Tag Archives: MetroUi

Microsoft admits Surface might ruffle OEM feathers, vindicates Acer in annual report

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Microsoft admits Surface might ruffle OEM feathers, vindicates Acer in annual report

Redmond's upcoming Surface slate is brimming with potential -- but Microsoft recognizes that building its own tablet comes with some inherent risks. In the firm's recently submitted annual report, Microsoft tells the Security and Exchange Commission that the new family of slates could loosen ties with some of its partners. "Our surface devices will compete with products made by our OEM partners," the report reads, "which may affect their commitment to our platform." This, of course, echos Acer's sentiment, which accused Microsoft of forgetting the PC builders that helped it become what it is today. Then again, maybe Acer was just preemptively upset it wouldn't get picked for Windows 8's starting line-up.

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Microsoft admits Surface might ruffle OEM feathers, vindicates Acer in annual report originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNew York Times  | Email this | Comments

Switched On: Surface tension

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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

DNP Switched On Surface tension

If you hadn't been paying too much attention to the wide swath of tablets and clamshells (and mashups of the two) that Microsoft is targeting with Windows 8 and Windows RT, then the announcement of Surface contained many surprises. If you have, then there were probably far fewer surprises. But even if you knew just about everything about Windows 8 and Windows RT, you were probably a bit surprised to see Microsoft jump in with its own pair of devices to support the flavors of the imminent Windows upgrades supporting Intel and ARM processors.

After all, the fundamental business model of Windows has relied upon licensing to third parties. Ballmer himself has noted in the past that products that ship in the hundreds of millions (or more) of units per year lend themselves well to the licensing model as opposed to the vertical integration model most notably pursued by Apple among Microsoft's main competitors.

Continue reading Switched On: Surface tension

Switched On: Surface tension originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Jun 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft sets sandbox boundaries for Metro developers

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With so many apps running around the Windows playground, Microsoft wants the grown-ups to be in charge of Metro. Programs for the new interface will be available only through the Windows Store, which will allow one-click installs, user feedback and crash monitoring. Developers shouldn't worry too much, as the heavy lifting for those features will all be handled by the OS. Redmond's demanding some tit-for-tat, however, asking programmers to resist the temptation to invoke APIs not included in the development kit. All the software will be vetted, App-Store style, while access to devices like GPS and cameras must be granted by users before the apps can grab them. We've already seen that the old BSOD is gone, so hopefully this new course plotted by Metro will keep those frowny faces away.

Microsoft sets sandbox boundaries for Metro developers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 14:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMicrosoft Developers Network  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft shows devs the secrets to creating fluid animations in Windows 8 Metro apps

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Microsoft shows devs the secrets to creating fluid animations in Windows 8 Metro apps

As Microsoft brings its Metro style from the mobile world back to the desktop in Windows 8, it's also focusing on keeping the smooth animated transitions users have gotten used to on certain mobile platforms intact. A new post on the Windows 8 app developer blog breaks down exactly what devs can do to achieve a consistent and fluid style in their apps even when they're using the new look. Unless you're planning on getting your hands dirty with code there's not much to see other than the (incredibly brief) animation sample embedded after the break. Still, Microsoft says following its animation guidelines should be enough to keep GPU-powered animations flowing smoothly whether they're custom built or based on its own presets. Reactions to the new face of Windows have been decidedly mixed since the Consumer Preview launched, we'll see if this work pays off in third party apps that make the transition worthwhile.

Continue reading Microsoft shows devs the secrets to creating fluid animations in Windows 8 Metro apps

Microsoft shows devs the secrets to creating fluid animations in Windows 8 Metro apps originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWindows 8 app developer blog  | Email this | Comments

Windows 8 Metro-style Firefox comes out of hiding, still a diamond in the rough

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Defaults are king in the realm of tech. So forgive Mozilla for its naked ambition to be users' go-to browser of choice. The company, fully aware of Windows 8's slow, looming approach to market, has set its sights on that unclaimed slice of market pie, hunkering down into development of a Metro-style Firefox, announced just this past February. While the project remains in its infancy, the team has issued a progress report of sorts with accompanying screenshots, proving that its roughly hewn, proof of concept will work nicely with Microsoft's two-faced platform. Based on the Fennec XUL code, the project's already begun successfully integrating with the live tile flavor of that OS, implementing HTML file input controls, snap for managing multiple running apps, in addition to search and share contracts. If all goes according to the outfit's 2012 roadmap, we could be seeing a beta release hit sometime in the second half. Let's just hope Redmond gets its own stable of planned slates and PCs out to market first.

Windows 8 Metro-style Firefox comes out of hiding, still a diamond in the rough originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PCWorld  |  sourceBrian R. Bondy  | Email this | Comments