Tag Archives: Windows 10

Microsoft launches Windows 10 marketing campaign with the world’s cutest babies

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It’s easy to breeze past commercials when you’re watching TV. I’ve got a TiVo at home and it’s a rare thing these days to catch me ever sitting through an ad when I can simply sift through it with the click of button. Boy am I glad I didn’t miss out on this one.

With the release of Windows 10 just about a week away, Microsoft is launching its marketing campaign to push its first-year-free fresh OS unto the world. With taglines like, “The future starts now” and “A more human way to do,” MSFT is building a brand that highlights Win10’s new feature set and its focus on user accessibility.

The spot stars a number of the world’s cutest babies from all walks of life. “Imagine, these kids won’t have to remember passwords, or obsess about security. For them, every screen is meant to be touched,” says the voiceover. Essentially, Microsoft is saying that Windows 10 will transform the way we interact with our PCs today and it’s future-proof for the kids of tomorrow. ALSO HOW CUTE IS THAT WINDOW BABY!?

With Windows Hello, remembering login passwords is a thing of the past; built-in webcams will scan your smiley face and you’re in. Internet Explorer’s more secure and leaner successor Microsoft Edge allows you to draw directly on web pages and share with others. Cortana, Windows Phone’s personal assistant, is coming to the desktop and she’s there to answer your questions and learn your preferences. And course, the company’s pushing familiarity here. Gone is the “Metro” Live Tile interface; the classic desktop from Windows 7 is back with a modernized touch–helpful Live Tiles now live inside the Start Menu.

Windows 10 begins its rollout on July 29, starting with Windows Insiders (those that beta-tested the OS) and then getting to reservations. If you’re a Windows 7 or 8.1 user, Win10 is offered to you as a free upgrade for the first year of its existence. To learn how to reserve a copy, click here.

[Via Microsoft]

Microsoft solidifies Windows 10 summer release, reservations live today

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In Game of Thrones, Winter is Coming. In reality, Windows 10 is coming. Today Microsoft spilled the final bean surrounding the shrouded release of its next operating system. Without further ado, Windows 10 comes to market July 29. It brings with it a slew of enhancements and new features. Windows 10 feels familiar as it reverts back to the desktop you know and love from Windows 7; elements from Windows 8, including Live Tiles, are now found inside the revamped Start Menu. Internet Explorer is no more and Microsoft Edge takes its place as the leaner, meaner, and more secure native web browser. Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant from its phones, is making her way to the desktop to help with all kinds of queries. Additionally, Microsoft is tying its ecosystem closer together than ever before by implementing a new Xbox app that brings your Xbox 360 & Xbox One gaming communities to Windows.

So how do I get my hands on the fresh OS, you’re probably wondering at this point. If you’re currently a Windows user, you may have noticed a small Windows icon taking up space in the lower right-hand corner of your display, sitting inside the Notification Area within the Taskbar. Tap it and you’ll be asked if you want to reserve your free copy of Windows 10. (If you don’t see it yet, Microsoft advises you visit this site.) After the simple reservation process is complete, Win10 will automatically download to your device on July 29; when it’s ready to install, the system will let you get it started at your convenience. It’s so easy, a kid can do it, or so Microsoft claims. Note that the free upgrade applies to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users and will only be offered for one year. Windows 10 is rolling out to desktops, laptops, and tablets first, soon to be followed by a wider release on Windows phones and the Xbox One gaming console.

Of course, Microsoft is selling Windows 10 to those few who are still running ancient versions of Windows such as Vista. Windows 10 Home goes for $199 next month, and Windows 10 Pro will cost $199. If you’re curious about upgrade paths coming from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, check those links provided by VentureBeat.

Be sure to jump after the break to acclimate yourself with MSFT’s new OS with a couple demonstrative videos.

[Via Microsoft 1, 2] Continue reading Microsoft solidifies Windows 10 summer release, reservations live today →

Microsoft demonstrates powerful educational capabilities with Windows Holographic

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“Imagine a computer that allows you to put your images anywhere and you can interact with things as a combination of the real world and holograms.”

Microsoft’s been hard at work on its physical world meets digital world hologram technology ever since the company unveiled it to much fanfare in January. Windows Holographic, as well as Microsoft’s augmented reality headset that enables it–HoloLens–were on display this week at the company’s developer conference Build 2015. The video embedded above reintroduces the breakthrough technology, and it also peels back the many layers and sensors packed inside.

“We envisioned an all-in-one device this is untethered with built-in batteries, hands-free and floating audio,” says a HoloLens engineer. The hardware is powered by a dedicated Holographic Processing Unit (or HPU) and Windows 10.

Microsoft is collaborating with Case Western Reserve University to advance medical education in incredible ways with Windows Holographic. A professor and student were invited to the stage to demonstrate HoloLens’ real-life capabilities. Harness the headset to visualize three-dimensional representations of the human body. Unlike a solitary cadaver, HoloLens pushes the learning experience further with the ability to instantly separate and focus on separate systems (muscular, skeletal, etc.), as well as parts of the body such as an animated yet lifelike beating heart. Click here to watch the demo.

Using Windows Holographic with Hololens for medical studies is just the beginning. The school is also experimenting with uses across many fields including chemistry and genetics, art, engineering, and paleontology. Additionally, the demo made it clear that HoloLens promotes remote learning, too; if you can’t make it to class, your teacher can see what you see and even view and respond to questions and comments.

Having the ability to plaster Netflix virtually anywhere around you sounds like a neat idea, but the way in which Microsoft’s futuristic foray into holograms will push the medicine, science, and engineering is what should be exciting you most. The possibilities here are truly endless and so exciting.

Elsewhere at Build, Microsoft branded its new web browser for Windows 10. Jump after the break to learn its new name. Continue reading Microsoft demonstrates powerful educational capabilities with Windows Holographic →

Microsoft impresses with the renewed power of Windows

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On Wednesday, Microsoft held a press event to make some major announcements regarding its next operating system, Windows 10. That’s right–the company that Bill Gates built is skipping the number 9 and gunning straight for the solid number 10 for its next OS release. MSFT demoed many new features found in Win10, many of which highlight the fundamentally cohesive nature of the fresh new OS. With Windows 10, Microsoft aims to bridge the gap between hardware and software to create one unified Windows that stretches across phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and even the Xbox One. Also, Win10 will power a new product category for the company: augmented reality. For more, jump after the break. Continue reading Microsoft impresses with the renewed power of Windows →