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Microsoft gives retailers another year to sell Windows 7 PCs
If you still want your next PC to run Windows 7, better act soon. Microsoft has updated its "Windows lifecycle" fact sheet, and the last day you'll be able to buy a PC with Windows 7 preinstalled is October 31, 2016. Microsoft would have shelved Windows 7 awhile ago, since it normally sells previous versions just two years after the next one arrives. However, many people treated Windows 8 like it was radioactive, so Windows 7 Professional (OEM) was extended, and will actually come off the market after Windows 8, and on the same day as Windows 8.1. Apart from pre-installed copies of Windows 7 Professional, all other Windows 7 versions are already off the market.
Remember the YouTube video responses you never clicked on? They're going away
Google's about to kick another one of its features to the curb, though we doubt there'll be any pitchforks and torches, à la Reader. Yes, the not-much-beloved "video response" on YouTube is going to Google heaven, apparently because the click-through rate was a pitiful 0.0004 percent. The team suggested using hashtags instead going forward, but you were probably doing that anyway. Because you never used video responses, ever. None of you.
Microsoft axing Zune Marketplace rentals and sales, recommends Xbox Video and Music
Coinciding with the impending abandonment of Microsoft Points, the ability to rent and purchase media from Zune Marketplace will also be hitting retirement come August 22nd. A recently-posted FAQ on the Xbox website details the changes, directing current users to hurry up and use their remaining points as they'll be worthless come that EOL date. For future service Microsoft is unsurprisingly pointing users to Xbox Music and Video, noting that the latter will also be accessible on Xbox One, Windows Phone 8 and browsers "later this year." Unlimited streaming will be accessible through the Xbox Music Pass as you'd expect, and your existing media will continue to function as normal. Better yet, OG Zune Music Pass subscribers will still be able to stream tunes and obtain their 10 free downloads per month. Consider it another inevitable nail in the Zune brand's coffin, while it lives on through Xbox.
Amazon Kindle Keyboard 3G being discontinued?
Amazon confirmed as early as last September that the Kindle Keyboard would be sticking around, but much like your favorite dessert, nothing is forever. The Kindle Keyboard 3G is now showing as unavailable or out of stock at Amazon's site, as well as at Best Buy and Target. Of course, the last of those has had this here device on sale for what feels like forever, but it's still somewhat sad to see it come to the end of its road. It's entirely possible that the company's Lab126 is cooking up a replacement alongside those mythical smartphones, but it's unclear if such a conceptual piece is on the immediate horizon. We've reached out to Amazon regarding the disappearance, and we'll be sure to update this post as we learn more. [Thanks, John]
Rockmelt says goodbye to its social web browser, says hello to Rockmelt for Web
It was a good ride while it lasted, but the browser wars haven't been kind to Rockmelt, which has announced that it'll cease supporting its socially-inclined desktop browser sometime in the next few months. The decision was made because keeping up with the steady stream of updates for Chromium, the code upon which the Rockmelt browser was based, was simply too costly. In its place, the company has announced Rockmelt for Web, a portal that may serve to alleviate some of the Reader rage many of us are experiencing. It aggregates content from "your favorite sites, your favorite people, and a dash of crazy stuff you never would have discovered," so it's like a combination of RSS, social networks and StumbleUpon. It's an invite-only beta for now, though users of the browser and iOS app have already been invited to the party. The rest of you lot can get on the list by hitting the source and signing up.
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 15th, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, we received further evidence of an imminent replacement for the Galaxy Nexus and the Optimus 4X HD found a new home in Canada. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 15th, 2012.
Sprint discontinues HTC EVO 3D online, limited quantities remain at retail stores
It's not like we're gonna argue with Sprint's rationale, but the EVO 3D has met its end at the Now Network. Visitors to the carrier's online store will notice that the gee-whiz smartphone is no longer available for sale, and Sprint reps have confirmed to us that it's not coming back. Those who insist on owning an EVO 3D will be glad to know that the handset is still available at Sprint's retail outlets, but according to the carrier, quantities are rather limited. Given a phone that debuted less than a year ago, its abrupt and unceremonious demise comes as a bit of a shock, but with the mighty EVO 4G LTE on the horizon, we can't blame the carrier one bit.
