App Social available for Windows 8

Recently,App Social was released to Windows Phone and it is now time for Windows 8 to get the app.You can use the apps feed to find new and popular apps which are used by millions of people. If you love to share then,  App Social lets you create a list of your favorite apps and share it to your friends. Your shares also count for your points which means that you gain likes and followers which will help you to reach the top of the leaderboard. Exciting isn't it ! There's more you can do with this cool app, You can follow your favorite tech celebrities and your friends to get insights from them.

This app has been built from the ground to be social, it makes discovering awesome apps easy and exciting. Sharing and finding new apps can't be easier. App Social is a worthy app to have. So download App Social for Windows 8 right away.
  

One more thing, I have a created a list named " Best Windows 8 apps " and it's all about the best apps in the Windows 8 Store. Hit like to get to know the best apps. Search for the list using the search bar in the home page. !

Microsoft officially announces Windows 8.1 update 1 and shows off the new features

Windows 8.1 update 1 is getting ready to hit the market as soon as this Spring and Microsoft has kept mum about the OS until now. Microsoft broke the silence by announcing the Windows 8.1 update 1 in the mobile world congress.

This poster shows the new features in Windows 8.1 update 1. Of course all of these features have been found in the leaked version. Microsoft also said that the update will be released in Spring but the most probable date is April 8 which turns out to be the Patch Tuesday.

The new power options in the start screen is a good change because most of the new users will find Windows more familiar to use. Also the context menu for desktop users has undergone a great visual change over and it now resembles the context menu found in Desktop. As I said before, the Taskbar plays a major role in the switching and navigation between apps. It shows up when you bring the pointer to the bottom. The Enterprise mode is a new addition to IE 11 which improves the compatibility.And it's also notable that Windows 8.1 update 1 will run in lower end devices with 16GB storage and 1GB of RAM. Windows 8.1 update 1 will be more faster than what Windows 8.1 is now. Windows gets better and better !

GTA San Andreas is back... Now available for Windows 8 tablets and PC's

GTA San Andreas, one of the most successful title for Rockstar previously landed on Windows Phone. Now it's time for the WP's elder brother,Windows 8 to get the game in it's Store.

Rockstar Games have managed to bring the full game with the complete storyline into a Windows Store app which costs ₹350 here in India and $6.99 in US. Though there is no trial version for the app, the game itself says the reason. The game has been played by millions of users already and does not need any introduction to the game. The app is big, really big weighing around 1.8 GB. Again the game is a big one which includes complex graphics for a app. Of course, the game has been optimized to work great with touch and also in PC's without touch.Enjoy the game !

FeaturesRemastered, high-resolution graphics built specifically for mobile including lighting enhancements, an enriched color palette and improved character models.Dual analog stick controls for full camera and movement control.Three different control schemes and customizable controls with contextual options to display buttons only when you need them.Tailor your visual experience with adjustable graphic settings.

OneDrive is out !

Microsoft has released their updated cloud storage service namely OneDrive. OneDrive is the new name which is replacing SkyDrive. You can learn more about OneDrive in this preview website. 

"Today we are thrilled to announce the global availability of OneDrive. For our existing SkyDrive customers, you are all set; your files are ready in the new OneDrive experience. All you have to do is head over to www.OneDrive.com and log in. For those of you hearing about the service for the first time, OneDrive gives you one place for all of your files, including photos, videos, and documents, and it’s available across the devices you use every day." reads the official blog post.

Still the storage plan remains the same for the free users but there are new ways to get more storage for free. You can also buy storage which starts from $25 for 50GB/year through $100 for 200GB/year. You can have a look at the storage plans from here. OneDrive currently SkyDrive is built inside Windows 8.1 and will receive the updated version of the app soon. If you are using other operating systems then you can download the new app from here.SkyDrive will be completely replaced by OneDrive within hours. So what do you think about the new name ?

Microsoft likely to sign off Windows 8.1 update 1 on February 23

Windows 8.1 update 1 is under development stage though most of the features are already present in the leaked build. According to WZor, the famous Windows leaker Microsoft is ready to send out the first update to Windows 8.1 on or before February 23 to the OEM ( RTM stage ).

