Before Windows 8, Microsoft Unveils New Logo

In advance of the Windows 8 launch on Oct. 26, Microsoft today unveiled a new logo that's 25 years in the making.

For almost three decades, Microsoft's logo has simply been the company's slightly italicized name in thick letters (below). Going forward, however, the new Microsoft logo (left) will feature the logo on the right and a block of four, colored squares on the left.

"From Windows 8 to Windows Phone 8 to Xbox services to the next version of Office, you will see a common look and feel across these products providing a familiar and seamless experience on PCs, phones, tablets and TVs," Microsoft said in a blog post. "This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning."

Microsoft opted to use the Segoe font for the new logo, which is also used in its marketing communications and on Microsoft products. For the symbol to its left, Microsoft said the colors - red, green, blue, and orange - "are intended to express the company's diverse portfolio of products."

Redmond will start rolling out its new logo today. It will be displayed prominently on Microsoft.com, as well as in Boston, Seattle, and Bellevue, Wash. retail stores, and will appear at other retail locations and on global TV ads in the coming months.

"Fully implementing a change like this takes time, so there may be other instances where you will see the old logo being used for some time," Microsoft said.

In recent months, Twitter also rolled out a new version of its blue bird logo, which some thought looked a lot like Batman.

Microsoft Unveils Its Own Surface Tablets Running Windows 8

Source
http://www.pcmag.com

Microsoft Windows 8 Tablet

LOS ANGELES—Microsoft launched a family of Surface tablets on Monday that will be the showcase platform for the company's next-generation Windows 8 operating system, Microsoft executives said at an event here.
The Surface tablet comes in two flavors. There are consumer-targeted slates powered by an Nvidia Tegra processor and running Windows RT, Microsoft's first OS designed for devices using ARM-based chips, and there's also a "professional" version of the tablet for content creators that uses an Intel Core i5 chip and runs the x86-optimized flavor of Windows 8 for mobile devices.
The new tablets include a "kickstand" for viewing content, as well as a cover that also doubles as a keyboard and touchpad for content creation. A version of the tablet will include a "TypeCover" designed to replicate a full-size keyboard.
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said that the company had set out to work with OEMs, but also has a history of designing its own hardware to showcase the best designs. Ballmer cited the Microsoft Mouse, the company's own keyboard, and the Xbox game console and Xbox Kinect sensor accessory as examples.
Rumors that Microsoft was planning something along these lines were rife ahead of the event.
The Surface tablet incorporates the brand of Microsoft's Surface, a tabletop UI that is regarded as more curiosity than must-have product. But this Surface will compete in a thriving tablet market against the best-selling Apple iPad and numerous Google Android tablets, many of which vary greatly in quality, capabilities, and price.
"With Windows 8, we did not want to leave any scene uncovered," Ballmer said. "Much like Windows 1.0 we wanted to give Windows 8 our own companion hardware."
Surface for Windows RT will be available in a 32GB and 64GB models and priced in the range of "comparable" tablets, Microsoft said. The professional version will be available in 64GB and 128GB configurations, with prices in the range of Windows-based ultrabooks

Microsoft Windows 8 Tablets

Additional details will be announced at the unnamed launch date, executives said, which will be timed for Windows 8 general availability. Microsoft is expected to officially launch Windows 8 and Windows RT this fall.

The professional version of the Surface will be launched three months after the Windows RT tablet, Microsoft said.

The Surface tablet was designed organically like a book, executives said. The tablets are slim—just 9.3 mm thin on the Windows RT model, and just thick enough for a full-sized USB 2.0 port. The display is large, an optically bonded 10.6 inches wide. According to Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky, who led the design of the device, the edges are beveled 22 degrees away. The Windows RT tablet weighs in at just 676 grams, or under 1.5 pounds, and is formed from a magnesium composite that Microsoft calls "VaporMg."

The professional model will be slightly thicker at 13.5 mm, Microsoft said. It will weigh 903 grams. The heftier dimensions are to accommodate the more powerful Core i5 processor which will be cooled through an array of peripheral vents that Sinofsky promised would not vent hot air onto the user. "You won't even feel it," he promised.

The professional Surface will also include a large battery providing 42 Watt-hours in total capacity. The Windows RT tablet's battery capacity is 31.5 W-h.

Surface for Windows 8 Pro will also support digital inking, Sinofsky said, which will allow professional users to add high-resolution markup to Windows 8 software from Autodesk and other vendors, he said.

Both versions of the tablet will include an external HDMI port.

One of Microsoft's innovations is the TouchCover, which somehow turns blue when connected. The TouchCover, which snaps on with a carefully engineered sound like a car door, is thin at just 3 mm, executives said. A thicker, 5mm TouchCover will also be available for a more natural typing feel.

Behind the tablet is a kickstand, which "magicallly" fades into the tablet when not in use, executives said.

Opinion about the wisdom of Microsoft launching its own Windows 8 tablet has been mixed, with PCMag lead mobile analyst Sascha Segan last week casting a skeptical eye on such a product's prospects in the market.

