Meet the new Microsoft, a maker of premium hardware products

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

By launching its own Apple-esque spread of super-desirable and sexy handsets, tablets, notebooks and wearables, Microsoft can show the world ideal products that work best with its software and services. 

Windows 10 might have been made available for free, but enjoying the optimal Windows 10 experience on Microsoft's new devices is going to cost you.

Microsoft just unloaded a kaboodle of new hardware and none of them can be considered cheap, even if the unified OS which they run, Windows 10, is one of the most accessible and available operating systems in the market today. Since it launched eight weeks ago, Windows 10 has been installed in over 110 million devices by users hoping to exorcise the demons left behind by Windows 8 on their PC's, 2-in-1's and tablets.

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Starbucks App brings mobile ordering and payments to Toronto iPhones on October 13

Starbucks will enable a new feature on their Starbucks app for customers to order and pay using their iPhones, this will cut down on lines and waiting time and ensure everyone gets their Pumpkin Spice Latte's as fast as possible.

The Mobile Order & Pay feature is coming to to approximately 300 company-owned stores in the Greater Toronto Area on October 13, 2015.

Starbucks customers using the app will be able to order ahead, then pay and pick up their purchases – providing on-the-go customers a simple and quick alternative to get some of their favourite food or beverage items.  

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Roku releases OS 7 update and a new mobile app

Roku, currently the leader in streaming set-top boxes embraced by cord cutters, has just upped the ante with a new OS 7 update which is expected to toll out to exisiting customers this month. 

The new OS 7, free to existing Roku devices, is  filled with new discovery features that give consumer more access to entertainment choices.

With a major update to Roku Feed consumers can now follow movies, TV shows, actors and directors to receive automatic entertainment updates about pricing and availability.

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Twitter names Jack Dorsey as CEO

Image credit: cellanr @ Flickr

Twitter has settled on making Jack Dorsey its permanent CEO after he held the position as the interim chief. Twitter plans to have a separate chairman though. Dorsey, at the same time though, is the head of mobile payments company Square. Twitter aims to rekindle growth following a rather abysmal result from the last quarter. Investors and analysts have praised faster product rollouts since Dorsey took over for Dick Costolo back in July.

According to Peter Currie, Twitter’s lead independent director, “To further simplify the demands on his time as well as to make sure we bring a fresh voice and new leadership to the board, the board has decided to separate the chair and CEO roles.”

Source: Reuters