It’s been rumored for a while now that Microsoft would finally end the Xbox Live exclusivity to Windows Phone and bring their gaming technology to iOS and Android, but now it looks like that day is finally in sight.  Although Microsoft would love to use Xbox Live as one of the big selling points for their own mobile operating system, making it available for the other major mobile platforms will greatly expand both their user base and their revenue.

While it’s been all rumors and speculation up until now that Microsoft would really make Xbox Live available on any platform besides their own, that has finally changed today as a Microsoft spokesman told the website Inside Mobile Apps that,

“While the Xbox Live experiences and games always work best on the Windows platform, we understand that some Xbox fans may be using other types of devices. To satisfy that need, we are working to extend a few of our Xbox experiences and titles to other platforms.”

As I previously stated, this move makes sense for Microsoft for a couple of reasons.  It’s also entirely likely that the Xbox Live maker will keep some juice for Windows Phone by making certain functions and games exclusive, permanently or for for a period of time, to Windows Phone.  Once both of these models – Xbox Live on Android and iOS, and Windows Phone exclusives – are in place then Microsoft will have the best of both worlds.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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The iPad is still the number one tablet in the world despite the best efforts of Android to dethrone it.  But one thing that the iPad or Android can’t do is run Microsoft Office.  There are ways to get the Office functionality into the tablet world with apps like OfficeSuite Pro.  Even though Apple, Google, and the open source community have tried to overthrow it, Microsoft Office is still far and away he top choice when it comes to office suites.

Now the iTunes App Store for the iPad has finally got a way for users to run Microsoft Office on their tablet and even get free cloud storage to goo along with it.  “CloudOn lets you use your iPad to create, view, and edit files directly in Microsoft Word®, Excel® & PowerPoint®.”  CloudOn isn’t really giving away Microsoft Office, but kind of acting as a bridge between the iPad and the Office Live internet app suite.  It requires the user to have a Dropbox account, which is free to sign up for.

• Use Word, Excel and PowerPoint to create, edit, and view documents.
• Rename, edit, and delete documents using your Dropbox account.
• Track changes when reviewing Word documents.
• Use pivot tables and forumlas in Excel.
• Do presentations in full PowerPoint mode.
• Open files directly from iPad email accounts or Dropbox.
• Automatically save documents.

The app is free in the iTunes App Store.   The user interface is simple and clean just like the online version of Microsoft Office is.  Perhaps in the future they will integrate SkyDrive as an option, given that is has more free storage and already works with Office Live.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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With the recent release of the new SkyDrive API for Windows Phone and Windows 8, we knew Microsoft was ramping up their cloud services for major integration into the phone and next-generation computer and tablet operating systems.  Only a few days after the API release the first Windows Phone app to take advantage of it, Handyscan, was released.  Today Microsoft released official SkyDrive apps for, not only Windows Phone, but also iPhone.  SkyDrive gives users each 25 GB of free storage for documents, pictures, videos, or whatever.

The new SkyDrive for Windows Phone requires users to be running the latest version – 7.5, also known as Mango.  Microsoft has integrated the app into the phone through the pictures and Office hubs.  According to Microsoft, “for instance, you can share photos stored on SkyDrive by email, text, or IM, use Office apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with SkyDrive files, and even keep your phone’s camera roll up-to-date on SkyDrive automatically.”  Microsoft is promising even better SkyDrive integration into Windows Phone with this update.  Users can now get the “full SkyDrive experience”, which means being able to browse all SkyDrive files, share links to files or folders, delete files, and create folders.  The Windows Phone app is is available today worldwide.  Visit the Windows Phone Marketplace to get the app.

SkyDrive for iPhone now contains much of the same functionality as it’s Windows Phone brother.  Owners of Apple mobile devices can now access and share all of SkyDrive files.  “iPhone customers can now access all of their files in SkyDrive, create folders, delete files, and share links to folders and files directly using the Mail app.”  The iPhone SkyDrive app is available in 32 languages worldwide.  Visit Get SkyDrive for iPhone to download the app to you iPhone.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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OneNote has been available for the iPhone for some time now, but today Microsoft released an updated version which makes the app compatible with iOS, meaning it now works on the iPad as well.  OneNote is handy Evernote-like application that has been a part of Microsoft Office for several years now.  It provides an easy way for users to record all sorts of information to help them keep track of work and every-day life, with both written word, pictures, and videos.

