I saw this video tonight and had to share it with you all.
Very thought provoking and it makes you wonder about a future with all types of machines working and thinking for us.
It actually kinda ties in with our Windows 10 Internet of Things article I did the other day. If you missed that, you can read it here.
The video describes a future where machines may end up taking ALL our jobs. Fascinating.
Check out the video below.
Join the forum discussion on this post 
Welcome to our Windows 10 tutorial series.
We will be spending time walking you through the ins and outs of Windows 10.
Let’s take a look at how Windows 10 manages user accounts.
Depending on how many people use your computer, the Accounts screen in Settings is one of the more important features of the operating system.
Just see how lacking other mobile operating systems like Android and iOS are in this regard.
Not Windows, though.
Microsoft has traditionally presented very comprehensive account management options in all versions of Windows, and Windows 10 is no different. If anything, it goes beyond what previous iterations of the platform had to offer.
So anyway, in a typical family there may be a computer that more than one person uses.
It could be a PC for your children, or a tablet for your parents — or a device that the whole family uses.
If this is the case, then it is best to create a user account for each person. This ensures that settings, files and folders don’t get mixed up. Plus, with user accounts, everyone can personalize and customize the Windows environment however they want, with their apps and settings.
This screen is easy to follow, with options to manager local accounts as well as Microsoft accounts, formerly called Windows Live ID.
These accounts can either have administrative privileges, and those that don’t are usually considered standard user accounts. There’s also a third type of user account, which is the guest account.
Your workplace and Sync settings are the two new additions in Windows 10. Other user accounts screen allows you to manage or add new user accounts.
Anytime a new Microsoft account is created, the first time that person logs in, he or she will go through a brief configuration wizard along with the introductory tutorial for Windows.
After a new user account is created, Windows also creates a new folder with the new account name in the C:Users folder. This is where all the personal files of this new user are kept. Only that user, and administrators have access to this folder.
And finally, changing the name of a user account is only possible for local accounts in Windows 10.
Join the forum discussion on this post Thanks to the recent Lenovo debacle, more of the consumer industry has become aware of the unwanted applications that come preinstalled on almost every available PC. This is not a new thing, by any means. Who remembers when it started exactly? In the early days, the software would come in the box on CDs and you could install them if you wanted. I think that's where most of the AOL CDs ended up. But, somewhere along the line, manufacturers started preinstalling those applications. At first, it was in the form of desktop shortcuts. The installation bits were included on the PC hard drive, and when you clicked on the desktop shortcut the application would allow you to opt-in to install or opt-out to have it removed. Then, the situation took a sharp spiral downward and manufacturers would just go ahead and build the PCs with images that already included the application installed. Even the recovery CDs (and later just recovery partitions on the hard drive) had the applications embedded, so that if you ever needed to restore a clean PC due to problems, those applications would reappear. So, in reality, customers never got a truly clean Windows experience. There are very few that have ever experienced a completely clean Windows environment – and that's sad. Crapware is one of the primary reasons why Windows gets a bum rap. Eliminate the crap and Windows runs great. It runs like Microsoft intended.
I've read, even recently, articles outlining how to walk through long processes to take a PC that contains crapware, wipe it clean, and then install a pristine copy of Windows. That's admirable. But, that doesn't work for the majority of people that use Windows. I would never (ever) hand those instructions to my Mom. I can do it, but I can't honestly say I know anyone in my family that could do it successfully.
Whenever I've acquired a new PC over the years, I spent the first few hours removing the crap I didn't want. But, most people don't do that. They unbox, make connections, power on, and if Facebook loads, the task is done. They see those strange applications, but just believe they are part of the system they bought and should be left alone. Plus, manufacturers make it ridiculously difficult to remove them and most consumers aren't comfortable enough digging through Windows to figure out what's good to keep and what's not.
Like I said, this is not a new situation. This type of manufacturer villainy has been happening for years. Lenovo, which actually makes great hardware, has become the poster child for "what not to do," though almost every manufacturer is guilty. So what does a normal PC user do to obtain a superbly performing PC that is free of crap?
There are three options that I'm familiar with and have used at some point in time during my PC life. They can be used to eliminate known crapware from PCs, and help create that perfect computing environment. Before you dig into a long, laborious process of wiping a PC and starting over (scary!), or suggest the process to family members, try one of the following.
Free for personal use, PC Decrapifier identifies all the programs installed on the PC, including sifting through and displaying applications that run when the computer boots, and then allows you to choose which ones to remove. Additionally, it makes recommendations which ones to remove, based on what it knows is crap and what is slowing down the computer.
For those situations where an IT admin needs to use PC Decrapifier for an office full of PCs, there's also a Pro user subscription for $25. The subscription is for one license for each IT person that wants to use it, not for each PC. So, one Pro license can be used to manage all the PCs in the entire organization.
Except for a "favorites" feature, there's literally no difference between the free and Pro versions. Both versions function the same, but if you're going to use PC Decrapifier in a business setting, supporting the developer through a subscription is just the right thing to do.
Web site: http://ift.tt/S12AS2
Malwarebytes has to be one of the more popular decrapping solutions. I've used this application probably more the rest and have had great success with it. When a PC was running slow or weird things were happening, Malwarebytes was the first application I turned to and it always located and eliminated the problems.
