Microsoft updates Mail, Calendar and People apps on Windows 8

Microsoft has updated native apps for Windows 8 including the Mail, Calendar, and People apps. The apps can be updated through the Windows Store and users can just tap or click on the "Updates" link that appears in the top right-hand corner of the Windows Store to install the updates.

The Mail app update brings the ability to create and delete folders directly within the app and select all items within a folder and move them (or delete them all). It also lets users flag emails and flagged emails show in the inbox (or any other folder) and in a "Flagged" folder within the Mail app. The features can be used via app commands by swiping from the bottom or top of the screen or by right-clicking with a mouse.

Following the update, the Mail app will also remember and suggest contacts that users email regularly. Draft messages will now appear at the top of the user's inbox, and when replying to an email, the draft will show up within the email conversation.

The compose email screen has also been updated to enable users to easily add, edit, and delete hyperlinks and edit bulleted or numbered lists in email messages.
Microsoft claims that the Mail app also works a lot better in keeping the format of content pasted into an email message from web pages, Microsoft Word documents, and other apps.

The Mail app only keeps email messages within a two-week timeframe by default but users can change that setting. Users can also now search for email on the server.

The changes apply to both personal and work email accounts and the app now supports reading and composing rights-managed email messages. It will also pull contacts from a Microsoft Exchange global address list and will provide contact information from Exchange.

The calendar app has been updated visually to make calendars easier to read and instead of the solid blocks of colors, a small bar on the left of each appointment reflects the color code. A new "Work week" view has also been added. The Calendar app now supports forward of meeting invitations, sending email to all meeting attendees, choosing more recurrence options for reoccurring meetings or events and set end dates for recurring events.

The People app update brings easier navigation and users can now navigate the People app by swiping from the top (or right-clicking via there mice) to bring up the app commands. The app also sports a new navigation menu at the top that allows users to easily toggle between their profile where they can post status updates and Tweets and another view where they can check out what friends are posting on the "What's new" feed. The app also supports posting to Facebook friends' Facebook wall, in addition to bringing the ability to filter "What's new" feed by social network.

It's worth noting that the update also removes Google Sync support and all Gmail accounts will be switched to the IMAP protocol, while Google contacts will be added through CardDAV protocol.

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Microsoft, Spotify, The Echo Nest team up on MixShape

Application plays virtual deejay, creating the ultimate playlist and visual display based on the user's mood.

A look at MixShape.

A triumvirate of companies have come together to deliver a new way of handling playlists, both in the browser and through Spotify.
Microsoft, Spotify, and a "music intelligence" start-up named The Echo Nest announced yesterday the launch of a visual playlist tool called MixShape. The feature allows users to toss their Spotify playlists of up to 300 tracks into MixShape and come away with a finely tuned playlist, complete with visual display. MixShape analyzes the tracks and creates a mix for the "optimal flow between songs." That flow depends on the "mood" the user selects, which, at this time, is limited to romance, party, work, or exercise.

Microsoft's presence in the deal means MixShape was designed to work with touch-enabled devices running Windows 8. The feature works across other operating systems and browsers, but the experience isn't as visually impressive.
I tried MixShape out on my Mac running Chrome. The feature works as advertised and you can maneuver your mouse around the page to pick songs and modify the "mood." MixShape also lets users export their playlists to Spotify.
MixShape officially launched in the U.K. today. It's still accessible, however, where Spotify is available.

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Facebook's Plan B: New ads in News Feed

The social network, currently under pressure to grow revenue, is now letting advertisers run a more familiar, albeit less holistic, ad type in the News Feed.

 

Move over, Sponsored Stories, you've got company. Facebook today announced that advertisers would be able to pitch members directly from the News Feed with less holistic messages that direct people outside of the social network's walled garden. The launch, which Facebook is calling a "small alpha test," brings Facebook Exchange-targeted (FBX) ads, which are special ad units served to members based on their online browsing behavior, to the desktop version of News Feed for the first time.
"We wanted to give advertisers and agencies the opportunity to deliver highly relevant ads in News Feed, the most engaging place on the Web," the company wrote in a blog post. "We also believe that ads delivered through FBX will create more relevant ads for people."
The addition of the ad unit will not change the total number of ads people see in their News Feeds, the company said.

