It’s the Apps, It’s All About the Apps

After installing Windows 8 onto a tablet, laptop or desktop PC for the first time, new users will be greeted with a jarring change to what they are normally used to seeing on a Microsoft OS. For tech people, like ourselves, who follow this stuff all year round, Windows 8 is simply an evolution from the original developer preview we saw last September, but for those who have never seen the new Start screen, this is going to be a major change for them. What I believe people will come to find is that Microsoft differentiates itself in their new metro-style UI and people, I believe, will love it once they get used to its nuances.

But for all of the Start screens great functionality, customization and fluidity, the thing that I believe will separate Windows 8 from iOS on the iPad and every other iOS copycat out there, is the apps. Metro apps are just so much better than whats offered on any other platform, and yes, I am including iOS. Don’t believe me? Try out the USA Today app for Windows 8 or even the MSNBC.com app that changes the background wallpaper depending on which panorama screen you are currently viewing. These apps are beautiful, people, and will only get that much better as Microsoft continues to flesh out the OS and developers continue to learn to take advantage of the SDK and its tools.

As we’ve learned from Apple’s iOS and the Android mobile platforms, the success of these things lies mostly in the availability of quality applications. Every operating system worth anything browses the web, has wallpaper, email access and a settings panel, but where each one stands out is in their app store. Is it a coincidence that while Android on the phone has taken off, Android on the tablet is as stagnate as WebOS? I believe this is because Google has mostly ignored their tablet app selection, choosing in many cases to run blown-up versions of the phone apps on tablets instead.

And it’s not all about the number of apps either, although that does have some weight. Quality apps are what people crave. Users want to know that their favorite service has an app on their platform of choice and that it’s usable and makes sense to them. I think the simplicity of the metro-style and the ease and ability for dev’s to make powerful, full-featured apps will be the game-changer for Microsoft’s new version of Windows, both on tablets and on normal PCs. As we head deeper into 2012, most people will be following how Microsoft molds and shapes their new OS and I’ll certainly be watching too, but the first thing that I do everyday when I boot up Windows 8 on my desktop is check the app store for new apps and I think many other users do too.

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Using Libraries to Add Media in Windows 8

After going through the reviews in the Windows Store for the music and videos apps for Windows 8, I noticed that many users were complaining that it was either too difficult or not possible to pull their music and video files into the separate media apps. It is, however, very possible and even simple to bring your current media files over to Windows 8 without a ton of copying and file manipulation. Simply use the Windows 8 Libraries.

As a bit of a background, Libraries were introduced in Windows 7 as a way to aggregate similar media from different drives and locations into one place, making it easier to access all of your content without having to navigate from folder to folder on different hard drives. We simply tell the library folder where to look for the media type and viola, it appears. Windows 8 works the same way and by default, the pictures, video and music apps are set to look to your libraries for their content, making it a simple and quick task.

My Windows 8 Consumer Preview installation is installed on a separate disk from my main Windows 7 install. This means that all of my media is stored in my user profile on the Windows 7 hard disk (drive F:). I wouldn’t want or need to copy all of my music, pictures and video over to the local Windows 8 disk (drive C:), so I will simply pull up the Windows 8 classic desktop and navigate to my Windows Explorer icon.

The next step is to find where my media is stored on the current drive. This step will vary depending on where you have your media currently being stored. Mine is in my profile on the F: drive.

To add the folder containing your media to the Windows 8 library, simply right-click on the folder and select Add to Library and select the destination library for your media type.

You can check to make sure the media is now being targeted by the different media apps in the Metro desktop by navigating to the app and checking to see if your collection has been updated.

If you were successful, then you should begin to see your videos, music and pictures populate within each Metro app.

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Office 15 Screenshots Show Metro-Style Simplification

It will never be possible to simplify productivity software as complex as Microsoft Office down to a Metro UI level, which is why it has been reported that the Office team at Microsoft aren’t keen to release a metro version.  However a new leaked series of screenshots published on The Verge seem to show that some Metro visual elements have indeed made the move from Windows.