Malwarebytes is easy to use and does a great job searching the nooks and crannies to shine a spotlight on pieces of crapware that elude even the best applications. Granted, there are some malware that are extremely difficult to remove because they reinstall themselves on every PC boot. Malwarebytes eliminates these, too, by running during the boot process to catch the sneaky miscreants.
There's a free version and a Premium version. The Premium version costs $24.95 for 1 year/3 PCs. And, unlike PC Decrapifier there's differences between the Premium and free versions. The Premium version offers these enhancements over the free version:
Web site: http://ift.tt/pOF8UJ
Ad-aware is probably the oldest solution in the decrapping market, and was one of the first one's I ever used. Until Malwarebytes became available, I used this. Like PC Decrapifier and Malwarebytes, Lavasoft offers a free version and paid versions of Ad-aware. But, unlike the others, Ad-aware also includes real-time antivirus as part of the overall package. So, if you're not happy with your current antivirus application, you can combine antimalware (and crapware) and antivirus.
Ad-aware comes in four different versions: Free Antivirus+, Personal Security, Pro Security, and Total Security. Each version has different features. Of course, the free version has the most basic feature set which should be good enough for removing crapware, but if you need it for multiple PCs, and need additional features like file shredding and banking safety, you'll want to review the other versions.
There's a good version comparison here: http://ift.tt/JkIHOp
Of course, as you add more features, there's pricing creep that ranges from $24 to $48.
Since Lavasoft has been around for so long, you have to expect that it has the most experience in crapware removal.
Web site: http://ift.tt/nbUBnh
P.S. Per Petabites, the Lavasoft Web Companion software may suffer from the same problems introduced by Lenovo's SuperFish application. So be careful there.
@rodtrent@SSforWindows@WinObs web companion software from Lavasoft now sneaks in http://t.co/mCXdB5Fx9F Komodia SSL-interception. #AdAware
— Petabites (@WithReplies) February 28, 2015
The great thing about a free offering for each of the three products I mentioned is that you can try out each one to see if it does the job for you. The other great thing with a free solution is that you can send the download link to a family member and have them decrapify their own PC.
You can probably tell from my descriptions that my favorite is Malwarebytes. I've just had such great experiences with it, but as always l leave it to you to decide.
Know of one I'm not familiar with that you believe is the best choice? I'm always open to testing out new options that could potentially work better. Let me know.
It has been a solid week for Microsoft’s popular wearable.
The week began with last Monday’s big update that added cycling as an activity, a very functional virtual keyboard, Cortana based dictation for text replies and a Software Development Kit (SDK) for developers to build Band based apps.
With all the focus on the Band's updates one that you might have missed is an update to the desktop sync app which is also available to sync your Band’s data to the Microsoft Health portal.
In order to get the update you must attach your Band’s charging cord to your desktop computer and then attach your Band to start the charging/sync process. Once you have signed in and started a sync then you will get a prompt to update the desktop sync software.
After the update is applied your Microsoft Band Desktop Sync app will be updated to version 1.3.10218.1.
The main screen looks very much like the former one with two exceptions:
The Dashboard menu item on the left takes you to the new web based Microsoft Health portal that was announced alongside all the other updates this past week. Then, if you look closely at the image of your Band’s screen in the center, you will see a pencil/edit icon in the lower right hand corner.
Clicking that takes you to the new Personalize Band options screen to customize your Band's default colors and wallpaper. Previously these options were only available through the Microsoft Health app on Windows Phone.
This is a solid update to the desktop sync tool which makes customization very easy.
Someday I would like to see access to the Microsoft Health dashboard directly integrated into this app for even more ease of access. Who knows – maybe there is a Universal App coming soon to cover all the platforms – that would most certainly be nice addition to the suite.
Download the Microsoft Band Sync app for Windows
This week I want to highlight another Universal App that is available on Windows and Windows Phone called Tweetium for Windows.
I suspect many of you will already know about Tweetium but I wanted to highlight it for a couple of reasons.
First, it is the tool I use to interact with Twitter across all of my platforms. It is truly a Universal App in that it is pay once and use on all devices plus settings sync across your different installs as well.
Second, it was the first third party Twitter app to come up with a creative way to work within the user constraints Twitter places on them. This method will insure its development continues when Tweetium comes up against the 100,000 user token limit placed on third party apps by Twitter.
More on that later though.
Let’s get started with a look at Tweetium for Windows.
As a Universal App available through the Windows and Windows Phone app stores you pay $2.99 once and have access to the app on your phone, desktop and tablets.
Using a common code base you can see as new features or tweaks are introduced in one version of Tweetium those same features make their way to the other platforms in a very short period of time. Although Tweetium for Windows Phone has unique enhancements for a touch only device the functionality of the app is similar across all platforms. For me – that is a true hallmark of a Universal App – and something Microsoft showed off about Universal Apps during the big Windows 10 consumer event back in January.
The Tweetium for Windows apps are also one of the most actively maintained of any I have ever seen.
The developer, Brandon Paddock of B-side Software , is always interacting with users and taking onboard feedback and issues to keep the product innovative and moving ahead. There have been over 50 updates since the software was released in December of 2013 including two major version releases.
