Yahoo Kills Messenger In Yahoo Mail Classic

Yahoo announced today in a help forum that it is shutting down Yahoo Messenger in Yahoo Mail Classic. The company writes:

At Yahoo!, we’re focused on making your daily habits more inspiring and entertaining. That means we’re constantly reviewing our products and experiences and in some cases, have to make tough decisions to no longer support a product.

After much thought, we have decided to shut down Messenger in Yahoo! Mail Classic by March 22, 2013. This means that you will no longer be able to send IMs to your contacts from Yahoo! Mail Classic.

Yahoo suggests that you upgrade to the new Yahoo Mail, where Mesenger continues to be available or use the Yahoo Messenger client.

Chromebooks Are Now Available In Six More Countries

Chromebooks are slowly making their way around the world as Google introduces more consumers to its idea of what personal computing should look like. Now consumers, schools and businesses in six more countries can take advantage of the affordable computing provided by Chromebook.

Google announced today that Chromebooks are now available for purchase in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and The Netherlands. Consumers can go ahead and pick up a new Chromebook from Google itself or a licensed reseller today.

The Chromebooks available for purchase today include those from Acer, HP and Samsung. It’s not immediately clear if the $1,300 Chromebook Pixel will be available in these countries as well.

As for schools and businesses, Google expects that those organizations may have some questions. For schools, Google in Education will be hosting a number of Hangouts next week to address any questions or concerns schools may have with the Chromebooks for Education program:

Australia – Event on March 28th at 10:00 EST

Canada – Event on March 28th at 14:00 EDT

France – Event on March 29th at 16:00 CET

Germany – Event on March 28th at 17:00 CET

Ireland – Event on March 26th at 17:00 GMT

The Netherlands – Event on March 27th at 17:00 CET

Most of today’s news may be focused on Europe, Oceania and our neighbor up north, but Google has a small announcement for the U.S. Chromebook market as well. Starting today, Chromebooks will be available in 1,000 more Best Buy stores around the country for those who prefer to still buy computers at retail stores.

Windows Blue Name-Dropped In Leaked Microsoft Video

Windows Blue is all but confirmed to be the next version of Microsoft’s operating system after showing up in multiple job listings. If you’re still unconvinced, a leaked video may just convince you that Windows Blue is indeed real.

MSFTKitchen got its hands on a video of a demo that was shown internally during Microsoft’s annual TechFest. The team behind Fresh Paint, Microsoft’s touch friendly paint application for Windows 8, showed off their latest version for an operating system called – you guessed it – Windows Blue

The Fresh Paint demo reveals that the team will be adding watercolor in Windows Blue. The team is also adding the ability to import photos from external sources. It’s not exactly groundbreaking innovation, but it does show that Microsoft is working on updating its applications for Windows Blue. It will be interesting to see what updates Microsoft brings to other applications.

Don’t Expect The Next Windows To Actually Be Called Blue

For the past few months, it’s been rumored that the next operating system from Microsoft would be called WIndows Blue. It sounds like a code name, and Microsoft suggests that will remain the case.

In an update on the Official Microsoft Blog, Frank X. Shaw, Corporate Vice President of Corporate Communications, updated us on what the company has planned for this year. He pretty much confirmed that Windows Blue would be part of those plans even if he wasn’t exactly forthcoming:

With a remarkable foundation of products in market and a clear view of how we will evolve the company, product leaders across Microsoft are working together on plans to advance our devices and services, a set of plans referred to internally as “Blue.” – N.B. chances of products being named thusly are slim to none. And don’t start with the “so you’re telling me there’s a chance” bit.

The most interesting takeaway from this is that Shaw says “Blue” refers to “devices and services.” The services would obviously be stuff like Windows Blue for desktops and phones, but what about devices? Is Microsoft readying all new Surface tablets, or could it be the oft-rumored Surface phone?

Shaw also hinted that the rumor of Windows Blue taking the operating system into an annual release cycle is more than just fantasy:

Our customers have already experienced the ongoing rhythm of updates and innovations over the past six months including new devices, new apps and services, better performance and new capabilities. This continuous development cycle is the new normal across Microsoft – we’ll tune everyday experiences as well as introduce bold, connected and exciting new scenarios.

