Barnes & Noble ends support for Nook apps on Mac and legacy Windows PCs

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Barnes & Noble confirmed today that it has ended support for its Nook apps for Macs and older Windows PCs, focusing instead on Windows 8, iOS, Android and its web app as it grapples with an uncertain future in its competition with Amazon’s Kindle lineup. The news was reported this morning by the Digital Reader… Read More…

iPhone sales stay hot as shipments of smartphones set to pass feature phones in 2013

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Smartphones are taking over the world. Well, not really. But the latest estimates from the International Data Corporation indicate that 2013 will be the first time worldwide smartphone shipments exceed those of feature phones. The IDC said today that it expects 2013 smartphone shipments to grow by an astounding 32.7 percent from last year to 958.8… Read More…

Study: Android still rules, but Windows Phone makes gains thanks to the kids

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The latest numbers from Kantar show Windows continuing steady sales and, somewhat surprisingly, growing at a faster rate than those of Android. Windows Phone has seen its market share grow from 3.8 percent in February, March and April of 2012 to 5.6 percent during the same three month-period in 2013. That’s a 47 percent year-over-year growth… Read More…

Next-gen Kinect coming to Windows in 2014

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Among the array of new features unveiled at Microsoft’s Xbox One revealing on Tuesday were the upgrades to the new Kinect sensor. Today Microsoft announced that same improvements to the motion-tracking system for Xbox will be coming to the next-generation Kinect for Windows and will arrive on shelves at some point next year. Microsoft wouldn’t disclose… Read More…

The next Xbox: What to expect from Microsoft’s new console

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Well, we’re almost there. In less than 24 hours, the tech world will be listening and watching in anticipation as Microsoft officially unveils the next generation of the Xbox. The console market has been struggling, but Microsoft — which has led in the U.S. in console sales for 28 consecutive months — is aiming to shake things up… Read More…

Microsoft posts weird Windows 8 commercials, then promptly takes them down

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Update: Microsoft’s crazy, brilliant Windows 8 ads are now live It appears Microsoft either made a mistake by posting new Windows commercials or was just flat-out embarrassed by the initial response. On Wednesday afternoon, both Neowin and WPCentral noticed that Microsoft uploaded three new spots to the official Windows YouTube channel. The ads, titled “Windows 8 Training… Read More…

Nokia touts Lumia 928 camera against competition with roller coaster video

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Nokia has yet to officially announce its newest flagship Lumia 928 smartphone, but that isn’t stopping the manufacturer from touting the device’s features against industry competition. In a new promo video on the landing page for the phone, Nokia shows video footage from the Lumia 928, iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3 — interestingly not the Galaxy… Read More…

Study: Windows Phone hits highest U.S. market share yet

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Maybe there’s some truth to the hilarious and equally ridiculous ad Microsoft put out today, which attempts to differentiate Windows Phone from Apple and Samsung by poking fun at stereotypical users of the leading smartphones. The first quarter numbers from Kantar show Windows making consistent gains in the U.S. smartphone market, as evidenced by growth of 1.9 percentage… Read More…

Study: Apple MacBook the best-performing, most reliable Windows laptop

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When you think of reliable laptops that run Windows, the names Dell, Acer, HP or Lenovo might come to mind. But a new report from PC service company Soluto might surprise you: It found Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro as the best PC on the market. Yes, that’s right — the best-performing Windows laptop is a… Read More…

How hardware is changing Microsoft: Surface helps Windows revenue, at a cost

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One of the luxuries of Microsoft’s longtime focus on software development — and one of the secrets to its financial success over the years — has been the profit margins. The Windows team has traditionally borne the cost of developing the code, without having to worry about the expense of costly hardware and physical components…. Read More…

Missing Google Reader? Bing updates News app with RSS support, offline reading

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Those of you still pissed that Google Reader is going away may like the latest updates to Bing’s News App for Windows 8. Microsoft today announced several updates across its Bing Apps from News to Sports to Maps. Bing News now offers support for RSS feeds as well as offline reading. You’re also able to keep tabs… Read More…

Microsoft releases new Kinect interactions and 3D modeling for Windows

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Microsoft this morning released a new version of its Kinect for Windows software development kit, adding features including 3D modeling and new forms of user interaction. These are new features that software developers can use when creating Windows apps that make use of the Kinect sensor for controls and input. The new features were developed… Read More…

Microsoft is making Kinect more perceptive, using big data and machine learning

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One of the projects on display at the Microsoft Research TechFest event in Redmond this week is an upcoming addition to the Kinect for Windows software development kit that gives the sensor the ability to recognize whether a person’s hand is open or closed. Software developers will be able to use the feature of the… Read More…

Nokia begs Instagram for a Windows Phone app, creates #2InstaWithLove

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Nokia is getting creative to show how badly it wants an Instagram app for Windows Phones. “We’ve been listening, and we know you all love Instagram,” writes Nokia’s Paul Coombes. ”The only way for us to show how much the Nokia community really care about bringing this world class app to Windows Phone, is by having a little… Read More…

Macs in the mainstream: Parallels giving IT staff more control over Apple machines

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Parallels, best known for software that runs Windows on Macs, is announcing a new tool today that further bridges those two worlds. It’s more evidence of Apple machines gaining traction in the workplace, but this particular technology could prove more popular with the IT staff than with the Mac users themselves. The new Parallels Management… Read More…

Pogs, Tamagotchis and Lunchables: New Microsoft IE ad takes a trip down memory lane

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Oh, man. My 22-year-old self just watched the new Microsoft advertisement above and the nostalgia is flowing like a Capri Sun. Everything kids in the 90s grew up with — The Oregon Trail, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Super Soakers — are all featured in a clever new advertisement that hopes convince people to use Internet Explorer again,… Read More…

Apple reigns as 4Q smartphone champ thanks to adopted Android users

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The iPhone is still as attractive as ever — in large part because of adopted Android users — according to a new study released today by Kantar.  During the 12-week period ending Dec. 23, 2012, iOS maintained its lead atop the U.S. smartphone rankings with 51.2 percent of market sales. That’s an increase of more than… Read More…

Analyst: Microsoft Surface estimate cut in half to 1 million

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Analysts have been projecting sales numbers for Microsoft’s Surface and it isn’t looking good for the Redmond software giant. UBS analyst Brent Thill cut his estimate for Surface sales in half to just 1 million units sold this holiday quarter. Earlier this month, J.P. Morgan analyst John DiFucci predicted just 700,000 units sold. If the Surface… Read More…

Attention developers: Here’s a chance to have your Windows app appear on primetime TV

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If you have incredible talent, there are lots of well-known competitions to help showcase your skills. American Idol, Top Chef and X Factor, just to name a few. Now Microsoft wants to give talented app developers just the same recognition with its “Windows Phone Next App Star” contest. It’s a competition that enables developers from… Read More…

Holy moly: Samsung sold 500 handsets per minute and made $8.3 billion last quarter

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How many handsets do you think Samsung sold per minute during October through December of last year? 10? 30? Try 500. That equals 30,000 handsets per hour and 720,000 per day — some impressive numbers indeed. At its Q4 investors guidance, the South Korean company said it expects to make $8.3 billion in Q4 profits… Read More…