Tweetium for Windows Features:
Now – time to circle back to the innovative way Brandon is working to insure that Tweetium for Windows will continue if it hits the dreaded Twitter user token limit.
There are already numerous Twitter apps that are no longer being developed across all of the mobile platforms because they hit that token limit and their source of revenue (new users) dried up. Some of the more popular ones were Tweetro (Windows Phone), Falcon (Android) and Tweetbot (iOS).
Brandon decided early on that he would offer a universal pro subscription and bring extra features to those subscribers with the primary reason being related to the fact those features require extra cost to deliver but it also means he is diversifying the apps income stream by not being tied purely to new users which proved to be the demise of the popular Twitter apps I mentioned earlier.
Of course, in our current environment where so many people expect things for free, especially in the app world, I have seen folks protest against Brandon using a pro subscription like this but there is a reality to be understood here. For independent developers like Brandon and so many others this is their lively hood. If they put in all of these hours of work and do not get compensated for it then good developers are not going to spend their time producing quality apps.
Big companies can afford to pay a team of developers to produce apps for them and offer those apps at no cost. Unfortunately, this is part of the problem with a perception that apps should be free in all circumstances.
I am a fan of paying developers for their efforts that result in great app experiences and in my opinion Tweetium for Windows is one of those well worth the initial purchase price and the pro subscription.
Download Tweetium for Windows
Download Tweetium for Windows Phone
After my morning run, I spent my Saturday doing two things.
The first, and most important, was to give homage to Leonard Nimoy by watching all manner of Spock appearances on Netflix. The wife and I were on the way home Friday from our wedding anniversary trip when I heard the news of Nimoy's passing. Spock's character was a real influence on my life, as I know it was for many of you. The news saddened me greatly.
The second thing I did, all while keeping Star Trek TV episodes and movies streaming end-to-end, was to test out a new gadget that arrived at my doorstep early Saturday morning: the Inateck USB 3.0 to SATA External Hard Drives Docking Station.
And, I'm glad I did. It took some of the sharp edge from my sadness. Inateck makes some great products. I've reviewed no less than 10 of the company's offerings over the course of the past year which you can find littered about here on SuperSite, on myITforum.com, and over on WindowsITPro. Of all of those reviews, I've only found one I didn't like or for which I couldn't find a real world use.
The Inateck USB 3.0 to SATA External Hard Drives Docking Station is a small, light, toaster-like gadget that accepts SATA hard drives. It accepts both 2.5" and 3.5" standard SATA hard drives. It's been a long while since I've actually purchased an actual hard drive, but I'm actually now considering picking a couple up. For my testing, though, I had a couple dead laptops with the 2.5" hard drives still intact. I removed both hard drives (and manufacturer-specific mounts and guiderails) and used those.
As most of you know, I'm an avid Surface Pro 3 user (it's my only computing device), so I decided to use the Microsoft tablet so I could see how the HD docking station would work with my daily configuration.
As shown in the following image, the included items are the bare minimum. In the box is the HD docking station, a USB 3.0 cable, an AC adapter, and a very short instruction manual.
Installation is easy – no drivers needed. Connect the power supply and USB cable to the back of the HD docking station…
…connect the other end of the USB cable to the USB port on your PC or device (the Surface Pro 3, in my case)…
…push the power button on the front…
…insert a supported hard drive, and Windows recognizes it automatically.
Like I said, no drivers needed. Windows treats a docked hard drive just like any other attached USB storage device. Recognition is immediate, meaning you don’t have to wait for Windows to do anything but add a logical drive letter. And, as you can see in the image above, it even recognizes all partitions available on the hard drive. In my case above, the hard drive is from a dead HP laptop. That's why it shows a HP_RECOVERY partition.
Using the Inateck HD docking station is easy. Hard drives can be hot-swapped, but to remove each hard drive make sure to use the build-in Windows "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" option.
This ensures that data doesn't get corrupted. Because SATA drives still contain moving parts, it takes a bit for Windows to close data connections. Each of the two hard drives I tested with had different "shutdown" times. One was quick (less than 5 seconds) while I had to wait almost 30 seconds for the other.
Once Windows gives you the "all clear" message…
Tap the Eject button at the back of the HD docking station to expel the hard drive from the housing like a piece of toast.
I mentioned earlier that the HD docking station is light. It's almost too light and that may be my only "ding" against this gadget. Obviously, the lighter a gadget is, the easier it is to travel with, but in this case the construction is very thin plastic. I wouldn't feel comfortable carrying this in a carry-on bag and if I did travel with it, I'd make sure to pack it in cushiony material in my checked luggage. And, I definitely wouldn't want to drop this thing on anything but soft, forgiving carpet. Still, I'm not sure a device like this is intended for travel, but for moving around an office, or sitting permanently on a desk somewhere.
Obviously, an HD docking station like this has some real benefits.
