Microsoft released another preview build of its new Windows 10 Desktop – “Fast Ring” Build 10049 – with the upcoming ‘Project Spartan’ browser yesterday, inviting testers to get a hands-on experience.
Users at the demo were able to view the new Spartan browser pinned to the Windows 10 desktop bar with “Edge” rendering engine with 160 new APIs and a completely new interface. Apart from this, they were also able to see Internet Explorer 11 (not pinned) with the “Trident” (MSHTML) rendering engine. There has been no talk of offering a combined Edge and Trident experience in any one browser but both browsers will run Microsoft’s Chakra JavaScript system.
This build release features integration between Spartan and Cortana (Microsoft’s personal digital assistant) as well as the “Ask Cortana” technology where users can ask questions of Cortana and get answers.
Another feature of the Spartan build is “Live Annotation” or the ability to comment on web pages with a pen or a mouse in real time and then save or share those annotated pages with other users via a new “Web Note” technology. In other words, it combines the functions of OneNote and OneDrive. Users can also see the comments and relevant web pages on different browsers. A feature called “Web Audio” in also included in the build.
The audience at the demo showed particular interest in the new Reading View, a new kind of display which ensures lesser extraneous content and distractions while reading; users can also save the page and access it later when online (offline access was not included in this demo).
While the Windows 10 desktop runs on PCs, laptops and tablets, Spartan is still under active development hence all of its features are not yet available for testing; in fact Microsoft took out a blog post informing people that this is not the final version. However it includes most of the features and functionality showcased at a Windows 10 press conference earlier this year.
A Microsoft company official present at the demo event mentioned the ongoing work on the next test release of Windows 10 Mobile which is supposed to debut on most of the ARM-based Lumia phones and some of the ARM and Intel-based tablets. He also said that it would take at least a week to complete the internal testing.
The Build 10049 also includes bug fixes. Windows 10 is expected to be officially released this summer, meanwhile you can test it out for yourself Here.
No tag for this post.
Today’s Google doodle honours the anniversary of the iconic Eiffel Tower which was opened to the general public in Paris exactly 126 years ago on this day. Today it stands on the Champ de Mars as a legacy of the City of Light.
As the 19th Century drew to a close, Parisians were awestruck with the sight of the 324 meter, 10,100 tonne iron structure rising up and gracing the French skyline. The man behind the construction of this wondrous tower was a French entrepreneur named Gustave Eiffel and engineers Maurice Koechlin and Stephen Sauvestre.
It was initially built as an entrance to the 1889 World Fair and as the Gallic workmen constructing the behemoth completed the final touches, Eiffel Tower was first opened to the general public on March 31, 1889. The main construction work started in January 1887 and it took a total of 5 months for the foundation to take form while the tower itself took another 2 years to be built. The structure was built by 232 workmen from 5300 drawings and comprises more than 18000 parts and 2.5 million rivets.
Gustave faced criticism from many quarters who thought that the structure would turn out to be an eyesore, but he never lost hope and fended off his dissidents with these words, “I will tell you all that I think, and all that I hope. For my part, I believe that the Tower will have its own beauty. Do people think that because we are engineers, beauty plays no part in what we build, that if we aim for the solid and lasting, that we don't at the same time do our utmost to achieve elegance? Are actual conditions of strength not always compatible with the hidden conditions of harmony? The first principle of architectural aesthetics is that the essential lines of a monument should be determined by it fitting perfectly into a setting. But what condition did I need to address in the case of the tower? Resistance to wind. Well, I maintain that the curves of the four groin vaults of the monument, based on calculations, starting with the enormous and unused footing at the base, are going to taper up to the summit, will give a great impression of strength and beauty, because they will convey to the eyes the boldness of the conception in its totality.”
The largest man-made structure to be built at the time, Eiffel Tower held on to that prestigious status till the construction of the Chrysler Building in 1930. Even today, it is praised as a marvel of engineering as evidenced by the doodle which shows a group of cheerful Gallic workmen giving the final touches to the wrought iron structure.
But as Google commemorates the memorable occasion with its fascinating doodle, Paris and the rest of the world celebrates the construction of the historic structure; a momentous achievement for humankind, here are a few quick facts about the Eiffel Tower:
- Gustave Eiffel climbed the 1,665 steps of the tower to plant the French flag at the top while a 21-cannon salute announced the occasion
- During the time of its opening, the ‘elevators’ were not up and running and hydraulic Lifts were initially used to ferry people up and down
- It took 2 years to build and was opened as an entrance archway to the Paris World Fair (Exposition Universelle) which is a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution
- Gustave Eiffel had a small apartment for entertaining friends on the third floor of the tower which is now open to the general public
- It was supposed to be brought down after its 20-year land lease expired but was spared as an antenna for radio transmissions
- The tower is still used for radio and TV transmissions and in 1914, in the Battle of Marne, one of its transmitters jammed German radio communications leading to an Allied victory
- The tower shrinks by 6 inches during winter due to metal contraction
- The tower is repainted every 6-7 years with nearly 60 tonnes of paint
- Two new wind turbines were recently installed and power the tower's first floor commercial areas
- The Eiffel Tower reached its 250th million visitor mark in 2010
Today, the Eiffel Tower draws nearly 7 million visitors each year with the busiest days seeing a footfall of 30,000 people a day and has even opened restaurants on two levels.
No tag for this post.
No comments:
Post a Comment