correct - no more smartphones will ever carry the brand name 'Nokia' ever again, even if the manufacturer was once viewed as the symbol for quality and reliability.
We’ve heard countless rumors in the past leading up to this day, suggesting that Microsoft might make the big move and acquire Nokia, along with its device and services division. And now, Microsoft has officially confirmed that the acquisition will indeed take place in an open letter from current Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer and Stephen Elop, the current CEO of Nokia.
As products and services evolve, the branding is often reviewed by the provider in order to reflect changes. We saw a similar thing a couple of years ago when the Android Market was renamed to the Google Play Store, and as of today, Microsoft's Xbox LIVE Marketplace is now known as the Xbox Games Store.
Late last week, we heard through the grapevine that Windows 8.1 RTM had been finalized, and today, the process has begun. New devices and machines bundled with Windows 8.1 will become available from October 18th, with manufacturers now being issued with licenses to pre-install the software, everything appears to be running tidily to schedule.
Let's be honest, those who are managing to hold down a steady job should class themselves as extremely fortunate. Those who get up each morning and walk through the employment doors of prestigious companies like Microsoft, even more so. If you take away the regular salary bank deposits and the respect that comes with working for a huge corporation on extremely popular products, then just what's left? It seems that employees of the Redmond based company are left with access to an exclusive employee-only white Xbox One, and we couldn't be more envious.
Windows 8.1 has spent the past few months being primed and prepared for its October 17th release date, and with build number 9600 now confirmed as the Release to manufacturing (RTM), the process of assembling Windows 8.1 for public consumption is all-but complete. In a week that has seen CEO Steve Ballmer announce his imminent retirement after 13 years at the helm, it's critical that this transitional phase has only a positive effect on the Redmond company's product range, and with Windows 8.1 now getting its RTM, the stage is set for a new wave of corresponding products.
The battle for supremacy in the next-gen console wars is really heating up, to the point now where every day, either Microsoft or Sony has something to reveal regarding their respective consoles. With the latter having disclosed the PS4 release date for the whole world to drool over, today is Microsoft's turn, and the Redmond company now has the Xbox One on display for all to see at it own retail outlets. Unfortunately, they're securely housed within the confinements of glass boxes, but with many consumers still on the fence with regards to which console they will eventually choose, a close-up look at the new design could tempt some into going ahead and pre-ordering.
Gaming fans looking to pick up Microsoft's Xbox One on launch day this November will be able to choose from a rather vast array of games when they get the shrink wrap off their new piece of kit after Microsoft made available a list of games that will be available at launch.
Microsoft may have announced its Xbox One console significantly later than Sony did the PlayStation 4, but the software maker appears to be making up for lost time in spades. Today, the company has announced a boatload more games heading to its forthcoming console, bringing the current total up to fifty. With more on the way, we're finally getting down to the really tantalizing bit as far as the gaming community is concerned, and with such a wide variety of games now confirmed for the Xbox One, there's something for everyone.
According to rumor, Sony is looking to make a significant impression upon the smartphone photography market, and along with the recent news that the Japanese outfit could be plotting a new flagship handset capable of shooting 4K video, we also recently heard about the company's endeavor to bring a series of camera attachments to the fore. The Sony Carl Zeiss lens attachment would simply clip onto the back of a smartphone and, in turn, deliver a DSLR-like high-end shooting experience. Now, the two lenses in question - the QX10 and QX100 - have had their specs leaked online, along with the news that the official unveiling could take place on September 4th.
