The easy way to install Windows 10 IoT Core Insider Preview on your Raspberry Pi 2

Windows 10 is set to hit computers on July 29 which means Microsoft has a few weeks before the brand new desktop operating system hits prime time. But that's only for desktop users, other versions of Windows 10 are expected to gain some good speed after Windows 10 for the desktop launches late next month. In the past month, Microsoft has started focusing on Windows 10 builds for phones and the XBOX and now it seems that IoT devices are getting some love.

A new version of the Windows 10 IoT Core Insider Preview is now available for supported devices like the Raspberry Pi 2, MinnowBoard Max and Intel Galileo. The new 6/24 build includes a couple of new features like SSH support, audio output support for the Raspberry Pi 2 and also some bug fixes. Wi-Fi however is still not supported on any of the boards, so it's still up to the good ol' LAN cable.

Google Cardboard convinced me about Virtual Reality

Virtual reality made cheap

Google made a big deal when they announced a slightly modified version of Cardboard during Google I/O this year. Alongside that, they also introduced two pilot program (JUMP and Expeditions) which are designed to bring virtual reality to the masses. With that said, I got myself an unofficial Cardboard VR headset online for about $5 and somehow I started to believe in Virtual Reality.

From the start, I never quite understood why Virtual Reality was the future of computing/gaming. Basically, when it comes to VR, my knowledge of it is that Oculus is the best solution out there and it'll cost around $1500 to get a rig capable to power the pixels inside the headset. Companies like HTC and Samsung has started investing their time into creating VR headsets but my concern towards the platform is still there. I'll explain what I mean about this later on in the article.

The journey so far with Windows 10

We're nearly there!

Today's the day we've been waiting for ever since Microsoft announced the arrival of Windows 10 last October. Joe Belfiore went on Twitter to announce that July 29 will be the launch the date for Windows 10 and to get everyone ready, they're starting to push out reservation popups on compatible devices (Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 PCs). So, how did we get here? How did the name Windows Threshold become Windows 10?

July 29 is the date! Windows 10 for all! Tell friends & family: RESERVE YOUR COPY NOW to get it on day 1! http://t.co/jGSloJDZkM

— joebelfiore (@joebelfiore) June 1, 2015

Computex is no longer just for PC hardware

Give or take but product unveilings are the fun-er part of covering technology and trade shows are on top of everything. They're always filled up with basically anything and on the trade show floor, you can end up finding quite a lot of things. In the midst of all the developers conference from companies during the Summer, we have Computex which is notably the biggest electronics trade show in Asia. At it's 35th cycle this year, Computex is onto a whole new direction.

Like every other company, mobile computing is getting popular and that includes wearables and IoT devices which are meant to be placed just everywhere. That includes Computex which has seen a significant change in direction over the years and it's no longer just a show focused on unveiling new PC hardware but mobile devices like phones and wearables are also beginning to crop up each year.

What exactly happened during the Google I/O 2015 keynote

Google is betting big on Android

This morning, the main keynote for Google I/O was held and it was full of announcements ranging from new services to hardware that'll create stereoscopic videos. It was quite an intense session and unlike Microsoft's BUILD conference which was literally developer focused for the most part, Google's keynote was quite playful. You would have definitely heard about unlimited storage for photos and GoPro's crazy camera rig but overall, what exactly can we conclude from the nearly 3 hour keynote?

First off, I want to talk about the venue and stage for the keynote. Google thought of this well and the wraparound display across both sides of the hall showed some creativity and the "fun" and cheerful part of the company. Before the keynote actually started, there was an intense game of Pong across the ultra-wide wraparound display across the hall and ultimately the champion turned out to be an asian dude.

To kickstart the keynote this year, Google didn't show an inspiring video about their products but instead the massive display was used to send everyone on a journey in the Milky Way. Ultimately, the light show ended up in planet earth and Sundar Pichai, the man which oversees nearly every product family in Google took the stage to roll out some quick update in Google's network.

