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Microsoft abandoning smartphone development made sense at the time, but was it a mistake?
What would the mobile landscape look like if Microsoft hadn't called it quits?
Microsoft's spirited sojourns into mobile development haven't exactly been slam dunks, bogged down with middling design choices and failure to adapt in a competitive market. It wasn't exactly a fair fight; Google and Apple are (for the most part) completely dedicated to mobile development and can, therefore, devote the necessary time and resources. Microsoft was in the opposite position, a front-runner in PC development that was also busy co-running the console gaming industry with the Xbox. How on earth could the company possibly keep up with the high-pressure mobile industry on top of everything else?
The Motorola ThinkPhone can run Windows — sort of
Cloud-based Windows 365 is coming to Lenovo's business phone
Lenovo's Think series has always been the company's go-to brand for business-y stuff. That's why the Think brand was the go-to solution when the company thought to build a phone that means serious business. Thus, the Motorola ThinkPhone was born, and quickly became one of the best Motorola phones. It already supports some important business features like the Ready For desktop mode, but let's be real — running full Windows on a phone would be even better to get work done. The ThinkPhone is getting something just like that thanks to a partnership with Microsoft.
It's time to upgrade your operating system if you have a Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 PC. Microsoft has been trying to tell you this for some time, but Windows 8.1 officially reached end-of-life earlier this year, on January 10th, 2023. Windows 8 and its slightly-better sibling were never really considered "beloved" Windows entries, with many having problems with its surprisingly mouse-hostile UI, which was prepared for a touchscreen future but completely forgot about mice users in the process. Now, it's the time when app makers and developers start dropping support for the deprecated OS family — and Google is one of them.
How to install and use ADB on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Chromebooks, or even in a browser
Want to set up and use ADB? Read this
The Android Debug Bridge, or ADB for short, is one of the most powerful tools for your favorite Android phone. While it may take some time to learn all the options the command-line tool offers, like installing your favorite custom ROM, activating it, and using it with guidance is as easy as running a simple line of code on your computer. The best part is that it doesn't matter which device you use to send ADB commands to your phone. ADB works on Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, and even on the web or your phone, at least to an extent.
Google Nearby Share Beta for Windows really gives AirDrop a run for its money — and here's how it works
The phone-to-PC sharing solution is a joy to use
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Since the advent of Nearby Share in 2020, Android users have been enjoying the convenience of wireless file transfers between their phones and tablets. However, moving files from an Android device to a Windows computer has always been a little more clunky, making us envious of Apple’s AirDrop. Times are changing and Google finally has a workable Nearby Share implementation for Windows, currently in beta. We took the utility for a spin to get a look at everything it has to offer.
Android's Nearby Share finally arrives for Windows PCs
It is currently in beta in the US and a few other countries
For a long time, Android users have envied Apple's AirDrop, which allows iOS users to quickly and seamlessly share files between Apple devices. So, when Google introduced Nearby Share in 2020, Android users everywhere rejoiced because they finally had a simple way to transfer files between devices without having to attach them to an email. But sending a photo or video to your PC shouldn’t be a hassle, either — even with an ecosystem gap in the way. Thankfully, Google revealed at CES 2022 its plans to launch Nearby Share in beta for Windows at some point in the future, and that day has finally come.
WhatsApp for Windows is finally beta testing a dedicated tab for call logs
Seeing all your calls in one place just got easier
WhatsApp's users have been enjoying the benefits of multi-device support for a while now, and that was recently expanded to allow using a secondary smartphone, as well. Although you can use a linked device to place voice and video calls when using WhatsApp on a PC the user interface has lacked a dedicated tab for logging your calls. That's now changing, as WhatsApp starts testing a new call log for its Windows app.
Google One's VPN isn't just for your phone or tablet anymore
The company sure seems intent on making its VPN a priority
Google seems to be pushing on all cylinders to make a VPN worth using. Once just for its Google Fi subscribers, cloud storage holders with Google One have also been able to flip a switch and conduct their online business more securely. Yet, it was only a VPN worth using if you were on your phone or tablet. The company has been promising the service would make its way to Windows and Mac at some point for months. The good news is that point is finally here and now.
Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go 2 isn't as future-proof as this 2021 Chromebook
Really? With THAT display?
When one thinks Surface, they also think of Microsoft. It's a pretty good brand name. But the company has been slicing its product categories by form factors and price points deli-thin: would you like a premium, mid-tier, or entry-level Windows 2-in-1 or laptop? This week, the company updated its budget-ish laptop series with the Surface Laptop Go 2. On paper, it's super-portable, surprisingly performant, and costs between $599 and $799 — sounds like Microsoft wants a piece of the personal Chromebook market. But which should you go with?
Microsoft Edge PWAs will feel more like native apps on Windows
Finding, installing, and using PWAs will have never been better on Edge
Progressive Web Apps have been all the rave in the software world for some time, not least because they offer users the capabilities of full applications in a more lightweight form. Google has been a huge proponent of the solution (especially after realizing that Accelerated Mobile Pages weren't going to work out), adopting PWAs for many of its services while improving the experience on Chrome OS. Microsoft is now following suit, announcing several improvements to web app features and development on the Edge browser at its Build conference.
