Microsoft

Microsoft Pokes Fun at Samsung vs. Apple Stereotypes in New Commercial, is Actually Pretty Funny

Kellex
by Kellex on Commercials News Videos

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For the most part, Microsoft’s campaigns against Google, Android, and iOS that promote Windows Phone or their other products are all pretty lame. Think “Smoked by Windows Phone” or even those “Scroogled” spots. Not really the most clever of marketing ideas, to say the least. This new Lumia/Windows Phone 8 spot, on the other hand, is actually funny and worth a quick look.

In the spot, you’ll see iPhone users taking shots at Galaxy owners with their “enormous” phones and S Beam feature followed by comments made in return to grandmothers about being too young to own an iPhone. There are Apple logo tattoos, app availability trash talking, and even the thought that Samsung and Apple fanboys love the constant fighting. Silly.

“Weeeee!”

Cheers Scott!

Microsoft Updates Outlook.com App for Android, No Longer the Worst Looking App of the Last Year

Kellex
by Kellex on Apps News

new outlook android

Back in November, Microsoft released an official Outlook.com app for Android that was, to put it simply, a terrible design. It brought back painful memories of Gingerbread with tabs, a dark theme, and nothing that reminded us of Microsoft’s other beautifully designed apps. No one used it – we all laughed at it. But today, a new update has been released that brings the app into line with apps like Xbox Smartglass. It also matches the design you’ll see in most of Microsoft’s current Windows products, which is a design language we have always been fans of.

There aren’t many new features, but Microsoft did add in conversation threading, filters for unread and flagged mail, and the ability to mark messages as junk. So if you are an Outlook.com user, go pick up the new goodness.

Play Link

Via:  Outlook Blog

Review: Windows Phone 8, a Look at the Competition

Ron
by Ron on Reviews

HTC Windows Phone 8X

For the past week I’ve been spending a lot of time with the HTC 8X on Verizon. The 8X is considered a signature Windows Phone, sporting a 4.3″ 720×1280 display, a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, NFC, dual band WiFi, LTE, Beats Audio, and an 8 MP 1080p shooter in back with a wide-angle 2.1 MP front camera. In short, Windows Phone has reached parity with Android and iOS in terms of specs.

When I last looked at Windows Phone I argued that while the operating system looks good and is certainly an improvement over Windows Mobile, the lack of apps, disappointing multi-tasking, and poor notification system kept Windows Phone from reaching feature parity with iOS and Android. Since then Android and iOS have propelled smartphone ownership to unprecedented levels while Windows Phone has remained a niche product in terms of market share. Read on to find out how Microsoft has changed Windows Phone for the better, what has stayed the same, and what Microsoft still needs to do to make Windows Phone succeed. (more…)

Microsoft Produces the Most Horrible Looking App to Launch Since Gingerbread With Their Outlook.com App

Eric
by Eric on News

Microsoft recently relaunched Outlook.com a few months back and people have been raving about the web app ever since. It seems Microsoft was working on an Android Outlook app, but it’s obvious that they didn’t spend long. The app is in Google Play now, but I only suggest downloading it if you are looking for a blast back through Android’s past. You get the feeling you are running Froyo or Gingerbread once you log yourself in.

If this application looked only half as good as the web version of Outlook.com, it would look about 20 times better than it does now. If I used Outlook and was waiting for this to launch on Android, this might legitimately push me towards Gmail for good. But if you just have to have your Exchange email, the app is free for download in Google Play now.

Play Link

Google Says Microsoft Will Earn $94 Billion in Revenue Through Google-Owned Patents

Eric
by Eric on News

A trial that featured six days of testimony between Microsoft and Google-owned Motorola just finished up. The final expert witness for Google says that Microsoft, through its Xbox and Surface devices, will make a whopping $94 billion in revenue through 2017 based on patents that Google owns. The expert witness went on to say that Microsoft will have a hard time selling tablets or phones without Moto’s patents.

Motorola has been seeking $4 billion a year for Microsoft to use the patents, Microsoft says they only are worth $1 billion. There is no ruling expected for a few weeks as this gets decided, but it’s the first time that we have seen Google put their might behind a case and defend their intellectual properties.

Via: Reuters

Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer Claims the Android Ecosystem is Wild and Uncontrolled

Tim-o-tato
by Tim-o-tato on News

In a recent interview, Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer, had some interesting things to say about the Windows Phone competition. When asked about strategy that Microsoft plans to deploy in making sure Windows Phone is successful, Ballmer went straight for the heart of both Android and iOS. Looking to find a niche between Google and Apple, Ballmer claims that the Android ecosystem is, “wild,” “uncontrolled,” and “not in the consumer’s best interest.” As for iOS, well it’s frankly just overpriced as far as Ballmer is concerned and overly controlled. His goal is to have Windows fit handsomely in the middle – being both organized and reasonably priced.  (more…)

Microsoft Office Confirmed for Android, Release Penciled In for Q1 2013

Tim-o-tato
by Tim-o-tato on Apps News

As of today, Microsoft does indeed have plans on releasing Office for Android devices. Over the past couple of months, we’ve been questioning when exactly this was going to happen after having received bits and pieces of info, but nothing official. Finally, that has changed this morning as new info and even screenshots have hit the web via The Verge.

Thanks to their sources, Office is confirmed for both iOS and Android devices with a rough release time frame of Q1 of 2013. The apps will be free for those with a Microsoft account, but to use certain features in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the user will need a paid Office 365 subscription. (more…)