All PlayBooks go to heaven: Telus leak points to end-of-life status
This is the end, dear PlayBook-admiring friends. That is to say, it's the end-of-life for RIM's first unsuccessful stab at tablet computing. Unsurprisingly, the marketing blitzkrieg that saw J.Lo and the Flash Gordon theme awkwardly peddle the flailing tab hasn't done much to elevate sales or consumer interest, forcing its Canadian overlords to issue Telus an EOL notice. This not unexpected bit of news comes right on the heels of the BB maker's recently leaked device roadmap, in which a spring bow for a higher-specced, 3G+ enabled iteration is clearly denoted. Whatever Waterloo's near future plans for the category are, we know for sure they won't include BB 10 until much later this year. Chin up though, folks. At least we have OS 2.0 to soothe our fraught nerves in the interim.[Thanks, Jaimie]
The original Motorola LapDock can now be yours for $50
Remember the good 'ol days (specifically, this past February) when the first Motorola LapDock cost as much as $500 up front and nearly got laughed out of AT&T stores? The sleek Webtop accessory compatible with the Motorola Atrix 4G -- and no other device whatsoever -- has come down a long way, as it's now available for a mere $50 (not counting the more expensive 4GB data plan AT&T requires you to be on when using it, of course). Indeed, it appears that a whole zero has been shaved off of the LapDock's price tag, finally making it a tempting deal for anyone still packing the Atrix around. We're thinking that AT&T's trying to clear out remaining stock prior to giving the dock a proper retirement, but does this lower cost give you pause to consider purchasing one after all this time? If so, head to the source to take another look.
Dell quietly kills Streak 5 while nobody's looking, mourns end-of-life status
The Dell Streak 5 has always been an outlier, and it's traveled a bumpy road ever since the unveiling when Dell insisted its smartphone was in fact a portable tablet. From the delayed launch in the US to its $549 price for a SIM-locked unit -- not to mention the uncomfortably long dance with Donut -- perhaps this moment has been coming for a while. That's right, folks, the Dell Streak 5 is no more. Last month we reported it had been taken off the market while it received a software update, but the hive mind in Round Rock must have changed its sentiments along the way. The company now hosts a web page that declares its spacious smartphone / compact tablet has met end-of-life status, and it's offering little information other than the ominous phrase, "Streak 5 is no longer available." Perhaps spinners such as DJ_Steve will keep the misbegotten wonder alive with projects like StreakDroid, but for the time being, we're forced to hang our heads to honor the Streak's passing. It's been a great ride, indeed.
Robot band covers Marilyn Manson, renders sullen teenagers obsolete (video)
Sure, we've seen robot bands before. But even when insecure and egotistical, they never quite capture the youthful disaffection we want from our mechanical pop stars. Until now. End of Life is a robot band consisting of a cello, and electric guitar, drums, and, for some reason, a flat-bed scanner -- maybe he's the cute one? The group recently covered Marilyn Manson's three-string anthem "The Beautiful People," and it sounds almost exactly like you'd expect: we'll call it "raw, visceral, and uncensored." We can't wait to see them sneer at Rock Band-playing robots too lazy to learn a real instrument. Catch them in the video after the break, and you can tell all your less-cool friends you knew them back before they sold out.
T-Mobile G2 quietly discontinued, Z-Hinge's future remains unclear
We'd had some indication that the T-Mobile G2 was nearing end of life status, and it looks like that inevitable milestone has already come to pass. According to TmoNews, the HTC-built device was officially discontinued by T-Mobile on June 6th, no doubt in an effort to make a bit a bit of room in the carrier's QWERTY slider lineup for the likes of the MyTouch 4G Slide. Of course, existing G2 users do still have some good news to look forward to -- namely, a Gingerbread upgrade that should breath a bit of new life into their crazy-hinged handset.
T-Mobile G2 not long for this world, per leaked document
We'd like to think that good phones -- like soldiers -- don't die, they just fade away, solemn and proud, with a faint tear rolling down the cameraside cheek. This appears to be the case for T-Mobile's G2, which seems content to quietly disappear as younger and fresher handsets are prepped to take its place in the near future. It's no longer anywhere to be found on the carrier's site, and a leaked document (shown above) has surfaced that mentions the phone's inevitable demise. If the G2 is truly nearing EOL status, we suspect T-Mobile is ditching it to make room for newer QWERTY Android phones like the MyTouch 4G Slide. Regardless, if you have any inkling to get the G2 before it completes the path to obscurity, now would be an ideal time to lace up the running shoes.
Series1 TiVo service in the UK comes to an end June 1st
We're not going to count this on the deathwatch, but anyone still rocking a Series1 TiVo DVR (remember those? They needed something called a "land line" to dial in for updates) in the land of BBC, crumpets and the Royal Family has received word that come June 1st, they'll need to use another DVR. Those living in Virgin Media cable areas may have some kind of upgrade option to the new triple tuner beast, but we're thinking that after this long it's tough to say goodbye to a box that's served them for so long, especially after the indignity of losing programming suggestions a few years back. But for those who shelled out for a "lifetime" TiVo package, we're sure the question will be, is 10 years long enough? Check out the original demo video ZatzNotFunny dug up after the break and remember better times for the old set-top box, when the ability to set up a "season pass" was a completely new concept and the idea of people still using boxes that couldn't receive HD wasn't incredibly sad.
