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SkyDrive app gains Windows Phone 8 support in version 3.0
After just a few short months at v2.0, Microsoft's own SkyDrive app is now sitting pretty at 3.0. What's an extra point get you? For starters, it'll support all incoming Windows Phone 8 products, and it'll also allow users to search their SkyDrive files / folders. Moreover, you'll find new settings for photo upload and download size, as well as updated app icons and visuals. Microsoft has also improved performance when it comes to loading one's content, but as of now, the 3.0 update won't play nice with WP7 handsets. Hit up the source link if you're hungry for more.
Windows 8 review
It's unusual, to say the least, for us to spend a year with a product before publishing our review. In the case of Windows 8, we've written thousands of words already, starting with our first hands-on in September of 2011, followed by deep dives on the Developer Preview, Consumer Preview, Release Preview and RTM build. Even our readers have had ample time to get acquainted with the OS -- it's been available as a public download since February. And yet, we've never tested a final version of the software running on brand new, made-for-Windows-8 hardware. With the OS now on sale (alongside dozens of new PCs), it's finally time for us to double back and revisit everything we've previously written in the form of a final, comprehensive review. And what a challenging assignment this was: it's hard enough to give an OS the full review treatment without burying the reader in minute details. It's even tougher when the software was built for so many different kinds of hardware. Combining a traditional desktop with Windows Phone-inspired Live Tiles, Windows 8 was designed to be equally at home on traditional PCs and more finger-friendly devices, like tablets and hybrids. In addition to walking you through the operating system's various gestures and built-in apps, then, we'll spend some time talking about which form factors are best suited to this redesigned version of Windows. Read on to see what we found out.
Microsoft announces updates for Windows 8 built-in apps, just in time for October 26th launch
All signs point toward the impending general availability of Windows 8, what with the upcoming OS launch event, the Surface RT finally hitting the FCC, and Paul Allen letting the world knows what he thinks of it. In light of this, the Redmond company has announced a final update push to the built-in apps you'll find in Windows 8. The Bing update will be first out the gate tomorrow -- it promises richer search results for local content -- with the rest rolling out through October 26th. Also of note is Music, which touts "expanded music services" as an update (Xbox Music, anyone?). If you're itching to know what built-in apps will be updated, you can get the full and extensive list after the break.
SkyDrive adds recycle bin, Excel surveys for the chronically indecisive
For all of the talk of cloud backups and sync, there isn't always a safety net when working from the cloud itself -- delete a file online and it might be gone forever. With that in mind, Microsoft just brought Windows' recycle bin concept to SkyDrive through a low-key update. You can now delete anything immediately, knowing that you can change your mind within three days -- and longer still, should the recycle bin occupy less than 10 percent of the storage limit. If you're just as uncertain about creating content as scrapping it, SkyDrive has also received support for creating and sharing Excel surveys to narrow down the scope of a project. The recycle bin should slide into your SkyDrive account within the next day; Excel surveys aren't yet polished enough, but they should be ready "soon."
Browser extension enables SkyDrive attachments within Gmail
Gmail users who envy Outlook's SkyDrive integration will find that the proverbial grass is now a little greener on their side, thanks to fresh features in Attachments.me's Chrome and Firefox browser extensions. With the plugin installed, files residing in Microsoft's cloud service can be attached to emails from within Gmail. Also included in the update is support for user-created rules that can direct attachments to SkyDrive as they flood into inboxes. Can't wait for Gmail to gain similar support with Google Drive, or just prefer Redmond's storage solution? Hit the source link below to infuse Mountain View's web mail with some of Microsoft's storage locker mojo.
Microsoft SkyDrive for Android app is now available, joins its mobile counterparts for cloud access
Microsoft's promise to bring a SkyDrive app to Android devices a few days ago has been kept. The folks in Redmond have announced that the aforementioned mobile software is now available for those who fancy Google's operating system. As you might expect, the list of features follows suit with the existing iOS and Windows Phone applications -- including multiple photo or video uploads, file sharing, opening stored files and file management with the ability to sort folders. While the app was built to work best with Android 4.0, it'll play nice with any handset that runs Gingerbread and above. If you're ready to install, a few clicks will do just that via the Google Play link below.
Microsoft debuts revised SkyDrive website and desktop apps, Android app coming soon
Microsoft just recently gave it's web-based email offering a sweeping overhaul, and it's now also done the same for its cloud-based storage service. As detailed in a typically extensive blog post, the company has today launched an all new as SkyDrive.com (rolling out over the next 24 hours), one that now defaults to a tile-based layout and boasts new features like instant search and a contextual toolbar. As the company notes, it's also designed with tablets in mind, in addition to desktop web browser. What's more, Microsoft has also rolled out updated SkyDrive apps for Windows and OS X, which promise faster uploads and other performance improvements, and it says it'll finally have an Android app in "just a few weeks." Hit the source link below for a look at it and all the other changes.
