Microsoft looks set to showcase the first major update to Windows 8.1 at the BUILD developers conference on the first week of April, but with some weeks to go until the improved release is officially unveiled, an internal leak of Windows 8.1 Update 1 is already upon us. Having trickled out into the wild just a short while ago, some users managed to get the build up and running on their machines by tweaking the registry or downloading patches, but although the registry hack doesn't seem to be working anymore, you can still check out this internal release by grabbing the necessary patches.
With the imminent release of Titanfall, it's rather easy to forget that, in actual fact, there are some other pretty big titles hitting the gaming world in 2014. With two brand new consoles on the scene in the form of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, developers and publishers are doing their utmost to prepare us for some marquee releases, and Watch Dogs, which has just become available to pre-order, will hit shelves on May 27th. Further details, as well as the official trailer accompanying the announcement, can be seen below.
When Microsoft first announced Windows 8 - along with Windows RT – the software giant made song and dance of the fact that their latest operating system had a smaller footprint compared to previous iterations of Windows. While that’s true to some extent, the major problem with Windows still remains, it becomes sluggish after extended period of usage.
Apple just released iTunes 11.1.5 for Windows and OS X and is available for download immediately. More details regarding what the update brings and where to download it from can be found right here.
We're all firmly in mobile mode with Mobile World Congress kicking off over in Barcelona, but that hasn't stopped Microsoft from letting everyone know what the current state of play is when it comes to an update to Windows 8.1, and the new Windows Phone 8.1.
Windows is still, by quite some margin, the big fish in the pond of desktop (and now tablet) operating systems. Yes, many users have struggled to adapt to the touch-focused Windows 8 era and beyond, but while the Redmond still holds a strong position over the likes of OS X and Chrome OS, the company is beginning to feel the heat. Microsoft's recent inaction, such as its late entry into the smartphone and tablet game, are already biting it on the behind as pressure from Apple and Google's respective ecosystems continues to mount, and in order to stave off the competition, the company is to offer discounted Windows 8.1 licenses to manufacturers of low-priced Windows devices.
According to sources of The Verge, Microsoft could be toying with the idea of bringing Android app support to both Windows and Windows Phone, in a move that could, in theory, help breathe new life into a mobile platform that is patently bereft of apps. Of course, such a drastic move would cause controversy, no less because it could spell the beginning of the end of Windows Phone as a mobile platform, but as the Redmond continually struggles to entice developers into creating apps for the Windows Phone Store, options are becoming increasingly limited.
The mobile gaming world is certainly not bereft of superhero titles. In fact, they're incredibly popular, and now, it's the turn of Captain America to take center stage. The forthcoming title for iOS and Android, which is entitled 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier,' is being developed by Gameloft, and will be hitting both the App Store and Google Play Store late next month.
It's frequently the case that unreleased software leaks to the Internet quite a long time before it has been commissioned for prime time, but when said software happens to entail Microsoft's much-anticipated Windows 8.1 Update 1, it tends to make the headlines. Scheduled for release next month, Update 1 has found its way onto various file sharing sites already, and although the fact that it's a build from three weeks ago means that Microsoft will have definitely made some alterations before the final release, it offers enough of an insight as to what's in the offing. Details after the fold!
In what will likely be toasted in tech circles a victory for users, it looks like a forthcoming Windows 8.1 update could boot to the traditional desktop by default, skipping (although not removing) the tiled interface that many have begrudgingly become accustomed to. According to The Verge, which cites sources familiar with Microsoft's OS plans moving forward, the "Metro" (or Modern) landing screen will not greet users upon booting, but can be reinstated within the settings for those who require it.
