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Microsoft Skips Windows 9 and Unveiled Windows 10

Microsoft has announced Windows 10 in an event in San Francisco and the giant wants to make it a killer OS.

The next version of Microsoft operating system will be ‘Windows 10’, as the giant skips version 9 to accentuate advances it is making around mobile devices and Internet services. The announcement highlighted advancements designed for business and an updated user experience. The latest version comes with enhanced security and management capabilities. The giant also introduced the Windows Insider Program, delivered to best meet the needs of customers.

Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the OS group at Microsoft said, “Windows 10 represents the first step of a whole new generation of Windows, unlocking new experiences to give customers new ways to work, play and connect.” He added, “This will be our most comprehensive operating system and the best release the company has ever done for our business customers. We look forward to working together with our broader community.” The Windows 10 technical Preview will be released today, October 1.

Windows 10 for desktop and laptop users…

Windows 8 got a poor response and that’s why version 10 is an extremely crucial release for Microsoft. It needs to rectify the wrongs of Windows 8 and offer users a reason to upgrade from Windows XP or 7. It is an important step for Microsoft especially when it continues to lose ground in the mobile sector as well. The latest version have to be the jack of all trades.

Have a look at the features…

The start menu returns and the left side will look a lot like the standard Windows 7 start menu, but there’ll be options at the right side. The left side of the menu comes with a new Metro-like look. You’ll have the option of using virtual desktops. With virtual desktops, you can switch between as many desktops as you want.

Windows 10 will let you run Metro apps on the desktop in a window. In simple words, mouse-and-keyboard users might now use Metro apps. It also seems like the new desktop will receive a graphical overhaul, but not clear yet. The leaked preview shows some thinner window borders and flatter icons.

Windows 10 has a new task view button that pops up the Task View interface. The snap function is also being updated so that windows can be easily tiled vertically and horizontally. There are lots of other tweaks to the new version.

Have something to add to the story? Feel free to share your opinion…

Adobe Photoshop Comes to Google Chromebook

It’s a surprising move, Adobe and Google have announced a streaming version of Photoshop for Chromebooks. This is a great news for Chrome OS, as the lack of Big Software has always been a pierce in the side of Chromebook.

Google announced a version of Adobe Photoshop that will stream to your Chromebook. It is an effort to take-down the domination of Microsoft and Apple in the laptop market. Looks like the rest of the Creative Cloud suite will also come to Chromebook, if it’s Photoshop today. Maybe Visual Studio and triple-A PC games will be next.

This Photoshop version will, supposedly, require a steady Internet connection to use. According to Google, it’s fully integrated with Google Drive, which means you won’t need to steadily download and re-upload your project. Adobe is now running an assortment of servers that are running Photoshop.

Just open up your Chromebook, install the Project Photoshop Streaming app, and then connect to one of those virtualized Photoshop cases. The Photoshop instance that you connect to will have direct access to your Google Drive. It is where images will be saved to and loaded from. In simple words, you’re editing directly in the cloud.

This is the same thing as running Photoshop on your Windows PC, and then using any screen-sharing app on your Chromebook to dial into your desktop. For the time being, Project Photoshop Streaming is being beta tested among Adobe’s customers in North America only. There’s a very little about image quality and it’s going to require a pretty high bandwidth link.

The streaming service is free for Creative Cloud subscribers, during the beat test. It probably works on both Chrome OS, and also Chrome for Windows. This is a wonderful news especially when Chrome OS has a very small library of key business, enterprise and education apps. If it works well on Chromebooks, and the program is extended to other key programs, then this would be a huge win for Google.

This may prove beneficial for the market share of Chromebooks….

Microsoft to Merge Windows all Versions into One Consolidated Operating System

Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, has confirmed that the next version of Windows will be an amalgamated form of the three versions of Windows into one operating system.

Speaking in an earnings call, he told analysts the company will unify the next version of Windows from three operating systems into one operating system. Nadella said “this means one operating system that covers all screen sizes, ranging from tablets and smartphones, to desktops and laptops.” It was also revealed that the giant has internally restructured itself since the retirement of Steve Ballmer. The new CEO said the company now has “one team with a common architecture”.

The company, under the direction of Steve Ballmer, had multiple teams creating different versions of Windows working independently from each other. Now the giant noted the benefit of one team for developers and users. The new consolidated platform will allow the development of universal Windows apps that work across all devices running the OS.

