Microsoft Windows 9, Cloud-based OS in the works: Report

An image shared by an infamous Chinese Windows leaker has revealed what Microsoft has on its Satya Nadalla-influenced roadmap in 2014

Posting on the Neowin forum, FaiKee has shown that Microsoft is working on Windows 9, Windows 365, Windows 8.1 Update 2, Office 2015 and more.

The image also provides a list of products Microsoft plans to update, including existing ones like Windows 8.1, Windows Phone 8.1, and Office 2013.

It also lists Windows 9, "& Server & mobile edition," all but confirming that there will be a separate Windows Phone 9 release.

Windows 365 is given a mention, and its status is listed as "Alpha based on Windows Core." This is expected to be a cloud-based platform that ties in with Office 365.

The road ahead
The listing of Office 2015, which is currently being built, suggests a possible release date of 2015 for all of these products, Windows 9 included.

Before we get the next Windows, however, there is Windows 8.1 Update 2 on the horizon, which is widely expected to include the restoration of the much-missed Start Menu, albeit with the twist of tacking on some Modern tiles as well.

Another interesting rumour is that Windows 9 will be given free to all Windows 8.1 users, which should greatly increase adoption of the newer platform.

Facebook says it may open sales office in China

Facebook Inc said it may consider opening a sales office in China to provide more support to local advertisers who use the website to reach customers overseas.

While Vaughan Smith, Facebook's vice-president of corporate development, told Reuters it was exploring ways to provide even more support locally, he did not comment on how soon it plans to be in China.

Facebook currently has a Hong Kong sales office with a staff of 30 to 40 people who deal with advertisers locally and in mainland China, where its services are blocked. The sales office would, for the first time, put Facebook employees inside mainland China.

Apple Patents Wraparound Edge-Mounted iPhone Displays With Virtual Buttons

Apple has a new patent granted today (spotted by AppleInsider) for a side-mounted   wraparound display that could be used to add virtual buttons to the edges of future     iPhones in place of physical controls. The display would run the circumference of the device, and offer up virtual versions of current physical controls, including volume up/down, but it would also make it possible for Apple to show a number of other controls and information away from the main screen.Some examples of what could appear on the side display include a slide unlock controller, or some app icons from the home screen or dock. Other options include music playback controls, and both caller ID and message summaries. In specific apps, like the calculator, additional functions may appear on the sides of the device, like the extended formula set for scientific calculator mode.

Microsoft says it is ready with 4G devices

Software and mobile handset major Microsoft is ready with 4G band devices, said a senior executive today. 

"As soon as the operators decide about the 4G, we can offer them the technology," said Raghuvesh Sarup, sales director at Nokia India, a subsidiary of Microsoft Mobiles. 

Speaking after the launch of the Lumia 630 dual SIM smartphone handset, the first device with Windows 8.1 system in the country, he said, "We have been LTE-ready with devices starting 2012; we have the technology. As the India LTE landscape has been recently clarified, we are working closely with operators. We also support FDD band 3 (1800MHz) which was recently auctioned." 

Currently telecom operators are busy trying to assess their own network capability for LTE, he said, adding "it's not yet known which major telecom player will choose what band. But, we are ready." Talking about the Lumia 630, first dual SIM smartphone from the Microsoft stable, Sarup noted that over 80% of the smartphones sold in the country are dual-sim ones.

Twitter adds mute button for unwanted posts