First off, you can buy massive SATA hard drives for next to nothing. With the coming onslaught of devices with low on-board storage, but an available USB port, you can increase your storage easily and cheaply. The Inateck HD docking station supports up to 4TB. Here's some Western Digital prices for examples:
Another use, and one that worked great in my case, is as a data savior. Laptops and PC hardware can fail for a number of reasons and it's always at the wrong time and almost always the day after warranty expires. End-users have a real fear of performing proper data backups for some reason, and, of course, expect the local IT folks to be able to raise the dead. In the past, I'd have to send the hardware out to a 3rd party for data retrieval, but with the Inateck HD docking station, I could just remove the hard drive and retrieve the data.
Another potential benefit, is to create a local Cloud-type storage location where more sensitive files must exist. It's easy to use the Cloud for storage these days, but a lot of companies can't due to regulations. Or, they can use the Cloud for some things, but not for truly sensitive information. The Inateck HD docking station provides a real solution that could allow companies to take a Hybrid Cloud approach to storage.
There's a myriad of other uses, but I'll leave that to you to figure out. It's easy to realize how useful a device like this can be in a multitude of scenarios.
The Inateck USB 3.0 to SATA External Hard Drives Docking Station is a great product, with a multitude of potential uses. When I first heard this device was headed my way for testing, I thought "Meh," sounds nice, but it's not something I'll use often. But, after using it for a couple days already, the gadget has sparked my imagination and I intend on figuring out new ways to incorporate it into my daily schedule.
But, wait until you see the price.
The HD docking station is a steal for only $23.00 on Amazon. You can find it here:
Inateck USB 3.0 to SATA External Hard Drives Docking Station for 2.5 Inch & 3.5 Inch HDD SSD SATA (SATA I / II / III) Support Up to 4TB, Including USB 3.0 Cable, Optimized For SSD
Make sure to check out my other Inateck reviews and also visit Inateck's web site to learn about upcoming products: Inateck web site
Microsoft held their annual opening press conference for Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona today but overall most watchers will be disappointed with the lack of substantial news.
The event kicked off with Stephen Elop, Microsoft’s Executive VP for the Devices and Services unit, who trotted out the familiar theme of One Microsoft and One Windows experience that we have been hearing a lot of lately.
It is of course right in line with Microsoft's new focus as an apps and services company and we have certainly seen that in the way they are making all of their services available cross platform.
He mentioned very familiar phrases such as:
- Windows is our home
– Serve our customers where they work and bring them back to Windows
– Windows 10 will deeply connect it all together
– One Microsoft – work across all our products to maximize our services for customers
He did reveal that the Windows Insider program has now grown to over 2.8 million members and that more than 900,000 pieces of feedback have been submitted to Microsoft relating to Windows 10.
Next he told everyone about a new collaboration between Microsoft and AT&T called the AT&T Mobile Office Suite that brings centralized management of your Enterprise mobile connectivity. This new cloud based integrated office includes:
- Access to Office 365 including Lync, Exchange, SharePoint and Office online.
– Initiate and receive calls while using any Office 365 application
– Streamlined collaboration on nearly any device
– Choose from leading mobile devices
– Predictable costs and low-maintenance
Download the AT&T Mobile Office Suite (PDF)
Download the AT&T Voice Connection with Office 365 (PDF)
Then the official reveal of the Microsoft Lumia 640 happened with a very deliberate comment from Stephen that the phone was blue and not gold or silver. This was an obvious knock on the gold and silver devices that were announced by competitors.
Device specifications:
Lumia 640 (640 XL)
- 1GB RAM
– Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core CPU (1.2GHz)
– 5 inch screen (5.7 inch on 640 XL)
– 2500 mAh battery (3000 mAh on 640 XL)
– Dual cameras with LED flash (640 is an 8MP and 640 XL is 13MP with ZEISS optics)
– Includes Windows 8.1 but will be upgradeable to Windows 10 when it is released later this year
– LTE support on dual SIM models including Smart Dual SIM feature
– Includes 1 year subscription to Office 365 Personal (1TB of OneDrive cloud storage; 60 free Skype Unlimited Worldwide calling per month also included)
The Lumia 640 XL will be available globally starting later this month in matte cyan, orange and black along with white in both matte and glossy. Lumia 640 will be available in April and comes in glossy Cyan, orange and white along with matte black.
Both devices will be available in single and dual SIM LTE and 3G versions plus the 640 XL will have a single SIM 3G variant.
Pricing is estimated as follows:
Lumia 640
3G – 139 Euros ($155)
LTE – 159 Euros ($178)
Lumia 640 XL
3G – 189 Euros ($211)
LTE – 219 Euros ($245)
Microsoft News Center – Microsoft Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL: keeping you prepared for anything
Stephen did state that Microsoft’s plans include upgrading all Lumia phones that run Windows Phone 8.1 to Windows 10 but there will be variations in the available features depending on the hardware. He also confirmed that new hardware in the flagship category would be announced later this year.
Frankly, new high end devices will not come soon enough but it makes sense to have those be brand new Windows 10 devices instead of Windows Phone 8.1 handsets that can be upgraded to Windows 10. Otherwise users will view the device as not being true Windows 10 flagship handsets.
The next item on the agenda was a Windows Phone 10 demo by Neil Boradley including the first look at the mobile version of Project Spartan the new browser in Windows 10. The demo showed off Reading Mode that gives a distraction free experience much like that of Modern IE on Windows 8.1 or IE on Windows Phone 8.1. I did notice that all the browser controls are at the top of the screen which might make them hard to access with one hand.
