Did you know that it's been a little over 15 years since Microsoft first announced Windows 8? To be precise, June 1, 2011. Years later, the company pulled support for the operating system on January 12, 2016.

But more interestingly, Microsoft veteran software engineer Raymond Chen recently shared a story in his ongoing The Old New Thing series about the code name the company used for Windows 8 during its development.

And, as is typical of Microsoft, employees within the organization started "abbreviating it like mad." In 2025, I extensively covered Microsoft's quirky vocabulary for internal communication, otherwise internally referred to as Microspeak. For instance, the phrase "on fire" refers to "when something has gone horribly wrong and requires immediate attention". Makes sense. Not too cryptic.

Going back to Windows 8, Chen disclosed that the development team behind the operating system abbreviated most things surrounding it. For instance, the new shell was called the “modern shell” or “MoSh” for short, whereas the old shell was referred to as the “classic shell.” Some twisted it a bit further to ClaSh, but the engineer says it didn't stick around for too long.

"When we couldn’t come up with a name for a component of the modern experience, a common fallback was to stick the prefix “Mo” in front," Chen indicated.

Interestingly, Chen reveals that the new Start menu was derived from earlier explorations known as the “Go page.” This is because it typically represents where the user would go when they want to search or "go" and do something. Consequently, Windows 8's Go page was called or given a new code — MoGo.

The list goes on and on. For instance, the settings control panel was called “MoSet,” while the ListView control started as a bit of a mouthful, “modern collection control”, it was later shortened to “MoCo.”

Over the years, Microsoft's internal slang has evolved significantly. We recently learned of Windows K2 — Microsoft's internal codename for an umbrella project that focuses on fixing Windows 11's biggest problems.

At the beginning of the year, the company pledged to address major pain points across the operating system as part of its broader strategy to improve the overall user sentiment. The company has already made good on its promise by reducing where Copilot and its integrations appear following backlash from users.

Microsoft will also allow Windows 11 users to postpone installing updates indefinitely, which is a level of freedom that hasn't been seen since the good old Windows 8 days. We invite you to check out our Windows K2 status tracker to keep tabs on Microsoft's rehabilitation project for Windows 11.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft's former head of Windows from 2009-2012 has shared his thoughts on Apple's new MacBook Neo, calling it "a paradigm shifting computer" while also lamenting what could have been with his original plans for Surface and Windows 8.

Sinofsky was the mastermind behind the original Surface RT and Windows 8 platform, including Windows RT which was Microsoft's first foray into Windows on Arm-based SoCs, which failed spectacularly. The former head says his new MacBook Neo has him feeling melancholy over how his original vision for Windows and Surface failed to materialize.

His post starts with praise for the MacBook Neo. "I am completely blown away by it. It is a paradigm shifting computer ... All the “compromises” are totally acceptable and go unnoticed to me." He explains how he's using MacBook Neo, and is incredibly positive about the whole thing. "Neo doesn't have to get better. It just has to stay excellent ... The Neo in 5 years will be more powerful than most of those [other devices] and probably still cost $699. Moore's law is undefeated."

"For me, Neo is just a MacBook Air replacement. And in a much cooler color. It is also a laptop made with "a phone chip". That's the part that is so familiar. That's why I got a bit melancholy looking at it," Sinofsky says. "A theme in computing that repeats is how something that appears to have been a prescient product or “early” is actually little different than “wrong”. In almost all cases something that was early was early across many dimensions. The “concept” was right, but the ability to actually execute the concept was wrong."

Of course, Sinofsky is referring to how the media and mass market reacted to Windows 8 and Surface when it first launched in 2012. "So when I thought about Windows 8 over the past dozen years, I quite often settled on being early AND wrong or too much too soon when I didn’t want to feel that bad ... But today I’m using Neo and thinking about Windows 8 and Surface, and I have to admit I’m struggling with that conclusion."

Sinofsky says that Surface RT was the world's MacBook Neo of 2012, a $599 computer in a premium chassis that was capable of light workload tasks. "We had all the pieces and all the pieces worked then. One I’m thinking about is compute. The original Surface on ARM (Nvidia Tegra) had 2GB RAM and 64GB storage ... Both had no problem running Office and browsing. In other words, the hardware and software were not early. The world as we lived it was quite capable of running the device. And it cost $599 with keyboard/32GB, $699 for 64GB"

"Where we were wrong was in moving the ecosystem to a new app model fast enough that was safer, more reliable, more power efficient. A lot of people rebelled about this. They wanted the old Windows app model. We knew there was no way to secure it, no way to make it power efficient, no way to make it safe. It was designed for another era. From the day we announced ARM we sought to separate the x86 Windows world and be new. I knew that any baby-step in the Microsoft world was in practice a lifetime commitment. You can see this in how ARM is treated today, as a forever alternative to x86. We viewed it then and I still view it that way as the replacement. There’s no revisionist history here. It was our strategy."

It's clear that under Sinofsky, Microsoft would have evolved Windows on Arm to become the future of Windows, rather than keeping it as something that existed alongside x86 Windows like it does today. Sinofsky never got to realize that vision as he "retired" from the company not long after Windows 8 launched.

"I type this today with these emotions and there’s no escaping my “certainty” that had we kept going and been able to round the corner with developers to build new apps we would have been in the same spot Neo is today in just a few years ... The trajectory of the hardware was clear. I am certain we would have had a clamshell. We would have had a desktop all-in-one. We would have done cellular (all the code was there and we even gave that hardware out previously).

Sinofsky signs off his post by thanking the Windows 8 team "that even to this day delivered more in one release, on time and on schedule, than any other Windows team before or after. We were early, but not wrong."

🗨️ Do you agree with the ex-Windows chief?

Sinofsky's comments provide a different view to how the whole situation with Windows 8 and Surface RT played out. While many blame Windows 8 for the state Windows is in today, it's clear Sinofsky had good intentions with the product, setting up the platform for the future, even if it was too early. What do you think? Let me know in the comments!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

What you need to know

• Mozilla announced its plans to extend Firefox support on unsupported operating systems until March 2025.
•  The company will offer two ESR (Extended Support Release) releases, including 115 for unsupported operating systems and 128 for Windows 10 and newer. 
• Mozilla argues "enough" Firefox users are still running unsupported operating systems, including Windows 7, prompting its decision to extend support for Firefox on old devices. 

While it's apparent Microsoft is moving forward with its plans to cut support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, users can continue running Firefox 115 on unsupported devices, including Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, and macOS 10.12 to 10.14 as Mozilla has extended its support and will continue pushing important updates until April 1, 2025. Firefox 115.21 will also continue receiving updates until March 4, 2025.

For context, Firefox 115 is the last version of the browser that will run on the highlighted unsupported operating systems. This means attempting to install Firefox 116 on these unsupported operating systems will be futile.

In case you missed it, Mozilla announced its plans to extend Firefox's support on these unsupported operating systems in July. Before Mozilla announced the extended support, the company shipped Firefox 115 without mentioning whether it would run on unsupported operating systems, leaving concerned users in limbo about updating the browser. 

Mozilla planned to cut support for Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 in September 2024, but it changed its plans. The company offers two ESR (Extended Support Release) releases, including 115 for unsupported operating systems and 128 for Windows 10 and newer. 

Cutting support for Windows 7 would have allowed Mozilla to clean up the code base and relieved it of the responsibility of maintaining newer libraries that aren't necessarily supported on pre-Windows 10 releases. Interestingly, Mozilla claims enough Firefox users are running Windows 7, prompting it to extend support for the operating system. Microsoft's Edge browser and Google Chrome already cut support for Windows 7, perhaps giving Mozilla a competitive edge with an untapped market share. 

According to Mozilla:

"Continuing to support it past October isn't going to be free (backporting security fixes is already getting increasingly painful due to the divergence which naturally happens over time as an ESR goes further into its lifecycle), but there's still enough users there that we felt it was worth doing for now at least."

To this end, it remains unclear whether Mozilla will extend Firefox's support for these unsupported operating systems beyond the highlighted dates.

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What you need to know

• Valve officially ended Steam support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 this week.
• The Steam clients on those versions of Windows will no longer receive updates, including security updates.
• Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 have all been out of support for at least one year, and in the case of Windows 7 several years.

If you use a PC that's woefully out of date to play your favorite PC games, there's bad news for you. Valve officially dropped Steam support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 this week. Steam clients running on those operating systems will no longer receive updates of any kind. Most notably, those clients won't receive security updates, giving any gamers on Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 a major reason to upgrade.

Valve announced the cutoff this week:

"As of January 1 2024, Steam will officially stop supporting the Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 operating systems. After that date, existing Steam Client installations on these operating systems will no longer receive updates of any kind including security updates. Steam Support will be unable to offer users technical support for issues related to the old operating systems, and Steam will be unable to guarantee continued functionality of Steam on the unsupported operating system versions."

Windows 7 stopped receiving technical support in January 2020, while support for Windows 8.1 ended in January 2023. In the future, Steam will require security updates that will only ship to Windows 10 and newer versions of the OS.

While Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 have been out of support for a while, Valve had to cut off support this week because of an update to Google Chrome.

"This change is required as core features in Steam rely on an embedded version of Google Chrome, which no longer functions on older versions of Windows," said Valve. "In addition, future versions of Steam will require Windows feature and security updates only present in Windows 10 and above."

No one should use Windows 7, 8, or 8.1

Steam dropping support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 is hardly surprising. We knew the cutoff date was on the way, but Valve officially dropped support for older version of Windows yesterday. None of those operating systems are supported anymore, making them insecure in addition to being out of date.

PCs with those older operating systems have received warnings about end of support and prompts to update for years. Microsoft went as far as to show full-screen warnings about the end of Windows 8.1 support in July 2022. Windows 8.1 officially reached the end of support on January 10, 2023.

Without security updates, PCs running older versions of Windows are not safe to use, especially for those who use the internet. Performance can also worsen if your PC is the victim of an attack. Valve emphasized these facts in its post about the end of support.

"Computers running these operating systems, when connected to the internet, are susceptible to new malware and other exploits which will not be patched," said Valve. "That malware can cause your PC, Steam and games to perform poorly or crash. That malware can also be used to steal the credentials for your Steam account or other services."

• Related: The next Windows 11 feature drop is coming in early 2024

If you for some reason can't move on from those old versions of Windows, you certainly shouldn't use them for connecting to the web, which could result in your PC being attacked using methods it's not patched to prevent. An online service dropping support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 makes sense given the security risks those operating systems present.

Almost no one uses Windows 7, 8, or 8.1

Systems with Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 combined make up less than 1% of Steam users as of December 2023. The popular service has a large user base, so there are still some people that will be affected by this change, but that group is relatively small.

