What to expect from Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1

Here's a hands-on look at what you can expect from Windows Phone 8.1 update 1

On the heels of Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft has released the latest update to its mobile OS. Currently available to download for users as part of the free-to-join Preview for Developers program, Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 includes some minor but important enhancements. Here's a look at what to expect.

Microsoft has said that the update will roll out to consumers with devices running Windows Phone 8.1 in the coming months, but we've already taken it for a spin.

Live tile folders

Android and iOS devices have had the ability to group apps together by creating folders for several years now and Windows Phone is finally joining the party, but with a bit of a twist. The folders continue with Microsoft's live tile approach, so you will see updates from each app you put in a folder.

Putting apps in folders is just like adding apps to create folders in iOS and (some) Android launchers. Just tap and drag an app to another app to create a folder and then you'll be able to name it. The folder will display a grid of mini app icons, and when you tap it, you can easily access the app you want. You can also resize the app tiles inside the folder once it's expanded. For example, in the screenshot below I created a music folder and you can see both the live tile view and the larger view once the live tile is opened.

Apps Corner

Apps Corner is a restricted access mode that's designed to provide access to selected apps on your phone if you let someone borrow it. The person who borrows your phone will get a customized Start screen with access to only the apps you selected. This is a good solution for businesses and can work as a sort of kiosk mode to prevent users from accessing certain functions. It's also similar to another Windows Phone feature called Kids Corner that gives your children access to only specific games and apps you choose. To use it go to Settings > apps corner and tap Apps. Then select the apps you want to be available.

To get out of Apps Corner, hold the power button down for about a second and you'll see the following screen. You can either power the phone off or swipe to the right to exit Apps Corner. Make sure you have a Lock Screen password set, because the other person using the phone has access to this too. But they will need your code to get out of it.

Xbox Music improved

Xbox Music has improved quite a bit across all platforms over the past few years. Unfortunately, when Windows 8.1 was launched, it was painfully slow and crashed a lot. Microsoft heard the user complaints and admitted the app was broken. Now with the Windows Phone 8.1 update, you should notice several improvements and bug fixes, along with a snappier interface. The company also said new features will be added regularly, with "now playing" on the music live tile set to appear in the not-too-distant future.

Windows Store live tile

Now when you have the Windows Store tile set to the medium size, it will be "live" and display new apps, recommendations, the app of the day and more. The screenshot below shows two different games that are being featured via the Store's live tile. While this isn't a huge deal, it is further evidence that Microsoft is tightening up its mobile OS.

Improvements to SMS

Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 allows you to select multiple SMS messages to delete or forward all in one action. It will be available in built-in apps as well as more places like the Phone app call log. You can get to it in a messaging app by selecting more options, tapping "select messages" and checking the ones you want to delete or forward on.

Other notable improvements

• The update will also see changes to Internet Explorer 11 on Windows Phone, which at the moment isn't the most enjoyable mobile browser to use. As most mobile sites are designed for Safari in iOS, Microsoft is introducing browser detection, which will automatically present the site as it would appear in Safari on iOS. Other improvements include updated support of HTML 4, interoperability fixes, support for non-standard proprietary features and more.
• New native screen resolutions will also be available, including 960 x 540 and 1280 x 800, which will improve the appearance on larger devices with 7-inch screens.
• Microsoft's mobile digital assistant, Cortana, which was previously only available in the US, will be extended to more countries, including China, Australia, India, UK, Canada and others.
• High voltage charging that will support faster phone charging via the Qualcomm Quickcharge 2.0 standard.
• Bluetooth notifications have been added that will allow your phone to communicate with wearable devices like smartwatches, fitness trackers, etc.

How to test-drive Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 yourself

if you don't want to wait for your carrier to send it your way, you too can take the update for a spin right now.

Joining the Preview for Developers program is free, and only takes a few minutes to sign up for. Not only do you get Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1, but also all future updates well before the general public. Do keep in mind that some of the updates might be unstable, and that by joining the program, you can potentially void your phone's warranty.

Once you've signed up for the developers' program, you can get the update by going to Settings > Phone Update > Check for Updates. Then follow the onscreen instructions to download and install it.

Onwards and upwards

Microsoft seems to be rolling out updates on a more regular schedule than it has in the past for both its mobile OS and desktop operating system. While some of the new features included in Windows Phone have been around for a long time in iOS and Android, they are welcome additions for Windows Phone owners. If you're new to Windows Phone or are thinking of jumping to the platform, with Windows Phone 8.1 and now Update 1, the OS has matured in a quick fashion.

MSI outs thin and light professional notebook

The WS60 packs some high-end professional specs into a thin and light chassis

Though you’re probably more familiar with MSI as a manufacturer of high-end gaming notebooks, the company also makes some compelling professional products. The latest of these is the WS60 – a thin and light 15.6-inch machine that packs a Core i7 processor and 2 GB of dedicated graphics and is available with a Full HD or 3K display.

The WS60’s Nvidia Quadro K2100M graphics card is what gives the system its "professional" status. Though the GPU should be able to handle some fairly high-end gaming, it’s actually designed for CAD CAM engineers and designers. Accordingly, the notebook is certified for professional 3D design programs such as SolidWorks.