“Today, just in time for the holidays, we’re releasing OneNote 1.3 for iOS. Since the launch of OneNote for iPhone nearly a year ago, a recurring request from our customers has been for a version that can be used more easily on the iPad’s larger screen. We’re happy to announce that today’s new release of OneNote for iOS devices includes a version that’s tailored for the iPad.”

OneNote version 1.3 for iOS brings new features like support for the iPad and iPad 2, the addition of several new languages, a tabbed user interface, table rendering, improved Windows Live sign-in, and an option to sync only via WiFi.

OneNote for iPhone is priced at 4.99 and for the iPad it will set you back $14.99.  The new release is available worldwide as of today.  Users must have one of the following iOS devices – the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad, or iPad 2.  Microsoft also provides free technical support for OneNote, both the iOS and Windows versions.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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It was no surprise today when Microsoft launched the Xbox companion app for Windows Phone, after all, they announced it was coming.  To my knowledge though, they never announced that they would also release a version for iOS devices.  However, they have done just that.  Microsoft has quietly pushed out a version that is compatible with all devices that run iOS – the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

With the new app you can access your Xbox Live account from any iOS device.  The app is called My Xbox Live and it has most of the same features as the Windows Phone version of the app.  Now, you can view your achievements, send messages to your friends, read news about apps and games, get games tips and tricks, and change your Xbox Live avatar, all from your iOS device of choice.  The Windows Phone version also allows the user to control media playback from an Xbox, a feature that’s not included in the iOS version.

The Xbox Live app is free in the iTunes store.  It’s a 17.4 MB download and is available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish.  Microsoft has made the app very user-friendly and if you have an Xbox then My Xbox Live is a must-have for iOS (and Windows Phone) users.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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Those familiar with the mobile space know that the Apple iPhone 4s introduced Siri, the cool new iOS talking app that can find almost anything  by voice search.  The Micrsoft Windows Phone team had some things to say about that recently, because they have featured their Tellme service for some time now.  In fact, Microsoft’s own Craig Mundie had something to say when he exclaimed that Siri wasn’t anything special, and that in fact Microsoft had actually beaten Apple to the punch with Tellme.

The original video, which went viral, showed Siri beating the snot out of Tellme, thanks, at least in part, to the  narrator’s Australian accent. Of course, many thought it wasn’t a fair test and that the test should be conducted on a more level playing field, at least for the U.S. market (okay, U.S.-Hungarian).

Thankfully another video has surfaced that once again pits Apple vs Windows Phone, or Siri against Tellme.  This one comes from Response and shows Siri and Tellme being put through their paces so we can once again see what both speech recognition apps can do.

Unfortunately for Windows Phone fans Siri, from Apple, still seems to come out on top.  However this video gives us more of an understanding of the strengths of each system, with Windows Phone being much stronger at launching apps via speech while Apple is ahead in speech recognition.

The video, once again, brings us to somewhat of a stalemate.  In the end, it all comes down to the platform you prefer.  Windows Phone, iOS, and even Android (which has Iris) are all still the top mobile operating systems.  While Android and Apple fight it out for the top spot, Windows Phone remains the contender in the dark.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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Samsung has released a new ad for their latest Android phone, the Galaxy, that goes a bit beyond just showing off Android.  In fact, the ad is more about poking fun at Apple fans than anything else.  The new ad centers around people waiting in line outside of various Apple stores for the iPhone 4s.  Samsung does a great job of parodying a typical Apple product line.  Paul Thurrott, of the Supersite for Windows, put it best by describing it as:

“A new Samsung advertisement goes after the trendy hipster types that stand in line for hours to buy new Apple products, even though in this case–with the iPhone 4S–there are superior devices out there already. The ad nicely parodies the whole Apple Store line experience–you know, because they may not make enough of them, so you better get in line.”

Samsung clearly had a lot of fun with this ad and they went into great detail in putting together the perfect group of people to fill their make-believe lines.  You may need to watch this one several times to catch all of it’s subtleties, but it’s worth watching a few times just for entertainment alone.  I really have nothing against Apple or their products, but I see the truth in what this ad depicts.  We see it all of the time.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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Microsoft’s fast growing search engine, Bing, has been a popular mobile app for some time now.  It contains easy access to such things as maps, deals, movies, directions, and shopping.  It’s available for all major mobile platforms – Android, iPhone, Windows Phone, and Blackberry.  Today the Bing team announced an update to the Bing mobile apps for Android and iPhone, which will bring HTML 5 support.  According to the announcement,

“Today, we’re excited to announce the next step in the evolution of Bing for Mobile, with the release of the new Bing for Mobile app for iPhone and Android (coming soon to more devices). Today’s update uses HTML5 to blend the mobile browse experience with the app experience so you get a consistent and fast mobile search experience whether you’re using m.bing.com from your browser or the Bing app.Today, we’re excited to announce the next step in the evolution of Bing for Mobile, with the release of the new Bing for Mobile app for iPhone and Android (coming soon to more devices). Today’s update uses HTML5 to blend the mobile browse experience with the app experience so you get a consistent and fast mobile search experience whether you’re using m.bing.com from your browser or the Bing app.”

