The Forest

watch & download online here 

Victor Frankenstein

Spectre

The New iPhone 6S, 6S Plus Preorders Expected To Surpass 10Million Units In It's First Weekend.

Apple's newest smartphone iPhone 6S and 6S Plus has just hit the market and expectations are very high on whether the new babies are going to surpass the 10 Million units sold in first week of the latter smartphone iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

However, reports on Monday states that there has been a robust preorders for the latest iPhones and that online demand for the 6S Plus was "exceptionally strong" - Trudy Muller an Apple spokesperson told press.

Based on the number of preorders, Muller said  Apple is "on pace" to surpass last year's initial sales when it moved 10 million units of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus during their first weekend of availability (including more than 4 million preorders during the first 24 hours). That was double the initial weekend sales for the iPhone 5.

Last wednesday when the smartphone was launched, we learnt Apple's official website was down for over an hour due to massive traffic and online orders but the actual number of preorders received have so far not been disclosed, only an estimate has been revealed by Wall Street Journal.

Apple will start shipping the iPhone 6S & 6S Plus that's been pre-ordered via their website from September 25, the iPhone 6S comes in minimum 16GB and the highest is still 128GB which is selling for $649 and $849 respectively.

Did you pre-order and what's your expectation ?

After Upgrading To Windows 10 - Do A Disk Clean Up To Delete Temporary Files.

So you have finally upgraded to Windows 10, how does the future feel like ? Great i believe anyways there's something i figured out after i upgraded my Windows 8.1 to 10.

I discovered during the upgrade, Windows did alot and left alot without cleaning up its mess. 

First of all i had 43GB before the upgrade, after the upgrade i had 39.8GB which i wasn't pleased with so i clicked on DISK CLEAN.

How To Do Disk Clean Task ? Goto This PC, Right Click On Your Main Disk! Usually Disk (C:)

It took awhile but the result was too small so i clicked on CLEAN UP SYSTEM FILES, this took longer than expected.. See the result below!

From above screenshot, you'll notice Windows created a previous windows installation folder(which its folder is Windows.old) i guess just incase the upgrade fails it'll automagically revert to it's earlier version which i think is good but bad again coz for those who don't use System utilities like this would just wonder what the heck is Windows.old and why has their storage reduced!

Also Temporary Windows Installations Files was about 3.67GB, in total i'll be freeing up 22.6GB! isn't that awesome ?

So if you've upgraded don't hesitate to do a disk clean up.

WARNING: If you delete the previous windows files, if anything goes wrong with your current windows you won't be able to roll back to the previous installation.

How To Get Windows 10 Without Waiting, Direct Link From Microsoft.

Don't want to wait for Windows to push you a notification before downloading/upgrading to the New Windows 10 ? Then follow the direction below to skip the wait.

For about 3 weeks now, i've been seeing the icon "Get Windows 10" in my taskbar but i refused to take action because i am sometimes not the type of person that tries new softwares as soon as they arrive because you learn from the past. 

Remember when Apple iOS 8 came out ? everybody jumped on it few days later security bug was detected and people had to update again to 8.0.2 and so on till we got stuck to 8.4 which is the most recent update released June 30 - 2015. 

Anyways that's another story i'm not a storyteller, today i want to show you how i upgraded my Windows 8.1 to 10 within an hour of downloading from Microsoft directly.

Like i said earlier, I saw the notification to download the new windows 10 but unknowing to me it's just a step one of perhaps 10 steps before you finally get the upgrade.

After clicking on the Get Windows 10, Window popped up telling me to reserve my space, so i did and nothing happend, Then i clicked on it again i was told to "Chill" and that my Windows 10 is on the way(could take days or weeks).

I'm impatient so i found on CNET how to skip the waiting process. Here are the steps below.

STEP 1: Goto Microsoft Official Website by clicking here
STEP 2: Choose which bit your system runs with i.e 64bit or 32bit.
STEP 3: Click Download
STEP 4: Open the installer you just downloaded which is named MediaCreationToolx64 or MediaCreationToolx32 (depending on the bit you're installing)
STEP 5: Select the first option which instructs you to Upgrade This PC and the image below should be what you're seeing...

STEP 6: Go get yourself some coffee or better still if your PC is rugged you can continue doing your work while windows does its thing in the background.