Users still running Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 need to get with the times and update their systems. Even if they can't update to Windows 11 due to the operating system's requirements, Windows 10 will continue to receive support until next year. Those who wish to stay on Windows 10 will also have the option to pay to receive extended support.

Do you still play your Steam games on a PC running Windows 7, 8, or 8.1? Let us know in the comments below.

What you need to know

• UPDATE: Microsoft recently announced that admins will get three additional years of Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for Windows Server 2012.
• Microsoft is ending support for Windows Server 2012 on October 10, 2023.
• Recommended next steps include transitioning to Windows Server 2022 or purchasing Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for Windows Server 2012.
• ESUs include three additional years of security updates, renewable annually until October 13, 2026.
• Admins that transition their databases and applications to Azure Virtual Machines will access free ESUs for three years after the end of the support date.

UPDATE NOV. 11, 2023: A couple of months ago, Microsoft announced that it would cut support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 on October 10, 2023. However, the company recently announced that admins can get three additional years of Extended Security Updates (ESUs).

According to Microsoft:

"You can now get three additional years of Extended Security Updates (ESUs) if you need more time to upgrade and modernize your Windows Server 2012, Windows Server R2, or Windows Embedded Server 2012 R2 on Azure. This also applies to Azure Stack HCI, Azure Stach Hub, and other Azure products. A new article provides details and step-by-step instructions to extending limited protection for up to three consecutive 12-month increments."

The company is now providing users ample time to transition to Windows Server 2022. Microsoft's Poornima Priyadarshini cited, "If you've already moved to Azure to protect your Windows Server 2012 and R2 workloads, you might be enjoying free Extended Security Updates. If your organization is unable to migrate, you can purchase and seamlessly deploy Windows Server 2012 Extended Security Updates enabled by Azure Arc on premises and in hosted environments without keys, directly from the Azure portal".

The original article continues below.

October is fast approaching, which will mark Microsoft ending its support for Windows Server 2012. This shouldn't be a surprise, as Microsoft had already issued a reminder at the beginning of this year. The statement explains that extended support for all Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 editions is set to end on October 10, 2023.

Windows Server 2012 ended its mainstream support date in 2018. Still, Microsoft decided to carry the date forward to provide users ample time to transition to supported Windows Server versions.

Microsoft will no longer provide security or non-security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates for these Windows Server versions after October 10. If you continue using these unsupported versions well beyond this point, you'll no longer receive technical support from Microsoft, which may have a negative impact on the stability of any outdated servers.

Windows Server 2008/R2 Extended Security Updates (ESUs) hit its end-of-support date earlier this year, on January 10, 2023.

Advice for server admins

Following this change, Microsoft recommends transitioning to Windows Server 2022 or purchasing Extended Security Updates (ESUs). This will help admins keep their on-premises Windows Server 2012 servers running and ensure that they continue receiving technical support. 

Those who follow the Extended Security Updates route will get three more years of security updates support, renewable every year until October 13, 2026. Alternatively, users can transition their databases and applications to Azure Virtual Machines. This will allow the admins to access free ESUs for three years after the end of the support date.

What you need to know

• Microsoft is closing the loophole that allowed older Windows product keys to activate Windows 10 and Windows 11.
• This loophole has existed since Windows 10 first launched as a "free" upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users.
• That free upgrade was supposed only last a year, but remained open and worked with both Windows 10 and Windows 11 until now.
• Windows 10 keys will continue to work on Windows 11.

When Windows 10 first launched back in 2015, Microsoft also made the OS a free upgrade for all Windows 7 and Windows 8 users who did so within the first year of its release. After July 29, 2016, that offer expired, and Windows 10 was no longer a free upgrade... except, it was.

Even though Microsoft said the upgrade offer had expired, users found that they could still upgrade from Windows 7 and Windows 8 to Windows 10 without needing to buy a new product key. In fact, Windows 10 would accept Windows 7 and 8 keys with no question asked.

When Windows 11 rolled around in 2021, those older Windows 7 and Windows 8 keys continued to work, likely because under the hood, Windows 11 was just Windows 10 with a fresh coat of paint. But now, as we move into the next era of Windows, Microsoft is closing that loophole.

Announced today, older Windows 7 and Windows 8 keys will no longer activate Windows 10 or Windows 11. This change is already in effect with the latest Windows Canary preview builds, which are testing the next major version of the Windows client due out next year.

The announcement said:

"Microsoft's free upgrade offer for Windows 10 / 11 ended July 29, 2016. The installation path to obtain the Windows 7 / 8 free upgrade is now removed as well. Upgrades to Windows 11 from Windows 10 are still free."

As of right now, these older keys still activate the production builds of Windows 11, but it's unclear how long that will remain. Microsoft says Windows 10 product keys will still be able to activate Windows 11, as long as you're using Windows 11 on an eligible PC that officially supports the newer OS.

What you need to know

• Mozilla Firefox version 115.0 is the last update for those still using Windows 7 and 8.
• This comes after Microsoft ended support for those operating systems back in January 2023.
• Users will be automatically migrated to the latest version so that they continue to receive important security updates.

Mozilla Firefox version 115.0 was released on July 4th 2023 bringing new features and fixes, whilst also signaling the end of its support for the Windows 7 and 8 operating systems. This is a consequence of Microsoft ending extended support for them both in January of 2023. For those using Firefox on these older Windows platforms you don't have to do anything here as you will be automatically migrated to the latest version.

There are a number of new features for Firefox that the version 115.0 update brings:

• If you're migrating from another browser you can now bring over payment methods that you've saved in Chrome-based browsers.
• Hardware video decoding is now enabled for those using Intel GPUs (ARC) on Linux.
• The Tab Manager dropdown now has close buttons, allowing you to close tabs faster.
• The user interface for importing data from other browsers has been refreshed and streamlined.
• Those who are without platform support for H264 video decoding can now use Cisco's OpenH264 plugin for playback.

The fixes for this version 115.0 of Firefox are as follows: 

• Windows Magnifier now follows the text cursor correctly when the Firefox title bar is visible.
• Windows users on low-end/USB wifi drivers and with OS geolocation disabled can now approve geolocation on a case by case basis without causing system-wide network instability.
• Various security fixes 

It's always a shame to see support end, but it's a natural conclusion once an operating system is no longer supported. You can head to the Mozilla website to check out the full list of changes to Firefox version 115.0

What you need to know

• A ChatGPT client called "JavaGPT" allows you to access the popular chatbot on Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, and 11.
• The java application supports chatting in real-time, chat history, and an HTML viewer.
• Most of the operating systems that JavaGPT is built for are out of date.

ChatGPT is the latest trend in tech, but you don't have to be on a new gadget to use OpenAI's chatbot. A ChatGPT client called JavaGPT supports Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, and 11. While support for Windows 11 is likely more practical than working with older versions of Windows, the headline here is support for operating systems dating back to 1998.

JavaGPT is an open-source project that's available through GitHub. The entire application lives within a Java GUI, which is both intriguing and functional. It can run on a long list of operating systems because of how it's built.

Here are the features highlighted by JavaGPT's creator:

• Chat Streaming: makes responses generate in real-time just like on the ChatGPT website
• Chat History: lets you interact with previous chats like on the website
• Revert Chats: Be able to void previous prompts and responses from chat
• HTML Viewer: View your chat content in HTML. Supports Markdown Language syntax
• Chat Titles: autogenerates a title for a chat based on its context. Can be manually changed if preferred.
• Import premade prompts
• Save chats to file
• Dark mode and right click copy-edit-paste features
• Support for ChatGPT 4 and all ChatGPT 3.5 models
• Cross platform
• Only 6mb build size

The app's developer specified that JavaGPT supports GPT-4 as well as GPT 3 Turbo. You can configure which model you'd like the program to use through JavaGPT's settings.

If you're curious why JavaGPT doesn't work with Windows 95, Reddit user atomic1fire shed some light on the situation. They highlighted that getting an app like JavaGPT to run on Windows 95 would require getting Java 8 to run on the ancient OS.

What you need to know

• Windows 8.1 officially reached its end of support today.
• The operating system aimed to fix many of the issues introduced with Windows 8 but was ultimately received poorly by general users.
• Those with PCs running Windows 8.1 can upgrade to Windows 10 for free and Windows 11 if their system meets the minimum requirements of Microsoft's latest operating system.

Today is the final day of support for Windows 8.1. Going forward, the operating system will not receive security updates or other forms of support. Those with systems still running Windows 8.1 can upgrade to Windows 10 for free. Some also have the option to upgrade their PCs to Windows 11, though their computers will have to meet the minimum requirements of the new OS.

Windows 8.1 reached the end of mainstream support on January 9, 2018, but the operating system has now reached the end of extended support as well. Microsoft explained the effects of that cutoff in a support document:

"As a reminder, Windows 8.1 will reach end of support on January 10, 2023, at which point technical assistance and software updates will no longer be provided. If you have devices running Windows 8.1, we recommend upgrading them to a more current, in-service, and supported Windows release. If devices do not meet the technical requirements to run a more current release of Windows, we recommend that you replace the device with one that supports Windows 11."

Microsoft clarified that it will not offer an Extended Security Update program for Windows 8.1.

Computers running Windows 8.1 will continue to work after today, but they will no longer receive security updates or technical support.

Windows Central take

Windows 8.1 was disliked by many, but the OS had its fans. Many pointed to its tablet-focused features as a strong point and for those that liked Live Tiles, the Start menu was impressive and versatile. Windows 8.1 was the second iteration of a new look that aimed to bring more life to Windows. It didn't exactly work, at least in the eyes of the general public, but at least Microsoft tried.

Windows 8 was such a departure from Windows 7 that it was doomed from the start, pun intended. Forcing tablets, laptops, and desktops into the same interface proved controversial and Microsoft has spent years refining Windows to look good and perform well across different form factors.

I'd argue that elements of Windows 8.1 would have been more loved if they were parts of Windows 10 rather than core aspects of a separate OS. For example, the charms bar and swipe gestures of Windows 8.1's tablet mode were ahead of what Windows 11 and Windows 10 have to offer in some ways. 

Next week is set to be one of the biggest weeks for tech news of the entire year. As an appetizer, a handful of new stories came out last week. NVIDIA's new RTX 4090 was mocked for its massive size, Microsoft released a website about its planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and we exclusively reported that Microsoft will bring design elements from Windows 11 to the Android 12L update for Surface Duo.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is big

When people said that the NVIDIA RTX 4090 would be one of the biggest pieces of tech this year, they must have meant it literally. NVIDIA's latest and greatest graphics card made the news rounds this week due to the fact that it's bigger than an Xbox Series S.