Cortana was then demoed and shown how she can sync information across your various Windows devices – nothing new in this area as we have seen these things before. The universal Maps app was also shown off to emphasize the ability to sync your data and experience across devices. The mobility of the experience is a big talking point for Microsoft these days.
Next up was an Office demo from Julia White who apparently had to compete against the very loud music from Sony’s press conference next door. She did reveal a new universal mobile keyboard from Microsoft Hardware that is foldable, uses Bluetooth and can connect to all of your devices including Windows, iOS and Android. This is a nice confirmation that Windows 10 on phones will support keyboards unlike Windows Phone 8.1 and its predecessors.
The demo included things we had seen before during the January consumer event for Windows 10 including the cross platform experience with the universal apps.
She also gave a brief demo of the new Surface Hub.
Stephen returned to the stage and showed the Hololens video, most of which we have already seen back in January, and then closed things out by letting every know that a steady stream of announcements and reveals will continue throughout the year leading up to the release of Windows 10.
Just 40 minutes and it was over. In case you blinked and missed anything or maybe you did not venture out of ned early in the morning to watch the event live you can see the On Demand version of the Microsoft MWC 2015 Press Conference for yourself.
So what did you think? Are you excited about anything that came out of the press conference?
The Intel Atom CPUs are an integral part of the Windows 10 puzzle. Maybe even the most integral. These low cost chips can now be found on all manner of Windows hardware.
From budget tablets to highly affordable multimedia computers that are perfect for home theater use.
In fact, after wandering in the hardware wilderness, these processors have finally found success in the past couple of years. The Intel Bay Trail platform, in particular, brought these delightful chips to the mainstream.
But despite being a hit with hardware vendors and consumers alike, the Atom line is still confusing. Good thing, then, that the chip maker intends to change the entire naming scheme.
According to this report, Intel aims to rename and brand its upcoming Atom processors similar to how the Core series — which is essentially dividing them into Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 so as not to cause any confusion amongst buyers.
The Atom line has so many different series and naming schemes that it gets almost impossible to determine which chip is better than the other.
Hence, the Atom collection will soon be divided into the x3, x5 and x7 brands.
The Atom x3 chips are set to take position in the low end (tablets and smartphones), the Atom x5 midrange (laptops, tablets and 2-in-1 devices), and finally the flagship Atom x7 chips for more premium hardware (PCs and mobile) this year.
Welcome change, and just in the nick of time.
The next generation Intel Atom processors are set to be unveiled in March at the Mobile World Congress (MWC 2015) trade show. In a week, then.
Things seem to be going from bad to worse for the South Korean giant. Samsung smartphone market share for Q4 2014 has tumbled to the lows of just 10%. Incredible, yet, expected.
Which means that the company’s smartphone dominion is almost over.
Which also means that Samsung might have no choice but to launch a few Windows Phones to test out the waters. The company already hinted recently that it may release a handset or two powered by Windows 10 for Phones.
But as this report indicates, with mobile shipment data from Strategy Analytics, Samsung’s global smartphone market share hit these rock bottom figures.
Just a quarter, but it is perhaps the most important three months period of a year.
And then there is this talk from Reuters that Samsung is looking to freeze wages on home turf in South Korea for the first time in six year. Not confirmed by the company, but given the fact that its mobile division has experienced a descent of 60%, this may well be accurate.
Not to say that the company cannot stage a comeback from here.
But if Microsoft can deliver with Windows 10 for Phones, Samsung might not want to be left out of Windows Phone party, if it can find profits there — no one likes to leave money on the tablet, surely not a company that is under attack from all quarters in the mobile world.
This year could be interesting.
It’s that time of the year again! With MWC 2015 about to kick off, Android manufactures are about to unleash new hardware, with the Samsung Galaxy S6 being one of the more anticipated ones.
The smartphone has been in all kinds of news and leaks.
But one interesting report claims that the handset will not feature any bloatware from Samsung. If anything, it appears that Samsung has inked an agreement with Microsoft to bring their apps and services on the Galaxy S6.
Sure a bunch of S Apps will be included on the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge.
And these devices will come with packed with all the usual Google applications — as most Android powered handsets do.
However, the source reveals that Redmond will have three apps preinstalled on the phone, and these include popular choices like OneDrive, OneNote and Skype. These are set to be grouped together in a folder called Microsoft Apps.
Samsung and Microsoft have not been on the best of terms recently, with the Korean company very much pulling out of the Windows ecosystem, both on the PCs and mobile.
In fact, both were involved in a legal spat, which was settled earlier this month.
This added exposure, however, will be good for Microsoft, and bring its mobile solutions to the forefront, particularly OneDrive and OneNote.
Microsoft developed the Windows App Studio to tackle the app situation on modern Windows platforms head on. This web based system allows anyone to easily create their applications.
Applications that work on both Windows and Windows Phone.
Over the past few months, Redmond has refined the service, and people with limited programming and coding experience have crafted their apps using it. Today, the company has refreshed the popular tool with a lot of new features.
One of the most requested of changes is finally in — the Logo and Image Wizard makes it possible to upload images (in JPEG and PNG formats), which can be automatically loaded into the icons, tiles and splash screens of a given application.