Final Xserve orders won't reach customers for two months
With the Xserve's end of life arriving in just three days, the Apple Store is listing both the Quad-Core and 8-Core Xserves as shipping in April. So, if you've been wondering whether or not to pull the trigger on an Xserve purchase, now is the time to do so. 160 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB drive modules will still be available until the end of the year. All three of these modules are shipping within a 24-hour period. For more guidance, check out Apple's transition document. Potential customers are being urged to consider the Mac mini server or Mac Pro with Snow Leopard Server instead of Xserve. [Via AppleInsider]
Apple's numpad-less compact wired keyboard gets discontinued, few tears are shed
The ultraslim, metallic, chiclet-styled obsession all began back in mid-2007, but a revised iMac in March of 2009 delivered something else: a chopped-down version of the Apple Keyboard. If you'll recall, that one dropped the numeric keypad and gained two peripheral USB sockets, making it one of the more compact desktop keyboards on the market. Just shy of its second birthday, it seems as if the supply chain overlords in Cupertino have seen fit to discontinue it, though a number of e-tailers still seem to have stock for the moment. If you're dead-set on snagging one (we know, stocking's aren't that long), Amazon can make your day for $46.99, but we'd probably pony up the extra $3 necessary to bring one home with a number pad on the right.
Sprint's Palm Pre marked for End of Life?
We don't quite know how to break it to you, but if PreCentral sources are correct, Palm's hit a very interesting landmark: its comeback device, the Pre for Sprint, has reportedly reached End of Life (EOL). Warehouse quantities are said to be limited, and after that... well... have fun scouring eBay. Or better yet, maybe consider another carrier for the Plus model or even a full-blown sequel; we can't imagine the original Pixi's gonna cool your cravings. It's been a wild ride since that June 5th, 2009 launch, eh?
Apple's Xserve hits end of life, order yours before Jan, 31
Farewell, Xserve. While the G5 version was once the server behind one of the world's fastest parallel supercomputers, Apple's powerful but slow-selling line of rack-mount servers has now reached the end of its life cycle and will no longer be offered after January 31, 2011. As an enterprise-oriented config, the Xserve has never received much attention during Apple's splashy product introductions, instead quietly getting speed bumps and bigger drives. The server chassis will not be available for sale after January, but the 160 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB drive modules will still be available for sale until the end of next year. Apple has posted a transition document on its website that recommends either the Mac Mini server or Mac Pro with Snow Leopard Server as alternatives. While rackmount adapters are available for the Mini, it doesn't come close to the performance of the Xserve. The Pro on the other hand has no issues with performance, but requiring 12U of rack space for 2 machines is a huge concern; also the Pro lacks the XServe's redundant power supplies, and cannot support the Lights-Out Management features of the rackmount server. [Apple's transition guide covers the feature comparisons between the two alternatives and the Xserve, but it doesn't say anything to soothe the ire of Xsan customers, who depend on the rackmount server to operate their storage-area networks for high performance video editing or scientific computing. We'll be talking to system integrators and customers later today. –Ed.] If you decide that you need that "just right" option before it goes away, the quad-core Xserve starts at $2,999 while the eight-core variant will run $600 more. Reader Chris Clarke also notes that the maximum memory config on the Mac Pro server models has gone to 32GB for the quad/six core units, and 64GB for the 8/12 core machines. Thanks to Colin for the tip. [Hat tips to Engadget, MacRumors & MacGeneration]
Lenovo ThinkPad X300 series to be phased out, replaced by T400 this year
We're not sure what tea they're being served in the Far East these days, but the peeps at Lenovo have somehow convinced themselves to let go of the legendary 13-inch ThinkPad X301 and replace it with the 14-inch T410s by the end of the year. Ouch. While you mop up the tears pooling around your boots, here's Marketing Director Wang Lipin's reasoning: with the T400 series capable of offering more powerful CPU and GPU at a similar portability but much lower price (we're talking about a $980 difference between the T410s and X301 base models, at the time of writing), the X300 series has since lost its special place in the ultraportable category. It's tough to argue with figures like that, and hey, at least that's one less temptation for the sake of your piggy bank. Or so we're left to tell ourselves.
iPod shuffle 2G is no more
Every highly-polished stainless steel lining has a cloud, it seems, and today's music player overhaul by Apple has been no different. Amidst all the excitement about moderate improvements and video cameras, we've also had to say goodbye to an old friend. Having been kept around for six months after the release of its successor, the second gen shuffle has finally succumbed, leaving the newly colorful 3G option all on its lonesome in the minimalist music lover space. Ah well, if you really have your heart set on the old rocker, refurb models are still available at Apple's online store, though probably not for long. [Via iLounge]