The laptop is fitted with a high-end Intel Core i7-4710HQ processor clocked at 2.5 GHz, along with a full 16 GB of RAM and a Killer gaming network card. As you might expect from a 15-inch machine, the range of ports is fairly expansive, including three USB 3.0s, HDMI-out, Thunderbolt 2 and an SD card reader. MSI has opted for Windows 7 Professional over Windows 8.1.

There are two configurations of the laptop on offer. The first packs a 2,880 x 1,620 display and a hybrid 256 GB SSD RAID 0 and 1 TB 7,200 RPM HDD setup, while the second lowers the screen resolution to a more standard 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, and offers a 128 GB mSATA and 1 TB 7,200 RPM HDD hybrid setup.

The design of the notebook is influenced by the company’s gaming laptops, and while many professional notebooks tend to be fairly hefty, the WS60 measures in at just 0.78 in (19.8 mm) thick and weighs in at 4.36 lb (2 kg). The system is also fitted with a SteelSeries anti-ghosting keyboard and 30 fps, 1080p webcam.

The 1080p display, base configuration of the WS60 ships for US$2,300, while the 3K resolution model retails for $2,600.

Single injection reverses type 2 diabetes symptoms in mice without side effects

Researchers at the Salk Institute have found that the FGF1 protein shows promise for the development of safer, more effective diabetes drugs

There are numerous research efforts underway to develop new treatments and improve the lives of people suffering type 2 diabetes, whose ranks have increased dramatically in recent decades due in large part to the so-called obesity epidemic. A new generation of safer and more effective diabetes drugs could be in the offing with researchers at the Salk Institute discovering that when mice with diet-induced diabetes were given a single injection of a protein, their blood sugar levels were restored to a healthy range for more than two days.

Although type 2 diabetes can sometimes be managed through a healthy diet and regular exercise in the initial stages, tablets that boost the body's production of insulin are generally prescribed as the disease progresses. Such tablets can have side effects, including nausea and diarrhea, and aren't suitable for everyone, such as pregnant women and those with severe liver, kidney or heart disease. They can also cause blood glucose levels to drop too low, potentially resulting in hypoglycemia.

Now Salk researchers have found that injecting obese mice with the equivalent of type 2 diabetes in humans with a single dose of protein FGF1 quickly restored their blood glucose levels to normal levels where they remained for more than two days. Importantly, even when given high doses, the mice suffered none of the side effects common to most current diabetes treatments, such as weight gain or heart and liver problems.

"With FGF1, we really haven't seen hypoglycemia or other common side effects," says Salk postdoctoral research fellow Jae Myoung Suh. "It may be that FGF1 leads to a more 'normal' type of response compared to other drugs because it metabolizes quickly in the body and targets certain cell types."

Like the mechanism of insulin resistance that causes diabetes, the team says the mechanism responsible for FGF1 normalizing blood sugar levels isn't fully understood. But despite FGF1 being a growth factor, the team found that its ability to stimulate growth was independent of its effects on blood glucose levels, thereby increasing the chances of it being used to develop safer, more effective diabetes drugs.

"We want to move this to people by developing a new generation of FGF1 variants that solely affect glucose and not cell growth," says says Ronald M. Evans, director of Salk's Gene Expression Laboratory. "If we can find the perfect variation, I think we will have on our hands a very new, very effective tool for glucose control."

Evans and his team are planning to conduct human trials of FGF1, but admit fine-tuning the protein into a therapeutic drug will take time.

The team's paper is published in the journal Nature and a video detailing the discovery can be viewed below.

Curiosity marks two years on Mars

Artist's impression of Curiosity (Image: NASA)

Break out the party hats – NASA’s Curiosity rover is celebrating its second anniversary on Mars. On August 5, 2012 at 10:31 pm PDT (August 6, 05:31 GMT), the unmanned spacecraft touched down at Bradbury Landing in Gale Crater on the start of a multi-year mission to seek out areas where life could or may once have existed, and is now preparing to carry on for a third year.

The nuclear-powered explorer had a very busy first year. As the largest, most advanced rover ever built, nothing like this had ever flown before and since the nearest garage was a hundred million miles away, the first months that Curiosity spent on Mars involved an array of system tests before it took it first tentative rolls across the Martian sands on its roundabout path to Mount Sharp.

Curiosity’s main mission was to find out if there are any places on Mars where life could have once existed – specifically, areas displaying minerals and geology that could have been produced by water. In this, Curiosity was very lucky. Bradbury Landing turned out to be very close to an ancient dried lake bed in an area named Yellowknife Bay. According to NASA, this lake bed may have been able to sustain microbial life billions of years ago because it contained all the general prerequisites; water, the right chemical elements, and a chemical source of energy.

Image of tracks left by Curiosity taken the day before the second anniversary (Image: NASA)

"Before landing, we expected that we would need to drive much farther before answering that habitability question," says Curiosity Project Scientist John Grotzinger of the Caltech. "We were able to take advantage of landing very close to an ancient streambed and lake. Now we want to learn more about how environmental conditions on Mars evolved, and we know where to go to do that."

