| Build 9926 Arrives with Some More Pages from Windows’ Next Chapter Posted: 25 Jan 2015 05:42 PM PST 
Fast and slow rings receive January build simultaneously A couple of days after its much talked about "Windows 10: The Next Chapter" event and over two months after the last official preview release, Microsoft on Friday rolled out a new Windows 10 Technical Preview build to the Windows Insider Program. A lot has changed from the last build, with the January Technical Preview containing many new features and apps (including some that are a bit too incipient to be of any real use at this stage). This latest build (download) includes: Cortana integration; Continuum interface with separate desktop and tablet modes; a new Start Menu that metamorphoses into Start Screen in tablet mode; a new Settings app that has, among other things, a Control Panel-esque homepage; and finally a more convenient way to connect to wireless audio and video devices via the new Action Center. Build 9926 isn't short on new apps, either. They include new versions of Photos, Maps and the Windows Store (in beta; old version also present), as well as an all-new Xbox app. A lot of what is in this build can be seen in action in the following video walkthrough of Windows 10 features by Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Operating Systems Group: Follow Pulkit on Google+ |
| After Windows, Google Discloses Three Zero Day Bugs in OS X Posted: 25 Jan 2015 05:28 PM PST  Apple remains silent
Having recently ruffled Microsoft's feathers by (responsibly) disclosing three unpatched vulnerabilities in Windows to the general public, Google's Project Zero team has now turned its attention to the other side of the PC-Mac divide. The outfit recently spilled the beans on three zero-day vulnerabilities in Apple's OS X operating system.
It is not that Google's bug hunters have trained their guns on OS X all of a sudden, as part of some sort of balancing act. The Project Zero team privately notified Apple about the three bugs in October and, as is its standard operating procedure, gave the latter 90 disclosure-free days in each case to come up with a fix. The 90-day responsible disclosure deadline in each of the three cases expired earlier this week and as a result the vulnerabilities are now out in the open. Unlike Microsoft, Apple hasn't uttered a single word on the whole issue. This probably owes to the fact that the company has already fixed the bugs. According to iMore, all the vulnerabilities in question have already been fixed and the patches are part of OS X 10.10.2, which is currently in beta. Do you think Microsoft should take a leaf out of Apple's book and just concentrate on fixing bugs, or do you agree with the former that Google's refusal to extend the disclosure deadline "feels less like principles and more like a 'gotcha'"? Or are you one of those people who would like Google — a company that has chosen to leave 60 percent of all Android users to twist in the wind by refusing to fix a bug in the default Android browser — to focus on plugging holes in its own products with the same zeal with which it adheres to the disclosure deadlines? Follow Pulkit on Google+ |
| Fujitsu Expands Enterprise Mobile PC Lineup with Broadwell Models Posted: 25 Jan 2015 05:01 PM PST Tablets and laptops powered by 5th generation Intel Core processors Earlier this week, Fujitsu joined many other PC vendors around the world in announcing new mobile PC models built around 5th generation Intel Core processors. The Broadwell-powered models announced by the Japanese company include both tablets and notebooks, and they all mean business. These new models include the 14" Lifebook U745 ultrabook, 13.3" Stylistic Q775 tablet, and a couple of Lifebook T series convertibles with 180-degree rotatable displays. 
Weighing a shade under 2.2 pounds, the Stylistic Q775 sports a full HD anti-glare display, and comes with a choice of the latest Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB SSD storage. Optional upgrades include the company's PalmSecure palm-vein sensor, detachable keyboard dock and 3G/LTE connectivity. According to the company, the device is capable of lasting around 9 hours on a single charge. Next up is the Lifebook U745, which is a 0.75" thick ultrabook that tips the scales at 2.5 pounds. Inside its slender magnesium-encased frame there is enough room for a 5th generation Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor, 4GB of RAM (up to 12GB) and up to 512GB solid-state storage. The screen on this 14-incher is an HD+ (1600x900 ) anti-glare display (touchscreen optional). The 13.3" Lifebook T935 and 12.5" T725 are both convertibles that feature touchscreens that can be rotated 180 degrees in either direction and come standard with a stylus. But don't make the mistake of thinking of them as the same device in two different sizes. Not only is the T935 bigger of the two, but it is also the higher-end model. Take, for instance, their displays. While the T725 is limited to a 1366x768 display, the T935 comes with the option of either a WQHD (2560x1440) or a full HD (1920x1080) display. Likewise, when it comes to battery life, the T935 fares much better with around 13 hours and 20 minutes of battery life on a single charge to the latter's 10 hours and 30 minutes. However, the T725's "multi-bay design" means that it can "configured with a super-multi drive or with an internal battery for about 16-hour runtimes." The T935, T725, and U745 are all set to hit the market in February, with the Q775 arriving the following the month. No word on pricing yet. Follow Pulkit on Google+ |
| North Carolina Could be Google Fiber’s Next Stop Posted: 25 Jan 2015 04:40 PM PST  A formal announcement is said to be imminent
In February 2014, Google invited 34 cities across nine U.S. metro areas to work with it to "explore what it would take to bring them Google Fiber". It was originally supposed to announce the names of the cities next in line for its Gigabit Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) service in December, but eventually chose to postpone that announcement until early 2015. Although there has yet to be any official announcement, there are reports that Google could shed light on its immediate Fiber expansion plans in the next few days. According to recent reports, an official announcement might come next week at special Google events in Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Apparently, invites for the said events have already been sent to many officials. While the purpose of these events remains unclear, many believe they will see the confirmation by Google of these two areas as the next two places to get its Fiber Gigabit internet service. This belief, of course, stems from the fact that both figure on the list of likely candidates for the next leg of Fiber's roll out. Industry sources that Research Triangle, NC-based tech publication WRALTechWire say the service is headed to the Triangle and "construction could begin as early as April", with Google said to be seeking bids for the construction of the fiber network. Follow Pulkit on Google+ |