6 things to expect from Google I/O 2015

Android is coming to every screen

The ecosystem wars will resume this week during Google IO. Microsoft has already dished out quite a lot of new development updates towards Windows 10 and Apple is bound to show off new software during WWDC early next month. But before that happens, Google's annual developers conference will be taking place in San Francisco this Thursday and this year it's going to be big given that the competition is as strong as it gets.

" Moscone Center is where Microsoft, Google and Apple hold their developers conference

We're expecting a lot from Google this year, they've been subtly quiet for the past few months but numerous reports have been stating they'll be reiterating lots of new services during this year's conference. There is still a lot of unanswered question about the future of various Google products like will consumers be able to buy Google Glass this year or is Google going to make a Nexus branded Android Wear smartwatch? All will be answered during the 2.5 hour keynote on Thursday morning.

Microsoft Lumia turns blue, what happened to purple?

About a year ago this time, Microsoft completed the acquisition of Nokia's Mobile division and fresh out of the waters, the branch of Microsoft was called Microsoft Mobile or Microsoft Devices. Accordingly, the upcoming months featured new device launches which still bear the Nokia name like the Nokia Lumia 830 and Nokia Lumia 730. That didn't last long as Microsoft officially announced in October that they will be rebranding Nokia to Microsoft Lumia and the change is set to spread out onto social media accounts in the coming months ahead.

Seemingly enough, today we're quite familiar with the Microsoft Lumia branding and it does sound a little catchy but saying Microsoft Lumia 640 XL Dual SIM is a mouthful.

Visual guide to installing Windows 10 IoT Core on your Raspberry Pi 2

In a blink of an eye, we're already 8 months into testing windows 10. The unfinished pre-release software from Microsoft has come a long way and lots of things have changed since it was initially released last October. During the day 1 keynote at Build 2015, Microsoft laid out the future of Windows 10 development and besides focusing mainly on the Universal Windows Platform, they briefly mention Windows IoT.

Internet of things is a pretty hot concept these days and just everyone is hitching onto it, even Microsoft. Quoting what Terry Myerson said "with Windows 10, we are targeting the largest device span ever". From the likes of HoloLens all the way to the smallest of devices (IoT), Microsoft is genuinely interested in bringing Windows 10 these devices.

7 days with Samsung's premium android experience, the Galaxy S6

When you're talking about Android, the first thing that comes to mind is Samsung and I am sure everyone is familiar with Samsung's massive lineup of Galaxy devices. Over the years, Samsung has built up their name in the mobile space with their army of Android powered devices which literally come in every shape and size. But this year, Samsung is turning over the leaf and changing the way they manufacture their smartphones.

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are one of the first smartphones Samsung announced this year. Unveiled at MWC 2015, Samsung took the limelight from basically everyone at the show. Reports say that Samsung designers went back to the drawing board with the Galaxy S6 and the results is a uniquely different Samsung phone, a smartphone which introduces a lot of firsts for the company.

Here's a quick look at Samsung's new earbuds

What's in the box, pretty much every gadget you buy comes with one and beyond the included cables, literature (warranty and safety information) and some instances of stickers to stick everywhere, that's about it for included accessories. So, the Galaxy S6 is now out and besides having a new 'fast charger' and a SIM removal too, it also features a brand new pair of Samsung earbuds.

April Fools 2015 review, from Pacman to miniature drones

We just concluded the years' most busy day which was full of innovative product announcements. Heck yeah, the amount of announcements being made on April 1st can be compared to that of a single day at CES or MWC. Whether you ended up feeling excited for the imaginary product or you saw through the trick, there's no harm in creating some laughs and hypes during this special day.

Sometimes I just think that if companies would be as innovative as they were on April 1st, the market will definitely be filled with creative products. Well, thankfully some of these 'inventions' do end up being a reality. Take for example the Gmail April fools prank last year about shelfies, Google still keeps that feature on till today am loving it.

