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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Watch "Word Flow," coming onWindows Phone 8.1, set a new recordfor fastest text on a touch-screen

For the most part, the virtual QWERTY on Windows Phone has been hailed as one of the best features offered by Microsoft's mobile OS.

Coming with the Windows Phone 8.1 update, is a new feature that just might make the QWERTY even better. It's called "Word Flow" and is similar to Swype. Using your finger, you slide from letter to letter on the screen, to spell out words.

When Microsoft designed the "Word Flow" software for the QWERTY, they did so with the intention to break various text-message speed records. And that is where the video below comes in. Back in January, Gaurav Sharma joined the Microsoft Research team and a representative from Guinness to see if "Word Flow" could take down one of the old records. And sure enough, with a time of 18.44 seconds, the old Guinness record of 18.53 seconds went down. If you're a Windows Phone 8 user, you will soon see what the fuss is all about when "Word Flow" becomes available on your QWERTY, after the update to Windows Phone 8.1.

Microsoft Windows 8.1 free update released

Microsoft has released the free update of Windows 8.1 for Windows 8 and Windows RT device users via the Windows Store. Businesses now have access to the final versions of Windows 8.1 Pro and Windows 8.1 Enterprise. Windows 8.1 will also be available on new devices and as boxed software from 18 October.

Updates include: An improved, more customisable Start screen with variable tile sizes, more background designs and colours to make each Windows device look unique. Now you can chose to boot up at the Start screen or directly in good old fashion Windows desktop. 

The Start button has also returned as well as an updated apps view. Search with Bing has been enhanced for instant online or local searching from the Start screen. 

You can now enjoy native support for 3D printing making it easy as plug-and-play for all. Up to four apps can be used at once side by side with easy screen resizing as well as improved multi- monitor support. 

Sky Drive is also more heavily integrated making backing up files and using them across devices much easier. The Windows Store has also had a refresh making keeping up to date easier.

Microsoft buys Nokia’s phone businessfor $7.1 billion

Microsoft and Nokia announced today that Nokia's Devices & Services business—the part of the company that builds all Nokia's phones (both smart and otherwise)—is changing hands. Microsoft is paying €5.44 billion ($7.17 billion) for the struggling Nokia division . The deal, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014. 

In the transaction, all of Nokia's device business, including design, manufacturing, sales, marketing, and support, becomes a part of Microsoft. This includes 32,000 staff, of which 4,700 are in Finland. Remaining behind is Nokia Solutions and Networks (formerly Nokia Siemens Networks), which builds telecommunications equipment, and mapping division HERE (Navteq). Nokia is also retaining its Advanced Technologies group, which develops and licenses intellectual property. 

These parts together account for about half of Nokia's revenue, and approximately 24,000 staff. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop—formerly of Microsoft—will be succeeded as Nokia CEO by Risto Siilasmaa. Elop will serve as Executive Vice President of Devices & Services, and Nokia expects that he will move to Microsoft once the deal is closed. The headline €5.44 billion figure is split €3.79 billion ($4.99 billion) for Devices & Services, €1.65 billion ($2.17 billion) for a patent agreement. Under that agreement, Redmond is buying a ten year license to Nokia's patents, with an option to make the ten year agreement perpetual. 

Microsoft is also acquiring Nokia's various licenses to patents from Qualcomm, IBM, Motorola Mobility, and Motorola Solutions. Additionally, and not as part of this transaction, Microsoft is licensing the HERE platform for four years. For HERE, this will substantially replace the internal cross-billing that currently occurs, and Microsoft will become one of HERE's top three customers. Microsoft is also offering Nokia €1.5 billion ($1.97 billion) in financing. Finally, Microsoft is obtaining a limited license to the Nokia's brand names. The Lumia (smartphone) and Asha (featurephone) brands move to Microsoft. Redmond can continue to use the Nokia brand on all current products, and can also use it for ten years on any products based on Nokia's Series 30 and Series 40 featurephone platforms. 

However, it appears that future smartphones will not be permitted to carry the Nokia brand. Microsoft says that it will continue to license Windows Phone to other OEMs. Redmond says that with the purchase, its gross margin on each Nokia phone will grow from less than $10 per unit to more than $40 per unit, with "synergies" saving about $600 million in costs each year, and that the deal should start contributing positively to earnings per share by the 2016 financial year. The deal will be financed with offshore cash (just as happened with the Skype purchase ).

Microsoft Releases IE11 Dev Previewfor Windows 7

Microsoft launched on Thursday the developer preview of Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7 . It follows the release of Microsoft's latest browser in Windows 8.1 Preview, which requires Windows 8 customers to install the OS update before they can test-drive the latest Internet Explorer build. 

The company confirmed late last month that the browser would eventually be brought to Windows 7 customers although a time frame was not provided. "In IE11, developers can build next generation experiences with professional-quality Web video, and hyper-fast 2D and 3D Web technologies that make the most of the underlying hardware," the company said. 

"IE11 supports real world standards and compatibility, and new developer tools enable developers to build high-performance Web experiences." Microsoft said that Windows 7 customers will receive all of the performance, security, and under-the- hood changes that went into the Windows 8.1 version. 

