WhatsApp vs. Skype vs. Viber – Spoiled for Choice

There are many clients available for instant messaging and making VoIP calls through the desktop or through mobile phones. Chatting has now left the PC and entered the mobile world in a very big way.

Messaging apps offer additional features, such as making voice and video calls as well. You can even send and receive files, share photos and videos and group conversations through such hangouts. In fact, there are so many apps, such as WhatsApp, Skype and Viber, that the user is spoiled for choice. What makes one better than the other? Let’s see if we can sort it out.

WhatsApp

It is a very popular messaging app for mobile platforms and has more than 200 million users from all over the world. It is available for the Android and iOS phones, as well as for the BlackBerry and Windows Phones. It was recently bought over by Facebook and is also looking towards including audio calls in the near future. Its top features are text chatting, including chatting with groups. It also offers sharing of files, such as photos and videos and location sharing.

WhatsApp is very accessible and simple to use. You don’t have to incur any more SMS charges through your carrier, if your friends also have the app installed on their smartphones. You get a free trial for a year after which you have to pay $1 for a year as subscription. However, at present, you cannot make audio or video calls through this application. In addition, it does not have a presence on PCs and is available only for the mobile platform. It was founded in the year 2009 by two Yahoo employees who created this SMS alternative.

Skype

Skype has the largest user base among all VoIP apps and presently enjoys more than 300 million users from all over the world. It works on the desktop as well as on mobile platforms. The app is a cross platform one and can be installed on the Android and iOS devices, as well as Windows Phone and the BlackBerry. You can also install it on your Windows 8 desktop or a Mac OS X. Skype offers text chatting and instant messaging as well as group chatting. In addition, Skype also offers audio and video calls for free, to all other users who have the app on their devices. You can also make calls to other landlines and other mobile numbers at a very reasonable rate. Skype enables sharing of files, photos and videos as well in addition to a screen-sharing feature.

Skype has become so synonymous with Internet calls that it has gained a verb status. Those who want to make free or cheap international calls generally make use of this app. It has also entered smart TVs and the Xbox One as well as mobile phones. You can have group-chatting with hundreds of users or contacts at the same time. Skype has also introduced the Skype Qik, which can be used for sending short video messages to contacts.

Viber

Viber is a very popular messaging, audio and video calling application with more than 200 million users. It is available for all mobile platforms, such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone as well as BlackBerry devices. It can also be installed on your desktop, Windows 8 or Mac OS X. Viber allows free calls to contacts already having the app. You can access group chatting, audio and video calls as well as share files and access location sharing features. Your phone number is your ID, so you don’t have to create any account or add contacts to the app, which is not the case with Skype. You can also make Viber Out calls to those who do not have the app, and in this case it will be charged to your usual call allowance on your phone.

Microsoft enables Skype and Lync video integration

On December 5, Microsoft announced that it is beginning the rollout of the second piece of Skype-Lync federation by turning on video integration between the two services.

"We're excited to announce that Skype users can now video call their Skype contacts on Lync, and vice versa!" said company officials in a blog post announcing the new capability.

In May 2013, Microsoft officials said they would deliver Skype-Lync federation in two steps. In 2013, Skype and Lync users were able to integrate contacts, presence, instant messaging and audio calling across the two services. At that time, officials said video connectivity between the two would happen until mid-2014.

Earlier this year, Microsoft execs pushed back the due date for Skype-Lync video integration until year-end 2014.When Microsoft announced last month that the company would be changing the name of Lync to "Skype for Business," officials also said that they planned to update Microsoft's Skype clients with H.264 codec support so as to be able to provide video integration between Skype and Lync 2013.

Update: According to a December 5 Office Blogs post, Skype for Windows desktop is getting the Skype-Lync video federation first. Android and iOS Skype releases will get the new capability "in the coming months."

Microsoft also announced a new Skype update for Windows desktop users today. With Skype 7.0, users can now scroll, call, and browse using touch.

Nokia Lumia 730 vs HTC Desire 816G

There are some interesting smartphones available for the middle sector of the market, and two of these are the Nokia Lumia 730 Dual SIM and HTC Desire 816G Dual SIM. These have both released in the last few months and are similarly priced handsets, so you may have both on your shortlist. Today we have a Nokia Lumia 730 vs. HTC Desire 816G specs shootout so you can easily compare what they offer.