Outlook.com preview: Microsoft reinvents its online email offerings
Maybe you heard, but Microsoft launched a new email service today. No, not Hotmail -- a completely new, built-from-scratch service. This is Outlook.com, and for the time being, at least, it will exist separately from Hotmail. So why didn't Redmond just give Hotmail a drastic overhaul? Well, friends, there are two explanations. First, the polite one: for technical reasons, the engineers found it easier to build a new service from scratch rather than retrofit the old one. The frank answer: Microsoft is keenly aware Hotmail has a bad rap, thanks to those banners and flashy video ads. In fact, the company has been very candid that it wants not just to compete with Gmail, but siphon away some of its growing user base. As such, Outlook offers a fresh, minimal interface -- far cleaner than Hotmail ever looked. What's more, the ads are more pared-down here: no video adverts, and no targeted ads on messages between people (newsletters are still fair game). The service is open to the public as of today and you get virtually unlimited storage, along with 7GB of SkyDrive space if you create a new Microsoft account. (Microsoft uses the word "virtually" to hedge itself against spammers who might otherwise use limitless storage to game the system.) And you should take our word when we say it's worth giving the service a shot: we've been testing it for almost two weeks. Go get yourself situated and then meet us after the break for details, impressions and lots more screenshots. Note: many of our screenshots say "NewMail" instead of "Outlook.com" in the upper left corner. NewMail is a codename Microsoft used before announcing the service to the public.%Gallery-161400%
Microsoft gives a tease of Office for Windows Phone 8, talks up Office 2013 integration
Microsoft may have told us a lot about Windows Phone 8 in June, but it left out much of what the Office component's update would entail. Thankfully, Partner Group program lead John Jendrezak has volunteered to let us peek under the hood, including our first real glimpse of the new Office Hub. The app's connection to Office 2013 is more than the skin deep looks you see here: Office documents will sync more seamlessly from desktop to phone, and it's implied that the reading position sync from the desktop version will extend to the mobile realm as well. Many mysteries still remain as to what's exactly different in the more pocketable version of Office. There's more about the new work suite's communion with the cloud at the source link, however, so dig in if an offline Office feels like a prison.
Microsoft updates SkyDrive for Windows app: new status window, freshened logo
We dug into Microsoft's recently updated SkyDrive efforts in a review earlier this year, and it looks as if the company's still intent on improving things based on user feedback. The newest update to SkyDrive for Windows (version 16.4.6003.0710, for the number crunchers) includes quite a few under-the-hood improvements that are said to bolster "performance, reliability, and compatibility." But beyond that, you'll also see a much-requested status window; put simply, this guy gives users a glanceable view at whether or not their SkyDrive is in sync, and displays the time at which it was last updated. In the event that a sync is still ongoing, you'll also see the number of megabytes and files you have remaining to sync. Finally, Microsoft has refreshed the SkyDrive logo -- not surprisingly, there's a pinch of that Metro styling throughout.
PSA: The end of MobileMe is nigh, time to move on or move out
The death knell for MobileMe has been ringing for some time, but if you've had your hands on your ears, hoping it'd go away, sadly this isn't the case. Tomorrow sees the service hang up its storage-boots for the last time, before being brutally put down released to pasture. If the 20GB olive branch Apple offered wasn't enough to turn you onto iCloud, then this is your last call to pack up your virtual things, and make sure the door doesn't hit you on the way out. And while breaking up is never easy to do, there are plenty more fish in the sea.
Microsoft dishes details on Windows 8 Photos app
Microsoft's been dishing out details on all kinds of goodies we'll see in Windows 8, and the Photos app is the latest to get the behind the scenes treatment from the Building Windows 8 blog. If you downloaded the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, then you got to check out a trial version of Photos -- and its four-column Metro UI that can access your local pics, plus those from Facebook, Flickr and SkyDrive. In the Release Preview, Microsoft's given users who install the SkyDrive desktop app -- regardless of OS -- the option to have all their photos archived automatically in the cloud. That means all those photos are then accessible via the Photos app on any Windows 8 device. The app's also gained the ability to import photos directly, and sharing them's gotten easier as the Share charm now lets you send them as attachments or SkyDrive links. Want to know more? A fuller accounting of the Photos app awaits at the source, as does a video showing off all the fresh features.
Windows RT on Snapdragon S4 hands-on and Rob Chandhok interview (update: video)
We just got a hands-on demo of Microsoft Windows RT running on Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 development tablet here at Computex 2012 in Taipei. The verdict? It's smooth as silk on a 1.5GHz dual-core APQ8060A with 2GB of RAM, which means it's likely to be even more impressive on the company's quad-core offering. We got to see SkyDrive photo sharing between a Nokia Lumia 900 and the Windows RT device, showing that both WiFi and 3G connectivity are fully supported. Ditto GPS -- with Bing Maps purring along nicely. Most interesting, however, was a demo of Vendetta Online which ran without hiccups even when multitasking along with other apps. We asked about battery life and benchmarks -- especially when comparing Windows RT to Android -- but sadly Qualcomm doesn't have any numbers to share. The company's focus is clearly on working with Microsoft to streamline the new OS for the Snapdragon platform, and from what we saw today, things are making great progress. Take a look at our gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on video and interview with Rob Chandhok, President of Qualcomm Internet Services.