You can now run Windows on your Microsoft Surface Duo, but maybe you shouldn't
Not exactly a smooth experience just yet
For well over a decade, Microsoft tried and failed to get everyone on board the Windows Mobile train. It eventually ended its support for the operating system in December 2019 and moved to adopt Android for its dual-screen Surface Duo. If you're feeling nostalgic and have one of Microsoft's first-gen foldables lying around from last year's fire sales, you can relive the thrill of using Windows on a phone once more. Be warned, though — it's not exactly the most user-friendly experience.
Google's Stadia cloud gaming platform has struggled to really find and secure an audience. The library's had a hard time getting the really high-profile titles gamers crave, and the lack of compelling exclusives has made it a tough sell. By the beginning of 2022, Stadia almost looked ready to join the likes of Google+ or Picasa in the graveyard of dead Google projects. But now we're wondering if a new project might give Stadia the shot in the arm it needs, in the form of support for existing Windows games.
You can now uninstall Chrome web apps through Windows system settings, but there’s a catch
Better than nothing
Last week Google released Chrome 99, which includes plenty of optimizations and improvements to keep the browser machinery well-oiled. One of the new features it picked up introduces the ability to uninstall Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) right from Windows settings, just like you'd do with a native Windows program. While that sure sounds great in theory, it turns out there's a bit of a catch in just how it works.
Microsoft Andromeda OS hands-on teases a mirror universe Surface Duo without Android
And to think the Surface Duo could be running this instead of Android 10 in 2022
The Surface Duo from Microsoft was the first time the company delved its toes into Android, after being a fierce competitor for years through Windows Phone (and later Windows 10 Mobile). But it wasn't going to be this way at first. Initially, the Surface Duo was going to run a new operating system developed in-house by Microsoft (and presumably, if it saw the light, launched under the Windows branding). Andromeda OS never came to be, but thanks to new images and a video, we now know a little more about how it would've looked like, and functioned, should it have launched.
Google snuck a huge announcement into the Game Awards today. We're still working out the full ramifications of all this, but the company says it plans to bring Google Play Games to Windows in 2022, and it has explicitly confirmed to Android Police that this will include game distribution. In short: Google is launching an app store (for games) on Windows next year.
Android apps have arrived on Windows 11
The initial roster of supported apps is pretty light, though
Windows 11 is the biggest change to Microsoft's desktop operating system since 2015. While it brings a whole lot of new stuff to the table, a specific aspect of it caught our eye over here in Android land: Windows now supports Android apps. In a similar fashion to its Linux support, which had already been included with Windows 10, the latest version adds an Android subsystem so you can install and run your favorite apps on Windows natively. However, this wasn't a launch feature, so you couldn't just fire up a Windows 11 machine and start running Android apps. If you do want to try it out, the feature is now available for beta users.
Three weeks with Microsoft Windows on Chrome OS: The last piece of the puzzle
Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS is here for those of us who need a Windows app every other fortnight
I love Chrome OS. In fact, I love it enough to have used a Chromebook as my daily driver for a long time. But unfortunately, I keep running into limitations, even though the operating system has come such a long way compared to its early days. But despite Linux support, there are some indispensable programs only available on Windows and macOS that I keep coming back to, like the Microsoft Office suite and Adobe Photoshop. That's where Parallels comes in, the Windows virtualization machine known mostly by macOS users.
Pokémon's got a new way to eat up all your free time on Android
The new Trading Card Game app's also coming to iOS, Windows, and macOS
The Pokémon Company has announced that it's officially bringing the Pokémon Trading Card Game to Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS sometime soon. This digital adaptation of the popular physical trading card game will be free-to-play, and it will go by the name Pokémon Trading Card Game Live, not to be confused with the pre-existing Android game Pokémon TCG Online, which only runs on tablets. Pokémon Trading Card Game Live is expected to enter testing in Canada on mobile devices sometime soon, with a global launch on Windows and macOS later in the year.
This feature alone has made it worth sticking with Microsoft Edge over Chrome
Edge's built-in Collections utility has become a key part of my workflow
Like many others, I used to only ever use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (and later Edge) to download Google Chrome on a new Windows machine. But last year’s Chromium-based Microsoft Edge was intriguing enough that it convinced me to give it a proper try. I was sure that I’d use it for a couple of days before ultimately getting frustrated at something broken or half-baked before returning to Chrome. On the contrary, I haven’t looked back since. Edge has been my primary browser for all my work needs, and that's remained the case even as I switched platforms to macOS.
Review: The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 is the Microsoft Surface killer I've been waiting for
A windows detachable for keyboard fans
I can't tell you how many times I've almost bought a Microsoft Surface Pro, but I must have had one in my cart at least a dozen times. I like to plug in a small mechanical keyboard when I need to do a lot of typing on the go, and the detachable form factor makes that easier. However, once you add things like a Core i5 CPU and more RAM, the Surface costs well over a thousand dollars. That's before you add Microsoft's mediocre keyboard cover. So, I never pull the trigger, and now I might never have to after using the Lenovo ThinkPad X12. It offers the same detachable form factor as the Surface, but it comes with everything you need plus a few nice-to-have features.