Windows

140 'Windows' stories May 2011 - November 2015

PSA: Beats Music shuts down today, here’s what changes and how to move to Apple Music

Zac Hall Nov 30 2015 - 1:29 pm PT

Apple Music

Later today Apple is set to pull the plug on Beats Music and completely stop the service. The reason? After buying the subscription music service in a $3 billion deal that also included Beats headphones and speakers last year, Apple Music has now fully launched and replaces Beats Music. Any remaining subscribers will need to transfer from Beats Music to Apple Music immediately to avoid losing saved music libraries and playlists. The good news is Apple Music now has almost all of Beats Music’s features with only a few exceptions…
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Opinion: Is Apple getting too greedy, and could that again backfire on the company?

Ben Lovejoy Oct 19 2015 - 8:25 am PT

241 Comments

In 1995, two years before his return to the company, Steve Jobs gave a characteristically blunt answer when asked why Apple found itself struggling in the early to mid 1990s. The issue, he said, was that Apple had gotten greedy.

What ruined Apple wasn’t growth … They got very greedy. Instead of following the original trajectory of the original vision, which was to make the thing an appliance and get this out there to as many people as possible, they went for profits. They made outlandish profits for about four years… What that cost them was their future. What they should have been doing is making rational profits and going for market share.

Much has changed since then, of course. Apple has a substantial market share in both the personal computer and mobile markets, demonstrating that the two goals – growth and profitability – are not mutually exclusive. This is not an ‘Apple is doomed’ piece, nor anything like it. But I do wonder whether the company is once more putting short-term profits ahead of long-term brand loyalty … ?
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IDC lowers tablet forecast as it anticipates a larger iPad Pro & more 2-in-1 hybrids

Jordan Kahn Aug 26 2015 - 8:28 am PT

0 Comments

IDC today published an updated forecast for worldwide tablet shipments this year, predicting the segment will experience a “notable slowdown” with both iOS and Android expected to record a year over year decline in growth. While IDC notes that the majority of the 212 million tablets it expects to ship this year will be “pure slate tablets”, it does anticipate growth in the 2-in-1 hybrid tablet/laptop category, of which it’s apparently including the larger 12-inch+ iPad that Apple is expected to introduce later this year:
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Parallels 11 now available w/ support for Windows 10, El Capitan, & always-on Cortana

Chance Miller Aug 18 2015 - 9:46 pm PT

17 Comments

Parallels, the company behind the popular virtual machine software, has today released the latest iteration of its popular Mac app. Parallels 11 ($79.99 retail, $49.99 upgrade) is available now with many of the features that were accidentally leaked by the company last month. Top features are of course support for both Windows 10 including Cortana and OS X El Capitan, as well as a variety of enhancements that improve the virtualization experience…

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Nuance launches cloud-based Dragon Anywhere iOS app, new Mac app

Mark Gurman Aug 18 2015 - 8:29 am PT

2 Comments

Nuance, the voice recognition and productivity software company behind the iOS keyboard’s Dictation feature, today has revealed a series of updates to its applications and a new cloud-based synchronization service at the core. Nuance provided us with a demonstration last week of the new iOS and Mac apps, and we came away impressed with the accuracy, speed, and capabilities of the upgraded platform.

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Boot Camp now supports 64-bit Windows 10 on a wide range of Macs dating back to 2012

Ben Lovejoy Aug 13 2015 - 4:01 am PT

16 Comments

Apple has announced in a support document that Boot Camp now supports 64-bit versions of Windows 10 on a wide range of Macs dating back to 2012. The updated version of Boot Camp is currently rolling out to Yosemite users – if you haven’t yet received it, it should show up when you use the Mac App Store to check for updates.

Apple gives instructions for performing both a new install and an upgrade from earlier versions of Windows.

Supported Macs are:

MacBook Air from Mid 2012
MacBook Pro from Mid 2012
MacBook Pro with Retina display from Mid 2012
iMac from Late 2012
Mac mini from Late 2012
Mac Pro Late 2013
12-inch MacBook

USB-C is supported on the 12-inch MacBook, in addition to the standard ports which are supported on all compatible models.

