Speaking to the New York Times a couple of weeks ago, Tami Reller, Windows division CFO, admitted that the Windows 8 "learning curve is real" and said that Microsoft will be addressing the issue in Windows 8.1.

Perhaps in response to that public admission, Microsoft has released a video showing how to use the polarizing operating system. Called "Get To Know Windows 8" it’s aimed at anyone who might be thinking of upgrading, or who needs a little guidance.

The 3:25 minute video walks you through the Start screen, showing how to add, rearrange and remove tiles, and how to get to the desktop. It explains how to open the charms, as well as search, share photos, print content, and make adjustments to your PC.

It’s actually very instructive, but it seems odd that it’s taken until now to release a video like this. And of course some would say it’s a failure of design that the operating system needs an instructional video in the first place.

Not content with free versions of its cut-down photo editing software for iOS and Android, Adobe has released Photoshop Express for Windows 8 and RT. As this is available free of charge, it should come as little surprise that the app does not afford users access to an unfettered range of professional level image editing tools, but for quick and dirty tweaks and fixes, there are plenty of options.

Taken a wonky photo? Getting things straightened up takes just a couple of taps and swipes. There are also tools for removing red eye, adjusting color levels and tweaking shadows and highlights. If you don’t feel like doing the hard work yourself, you can always turn to the auto-fix option to help take care of common issues in an instant.

Simple controls appear as they are need to reduce clutter and helping to keep the interface as friendly and approachable as possible. With photo editing reduced to moving a slider here and there, things don’t really get much easier than this.

As changes are made to an image, there’s a useful View Diff toggle that can be used to compare before and after versions of a photo. The obligatory sharing options are all present and correct.

As is becoming increasingly common with free apps, the selection of bundled tools can be added to through in-app purchases. The Looks and Noise Reduction packs can be used to access additional filters and image improvement options, but it will set you back $4.99.

If you fancy trying out the app on your photos, it can be downloaded free of charge from the Windows Store.

The problem with this approach is that it’s rather visible. Your encrypted files by their very nature advertise the fact they contain some form of sensitive data, attracting unwanted attention. So what can you do about it? The answer lies with steganography, and a free tool for Windows called SteganPEG 1.0.

Steganography has a long history, dating back to Ancient Greek times when it was the process of writing hidden messages in such a way as only the sender and intended recipient would know they existed. With the rise of computers, steganography has taken on a different slant, whereby information -- typically entire files -- are hidden away inside other files.

The key to making steganography effective is by drawing no attention whatsoever to the existence of the hidden file. That means the host file must appear to function completely normally, so opening it arouses no suspicion. One of the best ways of doing this is by hiding your files inside images, which open up like any other image, betraying no evidence of the files stashed away inside.

This is how SteganPEG functions -- once installed, fire up the program and you’ll immediately see it’s required for both creating the stenographic file and extracting the hidden files from it later, so your recipient will need their own copy. You also assign a password to your file, which is required in order to unlock its contents. It’s unlikely encryption is involved here, but as the key thing is to simply hide away the file, it’s not necessarily important, unless you’re peddling state secrets, of course.

Once assigned, pick your chosen JPEG image. When picking an image, make sure it’s not just large enough to store the files you wish to hide away inside, but also not too compressed. SteganPEG works by recompressing the original image to free up enough space for your files to reside in without increasing the size of the original image. This ensures it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb, but it does mean you may have to try different images before you find one that has enough flexibility for hiding your chosen file or files.

You can add multiple files to a single JPEG image so long as they won’t increase the size of the original file -- a progress bar handily tells you how much space you’ve got left to play with. Once complete, click the Save Stegged Image button to save a copy of the file.

You can open this file like any other, then send it on to its intended recipient, who fires up their copy of SteganPEG, chooses "Read files from a JPEG image", supplies the password and then loads the file in. If all is well, they can then save the original files out of the image, all without hopefully arousing any suspicion whatsoever.

