Windows blue free: July 2013

Windows 8.1 steps up security with biometrics, encryption, and more

Most of the attention on Windows 8.1 Preview emphasizes the many interface changes and new features. In the background, Windows 8.1 also offers a number of security enhancements that will help keep the new OS in step with changing times—how we browse, how we share data among devices, and which devices we use. The improvements range from better browser security to built-in encryption, to remote wiping of business files. We even tracked down a few sneak-preview screenshots of things that have been announced but aren’t part of the Preview release.

IE 11 will have better default security

Windows 8.1 will include Internet Explorer (IE) 11, whose flashiest new feature will be support for multiple windows. The browser’s security enhancements should help keep the new experience exciting, but not scary.
The Enhanced Protected Mode (EPM) that was added in IE 10 will now be turned on by default in the old-style desktop application, instead of just the IE app in the newer Windows UI. When turned on, EPM enables a sandbox-like feature called AppContainer, which restricts IE tabs from accessing sensitive data and system files. Additionally, EPM uses 64-bit tabs, offering more protection against attacks than 32-bit tabs provide.

The EPM option is automatically enabled in the Advanced Settings of Internet Options for the IE 11 desktop application.

IE 11 will also let antivirus programs have deeper access to the browser. This will allow binary extensions—like the often exploited ActiveX controls—to be scanned by an antimalware program before they’re executed. This could also reduce the chances of malware infection or attack via rogue extensions and toolbars.
By default, Adobe Flash support will be included with IE 11. Adobe Flash updates will now be distributed via the Windows Automatic Updates (or Group Policy on corporate-managed PCs). This could help reduce the chances of exploits via out-of-date Adobe Flash add-ons.

Windows Defender adds network support

Windows Defender, the native antivirus program provided with Windows, will now include network-behavior monitoring. This will make it easier to detect the newer breed of malware that usually can’t be detected via traditional means, but rather through noticing anomalous activity on your company’s servers. Defender’s traditional virus detection capabilities remain, as well.

Windows Defender will likely appear just as it did in the first Windows 8 version, except perhaps with an additional setting for network monitoring in the finial release of 8.1 (click to enlarge).

Device Encryption embraces all Windows versions

Windows 8 RT is better known for what it lacks than for what it features, but one advantage it’s had over full-fledged Windows 8 is device encryption. This feature will now be available for all Windows 8.1 users. It will be enabled by default on most newer computers shipping with Windows 8.1, as well as supported devices that are upgraded to Windows 8.1 with a clean install.
The encryption is basically a simplified form of the BitLocker encryption feature found in the Pro, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions of Windows 8 and previous versions of Windows. The full BitLocker feature is still available in the Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows 8.1, giving power users and corporations more management capabilities. For consumers who create and use a Microsoft account to log in to Windows 8.1 (or use a domain account on a corporate network), your entire PC or device will be encrypted.

The Preview release of Windows 8.1 includes just the BitLocker encryption settings; we should see new Device Encryption settings in the final releas (click to enlarge).

Fingerprint recognition supported

Windows 8.1 will enhance its biometric support, including native support for fingerprint authentication for laptops and devices with a fingerprint reader. Instead of typing in your password, for instance, a quick touch with your finger could log you in. This biometrics support is reportedly being added throughout and could be used for things like Windows login, User Account Control prompts, Windows Store access, and other features of Windows. And it’s likely that we’ll see more biometrics support from third-party software vendors as well.

This leaked screen shot of an internal build shows what the fingerprint enrollment process might look like (click to enlarge).

Assigned Access locks device use to a specific app

One brand-new feature introduced in Windows 8.1 is Assigned Access, which will be available in the Pro, Enterprise, and RT editions. It lets you lock down the computer or device for use with a specified app. This feature can help prevent users from accessing other apps or interfaces, making deliberate or accidental changes, and protecting the privacy of other information on the device. You can see how this would be useful in an educational environment—or even for a family with a Surface RT tablet for the kids. A public location, such as a kiosk, is another likely scenario for Assigned Access.