This new cleaner interface is probably what we would expect but Microsoft have long worked to make Office easier to use and to make documents and features within it easier to find.

It is actually quite difficult to improve on Microsoft Office and this is a problem the company has faced for some years now.  For many people versions such as Office XP offered every feature they needed and many more consider Office 2003 to be the definitive version.  This being the last version before the introduction of the Ribbon interface in Office 2007.

The Ribbon still exists in Office 15 and is the one interface element that could port successfully to Windows 8's new Metro UI.  In fact this blogger has been left wondering why it isn’t there already?  This alone could make for a reasonable version of Office for Metro.

With Office 15 Microsoft’s focus has been on productivity and helping people to get things done.  This is a much better approach then working on features.  As I mentioned earlier most people only use a tiny proportion of Office features and many people are content to use the stripped-down free Office 2010 Starter that ships with new Windows PCs or even the free Office web apps.  The ARM version of Windows 8 will also come with free desktop versions of Microsoft Office, though how usable they will be remains to be seen given the history Windows 7 has on tablets.

A public beta of Office 15, which does still not have a formal name, is expected to be released in the summer with a final version due at the end of the year or early next.

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How To Make the Transition from Metro to Classic Desktop Less-Jarring

This is going to be as basic an idea as you’ll find here on this site, but something had occurred to me today regarding the classic desktop in Windows 8. Often you hear people talk about the switch from the Metro Start screen to the classic desktop and how it’s so jarring to be transported between the two. While the switch between the two doesn’t necessarily bother me all too much I wanted to find a way to make the transition less jarring for people who do mind the switch, so I came up with a solution so simple that its almost too ridiculous to mention, but surprisingly, it works quite well.

What makes the transition between metro and classic desktop isn’t so much the windows or the buttons. It’s typically the dramatic change in screen color that makes my own experience so jolting, so I figured I would create a wallpaper using the exact same color scheme as my Start screens color (in this case a dark grey). To achieve this, I simply took a screenshot of my start screen desktop and paste that image into Microsoft Paint. I used the dropper tool to extract the exact color used in my color scheme and simply made a new desktop wallpaper of the same resolution using that color (basic, I know). I applied the new wallpaper to the classic desktop and tada…

What I found was that the transition seems a little more seamless because it just looks like the tiles are now disappearing into the center of the screen and in its place sweeps the taskbar and icons like they are just hovering over the same wallpaper as the Start screen. Maybe I’m crazy, but the trick has made the change from desktop to desktop a bit less grating than before. Give it a try and let me know what you guys think in the comments.

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How To Get Back The Start Menu In Windows 8

Microsoft have made a very bold move with Windows 8, not only giving us a completely new Metro UI, but also removing the traditional start button that’s become central to every Windows OS to date. Some people love it, others hate it. Personally I sort of like the fact that the new start menu is the Metro Start Screen and I think people will come to like it.

But of course, there’s always going to be people who just don’t like change. So I’ve discovered a way for you guys that will let you get back the start menu button.

Stardock who have a plethora of Windows modification tools have come up with a new one – Start8

Start8 will bring back the famous Windows start menu, albeit a new and improved one. First off, it re-inserts the familiar Windows 7 Orb in the far-left corner. Then it adds in a Metro Style start menu, which retains the brilliant search functionality. Also by right clicking on the Start Orb you’ll also have the option to Shut Down or Run.

•  Adds a “Start” menu to the Windows 8 taskbar
• - Enables quick access and searching of your installed applications
• - Adds Run… option via right-click menu
• - Adds Shutdown… option via right-click menu
• - Choose a custom Start button image

So maybe you guys want this feature, maybe you don’t. Either way follow the download link below if you want to download Start8 and try it out.

