Google adds mouse lock to stable Chrome 22 for 3D shooter mavens

Google adds mouse lock to stable Chrome 22 for 3D shooter mavens

Google's fast-track approach to updating Chrome gives a different theme to each update: last time, it was all about visual acuity. For the just launched Chrome 22 stable version, the focus swings to gaming. Web apps can now lock in the mouse control for first-person shooters, simulations and other 3D content that needs the full attention of the pointer during play. Not keen on action games through the browser? There's still some fine-tuning in place for those who live on the cutting edge, including Windows 8 users and Retina MacBook Pro owners. The update may already be sitting on your computer if you're running Chrome; if not, you can get your gaming-friendly fix (and the security notes) through the source links.

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Google adds mouse lock to stable Chrome 22 for 3D shooter mavens originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 12:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft resurrects Courier through Project Austin app for Windows 8, sparks nostalgia (video)

Microsoft resurrects Courier through Project Austin app for Windows 8, sparks nostalgia video

Many who've been following Microsoft's tablet efforts for years will have a soft spot for the Courier, a creative-focused device axed because it didn't fit the Windows puzzle. However, it looks like you just can't keep a clever idea down. Developers at Microsoft have revived the dream through Project Austin, a Windows 8 app based around the visual concept of a notebook. Pen aficionados can choose different paper types and paste in photos, but they're deliberately kept away from typing, searching and other elements that would complicate the idea. It should sound familiar: it's a rough (if possibly unintentional) Windows doppelganger to FiftyThree's Paper for iPad, which itself was designed by some of the former Courier team. A company spokesperson won't say if or when Project Austin will be available in a complete form for the public, although there's not much point until Windows 8 arrives on October 26th. Thankfully, programmers keen to see what Courier might have been -- if just in bits and pieces -- can already download the source code for themselves.

Continue reading Microsoft resurrects Courier through Project Austin app for Windows 8, sparks nostalgia (video)

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Microsoft resurrects Courier through Project Austin app for Windows 8, sparks nostalgia (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 06:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Visual C++ Team Blog, ZDNet  |  sourceProject Austin (CodePlex)  | Email this | Comments

Lenovo ThinkPad 2 pegged for October 26th release, with a $799 price tag

DNP Lenovo ThinPad 2 pegged for October 26th release, with a $799 price tag

In the land of tweets and tell-alls, keeping privileged information on the down-low is next to impossible. Oddly enough, pricing and release details for the ThinkPad 2 didn't require much espionage. At last night's PepCom event, Lenovo reps told WP Central that the Windows 8-powered slab will be available on October 26th for $799. This price point might be a tad on the high side for some, but it does include the tablet's optional keyboard. As a refresher, the ThinkPad 2 sports a 10.1-inch IPS display, an Intel Atom processor and NFC, all powered by an alleged 10 hour battery. For the data gluttons out there, AT&T's LTE is on the menu stateside. Whether or not this pricing and release information holds true, we'll still have to see what else surfaces before making a final decision this holiday season.

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Lenovo ThinkPad 2 pegged for October 26th release, with a $799 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 20:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Apps to shed support for Internet Explorer 8, your Windows XP machine won’t cut it

Google Apps logo

Google has been aggressive about keeping Google Apps owners on the same (web) page. The company's cloud platform typically won't acknowledge any browser more than one version out of date, and it's about to put that rapid upgrade strategy to the test by dropping support for Internet Explorer 8. On November 15th, shortly after IE10 arrives in sync with Windows 8, Google will leave IE8 web app users to fend for themselves -- and, by extension, Windows XP users without an alternative browser. While the cutoff doesn't amount to a full-fledged block, Google Apps users still stuck in 2009 will be reminded that they're on their own until they upgrade. Is it the end of the world for web apps on older PCs? No, but it's clear that their days are numbered.

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Google Apps to shed support for Internet Explorer 8, your Windows XP machine won't cut it originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Sep 2012 20:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel claims Clover Trail-based Atom won’t properly run Linux, points us to Windows 8 instead

Tux the Penguin laments Intel's decision on Linux

There's potentially bad news ahead if you're hoping to wipe the drive on that future HP Envy X2 and load Ubuntu -- Intel reportedly claimed at IDF that Clover Trail-based Atom processors "cannot" handle Linux properly. As outlined in The Inquirer's account of events, the issue is more a matter of optimization than an outright block: Linux doesn't yet know how to cope with all of Clover Trail's power state changes at the kernel level, which would put any penguin-powered PC at a disadvantage. Intel would really, really prefer that you run Windows 8, as the new Atom and Microsoft's OS are tuned to work hand-in-hand. Linux might catch up, but the Windows-only emphasis is a sharp break from Intel's tendency to shower love on open-source OS projects across the board, including ongoing work like Intel-native Android builds or Tizen.