Note: Try not to do much because Windows will always reboot at some point and if you're in the middle of something, Sorry might be the case.

Download Size for Windows 10 is 2699MB (2.7GB approx)

STEP 7: Welcome On Board! The Windows 10 Elites!

Adsense New Logo and It's Rebrand - What It Entails.

AdSense has a new logo!

When it come to Google, they don't need anyone's approval to do and undo, in that sense they have rebranded their Revenue sharing platform called Google Adsense.

Well as a publisher too i think i've always noticed each new development comes either by email after they have implemented it, although i think this new logo perfectly fits the whole dashboard which gives it that "Flat" design.

This rebranding as it seems did explain how Google Adsense tends to help people do more of what they love around the world.

However from their Google Plus page there are tons of comments some say they love it, others prefer the old logo while the rest who apparently have been banned from Adsense dropped very harsh comments... Click Here to goto the Adsense Google Plus Page

But overall i think the video is nice and it basically just showed publishers testimonials even though Adsense team tend to call them Customers!

Watch the video below and tell us if you ever enjoyed being a Google Adsense publisher/advertiser and if you love/like the new logo.

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo steps down but will remain on Board, and Jack Dorsey appointed Interim CEO.

Looking at a disappointing amount of user growth in social network Twitter, the executive Dick Costolo steps down. He was under pressure from authorities on improving overall importance of this network as there is need for increase in followers and people who sign up for it.

Sites co-founder Jack Dorsey will be replacing him at this post. Social media keeps getting led down when there is need for increase in number of users. A way suggested was by advertising on different social networks and trying to draw attention to betterment and usage.

People have a restriction in getting followers on this social network. User must only have a maximum of 2000 people he is following. Addition of only 200 followers is allowed when people try to socialize on this network and add more friends.

People who are from high profiles are usually registered on this network but tweets are not communicating more effectively when comparison of other social is made such as Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Src: Newsline77

Phishing Mail Alert: Account Notice : Error № 9747 - Bluehost.

This is a recent phishing mail targeted at Bluehost customers and i'm writing to alert everyone about it so you don't fall prey of this hack. Please also note that this Phishing Mails have also made its way on Godaddy customers (Try googling it).

Anyways about two days ago i got the following mail which looked like a mail from my hosting provider Bluehost, upon reading it, i clicked on the link provided and to my great disappointment the link showed a forbidden error message (which on a norms Bluehost will never give a link that hasn't been tested). 

Since i host a lot of files on my server and i don't want any deactivation i contacted Bluehost customer care and explained to them about the mail i just received and i was immediately told the mail did not initiate from Bluehost and that it was a Phishing Mail.

What is Phishing Mail ?

1. Phishing email will direct the user to visit a website where they are asked to update personal information, such as a password, credit card, social security, or bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has.

But in this case the hacker wants to get the login details to your Cpanel where they can now upload their malicious script to do the dirty work they've been craving for.

In words the email reads...

Dear Valued Bluehost Customer XXXXXXXX XXXXXX. (THIS HAPPENS TO BE MY REAL NAME THAT I USED TO REGISTER MY ACCOUNT ON BLUEHOST for Confidential reasons i have replaced it with X)  

Your account contains more than 6066 directories and may pose a potential performance risk to the server.Please reduce the number of directories for your account to prevent possible account deactivation. 
In order to prevent your account from being locked out we recommend that you create special tmp directory. 
Or use the link below: https://alert.bluehost.com/accounts.aspx?ids=2be5f9c2e3620eb73c2972d7552b6cb5 
Thank you,
Bluehost
Toll Free: (888) 401-4678
Outside US: 1 (801) 765-9400

Now the link has been hypertext that you won't know that the actual link in the mail redirects to this >>>>>

http://gofrotruba.ru/css/eyoihnssma.htm?eyoihnssma=2be5f9c2e3620eb73c2972d7552b6cb5

It's a FREAKING russian hacker! 

WARNING: DO NOT CLICK THE LINK AND IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY DID, CHANGE YOUR BLUEHOST PASSWORD ASAP!

The strange thing about this mail was that it addresses you by your name which would make you not think twice about verifying the mail. So to be security wise, i changed my Email password, Bluehost Password and Even my CMS(WORDPRESS, MAGENTO, JOOMLA ETC) sites password just incase things try to go messy.

