Microsoft updates three key Windows 8 applications

Today Microsoft announced that several of the core Windows 8 applications that ship with the operating system will be updated to include a slew of new features. In the estimation of TNW, these updates bring the Mail, Calendar, and People to the level of 1.0, in that they are now featured to the point of being complete.

The following updates will begin to roll out starting this evening, or tomorrow morning depending on your region. If you don’t see the new code now, sit tight, and expect in the next few days. Now, to the updates. We’ll do this in three tranches.

Mail

The Mail application in Windows 8 has never been loved, given that when compared to the plethora of email applications – both web-based and desktop-built – it is out-kicked in terms total features. However, with today’s update, it garners a number of improvements that better it.
Filtering has been improved, as has search; when you search, you can now better find emails that are on the server. This will save you time in terms of loading past messages. The application will still only cache so much on your devices, bu you won’t be stuck hunting as long as you were before.
The following list details, via Microsoft, the changes:

Create, rename, and delete folders.
Flag messages and view all flagged messages.
Filter for unread messages and choose when messages are marked as unread.
Sync faster and more reliably.
Search for mail on the server.
Get easier access to search and printing.
Mark messages as junk mail.
See smart contact suggestions when composing a message.
Add, edit, and delete links when composing a message.
Edit bulleted or numbered lists more easily when composing a message.
Paste in formatted content from other apps more reliably.
Save senders as new contacts.
Read and compose rights-managed messages.
Delete all messages in a folder or mark them as read in one action.
Manage draft messages more efficiently.
Send email from your outlook.com alias.

If you are an everyday user of Mail, those updates will solve a number of headaches that you most certainly dealt with.
Allow me the following analogy: Just as Windows Phone 8 fully featured Windows Phone as an operating system, in terms of its feature set, so too does this update bring Mail into the common core of what might be expected from a message mail applications.

Calendar

You can now see a full work week quickly. You can also now forward invitations, and bring up a shared calendar view of every meeting attendee to see their combined scheduling openings. Now, when you must schedule a meeting – don’t – you can pick a time in which everyone can actually make the appointment.
Calendar isn’t Outlook’s ability to schedule, but that isn’t to say that now it isn’t useful. Sure, we all use Google Calendar, but for the Windows 8 using population, the following updates will be more than useful:

Find appointments more easily with updated visuals and improved readability.
See your work week at a glance.
See current time in day and week views and when Calendar is snapped.
Check the availability of meeting attendees.
Forward meeting invitations.
Send email to all meeting attendees.
Choose more recurrence options.
Set end dates for recurring events.

We now move to the People hub to wrap this set of updates. Keep this in mind: If you are a daily Windows 8 user, the above and below set of improvements will boost your quality of life. However, they are not an argument to move to Windows 8 itself; if you have a perfect setup, ask yourself if it actually is, and secondly, if this is what you need.

People

Finally, Microsoft has updated the People hub of Windows 8. Key to this update is the ability to post to a contact’s Facebook wall inside of the People hub itself. Microsoft didn’t drop nine-figures into the company to not rock a bit of functionality, right?
The People hub has always been a mess, with a wandering interface and seemingly disparate – your fuel per distance will differ – information streams. This fix will highlight Facebook in your efforts. That’s not a negative. Facebook remains the key social network online.
Here’s the new features:

See information from your Exchange global address list.
Filter your What’s new feed by social network.
Post to your friend’s Facebook wall.
Navigate to People sections more easily.

It’s key to realize that the above applications fall under the ‘communications’ set of Windows 8 core applications. The Appex apps built by Bing are separate. Keep them distinct mentally. Now, go and see if you have the new code.

VIA | TheNextWeb

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oCam Makes Capturing Screenshots & Screencasts A Snap

Windows only lets you take full-screen screenshots out of the box, and its built-in screencasting tool doesn’t even output a standard video file. oCam is a free utility that solves both of these problems.
oCam overlays a green box on your screen that you can resize and move as you see fit. The capture button below the box will take a screenshot of the selected area and place it in an oCam folder inside of My Documents. If you need to do some tech support for relatives, the record button will start recording a screencast within the green box, and you can even choose from a variety of video codecs. It’d be great to see oCam add some cloud uploading options, but it’s still a huge step up from Windows’ built-in tools.