Of course, the RTX 4090 is significantly more powerful than the Xbox Series S, but that fact didn't stop people from picking on the chunky GPU.

The large form factor of the RTX 4090 may require some people to choose different PC cases. Those that do fit the GPU into a system will have one of the best graphics cards on the market, easily capable of handling 4K resolution at 100 FPS.

The only thing about the RTX 4090 bigger than its size is its price. The graphics card starts at $1,600.

Microsoft launches site about Activision Blizzard

Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizard has faced some pushback since the agreement was first announced. The European Commission is currently looking at the deal and has a deadline of November 8, 2022 to make a decision. Microsoft launched a dedicated website last week to argue why the tech giant purchasing Activision Blizzard is good for the gaming industry.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced an agreement to purchase Activision Blizard for $68.7 billion. Several major franchises will become part of Microsoft if the deal is approved, including World of Warcraft, Candy Crush, and Call of Duty. Unsurprisingly, Sony has been one of the biggest opponents of the deal.

We'll have to wait until next month to see which side regulators fall.

Android 12L to feature Windows 11 design

Android 12L is a version of Android optimized for devices with large screens or multiple displays. That includes the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2, which are set to receive the Android 12L update in the near future. Last week, our senior editor Zac Bowden exclusively reported that Windows 11-inspired design elements will make their way to the Surface Duo line of products.

Blur effects, fluid animations, and notification boxes will all make the Surface Duo look more like an extension of a PC running Microsoft's latest operating system. The Surface Duo will also have a new pen menu that's similar to the one seen on Windows 11.

Enterprise customers will be able to extend their Duo to a monitor through a feature called "Duo Connect." The tool is somewhat similar to Continuum, which was seen on Windows 10 Mobile, though Duo Connect is powered by Windows 365. It's worth noting that Duo Connect may not ship on the same day as Android 12L.

Overwatch 2 rolls out

Overwatch 2 came out this week, earning critical acclaim from several outlets. Our Overwatch 2 review gave the shooter a 4.5 out of 5 for its progression system, smooth gameplay, and shift to being free-to-play.

While the game has earned solid reviews, the launch of Overwatch 2 hasn't been smooth. Blizzard had to take the game's servers down for maintenance several times this week.

We have a guide on Overwatch 2 known bugs, launch issues, and how to fix them that includes bug fixes and a schedule for server maintenance.

Ex-Windows chief gives a glimpse of early Windows 8

Windows 11 may be all the rage these days, but we recently saw a throwback to the early days of Windows 8. Former head of Windows, Steven Sinofsky, shared a video from the early days of Microsoft's controversial OS. The presentation was shown to Microsoft employees in 2010 to illustrate the concept of Windows 8, which later went on to ship in 2012.

There aren't any shocking elements shown off in the video, especially to those that followed the development of Windows 8 back in the day. One tiny tidbit was the fact that the early concept of Windows 8 had a side panel that appeared somewhat similar to the Windows 11 Widgets panel.

Reviews

Each week our team of experts looks at the latest tech. Over the last week, we reviewed Overwatch 2, the ASUS Vivobook S14X laptop, and several accessories.

• SUNLU T3 FDM 3D printer review: Does anyone need these speeds?
• Overwatch 2 review: The bold step forward Blizzard's hero shooter needed
• ASUS Vivobook S14X review: OLED screen finally hits the sub-$1,000 price point
• Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 review: Is this a look at the business brand's future?
• FIFA 23 review: A fine farewell
• Corsair K100 Air Wireless review: A groundbreaking ultra-thin mechanical keyboard
• Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 'Core' review: I wish I had a time machine
• SanDisk Pro-Blade system review: Bringing the Zip drive to the SSD era
• Roccat Vulcan II Mini mechanical keyboard review: Is this too much RGB?

What you need to know

• Former Windows chief Steven Sinofsky recently shared a video showing off an early concept of Windows 8.
• The presentation was shown to Microsoft employees back in 2010 to illustrate how the operating system could look and function.
• Interestingly, the early designs of Windows 8 included a Start button and a side panel that looked similar to the Windows 11 widgets panel.

The former head of Windows, Steven Sinofsky, shared a video from the early days of Windows 8 recently. The presentation was shown to Microsoft employees back in 2010 to illustrate the concepts of the operating system (via Deskmodder). Windows 8 would later ship in 2012.

Sinofsky's video is on the YouTube channel Hardcore Software, which the ex-Windows chief runs. 

Since the presentation was from so early in the development process, many of the ideas presented did not make it into Windows 8. Interestingly, the Start button was shown off in the presentation. Windows 8 controversially shipped without a Start button, and Microsoft reintroduced the feature with Windows 8.1.

One of the final images in the video shows a side panel with various tiles. While not identical to the Widgets panel seen in Windows 11, there are clear similarities.

The presentation also includes an updated File Explorer and a preliminary concept of the Windows 8 Start menu. One image shows off Internet Explorer 9.

Concept videos like this often include ideas that don't see the light of day. That's part of the brainstorming process, after all. It's still interesting to see ideas presented in 2010 appear similar to features that are in Windows 11.

Windows 8 was generally met with negative reviews, but it's an interesting piece of Microsoft history. As we get further from the operating system's end of support (2016), tidbits continue to trickle out. Earlier this year, we got to hear the startup sound that never shipped with Windows 8.

From She-Hulk using a Surface Pro 8 to Gmail being optimized for the Surface Duo, we cover a wide range of stories here at Windows Central. To kick off each weekend, we gather the biggest pieces of news mixed with some fun tidbits from across Microsoft land. Here are the highlights from this week.

Missing Windows 8 startup sound revealed

Windows 8 famously shipped without a startup sound. Well, maybe not famously in most circles, but we certainly noticed. Jensen Harris, former Director of Program Management for the Windows User Experience team, has discussed the missing startup sound at length in the past. In short, Microsoft had a chime for the operating system but decided not to ship it. Since then, the Windows 8 startup sound has lurked in the shadows, unheard by everyday users. But no more. Harris played the sound in a recent YouTube video and detailed the process of how it was created and why it ultimately never shipped.

We also learned that Microsoft had a Surface-specific startup sound. It too never shipped, joining the ranks of the canceled Surface Mini and many other products that never saw the light of day. Oh, what could have been.

In any event, both startup sounds are now available as .wav files in case you feel like using them as a notification sound or in your latest TikTok video.

Gmail for Android now spans across Surface Duo

Microsoft optimizes many of its apps to take advantage of the dual-display design of the Surface Duo, but other companies haven't been as quick to adopt to the new form factor. This week, Google finally hopped on board by updating Gmail for Android. The app can now span across both displays of Microsoft's foldable. Much like Microsoft Outlook, Gmail shows a list of emails on the left screen and the contents of a selected email on the right.

With Android 12L on the way, more apps should be optimized for foldables. That operating system centers around devices with larger displays, many of which are built for multitasking.

She-Hulk 

Microsoft and Marvel superheroes have gone hand-in-hand for quite some time. Black Widow made a call using Windows 10 Mobile and Daredevil used a Surface tablet. Even Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man used Bing. That last example was technically from a Sony film, but it was still a Marvel character. Now, you can add She-Hulk to the list of heroes to use Microsoft products.

A new web ad features Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk, using a Surface Pro 8 and Windows 11. There's a good chance that the commercial will also appear on television, though we haven't seen it air yet.

The brief ad also highlights that you can download Disney+ on Windows 11 through the Microsoft Store. That's noteworthy because Microsoft hasn't pushed the store as much in the past, at least with this type of partnership. The Microsoft Store was revamped recently and has seen a much bigger push over the last year.

If you keep your eyes peeled, you'll also see a Surface Studio in She-Hulk episode one.

WhatsApp Desktop now works when your phone is offline

WhatsApp Desktop received a major update this week on Windows. No longer a web app (Electron), WhatsApp Desktop looks to deliver better performance and reliability. The app also received a visual refresh, though that's relatively minor compared to a new feature that's now available. WhatsApp Desktop can now send and receive messages even if your phone is offline.

The functionality, which was in beta for several months leading up to general release, helps the communication app compete with the best WhatsApp alternatives. Importantly, WhatsApp Desktop remains end-to-end encrypted in this setup. 

Review roundup:

Alongside the latest news stories, our site houses an ever-growing library of reviews from our experts. Here are all of the gadgets, games, and devices we looked at this week:

• MSI Titan GT77 review: High-end life support for the Intel Core i9-12900HX and NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti
• MSI Optix MPG321UR-QD: This is one stunning 4K gaming monitor
• Gamevice for iPad review: Turn your tablet into an Xbox handheld
• We Are OFK for PC review: A melodic journey to the truth
• Soul Hackers 2 for Xbox review: This game has rekindled my love for Atlus JRPGs
• Madden NFL 23 review: A welcome batch of changes
• Dell Dual Charge Dock (HD22Q) review: A dual-threat dock that's most useful when connected to a Dell laptop
• PC Game Pass 2022 review: When a great Xbox service meets a terrible Windows app
• MultiVersus review: A super-smashing platform fighter

• Jensen Harris, who worked on various versions of Windows over the years, reveals what the original Windows 8 startup sound was.
• Windows 8 never shipped with a startup sound, so few have heard it before.
• Besides Windows 8, Harris also reveals that the first Surface PC had its own unique startup chime, but it, too, never shipped.
• Both startup sounds are available to download from Harris’s website.

On May 29, 2021, Jensen Harris, the previous Director of Program Management for the Windows User Experience team, dropped a random video on his YouTube channel. The deep-dive, story-driven video explained why Windows no longer has a startup sound. Harris’s justification came down to how times were changing, specifically how (and when and where) people were using PCs. 

It's some fascinating stuff. 

At the end of that video, Harris teased that despite Windows 8 being the first version of Windows to not ship with a startup sound, one was created for it, which he would reveal later. 

After 15 months of waiting, we finally got that big reveal — and it was worth it. 

Harris’s video doesn’t just play the sound, however. Instead, he explains in detail how all the sounds in Windows 8 took nearly a year to create. He even brought in the original sound designer, Matthew Bennett (Microsoft did an in-depth Story Labs on him in 2018), to explain the process.

In a plot twist, Harris reveals that the Windows 8 startup sound had been discovered before, but not many had heard it. The reason was despite it not being enabled, the file always existed in builds of Windows 8, and it was hidden in plain sight, found under the Windows/Media folder as “Windows Logon.”

