Softitech - Download Latest Games Softwares Movies Tips and Educational Stuff: Microsoft

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL Review

Unknown 0 Latest Phones, Microsoft, Review of New Phones, Reviews 05:41

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="hub-caption">
<h3 class="satory-h3">
</h3>
</div>
<img class="storyimg_mar10" height="225" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories/main_650_040715022631.jpg" width="400" />
     
  <br />
<div class="hub-caption">
<br />
<div class="divclear">
</div>
<div class="divclear">
</div>
In the last two years the demand for phablets aka the large screen 
has gone through the roof. People just love these devices, especially in
 India. Yet, Microsoft, which is trying to push its Windows Phone in a 
market dominated by Android and Apple's iOS, hasn't been particularly 
active in this segment.<br />
So, far it has launched two phablets 
-- the Lumia 1520 and 1320. And that happened in October 2013 at the 
last Nokia World in Abu Dhabi. <br />
<br />
Now, it is making a comeback 
with the Lumia 640 XL. The company knows that the real growth is in the 
mainstream market and hence positioning the 640 XL as a phablet for 
budget shopper. <br />
<br />
The 640 XL is big - 5.7-inches to be precise. But Microsoft has its work cut out as under <span class="rupee">Rs.</span>20,000
 these days it is possible to get a OnePlus One, which basically sports 
flagship class hardware. The Redmond-based company will have you believe
 that the combination of its own hardware, services and software stack 
make for a compelling story. We have been testing the phone for a week 
or so, read on to find out if it's worth your money. <br />
<br />
<h2>
Design and build quality</h2>
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid #d7d7d7; float: left; margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="225" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015April/build_040715023759.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span></span> </div>
<div class="hub-caption">
The
 Lumia 640 XL is built like any other Lumia smartphone in the market. It
 is offered in an array of fruity colours and has a body made of thick 
plastic aka polycarbonate. This lends the phone a very solid feel. It 
does not feel cheap or gaudily glossy like smartphones from other 
brands.  </div>
<div class="hub-caption">
<script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

<br />
<ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1586787011300843" data-ad-slot="2065645016" style="display: inline-block; height: 250px; width: 300px;"></ins><script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

That said, it is a massive phone which is not easy to 
carry around. Microsoft's industrial designers have created a pleasing 
design with lots of straight lines, but this also means that from the 
sides, the phone has sharp edges that will dig into your palms, making 
it uncomfortable to hold. <br />
Of course, at 9mm and 171 grams, 
this is a big phone by any metric, so one handed usage is next to 
impossible. Unless, of course, you have abnormally large hands. <br />
<br />
The
 good news is that the overall quality of the product feels first class.
 You don't get the feeling that you are using a cheap product as the fit
 and finish is just fabulous. This is something we have come to expect 
of Microsoft and it doesn't disappoint us. <br />
<br />
There are some 
minor design blemishes though. For instance, the rear camera has a minor
 bulge which adds to the thickness of the product and the screen is 
surrounded by large borders. <br />
We also feel that the borders 
flanking the top and bottom of the display could be smaller, 
particularly as this phone has software based buttons, not capacitive 
hardware keys. That could have also reduced the size of the phone. <br />
<br />
<h2>
Display</h2>
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid #d7d7d7; float: left; margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="225" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015April/screen_040715023759.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span></span> </div>
<div class="hub-caption">
The
 big 5.7-inch display of the Lumia 640 XL dominates the fascia of the 
product and also lends it the 'XL' nomenclature. Thankfully, Microsoft 
has decided to offer a 720p HD IPS panel with its ClearBlack polariser. 
This means that the display has natural looking colours, good viewing 
angles when the phone is viewed off-axis and decent levels of 
brightness, especially when viewed under direct sunlight. </div>
<div class="hub-caption">
<br />
Yes, 
the display has a rather low resolution considering the size of the 
screen, but it appears to be a big improvement from the type of displays
 Microsoft has shipped in the past on phones like the Lumia 530 and 
Lumia 535. The pixel density converts to 259 pixels per inch. <br />
In
 the display settings, you can also manually calibrate the display of 
the Lumia 640 XL to your liking. There are some presets, but we 
preferred to calibrate it on our own. Out of the box, the display had a 
warmer/yellowish tinge, which we did not like. <br />
<br />
In the larger 
scheme of things, we are glad to report that Microsoft has shipped a 
good display in the 640 XL, which can handle any task the average 
smartphone user will throw at the device. This means it is good for 
watching videos, reading text or even getting work done. In fact, we can
 say that the extra wide display particularly is helpful while managing 
Excel sheets or composing large Word documents. <br />
<br />
<h2>
Camera</h2>
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid #d7d7d7; float: left; margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="225" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015April/camera_040715023759.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span></span> </div>
<div class="hub-caption">
The
 one area where Microsoft's Lumia smartphones have always held an edge 
over Android smartphones is in the area of imaging. The Lumia 640 XL 
sure does come with some impressive imaging hardware on the back. It has
 a 13-megapixel camera with 1/3 inch sensor, a f/2.0 aperture and a 
focal length of 28mm. It even has optics from Carl Zeiss, something most
 phones in the price band can't hope to match. </div>
<div class="hub-caption">
<br />
Does all this hardware pay dividends? In one word, yes. <br />
The
 Lumia has a great camera on the back. It works well in day time and 
night time though the images clicked in the evenings do show noise and 
are grainy. <br />
In daylight, the images have ample amount of 
detail and the colo<br />
<br />
urs are true to life. With the new Lumia Denim 
update, the phone also manages to take photos relatively quickly. Speed 
is still an issue, but it is not a deal breaker anymore. <br />
The 
camera is equally impressive in low-light scenarios as it can manage to 
cram in a lot of detail though this detail comes with dollops of noise 
that make the photos look too grainy. <br />
<br />
The great bit about 
Microsoft's Lumia smartphones is the Lumia camera app. The unique radial
 user interface allows the user to tweak each and every setting of the 
shot in a simple and intuitive way. This is very handy if you know your 
way around a digital camera as you can manipulate the setting to get 
even better results than the automatic setting. <br />
<br />
The Lumia 640
 XL also excels at shooting videos. It can shoot 1080p videos at 30 
frames per seconds. It largely takes shake-free videos with good quality
 audio. Its camera is also very good at automatically changing the focus
 as the user pans around while shooting videos.<br />
<br />
<script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