They can also be cropped and zoomed from within.
Additionally the connectors for Facebook and YouTube have been updated to use the latest API.
Previous features have also been enhanced. These include the simulator, improved screenshots, a fully responsive Home Page, improved HowTo formatting for easier and more intuitive navigation, along with notable increase in the overall performance of the tool.
This update also brings eight new theme templates that are fully customizable. Redmond makes it a point to mention that this is another highly requested feature from users.
Speaking of users, some 2.5 million have already registered for, and are using, the tool.
You can take it for a spin here on the Windows App Studio Beta website.
There is no doubt over the last 24 hours or so you have heard and read a lot about this entire Superfish malware incident with Lenovo.
Also read: My Take on Lenovo, OEMS and Junkware on new computers and Microsoft vs. SuperFish here at the SuperSite for Windows.
Lenovo has released a few different statements over that same period of time plus they have been active on social media eventually taking ownership of the poor decisions that were made. In addition, they have promised to move the discussion forward within the industry relating to what is pre-installed on consumer computers.
Of course, as a couple of commenters have said on our site and social media, Lenovo’s actions will speak louder than any apology they offer.
The following is an official statement from Lenovo about the incident and wraps all the different sources up into one bundle.
At Lenovo, we make every effort to provide a great user experience for our customers. We know that millions of people rely on our devices every day, and it is our responsibility to deliver quality, reliability, innovation and security to each and every customer. In our effort to enhance our user experience, we pre-installed a piece of third-party software, Superfish (based in Palo Alto, CA), on some of our consumer notebooks.
We thought the product would enhance the shopping experience, as intended by Superfish. It did not meet our expectations or those of our customers. In reality, we had customer complaints about the software. We acted swiftly and decisively once these concerns began to be raised. We apologize for causing any concern to any users for any reason – and we are always trying to learn from experience and improve what we do and how we do it. Superfish technology does not profile nor monitor user behavior. It does not record user information. It does not know who the user is. Users are not tracked nor re-targeted. Every session is independent. Users are given a choice whether or not to use the product.
We stopped the preloads beginning in January. We shut down the server connections that enable the software (also in January, and we are providing online resources to help users remove this software. Finally, we are working directly with Superfish and with other industry partners to ensure we address any possible security issues now and in the future. Detailed information on these activities and tools for software removal are available here:
http://ift.tt/1EbkvOY
http://ift.tt/1EbBD72
To be clear: Lenovo never installed this software on any ThinkPad notebooks, nor any Lenovo desktops or smartphones. This software has never been installed on any enterprise product — servers or storage — and these products are in no way impacted. And, Superfish is no longer being installed on any Lenovo device. In addition, we are going to spend the next few weeks digging in on this issue, learning what we can do better. We will talk with partners, industry experts and our users. We will get their feedback. By the end of this month, we will announce a plan to help lead Lenovo and our industry forward with deeper knowledge, more understanding and even greater focus on issues surrounding adware, pre-installs and security. We are eager to be held accountable for our products, your experience and the results of this new effort.
I am disappointed there is not anything in this statement about the certificate which was installed and allowed Superfish to monitor secure sessions on the computer. That by-passing of security with a bad certificate is a major concern in this situation.
Lastly, just in case you wanted to see if a Lenovo product you purchased may have been affected we have been provided this list by Lenovo:
G Series: G410, G510, G710, G40-70, G50-70, G40-30, G50-30, G40-45, G50-45
U Series: U330P, U430P, U330Touch, U430Touch, U530Touch
Y Series: Y430P, Y40-70, Y50-70
Z Series: Z40-75, Z50-75, Z40-70, Z50-70
S Series: S310, S410, S40-70, S415, S415Touch, S20-30, S20-30Touch
Flex Series: Flex2 14D, Flex2 15D, Flex2 14, Flex2 15, Flex2 14(BTM), Flex2 15(BTM), Flex 10
MIIX Series: MIIX2-8, MIIX2-10, MIIX2-11
YOGA Series: YOGA2Pro-13, YOGA2-13, YOGA2-11BTM, YOGA2-11HSW
E Series: E10-30
Now that you have another read on Lenovo’s official stand does it change what grade would you give Lenovo's response to the Superfish situation?
Timing is everything.
On Thursday Rod wrote about Microsoft extending 100GB of OneDrive storage to verified users of Dropbox as a gift for signing up and installing OneDrive on their devices/systems.
I was even able to get this 100GB of additional storage, which is only valid for a year, for my OneDrive account by signing up for Dropbox and then validating that brand new account.
Well this offer of storage was sent out by Microsoft on Thursday and then Friday morning Dropbox released a big update to their Windows Phone app. Coincidence or coordination?
Maybe is it just good timing but the update to the Dropbox app is a solid one plus getting 100GB of additional cloud storage on OneDrive is never a bad thing is it?
So go ahead and install the Dropbox app on your Windows Phone, sign up for a new account and the free 2GB of storage they offer then grab some bonus OneDrive storage and see the benefits of having additional storage which is accessible wherever you might be.
Let’s take a look at the updated Dropbox app – first the new features:
- Ability to create, access and manage shared folders directly in the app including unshare the folder and editing folder members.