RUMOR FROM MSFT|WZT: Sign-OFF RTM Windows 8.1 Update 2014 may be before Feb 23 ;-)
— WZor (@WZorNET) February 16, 2014

Microsoft is giving finishing touch to the update currently and Windows 8.1 update 1 will be officially released on April 8 which gives a full month for the OEM's to install the latest updates on their devices. It is also notable that Windows 8.1 update 1 may also debut in smaller devices. 

Microsoft decides to extend sales date for Windows 7 Professsional

While Microsoft is promoting Windows 8 by all means, it still supports the world's most popular OS, Windows 7. Windows 7 was released back in 2009 when Vista was playing miserably and after that it managed to become the world's most used OS and it dethroned XP in the mid 2012.

Now it's 2014 and Windows 7 sales are set to end on October 31 but Microsoft is planning to extend the sales date for Windows 7 professional.While the consumer editions of Windows 7 would indeed be retired on October 31, 2014, Microsoft will keep Windows 7 Professional up for grabs for a while, but no specifics have been provided on when the company intends to retire this version too.Interestingly, Windows 7 Professional mainstream support will come to an end on January 13, 2015, so everybody’s wondering how come Microsoft plans to keep an operating system that will no longer receive support available for business users.

“Generally OEMs offer free warranty support for a period of time (usually 1 year) defined by the OEM. Because of this, there is a relatively small difference between mainstream support and extended support in the case of the OEM license because the OEM licensed versions of Windows continue to receive support directly from the OEM for the hardware and software,” the spokesperson said.

IE 11 in Windows 7 gets Enterprise mode : Screenshots leaked

Microsoft is busy building the next major Windows update which includes a improved version of internet explorer. It is not a major update for IE but it does bring a very useful feature called Enterprise Mode which helps you to increase compatibility with your website. Currently IE 11 has compatibility mode but it does not work perfectly in some of the sites. May be Microsoft is trying to bring in a better mode which will let the website use the browser to the fullest potential. Windows 8.1 update 1 will bring this update to Windows 8.1 users. Also Windows 7 users will get the update via the Windows update. The screenshots show the feature in action.

This mode has to be enabled by editing group policy for now. But this will change when the official version comes out.

What's new in Windows phone 8.1

Windows Phone 8.1 is nearly ready to to be released to the OEM partners. It is also expected to reach users by May. The Developers have got the latest Windows Phone 8.1 build to make sure that their apps run fine after deploying the new update. Here is the video which shows some of the new features added to the OS. The build seems to be incomplete with new apps like Bing Food & Drink and Bing Health & Fitness which can't be launched. Notification center is also missing but there are some good features which are shown in the video. SkyDrive has also been renamed to OneDrive.Windows phone 8.1 brings the mobile OS closer to the desktop counterpart, Windows 8.1. You can close the apps by swiping down. Apps are updated automatically by the Store,just like Windows 8.1. Check out the video to see what the new WP has to offer.

Windows 8 eases through it's users

When Windows 8 was released back in 2012, Metro was a completely separate and independent platform which ran the apps from Store. Desktop and Metro did not work great together ( I had no problem though ). The users were not feeling comfortable with the new Metro UI as it took a good deal of time to get used to it. Many of the third party start menu apps started exploiting Windows 8's capabilities. Microsoft had pushed Metro too hard and after seeing the results, they decided to create a big update for Windows 8 which came out with the name of Windows 8.1 within a year which brought some key features back like the boot to desktop and a better metro UI. It did more than integrating desktop and metro. It still kept metro moving forward with many of the new features specifically designed to work inside the metro environment but it had given a option for users to choose the desktop or metro rather than only metro which was in the case of Windows 8.

Microsoft introduced a radical departure with Windows 8 but Windows 8.1 update 1 puts everything back into place while maintaining Microsoft's new strategy.

After all, the next update to Windows 8.1 will be released on April which means that Microsoft is making changes to the OS in a rapid pace with customer feedback playing a major role. Windows 8.1 update 1 will make the modern platform a bit more usable for the traditional users. The metro UI for touch users is same as it is in Windows 8.1 but the major difference is for the non-touch users. Microsoft is now making the metro and desktop work together rather than forcing users into any one of them. The improvements make apps work like a normal desktop app. The taskbar plays the key role in navigating through the OS rather than the Charms bar which was intended for the same purpose. Microsoft introduced a radical departure from Windows 7 with Windows 8 but Windows 8.1 update 1 puts everything back into place while maintaining Microsoft's new strategy.

