Cortana has lots to say about Clippy, Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates, and Satya Nadella

You knew there had to be Easter Eggs in Cortana. It is basically impossible to create a voice assistant without giving it some fun things to talk about. Over the past day, testers have been asking Cortana quite a bit, and have found that she has a lot to say on a number of important Microsoft figures, like Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, and even Clippy.

We've gathered some of the best ones in a video clip below, but of course Cortana usually has multiple responses for the same question. If you ask if she likes Clippy, she'll say things like, "Definitely. He taught me how important it is to listen." The best response for the question "Do you like Steve Ballmer?" is "You could power Cleveland with that guy's energy!" On the subject of Bill Gates, Cortana says, "I quite literally can't imagine a world without him." And, if you ask if she likes Xbox, she'll say, "Halo is where the heart is. Home is where the Halo is."

Surprisingly, Cortana doesn't have a witty answer if you ask if she knows or if she likes Master Chief. No doubt, we'll be getting word of more fun questions and answers from Cortana.  

Nokia Lumia 630 gets closer to becoming the first Windows Phone 8.1 handset in China

Just like the old Lumia 520, the new Lumia 630 and 635 may mean a lot to Nokia and Microsoft, as they’re smartphones that offer quite many features at a very attractive price. Plus, they both come with the new and improved Windows Phone 8.1 - they’ll be the world’s first handsets to run WP8.1 out of the box.

Nokia probably expects to sell millions of 630 and 635 units, and, mot likely, it will do just that. However, to achieve this, Nokia needs to release the handsets in all the countries where there’s high demand for affordable smartphones. China - the world’s largest mobile market - is the perfect example for that. And it looks like Nokia could start selling the Lumia 630 there pretty soon, as the handset was approved by the country’s Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center. The Lumia 630 that’s been approved is the dual-SIM model (RM-978), which should cost $169.  The Lumia 630 is already advertised at Nokia China’s official website - in a pretty nice way, as you may have noticed in the image above. Nokia doesn’t say exactly when it will release the new smartphone, though. But it should happen sometime in May. It remains to be seen if China will get the Nokia Lumia 630 before any other market, or not.



via phonearena

Microsoft getting pushed into more change by Satya Nadella

While presenting a new server tool SQL Server 2014, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, continued to push Microsoft’s image, and self-perception towards that of a “data culture.”
After a successful presentation and conference at Build 2014, Mr. Nadella, , who just took the CEO position in February, is maintaining the mantra of a more “mobile” Microsoft, a more internet and cloud connected Microsoft, something more than the image of Windows alone. “Every aspect of Microsoft’s business is being fundamentally transformed because of data. You have to build deeply into the fabric of the company a culture that thrives on data,” according to Mr. Nadella, “Think of Office as the canvas, or the surface area, or the scaffolding from which you can access the data.”Mr. Nadella’s comments were a follow-on to his presentation at Build 2014, a “mobile first, cloud first” environment. That means a more intense focus on internet friendly software (software as a service, SaaS) over the traditional model that thinks about computing in general.Companies can also start taking part in an early public test version of a cloud-based system for managing data automatically. By doing so, companies can deliver relevant content to users, particularly mobile users, faster. “It’s not going to happen without having that data culture where every engineer, every day, is looking at the usage data, learning from that usage data, questioning what new things to test out with our products and being on that improvement cycle which is the lifeblood of Microsoft,” said Mr. Nadella.Taking that mindset in conjunction with the “mobile first, cloud first” mindset reminds us of how Microsoft is setting the stage for the future. The “one experience” will benefit from such a model. As simple as it seems, such an on-going effort will be important for Mr. Nadella to maintain as it represents a sea change for Microsoft. 


source: Reuters

Apple, Samsung, Google, HTC, Microsoft and others agree to voluntary anti-theft tool for smartphones

