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Windows 10 preview connects your Android phone to your PC
Microsoft is acting on its promise to make PCs and phones live in harmony. It just posted a Windows 10 Insider Preview (on the Fast ring) that introduces the first batch of features integrating Windows with your mobile devices. If you have an Android phone, you can link it to your PC to continue your web browsing on the bigger screen. Once it's set up, you only have to use your browser's usual sharing option to punt a website to your computer. The preview is missing iPhone support and many of the slicker features Microsoft promised in the Fall Creators Update, such as seamless document syncing, but it could be worth a try.
The Moto Z2 Force is a powerhouse that plays it safe
Motorola's press conference is over, and we're now gearing up to put the Moto Z2 Force through the review wringer. (For those wondering, yes, I'm going to run this thing over with a car again.) I've been playing with Motorola's new flagship for a few hours now and it seems like the company tried to combine the best things about last year's Z and Z Force into a single phone. It's a great idea in theory, but we'll have to see how well the plan works in practice. We're not ready to render a verdict yet, but for now, you can read on for our first impressions.
Google ships final Android O beta before official launch
You won't have to wait too much longer to get your hands on Android O. Google has posted its fourth Developer Preview for the mobile operating system, and it's the last beta you'll see -- after this, the next stop is the finished version that will reach everyday users. This release candidate is really just a dry run for the official launch, with all the features and behavior intact.
Life with Bixby is equal parts futuristic and frustrating
In the future, the voice of Bixby -- Samsung's virtual assistant -- will ring forth from refrigerators and smart speakers and who knows what else. No wonder the company is taking its time with it. For those who really can't wait, Bixby's voice interface is available as a preview you can access now. I spent the last few days chatting with Bixby as often as possible. Our time together has been ... eye-opening, to say the least. It's definitely not ready for the wild, but despite the bad news surrounding it, Samsung's virtual assistant is starting to feel pretty capable. Emphasis on "starting to."
macOS High Sierra preview: It's what you can't see that counts
You can tell by its name: The next version of Apple's macOS, High Sierra, isn't a huge and transformative update. Instead, like Snow Leopard and Mountain Lion, the new OS refines what came before it. It's hard not to feel a bit disappointed, though, since last year's macOS Sierra was also a modest update. It brought Siri to the desktop and Apple Pay to the web but didn't fundamentally change how we used Macs. Now with High Sierra's first public preview, we're getting even more incremental upgrades. While the new OS isn't flashy -- you'll barely even notice you've upgraded -- it's an important stepping stone for Apple. It brings along some important changes under the hood that will modernize macOS and prepare it for the future of desktop computing. But with iOS getting some major updates that make it look and feel more like macOS, especially on iPads, it's also transforming into a legitimately competitive platform to macOS. We can't help but wonder when Apple will deliver something truly new for Macs.
Windows 10 preview build protects your files from ransomware
Microsoft's latest Windows 10 Preview Build for Insiders in the Fast ring introduces what's obviously meant as a response to all the ransomware attacks targeting the platform these days. The build comes with a new feature called "controlled folders" that can protect their files from malicious apps and other threats. Windows closely monitors any changes made to anything in a controlled folder, so if any malware or blacklisted application tries to modify a file, they'll get a notification that something fishy's going on. To activate the feature, Insiders will have to toggle it on in the Windows Defender Security Center under the Virus & threat protection settings section.
iOS 11 preview: Full of promise, especially on bigger screens
As always, Apple spent a considerable chunk of WWDC earlier this month hyping up iOS 11 and all of the new features it brings. Now it's your turn to take them for a spin. The first public release of the iOS 11 beta goes live today for people participating in Apple's testing program, and we've been playing with it for a few days to get a better sense of what it has to offer. Long story short, it's already shaping up to be a very valuable, very comprehensive release. In order to find out for yourself, you'll need the right hardware: an iPhone 5s or newer, an iPad mini 2 or newer or a sixth-generation iPod touch. Before you replace your iVessel's perfectly functional software with something that's still months away from being ready, keep reading for a primer on what to expect.