SteganPEG 1.0.0 is available now as a free, open-source download for PCs running Windows XP or later. XP and Vista users will also need .NET Framework 3.5 or later installed.

The new site, simply named Xbox Wire, is being run by Lisa Gurry, Senior Director of Public Relations for Xbox. Gurry kicks off the new site with a welcome message to all fans of the popular gaming platform. "In preparation, we’re launching Xbox Wire -- a news blog to help you keep up with the latest Xbox news. You will be able to follow our journey as we bring you the best in games and entertainment and along the way we’ll introduce you to the people, places and technology that bring it all to life" Gurry writes.

The new site also rolls Major Nelson blog posts into its content so that users have a one-stop shop for gaming news, though Larry Hryb is listed simply as "Xbox Wire staff".

The announcement comes at an opportune time, given that Microsoft is set to unveil the next generation of Xbox on May 21. Gurry also includes a picture of the giant tent being constructed on the Redmond campus in advance of the big day. "We can’t wait to share our vision for Xbox and give you a real taste of the future. We’re working hard behind-the-scenes to make it a magical day" she tells us.

There is little known about the upcoming device -- even the name has remained a secret. Speculation, however, runs rampant across the internet. Perhaps Xbox Wire may provide a hint before the release.

Twenty-ninth in a series. The US Windows 8 apps store crossed the 50,000 apps mark for the first time today; a total of 50,156 apps are listed in the store, with the majority of them free to download and use.

That's an increase of 1,639 apps in the past seven days, a sharp drop over last week's increase of nearly 2400 apps.

Free apps increased by 1206 this week to a total of 38997 and paid apps by 433 to a total of 11159.

Windows Store has still not enough traction to rise above the 2,000 apps per week threshold permanently and it does not look like as if this is going to change anytime soon.

Microsoft published a guide this week explaining how to import iTunes playlists into Xbox Music after the company's chief financial officer confirmed that Apple could not be convinced to bring iTunes to the operating system.

App of the Week

Ecosya

Ecosya is an entertaining puzzle game in which you have to direct a character named Atmos to its flying saucer. You cannot control Atmos directly and need to direct the robot through the level by manipulating the environment instead.

A set of manipulating tools is at your disposal to do just that. You can for instance extend  a block of land, destroy land, or use a lift like block to move up to a higher level.

The first twenty or so levels act as an introduction that you can play through rather quickly. You are introduced to some of the tools that you have at your disposal and basic game mechanics. If you have played a game like this before, you should not have any problems going through them.

The difficulty level increases slowly but steadily as levels grow bigger and the number of tools increase.

Not all levels of the game are playable right now. Once you have finished the first 25 or so, you receive a notice that informs you that a full version is coming soon. It will feature an editor that you can use to create your own levels.

It is not clear if the full game will be available for free as well or if you have to pay to unlock it.

Other Apps

Podcast Beyond! Player

Podcast Beyond! is a weekly show by IGN's Playstation team covering all things Sony. It is a free podcast that is released once a week on the IGN website and other directories including iTunes.

The player brings the podcast as an app to Windows 8 so that you can listen to the latest episodes right from within the Windows app.

Only the last 30 or so episodes are available in the app though so that you do need to find another source if you want to listen to past episodes not listed by the app.

Envvied

The official Envvied app brings the functionality of the website to Windows 8. The community aims to link looks found on photos to shopping sites where those items can be purchased.

The app displays a  large list of looks right on its frontpage that you can go through. You can then tap or click on a look that you are interested in to find out more about it.

This usually includes a larger photo of it as well as a selection of numbers that you can click on to find out where to buy a particular item.

Supermarket Mania 2

If you ever wanted to manage a supermarket now is your time to do exactly that. The game is not as complex as those tycoon games that you can play on your desktop, but it makes up for that in speed.

You are walked through a tutorial at first that introduces key concepts like restocking shelves, mopping the floor or making sure fresh coffee is always available.

