Should you install the Windows 10 Technical Preview on your phone?

A few points to consider before you go ahead and take the plunge

Now that we know when we're going to see the first Windows 10 Technical Preview for phones, there are definitely going to be a lot of people getting ready to try it out. The desktop previews have been well received, and there's nothing to suggest the phone previews won't be equally so.

But there are some things to consider before jumping in with both feet. Shiny new things are always exciting but perhaps more so than a computer, the smartphone in your pocket is something you rely upon every single day. So tread carefully and consider these points first.

Microsoft pushing out a pair of patches for Windows 10 Technical Preview 9926

Patch Tuesday is upon us and Microsoft is pushing out a pair of them to the current, 9926 build of theWindows 10 Technical Preview. Anyone using this build should fire it up and go right ahead and open up Windows Update and start looking for them. The details haven't been posted as yet by Microsoft, but they're showing up to download right away.

The update prompts show that the two patches, KB3038357 and KB3037975, contain a security update for Internet Explorer Flash Player alongside a more generic sounding update for Windows Technical Preview. As and when we hear more from Microsoft we'll update with any additional details.

Update: KB3038357 "fixes an issue with installing future builds."

Image & News Courtesy Windows Central

Microsoft updates the #TileArt app on Windows Phone

Microsoft today released an update for its #TileArt app on Windows Phone. The recently released appenables you to really dig deep and customise both your lockscreen and Start screen, opening up a world of possibilities with custom tile layouts and more. If you're a Windows Phone fan, you need this app.

We're not entirely sure what's new in this version, though we'd assume that 1.0.2 fixes reported bugs and implements minor improvements. If you're interested in using the app, Microsoft has provided some helpful tips and pointers. Have you spotted anything we've missed in this release? Let us know in the comments.

• Download TileArt for Windows Phone

Image & News Courtesy Windows Central

Nokia rolls out a worldwide update for HERE Maps

Nokia today announced an update for the HERE maps solution on both Windows Phone and Android, which should be hitting handsets from today. The update includes support for turn-by-turn navigation in new regions (and improvements to the feature itself in supported markets), as well as improved map coverage in others markets. But wait, there's more.

Other improvements affect inland water (lakes, rivers and ponds), and public transportation has been revamped in Kaohsiung, Taipei, Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Singapore for accurate tracking of subway, train and tram lines. It's essentially a well-rounded feature pack update, and one we recommend you download once it's available.

It may take a few days for the update to trickle through to your smartphone, but do let us know if you've received the update. You can check by heading into the HERE app and going into settings to check for map updates (settings > applications > maps > check for updates).

Image & News Courtesy Windows Central

Denim update now available for Lumia Icon through Software Recovery Tool

t's finally here! If you don't mind erasing all your content, the Lumia Denim update is now available for theLumia Icon on Verizon. The catch is that it's currently only available through the Lumia Software Recovery Tool. The update should also be available Over The Air (OTA) very soon if you don't want to erase all your content. We've just installed the update on our Lumia Icon and we're really happy that is has finally arrived.

The main reason we are excited about the Lumia Denim update is the new features included with Lumia Camera 5.0. Check out what's new:

• Fast camera startup and capture speeds. Take numerous photos with just milliseconds between shots.
• Moment Capture, a long press of the camera button within the app automatically starts 4K-quality video recording at 24 frames per second. Each frame is of high image quality at 8.3 megapixels, allowing every single video frame to be selected and saved as a still image.
• Rich Capture simplifies things with auto HDR and Dynamic Flash. Avoid the hassle of adjusting camera settings shooting first and edit and select the perfect shot later.
• Updated imaging algorithms for better low-light performance.

All you need to do is fire up the Software Recovery Tool, connect the Lumia Icon to your computer via a USB cable, and then follow the instructions onscreen.

• Download Lumia Software Recovery Tool

Image & news courtesy Windows Central

Microsoft reportedly restricting Windows 8.1 with Bing to 14-inch devices or less

Microsoft is reportedly making some changes in how Windows 8.1 with Bing is used by PC OEMs. The changes would restrict the operating system to devices with 14-inch screens or less.

Microsoft first announced Windows 8.1 with Bing in 2014, which is almost completely the same version of the OS that the company sells to OEMs as well as the general public. The only difference is that Bing is set as the default search engine for Windows 8.1, along with MSN.com as the default website. Owners of devices that have Windows 8.1 with Bing installed are free to change the default once they buy and activate their new device. The OS is sold at a much lower cost to OEMs, and in some cases is completely free for them.

The Register reports that in the UK, 115,000 notebooks running Windows 8.1 with Bing were sold in the fourth quarter of 2014, but that 94,000 of them were 15.6-inch devices. It would appear that Microsoft now wants to boost Windows revenues by making OEMs use the non-Bing version of Windows 8.1 on those popular notebooks, which costs much more to license.

The report says:

Senior sources at PC makers told us Microsoft is restricting use to 14-inch screen sizes and below, with a slight price rise in the low percentage point range for the remaining licences. "Microsoft realised it over-egged the response to Google and is limiting the licences," said one source.

Microsoft has yet to confirm this report, so this is just a rumor for now.

Image & News Courtesy Windows Central

Qualcomm confirms it will pay $975 million to settle antitrust dispute with China

Qualcomm has now confirmed a previous report from this morning that it has entered into a settlement with the government of China's National Development and Reform Commission to settle an antitrust dispute. The amount of the settlement will be 6.088 billion Chinese Yuan Renminbi, or about $975 million.

China claimed that after a 14-month investigation, it found that Qualcomm engaged in anti-competitive practices. In addition to the fine, Qualcomm states it will change "certain of its business practices in China". It added, "Although Qualcomm is disappointed with the results of the investigation, it is pleased that the NDRC has reviewed and approved the Company's rectification plan."

Here are the details of Qualcomm's settlement plan with China:

• Qualcomm will offer licenses to its current 3G and 4G essential Chinese patents separately from licenses to its other patents and it will provide patent lists during the negotiation process. If Qualcomm seeks a cross license from a Chinese licensee as part of such offer, it will negotiate with the licensee in good faith and provide fair consideration for such rights.
• For licenses of Qualcomm's 3G and 4G essential Chinese patents for branded devices sold for use in China, Qualcomm will charge royalties of 5% for 3G devices (including multimode 3G/4G devices) and 3.5% for 4G devices (including 3-mode LTE-TDD devices) that do not implement CDMA or WCDMA, in each case using a royalty base of 65% of the net selling price of the device.
• Qualcomm will give its existing licensees an opportunity to elect to take the new terms for sales of branded devices for use in China as of January 1, 2015.
• Qualcomm will not condition the sale of baseband chips on the chip customer signing a license agreement with terms that the NDRC found to be unreasonable or on the chip customer not challenging unreasonable terms in its license agreement. However, this does not require Qualcomm to sell chips to any entity that is not a Qualcomm licensee, and does not apply to a chip customer that refuses to report its sales of licensed devices as required by its patent license agreement.

Qualcomm adds that it will revise its revenue predictions for its fiscal year that ends on Sept. 27, 2015, stating that it now expects to see revenues between $26.3 billion to $28.0 billion compared to its previous guidence of between $26.0 billion to $28.0 billion

Image & News Courtesy Windows Central