 

Previously, Facebook allowed advertisers to run FBX-delivered ads on the right-hand side on the desktop. This unit's format, called "Page post link ads" in Facebook speak, is more familiar to traditional display ad buyers than Facebook's own native ad unit, the Sponsored Story, because advertisers can tap their own user intent data for targeting purposes and direct people to outside landing pages, instead of Facebook Pages, for conversion-tracking.

The introduction of FBX-delivered ads to News Feed, albeit small to start, feels like Facebook's Plan B revenue-growth strategy. Sponsored Stories in News Feed, on both Web and mobile, sure sounded like the company's Plan A, especially the way Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg talked about the units, which offer Facebook Page owners increased exposure for their content, in post-earnings calls with investors and analysts. In October, the company exclaimed that it was making $4 million a day from the in-stream, Sponsored Story placements by the end of the third quarter 2012.
But since the social network reported fourth-quarter earnings in late January, and stayed mum on revenue from News Feed ads, investors have been increasingly skeptical of the company's ability to grow revenue as it spends more. The stock has slid backward, down about $6 per share, or 20 percent, since it closed at $31.24 on Wednesday, January 30.
Investors haven't exactly rallied around today's reveal, but Facebook's shares are trading up by a few cents Tuesday. Perhaps there's something to this Plan B.

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Microsoft acknowledges Windows Blue, announces next Build conference

Company reveals more about "Blue," sets Build conference for June.

 

Microsoft finally has come clean about its "Blue" code name for upcoming Windows tech, while also announcing its next Build Conference.
Microsoft is "working ... on plans to advance our devices and services, a set of plans referred to internally as Blue," the company said in The Official Microsoft Blog today.
Microsoft quickly qualified this by saying that the "chances of products being named thusly are slim to none."
These plans are expected to manifest as improvements and refinements to Windows in a variety of devices, ranging from phones to tablets to servers.

In Windows 8, that may include changes in personalization (appearance of Metro interface), desktop-style multitasking (tile size, placement), ease of use (easier access to Control Panel), sound recording, a new version of Internet Explorer -- and even simple tweaks, like how Windows 8 is shut down.
The Blog also reiterated a big change in Microsoft's strategy, which the author Frank Shaw describes as "a fundamental shift in our business from a software company to a devices and services company."
Redmond also announced the the next Build conference. Build 2013 is slated for June 26-28 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif., Microsoft said.
Not surprisingly, Build will be about "what's next for Windows," including Windows Server, Windows Azure, and Visual Studio.

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eBay tests new program to sell your items to Goodwill

A new test program dubbed "Sell it Forward" rewards you with 50 percent of the selling price on certain items sent to Goodwill via eBay.

 

Have a used item you don't think will sell on eBay? A new program could still fill your pockets with half the proceeds.
Recently launched on a test basis, "Sell it Forward" lets you send your used items to eBay in a free, postage-paid bag. From there, the auction site hands them over to the San Francisco Bay Area branch of Goodwill Industries. If Goodwill can unload the items within 14 days, you score a 50 percent cut of the sales price, which is sent to your PayPal account. If not, you get a receipt for a donation that you can use for tax purposes.
The program has a few caveats, according to the Sell it Forward FAQ page.
eBay seems most interested in "fashion items," such as clothes, shoes, and handbags. Brand-name products are most likely to sell, at long as they're in new, like-new, or good condition. Items that are unusuable and can't be resold are instead donated directly. But other types of items qualify as well.

eBay provides a list of items that are restricted or prohibited, while Goodwill describes the items that it can't accept.
For now, Sell it Forward is open only to people in the San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin counties in California. eBay said it hopes to expand to other locations soon.
A spokesman for the company told CNET that results from the test as well as customer input will determine the future of the program. For now, people who sign up for Sell it Forward will be alerted once it's available in their area.

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Google Translate app for Android gets offline support

The newest feature in Google's Translate app translates your words for you, even with no data connection.

Offline translation is now available for Google Translate for Android.

Google today added offline language support to the Google Translate app for Android.

