Lenovo to preload Microsoft Office, OneDrive, and Skype on some of its devices

Expect to see Motorola smartphones with Microsoft’s software in the future.

Staying true to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s new vision for Microsoft of having as many people use their products as possible, the tech company is partnering with Lenovo to preload its software on some of Lenovo’s and Motorola’s Android phones. We don’t know yet which phones will be carrying Office, OneDrive, and Skype, though, but it’s expected that they’ll be shipping millions of Android devices with Microsoft’s suite in the coming years.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has entered into a patent-cross licensing deal with other brands. But what this means is Microsoft is giving up its right to charge hefty royalties so it could bundle its products and have them more accessible to more people.

Source: The Verge

PlayStation Plus to bump up prices next month

Starting September 22^nd, PlayStation Plus members will have to pony up more cash to pay for their memberships. According to Sony, the service is getting a price boost to reflect existing market conditions and so they can “continue providing exceptional value to our members.” Prices are moving up to $69.99 CAD for twelve months, $29.99 CAD for three months, and $11.99 CAD for a month.

If you continue to subscribe beyond the 22^nd, you’ll continue to get access to online multiplayer, free games, and exclusive discounts as well as “exclusive benefits” like online game save storage and discounts across PlayStation digital services. If you want to cancel your subscription, make sure to turn off auto-renewal in your account settings before September 22.

Source: PlayStation Blog

iOS finally gets Twitter’s Night Mode option

After launching its Night Mode on Android last month, Twitter brings the feature to iOS users. As its name suggests, Night Mode brings a darker skin to the app so it’s easier to read through your feed in places with less light. Once the update has headed your way, you can activate the feature by heading over to the app’s settings panel. Tap on “Display and sound” and then you can see the toggle for it under text size and other accessibility options.

Apple acquisition might give you access to your digital health records

Photo: VSPYCC/FlickrPardon the pun but you might be able to get a glimpse of your personal health records with one of Apple’s latest acquisitions. Apple bought Gliimpse recently, a company that specializes in helping users securely collect and share their personal medical records digitally in whatever manner you want. This new purchase could help Apple venture into medical records management and maybe even analysis. Apple can combine its recently launched CareKit platform—which allows companies to develop medical apps since it gives access to personal health data collected by Apple devices—with the technology they get from Gliimpse and offer doctors a more complete medical profile of their patients. Of course, we have to see how secure the collection will be and if companies will get behind it.

Source: Popular Science + Fast Company