While it might not be the mandatory "Kill Switch" that many law enforcement officials and Capitol Hill have asked for, many of the big players in the U.S. mobile industry have come together to address the issue of smartphone theft. According to a voluntary policy initiative that has the backing of the CTIA, a number of manufacturers and carriers have agreed to support the inclusion of an anti-theft tool on new smartphones. 
On Tuesday, Apple and Samsung joined with other companies like Google, HTC, Huawei, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. All of these firms have agreed to add an anti-theft tool to the phones they manufacture or sell to the U.S. public, starting in July 2015. The hope is that by allowing stolen phones to be remotely shut down, it will remove the incentive for thieves to steal them. Criminals profit from smartphone thefts by obtaining personal information, including financial passwords and PIN numbers, from the phone. In addition, a stolen smartphone could be sold in the black market. The anti-theft tool is expected to prevent both of these from happening. According to the CTIA, the tool will allow users to remotely wipe their device in the event it is lost or stolen. Data that will be wiped include personal information that is added after the purchase of the phone. The tool will also allow the user to remotely make the phone impossible to use without a PIN or password, except for emergency 911 calls. Along these lines, a locked down phone could be set not to reactivate without the user's authorization. If the lost or stolen smartphone is recovered by the authorized user, personal data can be restored from the cloud.The anti-theft tool will come out of the box on new phones sold starting in July 2015, or will be downloaded on these devices. In addition, the mobile carriers who agreed to participate, will allow customers to obtain this anti-theft tool and use it on phones purchased from them. Many believed that the manufacturers would never agree to such a tool because it might cost them some replacement sales. And it was also believed that the carriers would not agree to a "Kill Switch" since it might cost them the revenue from selling premium smartphone insurance, which covers stolen handsets. But both have come together to agree to this very important initiative, which could save the lives of some of their customers.Not everyone was excited with the voluntary plan. California state Sen. Mark Leno, who has a mandatory "Kill Switch" bill proposed in Congress, says that by making the anti-theft tool voluntary, the plan announced on Tuesday "misses the mark if the ultimate goal is to combat street crime and violent thefts involving smartphones and tablets."
 


 source: CTIA, Recode via Engadget

Samsung shows off some colorful new ads for Galaxy S5, Gear 2, and Gear fit

Just as Samsung explained in court, the company is pretty darn good at marketing. From Super Bowl advertisements, to “the next big thing,” Samsung gets its point across and has the success to prove it.

The conglomerate just launched a few new ads which are airing in Europe and in Singapore, but we think they would fit right in in New York or Los Angeles too.The video, a collage of five ads in one, bring an upbeat and colorful expression of what Samsung wants you to have in your everyday life. The first couple ads showcase the integration of the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear Fit with the Samsung Galaxy S5. Using features to stay connected, track fitness and activity, the Galaxy line works pretty well together. The last few ads focus on the Galaxy S5 and its fast camera, water resistant specs, and its finger scanner, all new features to the new Galaxy flagship.



source: Samsung (YouTube)

8GB iPhone 5c on sale across 11 European countries

While the colorful iPhone 5c is hardly Apple's hottest-selling smartphone ever, it has its niche of fans across the globe. And now, said niche will be expanding within a number of European countries. Residents of the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Spain, Norway can get the 8GB variant from Apple's local online and physical stores. 

The 8GB version is the iPhone 8c's cheapest variant, although it still takes a considerable weight off your wallet. When Apple launched it in the UK last month, it put a price of $717 (£429) on its tag. Not especially compelling, considering the 16GB version costs just $67 (£40) more. But that's only our objective opinion. Apple fans have their own, and we're perfectly fine with it. 

 

 

List of Galaxy devices that are compatible with its Gear and Fit wearables

Samsung’s devices that are fully compatible with the new Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit, the company today announced a complete list of compatible products. The list includes a total of 20 devices: 12 Galaxy smartphones, and 8 Galaxy tablets.
Of course, we already knew that some Galaxy smartphones and tablets were compatible with Samsung’s wearables (which, by the way, do not run Android: the Gear 2 smartwatches run Tizen, while the Gear Fit runs a simpler OS called Real Time OS, or RTOS). Nevertheless, it’s good to see a complete, official list.



 source: Samsung Tomorrow

Download files faster on the Samsung Galaxy S5

Did you know that you could download files faster on the Galaxy S5? Samsung’s new Android flagship comes with a built-in ‘Download Booster’ mode that basically allows you to use the speeds of Wi-Fi and 4G LTE networks combined. This will come in handy, especially for users who are in a hurry to download a big file.

Enabling ‘Download Booster’ is as simple as it gets - you just have to know that the option exists. On most Galaxy S5, to enable download booster, you need to first have enabled Mobile Data and Wi-Fi, and then slide down from the top to bring the notification shade. Slide the toggles to the left, and - by default - that’s where the ‘Download Booster’ mode resides.