In addition i think Bluehost needs to change the way they send mails, coz their mails tend to look like more of text, less images and this gives any hacker or cloners to clone their emails like they just did for this one.


Another way to verify a link in any mail is to RIGHT-CLICK on the link and Copy the Link, then paste it in a new tab, if the link corresponds with the one in the mail, then you're good to go and if it doesn't! BE VERY CAREFUL!


Hope this was helpful.

Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) Admits Mamalette, Autobox and Grit Systems, in its Incubation Program.

Co-creation Hub (CcHUB), Nigeria’s first social innovation centre based in Lagos, announced Monday that three (3) new ventures were admitted to its Incubation program. They will each receive seed funding ($15,000 – $25,000), mentoring, business development support and office space critical to their quest to find repeatable business models that can rapidly grow their business.

They include CcHUB’s first Internet of things (iOT) venture, an online community for mothers & mothers-to-be and a platform for car owners to buy genuine auto parts & discover all things motoring.

GRIT Systems develops web-enabled technology for controlling and gathering data about household & commercial electrical power consumption.

Mamalette is a platform where Nigerian mothers and mothers-to-be interact to provide mutual support and community throughout the motherhood experience

Autobox is a platform for car owners to discover & purchase genuine auto parts and find tips on everything motoring.

Since inception in 2011, CcHUB has worked with over fifty (50) early stage ventures through its pre-incubation and incubation programs. Grit Systems, Mamalette and Autobox join a pool of exciting ventures in the portfolio including Traclist, Truppr, Wecyclers and Vacantboards. CcHUB in December 2014 graduated BudgIT, the first venture in its incubation portfolio.

About Co-Creation Hub
Co-Creation Hub (www.cchubnigeria.com) is Nigeria’s first open living lab and pre-incubation space designed as a multi-functional, multi-purpose space where work to catalyze creative social tech ventures take place. The HUB serves as a place for technologists, social entrepreneurs, government, tech companies, impact investors and hackers in and around Lagos to co-create new solutions to Nigeria’s social problems.

Apple Set To Launch The First Fanless Macbooks Using Intel's Core M Processor.

In the phase of being first, Intel has gone beyond borders with their ultra slim Intel Core M processor designed to enable thin, light, fanless systems and amazing experiences.

According to the remarks about this new processor on Intel's official website...

It is the world’s first processors built on 14 nm manufacturing process technology, PC performance is now possible within a range of ultra-mobile 2 in 1 devices. Blazing fast speed combined with the highest level of energy efficiency in Intel’s history enables razor-thin, fanless designs that meet your needs for both performance and mobility. 

The Intel® Core™ M processor provides an optimal combination of business-class performance and battery life, so your employees have the power to stay productive longer, no matter where they work. Free yourself from carrying multiple devices and get the best of both worlds in a 2 in 1 device with the conflict-free Intel Core M and Intel Core M vPro processors.


On Monday, Apple officially announced on its website the new MacBook and its features..

Apple Unveils All-New MacBook

March 9, 2015

Apple today unveiled the all-new MacBook, a thinner and lighter line of notebooks available in gold, silver, and space gray aluminum finishes. MacBook features a 12-inch Retina display; a full-size keyboard; the all-new Force Touch trackpad; a compact USB-C port for data transfer, video out, and charging in a single connector; and a new battery designed to deliver all-day life. “Apple has reinvented the notebook with the new MacBook, and at just 2 pounds and 13.1 millimeters, it’s the thinnest and lightest Mac ever,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Every component of the MacBook reveals a new innovation. From its fanless design, ultrathin Retina display, and full-size keyboard that’s 34 percent thinner, to its all-new Force Touch trackpad, versatile USB-C port, and breakthrough terraced battery design, the new MacBook is the future of the notebook.”

Src Intel & Apple

iPhone 7 Will Adopt Intel LTE Chips in 2016.

Over the years Apple iPhones has been running Qualcomm wireless modem chips but things are about to turn sour for Qualcomm as new reports claims the "Special Version" of iPhone 7 will have Intel 7360 LTE modem installed.

The report further stated

Intel has been gunning hard during the past year for a place in the iPhone and now appears to have succeeded, at least partly. The 7360 chip will ship inside a special version of the iPhone that will be marketed to emerging markets in Asia and Latin America.