Download Start8

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Use Siri To Pull Up Awesome And Informative Facts With This Tweak For iPhone

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For those iPhone owners are who big fans of Siri, you will no doubt be interested in all of the extensions and additional functionality that developers are releasing into the Cydia store for Siri lovers who also enjoy the benefits of being jailbroken. The Siri modifications, like most tweaks, some to be broken down into two distinct categories – those that provide an actual tangible enhancement, and those that are designed and released purely for entertainment purposes.

The release of the AssistantExtensions Mobile Substrate tweak has made it a lot easier for developers who wish to produce a Siri-based modification, and as such, we have seen a number of additions to Cydia which are intended to work with Siri, but have a reliance on AssistantExtensions being installed. One of the latest tweaks to fall under this category is the rather long winded Awesome Facts for ChatBot/Siri tweak which uses the ChatBot facilities that are built into AssistantExtensions.

This particular tweak, released by Krishna Sagar, falls under the entertainment based modifications and gives the illusion that Siri has a wonderful sense of the world’s bizarre facts. The Awesome Facts plugin hooks directly into Siri’s absorbent brain and packs in over one hundred facts which the developer assures will blow your mind. Although, on actually testing this tweak, it seems that a number of the facts are actually anecdotes and mildly amusing jokes that take me back to my childhood. Still, considering it is a free of charge plugin for AssistantExtensions, it is worth downloading and checking out just to hear Siri read a story to you. When combined with the AnyVoice tweak from Cydia, it actually makes a hugely entertaining experience.

As you might expect from a tweak such as this, getting started is relatively simple. The installation process will need to determine whether or not the AssistantExtensions tweak is installed on the device, and if not, it will be installed alongside the Awesome Facts plugin as it is a requirement to function. No additional SpringBoard icons are installed with either of these tweaks, with the plugin being activated through normal Siri methods. One thing I did struggle with initially, was actually getting Siri to provide me with some of the awesome new facts which he/she has learned. It would seem that the Awesome Facts plugin makes use of the ChatBot feature of AssistantExtensions, and therefore that needs to be invoked in the first instance.

Activate Siri, give the command "let’s chat" and then wait for the software to load the required files. When prompted, users can then give the command "tell me something awesome", then sit back and listen to the wonderful things Siri has to share with you.

Awesome Facts for ChatBot/Siri is available as a free of charge download from the BigBoss repository and requires a Siri-capable device running iOS 5 or above.

Of course, you will need to jailbreak your device to install this tweak. For jailbreaking iPhone 4S and iPad 2, you can simply follow our step by step tutorial posted here to jailbreak iOS 5.0.1 using Absinthe on Windows or Mac. Those of you with an iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad 1, and iPod touches can use Redsn0w or Sn0wbreeze to untether jailbreak on iOS 5.0.1.

Be sure to check out our iPhone Apps Gallery and iPad Apps Gallery to explore more apps for your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

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How To Restore The Traditional Windows 7 Start Menu In Windows 8 Consumer Preview

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As far as download numbers are concerned, the Consumer Preview of Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 has gone down pretty well – building on the popularity of the early Alpha release with over a million downloads in its 24 hours.

As PC users digest some of the newer features clustered into the much-discussed Metro interface, not everybody has been too chuffed to see the demise of the traditional Start Menu – a prominent Windows feature since its commercial inception.

Luckily, those wishing to be reunited with the usual Start Orb or Menu can do so without, of course, reverting back to an older OS. A developer by the name of Lee Matthew Chantrey has provided the solution – a small, effective little application named ViStart, which was initially created to allow Windows XP users to enjoy a Windows Vista/7 style Start Menu.

Please note, if you do go ahead and install ViStart, you will be offered third-party programs (Babylon toolbar and Registry Cleaner Pro) during the install process which you probably won’t want cluttering up your installed items list. The app itself is as simple a tool as you could possibly get – just install, and your Start Button (or Orb) makes a dramatic, heroic return.