B2B portal keeps you UPDATE with LATEST HAPPENING

Paciat.com B2B Marketplace

http://www.paciat.com

There has always been need of a website that keeps you informed of the latest happening across globe. No matter how many website there might be but the one that provides latest yet related information to its viewers always wins the game.

There has been a number of websites that provides information about events and happening of their alliances only, so Paciat identified the fact that their own website should provide global news with-out biasness.

For this purpose an event slide has been added to the website that will make the viewers have the quick look on the latest events happening by just landing on the website. So no matter where you live, you can have a website that tells you all about the world in a single glance.

At this moment the news slide includes multiple events happening in Expo Center Karachi and Expo center Lahore. It includes series of events held at different dates on diverse topics, but in near future it will have events from across the globe.

This new addition according to a reliable source will also enable good organic traffic generation on the website, as ultimately it’s about the maximization of accessibility of the competitive products that are offered. And this step will be the first transformation to make the website the hub of all business need satisfaction.

Hence it can be said that the B2B website Paciat, is trying its best to be a one stop solution for all the business needs, and this new slide is the starting point for this change.

To know more about Paciat, its products and the latest news visit http://www.paciat.com/ now.

Introduction to App Development with APIs for Nokia Maps and Location Services for Series 40 Phones

Source http://www.developer.nokia.com   Consumers around the world are actively looking for location-based apps to make their Series 40 phones smarter, easier to use, and more relevant to their lives while on the move. The good news is that you can develop great location-based mobile applications using the Maps API for Java ME. With this API you can easily integrate Nokia Maps and location-based services into your apps aimed at a range of Series 40 phones. This webinar will introduce you to the basic skills of displaying and interacting with a map, including zooming and panning. The session also will show you how to add your own content, icons, and markers to take advantage of the API’s versatile event-handling system, enabling users to interact with the displayed content. You’ll also be introduced to the use of related geographic services, such as searching, routing, and sharing locations. The features of the Maps API for Java ME include: Multiple map types optimised for mobile displays – street map, satellite,  transit and terrain views. Reduced latency and less network traffic though built-in intelligent map caching and tiling. Touch support for map panning and zooming. Customisable markers for settingcolour, labels, and images.  Polygons and polylines – set colours and transparency levels. Map components are open to extension to customise and override standard functionality. Standard “out-of-the box” support for KML parsing and for adding custom overlays. Register now for the session most convenient to you: 9 May 8 a.m. London; 10 a.m. Helsinki; 12:30 p.m. Bangalore 10 May 11 a.m. New York; 4 p.m. London; 6 p.m. Helsinki

Build a Series 40 Web App in One Hour Series 40 web apps are easy to build, and they make great information and entertainment apps that use frequently-updated content from the Internet. Using web development skills and tools, templates and information available from Nokia Developer, you can create an app in as little as one hour, start to finish. In this webinar, Michael from Futurice will show you how. Michael suggests that you download and install Nokia Web Tools 1.5 before the webinar to get the most out of the session. That's the toolset he will be using in the presentation. You don't need to have it installed to learn a lot, but you'll learn more if you have it handy. * Some attendees will become eligible for a free Nokia Asha 303 by publishing a Series 40 web app. We'll provide all the details during the session. Register now for the session most convenient to you: 3 May 8 a.m. Helsinki; 10:30 a.m. Bangalore, India; 1 p.m. Singapore 8 May 7 p.m. Helsinki; 9:30 p.m. Bangalore, India; midnight Singapore

Samsung Unveils Galaxy S III Smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S lll Smartphone

Source

http://www.pcmag.com

As expected, Samsung today unveiled the next device in its Galaxy lineup, the Galaxy S III.

The smartphone will make its debut in Europe on May 29 and a 4G LTE-optimized version will hit the U.S. market during the summer.

The Galaxy S III boasts a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED 1,280-by-720 display, and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.9-megapixel front-facing one.

Samsung said you can take up to 20 shots on a burst mode, while a new feature known as Best Photo will automatically select the best photo out of a burst of eight.

Samsung acknowledged that 4.8 inches is a large screen, but the company said it significantly narrowed the bezel, so even though the S III is 22 percent larger than the S II, the unit itself did not get much bigger, Samsung said.

Samsung GALAXY S III Smartphone

The smartphone will come in 16GB and 32GB flavors, with a 64GB version expected soon. A microSD slot can expand the Galaxy S III up to 64GB.

The Galaxy S III comes in at 5.3 by 2.7 by 0.3 inches and weighs about 0.3 pounds.

Press materials do not mention the processor, but some reports said the Galaxy S III will run Samsung's new Exynos chip. As explained last month, the ARM Cortex A9-based, 1.4-GHz processor provides double the processing power of its predecessor, the 45nm process-based Exynos 4 Dual, while consuming 20 percent less power.

"Smart" Software Features
During a launch event in London, Loesje De Vriese, head of marketing for Samsung Belgium, talked up some of the Galaxy S III's software features, including "Smart stay," which prevents the device from going to sleep.

