There has been no shortage of technology companies pushing out advertising and overview videos in the last few days. Obviously, not wanting to lag behind or be left out of the action, Samsung has followed suit with their own Galaxy Note II promotional video. The video doesn't just remind us that the Note II is imminently available on a number different networks, but it also serves to show us that the second-generation note actually ships with some fairly decent features.
Apple may have commanded some attention earlier this week with its iPad press event, but this week was always going to be about Microsoft. After what's seem like an endless monsoon of rumor and speculation, Windows 8 has officially launched, and from 12:01am local time, consumers will be able to get their hands on the official version of the Metro-fied operating system.
Although it hasn't been officially confirmed yet, it is widely expected that Google will make a number of hardware / software announcements at their Android event that is due to be held at the end of this month. We have already seen leaked information suggesting that we will be seeing a new Nexus smartphone, as well as an update to the Android operating system and a mysterious tablet that is currently only known by the internal Samsung codename of "Mantra".
The official launch of Windows 8 is here, and in order to ensure as many consumers adopt the new operating system as possible, Microsoft appears to be pulling out all of the stops. For a very limited time, those purchasing / upgrading to Windows 8 Pro can grab the Media Center Pack absolutely free, while the Pro version of Windows 8 itself can be had for just $69.99.
If you aren't happy with just getting your hands on the perhaps unexpected fourth-generation iPad as well as the new 7.9-inch iPad mini then Apple have followed their own recent trend by releasing the technical schematic drawings of each of their new tablet releases. It was largely expected that Apple would be unveiling a new miniature iPad during their Californian press event, but it may of come as a rather large surprise to most that a new fourth-generation iPad was also on the agenda, coming just seven months after the release of the iPad 3.
Although it is one of the most popular apps on any mobile platform, the Android version of the Flipboard news magazine has just received a pretty notable update, taking it to version 1.9.7. The Android version of the app has enjoyed significant success with millions of downloads since the original launch, picking up a number of design and technical accolades along the way. This latest update is a continuation of the devs dedication to providing the best news reading experience available.
Microsoft's Surface RT will hit the retail market tomorrow, and with Apple having just made quite a few changes and improvements to the iPad range yesterday, comparisons are naturally going to be drawn. While the form factor, tech specs and software have been compared on numerous occasions, one of the key aspects specific to the new Microsoft tablet is that of the multiple-user accounts support in Windows RT.
The success of titles like Words With Friends just goes to show there's a real market for word-based games in mobile space, and while WWF is essentially a remake of the old classic Scrabble, it's by no means the only time-killer available based almost solely on the alphabet. Joining the ranks of the elite word apps today arrives Letterpress, and if you've got a tendency to attach yourself to the turn-based titles, this quirky, fun, addictive offering will almost certainly capture your imagination once again.
The next big event this week is coming our way courtesy of Microsoft, and it is being held in New York City tomorrow. Not wanting to be outdone and to make sure that they generate the maximum amount of interest possible, the Microsoft Newsroom has confirmed that the event will be streamed live to viewers around the world.
The very final iterations of Microsoft's Office 2013, along with the new Office server editions like SharePoint Server 2013, Exchange Server 2013, Lync Server 2013 are now available to TechNet and MSDN subscribers.

