New Windows 8 PC phone revealed, plus tablet and desktop

One of the most intriguing new phones being unveiled at this week’s big wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, may be a sleek new Windows model developed in Redmond.

It’s not coming from Microsoft, which will have a relatively low profile at this year’s   Mobile World Congress.

The  phone I’m most curious about is being made by a little company in the warren of offices west of Highway 520 between Microsoft and Nintendo. That’s where a few dozen employees of i-mate have built a striking new handset with a 4.7-inch touch-screen display.

It looks similar to the latest jumbo, slab phones, but it’s a more potent machine inside. The phone runs on  Intel’s “Clover Trail” hardware and Windows 8 Pro, so it’s a full-blown PC capable of running most desktop software.

Called the Intelegent, the device could go on sale this summer for $750, which is less than the price of an unlocked iPhone 5 with the same amount of storage capacity.

The phone is more powerful than most tablets. It has an Atom processor, 2 gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of storage. It’s designed to work with HSPA+ and LTE 4G wireless networks and have up to 10 hours of talk time.

I-mate will sell the phone alone or as part of  a $1,600 desktop hardware suite including a docking station, called the “hub.”

Docked in the hub, the phone can be used with a traditional, wired phone handset or make video calls. It also functions as a desktop PC — powering a 23-inch touch-screen display, keyboard and mouse — and drives an auxiliary wireless tablet with a 10.1-inch, 1080p display.

This isn’t i-mate’s first trip to the rodeo. The company was founded  in 2001 by Jim Morrison, a British Telecom veteran who worked with Microsoft and HTC to launch  early smartphones based on Windows CE.

The company grew into a major phone producer in the United Kingdom and Dubai before its business tumbled in 2007 and 2008.

A line of advanced, business-oriented smartphones with  Windows inside was floated in 2007 but sales didn’t pan out.

Production problems, limited demand and other challenges led the company, based in Dubai at the time, to lay off most of its employees and delist its stock.

HTC moved on. It transformed from a relatively obscure manufacturer to a prominent consumer brand, in part by taking an early lead with Android phones.

Two years ago, i-mate’s reinvention began in earnest. The company quietly started developing a new phone based on the Intel silicon.

The company isn’t setting out to topple the iPhone or Android models that dominate  the smartphone business. Instead it’s positioning itself as a challenger to the BlackBerry, which is also re-emerging with new models aimed largely at business users.

With tablet sales starting to outpace those of smartphones, and the rise of big phone-tablet “phablets”  like Samsung’s Galaxy Note, perhaps it’s time for a 4.7-inch PC phone.

Morrison also sees an opportunity to sell corporate users a reasonably priced desktop suite — including a PC, tablet and phone — all powered by the phone.

He believes corporate buyers will also be interested in a modern phone that can be managed like a PC and run their own PC applications, regaining control they’ve ceded to the closed gardens of Apple’s iOS, Android and even Windows Phone.

I can’t wait to try the system.

Maybe I’m just sentimental about the crazy handheld PCs that Paul Allen and others tried to develop a decade ago,   before smartphones took off and PCs were still the gadget tinkerers’ platform of choice.

Wallet-sized micro PCs like the OQO and the FlipStart that Allen unveiled in 2003  never caught on, in part because they were too expensive and impractical.

They arrived long before the hardware, software and wireless infrastructure were ready. Morrison said key advances enabling i-mate to produce the Intelegent are Windows 8 and Intel’s Atom hardware, which has just started being used in mobile phones.

Windows finally starts up fast enough to answer a phone call and its new tiled interface works on the small screen as is, Morrison said.

“We’ve made it more portable, we’ve combined it with a phone and overall costs have been reduced,” he said. “You’ve got a lot in your package.”

Morrison said i-mate will  manufacture the phones in the U.S., using screens from South Korea, touch panels from Miami and hardware boards made in Japan.

A facility in California is ready to assemble 10,000 units a week, he said.

The company also is benefiting from Intel’s big push to become a player in mobile devices, beyond the laptop. After years of trying, it gained a legitimate toehold in phones  last year.

Atom-based Android phones went on sale in India, Europe and other  overseas markets, with producers such as Motorola, Lenovo and Acer on board.

