A Glimpse into Windows 8 File Management, How to Stand Up to Cyberbullies plus Windows Phone, Bing, MSN and Hotmail
26 Aug 2011 6:00 AM
In this edition of Weekend Reading, we’ve got stories about new file management capabilities in Windows 8, Windows Phone news, a new Windows Phone app that utilizes Bing’s location services and 10 tips for standing up to cyberbullies.
File management in Windows 8. In this Tuesday post on Building Windows 8, Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division, writes, “We wanted to do an early Windows 8 post about one of the most used features, and one we have not improved substantially in a long time. With the increasing amount of local storage measured in terabytes, containing photos (in multiple formats and very large files), music, and video, these common operations are being taxed in new ways. These changes, along with consistent feedback about what we could improve, have inspired us to take a fresh look and redesign these operations.” Read the entire post, authored by Alex Simons, a director of program management on the Windows team, to find out more.
More ways to get reminders from your Hotmail calendar. Hotmail Calendar has more than 18 million customers creating more than 1 million events per month. We're happy to announce that we've just released an update to Hotmail Calendar that addresses the most common request we get: improving the way reminders work. To find out more, read this Monday post on the Inside Windows Live Blog.
Minesweeper launching worldwide on Windows Phone. Minesweeper, the ad-supported Xbox LIVE game we debuted in the U.S. Marketplace recently, is launching as a free download around the world (except Brazil and Korea). The title, which for now is English only, is now available in your local Marketplace. Want more details? Read this Tuesday post on the Windows Phone Blog. Also, Microsoft announced on Tuesday that Zune 4.8 is now available. Finally, the next time you feel nostalgic for a simpler time when no one had smartphones or texted while at the movies, check out this infographic that shows that simpler times weren’t necessarily better times. You may find that nostalgia ain’t what it used to be.
Introducing the “We’re In” app from Bing. On Aug. 18th, Bing announced the release of the "We're In" app for Windows Phone. We’re In makes organizing get-togethers, carpooling and trying to find people in a crowd a breeze. Any time you want to see where your friends are—We're In can help you. It's simple, invite your friends, and when they join, they'll see your location and you'll see theirs. When the invite expires, so does the shared location – no complicated process to worry about. Check it out.
MSN launches a new show – “Go See This Movie.” This week, MSN launches a new weekly Web show called "Go See This Movie.” The program will air Thursdays on movies.msn.com. Co-hosts JoJo Wright, weeknight DJ on KIIS-FM, and Stuart Brazell, will preview the movies opening each weekend and give you a fast-paced breakdown of all you need to know before putting your money down at the box office, including comparisons to other favorite flicks, clips and ratings. Read more about it in this Wednesday post on the MSN Blog.
Back to School: Stand up to cyberbullying. For all the benefits that smartphones, computers and the Web have to offer — especially for young people who have embraced digital technology and use it every day — there will always be those who misuse the technology to harass others, including their peers. Known as “cyberbullying,” this problem can occur at any time of the day or night, due to the always-on nature of the devices and technologies used to create these hurtful interactions. To learn more about cyberbullying and what can be done to combat it, read this feature story on the Microsoft News Center and this Thursday post on The Official Microsoft Blog.
Thanks for stopping by for this edition of Weekend Reading!
Posted by Jeff Meisner
Editor, The Official Microsoft Blog