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HP’s Elite X3 Business Smartphone to Hit U.S. Stores Aug. 29

10HP first unveiled its Windows 10-powered, business Elite x3 smartphone in February but it had plans to launch it in the U.S. late this summer. The new handset is specially designed for enterprise customers and allows users easily switch between several electronic devices through the mobile OS’ s Contiuum feature.

The 5.96-inch, 0.43 lb mobile device’s screen is made of the shock-absorbing Gorilla Glass 4 and it is waterproof. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, with 4GB of RAM, and has 64 GB just for storage. You can boost storage space by up to 2 Tb, according to manufacturer.

You can also charge the smartphone wirelessly but you’ll need to purchase the pad separately.

Elite X3 is equipped with two cameras of 16 MP (rear) and 8 MP (front) respectively. It can be connected via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and supports GPS and NFC. It also has embedded dual SIM to help you keep personal and business lives separate.

The only drawback of the dual SIM system is that you need to pick between the two additional 2TB of storage and an extra SIM card. Security is also enhanced as you can log in using an iris and fingerprint scanner.

It can be easily paired with other devices and multiple networks. The Continuum feature in Windows 10 turns your business smartphone into a phablet or desktop PC since you can dock the phone to your desktop monitor via the Desk Doc.

You can also connect the phone to a 2.2 lb Lap Dock for a true laptop experience. The Lap Dock is lightweight because it is not equipped with a processor since it uses the smartphone’s Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

You can take a look at the HP Elite x3 new features here:

After you paired the Elite x3, you’ll be able to access the Microsoft Office suite and download more apps from the Windows Store. But experts say that the “laptop experience” has some limitations since Windows 10 is a mobile version of the operating system.

The handset will be available in U.S. stores on August 29 for the starting price of $699. You’ll be also able to buy the smartphone and the Desk Dock for $799. Make sure you check the company’s website for the phone’s availability in your area. HP plans to launch the new device in 47 countries worldwide.

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Facebook’s Mobile Device Lab Tests Apps 24/7 On 2,000 Phones

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Facebook Tasks Mobile Device Lab To Test Out All Its Apps

The Mobile Device Lab tests several versions of all of Facebook’s apps.

How many phones does it take to test out the Facebook app? Almost 2,000. The number is no joke and not even a rough estimate. In Facebook’s Mobile Device Lab, dozens of server racks are lined on each side humming to the point where it feels more like an airport hanger rather than a cool, dark room.

Some of the server racks hold smartphones, of varying models and varying ages. Each rack can snuggly fit 32 devices, and each of them is on Facebook 24/7. Facebook’s Mobile Device Lab manages the phones in order to test the apps’ performance before each update.

Within The Racks Of The Mobile Device Lab

The devices run different versions of the Facebook app, Facebook Lite, Messenger, Instagram, and so on, but all of the devices have automated gesture programs running on them, which makes the phone behave as it was actually used by a human being. Likes, comments, stickers, tagging, searching, surveys, the gesture programs do them all, while monitoring chip, memory, and battery usage.

Small cameras hang above the screen of each phone recording every second of uptime so that engineers and researchers can see exactly what crashes when so that they can fix it.

So why does a Facebook’s Mobile Device Lab need almost 2,000 different devices? Well, because they are different. The smartphone market is a very big place. While most of us know the bigger names that pop up every year, there are actually hundreds of different smartphone manufacturers.

Almost each brand has a different chip covering the CPU, GPU, and modem, potentially different RAM and internal storage manufacturers, as well as different battery manufacturers and limitations. And each brand releases on average one or two phones per year.

The Mobile Device Lab needs to account for all the tech specs of a device. The apps need to look good and behave, no matter what device they run on. Phones with different or unique screen sizes, for example, also require their own version of Facebook.

Then there is the issue of operating systems, as almost each version of Android has its own settings and most phones also come with their own modified version of Android.

App developers are well aware of the fact that an app can work perfectly on several models of phones but crash on others, even if they’re running the exact same OS.

iOS devices run the same version, which is great for app developers, but technical specifications such as CPU, GPU, memory, and screen size are still an important factor.

So the next time the Facebook app glitches out, we can think of the Mobile Device Lab and know that they sometimes have their hands full but that they will eventually get to it.

Photograph Courtesy of Flickr.