VIA | addictivetips.com

 

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An Early Build of Windows Blue has Leaked

An early build of Microsoft’s rumored Windows Blue OS has started popping up on file sharing sites, bringing with it some minor tweaks to the Windows experience.
You’ll come away disappointed if you were hoping for a radical departure from Windows 8. In fact, it’s probably better to think of this as a Windows 8 service pack than a new OS. You’ll be able to choose from some new Live Tile arrangements and color schemes, as well as a Snap View for running two apps side by side. The most noteworthy addition is the built-in Internet Explorer 11 browser, but it’s not yet clear what changes are present.
If you want to try installing it yourself, the leak is referred to as “Build 9364,” and it’s making the rounds on most file sharing sites. Otherwise, you can find a ton of screenshots on the Polish Winforum site linked below.
Dyskusja o Windows Blue | Winforum.eu

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Google is indeed working on an Android powered smartwatch?

It’s a rumor we’ve heard before. Google isn’t content with Glass being the only form or wearable Google technology and will soon introduce another piece of jewlery, an Android powered smartwatch. Back in October of last year, we saw a patent filed by Goog’s from back in 2011 giving us a clear look at their plans for a smartwatch. More than a simple “smartwatch,” the patent filing showed a device similar to Glass with a mounted camera and even a clear flip cover for displaying augmented reality type information in the real world. Pretty much like Glass, but on your wrist.

Tonight, The Financial Times is confirming Google’s plans to release a smartwatch, this coming from their own inside source familiar with the matter. Other than that, we know little more other than this is not the same smartwatch Samsung recently mentioned in their plans to beat Apple to the punch (it’s been rumored that Apple will announce their own smartwatch in a few months time).
When it comes to Google’s smartwatch, don’t let that their patent filing get your hopes too high. Right now, everything is still hearsay and it’s entirely possible many of the ambitious augmented reality features in the watch were scrapped in favor of Glass. Whatever they’re working on, it’s big enough for Google to call in the big guns. They’ve recently recruited the once Apple fanboy Guy Kawasaki to help with their smartphone division, while Andy Rub tackles bigger fish in their X Labs.
via Phandroid

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More People Have Cell Phones Than Toilets

Yes, just think about it, it’s easier to put a phone in someone’s hand than it is to build a proper sanitation system. According to a UN report, 6 of 7 billion people in the world have cell phones, while just 4.5 billion have access to a toilet or latrine.

While that might seem like an apples to oranges comparison, the contrast is interesting and somewhat alarming. It’s exactly why the Bill Gates is trying to build a new toilet that’s a better fit for developing countries. And considering today is World Water Day, it’s something to think about. Quartz points out that in Indonesia, for example, it’s pretty normal to see someone in a metal roofed shack without a bathroom checking Facebook on a phone. And though many countries’ governments aren’t responding to basic needs in terms of infrastructure, tech companies will damn well get phones in people’s hands.
Around 1.1 billion people live in countries where defecating in the open is still a very common practice. It can cause diarrhea and other illnesses that kill about 4,500 children a day, and the countries where open defecation is most prevalent have the highest fatality rate for kids under five, the highest poverty levels and the biggest wealth disparities. But they have cell phones.
Not that cell phones are necessarily a bad thing, because they also give people access to information about proper sanitation. The UN is working to improve the situation—it says since 1990, 1.8 billion people have gotten access to better sanitation. And while that situation is not going to fix itself over night, it’s worth drawing attention to.
via Gizmodo via Quartz

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Visual.ly sends you weekly Web metric reports as infographics

