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It’s official: Microsoft will scrape Explorer in Windows 10

Posted: 18 Mar 2015 07:58 AM PDT

Just as media outlets had been reporting for a while, Microsoft is letting go of their Explorer brand after years and years of struggle against other navigators. This is the end of an era, and it’s rather sad to see it go the way of Netscape, but we’ll see what the company brings forth instead.

Microsoft is replacing Microsoft Explorer for a completely new browser from Windows 10 onwards, a browser that is, as of now, codenamed "Spartan". Microsoft has passed on the option of renewing their browser again in order to compete with Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, the dominant browsers in Windows interfaces as of now.

This is what Microsoft's marketing chief Chris Capossela had to say at a conference yesterday

We're now researching what the new brand, or the new name, for our browser should be in Windows 10. We'll continue to have Internet Explorer, but we'll also have a new browser called Project Spartan, which is codenamed Project Spartan. We have to name the thing.

Windows 10 still features Internet Explorer (at least on its preview version) in order to ensure compatibility with older websites and online tools, but it’s unclear if it will remain there in the future. By the way, the code name “Spartan” is not definitive, but it plays straight into the Halo lore, where each one of the soldiers in the game is called a Spartan, which added to the fact that Microsoft’s voice assistant is called Cortana, it creates a beautiful synergy.

Are you ready to let go of Internet Explorer? Most people have already, years ago.

Via The Tech Portal

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Verizon to Launch Video Service With Dreamworks

Posted: 18 Mar 2015 06:00 AM PDT

Mobile and broadband network Verizon announces plans to launch a video streaming service with ‘Shrek’ creator DreamWorks Animations.

The video streaming space is already incredibly crowded; there’s Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, PlayStation Vue, the recently announced HBO Now and both AT&T and Showtime are working on streaming services of their own. So how about we throw another hat into the ring? Mobile network Verizon has now announced plans to enter the space this Summer, although their streaming venture does not yet have a name.

No, Verizon’s streaming service doesn’t have a name but it does have a serious partner in the form of DreamWorks Animations, best known as the company that invades your nightmares with Shrek and has entertained you with franchises like Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon. This partnership includes DreamWorks’ movies as well as their AwesomenessTV unit, which is responsible for many hit videos about pop culture on YouTube.

According to Verizon, AwesomenessTV will provide more than 200 hours of content and these will have their own channel aimed at teenagers and young people. A DreamWorksTV channel meanwhile will be more family focused and will feature "live action and animated short-form content as well as some of DreamWorks Animation's most recognizable characters."

Additionally, Verizon executives have previously said that they’re talking to other traditional TV networks. It’s unclear on which TV networks those will be and what Verizon’s offering can do differently to Netflix who seem to have the streaming game sewn up. We don’t even know pricing for this service, if existing Verizon customers will gain access to their streaming service for free or if this will be completely separate entity to their existing business (which is what Dish Netowkr has done with Sling TV).

There are an awful lot of questions that need to be answered before Verizon launches this sometime in the Summer, so we’ll keep you posted once we know more.

Source: re/code

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