Windows Upgrade Brings $10,000 to Displeased Customer

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An unplanned Windows upgrade brought $10,000 into the pocket of a displeased customer. Teri Goldstein claimed that the update caused more than $17,000 damage to her company after the updated computer refused to function during the holiday season.

Ever since it hit the market last year, the Windows Upgrade has divided the Microsoft fan base into two opposing camps.

On one hand, there are those who agree that the update is everything that Microsoft promised, bringing enhanced security options, a user-friendly interface, and a better working computer seeing as it takes up less CPU memory.

On the other one, there are the users who prefer Windows 7 or 8, not trusting the method in which Microsoft is promoting their new product.

According to the forums, Goldstein’s case is one of hundreds. The woman sued Microsoft last year because a Windows 10 upgrade rendered her computer inefficient, causing her travel agency at least $17,000 worth of damage.

When her case was presented in court, Microsoft didn’t even bother to send an attorney, settling for a local Microsoft employee. The judge decided to fine the company $10,000. The money went to Goldstein and her firm that suffered from the unwanted update.

Other users complained that Microsoft is doing everything in its power to reach the 1 billion Windows 10 users until 2017.

Many complaints were stating that when the upgrade window popped up, the red X button (which in 99,99 percent of cases closes the impromptu window) doubled as an “I agree” button and the upgrade started taking place.

Another series of users stated that their computer prompted them that in 10 minutes their device will restart and that they should save their current work. After the computer had restarted, the Windows 10 upgrade was automatically installed on their device, without their permission.

Microsoft argues that the update is reversible and users who try the new operating system and are displeased with how it behaves, can revert anytime to their previous OS.

Terry Myerson, Windows EVP stated that the Windows upgrade is a recommended update and that users should embrace it.

The new OS will be available for free until the 29^th of July current year. After that, users will have to pay for the update.

Currently, more than 300 million individuals chose to use Windows 10.

Image source: Flickr

Microsoft Windows 9 Most Likely Won’t be Called Windows Anymore

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A little while back we gave you a Microsoft Windows 9 rumor roundup and today we’ve got some interesting news that will sure shock some of you. Apparently, the new Microsoft Windows 9 will not be called Windows anymore, most likely.

The new Microsoft Windows 9, as most people know it, will be released for the masses at the beginning of 2015. The codename for it has been Threshold for those inside the company and simply Windows 9 for the rest of us. Some analysts are suggesting that the name Microsoft Windows 9 won’t stick and that the company will most likely come up with a new name for their latest operating system.

Why would Microsoft want to change such an iconic name? Many believe it has something to do with the fiasco that Microsoft Windows 8 was. The new name would clearly suggest a new direction for the tech giant. Microsoft wants to put Windows 8 behind them as quickly as possible.

The company wanted to redesign Windows, having tablet users in mind. It’s safe to say that nobody liked Windows 8 and what people absolutely hated was the lack of the beloved start button.

Some voices close to the project are saying that the Start button is coming back with a vengeance, and the option of tacking on tiles would also be available. Microsoft Windows 9 will be something quite different from Windows 8 and thank God for that!

Microsoft has avoided confirming or infirming any rumors, so all we can do is wait until next week when it might release some information regarding the new Microsoft Windows 8.

Are you a Microsoft fan? Are you looking forward to the new Microsoft Windows 9 operating system? Drop us a line in the section below, we would love to hear from you!

Windows Partner Conference COO Turner Key Points

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The Windows Partner Conference took place on Monday in Washington D.C. Microsoft’ chief operating officer Kevin Turner held a keynote revealing how the company sees its place in today’s world of computing.

Microsoft has been a leader of the tech world for a long time and its position seemed everlasting. Now, COO Turner openly admits that is not the case anymore, a major change comparing to Ballmer’s era. With Steve Ballmer on top, the company was cocky and unwilling to recognize how the competitors are catching up in a fast changing landscape.

Today’s market share, a harsh truth for participants at Windows Partner Conference

Right now, according to Turner, Microsoft has a market share of only 14 percent, including the mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. A drastic shift from a 90 percent market share just a short while ago. But things are changing at a fast pace and, finally, Microsoft is willing to openly admit it. The company announced in April it will give up the royalties for Windows installed on devices with under 9 inches displays. It was a major change in the philosophy as well as a potential hit for Android’s market share in tablets, phablets and smartphones.

Trying to catch up and surpass the competitors in the same time is what Microsoft is all about now. Microsoft Azure, the cloud computing service is facing strong competitors such as IBM’s SoftLayer, who launched new cloud features today, and Amazon Web Services, besides Google Drive and Dropbox.

