Windows 8.1 Update 1 Download Leaked Early by Microsoft

Windows 8.1 Update 1 Download Leaked Early by Microsoft

Microsoft finalized its upcoming Windows 8.1 Update recently, but the company appears to be sharing it a little early today. While the software maker is expected to release the update officially in April, Microsoft has only detailed a few of the features in the update and has not yet provided an official release date. Links to download a final version of the Windows 8.1 Update, thanks to Microsoft’s Windows Update service, have been discovered. A series of patches are required to obtain the full update, but once installed the new desktop-friendly features are enabled.The update can be downloaded via a registry change, or through direct links, but we recommend waiting for Microsoft to officially release it through the normal Windows Update channels in April.

Most of the changes in the update are designed to appease keyboard and mouse users, with options to show Windows 8 apps on the desktop taskbar, the ability to see show the desktop taskbar above Windows 8-style apps, and a new title bar at the top of Windows 8 apps with options to minimize, close, or snap apps. Microsoft is also adding a shutdown button to the Start Screen for non-touch machines, with a new search button present across all machines.

Microsoft is also planning to automatically boot Windows 8.1 non-touch PC users to the desktop interface by default in this latest update, as long as they haven’t already changed the existing setting that allows you to bypass the tiled Start Screen. The software maker Microsoft is also tweaking the amount of disk space that Windows 8.1 utilizes. Alongside new license cost changes, Windows 8.1 Update 1 will allow PC makers to produce machines with just 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, a change that will help bring lower price points.

While the update is available earlier than expected, Microsoft is expected to release Windows 8.1 Update 1 to existing machines officially on April 8th, following the company’s Build developer conference in early April. Asked about the download, a Microsoft representative told The Verge: "We look forward to sharing details about the update soon.

Quizup Game is Now Available On Android

Quizup Game is Now Available On Android

Quiz Time! Which super popular trivia game that was previously iOS-only just launched on Android?

A) Quizzington Alley

B) QuizUp

C) Greg’s Quiz Cabin

D) Angry Bird? I don’t know. What is smart phone.

After finding many, many millions of players on iOS, QuizUp is hitting Android for the first time this morning.

In case you’ve missed it until now: QuizUp is a head-to-head trivia game, with a couple hundred thousand questions spread out across some 400 topics. Each topic has its own leveling/rank system. Love Breaking Bad? Play the Breaking Bad category. Read too much TechCrunch? Play the Tech category. If someone’s obsessed with it, there’s probably a QuizUp category.

QuizUp first showed up on the App Store back in November of last year, and it quickly did pretty damned well for itself. It found its place in the App Store’s overall top 10 free ranks almost immediately, and stayed there for a solid 3 months. While it’s dropped a bit in the past few weeks, it has yet to fall out of the top 100.

A simple quiz game, QuizUp has at least two specific features that have likely helped tremendously in its success: very well done asynchronous gameplay, and user-generated content.

The first allows you to play against your friends and random Internet strangers in faux-real time. It feels like they’re playing right now, but you’re actually playing against a pre-recorded set of answers they’ve given previously. You’re never waiting ages for someone to take their turn, and there’s never a shortage of people to play with.

The latter — the user-generated content system  allows users to submit new questions on their own, allowing the game to have so many topics that there’s a little something’ for everyone.

You can find the new QuizUp for Android in the Google Play store right here

HTC Latest Mobiles Released And Features

HTC Latest Mobiles Released And Features

                             

HTC has announced a new entry-level handset in the form of the HTC Desire 310, a device with a 4.5-inch display that runs Android 4.2.

It might not have the spec list of a flagship handset, and that 4.5-inch displaydoes only offer an FWVGA (854 x 480 pixels) resolution, but the Desire 310 includes some of the features found on more expensive HTC devices, like BlinkFeed (including offline reading mode) and Video Highlights.

Other key hardware specs include a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 4GB of storage, microSD support, and a 5-megapixel camera on the rear. The Desire 310 is set to go on sale in a range of colors from “the end of April” in the UK via O2,Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse. We’re still waiting for confirmation on when it might arrive in other markets, and will update when we find out.

Google unveils free 'URL Shortener' app

Google unveils free 'URL Shortener' app

Google has reportedly unveiled an Android app that can help shorten URLs.

Google URL Shortener app is also capable of providing details as to who has been clicking on one's links.