While that may frustrate some, Harris throws the audience another tantalizing curveball. During the development of Windows 8, there was also a secret Microsoft project that went by codenames “WDS” and “Georgetown.” Those names were chosen because they were so generic sounding so as not to draw attention if leaked.

Indeed, those were the codenames for the first Surface PCs.

Harris then explains how less than a dozen people were working on the project in a bland, tucked-away room on Microsoft’s campus.

The new news was Harris revealed that a Surface-specific startup sound was also created. But this one was never shipped, and no one outside a few people has ever heard it until today.

Cue the dramatic music. 

Curiously, Harris needed the sound from Bennett, but as the sound designer, even he could not know of the existence of Surface. Bennet had created a few versions of the proposed Windows 8 startup sound: One was three notes long, and the other had four. Harris told Bennett they were passing on the four-note version, but secretly Harris was putting it aside for use in Surface.

And finally, Harris plays the Windows 8/Surface startup sound for the first time in the big dramatic reveal.

As Harris clarifies, the Surface four-note startup sound is simply the Windows 8 three-note version with a “grounding low note” at the beginning. It also mirrors the progression of the Windows 7 startup chime.

The best part of the video, besides the intriguing and charming history, is Harris has posted both .wav files to be downloaded for your personal use. Now, you can relive what almost was.

In 2021, we asked if Microsoft should bring back the startup sound in (the then-unreleased) Windows 11. Seventy-four percent of you say yes, so long as it is optional. Microsoft hasn’t come through with that request, but there’s always hope for the next version of Surface as it hits its ten-year mark.

What you need to know

• Windows 8.1 reaches end of support on January 10, 2023.
• Following a recent update, PCs running Windows 8.1 will show a full-screen warning about Windows 8.1's impending support cutoff date.
• Microsoft recommends that people upgrade their PCs to a supported OS or purchase a machine that is compatible with a supported version of Windows.

Windows 8.1 is far in the rearview mirror of most PC users. Fewer than 3% of Windows PCs run the older operating system, according to Statcounter. Windows 8.1 reaches its end of support on January 10, 2023, giving any holdovers roughly half a year to update to a more modern version of Windows. Following a recent cumulative update, systems running Windows 8.1 will show a full-screen alert about the upcoming end-of-support date.

"January 10, 2023 is the last day Microsoft will offer security updates and technical support for PCs that run Windows 8.1. We are reaching out now to thank you for your loyalty and help you prepare for what's next," states the warning (via BleepingComputer).

Users can elect to be reminded in 35 days or when Windows 8.1 reaches its end of support.

Windows 8.1 reached its end of mainstream support on January 9, 2018, but extended support has been available since then. On January 10, 2023, Microsoft will end all support for the out-of-date operating system.

"As a reminder, Windows 8.1 will reach the end of support on January 10, 2023. After this date, this product will no longer receive security updates, non-security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates," states a Microsoft support document.

"If devices do not meet the technical requirements to run a more current release of Windows, Microsoft recommends replacing the device with one that supports Windows 11."

Microsoft also has a dedicated webpage to the end of support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

What you need to know

• Microsoft will soon start warning Windows 8.1 users that support is ending
• The warnings will consist of popups that the user can dismiss.
• Windows 8.1 support ends in January 2023.

Windows 8.1's life support cycle is coming to an end very soon. Starting shortly, Microsoft will begin warning users who are still running Windows 8.1 that the OS they're using will be out of support in less than six months. Additionally, Microsoft has already pulled support for many apps on Windows 8.1, including the entire Microsoft 365 suite of applications.

Microsoft recommends users who are still running Windows 8.1 to go out and buy a new PC with Windows 11 pre-installed. The company notes that most (if not all) PCs that shipped with Windows 8.x won't officially support Windows 11 due to its CPU requirements being so strict. 

Alternatively, Microsoft says that users could pay for an upgrade to Windows 10 that will tide them over until 2025, which is when support for Windows 10 is set to expire. We should note that the upgrade to Windows 10 is technically still free, and will automatically activate if you apply the upgrade to a Windows 8.1 device.

Once Windows 8.1 support comes to an end, PCs with Windows 8.1 installed won't just stop working. Users will be able to continue using the OS, but Microsoft will no longer service the product with security updates or bug fixes, and users won't be able to call Microsoft for technical support if required.

What you need to know

• Microsoft announced support for the OneDrive desktop app is over if you're on Windows 7, 8, or 8.1.
• First, updates will be cut off starting January 1, 2022.
• Then, cloud syncs will stop on March 1, 2022, at which point "your personal files will no longer sync and should be uploaded/accessed directly on OneDrive for web."

If you're still on Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, the powers that be (Redmond) have decided to deliver unto you bad news on a Friday: The OneDrive desktop application is losing support on the aforementioned operating systems. Should you want to maintain desktop app support, you'll need to use the shiny and new Windows 11 or ever-cool Windows 10.

Starting the very first day of 2022, the OneDrive desktop app will stop receiving updates on Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 devices. Then, on March 1, 2022, cloud syncs go the way of the dinosaur.

Here's what Microsoft has to say for those still rocking Windows 7, 8, or 8.1: "If you are currently using one of these operating systems, we recommend upgrading your operating system to either Windows 10 or Windows 11 to avoid disruption. For machines that do not meet system requirements for Windows 10 or Windows 11 operating system upgrade, you can back up and protect your files by manually uploading them to OneDrive on the web, and continue to access, edit, and share your files on all your devices."

As a purple man once said, "it's just the way it is." Old operating systems eventually lose the attention of their creators, and the passage of time sweeps away any lingering guilt. However, end-users aren't nearly as bound to linear progression, hence why Windows XP is still being enjoyed by many, many people.

Microsoft is set to drop support for its Windows 8.1 MSN apps next month. In a message spotted by Twitter user Brawl345 (via Dr Windows), Microsoft has begun alerting users, through messages in MSN News and MSN Weather, that the apps will be discontinued as of June 3, 2019.

The alert reads (translated from German):

Given that Microsoft's focus is now on the Microsoft News and Weather apps for Windows 10, it's not entirely surprising to see that the Windows 8.1 apps will be discontinued soon.

Microsoft has already stopped accepting new app submissions for Windows 8 and 8.1, and it is set to stop distributing app updates to Windows 8 as of July 1, according to a blog post from last August. The same fate awaits app updates for Windows 8.1 devices starting July 1, 2023.

Cheap PC accessories we love

Take a gander at these awesome PC accessories, all of which will enhance your Windows experience.

Anker 4 port USB 3.0 hub ($10 at Amazon)

Whether on a desktop or laptop PC, you always need more ports to connect things to. This hub gives you an additional four USB 3.0 Type A ports.

Ikea Fixa Cable Management System ($11 at Amazon)

This IKEA cable management kit is your ticket to a clean setup. It's simple and functional.

NZXT Puck ($20 at Amazon)

This clever little accessory has powerful magnets on the rear to make it stick to any of the metal panels on your PC case or anything else. It's great for hanging accessories like headsets.

Microsoft has been gradually winding things down for Windows 8 and 8.1, along with Windows Phone 8, for some time. But today, the company announced a set of important cutoff dates for developers who distribute their apps through the Microsoft Store.

Most importantly, developers will no longer be able to submit new apps targeting Windows Phone 8.x or earlier or Windows 8/8.1 as of October 31. Existing apps will still be able to roll out updates as necessary, but the distribution of app updates will be slowly winding down over the next several years, starting with Windows Phone 8.x apps next year.

Here's the breakdown from Microsoft:

• October 31st, 2018 – Microsoft will stop accepting new app submissions with Windows Phone 8.x or earlier or Windows 8/8.1 packages (XAP or APPX)
• July 1st, 2019 – Microsoft will stop distributing app updates to Windows Phone 8.x or earlier devices.
• July 1st, 2023 – Microsoft will stop distributing app updates to Windows 8/8.1 devices.

Crucially, while updates will no longer be distributed to older devices after the above dates, developers for these apps can still publish updates. The only difference is that they'll only be distributed to Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile devices after the cutoff.

For more, including tips on porting your app over to the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), you can check out Microsoft's full blog post.

Microsoft has announced that it will soon add support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 to Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP). Previously only available as a threat-detection service for Windows 10, Windows Defender ATP will support Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) functionality on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 devices.

Windows Defender ATP is expected to be available for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and Windows 8.1 starting this summer, but a public preview will be available starting this spring. However, Windows Defender ATP will onyl be available for Windows 7 and 8.1 for customers who are in the process of moving to Windows 10. The goal, Microsoft says, is to give security teams a way to keep an eye on all of their systems even if some are still waiting to be upgraded.

According to Microsoft, Windows Defender ATP can be run alongside third-party antivirus solutions, but the company recommends using it alongside Windows Defender Antivirus.

As businesses continue their Migration to Windows 10, the expansion of Windows Defender ATP to Windows 7 and 8.1 is sure to be welcome. The move should make the transition simpler by providing administrators with a single point to keep an eye on security threats across their environment. This also comes jsut a few months after Microsoft announced that Windows Defender ATP will soon be able to monitor threats across macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

The Windows 8 Start screen was the biggest change to Windows since Windows 95, and that was a big deal at the time. The Start screen was a brand new experience and design for Windows that put Microsoft's OS above all other touch-based OS experiences. Unfortunately, the Start screen was not a popular addition among Windows users, and as such made Windows 8 a flop for Microsoft.

Windows 8 pre-announcement (2010)

Microsoft started working on Windows 8 in 2010, not too long after it finalized development on Windows 7. From the very beginning, it was clear that Microsoft was interested in doing something radical and different; an entirely new and immersive user experience designed primarily for use with touch. Microsoft called this new experience the "Immersive Shell" during development, which ended up being officially called the Start screen or Metro/Modern UI.

There are a few noteworthy differences between Microsoft's original design ideas and the final product. When development first began, the Start screen was going to be a far more noisy experience using a design language not as simple or clean as the Metro/Modern UI found in the Windows 8 RTM. Tiles looked and behaved more like widgets, and featured two sizes: a larger size and a smaller size. The larger tiles spanned three smaller tiles and featured live info in a smaller rectangle within the widget.

Microsoft was also interested in building a universally available "dock" that could be accessed via a swipe-in gesture from the right, no matter what the user was doing. When Microsoft first started work on Windows 8, this dock was going to include several different options and functions accessible to the user. It was a utility menu that had eight different buttons, including a dedicated Start button at the top.

By the time Microsoft had started developing the "dock," a few things had already changed. It no longer looked like a dock, featuring a white design that spanned the entire height of the screen, and it also had fewer options. Instead of eight different options, it had been simplified to just six: a Start button, app switcher button, search button, share button, devices button, and settings button.