Hotspot shield : Free VPN service

Browsing the web anonymously has become a hard to do thing. Using private browsing in browsers helps to do this but still the ISP,hackers and access the data transferred while browsing. Virtual Protocol Network (VPN) creates a virtual IP address for your PC and encrypt the data you send and receive, thereby making your browsing more secure. Unfortunately many of the VPN's available today come with a hefty price tag.There are some free ones but the best seems to be Hotspot shield free.

Hotspot shield free has all the features that a paid VPN has. It blocks tracking by changing the IP address   and also encrypts all the data transferred. But it does come with banner ads which shows up in every website,after all it's a free VPN. I have found it really useful and it does not slowdown the internet. If you buy the elite version then you will get a ad free experience as well as the option to change your virtual IP address location, the free version is locked to use the United States IP address. This tool will be very useful in public WiFi as it will protect your data against all the prying eyes.

You can download Hotspot shield free in your Windows,iOS,Mac OSX and android devices without paying a penny ! 

Download Hotspot Shield free

Windows 8.1 update 1 ESCROW build in action : Video

Microsoft had some nice set of improvements in the Windows 8.1 update 1 ESCROW build which leaked yesterday. The taskbar glitch is fixed and it comes up whenever you move the mouse to the bottom of the screen. 

SkyDrive has been renamed to OneDrive. The metro apps now work a lot like the desktop apps. They are are shown in the taskbar by default and have the title bar with minimize and close buttons. Even the animations when you minimize the app is same as the desktop apps. Closing the apps has a new animation which looks more smoother. What's better is that you can open you taskbar in Start screen itself by pointing to the bottom. At last, Apps have Jumplist support too. Windows 8.1 update 1 ESCROW build is available as a MSU file so only Windows 8.1 users can deploy the update. It can also be uninstalled in the same way as other updates.

Windows 8.1 update 1 ESCROW build MSU leaked

I previously said that the final build of Windows 8.1 update 1 has been compiled as a MSU file and now it's time for the leaks to come in. Yeah ! The Escrow build of Windows 8.1 update 1 is out in the web in the MSU format. Both 32-bit and 64-bit variants are available for download. 

I will release the screenshots as soon as I get it working. Windows 8.1 update 1 is set to be released in April via the Windows update and the escrow build might still contain some bugs as it is not a RTM build which will be released to soon to OEM partners.

You need to have all the Roll-ups of Windows 8.1 RTM before you can install this update. So make sure that you have these updates installed,
• Rollup A (KB2883200)
• Rollup B (KB2884846)
• November Rollup (KB2887595)
• December Rollup (KB2903939)
• January Rollup (KB2911106)

Windows 8.1 update 1 RTM is ready

Microsoft has completed the development of Windows 8.1 update 1 and have compiled the final version which will be sent to OEM partners later this month. There will no more new features added to the update. WZOR, the famous Windows leaker has released a new set of screenshots showing the deployment of the update in Windows 8.1.

Microsoft will release the update on April via Windows update and it will also be available as a separate download as MSU file which is the file format for Windows updates released by Microsoft.Also the users should have installed all the Windows 8.1 RTM roll ups before they get the Windows 8.1 update 1.

It is alleged that the RTM version of the MSU file will be leaked soon as it happened with Windows 8.1 RTM which reached the web two months ahead of the official launch. Have a look at the newly released screenshots :

Windows 8.1 update 1 shifted to April

Windows 8.1 update 1 was set to be released on March 11 but Microsoft has other ideas it seems, the update might be delayed till April. According Mary Jo Foley of ZDnet, the update will be shifted to April as Microsoft requires some more time to work on specific features. Well this might be true as I got the same answer from one of my source too.

