Information about operating systems: February 2014

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Microsoft Confirms Windows 8.1, Windows Phone 8 Updates

Microsoft on Sunday confirmed that updates to Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone will arrive this spring. Speaking at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, corporate VP of Windows Phone Joe Belfiore said the upcoming changes will include UI tweaks to make touch-oriented Windows 8.1 easier to use for mouse-and-keyboard users. He also announced a variety of maneuvers to make Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone devices less expensive and simpler to manufacture.

The news validates weeks of rumors, much of it gleaned from purported Windows 8.1 update builds circulating online. Belfiore said the Windows update targets three main goals: to improve the OS's non-touch experience; to provide OEMs with more and cheaper hardware options; and to improve compatibility for certain legacy applications and tools.

Hello, MS-Android. Good-bye, Windows Phone

Or, some people would add, "in Google bind them." But that's not true: Android is much too open for Google to lock vendors in. Amazon proved that with its Kindle line, and now Microsoft's smartphone company, Nokia, wants to show that Android will work well with Microsoft services too.

Yes, Microsoft is supporting Linux by way of Android. Do you really think -- with the clock running down on Microsoft's final acquisition of Nokia -- that the Finnish phone company would make such a move without Microsoft's full backing? I don't.

I think Microsoft and Nokia have made a smart move. I'm not the only one.

Mary Jo Foley, the top Microsoft reporter on the planet, writes: "Nokia is clearly wooing Android developers who want to build apps for users in developing markets." I think it's bigger than greenfield markets. I think Microsoft/Nokia wants Android developers creating apps for all markets.

P0sixspwn 1.4 Untethered Jailbreak Updated To Support iOS 6.1.6 On Cydia

With the release of iOS 7.0.6 and 6.1.6 by Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) to address a significant SSL security flaw, jailbreak developers have been quick to push out updates for their respective jailbreak tools.

The SSL vulnerability was revealed publicly when Apple pushed its latest updates for affected iPhones, iPads and other iOS devices running iOS 6.x through 7.0.5.

Those that use a non-jailbroken iOS device were simply able to update to the latest version of iOS to close thesecurity hole.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Windows 8.1 update due in spring with concessions to mouse and keyboard users

BARCELONA—At a Sunday press event prior to Mobile World Congress, Microsoft vice president Joe Belfiore led with bright news about Windows 8: Microsoft has sold 200 million licenses (more than all of OS X’s user base, he noted); users have downloaded 4 million apps from the Windows Store; and 40 percent of Windows 8 machines are touch-enabled.

But for the 60 percent of Windows 8 machines still not touch-enabled, Belfiore conceded, users’ “satisfaction level is lower.” So when the Microsoft executive confirmed rumors of a Windows 8.1 update this spring, he also detailed three major improvements that would come with it. First and foremost will be features to give mouse-and-keyboard diehards a break.

Apple patches major iOS security flaw

Apple has released an update for its mobile operating system after a security flaw was uncovered

Apple has released a patch for its iOS mobile operating system, which runs on iPhones and iPads, after security researchers uncovered a major vulnerability that could allow hackers to intercept encrypted emails and other communications.

The flaw, which was first identified by security firm Crowdstrike, meant that critical checks on the validity of a website’s security (SSL) certificate were overlooked when users tried to establish a secure connection.

This meant that a hacker could potentially masquerade as a trusted site, such as Gmail or Facebook, and intercept encrypted traffic or modify the data in transit, in addition to breaching financial data or finding other sensitive information.

iOS 8 Concept Imagines Amazing Feature

The iOS 8 release is months away at least but that hasn’t stopped designers from drawing up what they’d like to see from Apple’s next iOS update for iPhone and iPad. The latest iOS 8 concept imagines an amazing Mission Control feature that combines iOS 7′s Control Center with the software’s multitasking feature.

Apple’s next big iOS update is expected to be iOS 7.1, a major update to the current iOS 7 operating system, and an update that is expected to touch down in March. iOS 7.1 will likely serve as a bridge between iOS 7 and whatever comes next.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Nokia Lumia 630 purported press render leaks first Windows Phone with on-screen buttons

Nokia's much-anticipated Moneypenny smartphone, which is also long been rumoured to be amongst the first Windows Phone devices to run the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 OS, has been leaked in a press render.

Popular phone tipster @evleaks has posted an image that purportedly shows the Nokia Lumia 630, which was earlier tipped as the phone codenamed Moneypenny.

Notably, the leaked render of the alleged Nokia Lumia 630 shows on-screen navigation control buttons for Back, Start and Bing search on the device, instead of buttons found on current Lumia models.