One of the major differences of these devices is their operating platforms, as the Nokia is a Windows Phone handset while the HTC phone runs Android. Therefore it will be a much easier choice is you have a decided preference for one or the other. If you’re open minded to either then your selection will be more difficult. Let’s take a look at the specs and more for the Lumia 730 and Desire 816G.

Processors
The Nokia Lumia 730 Dual SIM has a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor and Adreno 305 graphics. The HTC Desire 816G Dual SIM has a 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6582 quad-core processor and Mali-400MP2 GPU.

Display
The Lumia 730 has a 4.7-inch OLED display with resolution of 1280 x 720 and 316 ppi. The Desire 816G has a 5.5-inch display with resolution of 1280 x 720 resulting in 267 ppi.

RAM and Storage
The Nokia phone has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD to 128GB. The Desire 816G also has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, but this time only expandable to 32GB.

Camera set-up
The Lumia 730 packs a 6.7-megapixel rear camera with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, LED flash, and 1080p video capture, as well as a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The Desire 816G has a 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash, and 1080p video recording capability, and also a 5-megapixel front-facing unit.

Battery
The Lumia 730 has a removable 2200 mAh battery while the Desire 816G has a non-removable 2600 mAh battery.

Connectivity
Both phones support 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n with WiFi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, GPRS, EDGE, GPS, and microUSB 2.0. However, the Lumia 730 also has DLNA and NFC.

Operating System
The Lumia 730 runs Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim. The Desire 816G runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat skinned with HTC’s Sense 6.0 UI.

Dimensions and Weight
The Lumia 730 measures 134.7mm x 68.5mm x 8.7mm and weighs 130g. The Desire 816G measures 156.6mm x 78.7mm x 8mm and weighs 158g.

Price

Pricing obviously varies by region as well as retailer, so it’s difficult to be too specific. Dual SIM handsets are extremely popular in many Asian countries, so as an example we’ll give you approximate pricing for India. The Nokia Lumia 730 Dual SIM launched there at Rs. 15,299 but can be found on sale from around Rs. 14,500. The Desire 816G launched at Rs. 18,890 but can now be found from around Rs. 15,500 bringing the prices much closer together.

Potential buyers should also consider their preference of design, and as we mentioned before, the different software experiences are a big factor in this decision. Looking at specs alone throws up some swings and roundabouts. For instance both phones have the same display resolution. Some may prefer the larger display of the Desire 816G but the bigger size leads to less ppi.

The Lumia 730 has a higher level of expandable storage, but the Desire 816G has a higher-megapixel rear camera. The Desire 816G also has a higher-capacity battery, but on the other hand the Lumia 730’s battery has the benefit of being removable. As well as this the Desire 816G is the slimmer handset while the Lumia 730 is the lighter of the two.

Microsoft Lumia 535: 5 Reasons Why You Should Buy the Company's First Non-Nokia Smartphone

Lumia 535 is very special to Microsoft as it is the first non-Nokia Lumia smartphone from the company.

Windows phones have been in the market for long but they haven't been able to grab the expected market share that Microsoft wanted. Later entrants Android and iOS did much better than Microsoft Windows phones.

And now that Microsoft is in complete control of the hardware specifications and software features, the company released Lumia 535. Priced at Rs. 9199, the Lumia 535 is a successor to Lumia's budget smartphones 520 and 530.

1. Voice and Skype integration- Microsoft Lumia 535 features a seamless integration between voice calling and Skype calls. A user can shift to VOIP calling direct from the voice only calling screen. While the data rates in India are affordable, the easy Skype access will certainly impress the techno-unfriendly users.
2. XBOX Connectivity- All Lumia based smartphones have XBOX connectivity, but a sub-10k device with a quad-core processor is impressive.
3. Camera- A front camera was the key missing feature of the previous generation Lumia 530 phone. Making amends, Microsoft has featured a wide-angle 5 MP front camera in Lumia 535. We tested the camera yesterday and found it really impressive, particularly while clicking wide angle photographs.
4. Software Integration- the Lumia 535 comes pre-loaded with live Office suite, the most significant software ever made by Microsoft. Office suite is a must have feature. The Lumia 535 also features 15 GB of additional OneDrive Cloud storage which will certainly help the user to manage their documents and multimedia content. The user can also buy 1TB of OneDrive storage later by paying an annual fee of Rs. 799. Another significant feature of Lumia 535 is the Microsoft Outlook.
5. Operating System- Microsoft Lumia 535 runs on the latest Microsoft Mobile OS Lumia Denim 8.1. The Denim update features an improved interface with better software-hardware integration. Microsoft has also promised to deliver the Windows Mobile 10 very soon with lots of improvements. And Lumia 535 is sure get the upgrade.