According to Cnet, Google released an Android app for the service, taking link shrinking and tracking mobile, earlier this week.

Meanwhile the app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store.

Top 7 Tips And Tricks For iPhone And iPad Users

Top 7 Tips And Tricks For iPhone And iPad Users

The iPhone is pretty ubiquitous, but not everyone who uses it is a power user. Here are some tips and tricks for your phone and pad. 

Selfie click: Want to take a selfie without your hand making an appearance at the edge of the screen? Simply use the volume + button of your Apple earphones while in Camera mode. 

More icons: You can have up to six apps on the bottom dock row of your phone, as against the default four. Oh, and the bottom bar can also contain folders, if you are the type who organizes apps that way. 
Quick typing: Tapping the spacebar quickly twice adds a fullstop, a space and automatically capitalizes the next letter, useful if you're typing a document - or like your texts to be grammatical. 

Shake it up: Accidentally deleted an important email? There's an easy way to get it back. Gently shake your phone and launch your undo option. You can also use it for Messages, Reminders and other apps. 

Bursting out: Use the camera's burst mode to capture multiple photographs of high action scenes. As long as you hold down the the button in camera mode, you're capturing ten images per second. You can choose the best one to post on Facebook at leisure. 

Autocomplete fullstop: Faster Recharging: If you put your iPhone on Airplane mode, it will charge twice as quickly. 

Autocomplete domains: In Safari, holding down the period key will cyle through domains in the address bar.

Windows' Best Twitter Client is About To Die

Windows' Best Twitter Client is About To Die

Another popular third-party Twitter client is closing its doors today. MetroTwit started off life as a photoshop concept in March 2010, before being released as a Windows desktop client for Twitter. It has grown in popularity over the years with more than 400,000 Twitter users, but a Twitter access token limit on third-party clients means it will soon no longer function for new users. The MetroTwit team is removing the download links for both the desktop and Windows 8 versions, and the existing apps will no longer be supported or updated with features.

We reached out to Twitter after they made the token limit announcement, but they did not offer to extend our cap," explains MetroTwit developer Long Zheng in an interview withThe Verge. Zheng says the team had one simple goal: create a great Twitter experience on the Windows desktop. "We understand the Twitter developer API strategy has evolved with its business over the past few years," says Zheng. "It's unfortunate this affects a small but enthusiastic group of Twitter users who enjoy third party clients.

While existing MetroTwit users can continue to use the app, any effects from the removal and lack of support won’t be felt unless Twitter alters its APIs in future in a way that breaks the existing app. It’s an unfortunate, but unavoidable turn of events, and MetroTwit fans are clearly sad to see it go. Twitter has focused on improving and building its own official clients, but the company has not yet released a dedicated Twitter desktop app for Windows. Official alternatives include Twitter for Windows 8 and TweetDeck, and Tweetium, a third-party app for Windows 8, is also rising in popularity. Zheng says the MetroTwit team is proud of its work on the app, and that it's "always exploring new and interesting app opportunities on Windows.

Lego Game Free Downloads For Android

Lego Game Free Downloads For Android

 LEGO Movie Video game is just about as smooth a delivery as we  ever experienced. Having both the previous (rather successful) Lego video games to live up to and the (wildly successful) Lego movie to live up to, this game isn't attempting to be a stand-alone game without movie influence. Instead, The LEGO Movie Video game attempts to be an extension of the movie universe - and it does so with flying colors.Have a peek at our Lego Movie Review and you’ll find that we’re just about as big of a set of fans of the film as you’re ever going to find. Creating a game that was any less than a totally entertaining re-delivery of the content in the film would have resulted in a negative review from us. That much is true.The LEGO Movie Videogame you’re getting the successful model that is the Lego game collection. You’re also getting an experience that’s as close to walking through and experiencing a movie as we’ve seen thus far - for any genre, mind you.

Two modes are available to the user once you’re a bit into the game, one for story mode, the other for Free Play. While you can collect pants ("Where Are My Pants!?") throughout the game, it’s in the Free Play mode that you’ll be able to use any of a variety of characters to bash and build. New Minifigs can be unlocked in story mode or purchased with in-game collected coins 

 TT Games (developers) and Warner Bros. Entertainment (publishers) have made the first "E" rated masterpiece of the next-generation console environment. This game is more than a successful follow-up for the movie: it’s an essential brick in the LEGO creative experience that continues to expand with no end in sight.