Looks like the company has been pushing toward more unification of its platforms. In April, Microsoft displayed developer tools that would empower the development of universal apps. The ability to make apps that work on PCs, Xbox Consoles, Laptops, Tablets and Windows Phones should be welcomes by developers.

Some rumors have indicated that the latest, unified version will be Windows 9 and may launch in early 2015. It is announced that there will be more information surrounding future versions of Windows in the coming months.

Let’s wait and watch what Microsoft is going to offer next…

An Unexpected Move of Microsoft: Extends Deadline for Windows 8.1 Update

In a move that should surprise all, Microsoft has extended the deadline of installing the Windows 8.1 Update.

Microsoft has extended the deadline for installing its Windows 8.1 Update till June 10, giving its customers a 30-day reprieve. Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc wrote in a blog post, “While we believe the majority of users have received the update, we found that not all have.” He added, “Having our customers update their devices with latest updates is super important to us. And we’re also committed to ensure them safety.”

According to the sources, instead of requiring Windows 8.1 to be installed till May 13, Microsoft is now allowing its users a relaxation till June 10. However, deadline for those involved in businesses – it’s August 12. It simply means that business owners can switch to Windows 8.1 Update until August 12. It looks like the company wants to give its customers enough time to understand and apply the Update.

The initial cutoff date was fixed for May, which would have meant that some devices would have gone dead by this week. But, not to worry, Microsoft isn’t forcing people to update their devices as soon as possible, instead the company is offering enough time to its customers. The giant extended the deadline for people using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), System Center Configuration or Windows Intune to update their machines.

This means that you have an extra 30 days to get it done, but Microsoft wants you to do it as soon as possible. If you have Automatic Updates, you do not have to do anything and you will receive the Update automatically to your machine via Windows Update.

According to Microsoft, the majority of the remaining users who haven’t updated their machines will be able to to do.

Feel free to share your opinion….

3 Big Reasons Why Mobile Friendly Websites are the Future

Jazz up your business with a mobile-friendly website!

If you aren’t optimized for mobile, you’re losing potential customers… this is what you must be reading on different websites. But have to ever wondered why it is written almost everywhere these days? Why everyone is emphasizing on creating mobile friendly sites? What are the reasons behind such a big change? In this blog, we’ll discuss those big reasons that have made mobile friendly site a must have.

Even Google has recommended to build smartphone-optimized websites through its blog and also discussed about the three different configurations. It;s probably no surprise that the usage of smartphones and Internet has been dramatically increasing over the last few years. And a vast majority of sites are still not responsive, this is why Google came up with some recommendations and why it is necessary of businesses.

Let’s discuss it in detail and following are 3 big reasons why responsive websites are the future:-

1. Mobile Web Browsing is Exploding – A Google report says, “From smartphones and tablets to laptops and TV, 90% of all media interactions today are screen-based. People are learning to achieve their goals using all devices together”. This simply indicates that understanding that mobile browsing is increasing day by day has become an imperative for businesses. Today, people are spending more of their time on mobile devices and always have it withing their arm’s reach. Businesses should take it very seriously that desktops are going to become a thing of past.

Mobile friendly website

2. More Preference to Mobile Optimized Websites – People can visit websites either via the web browsers or their mobile devices, but most users prefer their smart devices these days. Most websites are not optimized for mobile phones and this simply means losing potential customers. As per a research conducted by Google, “Nearly ¾ of mobile users say they’re more likely to revisit mobile-friendly sites.” It means not having a responsive website means losing a big deal of sales.

Mobile responsive site

3. Mobile-friendly Sites Turn Visitors into Customers – If you don’t have a responsive website, you may be losing business. A recent study from Google showed that around 67% of users are more likely to buy from a responsive site and 61% users said that they get frustrated by sites that aren’t mobile-friendly. It simply means that without a mobile optimized website you are just driving your potential customers to your competition. As per the data published by Google, about 75% of users prefer a responsive site.

Mobile Friendly site

I guess, the above three reasons and the research conducted by Google should be enough to understand that how important are mobile-friendly websites.

The complete details on recommendations for a mobile friendly website can be obtained here. You can also conduct Mobile-Friendly Test to know which sites are responsive and vice versa…

Image Source: http://www.netpyx.net/

How to Make a Mobile Friendly Website and Attract More Visitors

Build a responsive website and turn your visitors into customers!

Today, people are using their smart devices to find a variety of products and services. Can those people easily access your offerings using their mobile phones and tablets? Think about it…

Having a website is not enough these days, you need to put more efforts to attract more visitors. You should build a website that works well on desktop, tablet and mobile, so that it not only look great, but follow all recommendations by Google that will make it a SEO friendly hub.