Available for devices running Android 2.3 Gingerbread and up, the new feature provides translation in 50 languages, even where a data connection is not present. To enable the offline capabilities on your device, simply download and install your desired language packs.
While Google is quick to admit that the offline results pale in comparison with the online version, it should still help when you find yourself hiking in the Andes mountains.
Those interested in kicking the tires on the new app experience are encouraged to head to Google Play, where you can download Google Translate for free.
Samsung, for its part, recently introduced a similar translation app for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4. Dubbed S Translator, it can be embedded in e-mail, messaging, and ChatOn, or function as a standalone tool.

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Google Maps boosts live transit in NYC, D.C., and Salt Lake City

The Web giant's mapping feature now boasts live departure times or service alerts in three new U.S. metropolitan areas.

Google Maps now provides live transit information in seven New York subway lines.

(Credit: Google)

Working to keep an edge on the mapping front, Google announced today that it's boosting Google Maps' live transit feature. Now, users can see several subway and bus live departure times in New York and Salt Lake City and service alerts for Washington, D.C.'s Metrorail.
"We want to make sure you have access to the most comprehensive, accurate, and useful information when you're on the go -- and that includes public transportation," Soufi Esmaeilzadeh, Google Maps partnership development manager, said in a blog post today. "With these updates -- part of the millions of live transit schedule updates we process every day -- you get instant access to the latest information right on Google Maps, making trip planning a cinch."
Seven of New York's subway lines now have the live departure time feature, while various tram and bus lines in the greater Salt Lake City area have it. Washington doesn't yet have live departure information, but users can see live service alerts, delays, and scheduled track work.

Google Maps says that it now has transit information for 25 countries around the world. This includes pick-up locations, estimated travel time, and fare cost for 800 cities. This is up from last August when the Web giant reached a milestone of charting 1 million public transport schedules in 500 cities worldwide. Google Maps has been working on mapping out the world's transit structures for several years now. In 2008, it included public transport in New York; in 2009 it included voice search with its transit planner; and last year it started providing live transit updates for a handful of cities in the U.S. and Europe.
Microsoft's Bing rolled out public transit directions to its Maps feature in 2010. Apple, however, has yet to add public transportation to its mapping app. The company banished the Google Maps native app with the debut of iOS 6 last September, but in December, Google released a standalone iOS app available for download.

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Today`s quotes

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.”

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Benefits of long internships

Academic institutions must facilitate longer internship programmes to increase scope of employment among students

A successful internship can result in a pre-placement offer even before the student leaves the campus. It can also give the recruiter the impression that the candidate has invested in learning through experience, and is not just a rote learner. It’s an important phase between a student’s in-class learning and real world challenges. More and more colleges and universities are facilitating summer training/internship programmes as part of their course curriculum.
Times have changed, and employers are no longer looking at just academic achievements, but also at the candidate’s prior work experience or equivalent training. In various TimesJobs.com Boardroom dialogues, industry experts from various verticals have said that ‘long internships’ are one of the ways that the talent challenge can be addressed. In spite of having top grades and showcasing leadership qualities while in college, some students repetitively fail to impress their potential employers. Reason being, they don’t have hands-on experience that an internship facilitates.
Internships come in different formats – some are paid, others are not. Some will allow the trainee to take up bigger projects from day 1; others will take time in assessing the work and accordingly pass on responsibilities. Most of industry internships last from a month to three months. However, academic institutions are responding to the industry’s need and some insist on longer training or internship periods.  Institutions now realise that students tend to learn more from field experience than from routine classroom exercises.
Benefits

• Enables students to understand the industry at the ground level
• Students get to know the organisation’s culture
• Understanding their own job profile and the firm’s functioning
• How their academic learning can be applied in the real job
• Gives the organisation quality time to comprehend and better the comfort level in terms of working with other employees
• Post internship when the candidate rejoins the firm, ample time and cost is saved in the internal training process