Although Microsoft hasn’t included the Assigned Access feature or settings in the Preview release, this leaked screen shot of an internal build shows what the settings might look like.

Remote Data Control can protect selected data

In Windows 8.1, Microsoft has enhanced the OS’s remote data control capabilities. Businesses will be able to mark certain data on employee computers and devices that should be kept encrypted, and that data can be wiped remotely if the device is lost or the employee leaves the company. This feature will be especially helpful as the BYOD trend grows (personal files on the device aren’t affected).

Manually connecting to VPNs via the Networks list remains the same (click to enlarge).

Windows 8.1 expands VPN support

Many of us use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to connect securely to a remote network, such as a corporate office. According to Microsoft, Windows 8.1 will support a wider range of Virtual Private Network (VPN) clients, although details aren’t available yet. Additionally, Windows will allow third-party apps to initiate VPN connections automatically, possibly eliminating the need for you to start the connection manually all the time.

A better experience and better security

Windows 8.1 Preview has a lot to like, but the security enhancements show that Microsoft is keeping up with the times. The BYOD trend means that personal devices are handling corporate data, so remote wiping and other safeguards are vitally important. Everyone browses the Web, so anything that makes IE safer is a good idea. VPNs and device encryption help thwart sniffers and thieves. And best of all, most of these security features are already available in some form in Windows 8.1 Preview, so you can check them out now.

Three cool ways to tweak File Explorer in Windows 8

Microsoft may have bungled a few things with Windows 8 (snark reply: "Just a few?!"), but File Explorer isn't one of them.
For one thing, the file manager finally earned a home on the Taskbar (even if you have to switch to the desktop to find it). Even better, Microsoft endowed it with the now-familiar Ribbon interface, making for much easier navigation of your files (and Explorer itself).
However, I think it could be even better with a little tweaking. Here are three simple changes you can make to improve the File Explorer experience:
1. Customize the Quick Access Toolbar. See those tiny icons in the upper-left corner of the File Explorer window? Click the even tinier arrow next to them for a list of additional functions you can enable. Why add, say, a Delete icon when Explorer already has one? Because the latter appears only when you're viewing the Home tab. Put it on the Toolbar, however, and it's always just a click away.
2. Show all your folders. In an effort to keep things compact, Explorer shows an abbreviated list of your folders in the lefthand navigation pane. I'd rather see everything, which is possible by clicking the View tab, then the Navigation pane icon. Now simply click Show all folders.
3. Improve your view. I find that very few users ever monkey with Explorer's default view for files, even though it's often very valuable to do so. Thankfully, Explorer now gives you a preview of what each view will look like, a huge boon to users who might get confused by a sudden change. Just click the View tab, then mouse over the various options in the Layout section: Extra large icons, List, Details, etc. In the file area you'll immediately see how that view would look. Like what you see? Click the setting to implement it.

Tune in or tune out: How does Windows 8 stack up on a home theater PC?

It’s no stretch to say that PC power users aren’t united in their praise of Windows 8. The operating system’s modern-style Start screen and its focus on touch-friendly apps has ruffled quite a few feathers among users who just want their old desktops back.
But if you own a home-theater PC, you might want to put the hate on hold. Although Microsoft clearly had tablets and touchscreens in mind when it designed Windows 8, the new look and new apps actually translate well to television screens. Windows 8’s modern side provides an almost console-like experience, offering quick access to video apps and a look that’s a lot prettier than an icon-laden desktop.
I’ve been using Windows 8 on my three year-old HTPC, a Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150, for about six months. The update has breathed new life into the machine, especially for streaming video and music. Although I still lean on the desktop for certain things, the modern side of Windows 8 has turned out to be a useful supplement.
Let's take a peek at where Windows 8 shines and where it struggles on home theater PCs.

From touch to television

Windows 8's Start screen works great on a HTPC.