Windows 8 first unveiling (2011)

Microsoft unveiled its new design publicly in May 2011, announcing that this new UI would be part of the "next-generation" of Windows. At the time, Microsoft didn't have an official name for it. This was the first time the public saw this new design, and reactions were mixed. This was the first time Microsoft had confirmed that the Start screen would be replacing the Start menu outright.

A few things had changed between the time since the conceptual stages and initial development work, and the demo that was being showcased on stage. The Start screen had advanced quite a bit in design; being cleaned up and featuring a far more simplistic and fluid design that more closely mimicked that of the Windows Phone Start screen. There were still only two tile sizes, but the larger tile now spanned across two smaller tiles instead of three.

The live element of the tiles had also changed. The smaller tile sizes now also included "live" info, and the larger tile size had been changed so that the entire tile was live. The Start screen's background had also been simplified, replacing the underwater art design with a purple gradient that better showcased Microsoft's new design language.

Bigger changes came in the form of the swipe-in menu, which still didn't have a name. The menu had yet again changed, now featuring just five options instead of six and a darker design. The layout of the options was also different, with the Start button now in the middle of the menu rather than at the top. Microsoft decided to drop the dedicated app switcher button in favor of using a gesture-based app switching module. Users could now swipe in from the left of the screen to switch between apps.

The build of Windows that Microsoft used to demo the new Start screen looked incredibly polished. Many praised Microsoft for the beautiful design it had adopted for its new immersive experience, but many were still rather skeptical of the upcoming changes to Windows. The media were unsure if putting a touch-first UI onto a platform that's in-use mostly with mice and keyboards was going to sit well with users.

Windows 8 Previews (2011 and 2012)

In September 2011, Microsoft released the first public preview build of Windows 8 for developers, which encouraged said developers to start building their own immersive apps that would soon be available in a dedicated Windows Store launching alongside Windows 8. The build released to the public was a little further along than the experience shown off earlier in the year.

In the Developer Preview, Microsoft had changed the background of Start to a green color, while also adding a square-pattern that gave the Start screen a minor parallax effect when swiping in the Start screen. Outside of being able to move around and resize tiles, the Start screen wasn't customizable. Multiple tiles could be selected at once by swiping down on them.

The Start screen itself was limited to up to five rows of tiles in a group. Regardless of screen size, five was the maximum. This caused some odd spacing issues when using a large display, making the Start experience feel empty at the top and bottom of the display.

Another interesting addition was that the swipe-in menu now had an official name: the Charms Bar. The Charms Bar hadn't changed at all since it was officially unveiled, but users did notice that there was a separate Charms Bar design for mice and keyboard users. Instead of using the actual bar design, mice users could move their cursor into the bottom left of the screen to bring up a smaller menu that made more sense for mice users.

In the Windows 8 Consumer Preview released in January 2012, the Start screen had come along further. Now almost feature-complete, users could customize the Start screen in more detail. There were several color options to choose from, in addition to a few new background patterns. Microsoft had also removed the infamous Start button from the taskbar on the desktop, replacing it with a hidden "thumbnail" of the Start screen that would show up if you place your cursor in the bottom left of the screen.

Microsoft also removed the dedicated mouse version of the Charms Bar. Mice users now used the same UI to access the Charms Bar that touch users did, but instead of swiping in from the right, mice users simply placed their cursor in the bottom or top right corners of the screen. At this point, it was clear that Microsoft was leveraging corner and edge-based gestures in Windows 8.

Other noteworthy changes included a brand new Windows logo found in the Charms Bar, featuring a more squared, simplistic appearance keeping in line with the new Windows 8 design. There was also a new app opening animation, which connected the app tile to the actual animation, making the app opening experience feel like one fluid gesture.

In May 2012, Microsoft released the third and final preview build of Windows 8 to the public, known as the Release Preview. This build was more or less identical to the RTM of Windows 8, albeit with a few minor UI changes. The Start screen now showcased up to six rows of tiles instead of five, reducing the wasted space issue on larger displays.

There were also more Start screen customization options, including more colors and background patterns. Microsoft had also updated the Windows Aero theme on the desktop, giving it a more "Metro" like appearance while still maintaining the blurred transparency effect.

Windows 8 RTM (August 2012)

Microsoft made a few changes to the design of the Windows desktop in the Windows 8 RTM. The Aero and window transparency had been gutted, replaced with a simplistic, flatter, opaque window border and non-blurred taskbar. This was the last piece of the Metro/Modern UI puzzle, aligning both the desktop environment and Start screen environment with a similar design language.

The problem was that the Start screen or "Immersive Shell" felt entirely separate from the desktop environment, which is actually what Microsoft wanted. In Microsoft's ideal world, users would just remain in the new immersive experience, only accessing the desktop to use a legacy program or access the Windows Explorer.

Users ended up feeling confused when being thrown between the desktop and immersive experiences, along with the hidden features and functions that were only accessible when placing your cursor in a corner or swiping in from one of the edges. The desktop didn't acknowledge the new immersive experience, and the immersive experience didn't acknowledge the desktop. It quickly became apparent that users were not enjoying the disjointed Windows 8 experience.

Windows 8.1 (August 2013)

A year later, Microsoft released a major update to Windows 8 for free. The update was called Windows 8.1 and was essentially an entirely new version of Windows, released in a much shorter time frame. It improved upon a number of the Windows 8 immersive experience behaviors and attempted to integrate the Start screen experience with the desktop more closely.

Microsoft finally understood that expecting users to remain fully in the immersive experience was unrealistic, with most users still treating the Start screen as a Start menu. So to better this experience, Microsoft made a few small but important changes that better positioned the Start screen for what it was.

In Windows 8.1, Microsoft re-added the Start button to the taskbar, making it easier for users to switch between the Start screen and desktop environment. It also added an option that allowed users to boot into the desktop by default, rather than into the Start screen. This was a big change, as it meant Microsoft was no longer expecting users to remain in the immersive shell to do everything.

On the Start screen itself, Microsoft added two new Live tile sizes: an even larger one and an even smaller one. There were now a total of four tile sizes. Microsoft also added a new background option that used your desktop wallpaper.

Microsoft changed how touch users selected multiple tiles on Start. Instead of swiping down, users now could now tap and hold on a tile to get the same result, similar to how other touch-based OSes do it. Mice users now had a dedicated context menu when right-clicking in Start, too, which made more sense for that input method.

The biggest change was the addition of a dedicated Apps List, which up until Windows 8.1 wasn't really a thing. Windows 8.0 had an Apps List, but it was only accessible via the Search charm. In Windows 8.1, Microsoft even allowed users to set the Apps List as default when pressing the Start button.

Windows 8.1 Update 1 (2014)

In 2014, Microsoft released a minor update to Windows 8.1 that further improved upon the behaviors of the immersive Start experience and the desktop, bringing more desktop functions into the new immersive shell. For example, the taskbar was now accessible from within any immersive app by moving your cursor to the bottom of the display, and the taskbar now showed open immersive apps alongside legacy desktop apps. Immersive apps now also had a title bar that would show up if you moved your cursor to the top of the display. This gave the user an easy way of minimizing or closing an immersive app if they didn't have a device with a touchscreen.

The Windows 8.1 Update in 2014 was the penultimate version of Windows 8 that found a happy medium between the new immersive shell and the old legacy desktop. Users using Windows 8.1 Update were not thrown between two different experiences, because Microsoft had better integrated the old with the new. The taskbar was now universally accessible again, as mice users would expect. Touch users were not encumbered with old legacy UI's if they didn't want to be, as users were still able to remain entirely within the immersive shell if they wished.

Last week, Apple unveiled iOS 11, the next version of its mobile OS. iOS 11 will launch on iPhone, iPod and iPad later this year, and the changes are rather significant, especially for iPad. Apple introduced several new tablet-focused features, some of which are "borrowed" from Microsoft's Windows 8 OS.

Back in 2012, Windows 8 was met with bad reviews and terrible customer satisfaction. It was a poor release of Windows for many people, not because it lacked in features or didn't work as intended, but because it was such a different OS compared to the Windows everyone was accustomed to. It was a whole new experience that you had to relearn, and for many people, especially businesses, that's not something you want to be spending your time on.

Windows 8 was a tablet-first OS, and it showed. It was designed from the ground up for devices that were primarily touch-oriented. So, it shouldn't be much of a surprise to see Apple borrowing things from Windows 8. Things such as multitasking, swiping from the edge of the display to reveal hidden UI elements, and a whole lot more are now coming to or being improved on the iPad with iOS 11. Many people appear to see this as some kind of "I told you so" moment for Windows 8.

But it is not.

Windows 8 was still a bad idea

Windows 8 was still wrong, even if Apple is borrowing features and ideas from it. The problem with Windows 8 wasn't that it was a "bad OS," the problem was because it was Windows. Microsoft had built a tablet OS on top of an OS primarily used on desktops and devices without touch, and as a result, it tried to apply usage scenarios and behaviors that desktop users simply didn't want or need. iOS 11 doesn't validate Microsoft's Windows 8 OS in the slightest, and at most it further strengthens the idea that Microsoft should have built a separate version of Windows 8 for tablets.

Let's get one thing clear here: Windows 8 is an amazing tablet OS.

It's one of the best tablet OSes out there. It failed because Microsoft forced it upon the wrong user-base, being 95 percent of Windows users. In 2012, tablets were still new, and although they were gaining in popularity, most Windows devices were not tablets. Windows 8 would have made much more sense, and probably would've even been a hit, if it was an OS for tablets only.

iOS 11 borrowing from Windows 8 proves this. iOS 11 on the iPad is probably the best iPad software update to date, introducing new user experiences and behaviors that make the iPad much more usable as a productivity device. These changes are welcome on the iPad, whereas on Windows 8, those changes were disliked universally. It's all about the platform, and if you try to apply the wrong behaviors to the wrong device types, you're going to have trouble. That's essentially what Microsoft did with Windows 8.

In 2017, things are different. Windows devices are now a lot more flexible, and with Windows 10 Microsoft built tablet mode for devices that were designed for Windows 8. Unfortunately, Microsoft appears to have put its tablet efforts on the back burner, focusing primarily on the desktop, laptop and 2-in-1 space where mouse and keyboard input is primary.

Perhaps Microsoft will eventually return to its tablet efforts, because with Windows 8 it was onto something. Sadly, what it was onto was applied to the wrong market, and as a result it failed.

Windows 7 and 8.1 users are open to a newly discovered bug that allows websites to crash their machines with little effort. Initially reported by Ars Technica, the bug is being described as a throwback to the Windows 95 and 98 era due to the way it takes advantage of special file names to cause the crash — something that occurred in a slightly different manner at the time.