Hamsaz Vasunia, VP – HR, DCB Bank, says, “We encourage all departments to identify internship projects. Our internships are for as less as 1 month and as long as 6 months. We have instances where the intern was working in a particular project and was later hired to manage the project.” From the company’s point of view, this is an important practice. The more they get efficient interns, easier it becomes for them to make a choice and offer employment. Instead of bringing fresh candidates on board and spending huge amount of money in their training, companies can readily get trained employees from these internship programmes. Retaining an employee post internship is far easier than retaining someone with zero industry training.
Ashwin Ajila, Founder & MD, iNurture Education Solutions, says, “Most of the industry reports on employability gap states breach in three areas namely: inadequate soft-skills, irrelevant academic learning and candidate’s inability to apply academic learning to his job.” Experts also say that internships determine an employee’s retentiveness and it needs to be for a period of 6 months.
In many cases, students who are sent on shorter internship programmes end up gaining limited training and are unable to finish projects. In this case, by the time the organisation and the trainee gets the hang of the assigned work and about to get comfortable, it is time for the trainee to resume his college classes. Therefore, it is essential that colleges and organisations come together and start offering longer internships to the students. Vasunia opines, “Academia gives you largely a theoretical dimension. Thus, an extended internship goes a long way in giving it a practical sheen.” She also adds that a year’s experience prior to an MBA or working during your college summers can make a huge difference.
It’s important that interns don’t use this as a check-box activity to clear their MBA. They need to use this opportunity to learn much more than the assigned tasks. Excelling in classroom assignments will get you a good degree, but completion of summer internships will go a long way in preparing you for the industry and eventually fetching you a suitable job.

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Interview of the Day: ‘E-commerce is creating huge opportunities for Indian businesses’

Faraz Ahmed, General Manager, PayPal, Southeast Asia and India

E-commerce is creating huge opportunities for Indian businesses, especially when it comes to cross-border trade and selling to the world. Today, more and more businesses are making use of technology and innovation to explore further growth opportunities, open new revenue streams and increase their profitability by reaching out to millions of global customers. 
With approximately 25% of PayPal’s business being cross-border trade, we are focused on enabling Indian merchants to go global and ultimately boost India’s economic growth. We found that in 2012, PayPal merchants in India were seizing cross-border opportunities in traditional export markets, seeing an increase in growth in USA (20%), UK (12%), Australia (31%), Canada (17%) and Germany (16%).  PayPal’s Indian merchants also grew their overall sales last year exporting to emerging markets like Israel (112%) and Russia (71%), as well as China (38%), South Africa (31%) and Singapore (20%).
What this represents is a call to action for more businesses in India to recognise the benefits of e-commerce and get online.
How do online payment platforms like PayPal facilitate Indian start-ups to expand their ventures into global market?
Building a business in today’s hypercompetitive market is tough and smart entrepreneurs will tell you that choosing the right business and technology partners will make the journey that much easier. With more consumers realising the convenience and choices available online, the need to have a secure and easy-to-use online payment platform in place has never been more important, especially for entrepreneurs and SMEs.
India has over 30 million micro and small and medium enterprises and online payment platforms like ours is committed to helping them grow by leveraging the power of e-commerce which gives them a level playing field when competing with larger export houses.
Are Indian SMEs leveraging the growth of e-commerce? And, where do you see this trend going in future?
By setting up their businesses online, SMEs can reduce their cost structures, streamline operations to enhance productivity, and most importantly, increase their sales through entry into new markets. We are seeing more and more SMEs leveraging on the opportunities e-commerce presents. To reinforce the message that the time is right for Indian SMEs to take advantage of online cross-border trade, the Federation of Indian Exporters Organisation (FIEO), the apex body of Indian exporters, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PayPal and eBay in April 2012. Through joint seminars, webinars and workshops with FIEO, this partnership seeks to help even the smallest of Indian retail exporters realise the e-commerce opportunity and how to best harness it to their advantage.
As commerce becomes 24/7 and the popularity of online shopping grows around the world, we expect more SMEs to realise this golden opportunity to leapfrog their international counterparts and take their businesses to the next level.

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3 super foods help your skin look younger

3 super foods help your skin look younger

Blueberries
This little berry has so many health benefits that we don't know where to start. Its rich vitamin C content aids blood circulation and provides minerals and salts, which help the body to fight ageing. Also, as it is high in potassium — found in all fruits and veggies — fluid balance in cells is regulated, thus combating puffiness and fluid retention.