When it comes to design, touchscreens and televisions have a lot in common. On a tablet, you want big, touchable buttons, so you don’t have to worry about pinpoint fingertip precision. Likewise, oversize screen elements are a natural fit for televisions. They’re easier to click if you’re using an air mouse or a multimedia remote, and they’re also easier to see from far away.
Windows 8’s weaknesses on laptops and desktops become strengths on a home-theater PC. On a television, you don’t really need the old pop-up Start menu, with its hierarchy of programs and folders. The modern Start screen is an improvement, spreading out all your favorite media apps in a single view. The Windows button on your keyboard becomes a powerful shortcut as well, getting you back to your apps at any time. The fact that modern-style apps run full-screen instead of windowed is yet another benefit on HTPCs; the environment is more immersive when you’re choosing a video or listening to music.
The experience in Windows 8.1 is even better, thanks to expanded screen-scaling options for the desktop. Scaling was previously capped at 150 percent unless you dug deeply into custom DPI settings. In Windows 8.1, you can boost scaling all the way up to 200 percent by going to the Screen Resolution settings and then clicking Make text and other items larger or smaller. For TV screens, this level of scaling finally makes 1080p resolution look usable on the desktop.

The DPI-scaling options in the upcoming Windows 8.1 update make using the desktop on a TV screen a lot easier. Big icons, yum.

That’s not to say Windows 8’s interface is a perfect fit on TV screens. Although most on-screen elements are easy enough to see from afar, the app names on the Start screen are tiny, and the text doesn’t seem to respond to screen scaling in Windows settings.
Also, unless you have a multitouch touchpad or a mouse wheel handy, you have no way to scroll in Windows 8 apps without using the scrollbar at the bottom edge of the screen. Strangely, the Start screen doesn’t have this problem—when you move your cursor beyond the edge of the screen, the menu scrolls along with it—but individual apps don’t allow you to scroll using only the cursor.
One last interface nitpick: It would be nice if Microsoft allowed you to use an Xbox 360 controller to navigate through the Windows 8 Start menu and apps. This feature would be particularly useful for HTPCs with gaming muscle, as you wouldn’t have to rely solely on a front end such as Steam’s Big Picture mode to move from one game to another.

The app situation

The interface of Netflix's Windows 8 app (and virtually all other modern apps) is well suited to TV screens.

Let’s get this out of the way: The app selection in Windows 8 doesn’t stack up to that of other platforms. The Windows Store is missing a fair number of notable video apps, including Amazon Instant Video, HBO Go, and Vudu, and MLB.tv is pitiful on Windows 8 when compared with its iOS and Android counterparts. Several notable big-name services are missing on the music side, too.
Still, you can put together a decent roster of streaming apps from what is available.
For movies and TV shows, Windows 8 has apps for ABC Player, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Crackle (a great way to catch up on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee). If Web video is your thing, you’ll find apps for CollegeHumor, DailyMotion, TED, and Vimeo. Although YouTube doesn’t have an official app, TubeTV for YouTube is an excellent unofficial alternative for televisions, as it’s designed to let users lean back and watch a steady stream of videos. You can also find more esoteric options such as FilmOn, which provides live, streaming television shows through legally questionable methods.
That still leaves plenty of gaps in the catalog, but fortunately Windows 8 offers a neat trick through the modern version of Internet Explorer: You can pin any website as a tile on the Start screen, which comes in handy for quick access to sites such as those for The Daily Show, NBC, and the free version of Hulu, not to mention the myriad streaming music services out there.

Pinning the Rdio website to the Start screen in Internet Explorer 10.