The Ballmer era had rich results like Windows 7, but it was spiced as well with poor outcomes such as Windows Vista. A major shift in Microsoft’s vision is the openly admitted failure of maintaining a dominant market share. Now, Microsoft launches products which are highly interoperable with the competition’s OS. “We want our services pre-installed on any device from any ecosystem. We want to be the best solution for the dual user, at work and in life,” Turner declared.

In the smartphone category, Microsoft is still trying to squeeze the juice from Nokia after April’s final acquisition step. Right now, Windows Phone captured only a shamefully low market share, compared to the company’s success for desktop computing. The Internet of Things market is where Microsoft aims to be a big player as well. Indeed, the “challenger mindset” presented at the Windows Partner Conference seems to be an appropriate description for the company’s plans.

Nokia X Android Smartphones Steal the 2014 MWC Show

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The two biggest stars at the Mobile World Congress a couple of days ago were the Nokia X Android Smartphones and the Samsung Galaxy 5S, but it seems that the buzz created by the S5 is starting to fade, while the waves Nokia X Android Smartphones made are just getting bigger.

The X series: Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL are the company’s first Android phones. They run a modified Android 4.1 and Nokia insists that around 75% of all existing Android apps are compatible with the X model’s operating system. This project is not supported by Google, which means that none of the X smartphones run Google Play, but users that have an APK file of any Google Store app will be able to run it on the mobile device. The waters are still quite murky and much about this Nokia-Android love affair’s whereabouts will be determined in the following months.

Nokia X Android Smartphones – A Closer Look

The Nokia X, X+ and the XL look great and they’re very affordable. Nokia has plenty bonus points in this department and it seems that it has managed to do what Apple intended to with their iPhone 5C, but failed miserably – to create an affordable smartphone. The Nokia X is 89 Euros; the Nokia X+ is only 99 Euros and the Nokia XL, 109 Euros!

The Nokia X has a 4’’ LCD Display that has a 480×800 resolution. It has a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 chipset, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage (expandable to 32GB). It has no front-facing camera and the back is a 3MP fixed focus camera. It weighs 129 grams and can be good for 10.5 hours of 3G talk and 8.4 hours of video playback.

Don’t imagine the Nokia X+ being a much improved version of the Nokia X. The only thing that has been affected is the RAM – an increase from 512MB to 768MB. You can sense the difference between the two and for 10 Euros, we suggest you get the X+.

The Nokia XL has a 5’’ LCD display with the same WVGA resolution as the Nokia X. Basically it’s pretty similar to the X, sporting the same 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 chipset and same 4GB of internal storage, but 768MB of RAM, instead of 512GB and a good 5MP camera with LED flash. It weighs 190 grams, making it quite heavy in one’s pocket.

All three Nokia X Android Smartphones have a beautiful build quality, the plastic is sturdy and appealing; Nokia hit it big in the design department with these three models.

Are you interested in any of these phones? Will you give them a try? What do you think of Nokia running Android on its smartphones? Is it the beginning of the end?

PCs With Windows 8 Are Moving to On-Chip Product Keys

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Windows 8 PCs are moving to on-chip product keys finally.

There are many changes in Windows 8 such as the Start Screen, Charms Bar, faster boot times and a touch UX that is ahead of any older version of Windows. Windows 8 also changes the landscape of the PC hardware, with UEFI getting to touch screens and main boards. Some of the PCs have a feature that is not known to everyone: a product key of Windows that is saved inside the firmware. Microsoft finally gives PC OEM’s a choice to slap a license sticker at the external part of their creation.

Consumers should be benefitted from this change in several ways. With the product key saved in the firmware of the computer, there would be no need to type lengthy alphanumeric sequences when a Windows is reinstalled. If Microsoft does not provide the key, an end user can see that the installer is programmed to internally look for that key and proceed if it is found.

That would hold true for upgrades too. If a Windows 8 PC is bought and the owner wants to switch to Windows 8 Pro, then he should perform the installation process without any hassle that is if the system has the integrated key.

The greatest benefit is to reduce the cost of the Windows’ future versions. A product key that is integrated makes it more difficult for untrustworthy PC vendors to steal keys. PCs running the older Windows versions are shipped with a product key of Windows on their cases and are activated using a license key. That means the key can activate a whole different system.