The new Windows Phone 8 devices give you a better way to integrate your digital life across your phone, tablet, and PC. Bring together the stuff you care about most into one personalized experience. Display your favorite people and apps on your start screen and get real-time updates. See video above. | |
Microsoft Corp. debuted Windows Phone 8, the latest version of the company's smartphone operating system. Windows Phone 8 offers a truly personal phone experience, connecting you to the people and things that matter most.
As part of the announcement, Microsoft revealed new features, including Kid's Corner and Rooms, along with details and pricing for a range of beautiful new smartphones from Nokia, Samsung and HTC, each with their own differentiated designs, colors and features. Windows Phone 8 devices will go on sale in November at AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon in the U.S., as well as at carriers and retailers around the world.
"We can't wait for the world to meet Windows Phone 8, the most personal smartphone there is," said Terry Myerson, corporate vice president of the Windows Phone Division at Microsoft. "Windows Phone 8 comes on a range of phones that are stunning, colorful and unique."
Most Personal Smartphone
Live Tiles are the heart and soul of Windows Phone, and no other phone has them. People can arrange the iconic Start screen however they want by pinning their favorite people, apps, music, games, photos and more. Three sizes of Live Tiles and 20 bright color choices including cobalt, crimson and lime mean you can personalize your Start screen to be unmistakably yours.
In addition to Live Tiles, Windows Phone 8 offers a range of new features to make your smartphone experience even more personal, including these: |
Microsoft Corp. has entered into an IP licensing agreement with Sharp Corp. to use the latest Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT). The agreement covers the use of exFAT in smartphones distributed by Sharp based on the Android platform. Today’s deal marks continued momentum by Microsoft for its exFAT technology licensing program.
exFAT is a modern file system that facilitates large files for audiovisual media and enables seamless data portability for an easy interchange of files between desktop PCs and other electronic devices. exFAT improves on its predecessor, the FAT file system, and greatly expands the size of files that flash memory devices can handle — by more than five times over the previous technology. It also greatly increases the speed with which those files can be accessed.
Today’s agreement allows Sharp to incorporate the latest file system from Microsoft in its product portfolio and deliver faster response times and greater storage capabilities to consumers around the globe.
“Consumers today move from mobile phones, to PCs, to home entertainment systems throughout their day — and they expect their media to move as seamlessly across those devices as they do,” said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel, Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft. “This agreement allows Sharp to continue to stay ahead of the curve and give people around the world entertainment and productivity experiences that truly fit their lifestyles.”
Microsoft’s Commitment to Intellectual Property Collaboration | |
Microsoft Corp. and Yammer Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Yammer, a leading provider of enterprise social networks, for $1.2 billion in cash. Yammer will join the Microsoft Office Division, led by division President Kurt DelBene, and the team will continue to report to current CEO David Sacks.
Launched in 2008, Yammer now has more than 5 million corporate users, including employees at 85 percent of the Fortune 500. The service allows employees to join a secure, private social network for free and then makes it easy for companies to convert a grassroots movement into companywide strategic initiative.
Yammer will continue to develop its standalone service and maintain its commitment to simplicity, innovation and cross-platform experiences. Moving forward, Microsoft plans to accelerate Yammer’s adoption alongside complementary offerings from Microsoft SharePoint, Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics and Skype.
“When we started Yammer four years ago, we set out to do something big,” Sacks said. “We had a vision for how social networking could change the way we work. Joining Microsoft will accelerate that vision and give us access to the technologies, expertise and resources we’ll need to scale and innovate.” | |
What if your tablet or phone knew what you were watching on TV and presented bonus features without you having to lift a finger? What if you could use your tablet to draw up a play in EA SPORTS’ “Madden NFL” and then perform it to perfection on your TV? What if you could control your favorite websites on the TV with a simple swipe, pinch or zoom on your tablet’s touchscreen?
Visit Xbox @ E3
To kick-start the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft Corp. today unveiled a bold new vision for enjoying entertainment at home and on the go with Xbox SmartGlass. Launching this year, Xbox SmartGlass is an application for Windows 8, Windows Phone, and other portable devices that connects phones, PCs and tablets with your Xbox 360 console to make your entertainment smarter, more interactive and more fun. (1) The intelligence of Xbox SmartGlass makes your entertainment more engaging, Web surfing more effortless, and playing games more immersive by delivering companion content and control to enhance your TV experience.
“Xbox is on a mission to make the entertainment that you love even more amazing,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “With Xbox SmartGlass, we are lighting up entertainment across your phone, tablet, PC and TV in a completely new way. If you love to play games, watch TV and movies, surf the Web, or listen to music, there has never been a better time to be on Xbox.”