Speaking of which, if you use your HTPC for music, Windows 8 has a solid selection of streaming audio apps to choose from. Vevo is a great source for streaming music videos, and SlapDash has you covered for podcasts—both video and audio. You can get your Internet radio fix from iHeartRadio, Slacker, Songza, and TuneIn, and if you absolutely must listen to Pandora, you can use an unofficial app called MetroRadio. Although Spotify is absent from the Windows Store, the built-in Xbox Music app will let you listen to 10 hours of on-demand streaming music for free every month.
Granted, you don’t need Windows 8 to access most of these streaming services, given that most are available through any Web browser, and virtually all offer desktop programs—programs that work just fine in Windows 8’s desktop mode.
Desktop programs on a Windows 8 HTPC work just the same as they would on a Windows 7 HTPC. But native Windows 8 apps are quicker to access and easier to navigate, and they automatically open in full-screen mode. It’s nice to be able to turn on your computer and start playing a Netflix video in just a couple of clicks.

Restrictions apply

Windows Media Center isn't included with Windows 8.

By now, you’re either totally on board with upgrading your HTPC to Windows 8, or further galvanized in your loathing of all things modern UI. If you’re leaning toward the former, you still have one big drawback to consider: Windows 8 does not include Windows Media Center, which once served as a TV-friendly hub for users’ own libraries of music, videos, and photos.
The built-in Xbox Video app contains some of Windows Media Center’s functions, but it isn’t nearly as powerful. You can’t play a sequence of videos in a row, and you can’t install new codecs to expand the number of video formats it supports. Worst of all, Windows 8 doesn’t support native DVD playback, or live TV playback and recording through a TV tuner.

WMC plays nice with TV tuners, but few third-party HTPC interfaces do.

To get those features back, you have several options: First, if you have Windows 8 Pro, you can pay $10 for the Media Center Pack. It isn’t available through regular Windows 8, however, which means you’d have to plunk down an additional $99 for the Pro upgrade if you’re running the vanilla version of the OS. Otherwise, you can install a desktop media-playing program such as the superb VLC Media Player, or a full-fledged home theater interface. (Check out our rundown of the top HTPC software options—the popular XBMC front end now includes support for TV tuners.)

Should you take the plunge?

Given the hassle and the potential cost involved in restoring Windows Media Center functionality, Windows 8 isn’t worth the upgrade if your goal is to record live TV or watch DVDs with your rig. In fact, if you already own and appreciate a perfectly functional Windows 7 HTPC, you have no truly compelling reason to upgrade it to Windows 8 at all.

If you're building a new HTPC, on the other hand, Windows 8 is a very capable choice, as long as you're aware that you'll possibly need to pay extra for WMC or to install a few third-party media programs to enable core DVD and TV functionality.
Windows 8 even exceeds Windows 7 as a home-theater OS in some ways. Its superfast boot times are especially welcome in the living room, particularly if your computer packs a speedy solid-state drive. But more impressively, the OS really shines as an extra TV-friendly layer on top of the core video functions of an HTPC. With the number of apps that are available, it’s basically a way to tack on streaming set-top box features—similar to those of a Roku box or an Apple TV—without sacrificing the flexibility you get from a full-blown PC.
In many respects, it’s the best of both worlds. The lack of WMC and native DVD playback support prevent Windows 8 from being a "no compromise" HTPC environment. All in all, however, the controversial modern interface translates startlingly well to the TV screen.

Microsoft should yank Windows RT for Windows RT's own good

Okay, Microsoft. You had your fun fling with ARM processors, serenading your newfound love with glitzy dubstep ads full of creepy dancing schoolgirls. Thin and light tablets packing a—gasp!—free version of Office? Freedom from Intel and AMD's x86 processors? Sanctity from traditional Windows malware? How dreamy.

But the honeymoon is over, and reality ain't happy with the frivolous romp. Thursday, Microsoft announced that it took an accounting hit to the tune of nearly $1 billion—yes, with a B—thanks to the steep discount it had to apply to the millions of Surface RT tablets lying around unsold. The dream has become a nightmare, and not just for Surface.

Microsoft, it's time for Windows RT to take a vacation.

Like rats from a ship

The writing has been on the wall for Windows RT for a while now, but this week really crystallized that its time is not now.