Motorola's new Moto E4 isn't exactly thrilling, but it's cheap
Motorola is as well known for its cheap phones as it is for flagships, so no one was surprised when it revealed the fourth-generation Moto E earlier this month. For those not familiar, Motorola's E line always felt like a curiosity, as though the company was challenging itself to build a phone for as little as possible without turning it into a smoldering pile of garbage. Its track record speaks for itself: Motorola does fine work on the cheap, and that hasn't changed. The frills here are few, but after a little hands-on time, the Moto E4 seems to be a strong option for just $130.
Watch us play the Nintendo Switch 'Arms' Global Testpunch
When Nintendo announced Splatoon for the Wii U, gamers weren't quite sure what to make of it. The idea of a competitive shooter from Nintendo was so bizarre, it was kind of hard to assess from a distance -- so the company invited players to try the game early with a free, limited time multiplayer demo. This weekend, Nintendo is doing the same thing with Arms: serving up the game's telescoping pugilism in a free "Global Testpunch" demo over six one hour chunks. Don't have a Switch? You can join us on Facebook for the first session today at 5pm PT (8pm ET).
Samsung's pricey Galaxy Book is a flawed powerhouse
Samsung's Galaxy Book isn't the company's first attempt at taking the Surface Pro head-on: Last year's TabPro S was clearly inspired by Microsoft's convertible. But sluggish performance and a cramped keyboard made the whole experience a bit painful, despite a great screen and battery life. At first glance, it seems that Samsung has learned from its mistakes -- the new Galaxy Book features a number of improvements. Most notably, the Galaxy Book features a Core i5 processor rather than the weaker Core M in last year's model. The keyboard is larger, too. But the things that we liked about the TabPro S, including its stunning, pressure-sensitive display, appear to still be intact. That said, after a couple days with the Galaxy Book, I'm at once impressed and infuriated with what I've found so far.
Nintendo's 'Arms' has all the depth the 'Wii Sports' games lacked
For many, the Switch represents the Nintendo's return to form. It's the console that sheds both the name and the gimmicky motion controls that defined the Wii era of gaming. With traditional games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe leading the way, motion controls seem to be all but a thing of the past. Or they did, until Nintendo announced Arms -- a gesture-based boxing game for the Switch that seems to lean heavily on Wii Sports' legacy. It seems like a bizarre step backward, but don't worry: It turns out that Arms isn't repeating the mistakes of the Wii; it's showing how Nintendo has learned from them.
Microsoft opens up its Windows Insider preview for Business
Since Microsoft launched its Insider Program a few years ago, millions of people have signed up to test out upcoming versions of Windows 10 on their devices. One small issue, however, was a limitation forcing users to sign up with their personal accounts, even though many users either work in IT or have business laptops/software they need to test out. Now, following up on an announcement from February, Microsoft has opened up the Windows Insider for Business program, so people can sign in with an Azure Active Directory account (the used for stuff like Office 365).
The hidden depth of mobile puzzle game 'Where Cards Fall'
We're sitting in a circle on the floor of a decadent San Francisco hotel lobby, crowds of people milling around the couches and stairways. The young men of Snowman, the studio behind Alto's Adventure, watch as Sam Rosenthal sets up a small iPad, preparing to show off his latest game, Where Cards Fall. Rosenthal is the co-founder of the Game Band, a small Los Angeles studio working with Snowman to bring its new project to iOS, Apple TV and Steam this autumn. Rosenthal flips through a slideshow of character designs, explaining the premise as he goes. Where Cards Fall is a top-down, 3D puzzle game that has players build houses of cards to navigate tricky environments. It follows a handful of teenagers over the course of 10 years, from adolescence to college and finally adulthood. The art is cartoonish yet polished, as if the designs of Oxenfree had been transformed into 3D.
