Microsoft’s Social Network So.cl Opens to Everyone.

So.cl page with rich content.

       Microsoft silently launched their social network So.cl, which is said to help students to connect each other. The new Social Network was in development stage for almost a year. So.cl, pronounced “Social” lets users share and comment on interesting search results and connect with "like-minded" people. The site was developed by Microsoft’s FUSE Labs intended to help students on learning purposes and to enhance social experiences. 

       “We expect students to continue using products such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other existing social networks, as well as Bing, Google and other search tools. We hope to encourage students to reimagine how our everyday communication and learning tools can be improved, by researching, learning and sharing in their everyday lives.” Says Microsoft on So.cl’s “About” section. 

       Microsoft says that the social network is not arrival to Facebook or Twitter. They are aiming add a new layer to the current social networking concepts. So.cl even accepts login via Facebook account or Windows Live Account. Microsoft has made a wise decision by not launching the site as a rival for any of the other social networks. It seem that they might have learned it from Google+. It is interesting fact that the beginning of Facebook was similar as students were targeted at first. 

       So.cl is similar to other social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The site allows users to share pages, follow “like minded” people, make discussions etc. All searches in So.cl are public by default and users can make their content “private” or delete it. The overall look of the site is good. The layout is similar to Google+, with elements from Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. 

"Vidoe Parties" in So.cl

       Users can share their activities on So.cl with other users, as in Facebook. Users can follow each other or follow interests as “pages” in Facebook. The “Everyone” feed option is users can see what others are searching or sharing. Users have an option to cross post their So.cl activities on Facebook. The “Video Party” feature which is similar to video sorting in YouTube is a major highlight of So.cl. The feature allows users to create slideshow of videos. 

       The features of So.cl are minimal compared to other mainstream social networks. It is an experimental research project which help combine search with the social network for the purpose of expressing and sharing ideas, organized by interests. Thus So.cl is not meant to replace existing social network at present. 

Samsung Unveils Galaxy Camera.

        Galaxy Camera is the first android digital camera made by Samsung. It is a point and shoot camera with 21x zoom and a 4.8” LCD HD touch screen. Most amazing part is surely the OS which is the new Android 4.1 jelly bean. Galaxy camera is not the first android powered camera; Nikon has already taken that position with the introduction of Coolpix S800c. Other cool features of this camera include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G/4G LTE and GPS. It has an internal memory of 8GB and it can be expanded via micro SD card. Galaxy camera is very stylish in looks but not the slimmest one. It has many camera modes for inexperienced photographers and it also has advanced modes which can be used by professional photographers. With 1.4 GHz quad core processor under the hood this camera is powerful than most of the mobiles phones in the market.

SPECIFICATIONS:
*  1.4 GHz quad core processor
*  Android 4.1 Jellybean OS
*  Sensor size: 1/2.3”
*  CMOS sensor
*  16.3 MP
*  Minimum/Maximum ISO: 100/3200
*  4.8” HD LCD display
*  21x zoom
*  1080p video capture
*  Memory: 8GB internal and can be expanded using micro SD card
*  4.1-86.1 mm f/2.8-5.9 lens
*  focal length (35mm equivalent): 23-483mm
*  Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G/4G LTE, HDMI, built in speaker and microphone

         Galaxy camera with its all new cool features has astonished everyone. 21x zoom is very respectable in the case of a camera like this. But however without closer look the image quality cannot be predicted. If you are a traveller and want to share all your pictures you can consider this as it has a lot of connectivity options. But are all these features essential for a camera? When better cameras are available for the same price range will consumers prefer Galaxy camera over them just to play with android? Let’s wait and see…

Expected Price Tag : $630

Microsoft unveils Office for tablets.

Microsoft on July 17, 2012 unveiled a new version of its Office suite tailored for tablets and other touch screen devices, in the company's largest-ever overhaul of the workspace software it relies on for much of its profit. The revamped Office takes advantage of Cloud computing and is designed for use with the Windows 8 operating system, Windows Phone 8, and the updated Xbox. It makes use of cloud computing by storing documents and settings on the Internet by default, and is compatible with touch screens widely used in tablets. It also incorporates Skype, the video-calling service Microsoft bought for $8.5 billion in 2011. While the previous vesions of Office uses PC's hard drives for saving documents, the new Office uses Microsoft's online "Skydrive" or "Sharepoint" service for default storage. The new Office incorporates social networks which allows you to view multiple email accounts, get facebook updates etc in Outlook itself. Documents can be easily shared on facebook or published in blogs in the new Office. The company is planning to sell the product through online subscription service. Office is Microsoft's single-biggest profit driver. The last update of the office was done on 2010 when it introduced the online versions for the first time. The full version of Office 15 is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2013. However it is unclear whether Microsoft have plans to launch versions of Office compatible with Apple's iPad or tablets running Google's Android platform.