 Key Specifications:

Operating System	Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim
Display	5-inch qHD 960x540 pixels
Processor	1.2 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200
Camera	5 MP Rear + 5 MP front
Memory	8 GB in-built + 15 GB OneDrive + MicroSD support up to 128 GB
Battery	1905 mAh Battery
Extra Feature	Free global HERE maps and HERE drive

Source:International Bussiness Times

Dropbox’s Mobile Apps Are Now Integrated With Microsoft Office

Earlier this month, Dropbox and Microsoft announced a partnership that would see Dropbox offer better support for Microsoft’s Office Suite, including the ability to edit Office docs from the Dropbox mobile app among other things. Today, those integrations have gone live for users of both the Android phone and iOS Dropbox applications.

Explains Dropbox in a blog post announcing the news, users can now edit their Office files when they’re “on the go,” editing them directly from the Dropbox app and accessing the files directly from the Office apps. To use the new feature, you’ll first need update your app to the latest version, then open any Office document, spreadsheet or presentation that’s stored in your Dropbox.

From here, a new “Edit” icon (see above picture) will be available that will allow you to switch over to the new mobile Office apps to make changes to the file. When you’re finished working, those changes will be saved back to Dropbox automatically.

The Dropbox/Microsoft partnership is an extensive deal aimed at increasing collaboration between the two firms, and may have surprised some given that the two companies offer competing products. Microsoft has a Dropbox-like service called OneDrive, but Dropbox’s larger service reaches hundreds of millions of users, including 80,000 businesses.

The agreement announced at the beginning of November included four parts, as reported: the ability to quickly edit docs from Dropbox on mobile, accessing Dropbox docs from Office apps, sharing Dropbox links of Office apps, and the creation of first-party Dropbox apps for Microsoft’s mobile offerings.

Source:Techcrunch

This new Windows 9 feature could help you avoid huge headaches

 

Microsoft is about to unveil Windows 9 “Threshold” Technical Preview in late September, and the first features of the upcoming operating system have already started leaking. Among them, Neowin has found out that Windows 9 may offer users a significantly more convenient way to install future Windows builds.
After the new Start menu, this might be Windows 9’s second killer feature
The feature is currently available in internal builds of Windows 9, and it allows users to upgrade their Windows version “with a single click of a button.” While there’s always a chance this is just an internal trick, allowing Microsoft employees to jump faster to a certain Windows 9 build, the publication says the feature is “fully built out, meaning that it is integrated into the UI and it is native part of Windows.”
Thus, the feature may find its way into Windows 9 betas, inside the Windows Update app, allowing early testers to go “from build 9825 to 9829 with a single click.”
Neowin has further learned that the new update feature doesn’t require complete reinstallations of the OS, making upgrades a lot easier and faster than before.
The feature would be even more interesting for final builds of Windows 9, as it would offer a better way for Microsoft to deploy timely updates and patches, and improve the overall Windows Update experience to end-users.
However, Microsoft has yet to confirm the feature.

Source:  Neowin

Microsoft Windows 9 ‘tech preview’ on September 30: Report

Microsoft is aiming to deliver a ‘technology preview’ of Windows 9 operating system codenamed ‘Threshold’ on September 30, according to a report published by The Verge.

Microsoft is likely to hold a special press event, especially for developers, to detail the changes that will be incorporated in the Windows 8 successor.

The preview will give developers a first look at the new mini Start Menu in Windows 9, alongside the removal of the Charms bar feature and several UI changes, the report said.

Earlier reports suggest that the full-fledged commercial launch, however, will not see the light of the day till April 2015.