Initial thoughts on 'Zelda: Breath of the Wild'
Unlike my New York-based colleagues, I didn't get a Nintendo Switch early enough to give some thoughts on the hardware. Mine arrived yesterday, along with Just Dance 2017 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. For obvious reasons, the former is still in its plastic wrapping, and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. I've since put five hours or so into Zelda, though, and I'm really enjoying it... when I can stay alive. Five hours isn't long enough to really make a substantial call on a game of this size's merits, but I can say a few things with certainty.
48 hours with the Nintendo Switch
Is the Switch more like the Wii, Nintendo's ambitious and wildly successful console which unearthed a whole new audience of casual gamers, or the Wii U, the half-baked followup that even the company's hardcore fans never truly adopted? That was the main question I had in mind as I started testing the new console this week.
Samsung and Google have work to do before the Chromebook Pro launches
Samsung's forthcoming Chromebook Pro, which the company introduced in partnership with Google at CES last month, appeared to be the latest contender in my search for the perfect premium Chromebook. For me, that means a high-resolution screen, excellent keyboard and trackpad, and a battery that lasts all day. I'm also looking for a well-designed machine, not the cheap, netbook-inspired computers that were the hallmark of earlier Chromebooks. On the surface, the Chromebook Pro offers all of that, along with a few new hardware and software tricks. It's the first Chromebook specifically designed with the Google Play Store and Android apps in mind. It's also the first Chrome OS device with a stylus, and Google added new features to its Keep note-taking app to make it work with a pen. Samsung and Google claim that the machine learning prediction should remove latency to the point that it feels like writing on the Surface Pro 4 -- one of the best stylus experiences available.
YouTube for iOS gets Chromecast lock screen controls
It can be annoying having to unlock your phone screen and sift through all the open apps to pause, forward or rewind what you're casting on TV. Good thing YouTube has finally made things easier for iOS users. The latest version of the app for iPhones and iPads adds lock screen controls not just for Chromecast, but also for smart TVs and other devices. If you have an Apple Watch, you'll now be able to access play, pause, prev, next and volume controls on your wearable, as well. The upgrade is now available from iTunes, just in time for this weekend's YouTube binge watch session.
Four hours with 'Horizon Zero Dawn'
Personally, I don't put much stock in video game previews. Pre-release gameplay events for major, AAA titles are generally controlled and precise experiences, with scenes handpicked by developers to show only the best, most complete parts of a game. They're representative of the studio's goals, but not necessarily the final product. However, most preview events aren't four hours long. For Horizon Zero Dawn, Guerrilla Games and Sony opened up the robot-dinosaur-infested world and set me loose for nearly four hours. I played straight through the very beginning, skipped a section that apparently includes some spoilery story points, and then ran around the game's massive world completing side quests and following the main narrative. It was a sizable chunk of the game that actually felt representative of a complete experience. I can't say definitively whether Horizon is a good game just yet. But after playing it for a few hours, I can say one thing wholeheartedly: I'm more excited than ever to play Horizon when it comes out on February 28th.
Beam, Windows 10 Game Mode tests start tomorrow on XB1 and PC
Starting tomorrow, Creators Update features coming in for testing are integrated support for Beam streaming on both platforms, Cortana updates on Xbox One, and for PC gamers, the new Game Mode and gaming settings section. With Snap Mode on the way out, it's time to see what the sacrifice will bring to the table.
The blue screen of death is going green for Windows testers
If there's one color guaranteed to strike fear into the hearts of Windows users, it's blue. But as one Twitter sleuth has discovered, the iconic and always alarming "blue screen of death" is going green, and not because Microsoft is feeling festive. The new crash screen was spotted in a recently leaked preview version of Windows 10 (build 14997, to be exact), which isn't expected to be formally released until early next year. Microsoft's Matthijs Hoekstra has confirmed the color change is specific to test builds released through the Windows Insider program, which makes sense. Where bugs and crashes are reported, Microsoft will immediately be able to distinguish between problems with consumer Windows 10 builds, and those found on early, less stable preview builds.