Two years after the launch of Kinect for Xbox 360, Microsoft unveiled the next step in its journey to make Xbox synonymous with entertainment by unveiling Xbox SmartGlass, Internet Explorer for Xbox, and new TV, movie and music offerings.
The Web Transformed for TV
Microsoft will launch Internet Explorer for Xbox this fall in all countries where Xbox and Xbox LIVE are available. Through the power of Xbox, the magic of Kinect and the intelligence of Xbox SmartGlass, you will be able to surf the Internet using your voice on your Xbox 360 and navigate using your mobile devices for an incredibly easy Web browsing experience on the television. (2) Whether it is a new website you want to check out on the big screen, an HD video you want to share in your living room, or your favorite website you check daily and want to view in the 10-foot experience, you will have the power of the Web now on your TV.
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Skype released an official version of the Skype for Windows Phone app, which is now available in the Windows Phone Marketplace. You can also get the app directly from your Windows Phone.
With Skype on your Windows Phone, you can join the thriving community of 200 million people using Skype every month across almost any screen: smartphones & tablets (running Android, iOS, and Symbian), computers & laptops (Mac, Windows) and connected TVs. See the video above to see how the app works.
Available for use on 4G, 3G and WiFi networks, Skype for Windows Phone helps you connect with friends and family instantly with free voice and video calls everywhere you go. Make affordable calls to landlines and mobiles using Skype Credit, create and hold one-to-one and group chats (even while in the middle of a call), and update your profile and account information, among others features. | |
AT&T today launched two new devices, the Nokia Lumia 900 and the HTC Titan II, the first Windows Phones available on the mobile operator’s speedy 4G long-term evolution (LTE) network.
The launch is a milestone for Microsoft and partner Nokia, and also for AT&T, which is giving the award-winning Lumia 900 top billing as one of the centerpieces of its spring retail and marketing campaign.
“This LTE launch is a big milestone here in the U.S. and there is some great momentum overseas as well,” says Terry Myerson, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Windows Phone Division.
Anticipation for the Nokia Lumia 900 began building after the device “stole the show” at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, according to tech blog ZDnet, and its predecessor the Nokia Lumia 800 is already a top seller in a number of European countries.
“As many media have already commented, this is a major milestone for Nokia, for our partnership with Microsoft and for the Windows Phone ecosystem,” says Jo Harlow, executive vice president, Smart Devices, at Nokia.
The Nokia Lumia 900, named "Best of CES" for all smartphones, is available in an eye-catching cyan blue and a matte black, as well as in a high-gloss white version, which will go on sale April 22. | |
To drive innovation and business opportunities in Finland’s mobile ecosystem and beyond, Microsoft Corp. and Nokia will each invest up to 9 million euros into a newly established mobile application development program at Aalto University during the next three years. The AppCampus program has been set up to foster the creation of innovative mobile applications for the Windows Phone ecosystem and in addition, Nokia platforms, including Symbian and Series 40, to create a new generation of self-sustaining mobile startups.
Kicking off in May 2012, the Finland-based program will be led and managed by Aalto University, which has a growing reputation as a hotbed of new startup companies. AppCampus is intended to attract thousands of application proposals from students and entrepreneurs from all over the world. Aalto University will make a significant contribution to the project by providing premises, coaching services, and access to both academic and business networks for budding app developers.
Within the AppCampus program, mobile entrepreneurs can benefit from comprehensive support, training in mobile technology, design and usability, and funding to create innovative new mobile apps and services. Windows Phone Marketplace and Nokia Store offer local and global business opportunities to program participants via distribution to consumers around the world.
Mentored by veterans in the mobile industry, program participants will be given insights and business coaching to help them commercialize their ideas while retaining the full intellectual property rights for their innovations. | |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced test results for servers utilizing the world’s first 20 nanometer (nm) class* Green Memory that were conducted at the Microsoft Technology Center (MTC) in Munich. A system based on Samsung’s 20nm-class DDR3 memory and solid state drives (SSDs) together with Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 and Hyper-V proved to be twice as fast as current memory configurations for servers setting up virtual machine instances and recovering data in private cloud environments. These advanced configurations also consumed as much as 50 percent less power per server.
Detailed findings on the testing are available in a white paper posted on Microsoft’s website: http://download.microsoft.com/download/0/5/4/05423B32-73BF-4EAA-80A8-09B5F9D9E4DE/201202_MTC_Samsung_Whitepaper_20nm_v10.pdf and on Samsung‘s Green Memory website: www.samsung.com/GreenMemory.