The trouble is, since the new button overlaps with the Taskbar, you have to put an extra shift in to get things looking completely smooth. To solve this problem, simply create a new blank toolbar on the Taskbar, which will in turn shift the other icons across – giving a uniformed finish.

Of course, once you implement ViStart, Windows 8 will look and feel much like the Redmond-based company’s current Windows 7. Then again, that’s not worth moping about, since 7 is arguably the cleanest-looking iterations of Windows pre version 8.The Metro-tiled Windows 8 has generally been met with positive reviews, and although some are afraid of change, the way in which Microsoft restored faith in consumers post Vista suggests we should wait patiently and see what the final product delivers. After all, strong integration with console and mobile devices will be playing a key part, thus it will be interesting to see if the "in sync" state of play works out for Microsoft as it has done for rivals Apple.

Download ViStart for Windows

You may also like to check out:

• Get Windows 8 Metro Start Menu On Windows 7 Using Newgen
• Enable Classic Start Menu In Windows 8 With Windows 8 Start Menu Toggle
• Install Windows 8 Consumer Preview Using A Bootable USB Flash Drive
• How To Install Windows 8 Consumer Preview In VirtualBox Virtual Machine On Mac & Windows 7 [Tutorial]

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New iPad Third-Gen Announced – Price, Features, Availability – Everything You Need to Know!

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The day has finally come. Apple has finally pulled the curtain on what they are calling as the “new iPad”, and we finally know for certain what the device has in store. Some of the more sensible rumors about the iPad 2's successor – most of which were outlined in an earlier post – have come to fruition, and we have a roundup of everything new in the third-gen iPad as announced at this morning’s San Francisco press event right here.

Price and Features

Price

As many have anticipated, the storage tiers – and their respective cost – remains the same as the previous-generation iPad, even factoring in the new 4G LTE support; basically, there are WiFi models, and there are WiFi + 4G + 3G models. Coming in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB flavors, the new iPad starts at $499 at the base model and goes up to $829 for the 64GB WiFi + 4G + 3G model.

4G LTE

As rumored, the new iPad now has support for 4G LTE. 4G-enabled devices will be available through both AT&T and Verizon in the US. Advantage of LTE? Blazing fast download and upload speeds, therefore you can rest assured that your webpages, tweets, emails etc. will fly off in a snap! It supports HSPA+ for up to 21Mbps, and dual-carrier HSDPA for up to 42Mbps. LTE for max up to 72Mbps.

Form Factor

Third-gen iPad “remains amazingly thin at 9.4mm and light at 1.5 pounds”. The design remains unchanged, and looks exactly like its predecessor which is the iPad 2. Battery life also remains same at 10 hours, and 4G is at 9 hours.

Retina Display

Retina Display – a feature that, to some criticism, was not implemented in the iPad 2 – has made its way into the new iPad. While the screen is still 9.7 inches in size, it certainly packs more pixels than that of its predecessors with a notorious screen resolution of 2048×1536. As everything on the screen will be far more crisp, things such as browsing the web and reading an iBook will be far more pleasant. This will also appease those of us who were spoiled by the Retina Display on the iPhone 4 and 4S; it will be nice to no longer notice the pixels starting at me. We’re guessing that the Retina Display will be an instant hit in high defers who crave for 1080p movies on a tablet.

Quad-Core A5X CPU, Improved Graphics

We’re also seeing improvements being made to the device on the hardware front. As rumors suggested, the device packed a new A5X processor. This new CPU will provide greatly-improved performance over the already-phenomenal A5 chip. The iPad third-gen also offers 4 times the graphical performance of the iPad 2, while still maintaining the same battery life that the iPad is known for. On top of these improvements, the new iPad also likely sports 1GB of RAM, which is double the amount currently inside the iPad 2.