Back in March, Apple discontinued Boot Camp support for Windows 7 on the latest MacBook models, requiring Windows 8 and up.

Photo: Jacek Kalużny

Microsoft’s ‘Bridge’ tool for porting iOS apps to Windows 10 is now available

Jordan Kahn Aug 6 2015 - 12:17 pm PT

3 Comments

Microsoft first unveiled “Windows Bridge” a few months back, a new tool for developers that aims to make porting iOS apps to Windows 10 easier and hopefully breathe some life into the Windows Store in the process. Today the company is releasing the software, albeit an early release ahead of a final launch planned for later this year in the fall.

The bridge offers developers tools for utilizing existing code from iOS apps to build Windows apps, but Microsoft stressed that its “goal with the iOS bridge has never been simply to run iOS apps on Windows.”
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Apple issues MacBook FaceTime driver update for Windows users

Zac Hall Jul 29 2015 - 8:40 am PT

2 Comments

With Microsoft’s Windows 10 major operating system update launching today, Apple has issued a new driver update for Windows users with 2015 MacBooks, MacBook Airs, and MacBook Pros. Specifically, the FaceTime Camera Driver Update is meant to improve FaceTime camera compatibility with Windows when using OS X’s built-in Boot Camp functionality.

This update improves FaceTime camera compatibility with Windows, and is recommended for all Boot Camp users.

The 1.4 MB software update doesn’t appear to be available through the Mac App Store, but 2015 MacBook owners can download and install it from the Apple’s support site here. Apple also recently released a firmware update specifically for 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro owners.

Microsoft’s $99 Universal Foldable Keyboard for iPhone, iPad, & other devices now available

Jordan Kahn Jul 14 2015 - 7:21 am PT

7 Comments

Microsoft’s new Universal Foldable Keyboard, first unveiled earlier this year, is now available to purchase online and through Microsoft stores. The super portable Bluetooth keyboard folds in half when not in use and allows users to connect to two mobile devices at once including iPhones, iPads, Android, and Windows devices.

Microsoft notes that the keyboard has full-size keys, a spill-resistant, water-repellent keyboard and outer material, and a built-in rechargeable battery that will get you around three months of use on a charge. There’s also an “OS” button for switching between connected devices. Here’s a closer look at the keyboard:

The Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard is available for $100 on Amazon, and it’s also available through Microsoft retail stores and online.

Microsoft made a new video for today’s launch to show off some of the keyboard’s features and its compact, 5mm thin design:

[youtube=https://youtu.be/zNrop5Mwv0g]

How to watch Apple’s WWDC keynote livestream on Windows and Android

Benjamin Mayo Jun 2 2015 - 5:23 am PT

5 Comments

As announced last night, Apple will live stream its WWDC keynote at 10 AM PST on June 8th, next Monday, where it will announce iOS 9 and OS X 10.11. The apple.com/live site confirms that the official website stream is limited to Macs, iPhones, iPads and Apple TV. However, it is possible to watch the keynote using Windows or even Android devices by using VLC, a free video player that can read Apple’s livestream data and show the video in its player …

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Oculus Rift VR headset puts Mac development on hold to focus on Windows

Jordan Kahn May 15 2015 - 12:03 pm PT

11 Comments

In a blog post published to the company’s website today, creators of the Oculus Rift VR headset said it is putting development of the platform for Mac OS X on hold in order to focus on Windows:
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Chrome for Mac will soon require Chrome Web Store distribution for extensions to prevent malware

Jordan Kahn May 13 2015 - 9:11 am PT

5 Comments

Back in May of last year, Google started enforcing a policy that requires Chrome extensions be hosted on its Chrome Web Store, but only on Windows. The goal was to prevent malware hidden in extensions installable from outside its store, and it even started disabling extensions already installed on users’ systems that weren’t hosted on the Chrome Web Store. Now, Google says it will bring that requirement to Mac Chrome users over the coming months, as well as the Chrome developer channel for Windows that wasn’t previously enforcing the policy:
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Apple’s FileMaker debuts version 14 with redesigned iOS app, Mac enhancements