Intel is hoping to pick up the pace with several new hardware systems that it’s announcing Monday in Barcelona.

They include a new Atom processor dubbed Clover Trail Plus, with double the computing power and three times the graphics capabilities as the Clover Trail model that launched in September.

The new Intel processors are designed for phones and tablets, including a wave of new Android tablets coming out in the next few months and some lower-cost Windows devices.

So far, i-mate appears to be the first to use Intel hardware to build a phone running Windows 8. Intel has been helping out by providing engineering support, spokeswoman Kathy Gill confirmed.

“It’s an exciting time for mobile technology in general as you see these smartphones becoming more powerful and people wanting to do more and more with their mobile devices,” she said.

Whether this leads to a single device powering all the gadgets in the office remains to be seen.

Intel and Microsoft would probably prefer that people continue buying a phone, a PC and a tablet rather than an all-in-one like i-mate’s Intelegent.

Even so, i-mate is likely the first of multiple companies that will try again to help people converge or consolidate their devices, taking advantage of PC hardware that finally has the right combination of small size, battery efficiency and wireless capabilities.

Meanwhile i-mate is off to Barcelona to find partners such as wireless carriers to help launch its device this summer.

No doubt, it’s a longshot. We’ll also have to see if the system works as well as it looks.

But  it’s hard not to get excited about the company’s concept and verve.

Windows 8 offers changes and challenges

All right already. With all this talk about Windows 8 and what a turkey it is, we realized it was our duty to the readers to get in there and suffer. Well, there’s good news, and still bad news.

We jumped into the new world and bought one of those HP “all-in-one” computers. It looks like a big TV and all the computer parts are built into the screen housing. It’s beautiful. We mean, design-wise it’s beautiful. And it was only $530 at Staples, the giant office supply chain. Joy was dazzled by the 23-inch screen, and besides, a similar Windows 7 machine — last year’s model — costs nearly twice as much. In just seconds, she talked Bob into getting it. He hates it.

What’s the problem? For long-time users, everything in Windows 8 feels different, and nothing is where you think it should be. Who needs that? Bob’s not interested in going back to school when his old machine still works fine. He returned to his old Windows XP computer after one day. (Half the world still uses Windows XP, by the way.) But Joy likes the new all-in-one, except for this kinda big problem known since ancient times as “the blue screen of death.” That’s when the computer locks up, the screen turns blue, and you have to reboot.

That infamous bug has returned. Windows 8 went blue screen twice in the first few days Joy used it. But it’s a warm and friendly blue screen of death. It comes with a message in the middle that says: “We’re sorry,” etc., etc. Bob’s XP computer has never experienced the blue screen of death.

The most striking thing about Windows 8 is the start screen, sometimes called “Tile World.” News, weather, photos, music and travel information update constantly. Joy liked iHeart Radio and games like Mahjongg. Sure, she could have gone to iHeart.com without Windows 8, but she likes how it almost forces you to explore what’s out there. That is its biggest strength. Bob thinks it’s the only one. In short, Windows 8 appears to have been designed primarily for entertainment rather than work.

An app called “Windows 8 Shortcuts, the Ultimate Cheat Sheet,” can save you from being lost forever in the tile jungle. It comes with the system. Instead of hacking your way through seemingly endless colored tiles and menus to find the file you want, just press the Windows key and the letter “E.” Press the Windows key and the letter “D” to get out of that screen full of colored tiles and back to the old desktop you know so well. Windows key plus “I” reveals the familiar commands for shut down and other useful controls. Windows plus “Q” lists all your apps.

Keyboard commands are the short route to sanity and relaxed computing. But some things in Windows 8 can’t be fixed. For instance, a free book downloaded from our Amazon Kindle account came in with letters so tiny they couldn’t be read. And then, you can’t play DVDs without additional software. The free “VLC Player” from Download.com is a good one.

So there you have it. Joy likes Windows 8 but wouldn’t recommend going through the hassle of upgrading from Windows 7; trying that on our new Windows 7 laptop nearly ruined it. You almost have to go to Windows 8 if you’re buying a new computer, but get Stardock’s Start 8, $5, to bring familiar icons back to Windows 8.

