Windows 9 Build 6.4.9830 Ready

Work on Windows 9 continues these days, as we’re getting insanely close to the public launch of the very first beta of what could be another major revamp of our beloved operating system.

It appears that Microsoft has recently completed development of another Windows 9 build, as version number 6.4.9830 has been spotted online, most likely as the company was test-driving its features.

WINDOWS 9

No specifics are available at this point, but we already know that a public beta is expected to be released later this month for anyone willing to give it a try and help Microsoft improve the final product.

“Why are these builds numbers so important?” you might ask. The reason is as simple as it could be: with Microsoft fueling the secrecy surrounding Windows 9 on pretty much every single day when it refuses to disclose details about the upcoming operating system, there’s no doubt that people are trying to keep an eye on everything related to this project.

This new build is living proof that development of the new Windows 9 advances and a public beta is quickly coming, with people close to the matter indicating that Microsoft is preparing an event on September 30 to present plans for the new operating system.

Since Microsoft completes development of new Windows 9 builds on a regular basis and the company has already submitted new testing versions to partners, it’s only natural to expect leaks to reach the web in the coming days, but as far we can tell, such a thing is very unlikely to happen.

Microsoft has implemented new security measures to make sure that Windows 9 leaks are impossible, but in case partner builds indeed reach the web, it should be very easy for the company to determine the original owner.

Needless to say, Microsoft does not want any Windows 9 leaks to be released online before the public unveiling, and since Alex Kibkalo’s arrest, the amount of information on new Windows projects has been reduced dramatically. 

And still, we do know that Windows 9 will be released in stable form in April 2015, with Microsoft planning to introduce new features to the testing build using a new internal update mechanism that would not require fresh installations.

The feature lineup is expected to include options such as a Start menu, a desktop version of Cortana, options to run Metro apps on the desktop, Internet Explorer 12, a revised Modern UI, and many other improvements.

More information will be disclosed later this month by Microsoft itself, while download links for the public beta should be disclosed either in late September or in early October

The first round Android Wear: MOTO 360

The Moto 360 -- which holds the distinction of being the first circular Android Wear timepiece -- is available in the US starting September 5 for $250. It will come to other parts of the world later this year (local pricing has yet to be determined).

MOTO 360

It's been a long time coming. Despite its end of summer launch window, the Moto's curved stylings were enough to overshadow the first pair of Android Wear watches, the squared off, uninspired, cheap-looking LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live. In the meantime, though, a second wave of Android Wear watches has already begun jockeying for attention (and disposable income).

DIFFERENT DIALS OF MOTO 360

But those new models are still over the horizon. The 360 is here now. But was it worth the wait?

I finally have one on my wrist, and have had a chance to start playing around with it. It's definitely an eye-catcher, but not entirely as exciting as it once was on paper.

FEATURES 

The Moto 360 is the first round Android Wear smartwatch. Others will come, including the LG G Watch R, but this is the first you can buy. At $250 in the US (it'll arrive in other countries later this year), it's $30 more than the original LG G Watch, and $50 more than the Samsung Gear Live.

It has a look that definitely feels premium: everything about the Moto 360 looks clean and well-made: polished steel, a thin watchband that tucks underneath, and a beautiful set of specially-designed software watch faces.

The Moto 360 has a few hardware features that could set it apart besides design: it has inductive charging, which works without any dongle. Yes, you still need the included charging dock to drop the watch into, which still saddles you with an accessory. Still, it's a lot nicer than most clip-on charging accessories.

There's also an optical heart rate monitor on the watch's backside, like Samsung's smartwatches have. Motorola's is differently engineered, and also has different software: a beautiful round dial shows not only your heart rate, but your activity intensity, estimated by heart rate. The app will track how many targeted active minutes a day that you exercise, with a goal of 30 moderate activity minutes five days a week.

The Moto 360 leans heavily on voice commands, like all Android Wear watches, but Motorola promises an extra dash of natural language processing and noise-cancelling microphone excellence on the Moto 360. The Moto 360 understands what I say, but in noisy places it might have an edge on the competition.