You can buy upgrades to increase shelve space and also one-time aids like cookies to keep customers happy. Customers grow unhappy quickly if they can't pick up the items that they want at that moment in time, or if they have to wait too long to checkout.

The free version of the game is unfortunately short. You can only play through the first ten levels of the game. While that is still great fun, it is not really a free game but a trial version because of this.

Sidebar Dictionary

This dictionary app has been designed specifically for Windows 8's snap to sidebar feature. While you can use it full screen as well, it plays out its real strength when you pin it to the left or right sidebar instead.

This can be useful when you are writing emails, editing text documents or pursuing other activities where access to a dictionary may come in handy in.

The sidebar is visible both on the start screen and the desktop. To get started, copy any text to the clipboard or enter text directly into the dictionary's interface.

It can not only look up words or phrases in dictionaries, but also translate them into a language of your choice.

The free version is ad supported and online only. A pro version is available that removes the ads and introduces offline access as well.

First Words with Phonics ($2.49)

This is a direct port of the Windows Phone app of the same name. It is a teaching application that aims to help children learn letters, their sounds and words.

The app visualizes words with images and sounds. If you take the word cow as an example. The app displays the cow on the screen along with the three letters COW in random order on the screen, and ordered at the bottom.

You can tap or click on the cow to listen to what it is (a cow) and also hear what sounds it makes. A tap on a letter pronounces it right away, and when the full word has been set up correctly, it too is pronounced by the app.

PocketBible Bible Study App

The app provides you with access to the King James version of the bible and a selection of tools to help you in your studies. Not all tools are available without registration though (which is free).

What you can do without registration is to read and search the bible without Internet connection, and add bookmarks that you can jump to in the future.

Additional options become available when you register an account. You can download dictionaries, commentaries, devotionals and other bible versions that you can use in your studies.

A store is available as well that you can buy additional books from and upgrade the program to the advanced version. This advanced version enables the notes and highlight feature in the application.

But there’s more than a new look to the latest version of the app. If you’re one of those people who has yet to create an eBay account, the signup process just got a whole lot easier -- if you’re in the US, that is. Forget time-consuming form filling, you can now sign up for an account with a quick scan of your driver’s license.

Improvements have been made for buyers and sellers alike, and anyone looking to grab a last-minute bargain will find that scope for sniping is now more accessible. There are better filtering options so sellers can be sorted by their feedback rating and seller can now more easily list items that are similar to those they already have for sale -- no more starting listing from scratch.

eBay users in both the US and UK can now buy multiple items faster than before thanks to a new option. It is now possible to checkout multiple items at the same time so there’s no need to skip back and forth between pages as much.

You can find out more and download a free copy of the app by paying a visit to the eBay for iOS review page -- there are separate versions available for iPhone and iPad.

This is how you sell a tablet. Tuesday evening of May 14, Microsoft debuted a new commercial for the Surface RT that finally explained the benefits of the tablet. No dancers. No super cool music. Just Microsoft talking about why the Surface RT is the next device you should own. The company emphasized the included USB port, kickstand, keyboard, and the single biggest sell of Surface RT, the included Office 2013 install. It sold the Surface as the power of a computer in the package of a tablet.

Is this not precisely what I called on Microsoft to do in my previous article about those odd (but awesome) Windows 8 ads? In that article I told the story about a guy who was working in a coffee shop on his Surface when someone walked up to him and said, “Is that the tablet that clicks?” He recognized the product from the commercials, but seemed to be unaware of anything other than its clicking. I wrote,

This situation underscores the reality that people just aren’t aware of what the Surface actually is and how much more it is than just a tablet. If Microsoft can get this message out by focusing on features against competitor devices like the iPad, people will continue to be confused.

This commercial will easily solve the problem that consumers have of trying to understand the value of the Surface. I have not seen the commercial since, so it was probably just a trial run by Microsoft just to test the waters. I for one am impressed and Microsoft definitely needs to create more of these commercials for the Surface Pro as well as Windows 8 in general.

I tried finding this commercial on YouTube but was not successful. If you find it, let me know and I can update this post.