<br />
<ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1586787011300843" data-ad-slot="2065645016" style="display: inline-block; height: 250px; width: 300px;"></ins><script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>
Even on the 
front, Microsoft has equipped the Lumia 640 XL with a wide angle 
5-megapixel sensor, which takes good selfies. More importantly, thanks 
to the wide-angle lens, you can fit in a lot in the frame while taking 
selfies.  So if you are gunning for something similar to the famous 
'Oscar Selfie' with 10 people in it the 640 XL may not be a bad choice. 
Trust us, it will do a better job than the Samsung Galaxy S5, which was 
used for the 'Oscar Selfie'. <br />
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid #d7d7d7; float: left; margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"></span></span></div>
<div class="hub-caption">
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid #d7d7d7; float: left; margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="206" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015April/collage_040715023759.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span></span>Software
 is a weak point of Microsoft's Lumia phones. Windows Phone, which 
powers the Lumia 640 XL just can't match Android and iOS in terms of 
quality and quantity when it comes to apps. Yes, it can be argued that 
Microsoft has enough apps in its store to fulfil the needs of most 
people, but their quality is a different story altogether. </div>
<div class="hub-caption">
<br />
Even 
if one takes a look at the Facebook and Twitter apps, then it is easy to
 realise the gulf in the quality and user experience offered by a 
Windows Phone app and an Android or iOS app. <br />
That said, at 
its heart Windows Phone remains a competent operating system. As always 
there are things that it does better than Android and there are things 
that Android does better than it. <br />
<br />
Largely, of all the 
operating systems in the market, Windows Phone is the simplest of the 
lot. With Windows Phone 8.1, it even gets an Android style notification 
shade. Its Start Screen is dynamic and is always bustling with 
information. There's no denying if you just work with basic apps, 
Windows Phone offers an enjoyable experience. <br />
<br />
However, it 
still does not play well with Google's popular services and neither has a
 virtual assistant that works in India. Hence, it is likely to be 
inferior for anyone coming from Android or iOS. <br />
That said, 
Microsoft's services are well integrated in the OS - so you get things 
like Skype, Office, Nokia Here maps with offline navigation and also a 
bunch of other third party apps. <br />
<br />
Microsoft, in fact, has 
preloaded a lot of stuff on the Lumia 640 XL. Out of the box, the phone 
comes preloaded with Food Panda, Book My Show, BBM, Gameloft, FitBit, 
Make my Trip, OLA Cabs, We Chat and Zomato. Most of these apps are 
essentials, so we are not classifying them as bloatware, however on a 
phone with just 8GB of onboard storage this was a little excessive. <br />
The
 good bit is that unlike Android, Microsoft allows the user to remove 
all preloaded apps. Nothing is forced upon the user. Users can also 
install apps on an SD card unlike Android. <br />
<br />
It is also worth 
keeping in mind that the phone will be upgradable to Windows 10 for the 
phone later in the year. This will add a host of new features to the 
phone including support for universal apps that will work across 
different types of devices. <br />
<br />
To its detriment, currently, its 
software is also not well customised for the large screen the phone 
offers. So there is no windowed multitasking paradigm and even the 
keyboard is not dynamic, offering a one-handed mode. Some of these 
features, however, are expected in the Windows 10 update. <br />
<br />
<h2>
Performance</h2>
By modern standards, the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL is running on frugal 
hardware. It runs on an ageing Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, which 
hums along at 1.2GHz with four cores. It is coupled with 1GB RAM and 8GB
 of internal memory. There's also a microSD card slot with support for 
up to 128 GB of expansion. </div>
<div class="hub-caption">
<br />
The meagre hardware belies the 
performance offered by the Lumia 640 XL. It feels much faster than a 
phone running an ageing processor. Of course, Microsoft's code base for 
Windows Phone is different, and probably more optimised, than Android, 
