Hey guys,
Welcome to Technology News July 2015 edition.
Microsoft
It has been a HUGE month for Microsoft and the Launch of Windows 10, but lets rewind a bit first and go back to the start of July.
Microsoft began its final stretch in preparing Windows 10 for its July 29th release. Xbox Music was dubbed “Groove Music”, Preview builds were coming out of your ears, all to finally bring what is now considered as “The Best Windows Yet”.
A security issue popped up for many users, including in the risk was Windows 10 Preview Users. It consisted of a Font Type that could be used to initiate attacks on systems… very crazy stuff. But a patch was released to tackle the issue.
It turned out that many of the Name Brand Devices of Windows were not going to be ready for the Launch of Windows 10.
Sony were the first to make a big deal out of it with a webpage that indicated that anybody who had Windows 7 installed when you purchased the device, will be updated within August about what limitations your device will have, including the known issues. It could be taken as, those with Windows 7 Devices will have more issues getting and using Windows 10 and should consider buying a new device. This won’t bode well with the many who are expected to upgrade for free like Microsoft say.
Anybody running a branded device should consider waiting until they are ready with drivers and other things required to have a smooth Windows 10 experience.
To find out if you can get Windows 10 for your particular device, click here to get the list of Websites to do a compatibility check. Keep it bookmarked so you can continue to check your device.
Cortana is the first new/big feature that Australia will be missing out on for some time. Microsoft have been working to make Cortana personalised for each country, as stated in a video they posted.
The next big fight Microsoft now has to face is the Mobile Market.
Apple & Google have been storming the Mobile scene for so long now with Windows Phone dragging behind. The biggest issues were Marketing and Apps. When big companies, Developers and Businesses kept slamming out Apps for Apple & Google, why would you want to use a device that doesn’t have their apps? It fair enough. Unfortunately it’s not always the case with users who are convinced that the amount of apps one device has, indicates popularity and therefore “is” better.
The amount of garbage apps (sorry to those who made these garbage apps, you just copy or make them poorly) on the Apple/Google Store is huge! The main, everyday apps people really use and need is mostly on Windows Phone currently, but it still depends on the user. The biggest hurt for Windows Phone are the businesses like Banks that don’t support Windows Phone.
Westpac is one of the Banks that just put in a Windows Phone App recently, and it looks and feels fantastic, arguably better than Apple or Google, especially as the Google app is just the Mobile Internet Version converted into an App! It looks & feels the same as when using Westpac Banking via your Mobile Browser as Windows Phone users needed to do in the past. This isn’t the first time either, many other “apps” are just overlay’s of web based looks & feels.
The next big thing is Marketing. The amount of cool features Windows Phone has was shaded away from the public. Example: The new Apple Wallet, is not original at all. Windows Phone has had a “Wallet” App since Windows Phone 8, that lets you save your Bank cards, including membership cards, vouchers and what not, into the Wallet App and you can just Tap using NFC. Nobody realised how fantastic this feature was, especially when it was only really pushing to US users, eventually dying out, despite it still being available right now.
Apple this year announced its own App. also calling it “Wallet” and provides the exact same features as Windows Phone Wallet, and people are calling Apple “innovative” and “smart” for bringing such an awesome feature to Apple iPhone and Watch. Really guys?
So what’s next? Well Satya says, in a Exclusive interview with ZNet’s writer Mary Jo Foley, that Microsoft will not be abandoning the Mobile Market and stating,
If anything, one big mistake we made in our past was to think of the PC as the hub for everything for all time to come. And today, of course, the high volume device is the six-inch phone. I acknowledge that. But to think that that’s what the future is for all time to come would be to make the same mistake we made in the past without even having the share position of the past. So that would be madness, therefore, we have to be on the hunt for what’s the next bend in the curve. That’s what, quite frankly, anyone has to do to be relevant in the future.