The core raison d’être of infographics is to make otherwise complex information easier to parse. And that is exactly what Visual.ly Google Analytics Report does with your valuable Web traffic data.
When you first sign-in (the sign-up process is swift, if you’re new to this), you’ll be asked to select which Google Account you wish to associate with. Once in, you’ll be asked to select which site from that account you wish connect with. It takes a moment to load, then you’ll see a large infographic splayed across your screen on the right, with the option to sign up for weekly reports on the left. It’s worth noting here that a monthly (or longer) report option would be great here, as not every website owner wishes to track changes on a weekly basis. Similarly, a daily option would perhaps be a good addition for those really looking to keep tabs on their traffic.
Read more: thenextweb.com

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10 New Android Apps Worth Checking Out This Week

New apps need lovin’ too, right? Every day there are thousands of new entries on the Google Play store, but many go unnoticed and never receive the attention they deserve. Browse our new Android app picks below and let us know which ones you enjoy.

MathStep

Pitch: MathStep is a symbolic pocket calculator with a complete CAS (Computer Algebra System) built-in. That means that it can solve math problems for you! It has an expression editor with a live preview and even gives you hints to solving a problem by yourself for some operations.

Map of the Internet

Pitch: Map of the Internet is a 3D visualization of all the networks worldwide that are interconnected to form the Internet. The map shows ISPs, Internet exchange points, universities, and other organizations that route traffic online.

SO.HO

Pitch: SO.HO is an Android launcher that brings your Facebook and Twitter feeds to life visually on your homescreen. Just unlock your phone and you can switch easily between Twitter and Facebook without having to dive in and out of different apps. With SO.HO on your homescreen you never miss what’s going on.

GameFront

Pitch: Game Front’s “Video Walkthroughs, Game Guides & Cheats” app is the first and only free video walkthrough library available in the app store! It’s a perfect, one-of-a-kind couch companion for any gamer. Updated daily, the app is packed with helpful videos showing: cheats, achievements, trophies, unlockables and full game walkthroughs for dozens of top AAA games like Skyrim, Black Ops 2 and Halo 4.

SnipSnap

Pitch: Toss out the scissors and let your Android camera do the clipping. Simply snap a picture of any printed offer, and SnipSnap magically converts all the text, images and barcodes into a mobile-optimized offer, which you can redeem off your screen.

BatteryGuru

Pitch: Snapdragon BatteryGuru extends battery performance and improves overall user experience by intelligently making changes that optimize Snapdragon device functionality. Available as a Beta release at this time, Snapdragon BatteryGuru supports a majority of Snapdragon powered devices in North America and European Union at this time and we are working rapidly to support additional Snapdragon powered devices and regions in the coming months.

Best Android Apps

Pitch: Stop sifting through all those apps, get the best apps and games sent to you with a beautiful and curated app guide. Apps are conveniently sent to you for quick access. There is a lot of information provided with each such as pros and cons, an in-depth review and advice on whether you should download or buy an app. It’s easy to build your own list of favorite apps and you can share with friends & family on social media or even by text message.

Buzz Launcher

Pitch: Buzz Launcher is a new concept launcher which enables you to apply others’ Homescreens to your own smartphone. Download Homescreens best suited for your taste and preferences via Homepack Buzz Service. Homescreens will be applied instantly. Don’t you want to share your awesome Homescreen with others? Share it now! Friends all around the world will be excited to check out your Homescreen.

CamWeather

Pitch: Welcome to CamWeather, the first app for Android that allows you to combine the local weather and the city name with a beautiful picture to show off to your friends. From Barcelona to Paris, from London to New York, from Bangkok to Tokyo: amaze your friends with incredible pictures with an extra touch of class!

Movie Twist

Pitch: Movie Twist is the first real Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered movie search and exploration app, therefore offering many different tools to make it easy to discover movies. We have chosen a new approach based on detailed profiles of the movies, integrated with a bunch of AI technologies that enable new and flexible approaches to finding movies to watch. You can use the explore tool, setting parameters for aspects such as loving, funny, violent, thrilling, and clever, and/or set genre, and/or set details about aspects such year, drugs, pace and so on.


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