Microsoft splits Windows 8 into Windows 8 (x86) and Windows RT (ARM)

 

In a blessed moment of clarity, Microsoft has announced that there will be just three flavors of Windows 8 for consumers: Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows RT. This is in stark contrast to Windows 7 and Vista, which were split into more SKUs than there are days in the week.
The default version — 32- and 64-bit Windows 8 for x86 PCs and tablets — replaces Windows 7 Home Basic and Home Premium. Windows 8 Pro, with features like BitLocker and Remote Desktop, replaces Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate (for a full breakdown of the features in each SKU, see the table at the end of this story). There will also be an Enterprise edition of Windows 8, for enterprise customers.
But let’s talk about the black sheep: Windows RT. It’s not Windows 8 RT, or Windows 8 for ARM, or Windows on ARM — it’s Windows RT. Microsoft doesn’t state what the “RT” moniker means, but it’s almost certainly short for WinRT, the new runtime library that underpins the new tile-based Metro interface. Windows RT has a feature set similar to normal Windows 8, but it lacks Storage Spaces, Windows Media Player, and it can’t install x86/64 software (obviously). Windows RT comes with a free copy of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, while Windows 8 and Pro do not.
There are a few possible reasons for the name change. First, because it isn’t a direct upgrade from Windows 7, it probably prevents Microsoft Volume Licensing partners from gaining free access to Windows RT. More importantly, though, Windows RT will only be available as a pre-installed OS. You will not see a Windows RT box on a shelf at Best Buy — there won’t be any confusion about whether the version of Windows 8 you are buying will work on your PC or not.
This also means that you won’t be installing Windows 8 on your ARM Android/iOS/Palm tablet — at least not legitimately. I would be surprised if there isn’t an enterprise version of Windows RT that IT admins can use to bulk provision ARM tablets.
It will be very interesting to see if tablets are advertised as running Windows 8 or Windows RT. Windows 8 has a huge amount of cachet attached to its name, while Windows RT means virtually nothing to consumers. Will Microsoft water down its impending advertising blitz by drawing a line between its x86 and ARM ecosystems, and with repeated mentions of Windows RT? In my opinion, Microsoft’s success on the tablet hinges almost entirely on leveraging the success of Windows 7 — though, who knows, maybe Windows RT will have enough third-party app support that it can stand on its own. Irrespective of nomenclature, Microsoft will have a unified UI across smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and game consoles — and that alone should be enough to drive a lot of consumer interest in all five platforms.

Read more at The Windows Blog

IKEA announces furniture with integrated TV, speakers, and Blu-ray

 

If you long for those balmy days when TVs looked like pieces of furniture, good news: This fall, IKEA will release Uppleva, a range of home entertainment systems that integrate a flat-screen full HD TV, 2.1 sound, and a Blu-ray player. At this point, I strongly encourage you to watch IKEA’s very cute promotional video embedded below.
Uppleva will come in three different designs, with a range of screen sizes starting at 24 inches. If the built-in Blu-ray player isn’t enough, there are two USB and four HDMI ports down the side of the screen, and an empty “bay” that can hold a games console, TiVo, or another set-top box of your choice. In true IKEA fashion, the whole caboodle will come in a range of colors (white, light wood, dark wood, black, and so on). Prices start at 6,500 Swedish Kroner (around $950) — presumably for the 24-inch version — which is a fairly good deal. Uppleva will only be available in a few European markets to start with, but the UK and North America should see it in early 2013.
I never thought I’d see the day where we’d write about IKEA on ExtremeTech, but really, this is a stroke of genius. While power users will dig around to find the best TV or Blu-ray player, most consumers really just want to buy a TV and Blu-ray player. Uppleva will have just two visible wires — power and aerial. Uppleva will have just a single remote control, too — an unobtainable fantasy for most modern-day households — and a wireless subwoofer! I have to admit, even I would be tempted to get one of these, purely for the novelty of escaping Cable Hell (though it isn’t clear how long a battery-powered subwoofer lasts). There is one fly in the ointment, though: IKEA doesn’t say whether Uppleva will be sold ready-made, or if you’ll have to put it together.
Just imagine if a future version of Uppleva integrates even more hardware, too — or it grows to become a single piece of living room-spanning furniture, with drawers and shelves and inglenooks; Microsoft Uppleva 720, with Kinect hidden behind a wood-effect strip of laminate. This could be exactly what we need to finally implement smart homes, too — instead of trying to wire together a bunch of disparate devices, you could just buy an all-in-one kit from IKEA. There are already a scary number of homes that are completely furnished with IKEA gear, anyway, so it’s not like this would be much of a logical jump…

Read more at IKEA (machine translated)

Are robotic guards the answer to controlling prison costs?