As mention, the Intel chips might only be used in some iPhones in emerging markets, before switching fully. Analyst Ben Bajarin believes that Apple would make the switch universal, rather than using separate chips in different versions of the phone.

The 7360 LTE wireless modem chip from Intel features upto 450Mbps downlink and supports 29 LTE bands. We also read that top Apple engineers have already started travelling to Germany to meet Intel engineers to start working on the chip.

It'll begin shipping out to manufacturers by Sept 2015.

The shift from Qualcomm to Intel for even a portion of LTE chips will be a major loss for Qualcomm, as the company has supplied Apple with modem chips for many years now.

Src: MacRumor

Why Email Marketing Is Important For Your Business - New Research.

About two days back, i highlighted the Top 5 Email Marketing Tips for 2015, now's time to find out why it is essential for your brand or business.

With all the ways to interact with your customers, whether through social media, face-to-face, or other channels, it is easy to overlook email marketing. If your business is not actively building a database of customer emails, you may be setting your business up for digital failure. But what exactly is email marketing?

What is Email Marketing?
Before we get into why email marketing is important for your business, let’s understand exactly what is email marketing. Email marketing is a way to reach your customers or prospective customers through email who have given your business explicit permission to contact them.
You need to use email marketing responsibly since it is such a powerful channel. Let’s take a look at why it is so important for your business.
Targeted Marketing Opportunities
Unlike many other marketing opportunities, when properly implemented, email marketing can provide your business with various ways to target specific customers. To do this, make sure that your email marketing software allows for lead scoring. This will allow you to define various milestones or actions that a user exhibits through interactions within emails or your website. Once a user has met the criteria you have defined, you can then follow up with them with targeted messaging to further drive them down the funnel.
More Personal and Targeted than Social Media
While there are many benefits of using social media for your business, there are many of your customers who might not use social media. However, these people more than likely have an email address.

There are numerous ways to capture a customer’s email address. A few ways are having a form on your website, asking them during the account creation or checkout process, or even asking them during a phone call. Pair their email address up with a first and last name and you have the foundation set for sending personalized emails, meaning you could dynamically insert their information within emails or subject lines.

Data Driven & Measurable
Knowing what works and what doesn’t is key to the success and improvement of a marketing campaign. With email marketing, you get insights into your initiatives.

Insight into a metric like open rates which is what percent of users who were sent an email actually opened the email you sent. One key factor in improving open rates is having an intriguing subject line. Whether it is having personalization in the subject line, or text that makes it impossible for them not to open, having an eye catching subject line helps to create higher open rates.

Stay Top of Mind
Email marketing allows your business to email the consumer whenever you want. While not every email needs to be a sales pitch, your contact with the customer should provide something of value to them. Whether this is a link to your latest blog post, an email asking them questions relating to your industry, or even an update on new products coming out in the near future; using email to stay connected to your customers keeps your brand in the forefront of their minds.

Generate Sales
At the end of the day, your business is about making sales. You have probably heard the phrase, “the money is in the list.” The list they are referring to is your email list.

Email marketing can be a channel to help you increase sales when implemented properly. I am not talking about blasting your list with sales pitch after sales pitch. That won’t work out too well. Your business needs to use email marketing the right way. The smart way. To do this, I suggest pairing up your email marketing with a marketing automation platform, allowing you to put your email marketing initiatives on overdrive.

Cost Effective & Affordable
You might be thinking that email marketing sounds great and all, but with all these features, it is surely an expensive strategy? Sure there will be some initial up front setup and implementation costs, but once once the foundation is set, the ongoing maintenance cost is minimal compared to the return.

Img Crd: Google Img

Top 5 Email Marketing Tips To Follow In 2015.

So i woke up this morning and was just wondering what to write, um here's a piece on Email Marketing since i've been getting emails from different vendors and i notice there are quite alot of wrong doings when it comes to email marketing. I'm not a Pro but on a second thought i think i could do much better.

Email marketing is one great tool everyone and anyone in this age must use. If you're a frequent email user, i mean you check your email everyday you'll see bunch of email newsletter sometimes you wonder how they got your email(story for another day) but the most important part is what the email newsletter is offering.

Today i want to detail some tips on this topic and i believe some readers though have gone past this stage however, for starters who are new to email marketing, can digest to this....