So, when we will start hearing more about Windows Blue? Shaw hints that developers may see some of the stuff Microsoft has planned at Build 2013, Microsoft’s annual developer conference that’s set to take place on June 26.

iPhone 5S Rumor: Launch Could Come As Early As June

Beyond his speculation of an earlier release date, Munster doesn’t really offer much in the way of new information in regards to the iPhone 5S. He regurgitates previous rumors that state the new iPhone will feature updated specs and whatever the next version of iOS brings to the table. He also suspects that Apple will incorporate NFC into the iPhone 5S.

Earlier this month, a rumor suggested that we’d be seeing the iPhone 5S launch in August. Other rumors have backed the claim up, but an analyst has come forward with speculation that we could be seeing the iPhone 5S even sooner.

In a recent investors note, Piper Jaffrayanalyst Gene Munster said that Apple will likely launch the iPhone 5S in late June. He also predicts that Apple will sell 4 million units before the end of the month. As for total iPhone sales, he expects those to be around 30 million by the end of the June quarter.

With all this talk about the iPhone 5S, it’s easy to forget that Apple may be launching a cheaper iPhone this year as well. A report from earlier this year suggested that the device would meld the designs of the iPod Touch and iPod Classic for a plastic chassis iPhone that would significantly reduce manufacturing costs. Munster predicts that we’ll be seeing this cheaper iPhone at some point in September, and that it will cost $250. Don’t expect it to see it in the U.S., though, as the phone is reportedly targeted exclusively at emerging markets like China and South America.

Outside of phones, Munster drops some new speculation about the Apple TV and the rumored iWatch. He suspects that the oft-rumored Apple TV will finally be announced later this year with an iWatch announcement coming soon after.

Like always, you should take anything analysts say with a grain of salt. They are only providing guidance to investors, and can be wrong. That being said, a June launch for the iPhone 5S would help Apple better combat the impending launch of the Galaxy S 4 and other top-tier Android handsets launching in the next few months.

Windows Blue Leak Reveals New Customization Options, Internet Explorer 11

After numerous leaks, it’s pretty much a given that Microsoft’s next OS will be Windows Blue. What we don’t know is when it will be released. A leak of an early build over the weekend suggests that we may be seeing the new OS sooner than we thought.

Some intrepid Windows explorers have installed Windows Blue already and are now just starting to find out what’s in the updated OS. It seems that Windows Blue is a small update to Windows 8 with a number of new customization options alongside a few updates to programs.

The major update, of course, is that the Start Screen, or Metro interface, has received a few needed upgrades. For starters, Live Tiles can now be resized so users can enlarge the presence of more important apps, and reduce the size of less used apps.

Multitasking in the Metro interface has also been improved with two apps now being able to share equal width on the screen. Before, one app would always take up the majority of the screen thus making the other app kind of worthless as only a small portion of it would be visible.

As for programs, Windows Blue will apparently ship with Internet Explorer 11. There’s not many details on what improvements Microsoft have made, but there’s bound to be more information released as people dig around in the new browser.
If you want to get more in-depth with Windows Blue, YouTube user sM4llziE has uploaded a walkthrough of the changes coming to Microsoft’s next OS:

Zuckerberg Leads Push to Form New Super PAC [REPORT]

According to sources quotes by the San Francisco Chronicle, Zuckerberg has already pledged as much as $20 million into the new group – and has already gotten others to pledge a few million dollars of their own

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Some Silicon Valley leaders, led by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are looking to form their own SuperPAC to tackle a variety of issues in Washington.

The group looks to be leaning heavy to the right (at least in its initial leadership), according to the reports. The group will include a well-known Republican strategist, Jon Lerner, who is tied to Grover Norquist (of the no tax pledge) as well as Rob Jesmer, who previously worked with Republican Senator John Cornyn. Apparently, the whole thing was set into motion by Zuckerberg’s old Harvard roommate Joe Green (co-founder of Causes and NationBuilder).

As you may remember, Zuckerberg was among 100 tech presidents, CEOs, and chairmen who penned a letter to President Obama and Congressional leadership earlier this month asking for them to move on comprehensive immigration reform. They argued that immigrant entrepreneurs have founded thousands of companies, and that our outdated system is forcing out highly-skilled, great minds. Basically, better immigration policy is good for business.

The letter was also signed by Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, HP CEO Meg Whitman, and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer.

This new SuperPAC won’t be an immigration-minded entity, however. Sources say that the group’s focus will be “more far-ranging and deal with an agenda of topics related to economic growth and vitality.”

Zuckerberg, who up until recently had not made huge waves in the political arena, hosted a big fundraiser for Republican Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie as his Palo Alto home.