According to Google, a mobile-friendly website can offer the users a full mobile experience and make it a big hit among them. In this blog, we will discuss about some tips on how you can convert your traditional website into a mobile-friendly platform. And, here we go:-

  • Recreate a Mobile-friendly Version – This is a simple way to turn your site into a mobile site which ensures that everything on your site load correctly on mobile devices. A variety of tools can help you do the needful and the choice totally depends on what you and your clients want.
  • Make it Responsive – Instead of going for a completely new website, you could choose to convert your traditional one into responsive site. This could be an excellent option for businesses with limited budget and resources. Most companies prefer converting their existing site into a responsive one as they consider it the best investment. Shrink your current website using tools and make an effective mobile-friendly platform for visitors.
  • Share Information Visually – This could be the best way to provide information to the visitors since the screen size of mobile phones is much smaller than the desktops. Do not stuff unnecessary content and emphasize more on including info-graphics and videos as they are supposed to attract more visitors. Make your site practical for a digital ecosystem. Rearrange content into one column or you can hide content on load.
  • Consider Apps, Social Media and Email Marketing – It is a great idea to offer further support to your customers so that they can interact with you freely via social channels. Give a careful consideration to mobile apps depending on the factors like who are your customers and what they want from you. Offer them a quick service in the form of an app so that they can make orders, bookings and reservations on the go.
  • Consider Universal Mobile Design – Mobile phone screens are small and that’s why including mobile navigation options in like a must have. Find out the universal sizes people usually use and you can obtain data easily through Google Analytics. Design your site for a touch as fingers can’t right click or hover. Give enough space for a finger and use buttons to clearly define the link. Drop menus should be designed to provide accurate information.
  • Remember that the mindset of the desktop visitor and a mobile visitor is likely to be different, so design your website accordingly. Evaluate everything properly and look at the latest trends and mobile stats. As discussed on Google’s blog, a mobile-friendly site make visitors more likely to buy a product or service.

    Is your website mobile-friendly? Test it right here

    Image credit goes to:

    https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/DQPupAidKLGgiuupAK9uwyqWT7hi-glNbcGCoD3p8Xejvn4CKyBB68gcnvHJ–CYjVyxSg4KfqoKcErJEFnkJt0NWK1jSOz3jfsm306TCt1RtFQKM7Tb

    Researchers Set a New Record: Hit 1Tbps Internet Speed

    Researchers break Internet speed record!

    Can you imagine an Internet speed of 1Tbps over 5G? Researchers at UK have achieved record-breaking Internet speeds of 1Tbps over 5G data connections during a test, as reported by a news site.

    Researchers at the University of Surrey’s 5G Innovation Center (5GIC) set a groundbreaking record of network of 1Terabit per second (1Tbps) which is at least a thousand times faster than current Internet connections. This is something amazing, right? Looks like that the 5th generation of mobile network will be beyond our imaginations as new generations want more network capacity and a high speed Internet service.

    After 3G and 4G, 5G is the next generation of mobile communication technology and the aim is to provide more capacity, more energy-efficiency and more speed. The market analysts are already predicting that 5G will be completely different than anything that has seen or experienced before. 5GIC was founded by a host of telecom industry partners including Samsung, Vodafone, Fujitsu, Huawei, Aircom, BT, EE, BBC, Telefonica, Aeroflex and Rohde & Schwarz.

    1Tbps over 5G – what you can expect?

    At 1Tbps, it would be theoretically possible to download a file in about three seconds. You must be thinking that what’s special about this. The things is that it might be possible to download a file 100 times the size of a feature film. Now you can imagine the power of the technology as this speed is more than 65,000 times faster than normal 4G download speeds, as reported by BBC News.

    This is of course a significant achievement by the team of researchers given that the tests were done in lab conditions. However, the application of the technology is real world conditions is yet to be seen as it may be difficult to maintain the same Internet speed. The achievement by the team brings communication technology one step closer to the future.

    How 5G can change the world?

    5G, the fifth generation of mobile network, could be a dramatic overhaul and a big step towards smart cities, smart homes, driver-less cars and the more important the ‘Internet of Things‘. That simply means that everything will be connected and you’ll be able to access them from a remote location.

    5G will run faster, a lot faster and researchers believe that it is also possible that someday a wireless data connection will run at 800Gbps, again 100 times faster than 5G testing. Now we can say that nothing is impossible.