WINDOWS 8 BOOK
“Easy Windows 8,” by Mark Edward Soper, $25, is by far the best and easiest of the Windows 8 books we’ve seen. It’s from QuePublishing.com and has screen shots on every page to help step you though.

With huge pictures and simple steps, it’s full of useful tips like how to make movies, recover erased or damaged files, copy music from a CD to your hard drive and navigate Windows 8. For instance, when you’re in the Windows 8 start screen, go to all apps, find any you like and right-click those to pin them to Tile World. Some programs can also be pinned to the taskbar, the thin strip on the bottom of your screen.

SITTING DUCKS
A reader asked us a question we’d never heard before: How do you trim the boring parts out of your duck-hunting video? (You know, when there are no ducks.)

Windows Live Movie Maker is the easiest video editor we’ve tried. Click “start” and look for it under “all programs.” If your computer doesn’t have it, you can download it from Microsoft and it’s free. Google the title and it comes right up. Microsoft has instructions on how to take the boring parts out of a duck hunting video — or any other video. We’ve shortened that long Web address to tinyurl.com/EditMovie.

Windows Blue: How Will Windows 8 Evolve?

For months now, Windows Blue has been the software equivalent of Sasquatch — which is to say, much-discussed, seldom glimpsed and possibly not what everyone assumes. Big Foot has yet to stomp from folklore into reality, but recent leaks suggest that Windows Blue will make its public debut relatively soon, perhaps as early as June. Microsoft has been mostly mum on the alleged Windows 8 update, refusing to officially verify that it exists. Even so, the rumors have begun to converge around common themes. How does Redmond intend to make its new, touch-friendly OS gain momentum?

Speculation began in August, more than two months before Windows 8 hit the market, when ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, citing unnamed sources, wrote that Microsoft was already at work on something called Windows Blue. Whether the new project would be a de facto Windows 9 or a Windows 8 service pack wasn’t clear, but Foley asserted that the endeavor would transfer Redmond’s upgrade cycle to an annual model, discarding the multi-year spans that have traditionally separated one iteration of Windows from the next. More recently, Foley reported thatWindows Blue will encompass a variety of Microsoft platforms, including Windows Phone, SkyDrive and Windows server.

Claims posted in February to Win8China, meanwhile, suggestWindows Blue will become a public preview in June, with general availability slated for August. Other rumors making the rounds: Windows Blue will be built on a new kernel, include Internet Explorer 11 and offer faster computing while consuming less power. Windows Blue could also be a free upgrade intended to bolster adoption.

[ Microsoft has yet to hit its stride with Windows 8. SeeWindows 8: Microsoft’s Progress Debated. ]

Job postings that refer to Windows Blue, meanwhile, have only added fuel to the fire. The most recent developments include sources telling The Verge that the project includes an improved Bing search charm.

The resignation of Windows chief Steve Sinofsky looms behind all the chatter, as it’s too early to tell whether Blue will represent an evolution of Microsoft’s current strategy or some sort of corrective responseto Windows 8’s mixed progress.

Reading into the few tea leaves, though, one can divine a few insights into Microsoft’s approach. Faster update cycles mean that new features will reach end users more quickly. Windows 8 might be the newest version of a longstanding product, but because it departs so heavily from previous editions, it’s essentially a Version 1 release in many respects. To gain market share, Redmond needs to offer a more polished user experience. It will get there much more quickly if it offers iterative enhancements every 12 months, rather than monolithic refreshes every couple of years.

Also significant is the implication that Microsoft is further unifying its Windows family around common code. On the desktop side, Redmond’s application offerings lead the class, but the company isn’t yet competitive with Apple or Google’s respective mobile portfolios. By making it easier for developers to write a single application for all Windows flavors, Microsoft would be addressing one of its glaring weaknesses.

At the same time, the rumors have suggested that UI tweaks will be confined to making the tile-based Modern start screen into a more cohesive experience. Microsoft seems intent on conditioning users to its new platform, so anyone hoping for a major change, such as the reintegration of the Start Menu, is likely to be disappointed.

All Eyes On Mobile Apps

Businesses are curious about Windows 8 but “they were expecting something more,” said Paulo Camara, head of mobility services at Ci&T, a Brazilian IT services provider with clients around the world. In an interview, he noted that enterprises have typically waited for a service pack before adopting a new version of Windows. Windows 8 is a bit different, he said, because its advantages over Windows 7 are mostly geared toward mobility, leaving desktop users fewer reasons to upgrade.

