We're now just over four months before the launch of the next-generation consoles by Microsoft and Sony, the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5. With the final units still far from our hands, we are left to wonder which of the radically different approaches used by Microsoft and Sony will prove to be more successful.
For example, while Microsoft opted to keep its console's clock rates fixed, Sony went with the bold choice of using variable frequencies for both CPU and GPU, a decision that made the PS5's 10.28 TFLOPs figure feel misleading according to our own colleagues from Hardware as it only refers to the 'best-case scenarios' when there is no downclocking involved.
In a new interview published on Spanish site Xataka, Director of Program Management for Xbox Series X Jason Ronald said that Microsoft could have easily used the same approach to reach a higher theoretical TFLOPS figure, but that would have made it harder for developers to optimize their games.
We focus on optimizing the developer experience to deliver the best possible experience for players, rather than trying to 'hunt' down certain record numbers. We've always talked about consistent and sustained performance.
We could have used forced clocks, we could have used variable clock rates: the reality is that it makes it harder for developers to optimize their games even though it would have allowed us to boast higher TFLOPS than we already had, for example. But you know, that's not the important thing. The important thing is the gaming experiences that developers can build.
The Microsoft executive also suggested that the mere I/O speed of the Xbox Series X (which is inferior to that of the PlayStation 5, according to the official specifications) doesn't tell the full story.
Things go beyond the numbers that we may or may not share. Sampler Feedback Streaming (SMS) allows us to load textures and makes the SSD drive act as a multiplier of physical memory that adds to the memory that the machine itself has.
We also have a new API called Direct Storage that gives us low-level direct access to the NVMe controller so that we can be much more efficient in managing those I / O operations.
It will be some time before we get to see for ourselves which approach proved to be more fruitful. Still, until then, stay tuned on Wccftech for insights on the upcoming next-gen consoles by Microsoft and Sony.
Just over a month after Microsoft updated the preview version of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint to support Android handsets, it has released the final version of the apps on the Google Play Store for all.
Microsoft’s offering is easily the best among the office suites available on the Google Play Store. All the apps are well built and feature integration with cloud services like Dropbox and OneDrive for storing, as well as editing files stored on them. The apps have been optimised for the small screens and allow you to make basic edits to files for free.
The apps, however, are not as feature filled as the tablet version. Nonetheless, it is great to see Microsoft finally releasing its new office suite for all Android devices running KitKat or higher.
Will you be switching over to Microsoft’s Office suite on your Android smartphone or continue to stick to your existing office suite app?
It can log your running and cycling too - and then there are its smartwatch features. The Microsoft Band alerts you to text messages, emails, tweets and Facebook messages. You can answer phone calls with it, and of course it tells the time. So is this Microsoft's answer to the Apple Watch, or is it the most complete fitness tracker yet, with smartwatch functions tacked on?
I strapped one to my wrist to find out.
Microsoft Band: Design
My first impressions of the Microsoft Band were not good. The device is large and chunky and looks like something used to track the movements of a young offender, not a fitness fanatic. It looks nothing like a smartwatch and is not anywhere near as subtle as other dedicated fitness trackers like the Jawbone Up.
The Microsoft Band is much larger than other fitness trackers, and is uncomfortable as a result(IBTimes UK)
The Band can be worn either with the colour touchscreen display on the inside or outside of the wrist, and although its chunkiness makes it generally uncomfortable, the clasp is a smart and robust way of making the device fit wrists of all size. Not only is it sold in small, medium and large versions, but the clasp is adjustable, giving approximately eight degrees of adjustment to tighten or slacken the Band as required.
As well as the touchscreen, there are two buttons to interact with the band; when worn on the right wrist, these are conveniently placed for access with your left thumb. After a week with the Band I began to get used to its heft but I was never fully comfortable with it. I could not fold my arms without it digging into my wrist, shirt sleeve do not fit around it, and I felt self-conscious about it being exposed to my fellow commuters. It just does not look or feel good and the plastic screen was covered in scratches after just a few days' use.
The Band's plastic screen is very easily scratched during every day use(IBTimes UK)But looking good and being an ergonomic dream are not the main points of focus for the Band. Yes, you can read tweets and Facebook messages - and even answer calls if synced over Bluetooth to a Windows Phone device - but really the emphasis here is on fitness tracking.
I quickly realised this is not a device to wear all of the time; it is something to put in your gym bag, wear when you need it and be a means of checking phone notifications without stopping your run, bike ride or fitness class.
Treat the Band as your personal trainer, do not worry about wearing it in the office all day, and it starts to make a lot more sense.
Microsoft Band: Software
The Band's user interface is a series of tiles that you scroll through by swiping the touchscreen. These can be modified via the companion app that connects the Band over Bluetooth to any recent iPhone, Android or Windows Phone handset - although calls and Cortana voice controls are only possible when connected to the latter.
You can set the display to either come on when you press a button, or to show the time permanently; there is not an option to have the screen light up when you raise your arm, like on most smartwatches.