 

With roughly ten million people incarcerated worldwide, the amount of money that is being poured into keeping them confined is mind-boggling. At last estimate, $200 billion a year is being funneled through the world’s prison facilities to maintain their operations, money that could be used elsewhere. With governments around the globe looking to cut costs, often by either privatizing their prisons or by taking drastic actions like reducing the amount of meals they feed inmates each day, South Korea has decided to apply technology to the problem. Depicted in the video below is one of the world’s first robotic prison guards that is starting its one month trial to see how effective non-human “screws” can be inside a dangerous penitentiary.
Developed by the Asian Forum of Corrections (AFC), the robot is designed to cut down on the amount of human help that’s needed in prisons. Armed with 3D technology, as well as pattern recognition algorithms, its able to detect when trouble might erupt or if an inmate is displaying behavior that’s out of his or her normal routine. By analyzing past interactions with a prisoner, the robotic guard can alert its human controllers to potential trouble like a riot or a suicide attempt. This allows a prepared team to respond quickly to intervene.
The hope of the AFC is that by spending a large amount of money up front to develop these advanced machines the cost over the long term will decrease as prisons reduce the number of guards needed for each facility. The organization’s argument is that the robots are immune to many of the dangers their human counterparts are; bribes, injury, sickness and death. Most importantly, they don’t draw a weekly paycheck to keep them happy.
Of course, anyone who has ever seen The Terminator is going to begin the Skynet comparisons, but it’s obvious that this is the most logical direction to take the world’s prison systems (at least until we can invent carbon freezing in the real world). There are large hurdles to overcome since any kind of computer driven technology can be hacked and modified to gain access. But just like the auto industry did several years ago, the penal market will need to begin to move over to automated systems of care for the incarcerated. With more countries exploring privatization as an option to unburden their economies from the cost of keeping those people locked up, you can bet the different companies that are placing bids to take over are looking on this development with interest.
My prediction, based on what I’ve seen, is that within ten-years or so we’ll begin to see this become commonplace around the globe in countries that can afford to invest in it. South Korea also plans on creating a robot that is capable of searching prisoners, although there is no word on whether or not they will be tasked with conducting the body cavity checks when an inmate is processed into the system.

Read more at Reuters.

Abandon ship: BlackBerry loses YouMail

It is no secret that Research In Motion is in trouble — the company is struggling to find a device that will actually sell and competitors have gained the upper hand in the corporate market where it once dominated. While neither of those are even remotely good news, you know things are bad when one of your top app developers calls it quits.
That is exactly what YouMail did over the weekend. The company produces an app of the same name that brings iPhone-like visual voicemail to the BlackBerry. In a post announcing the latest update to the app, its CEO Alex Quilici wrote that it will also be YouMail’s last “at least for now.” Need that in three words? Nobody’s downloading anymore.
Blackberry usage has steadily declined while downloads for YouMail’s Android and iPhone apps soar. “It’s sad, but on many days we’re now getting fewer BB users than Windows Phone 7 users, and we don’t even have a Windows Phone 7 app,” Quilici noted. (Third party Windows Phone developers tap into YouMail’s API to offer apps on that platform.)




YouMail was the seventh most popular application in the productivity category of BlackBerry App World as of Tuesday afternoon. The popularity of YouMail and its developer’s decision to abandon the platform signals broader trouble for RIM. BlackBerry’s problem is more than just its paltry 6% share of wireless device sales as reported by NPD; RIM lacks a hot selling phone, and may even soon find itself behind Windows Phone.
We can question the impact of Nokia’s Lumia devices to the mobile industry at large, but it’s obvious that Nokia is getting much more buzz in the press and among consumers than any BlackBerry device. The fact that BlackBerry developers are pointing this out (indirectly, however) is pretty embarrassing for RIM.
What can RIM do? That is pretty clear: the company needs to make a decision soon on whether staying in the hardware business is worthwhile. Other manufacturers have shown an interest in developing devices for the BlackBerry platform — such as Samsung — and getting out would save the company quite a bit of money.
This change will be painful one, and a lot of good folks at RIM would find themselves out of work as the company transitions to focusing on software. But really, what else can they do? Why risk the entire company on a business that is a drag on your bottom line, rather than focus on something with much less overhead?
With developers beginning to run for the exits, RIM’s big decision may come sooner rather than later.