He said he expects Windows Blue “not to reinvent things but maybe to tweak them to make them more user-friendly.” Certain applications behave differently in Windows 8’s Modern interface than they do in the browser’s more familiar Explorer mode, for example, and Microsoft would please some customers by simply smoothing over these wrinkles.

According to Michael Cherry, a Windows expert with Directions on Microsoft, Windows Blue is unlikely to change Windows 8’s primary philosophy. In an interview, he said Microsoft executives “love to use gambling expressions” such as “we’re all in” or “we’ve bet everything” to describe their newest OS. If Redmond were to back off now, he said, developers would feel discouraged from writing for the newest Windows platforms.

Cherry additionally said that Redmond seems resolved to roll through the early Windows 8 criticism. “Those concerns were raised well before they shipped [Windows 8]. When I look at it, I see no interest or inclination [from Microsoft] in taking that feedback,” he stated. “I don’t see that anything’s changed that, despite Mr. Sinofsky leaving.”

Microsoft should dedicate Windows Blue largely to improving the platform’s app ecosystem, Cherry said. He noted that Microsoft’s pre-installed apps aren’t impressive, and that developers might not have the guidance they need. “If Microsoft can’t even write compelling apps for it, it’s safe to assume it’s tough to write apps for that platform,” he said.

“Nobody can tell us an app for Windows 8 that they just have to have,” Cherry continued, adding that one “can debate whether the UI is right or not” but that killer apps are the key to use cases that will drive adoption. He mentioned that the iPad didn’t have an extensive catalogue when it launched either, and that comparisons between iOS and Windows 8 are thus a little unfair. Still, he said, one can argue that it’s “Microsoft’s fault for not [addressing mobile platforms] years earlier.”

Report: Mobile and Windows 8 Platforms Will be Targets in 2013

Sophisticated mobile threats, Windows 8 infiltration and large-scale attacks on human population centers are among McAfee Labs’ cyber threat predictions for 2013. In Jan., researchers at the company released their 2013 Threats Predictions report, citing the rise of adaptable and frequent cyberattacks that target global critical infrastructure systems.

This stark forecast came the same month that the Pentagon began planning to expand its cybersecurity forces to more than five times their current size. Recent events and increasingly scary predictions paint a grim picture of the future of cyberwarfare.

“We do see that there’s a shifting trend here concerning large-scale attacks, more in the aspect of disrupting operations,” said researcher Ryan Sherstobitoff, referencing theShamoon virus attack that shut down 30,000 computers simultaneously in Saudi Arabia in 2012. According to Reuters, Shamoon replaced system files with garbage data, including images of burning American flags, rendering the computers useless.

Sherstobitoff told Government Technology that the world will experience more of these attacks where the purpose is to harm machines on a massive scale, not steal information.

But data theft will still occur in the public sector, despite criminals’ thirst for chaos and destruction. “People who are interested in government targets are not interested in stealing money from bank accounts; they’re interested in stealing intellectual property,” Sherstobitoff explained.

Predictions in the report include the following:

• More attacks meant to destroy infrastructure, not reap financial gain;
• Growth of malware that regenerates even after it’s been removed;
• Development of targeted attacks against Windows 8 and HTML 5;
• Malware that blocks security updates to mobile phones; and
• Malware that makes unauthorized app purchases from victims’ phones.

On the mobile malware front, the report forecasts that criminals will use consumer smartphones to steal money from them. Phones with near-field communications (NFC) technology, in which owners tap devices on surfaces to make mobile payments, will grow in popularity, making the devices prime targets. Criminals can infect NFC technology and steal from large numbers of consumers paying for purchases this way in densely populated areas like airports and malls.

Similarly, as Windows 8 deployments grow, so will attacks against it. The Windows operating system and family of products is virtually ubiquitous in the public sector, so government workplaces should take note.

“It is likely that Windows 8-specific malware will be available quicker than Windows 7-specific malware appeared,” the report reads. Windows 8 may be more difficult to penetrate, however. According the the report, Windows 8 comes with improved protections against malware and exploits, compared to earlier versions.