– Shared folders can now be pinned to your Windows Phone Start Screen for quick access
– Improved non-English language support
Of course they also mentioned the ubiquitous fixed our most common bugs.
The app itself has a very clean and intuitive interface which is easy to navigate and adheres to the Windows Phone app design principles we are used to including tap/hold for context menus and pivots to swipe between pages of the app.
Dropbox Main Page
Dropbox Settings Page
Dropbox Context Menu
Dropbox Camera Uploads Folder
Dropbox Create Folder Menu
Dropbox Share Menu
Trivia: Did you know that this app is developed and maintained by the very well known Windows Phone developer Rudy Huhn?
Download Dropbox for Windows Phone (Version 1.1)
This week’s featured app is another universal app that is on both Windows and Windows Phone and for me is the center of all the sharing of links and news that I do each day.
In July 2013, when Google shut down their Google Reader service, I decided to move all of my RSS feeds over to one of the new substitutes that popped up in Reader’s place – Feedly.
Feedly had a solid web based interface and was very flexible but I really wanted to have that service available in an app on my platforms. Luckily, Feedly soon opened up a program that gave app developers early access to an upcoming API and one of the apps that got that access for Windows/Windows Phone was Nextgen Reader.
The developer of Nextgen Reader, Gaurav Kalra, actually built the app for himself initially as he shared when he was recently profiled on the Lumia Conversations blog about his experience developing for the Windows platform. I am glad he shared his work!
Nextgen Reader allows you to share items from your Feedly RSS feeds to all the popular social media sites as well as OneNote and email. For me the OneNote sharing is how I collect items together for my weekly Observed Tech podcast and since it is set as my favorite tool I can do that sharing with one button click.
Download Nextgen Reader App for Windows
Download Nextgen Reader for Windows Phone
Two weekends ago I decided to try out the XDA method of installing Windows 10 on my Nokia Lumia 1520 to see Windows 10 on my unsupported handset. It took me several cycles of trying the hack and included resetting my 1520 to factory defaults a few times.
The hack became so popular that Microsoft eventually closed the door to that hack by updating the Windows Insider app on Windows Phone.
So it was in the course of that weekend of testing that I ended up resetting and revalidating access to a few of my Microsoft accounts multiple times as I moved my 1520 between the Windows 10 for phones technical preview and Windows Phone 8.1.
I lost track of how many times I had codes sent to my phone to verify my identity on those accounts but I use the same cell number, as many of you do, as my primary number for those accounts. Of course, with two factor authentication enabled I also use a secondary email address to get those codes.
At some point late on that Saturday I started to see an error when I asked for a code to be sent by SMS to my phone for validating one of my three main Microsoft Accounts I access daily. It simply read There was an error sending that message, try again later.
Without much to work with in the error department or any further explanation of how to resolve this error, I was stuck with being unable to validate one account with an SMS. I was also unable to validate my identity using the secondary email address because I could not remember what email address I had used.
When presented with the options to validate your Microsoft Account you see the phone number and are asked to verify the last 4 digits so the SMS can be sent. Of course that threw the mysterious error now and was unusable on any of my Microsoft Accounts.
If you have also setup a secondary email account for two factor authentication then that is also presented but only the first 2 letters and the full domain of that email address is shown on screen. You are required to type in the entire email address to get the code sent to you for validation. Of course, the resulting screen does not confirm or refute that you used the right email address – it just says if you entered the correct email address a code would be sent.
Normally validating an account using this method is not a problem but I had used an obscure variation of an email address and despite the two letter hint I could not remember the secondary email address at all. Couple that with the inability to get a security code via SMS and I was dead in the water with this one Microsoft Account.
So what is one to do at this point? Luckily, I could still receive email from this account because it was working on my other devices so while it was frustrating to be unable to set the account up on my 1520 it was not the end of the world either. I figured I could wait for the timeout period to pass so that I could once again get security codes texted to my phone for validation.
You would be amazed at how hard it was to get an answer to that question though. I tried through Microsoft Account support, both via Twitter and directly chatting with them through the support site, and the only answer I received was about 24 hours.
I must add here that I was very impressed with how Microsoft handles locked out accounts that use two factor authentications. No matter how much I asked to verify my identity using other methods, they have a lengthy form you can fill out to provide details of recent emails on your account to help unlock the account, or explained my circumstances on what happened they never budged on the fact that since my account was enabled with two factor authentication they could not immediately unlock it.
My options were to validate it with the text or email method, which as explained earlier, were both unavailable to me or to submit a request to validate my identity and change one of my authentication methods. The only issue with changing one of my authentication methods was that it would take 30 days to make the change. This was intentional to dissuade those who may be trying to hack your account.
So I was suitably satisfied that Microsoft had my accounts safety and security protected even though it was my own actions that locked me out in the first place. However, I was still stuck and unable to add this account to my phone.
I dutifully attempted to validate the account each day and received the same cryptic error everytime however, on the 7th day I was once again able to send security codes to my phone and got into the accounts settings and had it working again on my phone. So if anyone ever asks how long does it take for SMS codes to reset after being used too much in a short period of time for security codes – the answer is one week.