 If you cannot find it there, make sure to double-check: just open Settings and look for the Download Booster icon. By default, it’s a blue icon appearing at the top-most row, and you can enable it from there as well.Some Galaxy S5 devices, however, might lack this new mode. In fact, the three biggest US carriers - Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint - have negotiated to have the feature removed to avoid having their networks hogged. The only big US carrier that seemingly supports it for the moment is T-Mobile.Finally, keep in mind that by using your 4G LTE connection to download large files, you’ll quickly deplete your monthly data allowance. Moreover, you may run into overage fees on some carriers. The ‘Download Booster’ could be a useful feature for those times when you need to get files as quickly as possible, but make sure to use it with caution.

Upcoming Nokia Ara, Leo, Moonraker, Onyx, Peridot, Superman, Tesla, and Vantage codenames tipped

According to notorious tipster @eveleaks, Nokia has a smorgasbord of handsets coming down the pipeline. Queue the Nokia Ara, Leo, Moonraker, Onyx, Peridot, Superman, Tesla, and Vantage codenames.

The Finnish phone maker is in the final stages of its acquisition deal with Microsoft, and one would think that Nokia will slow down until the software giant is mulling the next steps for its Windows Phones, like the eventual rebranding that will follow, for example. Thus, it's not entirely clear if those eight upcoming handsets will be from the Asha and featurephone line that will keep carrying the Nokia logo, from the Lumia line that will eventually be renamed by Microsoft, or a mixture of both, which might have been in the planning before the acquisition. In any case, we are to expect plenty of handsets from the Finns further down the line, and, hopefully, Microsoft will announce soon what are its plans for the homebrew Windows Phone portfolio. 

 

 

source: @eveleaks

 

Future wearables might get charged by your body heat

The relatively weak battery life is probably one of the main issues that most users have with wearable gadgets, which are quickly gaining more and more popularity these days. While the general idea of wearing a smart gadget on your wrist or your head is appealing to many, the cumbersome process of charging said devices once a few days is probably not. But that might not be the case in the not so distant future, as a new method promises to provide power to your wearable by utilizing nothing else than the heat that your body constantly emits.Developed by the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), this technique transforms body heat into electricity thanks to a very thin (~500 μm) thermoelectric power generator, printed on a transparent fabric. It's not only extremely thin, it's also light, flexible, bendable, and has a self-sustainable structure "without top and bottom substrates". KAIST claims that its thermoelectric generator has an energy output density that is tens of times greater than the ones of similar generators.
"For our case, the glass fabric itself serves as the upper and lower substrates of a TE generator, keeping the inorganic TE materials in between," stated Byung Jin Cho, an electrical engineering professor with KAIST. "This is quite a revolutionary approach to design a generator. In doing so, we were able to significantly reduce the weight of our generator, which is an essential element for wearable electronics." Up until now, existing thermoelectric generators were rather bulky and not suitable for wearables, however, KAIST's invention allows significantly smaller devices to get charged by our body heat. The researchers at KAIST also claim that their technology could be used in automobiles, factories, aircrafts, and vessels, where it could make use of the wasted thermal energy.

 source: Knovel via Engadget

Judge Koh shames an Apple employee

The second patent trial between Apple and Samsung is in full swing, so it's more than normal that Judge Lucy H. Koh's courtroom gets a little heated from time to time. One of the most recent events that come with a pretty high level of curiosity is related to the judge's specific rules against smartphone usage in court sessions. 
One of the people that experienced Judge Koh's wrath was a regular Apple staffer, who had been sitting on the front row and nonchalantly using her iPhone during one of the court hearings last week. Apparently, this wrongdoing did not remain unnoticed by Lucy Koh's sharp eye. During one of the breaks, the annoyed judge lost her cool and asked the iPhone-wielding enthusiast to stand up and verbally promise in front of everyone that she would never again use her smartphone while being in court.

Purportedly, Lucy Koh's exact words were: “You. Ma’am. You in the front row!”. More than enough to make most people blush with shame, isn't it?