But let me first explain that while having plenty email address matters, if you don't know how to use email marketing well you'll be sending continuous junk mails to random email addresses in disguise as email marketing which could hurt future customers.

So now let's get back to the topic.


1 - Analyse your email addresses: For every email marketer this is your first goal. In this way you can be sure you'll be targeting customers who are likely to be interested in that particular product.

Otherwise when next you send an email to certain people who aren't interested, it's either they treat your email as SPAM or include your email in bulk delete.

2 - A Good Subject or Title: Most email newsletter i get often times don't give catchy keyword or sentences that ignites the other part of me to click and check out what the mail is offering. So you need to get your sentences right before sending your mail.

3 - Good Content: While subject matters, a Good Content is vital. After a user clicks on an mail, he/she expects what the subject implies and if they don't get that info, an impulsive Delete action will be taken. 

So in other for you to avoid that, always make sure your content looks good See below...

*Use Quality images, make use of words that relates to the product/service you're offering. 

* Never use default newsletter text fonts, Never use only black colors, mix your text with colors related to your company logo or website so there can be a uniformity.

* Make sure the mail address you're using can be replied to.

* Don't make typographical errors, read, read and re-read your email before sending. It shows class. 

* Format your mail in two columns or three columns depending on the type of email marketing software you're using. 

 **A plain email newsletter without originality just poses a SPAM threat or makes the recipient not to trust you the sender coz plain emails are fondly used by SPAMMERS.

In addition if your prospect are gmail user you'll notice certain emails automatically goes to Primary, Social, Promotions. If your email is well formated, it'll most likely be in promotions, with that if your subject is provocative to click then your content has to be great.

Email marketing is just like a website, If you have a nice Post title and your content is lifeless trust me you'll be having a bountiful "1000% Bounce Rate" which means your title got the user but the content sent the user out as fast as possible, Thats a bad website, So could your email newsletter. Bounce rate are meant to be less than 10% which gives a website more page impression! 

Haven't done that, do some research based on what you're marketing.


3 - Follow-Ups: After stressfully composing, re-modifying and sending the email to your prospect, obviously not everyone will respond so the next is a Follow Up email.

You can send follows up more than twice depending on the product but don't just resend the same email(you'll look desperate) here's what to do...

* Change the Subject: Could Be... 

"Two Days Remaining...... Your Subject".

"You May Have Missed Our........Your Subject".
"You Won't Believe This Amazing......Your Subject"

"Special Offer"....and so on


4 - Second Follow Up: This should be the last if you're not marketing a product with discount. So your subject should be something that makes the recipient guilty if he/she doesn't take action. I'm just saying tho coz i've fallen severally for this but often times i dont take actions because i dont need the product.

So in this email, you can tweak the subject and the content just a bit making it still look fresh, also if you're running a promo just tweaking the Subject won't do, try adjusting the position of your product, you could align some from right to left and vice versa.

5 - Hail Mary: Usually the last email you're sending to the recipient indicating the offer ends today or in 12hours etc. If you still get no response just assume it's a dead end for that email/emails.


And thats it folks, like i said i'm not a pro in email marketing but i just feel this tips could help someone out there. Peace Out!!!

New Report: Google Search Hits 7 year low, Facebook Search Going Higher.

For the first time since 2008, Google’s search market share has fallen below 75%, according to a new report. This small, but startling drop has a lot of people at Google worried. The recent Firefox default search change to Yahoo, along with the growing impact of Facebook Search and Video seem to be slowly challenging Google’s 10+ year dominance in the world of search. 

StatCounter Global Stats reports that in January, Google took 74.8% of US search referrals followed by Bing on 12.4% and Yahoo on 10.9%, its highest US search share for over five years.

Google US Search Stats Drop by 2.5% since November 2014

According to Business Insider, Jan. 2015 saw Yahoo take back search share for two consecutive months: it has risen from 10.4% in December to 10.9% in the new year. It marks a significant growth. In November, Yahoo’s stake stood at just 8.6%. It’s good news for CEO Marissa Mayer, who made Yahoo’s search functionality one of the main areas to improve. It seems this part of her plan is working as Yahoo has just become the default search engine for web browser Firefox.

“Some analysts expected Yahoo to fall in January as a result of Firefox users switching back to Google. In fact Yahoo has increased US search share by half a percentage point,” commented Aodhan Cullen, CEO, StatCounter. “It will be fascinating to see if these gains continue.”