• April Fools 2014
• April Fools 2013

This year there was no lack of new innovations being shown off to the world from tiny drones all the way to autonomous cars that'll save you from a parking ticket, here is the lowdown on what went down.

Setting up the Raspberry Pi 2 for the first time

Smartphones are all the rage and talk these days but there is another piece of tech which is on the rise in the recent years and that is the Internet of Things. The simple definition for IoT is it connects services or devices together and it's meant to replace the traditional way of executing tasks manually. It is so popular that Microsoft has announced that they'll be creating a dedicated version of Windows 10 for IoT devices.

In terms of the hardware, IoT is all about being small, compact and low power which enable it to run on just anywhere. Well, one of the more well known IoT board is the Raspberry Pi which was initially created to teach students how to code. The low price of the Raspberry Pi and it's expandability contributed to it's overall success in the market.

Well, just a few days ago i picked up the brand new Raspberry Pi 2 for about $40 (including taxes) today i'm going to run you through the setup process (this tutorial also applies to the Raspberry Pi).

Here's some glamour shots of the Raspberry Pi 2, stay tuned for some content in the coming days #RaspberryPi2 #RaspberryPi #Raspbian
Posted by The Technology Of Today International on Saturday, March 28, 2015

Windows 10 Technical Preview Build 10041 in pictures

The wait for a new preview build has evidently ended (for this week) and after two months since Microsoft started seeding Build 9926, today they are releasing Build 10041 which brings us closer to the final release of Windows 10 later this Summer. In this build, the Windows 10 team did not include the Project Spartan browser nor the new Cortana interface but there are several visual improvements which is enough to satisfy us Windows Insiders for the time being.

This is the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and it's awesome!

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge were both announced earlier this week at MWC 2015 and from the looks of it Samsung is finally changing their nasty habit. Well, that is what my first impressions of the two new handsets Samsung announced during the biggest mobile trade show of the year. Out is the gimmicky plastic and so called 'non premium' build quality and in is the new unibody design made of premium elements like glass and aluminum which wraps the device.

Guide to restoring back to Windows Phone 8.1 from Windows 10 Technical Preview

Enjoying Windows 10 for your phone, well the fun would most likely end if you're just trying out the update. As I mentioned in our hands on with the preview build of Windows 10, the software is just not ready for daily use and in most cases is just unbearable compared to the Windows Phone we know and love. If you followed our guide to installing the Windows 10 for phones preview, this is like the continuation of that. Microsoft was kind enough to allow users to try out unfinished software and with that they are also providing a program to restore your phone back to it's original state.

How to install Windows 10 Technical Preview on you Windows Phone

During the January event early last month, Microsoft showed off new inclusions to the window 10 family. Apart from unveiling the futuristic HoloLens headset, they also showed off for the very first time a version of Windows 10 made for small tablets and phones. Windows 10 for phones (or whatever it ends up being called) was destine to replace the Windows Phone name later this year. Today, Microsoft has released the first technical preview for existing Windows Phone device.

We're 3 years old today, here's to another great year ahead

The day has come again, it was about 3 years ago this day that I started my tech blogging journey. Since then I have learnt a lot of new things about this industry as well as met some interesting people. Year after year during this very day I usually talk about the happenings of the past year and a short post mortem of the outgoing year. But this year I really have nothing much to say about the past year, throughout the years we have been dropping the amount of posts being published and last year we only posted 20 articles compared to over 800 in the first year. That is a major difference in raw numbers and its mainly due to the focus shift from writing news articles to exclusively writing independently opinionated articles. The strategy so far has been solid as the numbers/readers are promising enough to continue on.