Have you seen this commercial? Do you think it properly sells the advantages of the Surface RT?

Update: And here it is.

Microsoft is working on an update to Windows 8 and RT and will be releasing a preview version of it in June (in time for the Build developer conference), with the full release expected before the year’s end. The software giant has confirmed three things for definite about the update: its name (Windows 8.1), its price (free), and where you’ll be able to get it from (the Windows Store).

But thanks to early build leaks and statements from Microsoft, we also know quite a bit about the many changes the new release will bring to the polarizing operating system. Here’s a rundown of what to expect.

Tile Sizes

The leaked 9374 build of Windows 8.1 showed two additional tile sizes -- a larger one that’s double the size of the largest one in Windows 8, and a smaller one that’s a quarter of the size of the current smallest tile.

Personalize

The Settings charm has a new Personalize option that will let you change the Start screen background, and choose a different color and/or accent color.

Split-screen apps

Windows 8.1 will improve multi-tasking by letting you run two apps side by side, with each app taking up one half of the screen. If you have a large high-resolution display you’ll also be able to run three or four apps on screen.

Swipe Up

Swiping upwards on the Start screen will reveal your apps list, and you’ll be able to sort the apps by Name or Date Installed. A handy addition.

Internet Explorer 11

Microsoft’s browser is being updated and will include Do Not Track protection, upgraded developer tools, and will probably support WebGL and SPDY. The Modern UI version will have an integrated download manager.

Support For Smaller Screen Sizes

Microsoft reportedly believes there’s a demand for iPad Mini-sized tablets running Windows and so has been working to make sure Windows 8.1 displays well on smaller screens.

Automatic Desktop Scaling

The Windows 8 desktop display scaling issue should be fixed in 8.1, with the update offering auto scaling based on screen size and pixel density. A slider will let you adjust things to suit your tastes (and eyesight). You will of course still be able to adjust things manually.

Assigned Access

The leaked 9374 build included a Kiosk Mode that lets you lock down Windows to a single app -- making it useful for Media Centers, or for showing a particular app in a public place. In the most recent leak, 9385, the Kiosk feature was renamed Assigned Access.

SkyDrive

The leaked builds show SkyDrive as a more integrated option and suggest you’ll be able to back up your PC data to the cloud.

Lock Screen

Windows 8 can display status and notification information on the lock screen. Windows 8.1 adds the ability to add an alarm. It also lets you use the lock screen as a picture frame.

New Apps

The update will include some new and improved apps, such as Alarms, Calculate, Sound Recorder, and Movie Moments (this last one lets you trim a scene from a video, add captions, and share it with friends). Leaked build 9385 also revealed the Camera app is being worked on with quite a few changes, including a new panorama feature that looks like Photosynth.

New Drivers

Because what would a system pack update be without lots more of these?

Improved Touch

Touch will still be the primary focus in Windows 8.1, so expect lots of refinements here.

A Start Button

Microsoft hasn’t yet confirmed the return of the Start button in Windows 8.1 and there’s been no sign of it in any of the leaked builds. There have been lots of rumors about it though, with some people claiming it will be a traditional Start button with a Start menu, and others just that it will be there purely to open the Start screen.

In an interview with The Verge last week, Tami Reller, Windows division CFO, admitted Microsoft was aware of the outcry for a Start button. "We have heard that, we definitely have heard that and taken that into account," she said, before adding: "We've really also tried to understand what people are really asking for when they're asking for that".

Oh dear. Has Microsoft really not grasped what people have been requesting since before Windows 8 even launched? A Start button, Tami, with a Start menu attached.

Boot To Desktop

Again, we don’t know for certain if this option will make an appearance in 8.1, but the ability to skip the Modern UI screen is a request Microsoft is more than aware of.

Windows 8.1 – A Work In Progress

At the end of last week, Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s Vice President of Corporate Communications said:

Unlike a can of soda, a computer operating system offers different experiences to different customers to meet different needs, while still moving the entire industry toward an exciting future of touch, mobility, and seamless, cross-device experiences.