Microsoft knows that Windows 8 was a nonstarter for many users, which is why it’s apparently designed Windows 9 with the desktop user much more in mind. The company’s efforts to appease desktop PC users was seen in Windows 8.1 — when they added back a Start button and the option of booting up to desktop — and it’s only going further down that road with its next major release.

The Verge report further stressed that the September event will only be headlining the overview of key new features of the upcoming operating system, for the developers and enthusiasts.

Microsoft's Upcoming Cheap Windows Laptops to Counter Chromebook Threat

Microsoft appears to have no intention to cede the low-end PC market to Google's Chromebook offerings, as it has announced HP, Acer, and Toshiba will soon unveil inexpensive Windows OS-based laptops at $199 and $249 price points.

The news came from Kevin Turner, Microsoft COO, during the firm's Worldwide Partners Conference (via The Verge) held on Monday in Washington D.C.

The cheapest of the announced laptops is HP's 'Stream', with a $199 price tag. Turner did not provide any details on the HP Stream's specifications, but did reveal the low-cost upcoming Acer and Toshiba laptops will feature 15.6-inch and 11.6-inch displays respectively. The Acer laptop will be powered by a 2.16GHz Intel Celeron processor, feature 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB HDD.

Toshiba's inexpensive 11.6-inch Windows laptop offering on the other hand will feature a 32GB SSD onboard, and weigh roughly 1.1kgs.

Turner also added that HP is planning to reveal 7-inch and 8-inch versions of its Stream PCs for a super-low $99 price tag.

"We are going to participate at the low-end," stated Turner in the conference. "We've got a great value proposition against Chromebooks, we are not ceding the market to anyone."

Notably, Acer last week revealed its refurbished C720 Chromebook with a starting price of $349.99, powered by an Intel Core i3 processor instead of a Celeron one.

Similarly, HP also launched its refreshed 11.6-inch Chromebook PC in June with a starting price tag of $249 for the Wi-Fi model.

One of the other threats that Google might be facing in the low-end PC segment is Microsoft reduced licensing fee for Windows OS and Windows Phone OS.

In April, Microsoft said it was giving away its Windows licences to makers of smartphones and small tablets for free in order to make more of an impact on those fast-growing markets and counter the massive success of Google's free Android platform.

In February, the Redmond-based firm was reported to have slashed the price of its Windows 8.1 OS licences by 70 percent, aiming to get a strong hold in the low-cost PC segments. It was noted that the manufacturers will now be charged only $15 instead of the usual fee of $50 to get the Windows 8.1licence and sell it pre-installed on devices costing less than $250.

Windows Phone 8.1 'Cyan' Update Now Rolling Out to Lumia Users

Microsoft Mobile on Tuesday announced roll-out of the 'Cyan' update for Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Lumia Cyan includes the Windows Phone 8.1 Update available to all Windows Phone OEMs as well as certain Lumia-specific features and enhancements.

Starting July 15, Lumia users around the world will start to receive the Cyan update on their devices over-the-air (OTA), though exact availability may vary depending upon their carrier and/ or region.

While the Lumia Cyan update includes several new features for the users globally, Lumia Windows Phone 8 users in US will also get the digital personal assistant Cortana on their devices. The feature is also expected to reach China and the UK soon.

The Windows Phone 8.1 update adds a number of new features to Lumia Windows Phone 8 devices like the ability to use a custom background image for start screen, a third column for custom live tiles, People Hub, a new Action Center to customise settings, app notifications, and more, Wi-Fi Sense to automatically connect to free Wi-Fi hotspots, an updated native Calendar, updated Bing powered device search, an updated Internet Explorer 11 browser that promises a fast and intuitive browser experience.

Refer to our previous coverage for complete details about the Windows Phone 8.1 update.

Lumia users will also benefit from improved Nokia Camera, Creative Studio and Storyteller apps. Nokia Creative Studio 6 (CS6) will now be available directly from the renewed Camera Roll. The company is also offering a free upgrade to global Here Drive+ to Nokia Lumia 520, Lumia 525, Lumia 620 and Lumia 720 users along with the Lumia Cyan update.

Specifically for Nokia Lumia 1520 and Lumia Icon, the Lumia Cyan update will improve the audio quality of videos and the camera capabilities. Additionally, Microsoft's Screen Share technology will allow users to connect both devices to screens like a smart TV or projector.