which enables a smoother and faster experience on similar hardware. <br />
<br />
But
 just to be clear, we are no labelling the performance as earth 
shattering. The second-generation Moto G runs on similar hardware and we
 can say that the performance on it is close to what a user can get with
 the Lumia 640 XL. <br />
<br />
The phone can multitask well and at times we had more than 10 apps opened at the same time. The phone showed no signs of lags. <br />
<br />
In
 the longer run, however, performance could be an issue. Windows 10 will
 be a big update and it will be interesting to see how the phone 
performs. <br />
<br />
In terms of gaming, the quality of the graphics is 
not great. Using the Adreno 305 GPU, the phone offers average gaming 
experience. While there were no major frame rate issues, the quality of 
the graphics was certainly not what you'd expect of a phone costing so 
much. <br />
<br />
Network performance of the phone was fine and we did 
not face many dropped calls while testing the phone. We tested the 
device on a Vodafone network in Delhi NCR. It is also a dual-SIM phone 
with dual active functionality, which makes it more enticing. There's no
 4G LTE support, Microsoft will launch a separate 4G model of the same 
in India. <br />
<br />
<h2>
Battery</h2>
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid #d7d7d7; float: left; margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="351" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015April/wp_ss_20150406_0001_040715023759.png" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span></span> </div>
<div class="hub-caption">
The
 thing that impressed us the most about the Lumia 640 XL is the battery 
life. The 3,000mAh battery in combination with the rather frugal 
Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU converts to amazing battery life. On an 
average, the phone lasts in-excess of 28-30 hours. </div>
<div class="hub-caption">
<br />
The phone 
never died within the 24 hour period and on one occasion we managed to 
use the phone two days at a stretch. Admittedly, during this 2 day 
stretch we did not use the Facebook app, which is a major source of 
notifications and often keeps a user glued to the screen. <br />
On 
average, our tests included 2 hours of phone calls, 2 email accounts, 2 
social networks, 15-20 photos shot with the phone's camera, 45 minutes 
of music streaming, 30 minutes of web browsing, and around 30 minutes of
 streaming videos on YouTube. We also played games like Asphalt 8 for 
long stretches. <br />
<br />
<h2>
Should you buy it?</h2>
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid #d7d7d7; float: left; margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="225" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015April/should-you_040715023759.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span></span> </div>
<div class="hub-caption">
There
 are two ways to look at the Lumia 640 XL. It is a well-designed but 
somewhat underpowered phone. Or you can see it as a device punches above
 its weight despite its more humble hardware. <br />
The performance of 
the Lumia 640 XL is mostly adequate but we still feel hesitant in 
recommending a device with the Snapdragon 400 and 8GB internal storage 
at this price. <br />
<br />
That said, the performance of the 640 XL rear 
camera and battery is superb. In these two areas, no Android phone in 
the price bracket comes close. <br />
<br />
Then there is the Windows 
Phone operating system, which continues to hold back the phone. The apps
 on the OS aren't as good as Android or iOS and many services that are 
loved by users are not available. If you can live without the core 
Google experiences like good Gmail or Chrome experience, then the Lumia 
640 XL will pleasantly surprise you. If not, then you should give it a 
skip. <br />
In nutshell, the Lumia 640 XL is a solid budget phablet
 if you care for camera, battery and basic smartphone functionality. But
 this is not an Android phone and doesn't match the rich experience that
 a similarly-priced Lollipop or KitKat-powered phone can provide.</div>
<div style="position: fixed;">
<div id="new_selection_block0.01032005837709371" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
<br />
Read more at: <a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/windows-lumia-640xl-review-features/1/428864.html" target="_blank_">http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/windows-lumia-640xl-review-features/1/428864.html</a></div>
</div>
</div>

