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Microsoft unveils Windows 8.1 Update 1 coming April 8 with Taskbar and Start Screen tweaks for mouse users

Apr02
by on April 2, 2014 at 4:34 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Product Launches

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At its Build 2014 conference today, Microsoft unveiled Windows 8.1 Update 1, coming via Windows Update on April 8. New features include an improved Taskbar, better task switching, and Start Screen tweaks that focus on mouse and keyboard users. In short, modern (“Metro”) apps now have Taskbar buttons and title bars. Microsoft has also pre-pinned the Windows Store to the Start Screen. The store itself has also been revamped to be more mouse-and-keyboard friendly for discovering and downloading apps. Microsoft’s main goal with this update is to continue updating its latest and greatest operating system for desktop users. The company…

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Cotap goes premium with its enterprise mobile messaging service

Apr02
by on April 2, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

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Cotap, a business-focused mobile messaging app created by former Yammer executives, has begun offering a premium version of its service that lets company administrators manage employee accounts. As before, users can sign up for free access to Cotap with their work emails, but companies that pay for the service will tap into an admin console with analytics, account management and data export options. Administrators can also send companywide alerts in real-time. Cotap’s premium offering comes in two pricing tiers. The Enterprise level costs $10 per user per month and offers both the dashboard and real-time notifications, while a Team tier…

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TiVo founders’ Qplay opens its continuous Web video iPad app to all

Apr02
by on April 2, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web

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Qplay has moved its Web video aggregation app for the iPad into general availability, following an early adopter period that limited the app to owners of its set-top box. While the Qplay service is designed for optimal use with the company’s $49 TV Adapter, it still works with a standalone iPad app as well. Qplay works by generating personalized “Qs” with collections of videos that auto-play like a TV channel. Users can curate their own Qs and share them with others, drawing from YouTube, Vimeo and their social media feeds. The Qplay app received an update today that will add…

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Lyft plans international expansion off the back of fresh $250m investment

Apr02
by on April 2, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

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US-based ride-sharing service Lyft plans to grow its service into new markets at home and beyond thanks to a fresh injection of cash. The company said today in a blog post that it has secured an extra $250 million of Series D financing, and that the money would be used to expand the service beyond the borders of the 30 cities in which it already operates – although it didn’t reveal which could be next on the list. Perhaps more importantly though, it also said that international launches were on the cards: After bringing Lyft from two cities to 30 in the…

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This open source laptop helps developers gain the freedom of doing hardware experiments

Apr02
by on April 2, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, Insider, Laptop, Open source, Product Launches

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Andrew ‘Bunnie’ Huang is an American hacker who’s best known for hacking the Xbox — and one of his philosophies is: “If you can’t hack what you have, you don’t own it.” It’s therefore no surprise that Huang has now started a crowdfunding campaign on Crowd Supply for what is likely the world’s first open source laptop, along with another partner Sean “xobs” Cross. Open source software has already been widely adopted in the tech industry, in which developers can get their hands on the source code and compile it into their own programs. However, hardware tends to come pre-packaged,…

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