Google ‘Nexus TV’ Launch Rumored for Early 2014

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Google trying to take over the living room, not to mention a few failed products like the Nexus Q and, dare we say it, the entire Google TV idea. According to a new rumor the fight for our living room content is about to heat up even more.

A new report by The Information is stating that Google is looking to dive into the TV market again, and could be aiming to release a Nexus TV set-top box or device as soon as the first half of next year. Apparently an unknown source who works at Google either heard the plans, or possibly even saw the device in question. We know the living room is up for grabs with Xbox and the PS4 in a close battle, but Google could be eying a piece of the pie.

The device being reported won’t actually be a TV, nor will it broadcast and display regular TV content like we’ve seen and heard in the past. Instead, Google will be focusing on delivering web-rich media and content to fill our living rooms. It won’t work like Google TV, but surely it will have parts of the project deeply integrated.

Google will rely on its huge supply of content on the web from Google Movies & TV, Google Music, YouTube, and everything else on the interwebs. Of course having Google Search at your fingertips, supposedly running Android 4.4 KitKat (if it’s under the Nexus brand) and everything else that comes along with Android and Google, we could have an interesting device.

We’ve heard reports of Google working with LG on a Nexus TV, but if this new set of details is accurate it won’t be an actual TV, but a set-top box instead. Although we could see Google partner with various manufactures to offer their own version of a Google or Nexus TV. Like LG, Samsung, and even Logitech again. Add in all the rumors of subscription services coming to YouTube, including the NFL and various other types of content, and this is starting to align quite nicely.

Read: Live NFL Games Reportedly Coming to Google Play

Google is already working hard to deliver content to our HDTV and living rooms with the cheap and powerful Chromecast, and we could see a similar but much broader attempt with the Nexus TV early next year. The report states in the “first half of next year” which could be right in time for the annual Google Developer Conference, Google I/O, which will likely kick off in April or May.

If the rumored Nexus TV is real and priced as competitive as the Chromecast, it could really shake up the industry.

Microsoft to launch new remote desktop apps for iOS, Android

Summary: Is Microsoft about to go to war with its long-time virtualization partner Citrix? It sure looks that way, given the imminent arrival of new Microsoft remote desktop apps for iOS, Android, and OS X.

Is Microsoft ready to go to war with its long-time virtualization partner Citrix? It definitely seems that way, given the company's announcement on October 7 that it will be rolling out new remote desktop apps for iOS and Android devices.

Microsoft officials didn't play up the coming Remote Desktop apps, which will be delivered alongside Windows Server 2012 R2. (The apps will be available for download in their respective application stores later this month.) In fact, all they got was a one-sentence mention, buried in a press release.

Once these new Remote Desktop apps, which include an overhauled version of the two-year-old Mac Remote Desktop client, are available, Microsoft will be providing access to virtual desktops on everything from Windows and Windows RT, to iOS, OS X and Android. Users will be able to connect from devices running these operating systems to Windows and Windows Servers to work with applications and files stored there.

As Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for desktop services Michel Roth noted, these new remote apps are "a pretty big deal." He noted that their existence shows Microsoft is "very serious about enabling BYOD [bring your own device] by means of desktop virtualization."

Roth blogged that the new remote clients are "not as basic or as 'v1' as you might expect." He noted that the iOS Remote Desktop app should support iOS 6 and 7 and the Android one should support Android versions as far back as Gingerbread (version 2.3). He added that the RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) level on these new apps is RDP 8(.1), "meaning you get all the user experience goodness that RDP 8 brought to desktop virtualization."

Remote Desktop has been one of the most popular Windows Store apps among Windows 8 and Windows RT users. The licensing requirements for these apps are complex. Client-access licenses and supporting back-end infrastructure are required to make Remote Desktop work on Windows and non-Windows devices.

Microsoft has not yet shared pricing and licensing specifics for the new Remote Desktop clients. And for those asking when/whether Microsoft will deliver a remote desktop client for Windows Phone, I've asked. If I get an answer, I'll update this post.

Update 1: Thanks to reader @gunnarwb, here's part of the pricing equation. The price of RDS CALs for Windows Server 2012 R2 is going up by 20 percent. Per-device RDS CALs will cost $102 per year, while per-user RDS CALs will cost $118 per year, as Redmond Magazine noted. Organizations with RDS CALs for Windows Server 2012 won't have to buy new CALs if they are upgrading to Windows Server 2012 R2.

Topics: Cloud, Android, Apple, iOS, Microsoft

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

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UK networks left frustrated, concerned on Apple iPhone 5s/5c launch

Credit: Apple

Short supplies of Apple's latest iPhone models, the 5s and 5c, have left mobile networks "frustrated" and "concerned" about causing their customers anger and disappointment on today's launch.

According to the BBC, several U.K.-based networks revealed that stock of the latest premium model -- the 5s -- is "severely limited" in the country. The carriers did not want to be identified in case they could be disadvantaged once new stock arrives.

The iPhone 5s is a premium smartphone available in three colors with storage options of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB respectively. The iPhone 5s is a 64-bit mobile phone, the first of its kind, and has an improved battery life, a 28-megapixel camera, fingerprint recognition technology and uses the latest operating system, iOS 7.

In contrast, the stock levels of the iPhone 5c are abundant. The iPhone 5c comes in five colors -- taking a break from the traditional colour schemes to come in blue, green, yellow, pink and white plastic casings. The smartphone has storage options of 16GB and 32GB, and is equipped with Apple's Retina Display and an 8MP camera.

See also: iPhone 5s, 5c, iOS 7 reviews are in: The good, the bad, the ugly

One network said that while they have "crates and crates" of the 5c, the premium 5s model was being "drip-fed" into the market -- and networks have been left frustrated over Apple's silence as to when stocks will be replenished.

When purchased online in the United Kingdom, the iPhone 5s will not be delivered until October, according to Apple's website.

Anonymous sources told the publication that the 5s stock shortage may be due to the iPhone and iPad maker's wish to drive sales of the cheaper 5c model -- as customers largely ignore it and have not placed many pre-orders for the 5c. While the 5c could be pre-ordered in the United Kingdom, networks and retailers were banned from offering pre-order services for the premium model.

However, Gene Munster, an analyst at U.S. investment bank Piper Jaffray, told the BBC that the shortage problems may be due to problems related to the new hardware. Munster said:

"We believe the 5S is more production-constrained than the iPhone 5 was at launch, likely due to the addition of the finger-print technology."

In the United States, AllThingsD reported this week that suppliers are also having the same issue; one source calling inventory "grotesquely" low and another describing shipment numbers as "disappointing."

In China, the country's second-largest operator by subscriber base revealed it received over 100,000 online orders over the past week for the iPhone 5c and 5s, despite a lukewarm reception and disappointment that the 5c is out-pricing much of the general public.

In Australia, there seems to be little interest in the 5c for those who waited in line for up to 20 hours. The gold coloured 5s, however, was sold out by 7.30am, and police patrolled to keep Apple fans in line.

The first launch phase today for the new iPhones include Singapore, China, Australia, Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. The number of countries that have access to the new gadget will climb to 100 countries by December, according to Apple.