Here's some facts about Windows 10 you need to know

Last year, Microsoft released a Technical Preview for Windows 10 which allowed users to try the unfinished build(s) and earlier this week the story continues. The 2 hour long keynote focused on several services powered by Windows 10 and frankly speaking there was a lot of information being pushed out during the 2 hour long keynote. It took me some time to digest all of it. During the keynote, Microsoft showed off some new things like Windows 10 for phones, XBOX streaming for PCs and the unexpected HoloLens which intros holgrams to the world.

In this article i am not going to focus too much on what Microsoft showed off, rather i am going to brief you on some of the facts about windows 10 that you need to know. These facts will not only be for windows 10 for the desktop, the OS as a whole is considered.

Here's what to expect in the Windows 10 Consumer Preview

In a few days time, Microsoft will be showcasing the future of Windows to the world. After previewing Windows 10 last fall, it looks like Microsoft is finally going to get things right this time. The technical preview released was indeed an uncomplete OS and the features will not be limited to what Microsoft employees could think of. Instead they asked users for their feedback to request what they actually want in the next version of windows. The event will be mainly focusing on the desktop side of things but they might squeeze in some things about windows 10 for phone or whatever they end up calling it. Well here are some things which I would definitely like to see on the final version of windows 10

TTOT Update 2K15.1

Well, hey we're back. For the past few months or maybe for the last year this blog felt like it was being discontinued. The actual fact that in 2014 was busy year for me and yes laziness was also part of the problem. I entered college in January last year and since then i've been putting this blog on the sideline and focusing more towards my studies. But after about a year of dealing primarily with my college coursework and exams, i think that it's finally time for me to address this blog and continue to do what i like which is writing about tech. This post was actually going to be named an announcement but then i thought why not make it an update article because it's been quite popular in the Youtube world where the host talks about the current status of the channel and adds in some upcoming plans. For 2015, i am planning to change things around.

Playing around with Office Sway

When you talk about Microsoft, it's most likely about Windows or Office. The Office brand is synonymous with the Microsoft brand and when it comes to word processing and spreadsheets, Microsoft Office is still ruling the desktops. In today's world where users try to get the most out of their software, Microsoft seems to be losing it everywhere except on the desktop. That however, brought upon Office Online which is probably the most versatile Microsoft product yet. All you need is just an internet connection paired up with a modern browser and you're on your way to becoming a productive person.

Compared to Google Docs, Office Online is a lot more graphical and retains the iconic office ribbon which makes doing work feel right at home. Currently there are a couple of Office applications available on Office Online and last week, Microsoft showed off the latest edition to the family. They call it Office Sway and it's ready to redefine how we share and express our thoughts.

Hands on with Windows 10 Technical Preview

It's no secret that Windows 8 was a complete flop. From market share to feedback from end users, the response has been pretty bad. The successor to Windows 7 introduced the Metro UI (now called Modern UI) to the desktop which has previously been introduced with Windows Phone 7. With this new version, Microsoft decided to kill the start menu which was introduced back in the 90's on Windows 95. The iconic menu system was replaced with a touch centric start screen which was filled with live tiles. Month's after Windows 8 was released, Microsoft realized where they got it wrong and started to fix things up by introducing back the start button and an option to boot straight into the desktop.

Despite that, the reception was still not there because of the supposedly high learning curve windows 8 imposes; from the windows store apps to the hidden charms bar, users were scratching their head. I can relate to this because when I first used windows 8 I didn't even know how to shut down the PC without punching in ALT + F4. Two years into the introduction of Windows 8, someone in Microsoft decided that this has to stop and last week, Microsoft revealed their master plan for the future of windows. They're calling it Windows 10 and for obvious reasons, the new operating system was such a leap ahead that they're skipping a number. In actual fact, they wanted to call it Windows One which would play nicely with the XBOX One and OneDrive name but Windows One has already been done 30 years ago.