It may seem inevitable for agencies to be victimized by cyberattacks, but Sherstobitoff believes that organizations can prepare for events by understanding their vulnerabilities and what their attackers are coming for.

“Understanding the enemy and what their intention is, that’s where you’re going to get the most benefit,” he said. “You have to start really understanding who is behind it and what their motives are.”

Windows 8 market share at only 2.3%

It’s been a good three months since Windows 8 released, allowing ample time for those committed to upgrade the time to do so. However, it seems the adoption rate for Microsoft‘s new operating system is remaining quite low, with only 2.26% of the OS market share, compared to Windows 7′s 44.48% and Windows XP’s 39.51%.

 

According to trend analytics firm Net Applications, Windows 8′s market share continues to rise subtly month after month, but the new operating system has seen very slow adoption overall. Of course, while it may seem that Windows 8 might not be going anywhere, the trend shows that the new OS’s market share isn’t good or bad, but modest.

When Windows 7 first came out, the OS also saw fairly low numbers — granted, not as low as Windows 8, but it saw a market share below 10% after six months. Of course, it’s only been three months for Windows 8, so the only question that remains is if Windows 8 will see a huge jump in market share this year, or if it will begin plateau at a relatively low figure, especially when upgrade prices are now really expensive.

Compared to OS X, Apple‘s latest version, 10.8 Mountain Lion, has 2.44% of the OS market share. That’s only slightly better than Windows 8, but you have to take in account that the last three versions of OS X alone only take up 6.4% of the market share, so technically, OS X Mountain Lion has almost 40% of the OS X market share, a lot better than Windows 8 at this point.

Xbox Live Arcade Games coming to Windows 8 with Microsoft Play

Xbox Live Arcade games are awesome, but whats not awesome is the lack of decent games on Windows 8. Well, here comes something to bridge the gap and increase my urge to get a Windows 8 tablet. Windows 8 and Windows 8 RT users will be able to play selected Xbox Live Arcade games on their PC and Windows 8 RT thanks to Microsoft Play, leveraging their Xbox platform to kick-start their Windows 8 ecosystem.

Microsoft are marketing it as Xbox Games on Windows, but it is unclear as to if the games run directly on the platform, or run in some kind of emulator, which will obviously affect the performance depending on how this is achieved.

You can compete with friends, as well as earn achievements, just like on Xbox Live. The games will also be offered with free trials to get a taste of the action before parting with your hard-earned cash.

The list in full is:

• Toy Soldiers 4
• Elements: Special Edition
• Hydro Thunder Hurricane, Rocket Riot 3D
• Reckless Racing Ultimate
• Microsoft Solitaire Collection
• Microsoft Mahjong
• Microsoft Minesweeper
• Taptiles
• Adera
• Pinball FX2
• Wordament
• Gunstringer: Dead Man Running
• Ilomilo+, Skulls of the Shogun

This certainly adds appeal to Windows 8 and the RT variant, but will just the addition of a few Xbox Live games fix Windows 8 and draw consumers? I mean, it’s not like we’re talking Halo or Forza here… It is a step in the right direction, but the problems with Microsofts’ ecosystem unfortunately stems deeper than this and needs to entice developers to create quality content, especially for Windows RT that cannot run legacy Apps. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft Play is just the start and in fact it can be used to bring almost any App to Windows 8. One thing Microsoft must nail is the user experience, and if it’s anything like the Xbox then I’m happy.

Windows PC Shipments Decline: Windows 8 Not Saving PC Industry

Things are not looking so good for Windows 8 and Microsoft as PC shipments declined in Q4 2011. The decline in shipments is due to the rising tablet popularity for casual use, so a PC is no longer 100 percent needed in the home.

According to Gartner, the fourth quarter saw PC sales falling by 4.9 percent despite Lenovo and ASUS managing to grow their respective PC shipments by 8.2 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively. The once top PC OEM, Dell, saw its shipments fall by a massive 20.9 percent, a huge setback for a company that is trying to regain lost market share from HP and Lenovo.