All Eyes On Apple and Safari

Cullen remarks that the change in default search in Firefox is responsible solely for Google’s decline. “When Firefox usage stats were removed, Google’s losses were erased,” he mentions. According to Cullen, the exact cause of the drop isn’t the most important thing. If anything, it highlights the power of default search engines.

For now, Google is the default search engine for Safari, Apple’s browser. But that deal expires this year. If Apple were to drop Google from Safari, hordes of Mac and iPhone users could be lost from Google’s enterprise. It would be a massive loss. At the very least, it would give Yahoo and Bing an even greater chance to gain ground.

The New Challenger is Facebook Search

And that’s not all that’s putting Google as risk of losing share in 2015. There’s also the issue of desktop usage too: 10 years ago nearly everyone browsed the web predominantly from their computers. But today that’s changing. These days, people access the internet often directly through apps, rendering traditional search engines obsolete. In 2014, mobile exceeded PC internet usage for the first time in history.

The biggest player in the app search market is no other then social giant Facebook that expanded its search offerings last month when it launched the ability to search posts. Now, users can search keywords and get back results from people and pages they are connected to. These changes instantly made Facebook a lot more useful as a search tool because it gives users access to content that’s not getting indexed by Google. This is often content that’s particularly relevant based on personal connections to its creators.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently talked about Facebook’s attempts to increase their search capabilities, saying that “it will create “a lot of value from search over the next few years”, signaling that the company is starting to feel strong enough about its own search offering. “We’re optimistic about our ability to deliver value that only Facebook is able to provide,” Zuckerberg concluded.
Mark Zuckerberg also said that Facebook video is generating more than 3 billion views a day. That’s up from 1 billion daily views Facebook reported in September, a total that at the time prompted many to wonder if Facebook is becoming a challenger to YouTube.

Source

Use Whatsapp Officially On Your Laptop and Desktops.

Facebook owned messaging app Whatsapp is now officially live on laptops and desktop computers.

Few years back alot of users have been using Android emulators like Bluestack to use their whatsapp but good news today Whatsapp has now introduced web browser version of whatsapp.


However,  this web solution is currently available to Google Chrome browser which tells us it's an extension and also it's not really like a full Whatsapp Application. Here's the thing, the web browser mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device. So your messages are still live on your phone, only that you can read and reply from your laptop.

Anyways, long story short here's how to install Whatsapp on your web browser for desktop and laptops.

Wait.....If you're doubting if it only works on Chrome, see below image.


 
Let's Go...

1.  Simply Goto https://web.whatsapp.com in your Google Chrome browser. You will see a QR code 
   
2.  Use your phone to scan the code you see in your Chrome web browser to pair them.
3. Your Whatsapp is now paired with your phone.

Please Note: If you're not fast with the barcode scan, here's what the browser will tell you.

 
Your phone needs to stay connected to the internet for our web client to work, and please make sure to install the latest version of WhatsApp on your phone. 

Unfortunately for now, we will not be able to provide web client to our iOS users due to Apple platform limitations.

We really hope you find web client useful in your everyday lives.

Gracing The New Windows 10 come Early 2015.

It's amazing how Microsoft keeps watering our thirst on this Windows 8 Family, here comes Windows 10. One lovely feature that i so much adore is that when you run an app( you installed from Windows App Store) you can have it in the desktop instead of hovering your mouse to the top left corner of your system.

Apps from the Windows Store now open in the same format that desktop apps do and can be resized and moved around, and have title bars at the top allowing for maximize, minimize, and close with a click but the only disadvantage of this is that Windows users with small screen won't enjoy this amazing feature.

And also the Ultimate Start Up Menu is back and better, I have tried installing third party ones on my 8.1 but error, hanging and stuff, i had to uninstall it and now nothing like Factory Installed Start Up Menu.

Read On for the rest captivating features.... Pssss It'll be available early 2015!

" It’s a humbling and amazing thing to work on Windows, which is used by over 1.5 billion people in every country of the world. From kids playing with computers for the first time, to writers and journalists, to engineers, to gamers, to CEOs, at some point Windows has empowered all of us.