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL Review

In the last two years the demand for phablets aka the large screen has gone through the roof. People just love these d...

Microsoft receives 1 million feedback messages for Windows 10

Unknown 0 Microsoft, News, Windows 10 07:32

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="hub-caption">
<br /></div>
<img class="storyimg_mar10" height="225" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories/windows-10-650_031615023156.jpg" width="400" />
     
  <br />
<script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-1586787011300843"
data-ad-slot="2065645016"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

<div class="hub-caption">
<div class="story-details">
<a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/author/Sahil-Mohan-Gupta/1.html"></a><br /></div>
<div class="divclear">
</div>
<div class="divclear">
</div>
With Windows 10, Microsoft is doing something different that no one 
has done before with an operating system. It announced Windows 10 way 
back in September 2014, and allowed people to use the unfinished version
 of the OS for free well before its general availability.<br />
<br />
While, 
the company had done this earlier with developer previews of Windows, 
the technical preview of Windows 10 was a very early build. Microsoft 
runs a programme called Windows Insiders, where Insiders can test the OS
 and offer it feedback on how to improve it and iron out its quirks. <br />
Now,
 the Redmond-based technology giant, has announced that it has received 
more than a million feedback messages on how to enhance Windows 10, 
which is expected to be available later in the year.<br />
<br />
Microsoft's 
engineering manager Gabriel Aul, who is responsible for the Windows 
Insider programme tweeted, "Wow! We just received our one millionth 
piece of feedback from the Feedback app! Woohoo! #WindowsInsiders."<br />
<br />
<script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-1586787011300843"
data-ad-slot="2065645016"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

Windows
 10 already at this early stage seems to be a hit with early adopters 
who believe it to be superior operating system than Windows 8.1. 
Microsoft, so far, has released two major builds of the technical 
preview and also has released a version for phones.<br />
<br />
Windows 10 
fixes many of the user interface problems users faced with Windows 8. On
 the phone, it also adds a lot of new features that are found on Android
 devices. The OS also scales across a wide array of devices that include
 traditional PCs, tablets, phones, wearables, the Xbox, and even 
Internet of things hardware. Recent reports have suggested that 
Microsoft will push updates through peer to peer technology. As of now 
the technical preview doesn't have this feature.<br />
<br />
Microsoft is 
also re -imagining the business model around Windows. For devices that 
are smaller than 9-inches Windows is free. In fact, Windows 10 will also
 be a free upgrade for users of Windows 7 and Windows 8. Like its Office
 productivity suite, Microsoft is now planning to think of Windows as a 
service.<br />
<script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-1586787011300843"
data-ad-slot="2065645016"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

<br />
With the market for traditional PCs sinking, the success
 of Windows on new type of hardware is imperative for Microsoft. Windows
 is central to the company and in the past its Windows Phone platform 
has been a failure. The company hopes that this will change with Windows
 10.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Thank you For Visitng................... </span></b></i></span></div>
<div id="new_selection_block0.7202016107556807" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
</div>

Microsoft receives 1 million feedback messages for Windows 10

With Windows 10, Microsoft is doing something different that no one has done before with an operating system. It a...

