Dual-boot Windows and Android phones reportedly coming this year

Dual-booting might no longer just be a PC concept. A new report from The Times of India claims that there will be Windows Phone-Android dual-booting handsets arriving this year. Karbonn Mobiles have signed a licensing deal with Microsoft and the company intends to release the device within the next six months. The dual-booting devices will reportedly target “tech-savvy consumers” and “professionals.” We’re not quite sure there’s a need for a dual-boot handset but let’s see how this pans out.

Gartner study finds Android surpassing iOS as most popular tablet platform

Gartner previously predicted that Apple would maintain supremacy over the tablet market until 2015. Their new study, however, shows Android has taken over iOS in 2013 with 62 percent of the market share against 36 percent of iOS. The overall tablet sales are the main reason for the sudden climb as well as the increase of cheaper, small-screen Android slates on the market. Microsoft saw modest growth in 2013 with Windows 8 tablets accounting for just 2.1 percent of the market.

Source: Engadget

Microsoft looking to integrate Xbox Live with Android and iOS games

A recent job posting from Microsoft reveals the company’s plans to develop the cross-platform capabilities of its Xbox Live service. Xbox Live currently works with Microsoft consoles and Windows/Windows Phone games to keep track of achievements, friends’ lists, and game matchmaking. According to The Verge, Microsoft wants to “win back” game developers from its competitors through easier integration with games and apps. Microsoft plans to lessen the restrictions and improve tools for game developers to integrate Xbox Live into their titles.

Microsoft ushers in the end of the Windows XP era, what you need to know

Microsoft has supported Windows XP for a decade, that's a monumental task for the software giant and while Windows XP was a formidable and right for its time but is time to move on. No, really, here's what you need to know.

A lot has changed in the past decade since Microsoft launched Windows XP and Office 2003. Hardware is less expensive, devices are smaller, operating systems are faster and mobile phones are smarter than ever. In addition, the way we work has changed as well – we’re more mobile and more social in the workplace today than ever before. However, despite all of these advances, according to Stat Counter, nearly 21 percent of computers worldwide are still using Windows XP.

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