Sleep tracking provides detailed analysis of time, states of sleep and resting heart rate(IBTimes UK)
Your total steps for the day and the time are shown first, then all other tiles are lined up to the right; these include unread texts and emails. missed calls, calendar events, Facebook messages and tweets, and this is also where you access the weather forecast, ambient UV light, plus where you control the sleep and exercise-tracking functions.
Tap the running or cycling icon, press the action button and away you go. Press the button again when you are finished and the Band says how long your body will take to recover; data collected is sent to the iPhone app where your movement, heart rate and calories burned can be saved and analysed. The Band checks your heart beat every few minutes all day and night, but increases this to almost constant monitoring when you exercise.
The Band's heart rate monitor takes a reading every few minutes, all day and night, or constantly when you're exercising(IBTimes UK)
One criticism I have of the Band's software is the time it takes to sync to the smartphone app. Syncing it to my iPhone took around 10 minutes of trial and error on a commute one morning; I later discovered the Band needs an internet connection to sync, and not just Bluetooth, so transferring last night's sleep data on the Underground was not possible.
Microsoft Band: Notifications
Text messages show up clearly, but frustratingly longer ones do not appear in full(IBTimes UK)
Although not a smartwatch in the same way the Apple Watch is, the Band can handle notifications sent from your phone. The Band vibrates to signal incoming texts and shows a preview on the screen.
You can scroll through the message to read it - which is not actually as bad as you might think on such a small screen - but messages over a certain length are not shown in full, so often I would have to use my phone to read the rest. This is fine for quickly checking a text or email without interrupting your exercise too much, but it feels like something of an unfinished afterthought.
Microsoft Band: Fitness tutorials
A neat feature of the Microsoft Band is the apps enormous catalogue of exercise routines for you to download and follow. Organised by type - running, bodyweight, strength - there is everything from half-marathon training and sprint training, to fat burning, weight building and routines specialising on every muscle group.
Pick a routine and download each week's plan to the Band. Then, when you start a run or workout it will instruct you what to do and when to move to the next part of the routine. There are video tutorials for every step of every routine, streamed from Microsoft to the phone.
The Microsoft Health app syncs Band to iOS, Android and Windows Phone handsets(IBTimes UK)
Microsoft says the Band will last for two days between each charge. That is a day more than the Apple Watch and quite a lot considering the many sensors constantly analysing you and your surroundings. I found two days of light use, with the time not displayed, to be just about possible. But leave the time on permanently, receive many notifications, and two days quickly falls to one, so nightly charging is recommended.
Microsoft Band: Verdict
The Microsoft Band is the most feature-loaded wearable yet. It tracks every aspect of your fitness and is the perfect workout companion to help you get the most out of your gym membership. Constant heart rate tracking is a bonus over most other wearables, while the exercise tutorial list is as comprehensive as it is informative. My only complaint with the Band's fitness tracking is a lack of automatically knowing when you are running or sleeping.
But there is just too much going on here. Notifications are poorly implemented, with longer messages and emails impossible to read in their entirety, and the Band does not know when they've been read on your phone - so the message icon will say 28 or 36 or whatever until you go into that tile and tell the Band you have read them.
These are small, niggling faults compared with the ergonomic issues. The Band is terribly uncomfortable most of the time, forcing me to suggest buyers only wear it while exercising. It is less of a life tracker and more of a pure fitness tracker, to be used in the gym and on runs but left in your bag the rest of the time.
Microsoft Band Scores
Design and ergonomics: 4/10 - Ugly and uncomfortable, Microsoft really missed the mark here
Build quality: 7/10 - Feels sturdy, well made and as if it could survive many gym sessions. Shame about the easily-scratched screen, though
Software: 8/10 - Bags of information is displayed clearly on app and Band, but there are issues with synching and notifications
Battery life: 7/10 - More than most smartwatches, but still struggles to complete two full days with a night of sleep analysis in between
Features: 9/10 - It does pretty much everything you could ever want a fitness tracker to do
Overall: 6/10 - Masses of features does not always mean a runaway success. The Band does everything, but it is ugly and uncomfortable - and for something meant to be worn all day and night, that is unacceptable. Roll on version 2...
Microsoft has released another build of Windows 10(AnandTech)
Microsoft has released a new build 10052 of Windows 10 Technical Preview for phones.
The latest build is a more minor update than build 10051, which was made available just a few days ago, and includes major fixes for the issues affecting Windows Insiders. There are no new features, but with the fixes added in, it is expected to make the build smoother.
Fixes in build 100052
Flight mode can now be enabled.
Users can now disable data connections.
The bug that caused phone's MMS settings to be lost after upgrading from build 9941.
The issue in which users couldn't download keyboards for additional languages.
The issue where the viewfinder in the camera app composed incorrectly on devices including the Lumia 1020.
Microsoft added it had to pause the build 10051 availability for Lumia 520 as a small number of devices experienced issues while trying to roll back to Windows Phone 8.1 through the Windows phone reset tool.
The company said: "We are seeing some reports of failures on Lumia 520 devices when trying to roll back to Windows Phone 8.1 using the windows phone reset tool. We are pausing build availability for these devices temporarily while we investigate the issue and work with customers who have reported problems."