Microsoft's Cortana coming to Android phones, iPhones soon

Unknown 0 Android, Iphone, Microsoft 09:09

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="hub-caption">
 <h3 class="satory-h3">
<br /></h3><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:500px;height:250px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-1586787011300843"
data-ad-slot="2065645016"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

</div>
<img class="storyimg_mar10" height="249" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories/cortana_650_031315061334.jpg" width="400" />
     
  <div class="hub-caption">
</div>
<div class="hub-caption">
<br />Microsoft is working on an advanced version of its competitor to 
Apple's Siri, using research from an artificial intelligence project 
called "Einstein."<br />
<br />
Microsoft has been running its "personal 
assistant" Cortana on its Windows phones for a year, and will put the 
new version on the desktop with the arrival of Windows 10 this autumn. 
Later, Cortana will be available as a standalone app, usable on phones 
and tablets powered by Apple Inc's iOS and Google Inc's Android, people 
familiar with the project said.<br />
<br />
"This kind of technology, which 
can read and understand email, will play a central role in the next roll
 out of Cortana, which we are working on now for the fall time frame," 
said Eric Horvitz, managing director of Microsoft Research and a part of
 the Einstein project, in an interview at the company's Redmond, 
Washington, headquarters.<br />
<br />
The plan to put Cortana on machines 
running software from rivals such as Apple and Google, as well as the 
Einstein project, have not been reported. Cortana is the name of an 
artificial intelligence character in the video game series "Halo."<br />
<br />
They
 represent a new front in CEO Satya Nadella's battle to sell Microsoft 
software on any device or platform, rather than trying to force 
customers to use Windows. Success on rivals' platforms could create new 
markets and greater relevance for the company best known for its 
decades-old operating system.<br />
<br />
The concept of 'artificial 
intelligence' is broad, and mobile phones and computers already show 
dexterity with spoken language and sifting through emails for data, for 
instance.<br />
<br />
Still, Microsoft believes its work on speech 
recognition, search and machine learning will let it transform its 
digital assistant into the first intelligent 'agent' which anticipates 
users needs. By comparison, Siri is advertised mostly as responding to 
requests. Google's mobile app, which doesn't have a name like Siri or 
Cortana, already offers some limited predictive information 'cards' 
based on what it thinks the user wants to know.<br />
<br /><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-1586787011300843"
data-ad-slot="2065645016"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

Microsoft has 
tried to create digital assistants before, without success. Microsoft 
Bob, released in 1995, was supposed to make using a computer easy, but 
ended up being the butt of jokes. The Office Assistant nicknamed 
'Clippy' suffered a similar fate a few years later.<br />
<br />
"We're 
defining the competitive landscape... of who can provide the most 
supportive services that make life easier, keep track of things, that 
complement human memory in a way that helps us get things done," said 
Horvitz.<br />
<br />
Outside his door stands "The Assistant", a monitor 
showing a woman's face that can converse with visitors, has access to 
Horvitz's calendar and can book meetings.<br />
<br />
On his desktop, Horvitz 
runs 'Lifebrowser', a program that stores everything from appointments 
to photos and uses machine learning to identify the important moments. A
 keyword search for his university professor instantly brings up photos 
and video from the last time they met.<br />
<br />
Cortana could tell a mobile
 phone user when to leave for the airport, days after it read an email 
and realized the user was planning a flight. It would automatically 
check flight status, determine where the phone is located using GPS, and
 checking traffic conditions.<br />
<br />
None of the individual steps are a 
breakthrough, but creating an artificial intelligence that can stitch 
together the processes marks a breakthrough in usefulness, Microsoft 
says.<br />
<br />
Rivals are on the same track. Google's latest mobile app 
uses the predictive power generated from billions of searches to work 
out what a user is doing, what they are interested in, and sending 
relevant information, such as when a favorite sports team is playing 
next.<br />
<br />
Apple is also pushing Siri, which uses Microsoft's Bing 
search engine in the background, into new areas with its CarPlay and 
HomeKit platforms, as well as the recently unveiled Apple Watch.<br />
The
 key to Cortana's success will be knowing where a user is, what time it 
is, and what they are trying to do. Albert Einstein's work on the 
relationship between space and time gave rise to Microsoft's secret 
project name, said Horvitz.<br />
<br />
"Einstein was brilliant about space and time," he said. "It's using brilliance about space and time generally in our agents."</div>
<br /></div>

Microsoft's Cortana coming to Android phones, iPhones soon

Microsoft is working on an advanced version of its competitor to Apple's Siri, using research from an artificial ...