But why is Judge Koh so firm about smartphone use in her courtroom? See, despite that most courts don't allow any electronic devices, Lucy Koh and the Northern District of California have a more open approach to modern technology – reporters get to use their laptops in order to take notes, while spectators in the court gallery have access to a free Wi-Fi network. Judge Koh is also hooked on the same Wi-Fi network in order to track the real-time transcription of the court reporters. However, the network kept failing during the first days of the second patent trial, because a big number of people had simultaneously connected to it with their mobile devices. This made Lucy Koh's live event tracker virtually unusable. As she had gotten quite used to her system, the judge interrupted the court session and asked everybody to turn their electronic devices off under the pain of being banned from the courtroom.The next court sessions were opened by a clerk, who politely asked everybody to switch off their phones, as devices couldn't be left operational even in Airplane mode.

 source: MacWorld

BBC investigation shows the market for stolen smartphones is alive and well, unfortunately

A BBC undercover investigation exposed two shops that unscrupulously sell stolen smartphones on the black market in London. Eight Apple and Samsung phones were loaded with personal data (such as photos, contacts, call history, messages) and blocked or reported as stolen to carriers. A reporter posing as a smartphone thief shopped them around London and caught on camera two traders that bought the "stolen" goods from him. The undercover reporter explicitly stated that the phones were stolen when he handed them to traders.

All eight smartphones with shady backgrounds were acquired for cheap (about $70), possibly repackaged as legitimate second-hand devices, and sold at respective prices. All of them had their IMEI numbers marked as stolen by English carriers, which is supposed to make their further usage impossible. Alas, following the investigation, a forensics expert demonstrated to the BBC how easy it is to change a device's IMEI through specialized software and restoring it to factory settings. According to the expert, manufacturers should be placing the particular number inside a "read-only" part of the device's memory, but this practice is still uncommon. 

Neither the two mobile retailers, London Mobiles Ltd and Ask Mobiles, nor Apple and Samsung whose iPhone 4 and Galaxy S3 were used in the investigation, commented on the publication. In the United Kingdom, handling stolen goods is an offense under the Theft Act, carrying a 14-year maximum prison sentence. 

 

source: BBC

Deal alert! Samsung Galaxy S5 for $99 via Amazon by Verizon

Verizon is escalating its Samsung Galaxy S5 promotion efforts to $99 level. After launching the Samsung flagship for $199 with the option of getting another one for free, the States' largest carrier is now selling the phone for $99 with a two year subscription via Amazon. That's $50 off the contract price and a good deal if you are willing to become a Verizon subscriber.

The deal won't last forever, and as of the time of writing, the Galaxy S5 seems to be temporarily out of stock at Amazon. But better keep an eye open just in case. 

 

source: Amazon , Verizon

About $100 price jump for the Apple iPhone 6

The screen might not be the only thing larger on the Apple iPhone 6. According to Peter Misek, an analyst who plies his trade at Jefferies, Apple is in the midst of negotiating with carriers, a $100 price jump for the next iPhone. The good news is that the mobile operators' initial response has been to reject this attempt by Apple to raise the price of its iconic smartphone.Other analysts expect the carriers to fall into line with Apple's request. Pac Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves says that the Apple iPhone 6 could be priced at $299 with a carrier subsidy, $749 off-contract. And if Apple does release an iPhone phablet as expected, the price of that phone could be $100 more.
It might seem strange that Apple has to negotiate a price increase with the carriers, but apparently both sides need to approve any price changes based on long term contracts dealing with subsidies. And while it might seem odd to admit that consumers have been favoring lower priced, larger screened devices and then talk about hiking prices, Apple doesn't see itself as constrained by the pricing of rivals and considers its devices to be somewhat immune from the competition because of the Apple name.

"Our checks indicate Apple has started negotiating with carriers on a $100 iPhone 6 price increase. The initial response has been no, but there seems to be an admission that there is no other game-changing device this year."-Peter Misek, analyst, Jefferies 

 

 

 source: BusinessInsider via SeekingAlpha

Windows Phone 8.1 "developer" rush takes down App Studio

Today has been a big day for Windows Phone. The developer preview of Windows Phone 8.1 has been released, and Microsoft has made it quite easy for non-developers to get their hands on the software, if they want. Unfortunately, the ease of getting Windows Phone 8.1 has caused a rush which has taken down Microsoft's App Studio.

To get the update is to sign up as a developer at the App Studio website, then download the Preview for Developers app, and you should be good to go. But, it seems that because so many pseudo-developers have been heading to the App Studio to sign up, the site has been failing all morning.

This kind of failure doesn't bode well for new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's plans for the Windows Azure platform to be the cloud of choice, but it does prove that Microsoft has made the right choices with the Windows Phone 8.1 update. If there is enough demand to take down a Microsoft site, there have to be quite a lot of people that want to test out Cortana right now.  

 

 

source: App Studio