A new SensorCore SDK Beta for both the devices will enable them to use location data, real-time updates, and more.

Satya Nadella’s Vision For A New Microsoft

This morning Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella released an internal memo detailing his vision for the company’s future. The new chief executive used the missive as a way to signal an intentional break with the past.

That break? Sharpening its “devices and services” strategy to focus on “productivity and platforms.”

I spoke with Nadella this morning and asked what the change in language meant. Devices and services, he said, is equivalent to his oft-repeated “cloud-first and mobile-first” moniker. Productivity and platforms is more “specific” regarding what Microsoft can bring to the market that is unique. Other companies can be mobile-first and cloud-first, he added, meaning that while operating according to those principles is likely intelligent, it won’t set Microsoft apart from its competition.

Component to the idea of building something unique is the simple fact that large technology companies are competing across a rising set of services, making them more similar even as they look to set themselves apart.

Productivity and Platforms

Microsoft, Nadella noted, lives in a world of platform heterogeneity, reaffirming his intent to build everywhere.

Nadella wants to do his “best work, even on the iPad.*” This means that non-Windows-based experiences won’t be set at a feature or design deficit when compared to what the company builds for its own platforms. So if Microsoft intends to compete across platforms as other firms do, how can the company differentiate itself, as Nadella indicated was his goal?

“All strategy gets eaten by culture.”

In his view, the company has to build “bar-none [the] best productivity apps.” His point appears to be that Microsoft’s productivity assets are market-leading (correct) and thus one of its competitive advantages is leveraging the Office suite across the platforms that it doesn’t control over others. The success of Office for iPad is a good indication that Nadella, at least in the short-term, is correct.

Nadella is hitting the gas in this regard, with the launch of Office for Android approaching. But productivity is only part of Microsoft’s product line up, so could it provide a company-wide lift? In a sense yes. If Office 365 excels across platforms, it could bring more users into the larger Microsoft services orbit, aligning them more closely with its platforms. And platform momentum brings developers in from the cold.

The opposite is true as well, naturally: Wherever a modern technology company operates at a disadvantage, or fails to complete, it implicitly limits its platform buy-in from consumers and businesses.

The Cloud

Moving to the cloud, it’s worth keeping in mind that the price of cloud storage is quickly trending to zero, spurred in no small part by the price war underway among Microsoft, Google and Amazon.

Will the price of cloud computing itself follow suit? Nadella said that there is a “broad commoditization” of services of that sort and that players in the market will be “aggressive” in their pricing, perhaps even subsidizing some offerings to grind up market share. Nadella did indicate that there will be an “equilibrium” following the pricing conflicts.

It remains to be seen how much prices can decline before they resemble zero. To understand the market, view storage from the perspective of Amazon‘s recently launched cloud storage product that will provide businesses users 200 gigabytes for $5 per user per month. Apply that to all services vended across the Internet in which the operating costs rest with the provider, and not an external party.

Spotify, for example, can’t decrease its price over time to fend off Xbox Music, because its costs are largely externally fixed by record companies. But with cloud storage and computing, the companies that are selling the product have tens of billions in cash and don’t care about short-term margins for these services.

If lowering your price will get more developers through the door building with your tools and on and for your platform, you do it. To paraphrase the old trend cliché: Prices are down and to the left.

Differentiation will come, in Nadella’s vision, from the players who add the most value on top of the more basic services. This mirrors the argument that the basic service layers — compute and storage and so forth — cannot be viewed as differentiation points in the future, current market dynamics aside.

You don’t issue a call to action for change when none is needed.

Finally, Nadella noted that “all strategy gets eaten by culture,” underscoring his letter’s mention that previous methods of business would not be held as sacred at Microsoft. As a company, Microsoft is known for a history of internal conflict. (Dilbert here is canonical.) After decades of stability, Nadella’s point appears to be that Microsoft’s former culture would consume his new vision for the company. As such, the culture itself has to change.

Implicit to Nadella’s note is the point that the Microsoft that existed before, which generated mammoth profits, is not well-fitted to where the market is today and will be in the future. You don’t issue a call to action for change when none is needed.