Microsoft's Lumia 640 vs Lumia 640XL: Everything you must know

Unknown 0 Latest Phones, Microsoft, Review of New Phones 09:56

</div>
<div class="divclear">
 </div>
While we are yet to see a major flagship release from Microsoft, the 
company has been busy shelling out budget offerings in the market for 
quite some time now. In line with this trend, the company announced two 
new affordable handsets, in the Lumia 640 and the Lumia 640XL at the MWC
 2015 event in Barcelona.<br />
While the spec sheet of both the devices
 looks more or less the same, it is when you delve into the details that
 you realize that Microsoft just released a lower mid-range phablet: the
 Lumia 640XL. Now that's a first for the company and a welcome one at 
that.<br />
Also a first is the fact that Microsoft's all new phablet 
comes equipped with Carl Zeiss optics, something that was earlier 
reserved for Nokia's high-end phones.<br />
It's no doubt that the 
company has our attention with its new launches. Here's everything you 
must know about Microsoft's Lumia 640 and Lumia 640XL handsets: <br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><u><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Design</b></span></i></u></span><br />
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="middle" alt="" border="0" height="266" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015February/dsc_7083_030415112310.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span><span class="mos-caption" style="text-align: center; width: 650px;" valign="bottom">Lumia 640</span></span><br />
Both
 the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640XL sport the familiar Lumia design 
aesthetics and stick to the script with minute changes that are hard to 
discern unless you observe very carefully. Both the Lumia 640 and Lumia 
640XL look more or less identical in terms of design and it's hard to 
discern between the two if it weren't the size difference.<br />
The 
funky and colorful design that we see on the existing Lumia phones 
continues unabashedly with both the devices. The plastic shells continue
 in case of both, only that this time round you have the option of 
choosing between glossy/matte variants depending upon your taste.<br />
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="middle" alt="" border="0" height="266" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015February/dsc_7123_030415112310.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span><span class="mos-caption" style="text-align: center; width: 650px;" valign="bottom">Lumia 640XL</span></span><br />
The
 subtle changes in the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640XL include straighter and 
cleaner lines on the back unlike the overly rounded sides found on 
previous Lumias. <br />
Owing to the size difference the Lumia 640XL weighs more than the Lumia 640. <br />
<b>Lumia 640: </b>141.3 x 72.2 x 8.8 mm (5.56 x 2.84 x 0.35 in) 145 g<br />
<b>Lumia 640XL: </b>157.9 x 81.5 x 9 mm (6.22 x 3.21 x 0.35 in) 171 g<br />
<br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><u><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Display</b></span></i></u></span><br />
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="middle" alt="" border="0" height="266" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015February/dsc_7074_030415112310.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span><span class="mos-caption" style="text-align: center; width: 650px;" valign="bottom">Lumia 640</span></span><br />
The
 Lumia 640 features a 5-inch HD IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display 
with a 720x1280 pixels resolution that roughly translates to 294 ppi. 
The Lumia 640XL on the other hand comes with a larger display at 
5.7-inches, however, it retains the same display resolution of 720x1280 
pixels. Being larger obviously compromises on the pixel density then. 
The Lumia 640XL has a pixel density of 259 ppi.<br />
The Lumia 640 should ideally be brighter and crisper than the larger Lumia 640XL in terms of display output.         <br />
<b>Lumia 640:</b> 5-inch HD IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen 720x1280 pixels (~294 ppi) Corning Gorilla Glass 3<br />
<b>Lumia 640XL: </b>5.7-inch HD IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen 720x1280 pixels (~259 ppi) Corning Gorilla Glass 3<br />
<br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><u><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Performance</b></span></i></u></span><br />
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); float: left; margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="266" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015February/dsc_7118_030415112310.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span></span><br />
Both
 the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640XL are powered by the same 1.2 GHz quad-core
 Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU with Adreno 305 GPU alongside 1GB RAM.<br />
In
 terms of hardware specs, both the Lumia 640 and the Lumia 640XL look 
well equipped to take on the competition, at least on paper. That said 
the Lumia 640XL is expected to be a mid-ranger, therefore we would have 
liked Microsoft to maybe bump up the CPU a bit to stay ahead in the 
game. <br />
Also, concerns still remain about the Windows 8.1 OS and availability of apps for the platform.<br />
<b>Lumia 640: </b>1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU with Adreno 305 GPU 1GB RAM, 8GB with up to 128GB expandable<br />
