ICYMI: July 25, 2015

News
By Seth Brodeur
last updated

ICYMI: July 25, 2015

A lot can happen in a week. Seven days might not seem like much, but it can be an eternity in the tech news cycle.

Between Windows news, hardware and software developments and Microsoft's fast-paced movements throughout the technology landscape, it's never easy to keep your hand on the pulse of technology. Not to mention everything that's going on right here at Windows Central!

Every week we're going to compile the biggest stories into one post, so you never fall behind – In Case You Missed It (ICYMI).

Windows

Just days from now, while many of us will be upgrading to Windows 10 on our tablets and PCs, Windows RT users will not be able to share in that experience. Though Windows RT owners were promised an update coinciding with Windows 10's release, it appears that Update 3 won't be a major release.

The good news is that the update will bring a version of the Windows 10 Start menu to Windows RT devices. Unfortunately, that will be an older version, and will not be joined by other Windows 10 features, as many people were hoping.

As July 29 approaches, there's a lot happening with the Windows 10 Store. The new unified app store will open for developers the day Windows 10 is released. Details found in Windows 10 store app listings revealed that app installs will be limited to 10 devices per Microsoft account. This will likely be inconsequential for the vast majority of Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile users, but could lead to difficulties for some.

There are also changes coming to app listings, ratings, and searches in the web version of the Windows 10 Store.

Firstly, app listings no longer display the version number, the date of the last update, or a list of compatible devices.

Secondly, the old "windows.microsoft.com" and "www.windowsphone.com" app URLs for the respective Windows and Windows Phone stores will be replaced with a more universal "apps.microsoft.com" prefix. This change means that, for the time being, users cannot install apps on their phone using their PC's browser.

Microsoft has reported that they are "working to bring these popular features back in a future update."

We also found out this week that Windows 10 won't include support for syncing Start menu layouts or app installs. The decision to discontinue the features was based on customer feedback that showed most people would rather personalize their Start menu and apps based on the individual device and what they use it for.

And with just a few days remaining before Windows 10 officially launches, our own Mauro Huculak took a close look at the new OS to identify some of the problems, inconsistencies, and missing features in Windows 10.

Other notable items:

Microsoft

Panos Panay and Surface Pro 3 (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

Microsoft

Microsoft continued its desire to expand by pursuing and acquiring other companies this week, when it bought Israeli cybersecurity firm Adallom. The deal was for a reported $320 million.

Speaking of expanding, Microsoft confirmed that it plans to bring Cortana for Windows 10 to more markets in more languages later in 2015.

At launch, Cortana will be available in the U.S., the UK, China, France, Italy, Germany and Spain. But in coming months, Windows Insiders should expect to find the personal assistant in Japan, Australia, and in English in Canada and India. Later in the year, Cortana will also find her way to Brazil, Mexico, and in French in Canada.

Microsoft reported an impressive rise in sales of their Surface tablets. The bump in growth brought in an additional $888 million in revenue, resulting in a total of over $4 billion on the year.

Surface leader Panos Panay seems to have been handsomely rewarded for the effort, as he was just named head of engineering for all of Microsoft's devices.

But not everything was coming up roses for Microsoft. Their FY15 Q4 results came in, showing $22.2 billion in revenue, with an overall operating loss of $2.1 billion. According to a spokesperson, the loss was mainly due to a one-time hit of $7.5 billion charge for the acquisition of Nokia's Devices and Services division last year, with two restructuring charges adding close to another billion dollars on top of that.

Redmond also failed in its attempt to end a class action lawsuit over a widespread issue with game discs getting scratched in their Xbox 360 consoles.

Other notable items:

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

There were some seat changes in high places this week. Evernote tabbed Chris O'Neill to become the near new CEO. O'Neill spent years in various positions at Google, most recently heading up their experimental division, Google X.

Toshiba saw a significant exodus, as President Hisao Tanaka, Vice Chairman Norio Sasaki and adviser Atsutoshi Nishida all resigned from their positions. This was amid a financial scandal that involved $1.2 billion in falsely-reported earnings.

Big things are happening with Nokia. Latest reports say that the Finnish tech giant will be selling their HERE Maps division to Audi, BMW and Daimler.

Nokia is also expected to announce a virtual reality product on July 28, just one day before Windows 10 is officially launched.

AT&T made a lot of waves this week as well. In their Q2 2015 earnings report, the telecom, whose bid to acquire DirecTV was just approved by the FCC, posted $33 billion in revenue after adding 2.1 million new wireless customers.

Going forward, AT&T stands to generate even more income, as they are said to be introducing an activation fee for Next and BYOD customers , as well as raising their upgrade fee. The changes will go into effect on August 1.

And finally, in local news, we here at Mobile Nations are happy to introduce Kicked TV, bringing you the latest and greatest in crowdfunding projects. Be sure to check it out!

Other notable items:

Share your thoughts on this past week of news! And we'll be back again next week to do it all over again.

Seth Brodeur
Seth Brodeur