Friday, July 31
Thursday, July 30

Windows 10 brings Wi-Fi Sense to the PC

If you’ve ever been slightly annoyed about having to go fetch that torn-off corner of paper that you wrote your cryptic home wi-fi passphrase key on for a guest, then Microsoft has reason numero uno for you to upgrade to Windows 10: Wi-Fi Sense. In a nutshell, this feature – if you choose to allow it – essentially shares your wi-fi passphrase with your friends, as determined by your contacts in Outlook, Skype and/or Facebook. In a loosey-goosey sort of way, Wi-Fi Sense is fairly secure, though I don’t recommend it for the most paranoid among us.

Wednesday, May 27

Microsoft Tests OneClip

Microsoft is reportedly internally testing OneClip, a new cross-platform clipboard syncing service. Some are comparing the service to Pushbullet, but to me the service sounds almost like an OS-level Droplr, assuming Microsoft eventually builds this into Windows 10.

I’m loving the new, cross-platform enthusiastic Microsoft. And while I agree that the OneClip name makes a lot of sense given the purpose and Microsoft’s OneDrive brand, I have to admit my first read of the headline gave me traumatic flashbacks.

Wednesday, March 18

Fare Thee Well, IE

When Microsoft’s Project Spartan finds its way to market, it will not bear the Internet Explorer brand. Good riddance, I say. I stepped away from Windows as my preferred computing platform seven years ago, but I encounter it every day in my Apple-averse workplace. With every release of IE, I had high hopes for something better. And with every release I was left disappointed by the same ol‘, same ol’. IE11 seems better, but yet still too familiar. I don’t think a name change alone signals better things to come, but Project Spartan sounds like a step in the right direction and maybe the brand refresh is symbolic of a much needed deeper philosophical shift within the Microsoft team responsible for its web browser.

Tuesday, March 03

Cynical

I don’t care who did what first, if smartphones unify into a single design interpretation, I’ll chalk that up as a very cynical view by manufacturers and design teams of the unique and individuality of consumer tastes and preferences. Obviously, I’m a bit disappointed. Thankfully, we have Motorola and Microsoft1 to help stem the tide of conformity2.

That said, in terms of build quality, the S6 looks like a great improvement over its predecessor. The bad news for Samsung, I’m guessing, is that build quality comes at a cost. And even though I don’t like to put companies on blast for making $4.5 billion in profit, the media isn’t quite so kind.

  1. For now, but maybe not for long for either of them.  ↩

  2. In all fairness to Samsung, I think Edge is an interesting take. It’s not the kind of must-have feature that would entice me to switch to Android, but at least it’s different.  ↩