Ashton Kutcher to team up with Lenovo to create special edition phones

We've heard celebrities teaming up with tech companies to create an authentic design. Last time when Lenovo teamed up with Ashton Kutcher, they released a poorly designed tablets. A marketing executive told Recode that the company is once again teaming up with Mr. Kutcher to design a special edition line for smartphones. The details for the smartphone is not out yet. They are expected to be released later this year. Kutcher will in fact say something contrary to the smartphone in product design. Chief Marketing Officer David Rodman told Recode that"I know on one level, it sounds corny, but it is real". Also he added "He not only sees himself as an engineer, but he is an engineer. If he sees a problem, he wants to solve it".

We won't be knowing whether this smartphone is to be released under the Lenovo brand, even though Engadget assumed that it would be under Lenovo as it is a special edition phone. Engadget have reached out from comment from Lenovo. if there are more we would let you know it.

Source: Recode

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Microsoft may release a free version of Windows 8.1

To increase Windows 8.1s number of users Microsoft may release a free version of Windows 8.1. Reliable sources said to The Verge that the company is experimenting a build of Windows 8.1 with "Bing" which bundles with key Microsoft apps and services. ZDnet reported some Windows 8.1 with Bing details this week.

The Windows 8.1 with Bing is said to be a free or low-cost upgrade fr Windows 7 users. Upgrade offers are focused on increasing the number of Windows 8.1 users. The Bing version of Windows 8.1 might be also offered to PC makers as a part of  cutting the license price to under $250. The sources didn't say how much Microsoft is committed to this plan. It is also an initiative to push and monetize Microsoft's cloud services and app Microsoft see Bing as monetization landmine. The company is also said to consider low-cost or free versions of Windows Phone and seems to be working towards merging Windows RT and Windows Phone as a single platform for ARM-based chip sets. 

Bing-powered apps are bundled to Windows 8.1 and the leaked version of the OS does not seem to prove any significant changes. The company is expected to further detail the Windows 8.1 Spring update during its Build developer conference in April. More details about the merging of Windows RT and Windows Phone is also expected to be shared at the Build conference.

Source: The Verge

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Apple updated its management features and locked-down iPads stay locked-down

Running a business on an iPad has a huge advantage. You could build apps that work with your systems and a lot stuff that we need not say. It is messy when your employees stop working and start playing with the gadget you provided to run business. Formerly there used to be a profile that restricts it's user unauthorized access. But it's worth has been dropped since some school students figured out a way to pass this by uninstalling the profile that applies the restrictions to the devices. 

Yesterday the company introduced a handful of features that is going to help schools and business to manage the iPads of their students or employees. Apple is also introducing "zero-touch" which means who run mobile device management (MDM) server can install this on a new device without even unboxing it after enrolling at deploy.apple.com. This profile can also be made mandatory which prevents the removal of its profile.

Administrators can control email and VPN settings to the kind of passcode they have to use to the apps that are installed, and they could even remote lock or wipe it completely if it is lost and contains sensitive data.

A guide on how to use the features can be found at Apple's Device Enrollment Program (PDF version), the guide also tell what you can and can't do in this program. 

Source: Apple

Tested

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78% of iOS devices are now updated to iOS 7 says a new report

According to Apple 1% of iOS 7 adoption rate are being stolen from iOS 6 every week. They just updated their iOS adoption figures on their developer's support page. Apple first reported iOS 7 numbers based on App Store usage on the first day of December. The pie graph showed that 74 percent of users were on iOS 7, compared to 22 percent on iOS 6, and 4 percent on earlier versions.

Latest report shows that now its stands at 78 percent - with iOS 6 just 18 percent. The measure was taken from the data measured by the App Store during a 7-day period, ebding December 29, 2013. Obviously its a great news for Apple who made a concerted effort to enure iOS 7 adoption since it's release on September 18, even stipulating that all app submissions must be optimized for iOS 7 by February 1, 2014.

It also shows a massive development against Google whose latest version, Android KitKat 4.4 — is running around 1.1 percent of all devices.

Source: Apple

Image credits to Cult of Mac

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