Microsoft updates SkyDrive for iPad with Retina Display support, file-sharing features
Those who like to swing both ways will be glad to know that SkyDrive for the iPad now supports Apple's gorgeous Retina Display. Now, before you ask why the hell pixel density would be of concern for a cloud storage app, remember that SkyDrive also allows users to view photos and documents from within the application -- only now at a properly rendered 264ppi. In addition to the peeper-pleasing improvement, SkyDrive users will also find the ability to upload multiple photos and videos from their iPad to the cloud, new file-sharing options (either via email, or a link that you can copy and paste), along with the ability to open SkyDrive files from within other iOS apps. It's funny how something so out of place can be so right.
Microsoft Skydrive updates fly out with file jump, Windows 8 photo sync
Microsoft isn't resting on its cloud with SkyDrive -- it's announcing a new update, which rolls out today for Mac and Windows. It teased a new feature for Windows 8 Release Preview -- due early June -- that allows photos to be retrieved from any PC with SkyDrive, whether your cloud storage is maxed out or not. Though we doubt you've topped out your 150,000 file limit, Redmond says it's taking power users into account with a huge bump to 10 million files -- with the same 7GB free / 100GB paid limits. It's also promised more speed and reliability, many small bug fixes, and has dropped the app icon from the OS X Lion dock -- saying it "definitely heard feedback" to do it. Updates will happen automatically, so you might be able to shoot more of those dusty files off to the cloud sooner than you think.
Daily Update for May 8, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Microsoft wants Mac SkyDrive users
The competition between Microsoft and Apple is moving gradually from the desktop to the cloud. As noted by The Next Web, a recent marketing push by Microsoft tries to woo Mac users away from iCloud and into Microsoft's cloud-based SkyDrive service. The webpage and video highlights the advantages of SkyDrive by pointing out that Microsoft's service gives you access to every file, everywhere, even across platforms and, unlike iCloud, it integrates well with Microsoft Office. These features of SkyDrive may not entice Mac users to abandon iCloud, but it could get those Office users to consider using the service along with iCloud. You potentially could use iCloud for your music and photos and push your productivity stuff into Office and SkyDrive. I personally wouldn't do it because iCloud and DropBox works just fine for my needs, but heavy Office users might want to take a closer look at Microsoft's service. SkyDrive includes 7 GB of free storage and has an app for the iPhone and iPad. [Via The Next Web]
Google Drive vs. the competition: pricing plans and perks, compared
Sometimes a table says a thousand words. Now that Google has finally announced its cloud service, Google Drive, we're sure more than a few of you are crunching the numbers in your head in an attempt to figure which is the best deal. Far be it for us to tell you which service to use when we've barely had a chance to poke around Drive, but for now, better if we lay out those gigabytes and dollars in number form, rather than squeeze them into a crowded paragraph, don'tcha think? Follow past the break for a brief breakdown of what you'll get from Google, along with Dropbox, Microsoft SkyDrive and iCloud.
SkyDrive app for Windows Phone gets 2.0 update, reduces free storage capacity
Microsoft has updated its SkyDrive cloud storage and sharing app for Windows Phone -- you know, the one that offers more free storage than a certain competitor. New features include a batch-select tool to make moving files around easier while on the go, the ability to directly manage folder permissions and the quick sharing of files with approved recipients in your People Hub. Version 2.0 is currently available for download in the Marketplace -- even for low-end Windows Phones. In other news, Microsoft has revealed pricing for its just-launched Skydrive app on Windows desktops, setting you back $10, $25, or $50 a year for an additional 20GB, 50GB or 100GB. Scrapped in the process is the 25 gigs of free storage that Microsoft once offered to new users, now dropping that pro-bono capacity to just 7GBs, save for the lucky few that opted in before the company announced its new pricing structure. Update: It's been confirmed on Microsoft's website that the upgrade from the new 7GB limit to the previous 25GB for existing users is a limited time loyalty offer, so be sure to manage your storage as soon as possible to avoid the new limits. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Microsoft updates SkyDrive with support for ODF, Twitter
There's no day like today for the titans of tech to beef up their respective clouds with abandon. First, Google went and updated Chrome's Cloud Print with the convenience of FedEx and now Microsoft's taking a spin at the remote wheel, enhancing its SkyDrive service with support for ODF (Open Document Format) -- an XML-based file type for documents and spreadsheets -- and an increased browser upload cap of 300MB. Twitter also gets a nod or two in this feature refresh, as users entrenched in Redmond's ecosystem will have the ability to share to the social service, in addition to sending out shortened image links. We'd normally advise you to check out the release for more info, but the tech company's kept this missive short and sweet. See for yourself at the source below.