Dell may sell itself to VMware, a company it already owns

Posted on 29/01/2018 by Engadget RSS Feed

Dell has been a privately run company for more than 4 years, but it appears ready to return to public life -- in a convoluted way. CNBC sources have claimed that Dell is exploring a "reverse merger" with VMware where the virtual machine maker (80 pe...

Google snaps up the creators of a game-focused Android emulator

Posted on 06/11/2016 by Engadget RSS Feed

You can already run Android apps on a Chromebook, but would you run games and other intensive mobile apps on it? Probably not. However, Google might be taking steps to make that practical. The creators of LeapDroid, an Android emulator that specia...

Microsoft’s Edge browser stays secure by acting as a virtual PC

Posted on 27/09/2016 by Engadget RSS Feed

Microsoft has unveiled Windows Defender Application Guard for Microsoft Edge, a new system that will isolate the browser on Windows 10 Enterprise PCs, making them harder to hack. In a blog, the company wrote that it's "the first operating system to s...

VMware won’t charge you to run a new OS in Fusion

Posted on 30/08/2016 by Engadget RSS Feed

Virtual machine software is theoretically a one-and-done purchase, but you know that's not how it works in practice. You typically end up buying an upgrade every year just to get the latest operating system support, whether it's in the virtual enviro...

Windows 10 now does Windows within Windows within Windows

Posted on 14/10/2015 by Jon Fingas

Call it Windows Inception. Microsoft has revealed that the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview supports nested virtualization, which lets you launch a virtual machine within another virtual machine -- yes, you can run Windows inside of Windows inside...

PPL Connect is a virtualized smartphone that lets you make and take calls from a web browser

Posted on 09/09/2013 by Michael Gorman

Sure, you've heard of virtualized computing environments before, but a start-up here at TechCrunch Disrupt called PPL Connect is a platform that virtualizes your phone's capabilities in real-time. That means you can make and receive calls and texts and access the photos and videos on your phone from any device with a web browser. It's kind of like AirDroid, only you don't need to have your phone with you or even have it turned on to make calls or receive texts once you've signed up. It's a platform agnostic solution for a fragmented mobile world.

The magic happens via a localized app on your phone and Amazon cloud service to dish out your data where you need it. That cloud component both serves as cloud storage for your data and as a back-end VoIP relay station for calls and texts. Currently, photos, videos, contacts, calls and texts are what's handled by the service, but the plan is to eventually fully replicate your phone's capabilities. For folks who are concerned about putting your digital life in the hands of PPL connect, all transmissions to and from its servers are encrypted. And, the company is currently devising a fully encrypted system whereby the data's only accessible with a single, user-owned key.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile

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Source: PPL Connect, Google Play

Parallels Access for iPad offers a truly touch-native remote desktop (hands-on)

Posted on 28/08/2013 by Jon Fingas

Parallels Access offers iPad users a touchnative virtual machine handson

Many attempts at tablet-friendly remote desktop still present a traditional desktop to the user; they deliver a lot of control, but they're unwieldy on touch-only devices. Parallels' just-unveiled Access client for the iPad could provide a simpler, more consistent experience. Rather than recreate the full desktop of a host Mac or Windows PC, Parallels Access provides a streamlined app launcher with controls that are largely iOS-native. Text selection, gestures and even multitasking behave much like they normally would on Apple's tablets. The approach sounds intuitive, but is it worth Parallels' $80 yearly subscription fee? Read our hands-on after the break to find out. %Gallery-slideshow73454%

Filed under: Tablets, Software

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Source: Parallels

Microsoft delivers Windows Server 2012, puts the enterprise on cloud 8

Posted on 04/09/2012 by Jon Fingas

Forget Windows 8, Windows Server 2012 is where it's at... if you're a corporate IT manager, that is. Microsoft has just posted the finished version of its suit-and-tie OS for immediate sale in download form. Not surprisingly given Microsoft's big cloud push, the emphasis with the upgrade is on improving how well the software scales for internet hosting -- the company wants one common backbone that can handle as little as a small e-mail server to large-scale Azure deployments and virtualization. Server 2012 is also defined by what you won't find: while the Metro-style interface from the platform's Windows 8 cousin shows its face in the Essentials version, it's noticeably stripped down and goes away in the more advanced tiers. The real shakeup for some might just be the new price points, which drop the cost by a large amount for offices that don't need more than a slice of what the all-out Datacenter edition has to offer. We'll admit that most of our attention as end users will be focused on what happens several weeks from now, but if you're one of those rare server operators that can't wait to start testing a new OS release almost immediately, you've got a head start on most of us.

Filed under: Desktops, Internet, Software

Microsoft delivers Windows Server 2012, puts the enterprise on cloud 8 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VMware intros Fusion 5 virtualization software with support for Win 8, integration with Mountain Lion

Posted on 23/08/2012 by Dana Wollman

With Mountain Lion newly available and Windows 8 on the verge of shipping, now was a pretty good time for VMware to update its Fusion virtualization software, dont'cha think? The company just announced Fusion 5 with 70-plus new features, including support for Win 8 and tight integration with OS X 10.8. For instance, you can now view Windows programs in Mountain Lion's Launchpad, while VMware software updates pop up in the Notification Center. Fusion also supports AirPlay for the first time, and you can also run either Mountain Lion or Mountain Lion Server as a virtual machine. The company also added support for Retina Display MacBook Pros, so that everything looks crisp on that 2,880 x 1,800 screen. Also of note: Fusion now supports USB 3.0, and Linux users get some love in the form of Open GL 2.1 graphics support.

The standard version of Fusion 5 is available now for $49.99, but people who bought Fusion 4 since the release of Mountain Lion can upgrade for free. There's also a professional version ($100 for one license), which includes all the above features, and also lets IT departments lock down settings for employees' virtual machines.

Gallery: VMware Fusion 5 screenshots

Continue reading VMware intros Fusion 5 virtualization software with support for Win 8, integration with Mountain Lion

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VMware intros Fusion 5 virtualization software with support for Win 8, integration with Mountain Lion originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Server 2012 pares back to four versions, looks to give small businesses more bang for the buck

Posted on 05/07/2012 by Jon Fingas

Microsoft has been devoting most of its OS update attention this year to Windows 8, not its suit-wearing Windows Server 2012 counterpart. Some of the mystery has been cleared up through word of a greatly simplified server OS lineup. Just four versions of Windows Server will sit in IT backrooms versus the whopping 12 from Server 2008 R2, with an emphasis on making the feature slope a little gentler. The biggest improvement is the near-identical feature set of Windows Server 2012 Standard compared to its Datacenter equivalent: the only advantage of Datacenter is the jump to unlimited virtual machines, giving smaller businesses a way to save some cash. Foundation and Essentials will cover the basics for these outfits if just 15 or 25 very real machines need to hop onboard. The base prices of $425 to $4,809 per copy for all but the OEM-only Foundation still make it doubtful that we'll be loading Server 2012 on a PC tucked into a closet at home, but it's evident between this and the streamlined Windows 8 selection that Microsoft wants to avoid the flood of versions that confused buyers during the Windows Vista and 7 days.

Windows Server 2012 pares back to four versions, looks to give small businesses more bang for the buck originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.