Improved Optics

One flaw with the iPad 2 has been its sub-par camera. The new third-gen iPad now sports an 2MP front-facing camera and a 5MP rear-facing camera, allowing it to take far better pictures than its predecessor, and it also supports 1080p video recording. The iPad 2's lack of a proper camera is something that I didn’t mind as I never use my iPad for photography purposes – holding one up to take a photo in public has been the source of quite a few funny pictures on the Internet – but improvements are welcome nevertheless. The front-facing camera improvement is surely great for users who frequently use FaceTime on their device.

iOS 5.1

An incremental update to iOS, iOS 5.1 will be bringing Siri dictation to the third-gen iPad, among various other improvements. There have been quite a lot of people that have wanted Siri on the iPad, but at the moment, it look like they will have to settle with dictation feature only.

Availability

Pre-Ordering

If you’re itching to get your hands on the new iPad, you better act fast; it’s sure to be extremely difficult to purchase physically, so your best bet is to pre-order. You’ll still have to act fast though; pre-orders are available starting today. If you don’t put in your order early, it’s likely that you’ll have to wait longer for your iPad to ship. However, if you plan to pick your iPad from a physical Apple Store, then the official date given by Apple is March 16th, be sure to be early otherwise you’ll be facing an ultra long wait in line.

For more information on the newly announced iPad, head over to the official iPad page on Apple’s website.

[images credit: GDGT]

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iWork, iMovie And GarageBand All Updated With Retina Display Graphics For iPad And Tons Of New Features

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Tim Cook and his Apple team took to the stage in San Francisco as expected to announce the launch of the new iPad, throwing in a new Apple TV set top box for good measure. The announcement pretty much came as everyone had predicted, with no specifications or inclusions to blind side us. But while there has been plenty of talk about what hardware the company would introduce, little time was spent wondering about the software side of things and what the upgraded device would mean for the applications that we all know and love.

The Apple loving world has been expecting a release of iOS 5.1, which won’t come as much of a shock when it is launched, considering that we have seen multiple beta versions seeded to developers and we have already heard the news that the Golden Master version of the OS has passed through testing. If we take the iPad and iOS out of the equation, we are left with the core Apple applications which have proved to be a huge success on the iPad since launch. Chargeable applications such as GarageBand, iMovie and the iWork suite of apps are all firm favorites with iPad users, something which Apple hasn’t overlooked.

All of the native apps which ship with iOS on the iPad have been updated to work perfectly, and look beautiful on the new Retina, high resolution display that the new iPad features. This includes apps such as iTunes, YouTube, Messages and anything else that is installed when the device ships. Apple have taken it even further by making sure that the above mentioned apps available as additional purchases from the App Store have also been given the iPad Retina treatment.

The iWork suite of applications which includes Keynote, Pages and Numbers have all been worked over to look like they were designed with a Retina-ready iPad in mind. Phil Schiller of Apple confirms that iWork will allow users to produce "stunning" creations, which have never before been possible on a mobile device.

GarageBand is another application which has been hugely successful as a chargeable, App Store download for Apple. The ability to create compelling music using a multitude of different instruments is something which has appealed to consumers. Not only has GarageBand received the Retina makeover, but it also got a feature upgrade with the addition of smart strings, note editor and the option to push through iCloud, which makes GarageBand a lot more beautiful and powerful than before.

Finally, the iMovie application used to edit movie files and create beautiful home made videos has been reworked to be more appealing than ever. The ability to quickly create videos and trailers from home movies will always appeal to people, but being able to do this in Retina quality makes the experience that much better. iMovie will also be pushed with a few feature upgrades, including storyboards and editing chops.

All of the applications will be available on the iPad App Store priced between $4.99 and $9.99 and will be available as free of charge updates for previous buyers.

• Download Pages for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch [iTunes link]
• Download Numbers for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch [iTunes link]
• Download Keynote for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch [iTunes link]
• Download GarageBand for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch [iTunes link]

Be sure to check out our iPhone Apps Gallery and iPad Apps Gallery to explore more apps for your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

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