In the Windows team, we’re proud of this – but we also know that the world today is very different from the one in which Windows grew up. Today, devices outnumber people. Connectivity is like oxygen. The tension between the desire for agility versus stability poses a huge challenge for IT Pros. Experiences – no matter what device you’re on – just need to work. The only thing that hasn’t really changed is the situation for developers – still too much to do, and not enough time.


One way to look at it is that Windows is at a threshold :-). It’s time for a new Windows. This new Windows must be built from the ground-up for a mobile-first, cloud-first world. This new Windows must help our customers be productive in both their digital work and their digital life. This new Windows must empower people and organizations to do great things.
That new Windows is Windows 10.


Windows 10 represents the first step of a whole new generation of Windows. Windows 10 unlocks new experiences for customers to work, play and connect. Windows 10 embodies what our customers (both consumers and enterprises) demand and what we will deliver.


Windows 10 will run across an incredibly broad set of devices – from the Internet of Things, to servers in enterprise datacenters worldwide. Some of these devices have 4 inch screens – some have 80 inch screens – and some don’t have screens at all. Some of these devices you hold in your hand, others are ten feet away. Some of these devices you primarily use touch/pen, others mouse/keyboard, others controller/gesture – and some devices can switch between input types.


We’re not talking about one UI to rule them all – we’re talking about one product family, with a tailored experience for each device.
And across this breadth of devices, we are delivering one application platform for our developers. Whether you’re building a game or a line of business application, there will be one way to write a universal app that targets the entire family. There will be one store, one way for applications to be discovered, purchased and updated across all of these devices.


Windows 10 will deliver the right experience on the right device at the right time. It will be our most comprehensive platform ever.
Now, during the design of a new Windows, we spend time with many diverse customers. One of the most important of these customers is the enterprise. In the past year I’ve talked to dozens of enterprise customers and listened to how they are using and deploying Windows, and what they need from us.
These customers are betting their businesses on Windows – in the first half of this year, shipments of enterprise PCs grew 14%. In that same time period, shipments of Windows enterprise tablets grew 33%.


These customers have a need to evaluate Windows early, so we are starting our dialog with them today. For more details about what Windows 10 will have for these customers, check out this blog post on the Windows for your Business blog.


Tomorrow, we are excited to announce the Windows Insider Program, where PC experts and IT Pros can get access to a technical preview of Windows 10 for desktops and laptops. Soon after, we’ll also be releasing technical previews of Windows Server and our management tools.


With the Insider program, we’re inviting our most enthusiastic Windows customers to shape Windows 10 with us. We know they’re a vocal bunch – and we’re looking forward to hearing from them.
The Windows Insider Program is intended for PC experts and IT pros who are comfortable using pre-release software with variable quality. Insiders will receive a steady stream of early builds from us with the latest features we’re experimenting with.


This week’s announcements are just the first chapter of our conversation with customers about Windows 10 – with a focus on enterprise features (because enterprises have a need to evaluate software early on) and the desktop/laptop experiences. Early in 2015 we’ll introduce the consumer chapter and talk much more about other device types and more consumer features. We’ll then continue the conversation with the developer chapter at our Build conference, and later in the year we’ll release Windows 10 and look forward to some amazing new devices.


Today was an important beginning for our customers and partners as we embark on the Windows 10 journey together. I encourage everyone reading this to sign up for the Windows Insider Program, download the technical preview, and let us know what you think. Check here tomorrow for specific details – but in the meantime, here’s a peek at some of the new features you can test drive once you become an Insider:

Start menu: The familiar Start menu is back, but it brings with it a new customizable space for your favorite apps and Live Tiles.

Everything runs in a window: Apps from the Windows Store now open in the same format that desktop apps do and can be resized and moved around, and have title bars at the top allowing for maximize, minimize, and close with a click.

Snap enhancements: You can now have four apps snapped on the same screen with a new quadrant layout. Windows will also show other apps and programs running for additional snapping and even make smart suggestions on filling available screen space with other open apps.

New task view button: There’s a new task-view button on the taskbar for quick switching between open files and quick access to any desktops you create.

 



Multiple desktops: Create desktops for different purposes and projects and switch between these desktops easily and pick up where you left off on each desktop.

Find files faster: File Explorer now displays your recent files and frequently visited folders making for finding files you’ve worked on is easier. "

Check out a video sneekpeek below... Courtesy ReCode
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But what happened to Windows 9 ?