Avocado
Everyone loves avocados, which is good news. They are high in vitamin E and are a rich source of skin-protective antioxidants, essential for glowing skin and shiny hair. These wonder fruits also have a high folate content, which is important for skin cell regeneration and will give you a more youthful complexion.

Kidney beans
Pulses, particularly kidney beans, are packed with fibre, potassium and zinc. All these help to reduce cholesterol and protect against heart disease. But their big winner is protein: weight-dried beans contain as much protein as fillet steak, but have more health benefits. Add cold to a salad or include any time you make a vegetable chilli.

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Chennai Super Kings set to drop Sri Lankan recruits

Paceman Kulasekara is a vital cog in the CSK wheel, while Dhananjaya is an offspinner who was picked during this year's auction.

CHENNAI: Chennai Super Kings are set to drop their two Sri Lankan recruits - Nuwan Kulasekara and Akila Dhananjaya - for the entire sixth edition of the Indian Premier League starting on April 3.

It is seen as a compromise formula to appease the Tamil Nadu government, who are not in favour of Sri Lankan sportspersons playing in the state following the current political unrest.

One is given to understand that the IPL commission is not in a position to ask the franchises to drop their Sri Lankan players for matches to be played in Chennai, which also include two eliminators. However, two-times champions CSK, on their own, can drop their Lankan players.

Paceman Kulasekara is a vital cog in the CSK wheel, while Dhananjaya is an offspinner who was picked during this year's auction. But the CSK bosses are ready to 'sacrifice' both the players for the full season so that the IPL matches stay in Chennai.

Their first home match is against Mumbai Indians on April 6 and preparations have already began. "It will be a logistical nightmare if the matches go out of Chennai at this stage," an IPL insider said.

Apart from the CSK duo, leading Sri Lankan players like Kumar Sangakkara, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Matthews, Ajantha Mendis and Mahela Jayawardene are part of other franchises.

"Sangakkara is the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad while Malinga is the key bowler for Mumbai Indians. It's not fair for the IPL commission to ask the teams to drop such players for crucial games in Chennai," the source added.

Meanwhile, BCCI president N Srinivasan hoped that the issue will be sorted out ahead of the tournament. "These are operational matters. I don't want to get into this issue.

The IMG (event manager) and the IPL will look at it and decide. The government of Tamil Nadu is capable of handling the law and order situation. I feel these issues will get sorted out," Srinivasan said.

It's understood that the BCCI president is likely to have a meeting with the state government representatives very soon over the issue.

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Did BCCI chief Srinivasan save MS Dhoni's job?

"The constitution of the BCCI does say that the president has to approve the national team," Srinivasan said.

NEW DELHI: MS Dhoni might be on Cloud Nine now, but he came close to losing his captaincy in January 2012, had BCCI president N Srinivasan not stepped in.

Following the 0-4 loss in the Test series to Australia, the selectors were all set to remove him from captaincy for the tri-series that was to follow, when Srinivasan intervened. "It is not proper to discuss selection matters.

But the constitution of the BCCI does say that the president has to approve the national team," Srinivasan said in a television interview on Monday.

In a meeting in Chennai, the selectors had finalised Virat Kohli's name for captaincy for the tri-series involving India, Australia and Sri Lanka, when Srinivasan stepped in.

It's understood that there was a heated debate between Mohinder Amarnath, the then North Zone selector, and Srinivasan, following which the decision was overturned. Amarnath, later, paid the price, losing his post in the selection committee after which he went public on the issue.

Reacting to murmurs that Dhoni should be relieved of captaincy in the shorter formats now, Srinivasan said: "The selectors are there to take a call. We have an experienced group of selectors. It is for them to decide.

But personally I feel that Dhoni is discharging the duties (captaining in all three formats) well."

Dhoni's batting, too, came in for a special mention when Srinivasan said that "the innings he played in the Chennai ODI against Pakistan in a losing cause was brilliant."

"During this season, his innings against England (99 at Nagpur) and the double hundred against Australia were game-changers. He has always been an outstanding player. He gave us two World Cups. He is a very experienced captain.