Sony has three new Xperia Z3 phones and tablets

The Xperia Zx lineup of devices have always received positive rating from both reviewers and consumers. It's industrial boxed up design and round aluminum power button has since then become a hallmark design of Sony's flagship devices. At IFA last week, Sony has did it again, by announcing yet another flagship smartphone this year. Unlike Samsung which does announce flagship device every 6 months, Samsung's flagship actually is catered for two markets but sony is beginning to act silly. with the Xperia Z3, they officially have 3 incremental versions of the same phone with near identical hardware and slight tweaks to the software.

Samsung's new Galaxy Note 4 and everything else from Unpacked

The Galaxy Note lineup stretches back to IFA 2011 and since then Samsung have pioneered the phablet market and brands like LG, Sony and even Apple have been busy replicating the big screens on their devices but failed to create a success mainly because they don't have Samsung's magical addition to the Galaxy Note which is the S Pen. For the past three years Samsung has been changing the way how the Galaxy Note looks like and last year’s Galaxy Note 3 design was probably the most sophisticated one yet. Unlike Galaxy S devices, the Galaxy Note lineup has often been regarded as Samsung's premium offering of the year. Being announced months after the flagship Galaxy S series, Samsung will have time to optimize the features that they implemented earlier and take a pick at which is better.

The Lumia 830, Lumia 730 and more in pictures

Earlier today Microsoft concluded their #morelumia event at IFA 2014 in Berlin. The event showcased a lot of Nokia’s innovation and continuous effort in the budget market as well as bringing down features from top of the line Lumia devices to the mid range market. This year i am pretty busy with classes and currently i’m busy completing my Samsung and Sony wrapup articles and they will be posted up before the weekend starts. I’ll be taking the weekend to complete the #morelumia article, so today i decided to try out something new which is a picture article (quite popular with bigger site, so i’ll try it out here today). This article is quite simple, a lot of big images and minimal amount of word, as the saying goes a picture paints a thousand words. Enjoy!

Asus unleashes their ZenWatch as well as $199 Windows and Android devices

Europe’s biggest trade show is about to start but the pre-events are underway. First in line is Asus, during their event tday they unveiled a range of devices from affordable windows 8.1 laptops all the way to premium android tablets powered by 64-bit Intel atom processors. Mr Eric Chen, Asus Corporate Vice President started off by highlighting their market grasp at transforming mobile computing and said that their range of Zenfone android smartphones are selling at a rate of 1 million units per month.

Installing the Windows Phone 8.1 Developers Preview | How-To

Last week Microsoft announced the Windows Phone 8.1 update 1 (GDR1) for Windows Phone devices and mentioned that the developers preview will be coming out the following week. Well, here we are a little over a week later, the update actually started rolling out on Monday and yesterday i decided to get the new update loaded onto my Lumia 630. What i found out is that the installation process is really simple and updating the device required no physical connection with the computer, just like a OTA update. Unlike on android, you can’t just flash a ROM onto a windows phone device, it just doesn’t work that way. In this simple how-to, i’ll guide you on installing the windows phone 8.1 developers preview onto your windows phone device.

This is the Lumia 630 | Review

Three years ago Stephen Elop, former Microsoft Executive and current Nokia CEO (in 2011) inked a deal between Microsoft and Nokia to focus on creating Windows Phone devices. Since then a lot of things changed and Nokia effectively became the savior for windows phone with a near total grasp in the windows phone market share, its like they are the operating system. Late last year Microsoft finally announced that they will be purchasing Nokia’s mobile division for $7 billion, the deal wasn’t much a surprise given the relationship between the two in the past years.

Just before closing the deal, Stephen Elop took the stage at BUILD 2014 to unveil the first Windows Phone 8.1 device(s), the Lumia 930 and Lumia 630. These two devices are probably the very first look at how Microsoft plans to overhaul Nokia’s smartphones. In this review i’ll be specifically talking about the Lumia 630 and more specific, the dual SIM variant. As i said during my article about the Lumia 630 a few weeks back, the Lumia 630 really is full of firsts for a Windows Phone device. For this review’ i’ll first divulge more about that as we progress into this review.