With the new “Universal Apps” strategy, Microsoft could take the upper hand in both the PC/Tablet & Mobile Markets. Being able to have apps from its competitors be easily ported and usable would allow developers have a bigger user base with less hassle to making a separate working app for Windows Phone, or soon to be Windows Mobile 10. Not only that, but that same app can be used as you go up the devices, all the way to the Desktop, among all the other cool features the Universal App has to offer.
Also, instead of making Mobiles like Apple do, that being separate from its Computer counterpart, Microsoft instead adopted that the mobile be responsive like you see with websites these days, being scaled down to match the device rather a separate entity, which the basis of Windows 10 comes to play, in turn, not having to learn 2 different Operating Systems.
When you want to change a setting that both a computer and your phone has, you can navigate & use that setting on both devices the same way.
Microsoft is now focusing on the rollout of Windows 10 for the next few months aswell as getting Windows Mobile 10 ready for a rumoured October/November release.
To get help with the Upgrade phase or tips for using Windows 10, including a compatibility check for your device, visit our Windows 10 page. We will continue to update it as we gather more knowledge about all aspects of the System and needs of everyone.
Apple
The biggest thing at the start of July out of Apple was the launch of Apple Music. Upgrading your iPhone (iOS 8.4) & iTunes (v12.2) gives you access to the new Music Streaming Service. iOS 8.4 had a huge update bump in the first week with 40% of users jumping on-board.
iOS got security issues patched up, aswell as OSX Yosemite. They include fixes to things like Remote Code Execution.
iOS 9 for mobile devices, went live, showcasing some of its new features. OS X El Capitan for Macs also joining the fray showing off its new features. The new Operating Systems were announced at the WWDC 2015 back in June and will be released later this year.
Google didn’t start off strong with Google Photos, that has new algorithms to help find and sort pictures decided to call black people “Gorillas”, WHAT!?
Google released its first update to the M Preview, Developer Preview 2. This update fixes bugs and makes it more stable.
Google have been working on Project Fi, a new system designed to basically run everything on a WiFi signal for as long as possible, but changing to the standard way we connect like 3/4G etc. This means that you will be connected to various WiFi Networks through out your day, wherever you go, so you remain connected to WiFi for internet and even calls and text. When connecting to a public WiFi, your data is suppose to be encrypted. When you cannot pick up a WiFi signal, or lose one, you will automatically transition to the traditional standards of Mobile Connection, such as 3G or 4G.
Google’s Social Media Service Google+ has lost the battle. Google have slowly removed its requirements with all it services, including YouTube. Google+ should fizzle away in no time. When released, it was a hit, but its been 4 years and nobody hardly talks about it.
One of the biggest threats ever seen on a Mobile device so far, is the EXTREMELY easy hack that badies can use to hack your Android Device, steal data and use your Camera & Microphone.
The name, well its best to call it StageFright, of which is the name of a tool that helps with media playback. This tool is built into Android.
Malicious hackers could take advantage of it by sending to an Android device a simple text message that, once received by the smartphone, would give them complete control over the handset and allow them to steal anything on it, such as credit card numbers or personal information.
The Security Research firm Zimperium told National Public Radio, the flaw has not been exploited, but in a blog post on their own website, it said that 95 percent of Android devices worldwide are vulnerable.
More bad news, as Android is open source, the Android system is more inclined to rely on Wireless Carriers (Telstra, Optus) and Phone Manufacturers (Samsung, Sony) to carry out the updates that the patch will be with, meaning that it would take a while for everyone to be rid of this security flaw. Not only that, the update rate isn’t a spectacular one for Android users, meaning people will be sitting with a device that could be attacked at any moment. Lets hope it doesn’t turn Mainstream, but after the press going bananas over the way it will need to be fixed, we may just see a huge flux in attacks.
As Android is Open Source, we will continue to see major security holes forever more.
Well that’s it from Technology News. Don’t forget to look at the latest of the Windows 10 page for tips on everything Windows 10 as we update it through the month. Plus, we will continue to show the latest preview builds of Windows Mobile 10 as they continue to build.
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