Everybody will agree that given the glorious uncertainties of cricket, Dhoni has sailed well," he said. He also said that the Board was behind the captain when the team was going through a rough phase.

"All the Indian players are aware that the board is behind them. The BCCI has given confidence to the players that they should play their game. We will watch their back."

KEEPING THE FAITH
When the world around him was falling apart and some selectors wanted to sack him as skipper, BCCI president N Srinivasan put his foot down and gave Dhoni his vote of confidence. While the 4-0 win over Australia has undoubtedly revived his leadership, life was far from being a bed of roses for the man till very recently.

April 2, 2011
A storeyed and emotional World Cup campaign comes to the most dramatic end when the skipper hits the winning runs in the final against Sri Lanka to end a 28-year wait. He's proclaimed as the 'Miracle Worker' and the master of his own destiny.

June 2011
Captains India to a 1-0 Test series win against West Indies, but earns flak for pulling out of a chase in Dominica when the team could have made it 2-0.

July 2011
Embarks on a disastrous tour of England where the players are under prepared and unfit and loses key players like Zaheer Khan to injury. The fabled Indian batting, barring Rahul Dravid, flops and the bowlers resemble a club-class outfit as India lose 0-4.

October-December 2011
Stars with the bat in a comprehensive whitewash over England in the ODIs and registers a thumping 2-0 win over West Indies at home in Tests.

January-February 2012
Leads India to another 0-4 humiliation in Australia and the team fails to make the finals in the Tri-series there. Reports of rifts between him and some senior players emerge after his rotation policy fails miserably.

March 2012
Leads team to Bangladesh to defend the Asia Cup, but defeat to the hosts means team doesn't even make the finals.

November 2012
India lose a home series to England for the first time in 28 years and that too after winning the first Test. Throughout the series, his captaincy is branded as poor and defensive. His frequent run-ins with curators too is criticised.

December 2012
Post the defeat to England, it emerges that selectors had thought about sacking him in Australia itself and were keen on elevating Virat, but were stopped by BCCI chief N Srinivasan. Mohinder Amarnath spills the beans on national TV. Some experts even moot split captaincy for India.

January 2013
Loses ODI series at home to Pakistan which triggers huge speculation about his future as captain.

February 2013
Is named as skipper for the Test series vs Australia. Plays a blinder in the first Test which paves the way for a 4-0 series win. His pro-active, dynamic leadership is lauded.

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Etisalat launches eLife TV iPad app offering 150 live channels

The UAE's telecom giant Etisalat has launched its eLife TV iPad app that will allow subscribers to watch more than 150 live TV channels on their iPad or computers whether at home or on the move.eLife TV on iPad and computers includes live streaming of more than 150 live TV channels. Customers can also get "rented on demand" movies.
Another great feature is that customers can also tweet from within their eLife TV iPad app and web app about live TV programmes that they are watching. They can also post it on their Facebook page and share it with their friends.
Rashed Majed Al Abbar, Etisalat's vice president of home product marketing, said "We noticed that our customers are now spending more time on their tablets and personal computers. This led us to develop this new app that extends the superb eLife TV experience even to subscribers on the move."

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Microsoft builds toward Windows Blue releases

There's more confirmation (if you needed/wanted it) that Microsoft is readying Blue builds of Windows RT and Windows Server.

 

It shouldn't be too much of a surprise to anyone who has been following the Windows Blue rumors and news, but there's now more confirmation about Microsoft's plans to release both a Windows RT version and multiple server versions of Windows Blue.
Yesterday, what appeared to bea build of Windows Blue leaked to the Web. Some called this build a "partner" build of Windows Blue. One of my trustered sources has told me that the leaked build, number 9364, is  real and is a direct internal engineering build, current as of the past week or so.
Stephen Chapman of MSFTKitchen did a teardown of the leaked bits. He discovered mentions of the following Windows Blue SKUs that are apparently in the works:

• Windows Blue RT
• Windows Blue Personal
• Windows Blue Professional
• Windows Blue Standard Server
• Windows Blue Enterprise Server
• Windows Blue Datacenter Server
• Windows Blue Web Server