Earlier on Sunday, Microsoft announced that its upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 would support on-screen - or 'soft' buttons as the company is calling them - which, company's Vice President Joe Belfiore hopes, will enable OEMs to use the same hardware for both Android and Windows Phone devices. If the leaked render turns out to be true, the yet-to-be-announced Nokia Lumia 630 might be the first Lumia device to run the updated Windows Phone 8.1 version out of the box.

Microsoft announces new Windows Phone partners, including Lenovo and LG

In spite of becoming a Windows Phone maker in its own right via its purchase of Nokia's handset business, Microsoft is still managing to add new Windows Phone partners to its roster.

New to the Windows Phone OEM list are Foxconn, Gionee, JSR, Karbonn, Lava (Xolo), Lenovo, LG, Longcheer and ZTE, according to Microsoft officials. (I'm not sure why ZTE is listed as new, given they were a previous Windows Phone partner. Ditto with LG, which had multiple Windows Phone 7 phones in market, as a couple of readers recalled. Maybe this is more of a list of new, plus "they're back!" partners.)

These new Windows Phone 8 partners will supplement the existing Windows Phone partners -- HTC, Samsung and Huawei -- according to company officials who shared the updated list at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) show in Barcelona on February 23.

Apple iOS 7.0.6 update allegedly bricks iPhone 5S, iPad Air

Apple released iOS 7.0.6 to patch a vulnerability, which if unpatched could allow attackers to capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS. However, quite a few users have reported that the upgrade didn’t go as planned and their iDevices have been bricked after the update or during the update process.

Users have flocked to Twitter as well as Apple support forums voicing their concerns and frustrations as quite a few users have tried updating their iOS 7 devices while on the move and once bricked, their iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch requires a connection to iTunes to restart.

Cydia Tweak: The Popular IntelliScreenX Is Set To Launch For iOS 7 Next Week

IntelliScreenX, one of the Cydia Store's most-loved jailbreak tweaks, is going to launch for Apple's iOS 7 next week, according to its developer.

The release means jailbreakers running an iOS 7-powered device will be able to add a revamped, fully-featured Lock screen to their handset, making it much easier to perform repetitive tasks – such as checking on social networks, RSS feeds, email, and more – without unlocking their iOS device.

First released in 2011, IntelliScreenX should reach iOS 7 in a public beta from next week. Intelliborn (@intelliborn), the package's developer, announced the news in a recent Twitter update:

Saturday, February 22, 2014

TECHNOLOGY LAB / INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Windows Phone 8.1? With the size of these updates, it’s more like Windows Phone 9

Microsoft isn't yet talking about the next update to Windows Phone. Though the company has made a series of small updates to Windows Phone 8, with three delivered so far, the platform is more or less the same as it was in 2012.

A big update is, however, in the cards. A series of leaks over the past few weeks have revealed an abundance of details about what Microsoft is likely to call Windows Phone 8.1. Unlike the three updates already made to Windows 8, Windows Phone 8.1 will be huge: so big that the 8.1 name (no doubt chosen to align the phone operating system with the desktop and tablet one) is downright misleading. If version numbers were determined by the scale of changes alone, this would be called Windows Phone 9.

Apple promises SSL snooping fix for Mac OS X 10.9 users 'very soon'

Apple has admitted a bug in Mac OS X 10.9.1 could allow hackers to intercept and decrypt users' SSL-encrypted connections – and has vowed to release a fix "very soon."

The Cupertino giant issued updates for versions 7 and 6 of its mobile operating system iOS on Friday to address the same flaw in iDevices.

But it quickly became apparent that the vulnerability also exists in desktop and laptop computers running Mac OS X Mavericks, the latest public release of Apple's desktop OS.

The security hole was created by a trivial programming cock-up, which causes Apple's SSL/TLS library to skip over vital verification checks of a server's authenticity when establishing a connection.

iOS 7 Jailbreak: Stay Away from iOS 7.0.6 for Now

Apple released another minor iOS 7 update today for iPhone and iPad in the form of iOS 7.0.6, which fixes SSL connection verifications. This means that Apple included some security fixes with this update. Granted, we don’t know yet if this patches up the iOS 7 jailbreak, but iOS developer MuscleNerd says to stay away for now, as this looks to be an important update for the jailbreak.

While we’re still waiting on iOS 7.1 to hit the masses, Apple is still working on iOS 7.0 and has released the sixth minor update for iOS 7. It’s only a 35MB download, but it comes with security fixes, which may or may not patch up iOS 7 jailbreak exploits, but now more than ever is a good time to be cautious.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Which MacBook Air: how to choose between the 11-inch or 13-inch MacBook Air 2013

With Apple's 2013 MacBook Air the decision of which model to go for has become harder than ever. In the past it was a simple sacrifice or power and screen size for portability, but the 2013 models are so similar in spec that it all boils down to weight, size and battery life. In this article and accompanying video we will help you decide which MacBook Air will best suit your needs.

If you are thinking of buying a MacBook Air there are various things to consider. Apple may soon update the MacBook Air - rumours point towards an update that could introduce a 12in model with a Retina display, for example - read more in our MacBook Air with Retina display rumour round up. In addition, there is less difference in price between the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro with Retina display now, just £150 difference between the 13in models, read more about the difference between the Air and Pro here.

Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 to bring Siri rival Cortana

WASHINGTON: A recent software development kit leak has reportedly revealed a lot of feature changes that is said to put Windows Phone more on par with iOS and Android.

One of the main highlights of the upcoming version of Windows Phone is addition of Cortana, a personal digital assistant named after Microsoft's Halo game series.

According to The Verge, Cortana will replace the built-in Bing search feature, which is currently launched through a dedicated hardware key, and acts as a digital assistant with a mix of Siri and Google Now functionality.

Apple security update fixes iOS vulnerability

Apple on Friday released the latest update of its mobile operating system. It's of note because it fixes an SSL connection issue, an important encryption vulnerability.

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is one of the most basic forms of encrypting Internet traffic. Without it, almost anybody can see what you're doing online. According to Apple's fulldescription of the update, the software previously had problems validating the authenticity of the connection, and the software fix restores steps that were missing in the validation process.

Read more...

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Here's Why Microsoft 'Forced' Windows 8 On People, According To A Redditor Who Says He Helped Design It

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

As has been made abundantly clear by now, Windows 8 is not a success for Microsoft. Or to quote Paul Thurrott of the influential Supersite for Windows blog, "Windows 8 is a disaster in every sense of the word."

This really should surprise no one. Microsoft did an almost obscene level of user testing as it was developing Windows 8 – 1.24 billion hours of testing across 190 countries, Microsoft said.

And throughout all that, users, as well as influential Windows bloggers, told the company repeatedly that they didn't like the new touch-screen interface.

The question is, what is Microsoft's new CEO going to do about it? We are hoping the answer is "scrap it and try again," and not "dig in and insist the world learn to love Windows 8."

Leaked release dates shed light on Microsoft's Windows 9 plans

The Russian super sleuth continues his stream of updates on a nearing 8.1 update and the release of Windows 9.

Maybe it's a good thing Microsoft is in a bit of chaos right now, because it's leakier than an 80-year-old man who drank a gallon of tea. WZor, the leaker with a track record dating back to the Vista days, has unleashed a bunch of dates that, if true, indicate a very busy year.

First up, he said Microsoft partners will be getting a pre-beta version of Windows Developer Preview 9 soon. He didn't have a precise date, but figured it would be after February 15, and he put the probability at 90%. The plan was to get it to partners before the Build conference in April.

Next, he said the first and only beta of Windows 9 will appear in May of this year, with one and only one Release Candidate coming at the end of August or the beginning of September. Bugs will be collected through the end of October and up November 15, if necessary. However, he thinks RTM will be around October 21-25 to get it ready for Christmas.

Cydia Tweak: biteSMS Gets Its Long Awaited Update For iOS 7

It’s been a long time coming, but biteSMS – the fully featured Messages app replacement for jailbroken iOS devices – has finally received an update adding full support and optimization for iOS 7 and ARM64 devices.

Though little in terms of additional functionality has been added in biteSMS 8.0 (don’t fix something that’s not broken, right?), jailbreakers can now rest assured that the popular application properly supports the most recent iteration of Apple’s mobile OS. Plus, while adding support for iOS 7, the folks behind biteSMS have also been able to maintain support for both iOS 5 and iOS 6, which is an impressive feat.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Bing's Windows Phone apps now talk to Windows

Microsoft unveiled several useful apps for Windows Phone on Tuesday, including an improved fitness tracker and recipe app, with one thing in common: They finally talk to Windows.

In all, Microsoft published three new Windows apps to Windows Phone: Health & Fitness, Travel, and Food & Drink. The company also updated Bing Finance, Sports, and News.

Microsoft’s updates don’t raise the bar for other wearables and apps developers—in fact, it may be a bit of a surprise to discover that Microsoft’s Bing apps didn’t talk to their Windows counterparts. And while Microsoft’s new apps are a welcome addition to the Windows Phone app portfolio, they don’t go far beyond the status quo.

Apple Touch Sensitive Macbook Patented: Virtual Keyboard And Other Possibilities Being Explored

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is exploring putting touch capabilities on more devices than just the iPad and iPhone. Currently, Apple notebooks like the Macbook Pro and Air have the multitouch trackpad as their main user interface, but a recently awarded patent signals that Apple is looking into using the Macbook’s frame as a touch input as well. The patented chassis design allows users to use the entire bezel as an input, giving control of the mic gain, speaker volume or play/pause capabilities.

Don’t get too excited, however, as Apple is known to patent ideas that sometimes never pan out. Patents that have yet to make an appearance in actual devices include a solar-paneled Macbook with touch capabilities, solar-powered iPad keyboards, touchscreen notebooks and a 3D controllable iPad. The 3D controls are accomplished with air controls, where the placement of your hand above the screen acts as an input too. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S4 currently employs this technology for page swipes and scrolling.

Apple Seeds OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 Build 13C62 to Developers

Apple today seeded build 13C62 of OS X 10.9.2 to developers, marking the seventh beta iteration of 10.9.2. The release comes five days after the sixth OS X 10.9.2 beta, build 13C59, and nearly two months after the first OS X 10.9.2 beta.

The update is available to registered developers through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store and should be appearing in the Mac Dev Center soon.

Read more...

Apple To Launch iOS 7.1 'Around March 15,' Will Improve Mobile Device Management

Apple’s iOS 7.1 might be adding its anticipated “iOS in the Car” feature, but the updated mobile OS is also set to overhaul Mobile Device Management(MDM) and should reach the general public “around March 15,” according to a recent report.

The news comes from AppleInsider, which cites claims from an “unverified source” that iOS 7.1 should “improve iOS managed deployment” through adding “never before seen features” to its iOS deployment system. Mobile Device Management allows institutions such as schools and government organizations to mass-manage a fleet of iOS devices; apps (including custom apps), profiles, and restrictions can be placed on all managed devices quickly and easily using the service.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Five reasons I am done with Windows Phone after 3.5 years

I have been using Windows Phone since July 2010 and have written many articles about how much I liked the Metro UI and operating system. As Nokia moves to being a Microsoft company and Windows Phone continues its slow evolution to Windows Phone 8.1, I have to say I have fallen out of love with Windows Phone.

My first mobile device was a Palm device, but I quickly moved to using the more powerful Pocket PC models alongside Palm OS devices many years ago. I have always had a special place in my heart for Microsoft’s mobile operating systems for many reasons, including their sheer power, the customizability of Pocket PC and Windows Mobile, the extremely responsive and attractive Windows Phone UI, and the fact that Microsoft is located here in Washington State where I felt I should support my local economy.

The story of iOS's text selection tool and the importance of those "handles"

On February 11, 2014 the United States Patent and Trademark Office published the Apple's patent for the "selecting of text using gestures." Filed in 2008, and arriving on iOS devices in iOS 3 in June of 2009, you probably know this patent as "the thing that lets you highlight text on your iPhone." This tiny addition to iOS had a powerful impact on helping bridge the gap between smart phones and personal computers, and opened up the possibilities of working on your phone.

To celebrate the release of these patent details the folks at Cult of Mac reached out to Apple's former user interface designer, Bas Ording, for an interview about the development of this important feature. The company knew text selection needed to find its way to iOS. Apple's old MessagePadpersonal planner utilized a stylus to cut-and-paste text, but according to Ording Steve Jobs refused to consider requiring a stylus on the iPhone.

iOS 7.1 rumored to arrive in mid-March with enhanced Mobile Device Management

Apple's next free iOS 7 update for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users will fix bugs and enhance a variety of user interface elements, but its release appears hinged on the completion of Mobile Device Management improvements, rumored to be targeting a mid-March drop date.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly pointed to a specific date for Apple's iOS 7.1 release. The unconfirmed tip stated "around March 15," and the article has been revised to reflect the correct information.

Read more...

Windows Phone 8.1 will roll out to users in July or August: Report

After the recent leaks regarding common universal apps for Windows and Windows Phone attributed to information accompanying the Windows Phone 8.1 SDK files, the latest iteration of the Microsoft'smobile operating system is now said to arrive sometime between July and August 2014.

The tentative launch window was reported by a China publication, which claims the updates will be released between July and August of this year. While this release is said to of the final version for users, the developer's version is said to arrive a little before, in the month of April. The report adds that only those developers who have an App Studio account will be able to access the Developer Preview of Windows Phone 8.1 in April.

Impressive iOS 7-Optimized Calculator App Tydlig Updated With New Features

Tydlig, the app that promises a calculator reimagined for iOS 7, has just received another significant update.

Tydlig is a calculator app that seeks to do away with the conventions that seem to govern calculator apps even in the age of iOS 7. And it does so by offering, more than a simple and flat interface, a number of impressive features that lend themselves well to the operating system. These include responsive results, linked numbers, powerful graphing, freeform canvas, and an advanced calculation engine.

iOS 7.1 Release Poised to Fix 5 Big iOS 7 Problems

The iOS 7.1 release is weeks away according to the latest rumors. Thanks to the iOS 7.1 beta program developers are already using the new software and we know many iOS 7 problems that iOS 7.1 will fix.

iPhone and iPad users continue to complain about iOS 7 problems that appeared in September and with various iOS 7.0.x updates in the past several months, hoping for the iOS 7.1 release to fix big and small issues.

Apple promised an update is in the works to fix what many iPhone users would describe as the iOS 7 problem, a random crash that leaves the phone unusable for 10 seconds to a minute while it reboots part of the device, but that’s not all.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Apple iOS 7.1 Release Date and Details: The Latest on Its Jailbreak, Male Siri Voice, and Apple TV

After five beta versions, Apple has finally stopped giving out beta versions of the newest iOS. It's also reported that the newest OS will also launch with the Apple TV launch.

The latest OS comes with many changes and bug fixes. The various crashes that occur on the phone screen, that iPhone users have reported, have been supposedly addressed and the calendar app has been upgraded into a much better version with easier usage. In addition, rumors tell that the OS will have an updated text structure and a background that offers more distinction. There will also be changes in the backspace, shift key, and the slide to power off key. Another change is that Apple has started patching up a loophole that allows jailbreakers to bypass the operating system. There are rumors that Apple has also developed a male and female voice of Siri (rumored to be in the U.K. release). Apple has also hinted at they will be releasing a 'in the car' display.

Cydia Tweak: Remember Wraparound? Mobius Does The Same But Under iOS 7

Mobius is a nice, simple jailbreak tweak that lets users continually swipe through their iOS pages. Much like the popular package Wraparound, Mobius brings “infinite” scolling to iOS – but with one major difference: it’s available for iOS 7.

Wraparound was definitely a useful package – especially for those who had a bunch of pages on their iOS device – since it allowed users to go straight from their last page to their first page with a single swipe. The problem, though, is that Wraparound hasn’t been updated to work with iOS 7.

Not even Steve Jobs could sell live tiles on iOS 8

Based on a report by Business Insider, an analyst with JP Morgan believes that Apple needs to radically change iOS, presumably starting with iOS 8, to be more like Windows 8. The new iOS would blend OS X and iOS into a single operating system, much along the lines of Windows 8. The thought of an Apple mobile OS with live tiles makes it clear it is not likely something the folks in Cupertino would do.

With Windows 8 we've seen how difficult, perhaps impossible, it is to make a single OS work well on both traditional computers and tablets. What works well on one device type often fails miserably on the other. Putting a touch screen on everything does nothing to improve that user experience. It just doesn't work.

Read more...

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Windows Phone 8.1: The latest on what's on the leaked feature list

Less than a day after Microsoft is said to have provided select developers with access to its Windows Phone 8.1 software development kit, leaks about many of the alleged features coming in WP 8.1 hit the Web.

Up until now, there had been relatively few specifics about the Windows Phone 8.1 (codenamed "Blue") that had escaped Redmond. Word of plans for a coming notification center and theMicrosoft Siri competitor codenamed "Cortana" had leaked. But details around the changes at the programming-interface level had been more guesses than anything.

Now, however, there's evidence that Microsoft has made some actual advances toward increased commonality between its Windows Phone and WinRT programming interfaces.

How to retrieve iCloud Keychain passwords on iOS

With iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks, Apple introduced a new feature called iCloud Keychain. The feature aims to help keep your online accounts more secure, and at the same time speed up the amount of time it takes you to enter your log-in credentials on certain sites.

In an effort to help you keep accounts secure, Apple helps create account passwords when you're setting up a new account or changing a current account password in Safari. The password is saved to your iCloud account, retrievable by another Apple device with iCloud Keychain enabled.

Should you need the password to sign in to an account from a device not connected to your iCloud account, it can be frustrating, as the method to retrieve your password isn't obvious.

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