Now during my lock out I was tweeting about the situation and received a few helpful suggestions.
One of them was to use Windows Phone Authenticator app to get a generated code to validate your identity. This works great and I have it setup on my primary Microsoft Account but it requires that you access your advanced security settings for your Microsoft Account to establish the connection between that account and the Authenticator app. Since I could not get a code to my phone or remember the email address I had selected as my secondary option this was not possible. After regaining access to my account settings I did set this up on that account immediately.
Another suggestion was the last resort recovery code on the account. This is another one that works very well however, it is also one you must prepare for as it requires that you access those advanced security settings and print out/save a unique recovery code to regain access to that account. This is another option that I took advantage of as soon as I was able to fully access my account settings.
Of course, when I got back into the advanced security settings of my Microsoft Account I was also able to see that obscure secondary email address I had selected. Immediately after shaking my head in disbelief that I had not remembered it, I changed it to something much more memorable to prevent that from happening again.
So bottom line here is two-fold.
First – Microsoft will not break when it comes to protecting your account if you cannot properly validate your identity using the two factor authentication options selected.
Second – there are ways to back up your two factor authentication methods if they become unusable or inaccessible but they require being setup before that access is lost.
So to stay safe and maintain access to your Microsoft Account be prepared for all contingencies.
I love pleasant surprises. My most recent one came in an Inateck-branded box.
I've reviewed a bunch of Inateck products over the past couple years, which you can find here on Supersite and also over on WindowsITPro. Inateck products are sometimes hit-and-miss and I've blasted them when it was required. But, when they're good, they're great. And, such is the case with the Inateck BTSP-10 Plus Bluetooth Speaker.
I've had the speaker for about a week, but only got the chance to really test it out the last three days. Color me impressed, but this speaker is clearly one of the best.
The speaker is solidly constructed. I don’t make it a habit to drop my devices on purpose, but the speaker looks and feels like it could take a tumble or two. It's solid inside and out. The plastic that wraps the speaker is very rigid and strong. The bottom of the speaker sports four non-skid, low profile legs, making it extremely difficult to knock around or slip off a surface.
I have no qualms just tossing this into a backpack and I fully expect it to survive a trip anywhere. The speaker does come with a drawstring carry bag to help eliminate nicks and dings, but I'll never use it. And, I really don't believe its necessary, considering the solid construction.
I've not tested the full range of battery life yet, but I will this week. The wife and I are headed out of town to a remote cabin to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Inateck says the battery will last a full 10-15 hours. 10 or 15 is quite a discrepancy, but I plan to run it until it chokes. Fortunately, the speaker gets its recharge power from a standard USB connection, so I can use any of my multitude of chargers. This means I can also charge it in the car if it comes down to that.
I've not used it constantly during my three days of testing – just an hour here and there – but so far it's holding up and I didn't even take the time to charge it yet. It went from its box directly to operation.
This is truly a dummy's device. Connecting to through Bluetooth is pretty simple. If you've had trouble with Bluetooth connections in the past, the simplicity of this speaker eliminates that. Bluetooth discovery is almost immediate, and pairing takes only a few seconds. And, then each time you want to reconnect, simply tap the Bluetooth button on top of the device and it relinks automatically. I've yet to have one of those quirky situations we've all experienced with Bluetooth, where it just won't connect despite connecting just fine a few hours earlier.
Once connected and sound starts streaming, the Bluetooth button doubles as the pause/play button. Also conveniently placed on top (next to the Bluetooth button) sits separate volume up and volume down buttons.
One thing to keep in mind…this is a speaker – just a speaker – though a very excellent one. A year or so ago I purchased a Braven 600 for around $149 (you can find that full product review on myITforum.com). The Braven is also a Bluetooth speaker, but it also provides hands-free con-call operation and mobile charging.
The Braven has been a good traveling companion. But, while it does offer features other than just sound, I've really never found a great use for them. I thought I would, but it never happened that way. Instead, I've counted on it for delivering sound in hotel rooms for music and movies. I can say this with confidence: I will be retiring the Braven for the Inateck. The sound quality difference is just too vast. It's almost the difference between listening to AM radio versus having a live orchestra in the room with you.
I noted earlier that the speaker charges using a standard USB charging port. Additionally, if you don't want to use Bluetooth for some odd reason, it does also offer a line-in AUX port. All of the provided ports, including the power button, sits on right-hand side of the speaker and they are recessed so you can't accidentally turn it off.
Ultimately, the value of any speaker comes down to the sound. I have one word that could adequately describe this speaker: LOUD. I guess it has to do with the double 3-watt precision-tuned drivers, multi-band compressors and high performance composite diaphragm. But, I need to give it an additional accolade. The clarity of sound is fantastic. Sound is just as clear at low volume as it is at the top level. And, that top level is almost ear shattering. As I mentioned already, it puts my Braven to shame.
The Inateck BTSP-10 plus is a wonderful speaker. Bluetooth works flawlessly. It's solidly constructed and the sound is amazing (LOUD and clear). It doesn't have a gaggle of features beyond just providing sound, but if you only need a good speaker to travel with, you'll find that this is a great one.
You can find it on Amazon for around $50: Inateck Portable Hi-Fi Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker
