Skype getting real time translator

 

Microsoft plans to roll out a real-time language translation feature for its popular Internet phone service by the end of the year, the company announced Tuesday

In a company blog post published in conjunction with the demonstration, the feature was the result of a decade spent researching speech recognition, automatic translation, and machine learning technologies.

 

Skype Translator currently supports about 40 languages and is expected to roll out later this year as a Windows 8 beta.lets hope to meet new people soon!!!!.

Windows phone gets Telegram app officially

Telegram, a messaging app that competes with WhatsApp and others, has launched an official app for Windows Phone.

Telegram for Windows Phone is interesting because the app was created by a third-party developer using resources open-sourced by the Telegram team.

 

The app is basic and focused on delivering a secure messaging experience, with features like auto-self destruct and encrypted chat sessions. It gained steam earlier this year due to concerns over Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp.

 

Telegram messenger Download from windows apps.

The Newest Release of Windows Phone 7.5

See how Windows Phone 7.5 makes it easier to stay close to the people who matter. Now you can organize friends into Groups, track conversations across texts, Facebook and IMs in one place, and much more. Be among the first to check out some of the best new Windows Phone features

windows phone 7.5

Update to windows phone 7.5 and enjoy the new release!!!

Minesweeper , Sudoku released for Windows Phone 7

Microsoft announced that Sudoku and Minesweeper are now available for Windows Phone.

Both games are available in the U.S. Marketplace for Windows Phone at no cost, supported by advertisements. The games are also Xbox LIVE enabled and come complete with achievements and power ups. Microsoft describes both games as “two of the most immensely popular puzzle games of all time.”

Minesweeper

Your goal is to clear minefields using flags to safely mark potential mines. Sweep your way through Classic and Speed modes, each with as many as four different levels of difficulty. Earn powerups as you play to help you navigate the board and unlock achievements for your LIVE account. But, be careful – one wrong move will detonate the entire board.

Sudoku

“Sudoku,” a numbers-based logic game, comes with Classic and Lightning modes and offers hours of entertainment. Earn powerups and LIVE achievements and put your brain to the test!

Microsoft also revealed that Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is now available for $2.99 as part of its “deal for the week” promotion for Windows Phone 7. The software giant plans to make IonBallEX available for just $2.99 from next week.

Bing Mobile updated to include Mall Maps and Map Search

Microsoft announced some feature updates to its Bing Mobile service.

Mall Maps and Map Search have both been added to Bing for Mobile Browse. Mall Maps has been available on the web desktop version of Bing for over six months and allows Bing users to discover stores inside Mall spaces on Bing Maps. Microsoft’s collection of over 400 shopping malls is now available from the Bing Mobile m.bing.com site.

 

Microsoft has also included Map Search in its latest update. Bing Maps mobile now has a split view for when users search within Maps. Bing Maps users can pan around the map and hit refresh in their browser to get results listed on the position of the map. “The map highlights the business locations as you scroll through the list making it easy to see where all the options are located,” explained Bing Maps program manager Roberto Bojorquez Alfaro in a blog post.

Mall Maps are available immediately for mobile devices that support HTML5, including Android, iPhone and RIM devices. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 includes Mall Maps directly within the Bing maps interface

Why Microsoft is Buying Skype for $8.5 Billion

Microsoft has bought Skype for $8.5 billion, in an all cash deal. The deal closed a few hours ago.. The Wall Street Journal confirmed the news after the announcement is likely to come out later today or tomorrow morning, according to several reports. Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft is said to be a big champion of the deal, the largest in the history of the company. Ballmer and Skype CEO Tony Bates will host a press conference in a few hours.

SKYPE CEO Tony Bates

 

It won’t surprise me if Microsoft comes in for major heat on this decision to buy Skype — and the software company could always botch this purchase, as it often does when it buys a company. The Skype team is also full of hired guns who are likely to move on to the next opportunity rather than dealing with the famed Microsoft bureaucracy.

I also don’t believe that Facebook and Google were serious buyers. Google, with its Google Voice offering, doesn’t really need Skype. In essence, I feel that Microsoft was bidding against itself. Even then, I personally think this is a bet worth taking, especially for a company that has been left out in the cold for so long.

• Skype gives Microsoft a boost in the enterprise collaboration market, thanks to Skype’s voice, video and sharing capabilities, especially when competing with Cisco and Google.
• It gives Microsoft a working relationship with carriers, many of them looking to partner with Skype as they start to transition to LTE-based networks.
• It would give them a must-have application/service that can help with the adoption of the future versions of Windows Mobile operating system.
• However, the biggest reason for Microsoft to buy Skype is Windows Phone 7 (Mobile OS) and Nokia. The software giant needs a competitive offering to Google Voice and Apple’s emerging communication platform, Facetime.

Why Did Skype Want To Sell?

Skype had filed for an IPO and was going to do about a billion dollars in revenues and was on its way to becoming profitable. So why sell? Silver Lake and eBay were both getting impatient and wanted to lock in their profits. Some sources also believe that Skype’s revenues had stalled.

The company had bet heavily on is video sharing service. The premium version of video calling and sharing was a way for Skype to increase its average revenue per user and move into the enterprise market. However, given Skype’s DNA is that of a consumer Internet company, the challenges are not a surprise.

founders of SKYPE

 

 

 

 

So Who Made What?

• Using the $8.5 billion price as the likely sale price, eBay gets $2.55 billion for its 30 percent stake in Skype. So in the end, eBay did make money on the Skype deal.

  Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, the co-founders with their 14-percent stake, take home about $1.19 billion. Damn, these guys know how to double dip!

• Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) own 56 percent of the company and that stake is worth $4.76 billion.
• Andreessen Horowitz had 3 percent of the deal and made $205 million profit on their $50 million initial investment.

One Step Closer to the First Nokia Device built on Windows Phone

Yesterday Microsoft and Nokia together announced that they have signed the definitive agreement for strategic partnership to build a new global mobile ecosystem that is unlike any other. It’s a bold claim.

As a result of negotiations and discussions, they have aligned their teams and assets, and clearly see the potential to change the way we use our mobile devices for the better.  In the coming years they said aggressively work to take Nokia products using Windows Phone to new geographies, at new price points and sharing new experiences for customers around the world to enjoy.

As new partners, Microsoft and Nokia recognize the importance of having a strong and growing ecosystem. And, that ecosystem is fueled by our three favorite words. Developers! Developers! Developers! Since announcing there intention to partner, the number of Windows Phone apps submitted on a daily basis has almost doubled, further illustrating the level of excitement and interest among the community for Windows Phone.
The unique innovation and differentiation across hardware, software and services as the Nokia products using Windows Phone roll-out, delivering consumer experiences in mapping, search, gaming, social media, advertising and productivity. Along the way, you can expect an increased focus on mobile business and productivity scenarios that build on Microsoft’s cloud services, new features for Symbian, and new capabilities for Windows Phone devices.