The main thrust of the issue lies in the filename $MFT, the name of a hidden metadata file used in the NTFS filesystem. Essentially, if a bad actor uses $MFT as a directory name on a website, a browser trying to load a file in that directory will cause the PC to hang. Ars Technica explains:

With the fallout from this month's massive WannaCry ransomware attack still settling, the timing of this particular bug's discovery is likely to cause some extra concern. Microsoft has already been informed of the issue, but it's unclear when a potential fix may be rolled out.

Microsoft has officially stopped selling licenses for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 to PC manufacturers. With this move, partners like Dell and HP will no longer be able to sell new PCs running either previous version on Windows, having instead moved fully to selling PCs pre-loaded Windows 10.

The end date for sales to OEM partners has been known for a while, having been listed on Microsoft's Windows lifecycle page (via VentureBeat). While Microsoft had previously ceased selling licenses for Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate to manufacturers in 2014, Windows 7 Professional continued to be available alongside Windows 8.1.

It should be noted that mainstream support — which includes patches for vulnerabilities and the like — for Windows 8.1 is still set to continue through January 9 2018, while mainstream support for Windows 7 ended in January of 2015.

In any case, if you're planning to buy a PC in the near future, it's now a near certainty that it will be packing Windows 10.

Microsoft has announced that it will be shifting to monthly rollup updates for Windows 7 and Windows 8 as of October 2016. The company also announced that this monthly patch model would apply to Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 as well.

In simple terms, this change means that what would have been delivered as multiple individual patches before will now be rolled out once a month in a single package. According to Microsoft's explanation, this should reduce fragmentation brought about by the current model, through which different PCs could have different sets of updates installed.

The new model also has the added benefit of always only requiring one update to be downloaded. Microsoft explains:

Microsoft also notes that its goal is for the updates to become eventually "fully cumulative," containing all of the patches shipped "since the last baseline." That process will take place over the course of the next year. In a broader sense, this could be seen as direct a move by Microsoft to push those organizations still on an older OS towards upgrading by removing the unique ability to cherry-pick updates.

Lastly, Microsoft says that it will also push a monthly "Security-only" update that will only contain security patches for that month. This will be released separately from Windows Update via WSUS, SCCM, and the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Businesses with PCs that have Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 installed can check out some improvements in today's cumulative updates for those operating systems. The changes are specifically for users of the Internet Explorer 11 browser.

In a blog post, Microsoft stated:

Microsoft has announced that from now on, non-security patches for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will be released in one rollup update that will be issued monthly.

Microsoft said this will also apply for updates to Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2:

Windows 7 SP1 users can now also download a new convenience rollup update that contains all of the security and non-security patches released since the release of the service pack until April 2016:

Finally, Microsoft has announced that in the next few months, updates for all versions of Windows will no longer be available in the Microsoft Download Center:

Microsoft has ceased support for Windows 8, with today's Patch Tuesday delivering the last batch of security fixes for the operating system. Operating systems get a support lifecycle of ten years, but Microsoft has deemed that Windows 8.1 is a service pack to Windows 8. You can defer installation of service packs by two years, but after that, you'll either have to upgrade or run the risk of not receiving updates.

After today, those on Windows 8 will have to upgrade to either Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 to continue getting security updates from Microsoft.

Says Microsoft:

The Extended Support cycle for Windows 8.1 lasts until January 10, 2023, with Windows 10 extending that date to October 14, 2025.

If you're running Windows 8, you can make the switch to Windows 8.1 with ease. Make sure you have 4GB of free disk space to install the update, then head to the Windows Store to download the Windows 8.1 update. Once you click on the download button, the update starts downloading and installing automatically in the background, requiring no intervention from your side.

If you're interested in upgrading to Windows 10 after making the switch to 8.1, all you need to do is download the install tool, select the version of Windows 10 you want to install (32- or 64-bit), and run the installer.

Source: Microsoft; Via: ZDNet

If you are using Windows 7, but are also still using Internet Explorer 8, 9 or 10 as your main web browser, Microsoft wants to let you know that you should really switch over to IE 11. The company has revealed it will be sending notifications to those users on Tuesday, January 12 to upgrade to IE 11.

The notifications are part of Microsoft's previously announced plans to end support for IE 8, 9 and 10 for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on January 12. If you are still using Windows Vista, IE 9 will continue to be supported until official support for Vista itself ends in mid-2017. Business and enterprise users who really want to keep using the older browsers can get rid of the notifications to upgrade via a registry change.

Windows 10 users still have IE 11 for backwards compatibility with older web apps, but Microsoft seems determined to slowly end the IE brand in favor of its new Microsoft Edge browser which was introduced with Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile.

Source: Microsoft; Via: The Next Web

In August, Microsoft said that Windows 10 would not be able to run older PC games that have either the SafeDisc or Securom DRM program, citing security concerns. Now a more recent security update for Windows 7, 8 and Vista prevents those PC games from running on these affected operating system.

The update, MS15-097, was first released on September 8. The support page for this download says:

The update page also provides a workaround so that PC games with these DRM measures can run again on Windows 7, 8 and Vista. However, Microsoft does caution that it "may make a computer or a network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software." It's important to keep in mind that this update will likely only affect a small number of PC owners who still own and play these older games that uses this now out-of-date DRM protection.

Source: Microsoft; Via: Neowin

On September 15, Microsoft quietly began rolling out the third and last major update for its Windows RT operating system. As we have been expecting, Windows RT 8.1 Update 3 brings the new Start menu and a few other improvements to the now retired OS.

The update KB3033055 is available now through Windows Update for every Windows RT devices, which mainly will include Surface RT, Surface 2, and the Nokia Lumia 2520.

The new Start menu was designed to replace the Start screen and still be able to access all your Windows RT 8.1 apps.

The Windows RT Start menu looks similar, but it's not identical to the Start menu you will find on Windows 10. As you can see in the images, the menu looks more like the one in Windows 7.

If you look closely, you will notice that the Start menu actually looks pretty similar to the menu Microsoft showed off at the Build conference in 2014 when we were expecting to see the new Start menu follow the Windows 8.1 Update. It never happened and it looks identical to the Start menu design that appeared on early builds of Windows 10 Insider Preview.

There is a good reason Windows RT is getting this version of the Start menu. The Start menu we see today on Windows 10 was written on XAML and it uses new API's which are not found in Windows 8.

Let's see more details and how to set up the new menu:

Getting the new Start menu

Getting the new Start menu involves making sure you install update KB3033055. If you don't see the update, make sure to check the Optional update section, install the update, and you are good to go.

Enabling and disabling the Windows RT Start menu

Microsoft isn't replacing the Start screen by default, as such once you have installed Windows RT 8.1 Update 3:

1. Right-click on the Taskbar and click Properties.
2. Navigate to the Start menu tab.
3. Make sure you check the option Use the Start menu instead of the Start screen. If you want to go back to the Start screen, you will need to reverse this step by clearing the Use the Start menu instead of the Start screen check box.
4. Click OK to save the changes.
5. Finally, you'll be prompted to sign out and sign back in to complete the process. Go ahead and sign out and in again to enable the Start menu.

Understanding the sections of the Start menu

Once you have disabled the Start screen, clicking the Start button will reveal the new Start menu. The new menu for Windows RT 8.1 includes six main sections:

Image credit Microsoft

Header (1): Here's where you'll see your profile picture and name, and you'll have access to the Power button options.

Pinned List (2): Like in Windows 7, this area is where you'll see all your pinned applications (traditional and modern apps) with Jump List support.

Most Frequently Used Applications lists (3): As you use applications, the once you use the most will be listed here.

All Apps (4): Similar to Windows 10, this button will get you access to all the applications installed in your system.

Search text box (5): While Windows RT 8.1 Update 3 doesn't bring Cortana to the operating system, you will get a traditional search box to look for files, folders, applications, and settings just like in Windows 7.

App grid (6): The App grid is your Windows 8 tiles section. In this area, you can easily pin Windows RT and supported traditional apps.

Managing apps on either side of the menu

Managing the Start menu on Windows RT is as easy and familiar like in Windows 7 or Windows 10:

To pin or unpin apps to the App grid:

1. Find the app that you want to pin to the App grid in the "All apps" list, do a search, or select and app from the "Most Frequently Used" list.
2. Press and hold (or right-click with your mouse) the apps and simply select Pin to Start.
3. Unpinning is as easy, simply press and hold or right-click the app with the mouse, and select Unpin from Start.

To pin or unpin apps to the Pinned List:

1. Find the app that you want to pin to the App grid in the "All apps" list, do a search, or select and app from the "Most Frequently Used" list.
2. You can drag your apps directly to the Pinned List, or you can hold down the Shift key, press and hold (or right-click with your mouse), and select Pin to Start list.
3. Unpinning is as easy, simply press and hold or right-click the app with the mouse from the Pinned List, and select Remove from this list.

App pinning to the "Most Frequently Used" list happens automatically as you use apps in Windows RT 8.1, but if there is ever app you don't want to see listed, simply press and hold, or right-click, the apps and select Remove from this list.

Remember that you're not upgrading to a new operating system, you're still running Windows RT 8.1. As such, the app tiles that you pin to the "App grid" also support different sizes, which means that you can press and hold a tile and choose one of the supported sizes (small, medium, wide, and large).

The Start menu included with Windows RT 8.1 Update 3 also allows you to rearrange apps on the App grid, Pinned List, and Most Frequently Used list. Simply find the app you want to relocate and drag it to the location you want. Also, you can drag apps between these areas.

Here're a few things worth noting

In case the apps you pin exceed the viewing area, the Start menu will provide a scroll bar to access all the apps. Also, any apps that are pinned to the Taskbar, Pinned List, or App grid won't appear in the Most Frequently Used list. Any apps you removed from this list will no longer appear.

As you know, Windows 8.x comes with two versions of Internet Explorer (desktop and modern). Now that Microsoft is changing how things work on Windows RT, it's important to know that depending from where you're launching the web browser you'll get a different version.

If you pin Internet Explorer to the Taskbar, Most Frequently Used list, or Pinned List, then the desktop version of the IE will open. Now, if you pinned the browser to the "App grid" and you click this tile, and then you will open the modern version of Internet Explorer.

Also, Windows Store apps that need to open a web page in the browser will use the modern version of Internet Explorer.

If you want to change this behavior, head over Control Panel, open Internet Options, navigate to the Programs tab, and change the settings under Opening Internet Explorer area.