"We want to linger on a page without touching it when reading an ebook or long email," De Vriese said. It's "annoying" to have to keep touching the screen or re-enter a password when the screen goes dark.

With Smart stay, the Galaxy S III's front-facing camera "sees us," he said, "and knows whether we are looking or not. It keeps the screen awake for us when we are awake and it sleeps when we sleep."

The smartphone also includes voice-control features, dubbed S Voice. Tell your alarm clock to "snooze," for example, respond to a text message, or launch the camera.

Smart alert, meanwhile, will keep you abreast of who's trying to contact you. If you missed calls or texts while your phone was idle, it will vibrate the next time you touch it.

The device also includes a facial-recognition component that will recognize friends' faces. If you take a photo, for example, and the Galaxy S III recognizes the person in the pic, it will ask you if you want to send a copy of the photo to that friend.

Building on Android Beam, an ICS feature that allows for file-sharing, S Beam will allow for the sharing of a 1GB movie file within three minutes and a 10MB music file within 2 seconds, Samsung said, by touching another Galaxy S III - even without a Wi-Fi or cellular connection.

Sebastian Anthony with PCMag's sister sites Geek.com and ExtremeTech was on hand at today's event in London to snap some photos (above) and get hands-on time with the new smartphone. For more, check out the live blog.

Samsung first tipped its next Galaxy device last month, when it sent out invites for today's event that offered attendees the chance to "come and meet the next Galaxy." Several days later, it released a teaser video for the device that took a shot at its top rival, Apple.

Back in February, Samsung decided not to unveil the Galaxy S III at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, opting to instead show off the Galaxy Beam smartphone plus projector, the Galaxy Note 10.1, and the Galaxy S WiFi 4.2. The company also raised eyebrows by admitting to "not doing very well" in the tablet space.

Samsung first announced the Galaxy S II at MWC 2011, where PCMag got some hands-on time. It didn't hit the U.S. until September for Sprint and October for AT&T and T-Mobile. Verizon did not sign on for the Galaxy S II, opting instead of the Galaxy Nexus, the first smartphone with the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

By February, Samsung announced that it had sold 20 million Galaxy S II devices. Overall, the Galaxy lineup helped Samsung best Apple as the No. 1 smartphone maker in 2011, even with the launch of the iPhone 4S. It continued that trend this quarter, it seems, with several analysts saying that Samsung beat Apple in the smartphone race during the first few months of 2012.

Samsung Galaxy Note Won't Get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Until Q2

Source

http://www.pcmag.com

Another round of devices will be upgraded to Android 4.0 soon. Samsung on Thursday announced that the Galaxy Note will get Ice Cream Sandwich in the second quarter of the year.

Though Samsung previously said ICS would come to the device in the first quarter, it has pushed back the update to an unspecified time in Q2. In the meantime, Samsung is offering a Premium Suite upgrade for Galaxy Note users, which includes a handful of apps compatible with the Note's S Pen.

One of these apps is S Note, a writing app that offers various templates to format notes, scribbles, and digital content into neat packages.

Another pen-optimized app included is Shape Match, which automatically corrects shape. There's also Formula Match, which solves hand-drawn numeric formulas. Additionally, Samsung is dropping My Story, an app that lets users create personalized digital cards using their videos, photos, text, and hand-drawn notes.

Sony has also announced that the Sony Tablet S and the Sony Tablet P will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich in April. However, at this point, it only applies to Japan, and it's unclear if and when other countries will get the ICS update.

Samsung started rolling out ICS to its Galaxy S II smartphone in several European countries last week. IT said the update will reach other markets "gradually."

HTC also confirmed ICS updates for 16 of its phones last week, though it did not offer specific dates. However, the first of these, for the HTC Vivid, occurred Thursday. The update also includes Beats by Dr. Dre Audio, an optimized audio experience; an updated HTC Sense Experience; and Face Unlock. Users can visit AT&T's Web site to enable the update. It will be followed by these additional phones over the coming months, AT&T said:

• LG Nitro 

• Motorola ATRIX 2 

• Motorola ATRIX 4G 

• Pantech Burst 

• Pantech Element 

• Samsung Captivate Glide 

• Samsung Galaxy Note 

• Samsung Galaxy S II 

• Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket 

• Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

Pink Samsung Galaxy Note on the way, will miss Valentine's day

Source
http://www.gsmarena.com

We have always thought of the Samsung Galaxy Note as a male-oriented device, but it turns out we have underestimated it. The phoneblet obviously generates enough interest with the ladies to warrant its own feminine version, colored in Berry Pink.

We got a tip from an industry insider, containing a photo of the upcoming pink version of the Samsung Galaxy Note. Both the front and the back of the device will obviously be repainted, but we aren't sure if the S Pen (which is white in the white version) will get a similar treatment.

Unfortunately, the pink Samsung Galaxy Note won't make it in time for Valentine's day. The first samples of the device will arrive in the 8th week of the year, while public availability is scheduled for Week 9. That's exactly three weeks away now, so the wait won't be long.