The document is a decent encapsulation of Nadella’s view of what Microsoft should become: Quicker to market, stronger of product, and competitive everywhere. This is no small challenge. It’s now up to Nadella not only to live up to his own vision, but to convince more than 100,000 employees to do the same.

Microsoft Testing Patch to Fix Windows 8.1 Update Bug

Microsoft has released a test patch to fix failed automatic and user updates from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1, and from Windows RT to Windows RT 8.1, for select markets. The failed update to Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 issue was widely reported by users for a long time. Microsoft is now testing these patches in select areas initially and might roll out to other regions soon.

Windows 8 users can directly visit the Windows Update (not the Windows Store), and if they are eligible they will get the test patch and be able to automatically or manually update to Windows 8.1. Notably, it is not necessary that it will certainly fix the issue for all, as there is a possibility that it does not work since the Microsoft is still testing the patch according to a report from Supersite For Windows.

Also, to enable an automatic update from Windows RT to Windows RT 8.1, users can download the test patch from the Microsoft's support page.

"This (Windows RT) pilot program is an example of ways we're experimenting to help ensure more of our customers benefit from a continuously improving Windows experience," said a Microsoft spokesperson while speaking to Supersite For Windows.

On the other hand, Microsoft is reportedly planning an upcoming updated codenamed 'Threshold' aka Windows 9 that will unify the operating system for all hardware ecosystems - smartphones, tablets and PCs.

Windows Threshold is expected to get a public preview by the fag end of this year. However, before this expect Microsoft to roll out another update called 'Update 2', as stated by multiple reports.

Mac vs. PC: Here are the real differences

The burning rivalry between Mac and PC is one of the most storied rivalries in the history of technology – ruining friendships, bringing down corporations and inspiring some very creative commercials — but do we truly understand the fundamental difference between a Windows PC and a Macintosh? I’m sure many of you do, but for those who don’t have a grasp of the finer details, Computerphile has put together a short video primer explaining how Macs and PCs differ.

Professor Tom Rodden begins by discussing computer systems in their most basic form. You start with the physical hardware, then an operating system, then the applications on that operating system and finally the windowing system which the user directly interacts with. Of course, the way we interact with our computers has changed drastically over the years, but the basic interactions remains the same.

Moving on to the advent of the Macintosh computer, Rodden explains that historically,Microsoft has been a software company. The Surface tablets are the first hardware built by Microsoft in quite some time. Apple, on the other hand, controls both the hardware and the software in its computer business. This means that Apple can “optimize and protect” its computers in ways that Microsoft can’t.

Apple’s operating system can therefore make presumptions about the hardware it will be functioning on because Apple can extensively test its operating system with every piece of hardware it releases. Microsoft doesn’t have this luxury, as dozens of manufacturers create hardware for Windows. This is where device drivers come into play, and why certain accessories or programs might be incompatible from one Windows computer to another.

The obvious downside to siding with Apple is that you’ll only ever have one machine to choose from. This leads to inflated prices, which is why an $1,099 iMac is seen as a bargain. OS X and iOS are both regularly lambasted for bring closed off in comparison to other mobile and desktop operating systems as well. You have more freedom on Windows to customize both hardware and software than you ever will on a Mac.

All of this may sound redundant to those of you who understand the technical distinctions between Macs and PCs, but everyone else should take a few minutes to watch the video above.

SOURCE:

YOUTUBE (COMPUTERPHILE)

Nokia X2 Dual SIM With 1GB of RAM and 4.3-Inch Display Launched

For many tech pundits who believed that the Nokia X smartphone range was dead after Microsoft's completed acquisition of Nokia's devices and services business, the Redmond giant has a surprise - the launch of the Nokia X2, the successor to the popular Nokia X.

The Nokia X2 will be available at EUR 99 (roughly Rs. 8,100) without taxes and subsidies. The company on its official Conversations blog has revealed that the Nokia X2 will be available immediately in select countries globally; however it has not listed the markets.

The new Nokia X series phone will be available in Glossy Black, Green, Orange, Dark Grey, White and Yellow. The Nokia X2 now sports a translucent outer layer, reminiscent to the ones seen on Nokia's Asha range of handsets.

Microsoft Mobile reiterates that the all new Nokia X2 can run Android apps and comes preloaded with the latest version of Nokia Store that now incorporates third-party app stores.