These include natively decoding JPG images and text in real-time on the GPU – both of which are the heart and soul of the Internet. It also implements the W3C Resource Priorities standard enabling developers to specify which parts of the page are important and need to be loaded first. 

"IE11 also supports HTML5 link prefetching and pre-rendering, so developers can help the browser anticipate where you’ll go next and get those pages ready," the company said. "On Windows 8.1, IE11 also supports the SPDY network protocol, the precursor to the HTTP 2.0 specification, enabling some sites to be downloaded faster.

" Microsoft also pleads its case regarding IE11 supremacy and the new Chakra JavaScript engine, claiming that it's significantly faster than Chrome, Firefox and Opera. 

On Windows 7, IE11 is 4 percent faster than IE10, and nearly 30 percent faster than the nearest competitive browser – according to the WebKit SunSpider JavaScript benchmark, that is. The company points out that Internet Explorer 11 supports WebGL for GPU- powered 2D and 3D graphics, and plugin-free HTML5-based video. All the latest standards for closed captioning is supported as well as is the HTML Full Screen API and WebCrypto. 

The version on Windows 8.1 also supports the latest media streaming standards, Media Source Extensions (MSE) and Encrypted Media Extensions (EME). "IE11 includes a completely re-designed and enhanced suite of in-browser F12 developer tools," the company said. "These tools help Web developers diagnose and optimize their apps quickly and efficiently. 

Having fast and reliable Web apps is more critical than ever. The new F12 supports the fast, iterative workflow used by modern Web developers. F12 helps developers get from problem to solution quickly with actionable data, enabling fast and fluid Web experiences."

Why It Doesn't Make Sense ForMicrosoft To Make Its Own Phone

Since last October, Microsoft has been reorganizing itself around the idea that it's a "devices and services" company . The company has plenty of services, but not so many devices. If it's really going to become a devices company, then it stands to reason that it needs a few more devices. 

The most important missing device from Microsoft's line up is a smartphone. So, naturally, it would make sense for Microsoft to build its own smartphone, right? Well, never say never, but we don't think Microsoft is going to enter the smartphone business despite the fact that it's focusing itself on devices and services. 

There are three reasons for Microsoft to steer clear of the smartphone business: 1. Carrier distribution is complicated. 2. Nokia and HTC are making good Windows Phones. 3. Microsoft's Windows Phone failures don't have anything to do with bad hardware. After Microsoft released its own tablet, the Surface, chatter of a Surface smartphone started kicking up . 

There are, however, many important differences between the tablet market and the smartphone market. In the tablet market, Microsoft just has to ship the Surface and let users fire it up with WiFi. To enter the phone market, Microsoft would have to build a global distribution network, as well as secure contracts with carriers around the world. Each carrier is going to have its own specifications, and its own demands. That's a headache Microsoft doesn't want, or need. Look at Apple. Despite selling the most influential phone, it's only on 240 carriers. Samsung, by contrast, is on 800 carriers. 

This is part of the reason Apple's iPhone isn't winning on market share, while at the same time the iPad remains relatively strong in tablet market share. There's another key difference between the Surface tablet and the current smartphone market. Microsoft's PC partners weren't making great computers with strong brands. Quick quiz: What's the best Android smartphone on the market? If you're paying attention at all, you would probably guess the Samsung S4, or maybe just, Samsung. (The correct answer is actually the HTC One, but that's another story. The important thing here is that there is at least one well-known Android brand for hardware.) Next question! What's the best Windows-based computer on the market? You're probably stumped. 

This is a problem for Microsoft. If a consumer walks into Best Buy, he or she has no problem asking for a MacBook, or an iPad. Which Windows- based PC would he or she ask for? An Acer Aspire S7? An Asus Zenbook Prime? The Sony Vaio Pro 13? They don't exactly roll off the tongue, or come to mind very easily. 

The hope for Microsoft is that the Surface can become a strong brand that rivals iPad, or MacBooks. Consumers can walk into a store and say, "I want a Surface." Microsoft wanted to have at least one premier Windows 8 device when it launched Windows 8 last year. Because Windows 8 was such a radical departure from what Microsoft had been doing, it had to have at least one device it could confidently say did exactly what it wanted. Its PC partners were dragging their feet in the tablet market, and Microsoft wasn't sure it could rely on them to produce something that competes with the iPad. In the smartphone market, these problems don't exist to the same degree. HTC and Nokia both make high-quality hardware. 

There's almost nothing Microsoft can do that will be better on the hardware side than either of them. As for branding, Nokia's Lumia brand isn't exactly killing it, but Nokia is a brand on its own, and Windows Phone is slowly developing into a brand. If a consumer walks into a Best Buy looking for a Windows Phone, it won't take much to get the best Windows Phone in his or her hands. It's important to note that Nokia and HTC are both sickly companies. If they were to face serious financial problems, then we would expect Microsoft to either step in with a big check to bail them out, or it would be forced to go on its own and make a phone. 

Until then, we think it stays out of the phone manufacturing business. Just because Microsoft is developing into a devices and services company, it doesn't mean it has to make all the devices. It just means it has to work well on devices. The reason Windows Phone hasn't caught on has less to do with hardware, and more to do with software and apps. A Microsoft-built smartphone wouldn't change that.