The Windows App Team announced the release of a Microsoft OCR Library for Windows Runtime, enabling developers to integrate text-recognition capabilities in Windows Phone 8/8.1 and Windows 8.1 apps. Optical character recognition (OCR) software converts images containing text into a digitally readable format. The technology’s inclusion in Windows Runtime, Microsoft’s Windows 8/8.1 application architecture, allows … continue reading
RethinkDB 1.14 released Version 1.14 of the RethinkDB open-source distributed JSON database has been released with more than 50 new enhancements. RethinkDB ecosystem engineer Josh Kuhn announced the release in a blog post, explaining that 1.14 is the first RethinkDB release that doesn’t require data migration. Some of the main upgrades and new features include: … continue reading
HTC now offering a Windows Phone software version for the HTC One (M8) HTC is adding a new software option to its HTC One (M8) smartphone. The company recently unveiled the HTC One (M8) for Windows as a Version exclusive. “Consumers love the HTC One (M8), and today’s introduction extends that enthusiasm to new audiences … continue reading
Nokia enters post-device future with Nokia Z Android Launcher The Nokia Z Android Launcher, a home screen replacement for Android phones that learns and evolves based on usage patterns, has released its first major update and opened its pre-beta to download and test the launcher. Developed by the Nokia Technologies Group, a separate entity from … continue reading
Microsoft releases Sharks Cove development board for pre-order The Sharks Cove development board, a Windows-compatible hardware development board designed to facilitate software and driver development for mobile devices, is now available for pre-order. First introduced at the Build developer conference this past April, Sharks Cove is intended to create mobile software that runs Windows Phone … continue reading
Microsoft announced its fourth-quarter earnings last night, revealing an 18% revenue increase year-over-year to US$23.4 billion. The financial results were mixed but positive, with a decrease in overall profits along with the upped revenue. Microsoft benefitted from the continued and growing success of its Azure and Office 365 enterprise cloud services. In terms of devices, … continue reading
TiddlyBot, a Kickstarter robot project teaching programming and robotics TiddlyBot, a programmable robot built on Raspberry Pi, allows kids to program and control while learning coding and problem solving skills. Developed by U.K. startup Agilic, TiddlyBot has already exceeded its Kickstarter project goal and is now funding stretch goals of creating an illustrated beginner’s guide … continue reading
For your edification, the term “pink slip,” which has largely fallen out of favor due to our paperless offices, originates with the Ford Motor Corporation. While there is only word-of-mouth evidence out there, the term is said to have come from slips that were placed in worker cubbyholes at the end of each day. White … continue reading
Microsoft has evolved considerably from its early days selling developer tools, or its era focusing on Windows and Office, or its run as a server software maker, or its first iteration as a cloud/online services company. Despite all the myriad changes, it’s always been true that Microsoft does not excel at innovation. In fact, when … continue reading
To mark the start of the next fiscal year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sent out a lengthy memo to employees laying out, among other things, a proposed reorganization of the company, a renewed focus on devices and services and a call to action to “reinvent productivity.” The memo, entitled “Bold Ambition & Our Core,” talks … continue reading
Native mobile framework will allow developers to build Android, iOS and Windows Phone apps solely in JavaScript … continue reading
Latest additions to Windows Phone 8.1 and Microsoft Azure include new website and mobile services … continue reading