Microsoft has pulled back the curtain on the penultimate update to Windows 8 today, the last step before it gets shipped to manufacturers. Read CNET's Windows 8 Release Preview First Take on the new touch-pad drivers, new default apps, and improved features, and then go see for yourself. You can get the release candidate for free.

Download it from Microsoft's own site or CNET's Download.com.

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Accompanying today's debut of the Windows 8 Release Preview, Microsoft has announced a steeply discounted Windows 8 upgrade path for people who buy Windows 7 computers between June 2012 and January 2013.

If you buy an eligible Windows 7 computer between June 2, 2012, and January 31, 2013, you'll be able to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99. Microsoft said that more details on the upgrade plan would be announced tomorrow, and that further upgrade options will be revealed for current Windows 7 computer owners in the coming months.

The company also said that … Read more

Whether you love or hate Windows 8's Metro interface, its syncing feature makes it immensely valuable to both people with more than one device, and those who know how frustrating it can be to lose personal data and settings from a crash.

Windows 8 can run a local account, but if you use a Microsoft account -- formerly known as a Windows Live account -- you'll be able to sync some app settings and passwords; Internet Explorer 10 history, preferences, and bookmarks; desktop options such as log-in, lock screen, and colors; search preferences; language preferences; and keyboard and … Read more

Microsoft is tweaking its core Metro apps for the upcoming Windows 8 Release Preview.

Already showing up in the newest internal builds of Windows 8, the updated apps offer new features, changes to the user interface, and the removal of the "app preview" title, says The Verge. Included in the revamp are the Windows 8 Mail, Calendar, People, and Messaging app; the Photos App, the Music app, and the Microsoft Reader.

Some of the updates are floating about internally at Microsoft but are not available for the Windows 8 beta, aka Consumer Preview. Instead, Microsoft will unveil them … Read more

NEW ORLEANS--Mozilla may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to mobile technology, but that may change early next year. Its mobile operating system code-named Boot to Gecko is developing rapidly, but it will face challenges both technical and tech cultural.

Judging from my colleague Stephen Shankland's take on how Boot to Gecko performed at its public unveiling in February, Mozilla has definitely made progress with the phone. The build I used was installed on a Samsung Galaxy S II.

The interface appears to be a mix of traditional iOS-style app icons, and Windows Phone-style … Read more

On a sultry New Orleans afternoon today, AT&T took over a century-old Garden District mansion to open the 2012 CTIA. Yes, the annual wireless confab doesn't formally open until tomorrow morning, but the news already is coming fast and furious. And though I don't arrive in the Big Easy until tomorrow either, a big CNET team is on the ground by the Mississippi. Here are the highlights of what they saw today. … Read more

Apple has launched an update to its iOS platform.

The company's iOS 5.1.1 update comes with bug fixes for AirPlay video playback and the "Unable to purchase" error message popping up after users buy something from their device. In addition, Apple fixed a bug that prevented the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks.

Apple's iOS 5.1.1 update comes just a couple of months after the company revealed iOS 5.1. That update delivered a host of new bug fixes, a few interface tweaks, and even a hint that the next iPhone could come with 4G LTE support. … Read more

Next week as wireless fans descend on New Orleans for the annual CTIA Wireless show, we'll get one more peek at how the mobile landscape will unfold over the coming months. Previously held in March, but moved to May for 2012, the three-day event takes a North American focus while including the wireless movers and shakers from around the world.

At previous shows, carriers have pulled back the curtain on high-profile Android smartphones and tablets. In 2010, for example, Sprint announced the HTC Evo 4G and last year we got the slimmed-down Galaxy Tab 10.1. So considering the rapid clip of mobile development, it stands to reason that this year will be no exception, right? … Read more

Available only to registered Mac developers, build 12A178q of Mountain Lion comes with a laundry list of fixes and minor tweaks. The release notes also list the known issues that are still being worked on by Apple (including issues with both Quicktime and Game Center) and directions for developers to submit bug reports as they explore the new build.

Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (read our first take from February) is expected to be launched to the public sometime this summer, only one year after the release of OS X Lion, making it Apple's fastest major OS … Read more