Microsoft's Live Messenger chat platform had been embraced by millions of users around the globe, and over time, it benefitted from a number of design and function iterations, but the Redmond based company has now officially announced that the service will be eventually laid to rest on March 15th of this year. Messenger has been handling online conversations for the last 13 years, but it seems Microsoft is finally ready to retire the veteran platform in favor of migrating its users across to the recently updated Skype service.
Microsoft confirmed today at the 11th annual J.P Morgan Tech Forum at CES that the company had sold 60 million copies of Windows 8 so far, including both OEM sales and upgrades on existing machines, putting it on a similar trajectory as Windows 7 three years ago. Undoubtedly, after all of the criticism, the new operating system is off to a good start since its launch this past October.
It would appear as though the modding community of everything Windows would have something to cheer about this week. That is because security researcher clrokr looks to have discovered a way to get desktop apps up and running on Microsoft's ARM-based OS. Within Windows RT's code, there's a particular setting which prevents ARM-based desktop apps besides the Redmond company's stock offerings, but clrokr has snuffed it out, and has, in short, paved the way for the running of unsigned desktop apps.
One of the most influential designers in the team behind creating the look of Windows 8, has showcased several early concepts which advanced into the look we see today. Marius Bauer's area of expertise was in the Start and lock screens, and notes of how designing wallpapers for Windows 8 was something of a "dream project" to him, and as you'll see below, the designs themselves paint pictures of somewhat dreamy, entrancing atmospheres.
Rather than just plucking out a random day from thin-air, Xbox LIVE’s Major Nelson has posted a rather teasing countdown that shows the number of days left until the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, prompting intense speculation that Microsoft intends to introduce the world to the next-generation Xbox console.
Some of our readers may just be waking up to welcome in 2013, but Microsoft is as keen as ever to carry on the promotional campaign of Windows 8 and have used the first day of the new year to publish a number of commercials to their YouTube account which show some of the more powerful aspects of the new Windows 8 operating system. It's no secret that January is one of the busiest shopping times of the year, with consumers wanting to snap up the latest and great technology at bargain prices, so it makes perfect sense for the Redmond company to strike while the iron is hot and get people talking about Windows 8 again.
Whenever a new and improved mobile software is released nowadays, there's always that moment in which owners of certain devices discover theirs will be left out in the cold. In the case of Windows Phone 7.x, that was everybody, and although Microsoft has delivered Windows Phone 7.8 in something of a watered-down edition of Windows Phone 8, it's still lacking many of the key new features of Windows Phone 8. The advantage of using old software, however, is that, more often than not, it's a lot more mod-able, and thanks to a new app, those running Windows Phone 7.x can enjoy a slick Notification Center feature with the aptly-entitled Notifications app.
They do always say that no press is bad press and considering all of the internet chatter that has surrounded Instagram recently over their flip-flopping terms of service, it would seem that there is no better time to discuss the new Piktr Instagram client that has just landed on the Windows Store. Piktr is obviously a third-party development project and although it doesn't come from Instagram or Facebook themselves, it is a fairly comprehensive and modern offering that should fill the void that exists for those mostly happy and content Windows 8 / RT users out there.
Microsoft has released a brand-new title to iOS, and although it is by no means the Redmond company's first game for the Apple platform, it is the first time an iOS title has packed Xbox LIVE Achievements. So not only can you have fun with yet another brain-teasing puzzler, but you can also top up your Gamerscore in the process. It's called Wordament, and is absolutely free to download over at the App Store. Details, as well as that all-important download link, are coming up after the break.
All of the recent Nokia and Windows Phone discussions may be centered around the Finnish company's launch of the fantastic new Lumia range of devices powered by Windows Phone 8 but if you happened to have gotten in on the Lumia action during the first wave of releases last year then there could be a nice software related surprise waiting for your Lumia 800 device when it connects to the Zune software. Those who still make daily use of their Lumia 800 have obviously made the conscious decision that the upgrade to a newer Lumia device isn't on the cards just yet but that shouldn't stop 800 owners from updating the device to Windows Phone 7.8 as it becomes available through Zune.