The Conversations blog said, "The Nokia X2 is also equipped with another navigation option; the brand-new 'apps list', which keeps your home screen clear for your most used apps, bringing Nokia X2 in line with the existing Lumia experience."

One of the prominent additions in the design of the Nokia X2 is the new home button that takes you back to the start screen and is accompanied by the back button that allows flipping through most recent actions, and long pressing shows what apps are open. Notably, the exact version of the Nokia X software platform being used has not yet been revealed by the company, though Engadget notes the Nokia X2 runs Nokia X Software Platform 2.0.

The new Nokia X2 is a dual-SIM variant and do not has a single SIM variant. Notably, the Nokia X2 Dual SIM has been listed on the company's official India site without pricing.

The new Nokia X family member features a 4.3-inch ClearBlack LCD display with WVGA resolution (480x800 pixels) that offers a pixel density of 217ppi. It is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor clocked at 1.2GHz clubbed with 1GB of RAM. Notably, last generation's Nokia X+ and Nokia XL had just 768MB of RAM, while the Nokia X had 512MB of RAM. All three last generation Nokia X phones ran on a dual-core Qualcomm MSM8225 Snapdragon S4 chipset, and can therefore can be considered an upgrade.

The Nokia X2 sports a 5-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash, while there a front-facing camera (unspecified resolution) also onboard. The smartphone is backed by an 1800mAh battery that's rated to deliver up to 10 hours of 2G talk time and up to 86 hours of continuous music playback. The Nokia X2 features 4GB of built-in storage, which is expandable via microSD card (32GB).

The Nokia X2 also comes preloaded with a bevy of Microsoft apps such as Skype, Outlook.com, Bing Search app, WeChat, Path, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Yammer and Xbox games. The all new OneDrive is also preinstalled with 15GB cloud storage available right out-of-the-box. Games include SnapAttack, Wordament and Kinectimals. The note-taking app, OneNote, is also present. For the socialites, Line, WeChat, Path, Facebook and Facebook Messenger are also available.

Microsoft giving away 15GB of OneDrive storage, 1TB for Office 365 users

More free storage? Lower prices? It's all good news from Microsoft today: The company just announced that it will begin offering 15GB of free storage to OneDrive users, up from 7GB. For those of you keeping track, this latest move brings OneDrive in line with its biggest rival, Google Drive, which also also offers 15GB of free space (other competitors such as iCloud and Dropbox don't offer nearly as much complimentary storage). Meanwhile, Microsoft said that within the next month, Office 365 users will get 1TB of free space, up from 20GB. This, too, is a welcome change: That generous 1TB cap was previously reserved for Office 365's business users only.

Finally, Microsoft dropped the price of its monthly plans to $1.99 for 100GB (down from $7.49) and $3.99 for 200GB (down from $11.49). In fact, the prices are so low that the company chose to eliminate its 50GB monthly plan; the fee would have been so nominal (25 cents or so) that it may as well have been free. The good news is that whether you use OneDrive or Office 365, existing users will automatically see their storage limits go up. In other words, it's not like you have to be a new customer to take advantage of this. Enjoy, and turn on OneDrive's automatic photo-uploading if you haven't already -- we're pretty sure you'll have enough space now for all your stuff.

Nokia Unveils 'Z Launcher' for Android 4.1 or Higher Devices

A Nokia division not owned by Microsoft on Thursday introduced a new Android launcher app called Z Launcher. The Z Launcher app is a limited pre-beta release right now, and is only available via the Z Launcher website, and not via Google Play.

The Nokia Z Launcher app is compatible with smartphones running Android 4.1 or higher, and is not optimised for Android tablets. At present, Nokia is testing the Z Launcher on the Google Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S III , Galaxy S4 , and Galaxy S5 . In order to download the launcher app, users will have to sign up with their Google account first. 

The Nokia Z Launcher is named after one of its key features that lets user write a letter in order to search for anything directly from the launcher screen. Nokia calls it 'Scribble', a feature that can search anything on the phone "in as little as one second." With Scribble, users just need to draw the first letter of the search and it finds the related app, contact or task.

When the Z Launcher will be installed, users will see the time, date and one upcoming calendar event at the top of the home screen. Just like other launchers, with a tap on time will open Android's clock app and tapping the calendar event will open the Calendar app. Other than that rest of the screen is acquired by few apps, contacts and web pages.