By all accounts, the Surface RT was the star of the Windows RT show. In fact, stats from AdDuplex consistently showed it as the best-selling Windows 8/RT device period—but that doesn't mean it sold well from a pure numbers standpoint. After Microsoft moved a reported 900,000 Surface RT tablets alone in the fourth quarter of 2012, IDC reported that all Windows RT tablets combined only managed to ship 200,000 units in the first quarter of this year. Yep, the Surface RT is sinking fast.

That's bad. Nope, that's horrible.

But while Surface RT is the juggernaut when it comes to ARM-powered Windows slates, it's not the elephant in the room. That distinction goes to just how fervently third-party manufacturers are avoiding Windows RT.

Lenovo's Windows RT hybrid is gone, replaced by a Windows 8 model.

Many of the biggest names in PCs have taken a pass on the operating system: HP, Samsung, Acer, and Toshiba all respectfully (or not-so-respectfully) bowed out of this particular race.

Even some tentative early supporters are starting to pull back. Lenovo unceremoniouslydumped the RT-sporting IdeaPad Yoga 11 this past Wednesday, mere weeks after launching the IdeaPad Yoga 11S, which took the original Yoga 11's superb physical design and imbued it with an Intel Core processor and the full-blown version of Windows 8. The few Windows RT tablets left are all getting steep price cuts, from the Surface RT to the Dell XPS 10 to the Asus VivoTab RT.

Nope, iTunes isn't coming to Windows RT anytime soon—and it’s not the only big-name software missing.

And who can blame the manufacturers for fleeing? Windows RT simply isn't a compelling option right now. It doesn't run classic desktop programs, only modern-style Windows apps—and the Windows Store still doesn't have anywhere near a full catalog of apps, despite recently hitting the100,000 app milestone. There are stillglaring Windows Store no-shows. Major software developers have been as slow to support Windows RT as hardware manufactuers.

Windows 8.1 will make the modern UI more useable, but that doesn't change the fact that it's still so new and different. The mixture of “different” and “no apps” isn't one destined for stardom.

Take a chill pill

"But wait!" you shout at your monitor, no doubt shaking your fist. "You just argued thatWindows RT is crucial for the Windows ecosystem even if its sales stink, Brad!"

I did! And it is! But here's the thing: Windows RT's mere existence is the boon, not the tablets themselves. Windows RT is important, but actually selling Windows RT hardware is not.

The threat of ARM infiltration prodded Intel and AMD into creating much more energy efficient x86 processors, and tablets running on Clover Trail+ chips now offer full desktop software compatibility with all-day-plus battery life. Clover Trail's impending successor, Bay Trail, promises just-as-long endurance with much better performance, while Intel's flagship"Haswell" Core PC processors were built with a focus on energy efficiency. The availability of long-lasting, fully backwards compatible Windows 8 slates puts an even bigger damper on Windows RT's prospects.

Intel has come up with a new thermal specification for CPUs that will operate in tablets and notebooks with detachable displays.

Likewise, ARM support is now baked into the modern UI, right alongside x86 compatibility. Any modern-style app will run on both types of processor just fine. Meanwhile, the modern UI and apps run on the Windows Runtime application architecture, a variant of which also powers Windows Phone. Microsoft makes no bones about the fact that Live Tiles are its future, a dedication driven home by CEO Steve Ballmer's decision to unify all OS development within a single division under the One Microsoft umbrella.

The biggest benefits Microsoft gained from Windows RT—ARM integration and better power efficiency—occurred at its genesis, not from its day-to-day sales (or lack thereof).

Time out

All this points to one thing: Microsoft should call time-out for Windows RT.

Microsoft definitely needed to create Windows RT. The company was on the verge of missing the tablet train completely. It needed to keep Intel honest while broadening its technical horizons to embrace ARM. The Surface RT was the first Microsoft-made PC. I could go on.

But now that the creation is done, it's time to pull back and let the concoction bake. Windows RT doesn't make sense right now. Nobody wants it. Intel's latest mobile processors rock battery life that rivals the endurance of ARM chips. The modern UI is still in its infancy, and Windows RT's entire existence revolves around an app store that's still relatively barren.