<b>Lumia 640XL: </b>1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU with Adreno 305 GPU 1GB RAM, 8GB with up to 128GB expandable<br />
<br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><u><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Software</b></span></i></u></span><br />
Both
 the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640XL run Windows Phone 8.1 out-of-the-box with
 the latest Lumia Denim update. They will be updated to Windows 10 when 
the new operating system officially hits the shelves in the last quarter
 of this year.<br />
Also the fact that the devices come with 1GB RAM 
means users would be able to get most features of Windows 10 up and 
running on them without much hiccups.<br />
<b>Lumia 640: </b>Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim<br />
<b>Lumia 640XL: </b>Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim<br />
<br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><u><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Camera</b></span></i></u></span><br />
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="middle" alt="" border="0" height="266" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015February/dsc_7147_030415112310.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span><span class="mos-caption" style="text-align: center; width: 650px;" valign="bottom">Lumia 640XL</span></span><br />
This
 is the key area that distinguishes the Lumia 640XL from the Lumia 640 
after the display size difference. The Lumia 640XL phablet comes with a 
13MP rear camera with Carl Zeiss optics, something that we have grown to
 associate with high-end Nokia smartphones. The arrival of the feature 
on a lower mid-ranger like the Lumia 640XL courtesy Microsoft is indeed a
 stepping stone for the company. To add to the grand scheme of things, 
the Lumia 640XL also includes a 5MP front camera. Both the cameras 
on-board the 640XL can shoot 1080p videos.<br />
The Lumia 640 on the 
other hand comes with a standard 8MP front camera that can record 1080p 
videos @30fps. It sports a 1MP front camera that can shoot 720p videos. 
 <br />
<b>Lumia 640: </b>Rear: 8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, 1080p@30fps<br />
Front: 1 MP, 720p<br />
<b>Lumia 640XL: </b>Rear: 13 MP, 4128 x 3096 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, LED flash, 1080p@30fps<br />
Front: 5 MP, 1080p<br />
<br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><u><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Battery</b></span></i></u></span><br />
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="middle" alt="" border="0" height="266" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015February/dsc_7098_030415112310.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span><span class="mos-caption" style="text-align: center; width: 650px;" valign="bottom">Lumia 640</span></span><br />
While
 the larger Lumia 640XL phablet decks in a 3000 mAh battery, the Lumia 
640 is backed by a 2500 mAh battery. Considering the fact that both the 
devices run the same processor and have the same display resolution, it 
is little surprising why Microsoft decided to bump up the battery in the
 Lumia 640XL. It's obviously trying to stay head of the game by beefing 
it up with a larger battery to ascertain its 'phablet' specifics. 
Ideally, the phablet is likely to give you a better battery life but we 
still believe a slightly bumped up processor would have done a better 
job in making it count in the longer run.  <br />
<b>Lumia 640: </b>Li-Ion 2500 mAh battery<br />
<b>Lumia 640XL: </b>Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery<br />
<br /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><u><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value</b></span></i></u></span><br />
<span class="storycentimg" style="border: 0px solid #d7d7d7; float: center; margin: 2px 15px 2px 0px; width: 650px;"><span style="width: 650px;"><img align="middle" alt="" border="0" height="266" hspace="0" src="http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2015February/dsc_7078_030415112310.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); margin: 2px 0px;" title="" valign="top" vspace="0" width="400" /></span><span class="mos-caption" style="text-align: center; width: 650px;" valign="bottom">Lumia 640</span></span><br />
Both
 the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640XL are mainstream affordable Microsoft 
offerings. While the Lumia 640 is expected to be priced around the <span class="rupee">R<span>s.</span></span>9,000 mark, the Lumia 640XL will most likely tap the lower mid-range segment.<br />
The
 company has announced that both the handsets will come in 3G and 4G 
variants. The Lumia 640 will be priced at Euros 139 (3G) and Euros 159 
(4G). Meanwhile, the Lumia 640XL will be priced at Euros 189 (3G) and 
Euros 219 (4G).<br />
Buyers in India will see the handsets hitting the retail shelves as early as April, 2015.     <br />
<br />
<b>Lumia 640: </b>Glossy cyan, Orange, White, Matte black<br />
<b>Lumia 640XL: </b>Matte cyan, Orange, Black, Matte white, Glossy white</div>
</div>
<script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-1586787011300843"
data-ad-slot="2065645016"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

Microsoft's Lumia 640 vs Lumia 640XL: Everything you must know

While we are yet to see a major flagship release from Microsoft, the company has been busy...