"We're releasing the first version of Z Launcher with a limited number of downloads initially, to see how it works and learn from your feedback. In the next few months we'll provide updates on new versions, features and availability", noted Brook Eaton, Lead Product Manager on Z Launcher's blog.

The Z Launcher app is an independent project by Nokia, free of Microsoft. The company is no longer a cellphone maker as it sold its devices and services business to Microsoft handset for EUR 5.44 billion.

Microsoft Considering Bringing Cortana to Android and iOS Devices

The Redmond giant is considering the expansion of its recently launched virtual assistant - Cortana, and to that end, is evaluating the merits of bringing it to other platforms like Android and iOS, apart from other form factors, like desktops, vehicles, and kiosks.

Cortana is currently available as part of the Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview in the US in beta mode. Microsoft also has plans to release it to China and UK in the second half of 2014, while it might reach other countries by 2015.

On Thursday, speaking at the SMX Advanced conference in Seattle, Marcus Ash, Windows Phone Group Program Manager, said Microsoft wants Cortana to be "pervasive" across regions, devices and platforms.

"We want to scale Cortana internationally and across devices. The Android/iOS question is interesting. We're asking, would Cortana be as effective if she didn't have access to the details on your phone? We're still trying to get Cortana adopted on Windows Phone and figure out what it wants to become there. But we're actively talking about this.

I think it's natural to think that an assistant that only runs on one device ... the idea that she will be very pervasive is important to us." said Ash to Search Engine Land's Danny Sullivan.

Although it will be interesting to see whether Android and iOS users, who already have Google Nowand Siri, will actually shift to Cortana, and in what form the Microsoft virtual assistant could appear on those platforms.

Ash also said that for now Microsoft didn't have plans to monetise the Cortana virtual assistant with ads, saying it was far too early in the product's life, "We think we're in the stage right now where we have to build trust with the users. We'll explore monetization eventually, but Cortana is so nascent. It's too early. We know there are commercial opportunities, but in this first year we need to establish what Cortana is and how people use it."

Speaking about how Cortana would affect traditional smartphone search, Ash said the integration of the search box and the virtual assistant is the goal, "The search box is what people know. That's why we're trying to bring [it and Cortana] together. The declarative intent of traditional search saves us so much effort - if you tell us what your interest are via search, Cortana gets so much better. We think Cortana makes you more likely to search, it doesn't replace search."

Google Debuts 64-bit Version of Chrome for Windows

Google, on Tuesday, announced that it has launched test builds of a 64-bit version of Chrome for the Windows platform, specifically for Windows 7 and 8 users.

The Internet giant has introduced 64-bit builds of Chrome for Windows on its Dev and Canary  channels.

On the Chromium blog, in an entry posted by Software Engineer Will Harris, it is mentioned that the new version once installed replaces the existing version of Chrome, whilst preserving all the bookmarks and settings, which eliminates the need to uninstall and reinstall Chrome. The post further goes on to detail the advantages that the 64-bit version will have over its predecessors. There are three advantages listed on the blog, namely speed, stability and security.

In terms of speed, Google says the 64-bit version will allow Chrome to utilise the power of the latest processor and compiler optimisations. A more modern instruction result set and a calling convention will supposedly also allow more function parameters to be passed by the registers. This according to Google results in improved speed, an average 25 percent increase, in the case of graphics and multimedia content.

Describing the security advantages of 64-bit Chrome, the blog mentions the utilisation of new Windows 8 features including High Entropy ASLR. This, Google says, will result in improved security on the 64-bit browser. It also supposedly helps better defend against JIT spraying, and improves the efficacy of existing security features like heap partitioning.

Listing the stability advantages, Google claims that it has observed a marked increase in stability in the 64-bit Chrome over the 32-bit Chrome. The crash rate is said to have reduced by half compared to the 32-bit version.

The Dev channel is updated once or twice weekly and is for developers to test new features before they arrive to stable buolda. The Canary channel is described by Google as the "most bleeding-edge official version of Chrome and somewhat of a mix between Chrome dev and the Chromium snapshot builds."

Google has not given any official dates for the launch of the new 64-bit version of Chrome for Windows on its Beta or Stable channels.