Meanwhile, reports of high Surface RT return rates abound. The headlines are filled with articles about billion-dollar Surface RT write-offs and manufacturers fleeing the OS. Nothing good is being said about Windows RT. The brand—and the very concept of using the modern UI as an exclusive computing interface—is being damaged irreparably, and for what? Windows RT tablets aren't selling, and from a strategic standpoint, Microsoft has nothing to gain by letting the horror show continue.

Putting Windows RT on hiatus would give Microsoft time to nurture the Windows Store and more closely connect RT with Windows Phones.

It's time to yank Windows RT. If Microsoft blazes the trail and lets the Surface RT fade away, third-party manufacturers will follow suit. And rather than being a disaster, a lack of available hardware would only give Windows RT room to grow, as odd as that may sound.

The vocal complaints about the OS's neutered nature would cease, as it wouldn't be in the limelight. But that doesn't mean Windows RT development would stop. Far from it! Since the modern UI is also found in Windows 8 proper, its wrinkles would continue to be smoothed out over time. More importantly, the Windows Store will continue to fill with apps that work on ARM and x86 processors alike, especially once a critical mass of PC users inevitably upgrade to Windows 8.

Time could heal Windows RT's early wounds. After the modern UI and the Windows Store have a few years to blossom, Microsoft could reintroduce Windows RT in a much more viable form than it is today—one less conducive to complaints and returns.

And, until then, Microsoft could stop swirling fruitless billions down the drain.

Sources have told PCWorld that the Surface RT isn't dead, nor should it be in the long run. But for its own good, Windows RT should definitely take a short-term break.

How Microsoft is using live data to redefine the Office 'document'

Microsoft is planning an overhaul of our Office documents, weaving live data into the once-static fabric of our Word files and Excel spreadsheets. It’s a bold experiment that could kill the very definition of an Office “document”—but it could also spell the rebirth of Microsoft’s productivity suite in the age of cloud-driven collaboration.

At its Build 2013 conference in June, Microsoft evangelized tools that will enable app developers to automatically use Bing’s search capabilities in documents—for example, they might enhance a travel guide with live demographic information on Belize. And Microsoft’s new PowerBI tools, announced Monday at the company’s Worldwide Partner Conference, can import data from both public and private sources to provide more up-to-date context in documents.

Both developments reveal a sea change in the way we’ll interact with Microsoft Office in the future. In the current regime, you create an Office document, save it, and then email it to a colleague, who quite likely prints it out. Indeed, the documents we create today represent just a slice of information within a brief snapshot of time.

But all this can change once Office begins hooking into living data. Office docs won’t simply document the past: They’ll also accurately reflect the ever-changing present.

”In the past, people would send around a static spreadsheet or a static PDF, with static data,” Kelly Waldher, director of Office 365 product management for Microsoft, said in an interview. “What PowerBI offers with Office 365 are a couple of new elements: real-time updates and real-time data.”

Microsoft has connected its SQL Azure cloud database to SharePoint Online, creating shared PowerBI workspaces that partners and coworkers can access, Waldher said. With a live data source powering the document, you can be sure you’re getting the most up-to-date information—and therefore the best information to base decisions on. This model assumes that documents will no longer be printed out or archived in a dead, static format, since doing so would rob them of the contextual intelligence that live data offers.

Microsoft understands that its vision will first be enabled within business environments, where enterprise tools can make sense of big data. But it’s not hard to imagine a future where a college paper on climate change might feature an interactive map that plots average mean temperatures for various cities. With consumers increasingly turning to the cloud for data storage, people will place less value on older, static documents, and more on up-to-date responses to changing conditions. That preference could extend way beyond Microsoft, and into the greater information ecosystem as a whole.

Microsoft sees its Bing search technology as the foundation for a number of capabilities.