    So, we’ll catch you back with more news….

    Image Source:

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4SEmS1TeRfE/VPHx0wve4CI/AAAAAAAAJqY/LpeCqsSwEO0/s1600/5g.jpg

    5 Simple Ways to Boost Your Online Presence

    Enhance Your Online Presence and Attract New Customers!

    Making your business known in the virtual world is a vital part of attracting new customers and retaining then existing ones, no matter the industry in which your business operates. By improving your online presence, you can make the best use of your resources and reach millions of possible customers around the world. With the availability of Internet, the options available to you are just unlimited and you just have to play smart.

    In this blog post, we’ll discuss about 5 simple ways how you can improve your online presence and build a strong brand in the virtual world. Check them out:-

    1. Improve Ranking with Search Engine Marketing – Having a website is not enough, you have to put some extra efforts to generate more traffic and conversion success. Search Engine Marketing play a vital role here which is a collection of techniques that help sites build a strong online presence through better search engine rankings.

    2. Make Connections First, Sales Later – If it is for the first time you have entered the World Wide Web, it’s better to develop online connections first, not trying sales. Use social media networks for Internet marketing and reach as much potential audience as possible. Make a strong network via submitting articles, maintaining a blog, and news for users.

    3. Exchange Links with Partner Sites – Link exchange networking means adding links to and from sites that are high in traffic and popular. This will help you reach more and more people and adds another location for them to find you. More importantly, links from established websites can be very beneficial to your search engine popularity.

    4. Provide High Quality and Relevant Content – Give your visitors a reason to come back and this is where quality and relevant content comes in. Make a blog and link it to your site so that you can provide fresh content to your visitors each time they visit your site. You can also make use of deep linking or consider using internal links and site maps.

    5. Be Responsive – Today, a large number of people use their mobile phones to search for different products and services. If your website is not mobile-friendly, you are losing a large portion of potential customers. A mobile-optimized website can help your brand reach more and more people and build a strong presence in the online world.

    If your business relied on leads from your website, it’s very important to build a strong online presence as it is your brand. Online branding is more important for those who deal in services and don’t have a tangible product that visitors can look at. So, it become essential to provide relevant and complete information about the service.

    Image Source:

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/SEO-image-large.png/800px-SEO-image-large.png

    How to Make a Solid First Impression with Your Website

    Why are first impressions so important?

    It is said that first impression is the last impression, why so? It matters when you want to build a long term relationship or a long lasting trust. The same goes with a website, a site that has a powerful web presence enjoys more visibility as compared to others. This is only possible if you make a great first impression with your website. However, creating an amazing website that works for you is quite a complex process that requires hard work and creativity.

    It’s no longer enough to have a website, it has to be well-designed, well-developed and well-promoted in order to gain a huge competitive advantage. In this blog post, we’ll discuss about how you can make an amazing first impression with your website and attract more audience. Check it out:-

  • Keep it Simple, Avoid Complex Designs – Don’t let your web designers show their entire talent in a single website as sometimes less is more. Keep in mind that the more you will include in your website, the slower it loads and visitors often have limited time. Keep the layout uncluttered and keep your theme colors simple and coordinated. Simple and functional designs are more liked by people out there.
  • It’s Better Know Your Audience – Your website is a gateway to your offerings and thus, it is important that you know your audience well. Consider the needs of your audience and why they are looking at your site. This will help you present your skills in a better way and offer your visitors what they want. Indulge in proper research before starting with the design and make sure there’s no confusion as to what you want to convey.
  • Don’t Just Go for Design Awards – You want sales, not design awards, so it’s better to focus on relevant content and graphics. Your website, in addition to clean and uncluttered design, must have a compelling offer. You are not alone in the market and there are others too selling the same product or service. It’s better to differentiate yourself by offering something unique and give visitors a reason to visit your website.
  • Make it Search Engine Friendly – Give proper title tags and descriptions to all pages such as home, about, work and contact. This will help search engines to easily find and index your site. The speed of your website also have a big impact on your search engine rankings and try not to overload it with unnecessary videos and images. You can check Page Speed Tool of Google to improve the speed of your site.
  • Keep it Updated – There’s nothing like a fresh content and it is important to keep everything updated to attract more visitors. Keep your blog and gallery updated so that your audience never feel like your website is outdated. If you have a blog, maintain it properly and update it with relevant and engaging content on regular basis.
  • So, now you know how to make a long lasting impression with your website.

    Image Source:

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/MG_9067.JPG/800px-MG_9067.JPG