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Intel claims Clover Trail-based Atom won't properly run Linux, points us to Windows 8 instead originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Engadget Spanish (translated)  |  sourceThe Inquirer  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft opens Windows Store app submissions to individuals, welcomes devs from 82 new markets

Microsoft opens Windows Store app submissions to individuals, welcomes developers from 82 new markets

The march to the launch of Windows 8 soldiers on, as Microsoft has now opened the Windows Store for submissions from individuals in anticipation of the grand OS launch on October 26th. Previously, only those with company accounts were able to submit their applications for consideration in the Windows Store. The big news doesn't end there, however, as Microsoft has also added 82 new markets for app submission, which means that in total, developers from 120 markets may now publish their applications to the Windows Store.

In additional news, Microsoft has also revealed that many MSDN subscribers will receive a free, one-year developer account to the Windows Store -- eligible subscription levels include Visual Studio Professional, Test Professional, Premium, Ultimate, and BizSpark. Similarly, students that take part in Microsoft's DreamSpark program will have their subscription fees waived. As it stands, both Windows 8 apps and traditional applications may be submitted for inclusion in the Windows Store, however in the case of applications for the desktop environment, purchasers will be re-routed to individual developer sites to make their purchase and grab the download.

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Microsoft opens Windows Store app submissions to individuals, welcomes devs from 82 new markets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re live from IDF 2012 in San Francisco

We're live from IDF 2012 in San Francisco

Are you ready for a smorgasbord of news on Ultrabooks, Clover Trail-equipped tablets, Windows 8 hybrid devices and maybe even Medfield-based smartphones? Well you're come to the right place because we're live at Intel's Developer Forum 2012 here in beautiful San Francisco, where over the next few days we'll bring you the latest news on all things Intel.

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We're live from IDF 2012 in San Francisco originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony VAIO Duo 11 slides its way past the FCC

Sony VAIO Duo 11 slides its way past the FCC

Sony is clearly bent on getting the VAIO Duo 11 to market on time -- just as we're recovering from our post-IFA jet lag, the Windows 8 slider has popped up for approval at the FCC. The PC put through the wringer is very much like what we saw at the show, with 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC and that signature stylus on offer. There's no sign of 3G or 4G for the road warrior crowd. We don't have any clues as to the exact US release timing from the FCC's sign-off, but it does clear a path for an American release side by side with the European model in late October, if Sony yearns for some international synchronicity.

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Sony VAIO Duo 11 slides its way past the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 09:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thinix RetroUI lets Windows 8 users step off the Metro, stick to the classic desktop

Thinix RetroUI lets Windows 8 users step off the Metro, stick to the classic desktop

More than a few people are upset that Microsoft's latest OS might require booting to Metro -- sorry, the Windows 8 user interface -- no matter little they care for that touch-optimized home screen. Hacks might already exist to revisit the conventional desktop, but Thinix is catering to that inner Luddite on a truly polished level through its just-launched RetroUI. The app skips more than just the sea of tiles: it can lock out certain Metro features altogether and push out to everyone on a network in the event that new UI is just too much for the office to handle. At $5 for every three PCs ($5 per PC in offices), it's a cheap way to pretend that all of Windows 8's changes are under the hood, and there's still a fallback if you've decided to embrace Microsoft's vision after all. Just don't let Steve Ballmer know what you've done.

Continue reading Thinix RetroUI lets Windows 8 users step off the Metro, stick to the classic desktop

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Thinix RetroUI lets Windows 8 users step off the Metro, stick to the classic desktop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 06:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Phone companion surfaces for Windows 8, could take over syncing duties

Windows Phone companion surfaces for Windows 8, takes over mobile syncing duties

It's tough to ignore that the Zune era at Microsoft is quickly winding to a close. That doesn't mean you'll necessarily be out of options for syncing a Windows Phone's contents by the time the Zune desktop app fades away, however. A tip to The Verge has shown a companion app for Windows 8 users that will reportedly load the first time a Windows Phone 8 device syncs up, giving a fully Metro-friendly place to transfer any media. Windows 7 would get its own parallel, just in case some of us aren't willing or able to upgrade our PCs in concert. The replacement desktop apps could be available at about the same time as the Windows Phone 8 launch, if the claims are at all accurate -- which might leave less than two months before one more vestige of Microsoft's MP3 player days goes away.

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Windows Phone companion surfaces for Windows 8, could take over syncing duties originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Sep 2012 19:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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