Recently, Windows 8.1 update 1 leaked with all the expected features including the ability to pin apps to taskbar,Title bar in apps,power options in Start Screen and Enterprise mode in IE 11. The leaked build was compiled on January 14. It is sure, Windows 8.1 update 1 will be rolled out via Windows update rather than Store as many users faced problems when upgrading to Windows 8.1 via Store. April 8 is the most probable day as it is the patch Tuesday. It's also notable that Windows XP will retire on April 8.

Microsoft's new CEO, Satya Nadella's first letter and interview

" I'm humbled,honored and excited" says the new CEO. Microsoft is currently in a major transition. Microsoft is getting more mobile and more than a software company. The tech giant produces Surface tablets on it's own and Nokia was also bought by Microsoft which makes most of the Windows Phones.

Nadella has already sent an internal memo to Microsoft employees, not only to introduce himself to all those working for the Redmond-based tech giant, but also to point out some of his plans at the helm of the company.Nadella said that he’s very honored to replace Steve Ballmer and confirmed that he was the one asking Bill Gates to spend more time at Microsoft in the coming years.

Here’s Nadella’s letter for Microsoft’s employees in full:

See Satya Nadella welcomed by Bill Gates as the CEO of Microsoft !

Bill Gates himself welcomed Satya Nadella, Microsoft's new CEO. Also Satya Nadella and Bill Gates will work together on number of projects. In his turn, Gates has stepped down as chairman to become a technical adviser for Microsoft, which basically means that he’ll spend more time at the company to make sure that everything is going well.

Facebook turns 10 today

Facebook, the world's most popular social network is celebrating it's 10th birthday. There is no need of saying about the history of facebook. Everyone knows facebook and have an account in facebook.

Facebook connects millions of people worldwide for free and also opens doors for companies who get consumers from all over the world. It's hard for many people to stay away from facebook. Anyway, I use facebook and love it. Special thanks to Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of facebook.

Happy Birthday Facebook :) 

What's new in Windows 8.1 update 1 : Video

  Windows 8.1 update 1 leaked yesterday, and now anyone who are interested in the update can right away download the leaked build. However before downloading, you can better watch this video to know what is new in Windows 8.1 update.
A video released by Bavo Luysterborg in YouTube walks through all the new features of the update. The title bar in app is hidden by default and comes out when the pointer is bropught to the top. Also while switching the apps from desktop shows taskbar.There are some features which are still missing in the leaked build as it was compiled on January 14. Also there is no 32-bit version available for now. Windows 8.1 update 1 will be released on March 11. It will be delivered through Windows update.

Have a look at the video and leave a comment.

Windows 8.1 update 1 leaks : ISO file available for download

The latest build of Windows 8.1 update 1 leaked onto the internet a while ago but it seems that Microsoft won’t be porting the metro apps to desktop. The other features which I reported previously such as the new context menu for mouse users, ability to pin the modern apps to taskbar and power options in the Start screen are still present in the latest build.

Close and minimize button now shown in apps

The metro apps have close and minimize button which makes the apps easy to manage. There is no need of dragging the app down to close which is not the best way for a mouse+keyboard user. I personally prefer the alt+F4 button to close apps but the close button now present in the app windows will make non-touch users to feel home.But there is no screenshots showing the metro apps running in desktop. May be Microsoft has built that feature but not included it in the leaked build. Let's wait and watch.

The new context menu for non-touch users in Start screen

Of course the leaked version may contain lots of bugs. This is just for testing purposes only.The full build string of the leaked ISO is 9600.16596.WINBLUES14_GDR_LEAN.140114-0237 and is exclusively compatible with 64-bit computers, but a 32-bit version would most likely leak anytime soon.

Market Share round up : Operating systems

January was a normal month for the operating systems, Windows 8.x managed small increase while the good old XP (surprisingly !) managed to increase it's market share.

According to the new statistics provided by net applications,Windows 7 tops the chart with a huge market share of 47.49% while it's successor Windows 8/8.1 together have 10.58% of the market share. Windows Vista stands in the fifth position with a small share of 3.30%. Despite the imminent retirement,most disturbing fact is the rise in share of Windows XP. January was not a great month for Microsoft.Non-Microsoft operating systems trail behind with Mac OS X posting a share of 3.20% and the open source Linux OS accounts for 1.60%.