At Microsoft’s Build 2013 conference, Gurdeep Singh Pall, corporate vice president for Microsoft’s Information Platform & Experience group, announced “Bing as a platform,” taking what we know as Microsoft’s search engine, and making it available to developers as a third-party API. “The unbounded knowledge of the Web is now available to your applications,” Pall said.

One of the tricks Microsoft executives showed was the capability to scan a block of text for keywords—such as “Valencia, Spain”—and hotlink the text to Bing-curated data. It exemplified how we might take an otherwise static document and enrich it with the Web at large.

What ‘business intelligence’ actually means

This past March, Microsoft launched a preview of its Data Explorer tool, which allowed users to pull data from various sources and put it into Excel documents. For example, you could tell Excel to pull a compilation of credit card complaints from data.gov, or to pull a list of World Cup winners from a Wikipedia article. By itself, that capability wasn’t terribly exciting.

The number of songs we listen to and purchase has declined, data reveals.

But on Monday, Microsoft renamed Data Explorer as “Power Query,” and surrounded it with a number of equally robust tools: Power Map for geolocating data; Power Pivot for flexible data models within Excel; and Power View, which allows Excel to parse data itself and to attempt to present the most relevant views automatically. Microsoft has also developed a number of BI “live sites” where customers can interact and share data.

Microsoft corporate fellow Amir Netz did a wonderful job of putting it all in context. (Netz’s presentation is archived here; fast-forward to 4:03:05 for the BI demo.) In a demonstration that used a database of popular music as an example, Netz typed in “top rock classics” as a query. The responses were automatically sorted into a track list from the 1970s and 1980s, cross-indexed by the number of weeks each song appeared on the chart. Highlighting certain words auto-suggested other choices. Highlighting “songs,” for example, suggested a list of “albums” with the same characteristics, providing avenues for further exploration.

“When I typed ‘top rock classics,’ it understood I meant rock,” Netz said. “And when I said ‘classics,’ it understood that I meant music from a certain era—the ’70s and the ’80s—and not the 1950s.”

Asking for the number of songs by year automatically generated a line graph tracking how the number of popular songs people listened to decreased between 1970 and 2000. Netz finished up by asking PowerBI to determine the best song of all time (Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”) and the best artist of all time (Mariah Carey). This assessment was based on what the database “knew” about each artist. Netz finished with a “king of the hill” visualization that tracked which artist dominated during which year.

”It is the beginning of a conversation with PowerBI,” Netz said, as he input a query into the search box.

Madonna ruled 1987 in this “king of the hill” visualization.

Queries, not documents?

If Microsoft’s vision takes hold, static documents loaded with static data will seem increasingly irrelevant as time goes by. Imagine a PDF from your travel agency that answers the basic question, “What are the best countries for me to visit in Europe and the Middle East for a summer vacation?” In today’s version of the document, the answers are fixed. But we should be able to ask that query at any time, and receive answers that reflect a multitude of variables—exchange rates, hotel availability, weather, and political stability.

Are natural-language queries the future of data interaction?

We already live in a world where the living Web and other information sources dynamically respond to changing conditions. Take, for example, the Max tool from Netflix, which asks you questions to determine which movie you want to view. The Netflix database constantly updates itself with new movie titles, and uses information gleaned from everyone’s user searches to make other recommendations.

So at what point will traditional Office “documents”—spreadsheets, Word documents, and the like—begin to go away, victims of their own irrelevance? We don’t need to store Word documents that list the 20 bands that have the most number one hits, because that information is already stored in a database somewhere. But we will store our own analyses that machines can’t provide: the fable of Beowulf and Grendel analyzed in a historical context, for example.

If Microsoft’s vision of live, connected files becomes reality, the document of tomorrow could evolve into a framework, a predefined query. We may not know what the 100 highest-grossing movies of 2010 through 2020 will be, but we can create a document that’s preformatted to access that information—and to do so in a way that will let us quickly determine whether a sequel is primed for box-office success.

If that happens, seemingly disparate technologies—Office, Bing, and Azure—will become more closely tied to one another. And what we mean by “documents” will move far beyond today’s traditional definition.