They plan for this new functionality to enable more integration with other apps and mobile hardware features – such as voice search and camera use.  The addition of HTML5  will allow the Bing app to be callable by other apps to enable it’s information.

The new update also adds a few new features, including split views to allow users to do such things as view information on a business along with a map of it’s location, access to local product deals for the area you are in, and real time transit routing and news.

A quick check, as of this writing, reveals that the new version is already available for the iPhone (in fact iTunes dates it as yesterday – November 1), but is not yet available in the Android market.

Microsoft specified in their announcement that, right now, the Android version is for “select Android devices in the United States”.  They also promise to quickly bring these updates to Windows Phone and Blackberry devices.  If you already have Bing installed you should receive the update automatically.  If not, you can visit the Android Market or the iPhone App store to download and install it.  Also, check out the video tour posted below.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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Today is a day where we can all put aside our silly Windows-Mac differences and remember a man who helped to shape the technology we all use and enjoy today.  The entire technology world has lost a leader and innovator who will be remembered forever for his incredible contributions.

From Apple:

“We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.

Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.

His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.”

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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Android has quickly become the most popular mobile operating system, and printing has long been one of the most popular computer tasks.  Now the two are coming together, this time with PrinterShare Mobile.  Google has played with this technology with Cloud Print, but ironically, it’s PrinterShare Mobile that has got it right.  The app allows you to print, not just via WiFi or BlueTooth to a printer on your network, but remotely to a home printer via your 3G or 4G connection.

It has surprisingly clear instructions and is dead simple to set up.  Even a novice computer user should have no problem setting up and using this app.  Given the complexity of home networking (which has gotten much better over the years) having an app that is this sophisticated, yet this simple to set up is a gift for the PC crowd.  To get started you will have get the app – it’s available from Amazon Android App Store or the Android Market.  Either way, it will set you back $12.95 – convenience has a price in this case.  Google Cloud Print is free, but I dare you to try and use it…

Once you have purchased and installed the app to your Android device, you will be able to print as long as you are on the same network as your printer.  That’s nice, but it’s not all of the functionality we are looking for.  So, before we go any further, head over to PrinterShare and download the computer app to the system that your printer plugged into (you may be able to use any computer on your network as long as the printer is shared to it, but I didn’t verify this).  The computer app is free, and it’s available for both Windows and Mac.

The program size for the computer app is small (1.9 MB) and setup is quick – less than one minute on a relatively modern system.  There really isn’t much to this – it finds your printer, share it to the internet, and monitors it whenever your computer that it’s attached to is on and you have an internet connection.

You will need to create an account by entering your email address and a password.  There is no user name, as each printer will be assigned one by PrinterShare.  There’s also no confirmation sent to the email you entered, so no need to run and check.

No, you have arrived at the system dashboard.  This too is simple.  You will see a list of printers found on your network.  Click to highlight the one you want to use and then click the “Share” button beneath the list.  You can “Unshare” in the same way.  The printer will be assigned an ID number, which is at the bottom of the dashboard under the “Owner” column.  You will need that number for the mobile app.

Now, let’s move to our Android device and open the PrinterShare Mobile app.  Once the app is open you will need to click the Menu button on your device and choose “Remote Printers” and then click “Add Printer”.  At this point you will need to enter that ID number that your printer was assigned, as well as the password you chose during setup.  Once these two things have been entered then your printer should be live for access from anywhere.

The app’s main screen will give you options for different items you may want to print, and the menu button allows for easy  access to, not just setting up a remote printer, but also local printers via both WiFi and BlueTooth.

You can print more than what is listed on the above screen – for instance tweets, text, and Facebook to name a few.  $12.95 for an app may seem  steep, but it’s well worth it if you need this functionality.  Being able to print from your tablet or smartphone is a bonus, but being able to do it from anywhere can really save you, especially in business.  there are other apps that claim to do this, but none are as simple to set up, or work nearly as well, as PrinterShare Mobile.

Alan

Alan is the owner and editor of Making Windows Easy. In addition to writing about technology he is also an avid distance runner and hiker. Read More

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