Wrapping things up

Without a doubt, this is a welcome addition to the operating system and more now that Microsoft has announced that devices running Windows RT won't upgrade to Windows 10 or Windows 10 Mobile. The downside is that unlike Continuum for Windows 10, you're required to sign out and sign back in to switch between the Start menu and the Start screen, which could be a little problematic when removing the keyboard from the tablet. You'll be forced to close all running applications.

While the new Start menu doesn't have the same design as the menu in Windows 10, it's still a great design, and in many cases users will feel even more comfortable using this menu.

Do you own a Windows RT device? Are planning to switch to the new Start menu? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Images credit @teroalhonen

It's taken several years, but finally Windows XP, which launched in October 2001, has finally lost its second place position in the desktop PC market share to another operating system. The research firm Net Applications has posted its desktop OS market share numbers for June 2015, and it shows Windows 8.1 taking over that second place spot from Windows XP for the first time.

Net Applications, which collects its data by monitoring PC access to thousands of websites, says that in June, Windows 8.1 had 13.12% of the desktop PC OS market share worldwide. That's actually a jump compared to its 12.88% share in May. However, it was Windows XP, which is no longer supported by Microsoft, which saw a huge decrease, going down to 11.98% in June, well below its 14.60% share in May.

Windows 8.1 will have to settle for second place as it will likely never reach the number one slot. That's due to Windows 7 and its commanding market share of 60.98% in June, well above its 57.76% share in May. The older version of Windows 8 claimed 2.90% in June, a drop from its 3.57% share in May. Windows Vista had just a 1.62% share in June, below its 2.01% market share in May.

Windows 10 will likely dethrone Windows 8.1 as the second most used desktop OS in the near future, as Microsoft is allowing Windows 7 and 8.1 users to upgrade to the OS for free. It officially launches on July 29 but in June it only held a 0.16% share of the PC desktop market.

Source: Net Applications

myTube! is one such alternative on Windows Phone. If you're not fond of using the YouTube website on your Windows touch device, myTube! is now rolling out to the Windows 8.1 store with a ton of quality features.

myTube! is my personal favourite YouTube app, primarily for its unique take on video scrubbing. You can drag anywhere on the video to scrub forwards or backwards in the timeline, which is far more intuitive than dragging a small control as seen in other apps.

Video audio continues to play even when you don't have the app in focus, which is great for listening to music or podcasts. Both the Windows Phone and Windows 8.1 apps allow you to download YouTube videos or audio to your device as well for offline use.

myTube! developer Ryken Apps also keeps its users well-informed of changes to YouTube's developer API via system messages. YouTube back-end changes often breaks third-party apps, so being reassured about fixes directly in-app is a big bonus.

As a universal app, myTube! syncs most of your settings between Windows Phone and Windows 8.1, such as login details, colour scheming and so on. The Windows 8.1 app also supports mouse and keyboard quite thoroughly and live tiles for subscriptions, making it a useful even for non-touch devices.

Here are just some of myTube!'s Windows 8.1 features:

• Supports up to 2160p (4K) playback
• Supports 60 FPS playback for gaming videos
• Background audio support
• Downloading videos to your PCs video library
• Channel upload notifications
• Multiple accounts support
• Playlist management (creation, deletion, renaming and sorting)
• Offline playlists
• Post comments, and reply to comment threads
• Offline playlist support
• Live tiles

myTube! for Windows 8.1 is rolling out now, but you should be able to find it by using the link below.

• Download myTube! for Windows 8.1 (£0.79 with free trial)
• Download myTube! for Windows Phone 8.1 (£0.79 with free trial)

Just a few weeks after India-based Micromax launched its Windows 8.1 2-in-1 notebook, the Canvas Laptab, in that country, another local OEM, iBall, is joining the party. This week, it announced a new Windows 8.1 7-inch tablet, the Slide i701, that should go on sale later this week for Rs. 4,999 (about $79).

The iBall Slide i701 has 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, according to NDTV Gadgets. iBall has not revealed the resoltion of the tablet's 7-inch display, but it's likely to be on the low end of the scale. It has a quad-core Intel Atom processor inside, but again there's no word on its clock speed. The tablet does have a 2MP rear camera but only a 0.3MP front-facing camera. The tablet comes with a free one-year subscription to Office 365 along with 1TB of OneDrive storage space.

The iBall Slide i701 will come with a few extras, including an engraved signature of Kareena Kapoor, the well-known Bollywood actress who also serves as a spokesperson for iBall. The tablet will also come with a free HDMI cable and three covers.

Source: NDTV Gadgets; Thanks to Faisal for the tip!

After previously launching two Windows Phones in its home country of India, Micromax is expanding its hardware partnership with Microsoft with today's announcement of the Canvas Laptab Windows 8.1 notebook.

The announcement, which was teased by Microsoft's Facebook page earlier this week, represents Micromax's first ever entry in the PC market. The company did announce plans to launch a dual-boot laptop, with both Windows 8.1 and Android, at CES 2014, but those plans have apparently been abandoned.

The Micromax Canvas Laptab is a 2-in-1 laptop, with its 10.1-inch 1280x800 display able to detach from its keyboard dock to be used as a tablet. NDTV has some of its other hardware specs:

• 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z3735F quad-core processor
• 2GB of RAM
• 32GB of internal storage
• 2MP front and rear camera
• 7700mAh battery, lasts up to 10 hours

The Micromax Canvas Laptab will go on sale May 6 for the price of Rs. 14,999 (about $236). It will be sold exclusively, at least at first, via Amazon's India website.

Source: NDTV

VAIO's first all-new Windows 8.1 laptops since breaking away from Sony in 2014 were revealed today. Both the VAIO Z and the VAIO Z Canvas are 2-in-1 hybrids. The VAIO Z includes a hinge on its display so it can be turned into a tablet, while the VAIO Z Canvas is designed so that the screen can detach from its keyboard.

The 13.3-inch VAIO Z will have a currently unnamed Intel Core i7 processor inside and is supposed to have a very impressive battery life of up to 15.5 hours. The weight of the VAIO Z is just 2.95 pounds and is supposed to be 16.8mm thick. The notebook will go on sale today in its home country of Japan for 190,000 yen, or just over $1,600.

The VAIO Z Canvas is due out in May and the 12.2-inch notebook will have a touchscreen with a resolution of 2560x1704. The detachable display will come with a built-in kickstand, similar to the Surface Pro 3, along with its own digital stylus. It will also support an Intel Core i7 processor, along with up to 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. No pricing for the laptop has been revealed yet.

At the moment, both of these new VAIO laptops are exclusive to Japan and there's no word on when, or if, they might be released in other parts of the world.

Source: VAIO; Via: Engadget

Microsoft has now pulled an update it released earlier today for Visual Studio 2010 Tools for Office Runtime. This was done after a number of online reports stated that the update was causing many Windows PCs to freeze after it attempted to install a patch.

The update, KB 3001652. was supposed to be a rollup of a number of previous fixes for Visual Studio 2010 into one big file. It was offered along with a number of other patches from Microsoft as part of the monthly "Patch Tuesday" event. However, for some reason, the patch kept installing but never finished on many PCs. Microsoft quickly took the patch out of its Automatic Update circulation, which means that if you haven't downloaded it yet you don't have to worry about it.

Source: WindowsITPro

Alaska Airlines will begin to offer Windows 8.1 tablets to its passengers who are on long-haul flights beginning on February 1. The tablets will be given to First Class customers and MVP Gold75K members at no charge; everyone else can rent them for $8-$10 a flight.

The tablets will come pre-loaded with a selection of movies, TV episodes, music, games, and digital magazines. They can also be used to access the Internet if the plane has Wi-Fi installed. There's no word on how many Windows 8.1 tablets the airline has purchased. People who bring their own mobile devices on Alaska Airlines flights will be able to access free premium movies and TV shows from now until March 31. After that date, the content will be priced starting at $1.99.

Source: Alaska Airlines

Microsoft technically charges OEMs $10 for each copy of Windows 8.1 with Bing for installation on new tablets under nine inches. However, newly revealed OEM pricing documents show that Microsoft is currently offering those same OEMs a $10 "configuration discount" for Windows 8.1 with Bing, effectively making it free.

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 tablets that have Windows 8.1 with Bing installed are free to change the default once they buy and activate their new device. The OEM price is the same for the Windows 8.1 with Bing and Office 365 Personal SKU, which gives customers a free year of Office 365 Personal, normally priced at $69.99.

Windows 8.1 with Bing for tablets larger than nine inches are priced at $25 for OEMs, according to documents published by Microsoft on its Partner Center site and revealed today by ZDNet. Those tablets also get the same $10 "configuration discount", which reduces the cost down to $15. That's also the same price for those tablets that have the Windows 8.1 with Bing and Office 365 Personal SKU installed.

The big question: Will Microsoft offer a similar deal for OEMs for the launch of Windows 10 later this year? The company is not likely to reveal its pricing plans for the OS until sometime closer to its final launch date.

Source: ZDNet

Microsoft is working with Hardee's and TGI Friday's to help speed up orders for food at their restaurants by using Windows 8.1 devices. One is a self-serve order system while the other gives tablets to servers in place of paper and pens.

Microsoft announced these new partnerships during the annual National Retail Federation Annual Convention today. It described how it is working with Hardee's to make selecting items from the fast foot chain even faster with Windows 8.1-based kiosks that let customers order directly from a touchscreen. Microsoft says:

Another such pilot program is being conducted by TGI Friday's. Servers in six cities in Texas and Minnesota have been given 8-inch Dell Venue Pro tablets with Windows 8.1 installed. Microsoft says:

The pilot program will expand to 80 additional restaurants in March.

Source: Microsoft{.nofollow}

Microsoft has lashed out at Google for making a Windows 8.1 vulnerability public. Chris Betz, heading up the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC), published a new blog post over on TechNet talking about security and how tech companies should work together to better protect consumers against threats from exploits in software, something the company feels Google disregarded.

The blog post touches on preventing the full public disclosure of security vulnerabilities in software, which Microsoft believes is best kept under wraps.

Betz then highlights how Google has released information about the vulnerability in Windows 8.1, just two days before a planned patch was set to be published on Patch Tuesday. Betz also states Microsoft requested Google to avoid releasing said details before January 13.

The blog post closes by reaffirming that software is by no means perfect. It is indeed made by humans after all, and we've continuously displayed strong signs of imperfection throughout our history. Here's hoping the giants behind our favorite devices band together to keep everyone safe from attacks and cyber crime.