Consumers are no longer showing much interest towards PCs because most casual tasks can be done easily on a tablet. The fact of the matter is, only people who do a lot of advanced PC tasks require a desktop these days as a majority of computer users mainly visit social networking sites along with browsing the Internet. As long as the Web browser is able to perform optimally, tablet users have no need to upgrade to a new PC.

“Tablets have dramatically changed the device landscape for PCs, not so much by ‘cannibalizing’ PC sales, but by causing PC users to shift consumption to tablets rather than replacing older PCs,” said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. “Whereas as once we imagined a world in which individual users would have both a PC and a tablet as personal devices, we increasingly suspect that most individuals will shift consumption activity to a personal tablet, and perform creative and administrative tasks on a shared PC. There will be some individuals who retain both, but we believe they will be exception and not the norm. Therefore, we hypothesize that buyers will not replace secondary PCs in the household, instead allowing them to age out and shifting consumption to a tablet.”

Another factor that could be causing this decline in shipments is price. Tablets are cheap and exciting, whereas PCs with Windows 8 inside are expensive. The new and upcoming Windows 8 tablet device that can also be transformed into a laptop, may garner interest; however, the prices are too high for those who are not too interested in using Adobe Photoshop and only want to check their status on Facebook or tweet the night away.

For Windows 8 to be successful, the device’s asking prices much match that of Android tablets and the cheapest iPad, while still delivering great performance and battery life. With Intel-based Ultrabooks being expensive and unable to deliver the required battery life as of now, Windows 8 is gearing for an uphill battle that could cause more bad than good.

LG to Come up With Windows 8 Devices

There has been a lot of confusion about the usage of Windows 8 devices. Some of the experts have been finding the Windows 8 not user-friendly and others have completely a different opinion.

What may the case be, it seems that LG is pro-Windows 8 as it has decided to come up with Windows Phone 8 devices. It will be the first time that the Korean phone maker will be making Windows Phone 8 devices.

It seems that it is the part of expansion plans of the company. Senior team member from LG was found saying, “We will release quite a number of new Optimus devices this year and LG also has some new smartphones in the works that will run Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8”.

For now, it is not known when Windows Phone 8 devices will get launched in the market. But, it seems that LG will soon come up with the devices and there are possible chances that it will showcase the devices at the Barcelona technology conference, which is going to take place in February.

In addition, LG also has plans to come up with a new smartphone that can compete with Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

Windows 8 Fails to Woo Customers, says Gartner

There were a lot of expectations from Windows 8 that it will revive the PC market, but the plans failed to actualize, reveals the findings of the research taken out by Gartner, a research firm.

Gartner has revealed that the holiday season shopping holds importance for each and every company in every sector. Same implied for Windows 8 products as well, but customers did not show interest in the products. Rather, they preferred tablets and smart phones over Windows 8 desktops and notebooks.

This led to a decline of 4.3% in PC sales in last quarter of the year. Analysts said that the market has witnessed a decline not only in specific countries, but also across the globe. It has been found that PC shipments have declined to a great extent and has dropped to 90.3 million units in the last three months of 2012.

While talking about the prime reason of the loss, Gartner said that changeover of consumer habits from PC to tablets and smart phones have led to the decline. “Tablets have dramatically changed the device landscape for PCs, not so much by ‘cannibalizing’ PC sales, but by causing PC users to shift consumption to tablets rather than replacing older PCs”, said Mikako Kitagawa, said chief analyst at Gartner.

Vizio to Launch Windows 8 Tablet PC

Vizio is going to launch itself into PC market through Windows 8 Tablet PC. As said, different people, different opinions, and here also some have liked it and others have found some drawbacks.

Experts said that the product is impressive, but it has certain drawbacks, which cover up its positives. It is now only that Vizio has started developing computers and it has already put its head into developing Windows 8 product.

Vizio said that one of the main aims to develop the computer was to provide customers with an uncompromised Windows experience. Moreover, they have also made sure that customers do not have to compromise on quality and that is the reason that they have provided a complete HD display.

The PC will make its entry into the market by this spring. However, there are certain concerns that have been troubling experts. One of the concerns is similarity of the features with a laptop. To talk about some other concerns then experts have found weight to be too light for an 11-inch slate. Moreover, body was also found to be too thin.

Sale of the product will predict the future of the gadget and not much time has left for the same, as the PC will be in market by March.