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Upgrading to Windows 10
Maybe the first and biggest thing about the brand new release of Windows 10 is that as of right now (July 2015) you can download it completely for free if you’re a current Windows 7 or 8 user.
The new Windows 10 is much, much faster than it predecessors. It also has Cortana built in which is basically Microsoft’s version of Google Now. All kinds of voice activated action. I wish Google was the default search, but, I know, it’s asking too much for Microsoft 😉 From the look of the newer, sleeker OS, Windows has done some things very well. For instance, they’ve (THANKFULLY) returned the start menu which was missing from Windows 8. I guess Microsoft has chalked that up to a failed experiment.
The UI looks pretty good, not as pretty as the Mac UI, but better than Windows 8 for sure. Windows also now allows for multiple desktops at the click of a button which is an awesome new feature to have in Windows 10.
There is also improved gaming support. Newer games should be quite a bit faster thanks to the DirectX12 framework that will allow developers to better utilize the CPU and the way the game is interacting and calling out to your system. Current games probably wouldn’t see the speed boost, but new games should be pretty impressive. You will also be able to connect your xBox right over the WiFi network that you have in home now.
There is also a messaging app which seems to just connect into Skype and provide something very similar to the Mac messenger. Not impressed that it only seems to link to Skype.
Microsoft also says that they’re working to ensure the OS is more efficient and lends itself to better battery life, but right now it’s still on a Windows 8.1 level as far as battery life is concerned. Performance, as noted, does seem pretty great though.
There are some questions left though. I saw Lee Morris over at fstoppers post a few articles about his experience with Windows 10 thus far and it appears to be a train wreck. Cortana not working, buttons out of place, things uninstalling, things breaking and just fixing themselves, etc…
The big question is: Will I lose compatibility with CC? It would appear that everything will work fine, but I still think I’ll give this OS a few months before jumping on-even if that means I’ll be paying some money to get it later on. I’d rather have my computer in working order.
There is a great article on WIRED about updating to Windows 10 which is pretty useful.
Windows New Browser, Edge
This new browser is fast, fast, fast! It’s got a much nicer and cleaner look than Internet Explorer. I also like that Microsoft is moving on from the “Explorer” name. It’s brand image is tainted so badly that it will take a miracle to recover. Pave the way for “Edge” and let’s see if it’s the next big thing.
32 acre fake city to test self-driving cars
A 32-acre city in the middle of Michigan has been built to help test self-driving cars. This city, called Mcity, is the first major project of a part-governmental/part-academic/part-commercial partnership called the University of Michigan Mobility Transformation Center. Companies like Ford, Nissan, Honda, GM, and Toyota cooperate with each other to build and test self-driving cars and the technology that powers them. This fake city build will include typical traffic obstacles like sidewalks, traffic lights, pedestrians and traffic, and more. Read the whole report from University of Michigan here.
The Canon 4mil ISO camera
Even though Canon can’t seem to work 4K video into a consumer-grade DSLR, they just announced a camera that has a maximum ISO of over 4 million, which will basically allow users to shoot full HD video in almost pitch darkness. This camera, called the ME20F-SH, is definitely not geared at the average user. It’s being marketed at industry folks who have $30,000 to throw down. Canon is saying that this camera could be used in reality TV, nature/wildlife documentaries, and security/surveillance.
The camera is able to achieve such high ISO because the pixels on the sensor are more than 5.5 times larger than the pixels found on most dSLR cameras.
While someone like you and me cannot afford such technology, it has to start somewhere. Give it 10 years, and we’ll eventually see comparable sensors in our phones. Check it all out here.
Nokia’s Ozo Virtual Reality 360 Camera
With a heavy focus on VR lately, Nokia has emerged with a 360-degree camera called Ozo. This camera will record stereoscopic 3D video and spatial audio through its 8 sensors and microphones, which can then be published to VR hardware.
No word on pricing or availability, but the camera looks pretty legit!
Creepy? How to Shoot Portraits of Strangers on the Street Like a Ninja
Every photographer these days has a workshop that you can attend for $800-$1500 and Chicago photographer, Chuck Jines recently had a video of him teaching a street photography workshop get out showing him sneaking up very closely on people on the street to photograph them without them knowing about it. You’ve gotta check the video out. I don’t know if I should think it’s creepy. My gut tells me that it’s pretty cool, but I don’t know how I’d feel about someone photographing me that way.
$75K Reward for Names of Camera Drone Users Who Interfered at Wildfires
California has been suffering some pretty heavy fires over the last few months, one of the more recent coming just a few weeks ago which caused cars to burn on the highway. During attempts to put out the flames, firefighters were faced with a new kind of problem; drones. Looking for their 15 seconds of fame, a few idiots decided to fly their drones right in the middle of rescue operations. San Bernardino County board members are now offering three $25,000 rewards to anyone who can help identify the drone pilots. Read the story here.
Kepler discovers best Earth-like planet
NASA’s Kepler project, which is on the hunt for Earth-like planets, has made its biggest discovery yet. The planet called 452-b, which is 1,400 light-years away, is said to be to closest Earth-like exoplanet that has been discovered, but it’s far from perfect. The planet is estimated to be about 60% larger than Earth, which would create a gravitational pull of at least twice what we’re used to. The good news, is that 452-b orbits its star at about the same distance that Earth orbits the sun, which would make it a very good candidate for possible life. Read about it here!
At this time, it’s impossible to tell is life exists on this planet, as the current telescopes can’t detect bio-signatures. Future projects, like the James Web telescope, will give scientists much better data to work with.
Dives Captures the Moment He Discovers $1million in Gold Treasure
Child Receives First Double Hand Transplant. Amazing!
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