We are going to keep improving Windows 8, as we do with all our products, making what’s good even better. There will be new devices, new use cases, new data that makes us think, "Hey, we should do more of this, or less of that". And we will. There will be people who agree, strongly. There will be those who disagree, equally strongly. All good, all expected.

With his reference to a "can of soda" Shaw is of course alluding to the New Coke comparison that a lot of people have made about Microsoft’s new operating system.

It’s clear from what Shaw and Reller have both said that Windows 8.1 won’t be the full back down that a lot of people have been hoping for. Rather it will serve to refine and improve the Windows 8 experience to make the OS more palatable and easier to use, as well as introducing some appealing new features.

Will it go far enough to persuade the doubters to make the switch from Windows 7 (or earlier)? We’ll just have to wait and see. As always leave your thoughts and comments below.

Version 6.4 adds infinite chat scrolling, a feature already present in the Windows build. This allows users to load historical conversations simply by scrolling upwards. This action simply loads messages from the chat history stored on the user’s computer.

If users find this too tedious, they can pick a point in history to jump back to, simply by right-clicking or [Ctrl]-clicking anywhere in the chat window and selecting Jump Back followed by the period they wish to skip back to, with incremental choices from one day to a whole year all available.

To help make the chat history easier to navigate, Skype for Mac 6.4 also separates dates from timestamps, and will index all the chat history when first logged in, which enables it to consume less resources once indexing completes.

Version 6.4 also sees the find function redesigned to display results in the main chat window as opposed to opening a separate one, with the total number of matches highlighted. Recent search terms are stored for easy retrieval, and users can now search using "Starts with" and "Contains" as search parameters.

Other enhancements include improved file transfer, allowing users to reaccept a file when receiving, leaving the file transfer active until the sender cancels it. Contacts are now sent and received differently too, allowing multiple contacts to be received in a block, or accepted one by one. Any existing or blocked contacts in the list are also clearly marked.

Version 6.4 has removed the Custom Chat Styles feature to promote consistency with other platforms, but users are encouraged to choose Preferences > Messaging > Use Compact Chat Style if the default layout is too large. It also drops support for OS X 10.5 (Leopard).

Skype for Mac 6.4 is available now as a freeware download for Macs running OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) or later. Other available builds include Skype for iPhone 4.6, Skype for iPad 4.6 and Skype for Desktop for Windows users.

Admittedly, Windows Phone is a smaller market for Instagram than Android and iOS but even so there are likely tens of millions of potential users waiting to grab that official app which never seems to come. Developer Daniel Gary, who is behind a third-party Pinterest app (no official offering available for this one either) called Pinsation, decided to cater to the Windows Phone users' needs for a fully-featured Instagram app and, yesterday, released Itsdagram. The names are quite similar indeed.

Itsdagram touts itself as "the only fully featured Instagram client on the market" (other than the official Instagram app, I presume). The app can be used to create a new account (and log in with an existing one, of course), upload filtered photos, like and comment on posts, follow Instagrammers and discover Facebook friends who use the photo-sharing social network.

Straight after opening Itsdagram, users are greeted with a nicely-designed interface which, through horizontal scrolling, allows folks to view the main feed, popular photos and activity. And, as with the large majority of Windows Phone 8 apps, Itsdagram works flawlessly without any lag whatsoever.

Pictures can easily be uploaded to Instagram either by snapping a new one (makes use of the full array of camera settings) or by choosing a photo from the gallery. Only a cropped part of the picture can be uploaded, due to the size limitations imposed by the format of the social network. Filters, according to the developer, can be automatically updated independent of the app itself. But there are some caveats with Itsdagram.

The free trial, which is supposed to give users access to all features bar unlimited uploads, doesn't allow you to add filters to photos (even though there is no indication that this should be the case) and can only be used to upload one picture. Yeah, just one. Also, Itsdagram only works on Windows Phone 8, so tough luck users of lesser iterations. There is also a fully-featured version of Itsdagram available which runs for $1.49.