Mark Gurman May 12 2015 - 5:59 am PT

5 Comments

Apple subsidiary FileMaker today introduced version 14, the first major update since 2013, of its popular iOS and Mac-based platform, which includes the FileMaker Pro, Go, and Server software suites. This new version focuses on separate enhancements for speed across the different software versions, with the Mac and Windows applications gaining improved features for productivity, and the iOS Go apps for iPad and iPhone receiving end-to-end redesigns for iOS 8. Below, we break down the most significant new features for the Pro, Go, and Server versions.

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Apple releases iCloud for Windows beta build 410A44

Jordan Kahn Apr 15 2015 - 6:04 am PT

0 Comments

Apple has released an update to its iCloud for Windows beta, the service that lets Windows users access files and photos stored in iCloud and Apple’s new iCloud Drive feature.
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Microsoft unveils iPad-priced $499 Surface 3 as Google shows sub $100 Chromebit HDMI stick, $149 Chromebooks

Zac Hall Mar 31 2015 - 11:03 am PT

15 Comments

: Surface 3 with available accessories

: Chromebit HDMI stick running Chrome OS

Microsoft shifted its focus when it introduced the Surface Pro 3 last year to target both the iPad and the MacBook, but today the company announced a more consumer level iPad-like version of its tablet simply called the Surface 3 with the same $499 starting price as the iPad Air 2.

Google also unveiled a collection of new competitively priced hardware including new Chromebooks and a Chromebit HDMI running Chrome OS for under $100 …
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Apple discontinues Boot Camp support for Windows 7 on latest MacBook models

Mike Beasley Mar 20 2015 - 1:12 pm PT

25 Comments

Windows 8 Parallels

Apple’s latest MacBook Pro and the upcoming MacBook will not support running Windows 7 through Boot Camp according to a support document for the software. Starting on the newest machines, users will need to upgrade to Windows 8 or later in order to take advantage of the Mac’s dual-boot capabilities.

Of course, for users who still rely on Windows 7, there are solutions that allow you to run the operating system on your Mac. Both Parallels Desktop 10 and VMWare Fusion 7 Pro support versions of Windows back to XP and feature an integrated experience designed for the latest version of OS X.

Microsoft recently announced that it would be taking a page from Apple’s playbook and allowing existing Windows 7 and 8 users to upgrade to the upcoming Windows 10 for free, giving those stuck on older versions a chance to update to a Boot Camp-compatible system.

How to watch Apple’s Spring Forward event livestream on Windows (and Android)

Benjamin Mayo Mar 9 2015 - 4:20 am PT

10 Comments

Officially, Apple’s event livestream only works with Safari on Mac OS X, iPhones, iPads, Apple TV (where the channel just appeared) and iPod touch. However, if you are on Windows (or even Android) — there is a workaround if you want to follow along with the announcements. (This trick will also work if you happen to be using an older version of OS X or iOS 6 that QuickTime Player doesn’t support)

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Apple releases iTunes 12.1.1 update for Windows w/ playback improvements, Outlook syncing fixes, more

Zac Hall Feb 18 2015 - 1:43 pm PT

6 Comments

iTunes Windows

After releasing iTunes 12.1 in January adding a Notification Center widget for OS X Yosemite users on the Mac, Apple has released a minor update to iTunes 12.1 specifically for Windows users.

According to the release notes, iTunes 12.1.1 addresses an issue that caused audio playback to glitch while also improving syncing between Outlook and iPhones and iPads. Apple also says the update “improves compatibility with screen readers.”

The latest version is rolling out now so iTunes users on Windows should be able to update soon.