Windows Phones: 4 Models Tested and Rated

As iOS and Android duel for supremacy and BlackBerry struggles to hang on, Microsoft's unique mobile platform makes its move.

The Basics

What does the Windows Phone OS have over Android and iOS?
Consistency, for one thing. Unlike the myriad flavors of Android, Microsoft's interface looks the same on every device. And compared with the static home screens of Apple's iOS, Windows' "live tile" menus are a Mardi Gras of activity. Animated squares cascade down as you scroll through a column of options, all continually updated with photos from Twitter, Facebook, and the phone's memory.
Are there many apps available?
How many do you need? The Windows app selection pales in comparison with the hundreds of thousands available for iOS and Android. But Microsoft's Marketplace has quickly swelled to more than 50,000 titles. And the essentials — Facebook, Netflix, Angry Birds — are all there.
Will Windows Phone play nice with the web services I use daily?
Yes, but not in the way you'd think. The OS is focused on people rather than apps. For instance, when you select a contact, Windows Phone serves up your entire interaction history, from Gmail conversations to Facebook chats. The What's New feature streams real-time social network updates, serving up the latest tweets and check-ins. And with Exchange, Office, and XBox Live support built in, Windows phones are perfect for those already hooked into Microsoft's application suite.

Buying Advice

If you're happily running Windows on your computer, there's no reason to hesitate. Windows Phone is a solid mobile choice. Before buying a handset, think about what you'll do with it. Movie buffs and YouTubers will want a crisp AMOLED screen. Shutterbugs need a camera with at least 5 megapixels (top-of-the-line models boast 8MP). In terms of overall performance, ignore any smartphone with a processor slower than 1GHz. And remember, a new Windows phone without version 7.5 (aka Mango) isn't a new phone at all.

The Great, Bright-Blue Hope

The Nokia Lumia 900. Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired

The Lumia 900 is not a specced-out superphone for the early adopters. The dominating forces in the mobile hardware race — Apple, HTC, Motorola, Samsung — have got that area covered, with beefy handsets offering the fastest processors, the highest resolutions and all the other things that matter to the top echelon of consumers.
Microsoft and Nokia have decided (wisely, one could argue), to focus their Windows Phone endeavors on a different audience — the booming ranks of first-time smartphone buyers just entering the market, and the millions of us looking for a solid smartphone at a budget-friendly price.
Whether or not the duo’s strategic move pays off is still a big question. I wouldn’t doubt that every exec at Nokia and everyone in Microsoft’s mobile division are sitting at their desks right now, biting their nails as reviews and order numbers roll in. Windows Phone needs a hit — a big hit — in the U.S. if it’s ever going to crawl out of the dismal “other” category of smartphone market-share charts.
The good news is that the Lumia 900 may just be the phone to turn things around. It’s a beautiful phone with a big screen that runs on AT&T’s fast 4G LTE network. It has a lively, user-friendly operating system. And it’s only $100 with a 2-year AT&T contract, a price that betters other flagship handsets by at least half.