“In an increasingly complex IT world, Microsoft Technology Centers (MTC) are set to provide complete solutions to customers, and we achieve this goal through strong collaboration with our partners. With Samsung’s Green DRAM and SSDs, we have just such a partner on board at the MTC in Munich to educate and to provide highly advanced solutions to our customers,” said Chris Bayer, Director, MTC Munich. | |
According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global Microsoft smartphone shipments grew 36 percent sequentially to reach 2.7 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011. Nokia captured top position as the world’s number one Microsoft smartphone vendor for the first time ever.
Alex Spektor, Associate Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global smartphone shipments using the Microsoft operating system grew 36 percent sequentially to reach 2.7 million units in Q4 2011. Microsoft smartphone shipments remain tiny, but they are showing tentative signs of growth. Nokia overtook HTC and others to become the world’s largest Microsoft smartphone vendor with 33 percent market share. Nokia’s global Microsoft smartphone shipments hit 0.9 million units, as distribution of its Lumia family expanded across numerous countries and operators.”
Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “An expanded portfolio of Windows Phone 7 models such as the Lumia 800, an increased retail presence and highly visible marketing campaigns across several European and Asian countries drove Nokia’s growth. Nokia is by no means out of the woods yet, and it is still on a long road to recovery, but capturing top spot in the Microsoft smartphone ecosystem is an encouraging baby-step forward for the company.” | |
Facebook has announced that they will be releasing a new version of Facebook for Windows Phone to marketplace today.
Test out your groups. Visit your pages. Look at who likes your posts. Change the banner image. Check out the improved news feed performance. Use the new filters. Explore the improved navigation.
Focus areas for the v2.3 release:
- News feed performance improvements
- New panorama design.
- New profile design.
- Banner Images.
- Improved navigation.
- Pages
- Groups
- View “likes”.
- Feed filters.
- Posting privacy.
- Bug fixing
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Openwave Systems Inc., a global software innovator delivering all-Internet Protocol (all-IP) mediation and messaging solutions, announced today that Microsoft Corporation agreed to license Openwave’s patent portfolio.
Microsoft becomes the first company to license Openwave’s portfolio of approximately 200 patents, including several foundational patents covering smart device and cloud technologies, among others.
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Microsoft has announced the next step in the evolution of Bing for Mobile, with the release of the new Bing for Mobile app for iPhone and Android (coming soon to more devices). Today’s update uses HTML5 to blend the mobile browse experience with the app experience so you get a consistent and fast mobile search experience whether you’re using m.bing.com from your browser or the Bing app. | |
Tony Bates, former CEO of Skype and now President of Skype, the newest division of Microsoft, talks about why he's excited about the acquisition. | |
Microsoft announced that this morning, at roughly 10 a.m. Pacific time, the roll out the Mango update has started to phones around the world. Windows Phone 7.5 (aka Mango) is our largest and most feature-packed software refresh to date.
Microsoft plans to ramp up delivery gradually—but make the update available to most existing customers within 4 weeks.
Today Microsoft is starting the roll out of Windows Phone 7.5 to more than 98 percent of existing Windows Phone customers. This is a simultaneous, coordinated, global update that cuts across carriers, phone models, and countries. This time, almost everybody is going first. | |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd announced the launch of the Samsung Omnia W, its first Smartphone based on the latest release of Microsoft’s Windows Phone, code-named Mango. Featuring an elegant design, a vivid Super AMOLED display as well as an enriched content and social communication experience enabled by People Hub, the Omnia W is a different kind of phone that puts people at the center of everything.
“We are excited about the potential for Windows Phone and the possibilities it opens for Samsung customers. Mobile consumers increasingly expect to be socially networked through their phones anytime, anywhere, and instantly. They are looking for high-performance devices that are easy and intuitive to use, look great, and enable them to create and share rich multimedia content with ease. The Samsung Omnia W delivers on every count,” said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications business.
Stunning Performance in Vivid Clarity with SuperAMOLED Display
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AT&T announced plans to add new Windows Phones running Windows Phone 7.5, code-named “Mango”, and update its current portfolio. The new 4G Windows Phones in the fourth quarter include products from HTC and Samsung. AT&T currently sells more Windows Phones than any other carrier. Additionally, AT&T will be among the first carriers to start updating existing phones and all Windows Phones already sold by AT&T will receive the Windows Phone 7.5 update this fall.
Outselling all other carriers, AT&T is the clear leader in Windows Phones. Offering the broadest portfolio of Windows Phones today, AT&T will build upon that success with three new 4G devices, two from Samsung and one from HTC. In addition AT&T will be among the first carriers to deliver the Mango update to existing Windows Phone 7 customers this fall.
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