skydrive

It’s been a little over six month since Windows 8 launched for consumers. How’s it doing right now? If you listened to the critics and pundits you’d be under the impression that Windows 8 was a flop – another Vista most of them joke. Because we all know Microsoft can’t make two good operating systems in a row, right? I disagree! Today we learn that Windows 8 is on pace to catch up with Windows 7 sales-wise, plus more interesting facts and figures.

Moleskine (www.moleskine.com) is a notebook company who's launching a number of apps for multiple platforms, and now Windows Phone is supported. As a popular and well loved company, Moleskine has a number of products available at popular retailers and is turning to the cloud and digital hardware. Moving with trends, Microsoft's mobile platform now sports an official app.

Just the other day Microsoft updated the SkyDrive service for 2013 with a few new features which we detailed here. Now it looks like the Windows Phone 8 app is getting a small update too, which we assume is to continue compatibility.

No new features are noted nor observed (ignore the changelog as that’s dated from November).

In a recent interview Google stated they will not devote any resources to making apps for either Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8. They have also now ceased consumer support for ActiveSync.  Some are calling it ‘war’ while others passionately question if Windows Phone can survive without Google products and services.

The relationship between Google and Microsoft has always been somewhat hostile. In many ways the battle they engage in now can be seen as a kind of echo from a distant technological past. Google have dug in their heels and to some degree shown their true colours by declaring zero support for Microsoft’s newest operating systems, Windows Phone and Windows 8.

But does it matter and has anything really changed?

Odds are if you're using Windows Phone that you're using SkyDrive, the cloud storage and syncing product from Microsoft. The file hosting service offers users access to their data through a web interface as well as clients for every major mobile or desktop operating system. The desktop clients in particular were released about six months ago and Microsoft has just shared in a blog post that usage has doubled.

Today, the team has also announced a few new features to the service that make using SkyDrive more powerful. Read on to find out what...

To show its support for developers and the ecosystem's future, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced at the company's BUILD event today that all attending developers will receive a gift - 100GB storage on SkyDrive, as well a brand new Surface RT tablet with Touch Cover.

Stay tuned for more coverage from the BUILD event.

As Windows Phone users, we are blessed with a handsome, dare we say it, world class cloud storage service slotted right in, SkyDrive.

SkyDrive is baked into Windows Phone, allowing all sorts of wonderful uses, uploading the camera roll automatically, storing your OneNote files or just storing good old Office documents. The team at SkyDrive have been opeing up the service and encouraging developers to take advantage of the space with new applications and services. IFTTT is just such an application and it might well be exactly what you’re looking for.

Microsoft have now officially unveiled their new music service. Simply called Xbox Music, it's going to begin rolling out tomorrow. 

Designed to replace the Zune services of old, Xbox Music will bring with it new capabilities and eventual availability on other platforms in the coming year.

SkyDrive and punk rawk go well together, says our editor

Microsoft has reportedly added support for album art in its SkyDrive cloud storage service, which could be the first step in the direction of a Windows integrated Xbox Music solution. Xbox Music is set to replace the current Zune Pass that many have grown fond of with unlimited access to a large library of music. Should one happen to upload music files to their SkyDrive account, album art is reported to be automatically added once detected. 

Like Liveside.net who first reported this, we're not entirely sure if this is new or we're just noticing it for the first time. Either way, consider it as more evidence that indeed SkyDrive is quite awsome.