Compared to its first year, which was marked by many firsts, such as the first drilling operation on Mars, the first laser firing, and first UV night scans, Curiosity's second year on the Red Planet has been more routine. However, it hasn’t been without incident. In February, the rover cleared a dune that blocked its progress and in July it negotiated a detour around rocky terrain at Zabriskie Plateau. The latter was of particular concern because NASA has noticed that the six aluminum wheels that carry Curiosity are wearing faster than anticipated.

NASA says that time is taking its toll on the computer systems as well with mission control nursing Curiosity’s two computers to make sure they both remain in proper working order. It had to switch to its B computer after the A computer started acting up, and in July the rover got a two-day holiday as technicians confirmed that the A computer could still act as a backup should the need arise.

On the science side, year two has had its share of surprises. The biggest one is the total lack of methane gas detected in the Martian atmosphere. Because methane is a key indicator of biological activity, this was a blow to chances of finding life on Mars today. Worse, it meant that other sources of methane are absent on Mars as well, which poses some head-scratching questions.

On the plus side, Curiosity has been monitoring the radiation on the Martian surface as a prelude to manned expeditions. NASA says that though the levels are high, they are consistent with predictions.

Currently, Curiosity is making its way toward new areas of study about 2 miles (3.2 km) from its present position. It’s next stop is a rock outcrop called "Pahrump Hills,” which lies about 1 mile away on Zabriskie Plateau.

Top 10 or free apps for iOS (iPhone, iPad)

Have you ever thought about playing piano on the second? Or to experience the same sense of fun with Paper Piano measured in the top 10 apps or free today!

 

1. ShopIt

ShopIt is an application for people who frequent shopping, help you can easily plan your scaring myself but only with extremely simple actions.

To use, simply open the application, swipe to the right to add the desired items on your shopping list. Then, the items that you add will appear as an icon at the top of the screen. Some other features of the application that we can be listed as: Change the font color to find, add notes for each item that needs to buy ...

2. Convertizo 2

Convertizo 2 conversion application is very attractive unit, currently support iOS 7 with impressive interface.

With this application, you can switch between hundreds of different units such as energy, first, length, speed, temperature, time, weight .... Therefore, you will no longer feel awkward every time to convert something immediately.

3. IAchievement - Gamify Your Life!

You have plenty of objectives to do but do not know where to start. Please use iAchievement - Gamify Your Life! application or top, free today.

This application will allow you to plan, manage and track the target in the most simple way. Hence, you will know the extent of their progress, as well as intelligent but need to do the next time ...

4. IDownloader Pro

iDownloader Pro is an application that manages the downloading and powerful download iOS devices. With this application, you can easily upload files and applications on the latest internet easily.

The highlight of this app is the perfect combination with the music player, video player, picture viewer, PDF reader ... So, you can easily view, manage the downloaded file immediately.

5. Paper Piano

As the name implies, Paper Piano is an application that enables you to play piano on the second. Many people believe that this is seemingly impossible, but you absolutely can test right now. With this application, you can easily play the music on piano comfortably without worry is removed by a tiny keyboard on the screen.

To use the application, you first boot or Paper Piano on the iPhone, and then print out a paper piano keyboard, sound options and putting the iPhone into place as instructed. Then, that you experience but emits sounds interesting.

6. Easy Downloader HD

Easy Downloader HD is an application that supports download a job utmost ease. You can use this application to download video, music, documents, images or attachments.

You just need to click to download the link or image. After that, the program also supports you extract the ZIP file, but the file includes no password protection. You can also use this application to immediately share your files if you wish.

7. Bubble Town 2

Bubble Town game is most well known, is a winner in over time. This is the tennis table game and your task is to create 3 strings of the same type to bridge them disappear.

 

You will be selected 45 different levels in 3 environments jazzy. Game play simple ownership, offers beautiful graphics will make you satisfied.

8. Zombie Smasher

In Zombie Smasher, eat cuarb mission is to defend your village from the invasion of zombies. The game has simple gameplay, but before the user score by beautiful pictures, attractive sound.

Before you use your fingers so nimble and skilful to destroy the monster. Zombie Smasher has 60 levels, you only need one little ingenuity is able to overcome the man challenging game play.

9. ThinkTock

ThinkTock application is an interactive story for children. With ThinkTock, the child will be involved in the journey to explore the world with Kakamo character.

With the application, the baby will develop his intelligence, by directly participating in story content, and explore the different lessons. This application is a combination between elements of entertainment and educational elements.

10. Dinosaurs Go Home

Go Home Dinosaurs titles goalkeeper is quite attractive. In the game, you will be acquainted with the lovely naked mole rats in outdoor parties extremely interesting. However, this party has been broken by greedy dinosaurs. So your task is to help the mice against the dinosaurs to protect the aromatic steak.

Game will give you 60 levels equivalent to 60 screens stretching from easy to difficult. You will have to build a solid defense system and build a reasonable strategy to exert all his strength.

Above are the top 10 free apps or on the App Store today. Hope you pick up the most suitable application!