As Most Valuable Professional Aidan Finn(@joe_elway) reminded me, as of Windows Server 2012, Microsoft dropped Web Server and Enterprise Server from its Windows Server line-up. So there may be shadows of the past reflected in this in-development list.  The current Win Server 2012 versions include Standard, Essentials, Datacenter and Foundation. The only thing that seems for sure is there will be multiple Win Server Blue editions, which, again, what one would expect.
Chapman's discovery means we now have further confirmation that Microsoft will be almost certainly making a Blue version of Windows RT available, alongside two new client (Personal and Professional) Windows client builds. And multiple server SKUs are coming, too.

Windows Blue client and server builds are expected to be released to manufacturing in late summer this year. There also will be a Windows Phone Blue product coming some time after that, sources have said. Microsoft officials are continuing to decline to say anything about any of the Blue releases.
While talking Blue, I wanted to point out a couple of observations from around the Web about the leaked build. As many sites have previously reported, Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) is built into Blue. Neowin noted this past weekend that IE11 may include tab-syncing functionality, which could potentially allow users to sync tabs across Windows Phone and Windows, going forward.
And as my Windows Weekly cohost Paul Thurrott (whose image of the leaked Blue build I've embedded in this post) noted, more and more of the settings that are currently built into the Windows 8 Control Panel (in the Desktop) are going Metro. Thought Microsoft definitely isn't phasing out the Desktop with Blue, it's slowly chipping away at making the Desktop less necessary for its own software and services.
It will be interesting to see when there are enough Metro-style apps to embolden the company enough to totally remove the Desktop, which allows Win32 programs to run on Windows 8. I'd bet that won't be any time soon, myself.

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Windows 8 store hits 50,000 apps

Microsoft's Windows Store is now home to more than 50,000 apps, according to the latest stats from MetroStore Scanner.

Microsoft's Windows Store.

(Credit: Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

Windows 8 and RT users can now shop for more than 50,000 apps.
Microsoft's Windows Store hit that milestone this past weekend, according to data from MetroStore Scanner, a Web site that monitors the number of apps on the store's virtual shelves.
The Windows Store got off to a slow start when it first opened for business around a year ago. Microsoft was challenged trying to convince enough developers to design apps for the new and unproven operating system. A month before Windows 8 and RT officially launched last October, the store housed only around 2,000 apps.

But that number quickly ramped up. By the time Windows 8 launched a month later, the number of apps had risen to 8,000. The number continued to jump, reaching around 35,000 at the start of the year before adding another 15,000 since then.
Still, quantity doesn't necessarily mean quality. How many of those 50,000 apps are actually worth downloading? I've found a variety of well-designed apps that take nice advantage of the Windows 8 environment. Those include fresh, new apps as well as innovative takes on existing mobile apps. But I've also run into many that I quickly deleted after trying once.
Like Windows 8 itself, many of the apps work best on a touch-screen device, leaving traditional PC users with little or no incentive to download them.
Microsoft clearly feels the need to generate more apps. The company's latest endeavor, dubbed "Keep the Cash," rewards developers with $100 for each Windows 8 app they deliver, up to a total of 10. The promotion started earlier this month and runs until June 30.
Microsoft's challenge, however, is to fill store shelves with quality as well as quantity. What the company should offer at this point is a contest that rewards developers who design the best apps.

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Windows 8 core app updates due tomorrow

Microsoft is starting to roll out major updates to its Mail, Calendar, and People apps for Windows 8 and Windows RT. What other updates are coming and when?

 

Microsoft is set to make available to users substantial updates to at least some of its core Windows 8 and Windows RT applications this week.
Microsoft executives announced today that starting tomorrow, they'll make available via the Windows Store significant updates to the Mail, People, and Calendar apps that are built into Windows 8 and Windows RT.
For a list of all the new features that will be part of this push, check out my ZDNet colleague Ed Bott's post on the Mail/Calendar/People updates. Like many early Windows 8 and Windows RT users, I'm happy to see Mail get updates like the ability to create and delete folders and the ability to search for mail on the server, among others. Supposedly performance of all three apps is improved, even on low-power Surface RT devices.
But what about the other "core" Windows 8 and Windows RT apps -- especially Xbox Music, which has felt half-finished since it debuted as one of the bundled apps Microsoft delivered last October with Windows 8 and Windows RT? Today's blog post from the Windows services team is solely about Mail/Calendar/People. But according to one of my sources, who mentioned the coming March core-app updates, Xbox Music and the Bing AppEx applications were supposedly going to be refreshed this month, too.
There are still six more days in March, so it could happen. Or maybe these won't actually roll out until April.