As a result, live data sources will serve as increasingly tangible barriers that prevent data from migrating off of Office to other platforms. Indeed, while Google Apps and Apple’s iWork might let you open Microsoft’s PowerPoint format, you may not find the same level of support for Microsoft’s highly involved living-data technologies. For business users, at least, it may pay to remain under Microsoft’s umbrella.

----------------------------- collected information from: pcworld --------------------------------------------

Microsoft confirms Windows 8.1 to RTM by August, article by znet

Microsoft confirms Windows 8.1 to RTM by August

Microsoft will deliver Windows 8.1, codenamed "Blue" to OEMs in late August 2013, company officials said on July 8.

So it looks like Windows 8.1 is going to be released to manufacturing by August, after all, as tipsters have been saying since the Blue codename first leaked almost a year ago.

Microsoft delivered a public preview of Windows 8.1 on June 26during its Build conference. There are no more preview/test builds scheduled. The next stop is RTM.

Microsoft will make Windows 8.1 available to all Windows 8 and Windows RT users as a free upgrade through the Windows Store.

While I've heard some Microsoft watchers predicting that RTM and general availability of the Windows 8.1 bits won't happen simultaneously, this is not what I have heard from my sources. While new devices preloaded with the Windows 8.1 bits will probably not be out until late September/early October, I have heard that the general availability of the Windows 8.1 bits won't be held back this time around. I think users will be able to get the 8.1 bits simultaneously or very shortly after RTM.

Read this

A closer look at what's new in Windows 8.1

With Windows 8.1, Microsoft is moving to a more rapid delivery schedule with its Windows releases. Instead of delivering a "big bang" release every two to three years, the Softies are now endeavoring to roll out a new Windows release on an annual basis, from what I've heard from my contacts.

Many of the testers I've heard from have noted that the preview build of Windows 8.1 is quite buggy. Yes, it's a test build. But the number of bugs had led some of us to wonder whether Microsoft might end up going later than August with RTM. It seems that isn't going to be the case. I guess that means we should expect Microsoft to roll out lots of fixes and updates for 8.1 on a monthly or more frequent basis, as it has been doing with Windows 8 since that product launched in October 2012.

Microsoft officials didn't offer an updated number of Windows 8 licenses sold during the partner conference keynote. Last we heard, in early May of this year, Microsoft has sold more 100 million Windows 8 licenses to date.

During the partner show keynote, Microsoft officials demonstrated a new potential use of the Miracast support that will be built into Windows 8.1. Officials showed off the ability to use digital ink on a Surface Pro and to share handwritten notes across Windows 8.1, Windows Phone and the TV/Xbox -- using a Miracast-enabled Surface Pro as a digital white board, in effect.

Weekend Project! Install the Windows 8.1 preview

It’s scorching out. Any housework that needs doing is already done. And with the long weekend ahead, it’s time for a simple computing project. Here’s one: Install the Windows 8.1 preview.

Last week, Microsoft unveiled Windows 8.1, the next iteration of its Windows 8 operating system. From a marketing standpoint, Windows 8.1 is a do-over, a bid to simplify and personalize an operating system that, quite frankly, turned off a lot of people. If you own Windows 8 and dislike it, we encourage you to follow along and consider giving Windows 8.1 a try. Not only does it have features designed to make Windows 8.1 a friendlier experience, but it has tons—yes, tons—of new features.

Note that, eventually, Windows 8.1 will be available to you, for free, when the software is released to “general availability,” most likely this fall. What Microsoft released last week is a preview, and so it may contain a bug or two. If you have any critical apps or data, make sure that you have backup copies, or that your data is also stored within Microsoft’s SkyDrive. Though I haven’t encountered a single bug in Windows 8.1, there’s no guarantee that you’ll have the same experience.

A prettier Start page. We think it makes a difference.

Windows to Windows 8.1 compatibility — A prettier Start page. We think it makes a difference.

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