All curves and polish, the 900 has plenty of curb appeal. This isn’t a phone for someone who wants to blend into the crowd, at least in the eye-popping cyan hue of our test unit (it also comes in black and white). The 900 shares the same bold polycarbonate shell as its smaller cousin the Lumia 800, but in a larger 4.3-inch package. My only design quibble is the flat raised screen of the 900 isn’t quite as elegant as the slightly rounded glass on the 800.
On the top of the device is a headphone jack and microUSB port — Nokia has ditched the 800′s bothersome mechanical flap that covered the charging port. Along one side of the device is a silver volume rocker, power button and camera shutter, and a speaker grate hides out along the bottom of the device.
The bright 800×480 AMOLED screen isn’t as pixel-packed as a Retina display or one of Samsung’s stunners. The only time the Nokia 900′s resolution really showed its weakness was in watching streaming video. Although videos are watchable, colors are visibly blocky and details aren’t crisp — it’s definitely not HD-quality.
The 8-megapixel camera (topped by a Carl Zeiss lens) on the rear of the device takes pretty great shots in bright light, on par with similarly specced shooters we’ve reviewed. Performance in low light, however, was less admirable. Shooting pictures in mixed light or in twilight without the dual LED flash caused a large amount of striated noise to show up in the pictures.
Since both iOS and Android have photo apps filled with filters in their app stores (and since both now have Instagram), the lack of built-in filter offerings on the handset is a noticeable weakness. The camera app does, however, offer a number of customizable settings, including night mode and sports mode (and other scene settings), as well as adjustable exposure, white balance and ISO.
But my dissatisfaction with the software experience largely ends with the camera. I’ve never handled a Windows Phone Mango device that wasn’t pleasantly zippy and responsive, and the Lumia 900 is no exception. The phone’s 1.4GHz processor keeps games and videos humming, and the system doesn’t seem to be slowed by multi-tasking apps. For those unfamiliar with the OS, it’s extraordinarily polished, with subtle animations at every turn: things like text folding into or away from the screen when you tap a link or navigate to different feature, or a springy physicality when you flick to the end of the app listing.
Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired

An Uneven Number

HTC has been one of the more prolific players in the Android phone market of late. But so far, the Taiwanese manufacturer hasn’t quite solidified its desired reputation as a beloved premium handset maker, up with the likes of Apple, Samsung and Motorola.
Over the past couple of years, HTC’s strategy has been to make dozens of phones at dozens of price points — something for everyone, but nothing truly memorable. That “almost there” legacy continues with the HTC One S, the first model in the company’s newly rebooted smartphone lineup to reach the U.S.
The One S is a sleek, speedy and attractive handset that runs Ice Cream Sandwich, but HTC has made a few design stumbles here which keep the phone from being truly exceptional.
The One S is exclusive to T-Mobile’s 4G network in the U.S., and is available starting Apr. 25 at a price of $200 with a two-year contract.
It’s pegged as a mid-range flagship phone. If you’ve ever used the old HTC Sensation, then the One S will feel familiar, as it takes some of its design cues from the older handset.

Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired

The first thing I noticed was the quality of the materials used to make the One S. The anodized aluminum body feels strong and impressive. The feel is definitely metallic, and nothing like cheap plastic. The phone is super-thin (about a third of an inch thick) and at 4.21 ounces, very light.

The metallic back of the One S is beautiful, with a gradient paint job that starts as charcoal gray at the bottom and moves to a lighter blue-gray at the top. There is one simple microUSB port on the left side, with a headphone jack and power button up top and a volume rocker on the right side. There is no microSD card slot, so the included 16GB of storage will have to be enough. I should note that the phone comes with a total of 25GB of free storage from Dropbox, thanks to a special promotion. So if you’re comfortable living in the cloud, 16GB of onboard storage will be enough.
I can’t think of a single phone on the market that looks quite like this. That’s a good thing, as retail shelf appeal is a biggie. But while attractive, the aluminum back doesn’t feel particularly grippy. I often felt like the phone could slip out of my hand if I wasn’t careful in handling it.
The bezel that lines the edges of the 4.3-inch display dips slightly along the sides, allowing the aluminum edge of the case to meet the glass further down the sides of the device, rather than on the face. This means swipes and taps can be executed without ever encountering a hard edge on the face. Instead, you just feel smooth, responsive glass — a nice, thoughtful touch.
But the display itself isn’t all good. Colors were too bright and over-saturated. On websites, apps and photos, reds popped so much they seemed to be glowing. Blues were too warm, greens rendered and electric quality at times and over all everything felt too amped up. Comparing photos to their real-world counterparts and viewing the same image on other screens made these problems clear.
The 960×540 “qHD” resolution of the display was fine last year, but for a high-end phone in 2012, I’d expect at least a 720p resolution when watching video in landscape mode.
Another issue: the One S uses of a PenTile Super AMOLED display that’s inferior to what’s offered on Samsung and Apple phones — or even what’s seen on HTC’s One X (headed to AT&T). The PenTile pixel arrangement allows for a distracting pixelation of everything on the display. If you look closely, you’ll be able to see the jagged edges of app icons, text and images — particularly where black meets white. The subpar display takes away from the premium feel of the rest of the hardware.