I asked my original tipster whether the Xbox core-app refresh is imminent and was told that the Xbox Entertainment app team was still releasing minor internal updates over the weekend, but that they are "almost done."
The Bing AppEx team apps -- Weather, News, Sports, etc., which shipped preinstalled on Windows 8 and Windows RT -- may be poised for new updates. So far, no word from the Bing team on that, however.
Late last week, some of us took the appearance of a list of Microsoft-developed apps in the System Log on our machines to mean that the expected refreshes of all the core Windows 8/Windows RT apps were set to arrive imminently.
It turns out this may be unrelated, as Martin Geuss from drwindows.de noted over the weekend. Geuss said that all core apps are listed in the event entry on Windows 8 and Windows RT systems because all of these apps have received at least one update since Windows 8 and Windows RT were released.
Event-entry relevance aside, the expected and (hopefully) useful core-app updates are on their way.

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Oh goodie, Google+ now allows animated gifs as profile pics

Hide your eyes. The search engine's social network is embracing the lively images as profile pics on desktop and mobile

Google software engineer Matt Steiner animates his profile pic on Google+.

Everyone's favorite social network has added everyone's favorite feature. That's right, Google+ is now supporting animated gifs as profile pics. "Our gif to you. You can now use animated gifs for your profile photo," the official Google+ account announced Monday afternoon.
The animated gif profile pic performs its ceaseless looping act on both desktop and mobile, but only on profile pages. Thankfully, those who hate the lively images -- this reporter included, as you may have guessed -- won't have to endure animated avatars as friends post to the stream, save for the occasional "so and so changed his profile photo" update.
Expectedly, commenters on the announcement post are either pissed or pleased about the news. A few obligatory "awesome" comments were interspersed between several "this sucks"-like reactions.
"I thought about making one of these, and then I remembered.....I'm not an idiot," Google+ user Bill Archinal wrote in comment.
Meanwhile, Al Hunt asked whether G+ users could auto-block people using the animated gifs. And poor Carles Company Soler wondered what we've done to deserve such punishment. I'm with you, Carles.

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Facebook fixes comment threads for Pages and public figures

With conversation threads, the social network addresses a problem its most important customers experience daily: a deluge of crappy comments.

(Credit: Facebook)

Facebook today announced the release of conversation threads, a new comments feature designed to organize and structure the often unruly comment threads on Pages and high-trafficked profiles. Conversation threads, available for Page owners and public figures with 10,000 followers or more, allow people to click a "reply" button, which sits alongside the "like" button, to respond directly to an individual comment and engage in a branched-off discussion.

SportsCenter hosted a Super Bowl chat with Herm Edwards, where viewers were able to ask questions and get direct responses from the former NFL coach and player. The most active conversations during the Q&A were surfaced higher in the thread, Facebook said.

(Credit: Facebook)

The social network said that it's featuring the most active conversations atop posts, and re-odering the threads by relevance to each viewer. A Facebook member may find a particular conversation thread higher if they share connections to participants in a thread, for instance. "After months of testing, we have seen how the new feature can improve conversations and be used to start open dialogues with the community," Vadim Lavrusik, Facebook journalism program manager, wrote in a note posted to the social network.
The alteration corrects for a problem that Facebook's most important customers experience on a daily basis: a deluge of crappy comments. Brands and Facebook celebrities with hundred of thousands of followers are plagued by crummy comments, which often bury the more worthwhile nuggets posted to updates. Conversation threads partially remedy the issue and should allow brands and public figures to pinpoint and highlight the best discussions.
Facebook said the new threading feature is available only on the desktop for the time bing.

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