Source: TechNet

An unpatched vulnerability in Windows 8.1 has been disclosed on Google Security Research. The issue was subject to a 90-day automatic disclosure policy, meaning the existence of the vulnerability is published after 90 days without a broadly available patch for the issue. The issue allows for privilege elevation in ahcache.sys/NtApphelpCacheControl.

From the report:

So far this issue has only been found on Windows 8.1, and it is unknown if previous versions of Windows are vulnerable. While no patch is broadly available, at least one user reports that they are unable to replicate the bug in recent builds of Windows 10.

Source: Google Security Research

Sky has today announced the arrival of NOW TV on Windows 8.1 with an official app ready to go on the Windows Store, just in time for the holidays. Those who have Windows 8.1 installed on their tablet, laptop or PC will be able to enjoy their favorite entertainment on-demand. Content available through the service includes latest blockbuster movies, TV shows, as well as live action from Sky Sports channels.

NOW TV does require a subscription, starting from £6.99 a month. Three separate packages are available, one offering access to TV, another to movies and the third to live sports. There is no contract to sign, however, so feel free to try one package out and see how you go. It's worth noting that NOW TV is not yet available on Windows Phone.

• Download NOW TV for Windows 8.1

Check the press release below for more details, as well as the NOW TV website.

Online TV streaming service NOW TV is now available on PCs, laptops and tablet devices that run Windows 8.1, taking the total number of devices supported to 60.

The arrival of NOW TV on Windows 8.1 means customers have yet another way to enjoy the latest blockbuster movies, live action from all seven Sky Sports channels and must-see shows on 13 of the best pay TV channels from NOW TV. The app can be found in the Windows Store to download.

Gidon Katz, Director of NOW TV, said: "We're excited to launch on Windows 8.1, giving customers yet another platform to watch NOW TV this Christmas, whether that's watching the latest Christmas movies like Disney's Frozen, festive favourites like Elf and Home Alone, or starting a new Box Set such as the complete series of Mad Men."

NOW TV offers flexible ways of watching the latest movies, exclusive live sports and must see TV shows all without a contract at a great value price.

• The NOW TV Entertainment Month Pass is £6.99 a month and provides instant access to must-see shows like Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death and Olive Kitteridge, and 13 of the best pay TV channels. Plus box sets including True Detective (series 1) which is available on 12 December, An Idiot Abroad (series 1-3) and Game of Thrones (series 1).
• The Sky Movies Month Pass is available for £9.99 a month (after a 30 day free trial) offers and over 1,000 movies, from big Hollywood blockbusters to cult classics and top independent films. As well as unlimited access to the latest films such as Warner Bros © The LEGO© Movie, Disney's Muppets Most Wanted and Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier all available this Christmas.
• The Sky Sports Day Pass at £6.99 (24hrs) and Sky Sports Week Pass at £10.99 offer a flexible way to watch Sky Sports and keep up with the biggest matches and events live across all seven Sky Sports channels including the 2015 World Darts Championship.

Windows 8.1 had another good month in November 2014 as the latest PC operating system market share data from Net Applications shows that the year old operating system upgrade from Microsoft went up to 12.10 percent last month, over a percentage point higher than its 10.92 percent share in October.

In addition, Windows XP, which Microsoft no longer officially supports, saw its market share go down, from 17.18 percent in October to just 13.57 percent in November. The two year old Windows 8 went up slightly as well last month, from 5.88 percent in October to 6.55 percent in November. Combined, Windows 8 and 8.1 now hold 18.65 percent of the OS market share for PCs, up from 16.8 percent in October, which means that Microsoft's latest operating system is finally ahead of the 13 year old Windows XP. If this trend continues in December, Windows 8.1 should overtake Windows XP on its own next month.

Windows 7 continues to be the number one PC operating system with a commanding 53.71 percent share in November, which is slightly higher than the 53.05 percent share it held in October. One odd thing in this month's Net Applications' data is the rise of Windows NT, which is Microsoft's old server OS. November's numbers show a rise to 2.81 percent. Back in September, it was shown with only a 0.05 percent share, then it went up to 1.64 percent in October. It's possible that Net Applications is now showing some Windows XP installations as Windows NT in its latest data. We will contact the research company to find out more information.

While Microsoft launched a public version of its Windows 10 Technical Preview in October, the install base was apparently not large enough for Net Applications to record any market share numbers for that OS. Are you planning on getting a Windows 8.1 PC for the holidays?

Source: Net Applications

US electronics retailer Micro Center has started selling a 7-inch version of its Windbook Windows tablet after launching 8-inch models earlier this year. More importantly, the new WinBook TW70CA17 model is on sale for just $59.99, which is the lowest price we have seen yet for a new Windows 8.1 tablet.

The tablet has a 1280x800 resolution display and an Intel BayTrail-T Z3735G quad-core processor with a clock speed of 1.33GHz. It contains 1GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage, along with 2 megapixel cameras on both the front and rear of the tablet.

Micro Center is still selling its two 8-inch Winbook tablets as well; with one priced at $99.99 with the exact same hardware specs as the 7-inch model, and the other for $139.99 with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. As we have reported before, these prices and devices are only available for people who travel to one of the 25 Micro Center retail store locations in the US. Do you think a $59.99 tablet will be worth the price?

Source: Micro Center Thanks to "wpguy" for the tip!

Microsoft will officially end retail software sales of Windows 8 on Friday, October 31, but there's no reason to panic as the company will still be selling the full versions of the newer, and better, Windows 8.1 operating system directly to consumers for the foreseeable future.

Microsoft's Windows lifecycle web page shows the ending of Windows 8 software sales on Friday but OEMs can still offer PCs with Windows 8 pre-installed. So far, Microsoft has yet to set a date for those sales to end. They have also yet to reveal when sales of Windows 8.1 software sales, or sales of the OS pre-installed on PCs, can stop.

Keep in mind Microsoft is selling the full version of Windows 8.1 for $120 and Windows 8 Pro for $200, without the need for the PC to have Windows 8 pre-installed. In other words, the end of software sales for Windows 8 is really just a footnote.

Source: Microsoft

This weekend, word got out of an Intel-based PC that was as small as a USB stick but could still run Windows 8.1. Now another tiny PC, the ZOTAC ZBOX PI320 pico, has officially gone on sale and unlike the Intel USB stick, this PC actually has Windows 8.1 with Bing pre-installed.

First announced in August, the ZOTAC ZBOX PI320 pico has a case with the dimensions of 115.5mm x 66mm x 19.2mm, or about the size of a a small smartphone. Inside, there's an Intel Atom Z3735F quad-core Bay Trail processor along with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. There's also three USB 3.0 ports, a microSD card slot, an Ethernet port and a HDMI port, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth hardware. The big addition is that every one of these PCs has Windows 8.1 with Bing pre-installed.

The ZOTAC ZBOX PI320 pico is currently on sale at some retailers for about $200 or even lower. That's an excellent price point for a full Windows 8.1 desktop PC that can literally fit into your pocket. Would you be tempted to buy such a small PC?

Source:ZOTAC via Liliputing

Micro Center, a US electronics retailer, also sells its own line of WinBook tablets and today it has reduced the price of its recently launched 8-inch Windows tablet, the WinBook TW800, down to just $99.99.

That's a $40 reduction from its original $139.99 price. For that amount, you get an 8-inch display with a resolution of 1280x800, along with an Intel Bay Trail processor running at 1.33GHz. It has 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of onboard storage, along with front and rear cameras that are both two megapixels. It also has a free year of Office 365 included.

The one catch is that this $99.99 price is only available if you go to one of the 25 Micro Center retail store locations in the US. If you happen to live near one, this might be worth a trip. The store is also selling an upgraded version of this same tablet, the WinBook TW801, for $139.99 (a $20 reduction from its original price) that has 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. Do you live near a Micro Center store and if so do you plan to take avantage of this deal?

Source: Micro Center

Community favorite YouTube app myTube, is making the jump from Windows Phone to Windows 8.1. A true universal app, myTube for Windows is now in beta, and anyone can join in and test.

Anyone looking to test myTube for Windows 8.1 will first need to download the beta app here, then follow these instructions:

• Once the download is complete, extract the .zip file and open the folder its contents were extracted to.
• Right click on the file named "Add-AppDevPackage" and click "Run in PowerShell" from the menu.
• If you asked to register for a developer license, or any window appears asking for a Microsoft Account, just use the MS account you are currently signed into your PC with.
• Once the PowerShell script completes, you should see "myTube Beta" in your applications list.

As with any beta, there are some bugs and rough feature implementations. The developers notes that the current click-and-drag system for moving between screens is in pretty rough shape, though users with precision touchpads on newer devices should be able to change pages by scrolling left and right.

Are you excited for myTube to come to Windows? Let us know in the comments.

Microsoft has now re-released the "August Update" for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 after fixing some bugs that were reported by a few PC users after the files were first made available on August 12.

Microsoft pulled the update from circulation a few days later but today the company confirmed the files are now available again. It added:

Here's a quick reminder of what Microsoft added to Windows 8.1 with the August update:

• Precision touchpad improvements – three new end-user settings have been added: Leave touch pad on when a mouse is connected; allow right-clicks on the touchpad; double-tap and drag.
• Miracast Receive – exposes a set of Wi-Fi direct APIs for Independent Hardware Vendor (IHV) drivers or OEM drivers to develop Windows 32-bit applications that run on all supported x86-based or x64-based versions of Windows 8.1, enabling the computer as a Miracast receiver.
• Minimizing login prompts for SharePoint Online – reduces the number of prompts with federated use in accessing SharePoint Online sites. If you select the "Keep me signed in" check box when you log on for the first time, you will not see prompts for successive access to that SharePoint Online site.

What do you think of Microsoft's efforts to solve these problems with the Windows 8.1 August update?

Source: Windows blog

The latest operating system market share numbers from research firm Net Applications show that both Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 saw gains in August 2014, a month after Windows 8.1 suffered a slight loss in market share in July.

According to the new data, based on stats generated by unique visitors to its websites, Windows 8.1 went up from 6.56 percent in July to 7.09 percent in August. Windows 8 also went up from 5.92 percent in July to 6.28 percent in August. Combined, Windows 8 and 8.1 claimed 13.37 percent of the OS market share worldwide in August, up from 12.48 percent in July.

It's not a shock to see that Net Applications shows Windows 7 at the top of the OS market share list with 51.21 percent of PCs worldwide still using it in August. That is down just barely from the 51.22 percent it had in July. Windows XP, which is no longer being supported by Microsoft, went down from 24.82 percent in July to 23.89 percent in August. Windows Vista is still used by 3.02 percent of all PCs, according to the new August stats.

What do you think of these latest operating system market share numbers?

Source: Net Applications