Parallels Desktop 10 updated with support for Windows 10 and Microsoft Office previews

Mike Beasley Feb 10 2015 - 9:00 pm PT

16 Comments

Windows 10 Tech Preview in Parallels Desktop 10 on Mac OS X Yosemite

Parallels announced this evening that its virtual machine software Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac has been updated with “experimental” support for the technical preview of Windows 10 from Microsoft. Users who want to take the latest version of Windows for a test run without overwriting their existing Boot Camp installation or creating a new partition can now do so safely and free within the confines of a VM.

The update also adds the ability to run the new preview version of Office for Windows 10, which includes updated versions of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Microsoft announced earlier this year that Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for one year for any users running Windows 7 or later.

Parallels Desktop 10 is available from the Parallels website for $79.99. Special pricing is available for students and users running previous versions of Parallels and a free trial is available here. Press release follows:
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The Next Episode: Apple’s plans for Beats-based music service revealed

Mark Gurman Feb 4 2015 - 8:40 am PT

77 Comments

Six months after buying the subscription music service Beats Music, Apple is actively working to launch a completely new paid streaming music service that will compete with Spotify and Rdio. Yet to be named, the new service is entirely Apple-designed, yet leverages Beats’ technologies and music content, a collaboration that has thus far led to personnel challenges and delays. Multiple sources within Apple and the music industry have provided the first in-depth details of Apple’s upcoming streaming service, which we share below.

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Microsoft will give away Windows 10 … just like OS X

Zac Hall Jan 21 2015 - 9:55 am PT

56 Comments

Windows 10 free

Image via Brad Sams

Microsoft announced today at its Windows 10 briefing that it will make the next major version of its operating system free for consumers. Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for for the first year for Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 users. Users who upgrade will continue to have access to the latest versions for free when using the same device. For comparison, Apple has offered updates to each of its software updates, including major operating system versions, for free since 2013 with the release of OS X 10.9 Mavericks for the Mac.
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FingerKey app lets you unlock your Mac using iPhone’s TouchID fingerprint sensor

Jordan Kahn Nov 28 2014 - 2:57 pm PT

28 Comments

A new app called FingerKey allows Mac users to unlock their computer using Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5s, 6, or 6 Plus.

That means you’ll be able to login to your Mac using your iPhone’s fingerprint sensor rather than typing in a password each time. The app takes advantage of Apple opening up the Touch ID sensor to third-party apps for logins after previously being reserved for unlocking the device itself and authenticating App Store and iTunes purchases.

The FingerKey app includes the ability to unlock multiple computers from a distance, 256-bit AES encryption, and a Notification Center Today widget for quick access.

The developer says that support for logging into Windows and Linux computers is coming soon as is a Pattern Unlock feature for logging in via touchscreen gestures.

We recently wrote about a similar app, which also used a Bluetooth connection, that allowed users to unlock their Mac using by knocking on their iPhone’s screen.

FingerKey is available on the App Store for $1.99 and the developer shared the video below of the app in action:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVS1f9iYqHs]

AirParrot 2 brings Mac & Windows screen mirroring to Chromecast, drag and drop media streaming

Jordan Kahn Nov 21 2014 - 8:54 am PT

7 Comments

unnamed (1)

AirParrot, the app that lets you send your desktop display to an Apple TV-connected TV, is today releasing version 2 with Chromecast support and number of other new features. Sure, you can mirror your Mac’s display to an Apple TV using Apple’s built-in AirPlay feature, but AirParrot provides features beyond what Apple offers and also support for screen mirroring from Chromebooks and Windows. Today’s release makes it the first to enable full screen mirroring support to Chromecast with audio support and more.

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Home Depot blames security breach on Windows, senior executives given new MacBooks and iPhones

9to5 Staff Nov 9 2014 - 6:05 pm PT

28 Comments

Home Depot Windows

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal published an in-depth look at The Home Depot’s recent security breach of its payment data systems, in which 56 million credit card accounts and 53 million email addresses of customers were compromised. A root cause of the security breach: a Windows vulnerability in the retailer’s main computer network.
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