SIZE

The Moto 360's 1.56-inch-diameter round display is big, bold, and feels a lot larger than a square display. It has a 320x290 resolution, effectively, at 205ppi. Actually, it's not fully round: there's a bit of a black bar on the bottom, perhaps a consequence of Motorola going for such a thin bezel that a custom round display needed to be crafted. That bit of black ruins the effect a bit, and mars the look of Motorola's pre-installed beautiful round watch faces. In a way, it shatters some of the illusion that the watch is trying to create when it's in watch mode. It's a shame, because every other part of the Moto 360's screen, and its really thin bezel, is really impressive to behold.

Sennheiser's momentous

Family-run German company Sennheiser has won rave reviews for headphones like the Momentum On-Ears. Among music fans, however, they're not as well known as Beats, the rival company co-founded by rapper Dr Dre, adored by celebrities, and this year snapped up by Apple in a multimillion-dollar deal. By adding Momentum quality to in-ear headphones suitable for listening when you're out of the house, Sennheiser wants to change that.

The Momentum In-Ear headphones will cost £90 in the UK and $99 in the US, with Australian pricing yet to be announced (the US price converts to AU$106). There are two versions: one for Android or Windows smartphones and tablets, on sale in September, and one for Apple iOS devices hitting shops before the end of the year.

Of course, when any successful brand is translated to a new form, it remains to be seen -- or rather, heard -- whether they deserve the name or if it's just a shameful attempt to cash in on the cachet of the higher-end models. But for the new in-ear models, Sennheiser trumpets newly developed transducer technology, a stainless steel acoustic pipe and high-quality dynamic speaker system that it says gives a powerful bass response and detailed vocal projection.

Sennheiser has also introduced a new range of on-ear headphones this week, called Urbanite. The headphones will arrive in September, costing £150 and £200 from John Lewis in the UK, and $199 or $249 in the US, with Australian prices yet to be announced (the US price converts to around AU$215 or AU$265).

Buy an Xbox One, get any game free

Microsoft is offering a sweet deal over the next week to gamers looking to buy an Xbox One.

XBOX ONE

Between September 7 and September 13, Microsoft will give one free game to anyone who buys anXbox One, Xbox One with Kinect, Xbox One Madden NFL 15 bundle, or Xbox One Forza Motorsport 5 bundle, the company announced on Thursday.

Unlike some other past promotions from Microsoft and other console makers that required gamers to choose between a selection of titles, Microsoft is offering the free deal on any game that's available at the time of purchase. That means everything from Titanfall to the highly anticipated Destiny is included in the deal.

Despite the somewhat loose restrictions, there are some caveats. The deal doesn't apply to preorders, so any game launching later this year will not apply. Microsoft is also banning refurbished consoles or used games from the deal. Gamers must also buy the title on physical disc and its value must not exceed $59.99 before tax.

Microsoft's move is shrewd, if nothing else. Next week, Destiny, the first major non-Halo title released by Bungie, is hitting store shelves September 9 (Tuesday), and it's expected to make quite a splash. Since it's not exclusive to the Xbox One but could be a huge hardware-seller for both Sony and Microsoft, the software giant's decision to offer it for free with the purchase of an Xbox One makes choosing its console far more palatable to some customers. It also puts Sony on notice to respond.

Whether Sony will actually respond, however, remains to be seen. Sony has announced that it has sold 10 million PlayStation 4 consoles worldwide since the hardware's launch last year. It's believed, though not confirmed by Microsoft, that it has sold approximately 5 million Xbox One units in about the same time. The free game offer may be a ploy on Microsoft's part to inch closer to the PlayStation 4.

A Microsoft spokesperson told in an e-mailed statement that most major retailers will be participating in the free game offer, including Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Walmart, Amazon, and Toys 'R Us. The company urged gamers to check with local retailers not listed to see if they're participating.