Tag: Windows 8.1

Windows Emoji Keyboard

In this, my last post honoring World Emoji Day (promise), I showcase the emojis available with Windows Touch Keyboard.

In addition to the new emojis in GMail, and the hidden emojis in Skype, did you know that you can access emojis using Windows’ on-screen keyboard?

The on-screen keyboard (aka, Touch Keyboard), available to Windows desktop since versions 8, includes emoji characters similar to those used on iPhones and iPads.

emoji keyboard2

Accessing Emojis Using Windows Touch Keyboard

  1. In Desktop mode, RIGHT+CLICK on the taskbar, point to Toolbars and select Touch Keyboard. The Touch Keyboard icon TouchKeyboard Icon. now appears on the Taskbar.
  2. Click (or tap, if using a tablet) the Touch Keyboard icon to display an onscreen keyboard.
  3. Click the emoji key Emoji button_66 to display emojis.
    emojiKeyboard
  4. Click the desired emoji. That emoji is inserted at the current cursor position.

Press ‘X‘ to close the Touch Keyboard when done.

Cheers!

Additional reading:

Phone Smack-down: Cortana vs. Siri & Google

Wondering how the different mobile virtual assistants fare?

Dan Rubino, of Windows Phone Central, put together a tête-à-tête-à-tête  comparison, pitting newcomer Cortana (Windows phone 8.1) against veterans Siri (Apple) and  Google Now (Android).  Although presented fairly objectively, consider the source when reviewing, and judge for yourself.

If you want to skip the 7 minute video, here’s the the blow-by-blow. In many cases each assistant handled its task slightly differently. For more details view the video, or follow this link to wpcentral.com’s article.

 

Siriapple

Cortanawin8logo

Googlephone_android
Settings
“Turn off WiFi.”		 blue checkmark blue checkmark blue checkmark
Social media
“Four Square, check-in.”		 blue checkmark blue checkmark
Connect
“Call _____ using Skype?”		  blue checkmark  blue checkmark
Events
“When’s the next Miami Heat game?”		 blue checkmark blue checkmark blue checkmark
Flights
“Flight status, AA125.”		 blue checkmark blue checkmark blue checkmark
Appointments
“What’s my schedule?”		 blue checkmark blue checkmark
Web Browser
“Go to CNN.com.”		 blue checkmark blue checkmark blue checkmark
Notes
“Note: I need to repark the car.”		 blue checkmark(w/Notepad) blue checkmark(w/One Note) blue checkmark(w/email)
Navigation
“Where’s the nearest Dunkin Donuts?”		 blue checkmark blue checkmark blue checkmark
Weather
“Whats the weather like Tuesday?”		 blue checkmark blue checkmark blue checkmark

Cheers!

hɔuᴉnb

Happy Birthday, Windows

The year is 1985. Soviet leader Gorbachev meets with American President Reagan. Cocoa Cola unveils New Coke. Actor Rock Hudson dies of aids. Singer Madonna’s starts her first tour.

And on November 20, 1985, Microsoft releases Windows 1.0.

Unveiled in 1983, it would not be available for purchase until two years later. Arguably, that makes Windows 30 years old, but since many tricenarians, have a hard time with that milestone, we extend her two years grace..

Over time her share of sales and public favor has varied, as illustrated by this infographic.

Timeline: Windows Logo Evolution 

WindowsReleaseTimeline
(click to enlarge)

Going Retro

Like most twenty-somethings, the Windows logo has had her own experiments with style. Here’s a look back at fashions past.   

WinEvolution
animation by FORBiES

Flashback: notice how similar the current Windows 8 logo is to the original!

Sharing Win’s birthday:

Additional reading..

Cheers!

hɔuᴉnb

Comments and questions are always welcome!

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Windows 8.1-What’s new?

Give me back my Desktop and Start Button! 

Yes, we all complained, and millions of voices could not be silenced. Newer wasn’t necessarily better, so Windows 8.1 has returned some old features and improved some others. The desktop is now much easier to access (yay!), but the Return of the Start button, misses the mark. START is back, but only as a means to access the much maligned START screen (boo!).

Return of the DESKTOP

The only thing on my Windows 8 Start screen I ever used was the Desktop tile. So going from boot-up to START screen, and then clicking on Desktop was an extra and unappreciated step. Now, with 8.1, you can re-enable booting up with Desktop.

Windows81a

Additionally, you can

  • Share the Desktop background with the Start screen,
  • Control the Corner Navigation ‘aka: hotspopts’

To access, RIGHT + CLICK  on the Taskbar , and select Properties, Navigation.

Better SEARCH

With Windows 8.1 your Search includes not only your local drive and apps, but also your SkyDrive and web results. And speaking about SkyDrive, there is better integration and support for SkyDrive users.

Better CONTROL PANEL

The Windows 8 PC Settings was an abbreviated version of the familiar control panel. With limited settings available, To make a setting change one either had to search for it, or access the legacy windows Control Panel. Windows 8.1 has made more control panel applets accessible under Settings (although I still find it easier to use the search  option to locate the setting I am tweaking).

Easier TILING (aka ‘SNAP’)

The Windows 8 SNAP feature was (sorry) annoying, mostly in that you could not control the size of the windows you were tiling. Windows 8.1 improves this feature by allowing you to control the size of the tiled (oops, I mean SNAPPED) windows.

Additional articles to peruse:

Cheers!

hɔuᴉnb

Comments and questions are always welcome!

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