We’ve been excited about the Surface Pro 3 for some time now, but even before the device hit the shelves an update was released to address a problem accidentally activating the home button. Now the Surface Pro 3 is available in stores and online, you might want to check through our roundup that explains everything you need to know. There’s also the official user guide to download — which seems to accidentally reveal the existence of the Surface Mini.
If you did rush out and pick up a new device , check out our guide to the apps and games you need to install. We learned that the i3 and i7 models of the Surface Pro 3 will be launching slightly earlier than expected, but if you’re not quite ready to splash out on the latest model, the price of the Surface Pro 2 has plummeted in the US.
We like to look to the future, and this week we took the opportunity to collect together everything we know about what to expect from Windows. There have been also sorts of leaks and rumors, but our handy catchup serves as a great refresher. Rumors suggest not only that Update 2 will, perhaps unsurprisingly, be delivered through the Windows Store, but also that it will weigh in at 3GB. It is expected that Update 2 will reach RTM Escrow this week, and but the most recent news about Windows 9 is that the development cycle is somewhat up in the air — and it is possible that anyone buying a computer with Windows 8.1 Update 2 installed will be able to upgrade to Windows 9 free of charge.
In an interesting piece of cross-platform collaboration, Bing’s translation service was rolled out to Twitter user on iOS. Proving that it makes sense to dip one’s toes into other waters from time to time, Zac took a look at what iOS 8 has to offer. But sticking with Windows Phone, Micromax announced that a new set of handsets will be launching in July.
This was the week in which we learned that Microsoft Mobile Oy now owns a number of Nokia trademarks. While this is not entirely surprising, it does bring peculation to an end. In China, a list of more than 200 patents owned by Microsoft was revealed, including a number that relate to Android, and it is claimed have been infringed upon by other companies.
Microsoft confirmed that Cortana will be making its way to the UK and China, and it won’t be long before it comes to India as well. There’s also news that voice activation is on the cards, as well as the tease that it will be coming to Windows as well.
Gamers can now check all of their achievement in one place — your gaming prowess on Xbox One, Xbox 360, Windows and Windows Phone can now all be viewed at one URL. In other gaming news, a new TV ad for Xbox One had an odd side-effect — turning on consoles all over the world. Despite having recently unveiled a Kinect-free version of the console, the company insists that it remains committed to the peripheral. Eyes may be on the Xbox One, but Microsoft still expects to sell millions more Xbox 360s before it is retired.
Phew! I need a lie down after all that. More news and fun next week!
Further reading: Surface Mini, Windows 9
