windows

Windows RT in trouble? Report makes cryptic claims

Windows RT has not gone swimmingly so far for Microsoft, but a new report from Asia is taking this a step further, saying it will be "merged" with Windows Blue.

Digitimes' reporting can sometimes be frustratingly vague. A new report continues the tradition but makes a potentially important claim that Windows RT will be merged into Microsoft's "next-generation Windows, codenamed Blue."

Here's what the Taipei-based news site said is the basis of merging RT into Blue, citing Asia-based suppliers.

Although the PC supply chain had pushed the Windows on ARM (WoA) platform aggressively, the … Read more

ModernMix 1.0

Still feeling the Windows 7 blues? Ever wish you could take your apps out of Win8's Modern UI and onto your desktop? ModernMix is a utility that enables Windows 8 Modern-centric apps to run inside a windowed frame, resulting in a more traditional experience like previous versions of Windows. Regardless of your feelings about Microsoft's current direction, ModernMix is an attractive utility made especially for the classically desktop dependent.

When running multiple Modern apps, the applications are not normally running or visible in desktop view. Instead, the charms bar acts as your standard task manager for Modern apps. … Read more

ModernMix 1.0

Modern Mix is a tweak for Windows 8 that brings users one step closer to the classic Windows experience inside the Modern UI environment. Stardock's latest release removes the barrier between the Start Screen and desktop by enabling Modern apps to run inside a window. The result is a user experience more in line with the traditional Windows 7 way of displaying windowed applications. Regardless of your feelings about Microsoft's OS, Modern Mix is a utility that is genuinely useful for the desktop dependent.

After installation, you'll be introduced to ModernMix's config menu. By default, any … Read more

Office twin of Windows Blue dubbed 'Gemini'

Windows Blue, Windows Server Blue, Windows Phone Blue, Windows Services Blue. The one thing missing from this list of next-generation Microsoft releases is a Blue version of Office. Is there one?

There is. But it's not code-named Blue. It's code-named Gemini.

Gemini is a wave of Office releases coming over the next two years, according to my sources. Wave No. 1, which will be aligned with Windows Blue, will be updated versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, which should be out this fall, I am hearing.

Will these first-wave apps be the full Metro-Style/Windows Store versions … Read more

With Windows Blue comes fear of desktop's demise

Windows Blue has triggered a spate of doomsaying about the end of the Windows desktop.

Today there has been no shortage of articles claiming that Blue portends the end of Windows 8 desktop mode. You know, the mode that most Windows 8 users spend their time in.

Rumored changes for Metro -- the Windows 8 touch-centric tablet mode -- include a different way to handle multitasking in side-by-side snap view. Possibly providing less reason to drop to the desktop for multitasking.

But what seems to have most observers worried is the changes to Control Panel.

Here's what Information Week … Read more

Home networking explained, part 5: Setting up a home router

Editors' note: This post is part of an ongoing series. For the other parts, check out the related stories section below.

It might seem like a daunting task to set up a new home router. But it doesn't have to be if you understand the most common way routers are managed: through the Web interface. The hardest part of using the Web interface is getting to it. Once you have gotten there, the rest, at least most of it, is self-explanatory.

Note: Almost all home routers on the market come with an Web interface, which is a Web page … Read more

HTC reportedly working on Windows Phone 'Tiara'

HTC could be working on a new Windows Phone 8 device code-named the HTC Tiara, according to Unwired View.

The midrange handset might feature a 4.3-inch Super LCD screen with WVGA resolution (800x480 pixels), a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and an 8-megapixel camera.

Leaked specs also point to an 1,800mAh battery, a 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera, 8GB internal memory, and 1GB of RAM.

The HTC Tiara could surface in the middle of May.

Microsoft acknowledges Windows Blue, announces next Build conference

Microsoft finally has come clean about its "Blue" code name for upcoming Windows tech, while also announcing its next Build Conference.

Microsoft is "working ... on plans to advance our devices and services, a set of plans referred to internally as Blue," the company said in The Official Microsoft Blog today.

Microsoft quickly qualified this by saying that the "chances of products being named thusly are slim to none."

These plans are expected to manifest as improvements and refinements to Windows in a variety of devices, ranging from phones to tablets to servers.

In Windows … Read more

Microsoft tunes up Windows 8 Xbox Music app

Microsoft has tweaked its Xbox Music app with a few audible enhancements.

The app now lets you add and sync your songs from your local library to the cloud so they're available on your other Windows 8 or RT devices. You can also automatically add any matched songs from your library to the cloud.

You have more options when listening to an album. You can tell the app to repeat as well as shuffle songs. You can turn on a Smart DJ feature that tries to create a playlist based on songs you may like. Finally, Xbox Music offers … Read more