Itsdagram is available to download from the Windows Phone Store.

Commenting on the results chief financial officer Brian Gladden says, "We made progress in building our enterprise solutions capabilities in the first quarter and are confident in our strategy to be the leading provider of end-to-end scalable solutions. In addition, we have taken actions to improve our competitive position in key areas of the business, especially in end-user computing, and it has affected profitability".

Uncertainty surrounds the company thanks to a dispute between founder Michael Dell and two of the biggest shareholders. Michael Dell along with private equity group Silver Lake has offered to buy the company for $24.4 billion and take it private. At the same time promising to shift the business away from PCs towards mobile devices.

However, the biggest shareholders argue that this valuation is too low. They have made a counter proposal to offer new shares to existing shareholders and install new management to run the business.

The company, which Mr Dell started from his college dorm room, was held up as a model of innovation as recently as ten years ago but has since lost ground to cheaper far eastern manufacturers and to makers of mobile hardware. The drop in PC sales should strengthen the case to move the company away from its traditional PC focus.

Photo Credit: Mopic/Shutterstock

Yesterday, French consumer electronics company Archos unveiled a new 8-inch Android tablet called Xenon 80. The fondleslab runs the first Jelly Bean iteration and will cost $199.99 -- which is in line with Google's Nexus 7 pricing -- once it arrives in stores next month.

The Xenon 80 features support for 3G cellular connectivity and is SIM-unlocked, meaning that it can be used with any mobile operator in the world (as long as the network runs on the 2100 MHz band). The hardware specifications reflect the budget-oriented approach of the tablet.

Archos packs the Xenon 80 with an 8-inch IPS display with a resolution of 768 by 1024 (4:3 aspect ratio, similar to Apple's iPads). Inside, there is a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor backed by an Adreno 203 GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and 1 GB of RAM.

The tablet comes with 4 GB of internal storage alongside a microSD card slot which allows to expand the storage capacity by a further 64 GB (for a total of 68 GB). This should suffice for most users' needs.

There is a 2 MP back-facing camera onboard as well as a "front webcam", the latter of which suggests that Archos employs a low-end shooter for video conferencing or snapping portraits.

The Xenon 80 features the usual connectivity options such as Wi-Fi; GPS; Bluetooth; 3.5 mm headphone jack; USB 2.0 and an accelerometer. Archos keeps quiet concerning the size of the internal battery, but says that the fondleslab comes in at 213 x 155 x 11.3 mm and 440 grams.

IObit has announced the public availability of IObit Malware Fighter 2.0, the next generation of its popular anti-malware tool.

The most obvious change this time is the move to a Windows 8-style interface: large tiles, stark black background, and everything happening in a single window, rather than separate dialogs. It looks good, and is easy to use.

Beneath the surface, IObit say the program now includes a "groundbreaking 'Dual-Core' anti-malware engine", which provides "deeper scanning, detection and comprehensive real-time protection".

If you’re more interested in improvements you can actually see, then there’s a new Cloud Security option, which makes it very easy to run a check on suspicious files. In a click or two you can have Malware Fighter 2.0 uploading a file to the IObit Cloud, an "advanced automated threat analysis system". A browser window then opens to display its verdict.

The program has a greater focus on ease of use, too. A quick install option helps to accelerate the setup process; the revamped interface is a real improvement; and even if a scan reveals plenty of problems, the new "Fix All" button will resolve them all in a single click.

And IObit Malware Fighter 2.0 apparently now offers "full support for Windows 8". If you’re running a previous version on Windows 8 already then you might wonder what you’ve been missing, but still, this has to be good news.

Is there a radical change here? The interface looks good and worked well, at least for us, but the key here will be the new engine, and whether it can deliver the benefits IObit claims. We’ll have to see how that works out.

IObit Malware Fighter 2.0 remains compact and relatively lightweight, though, and happily ran alongside other security tools on our test PC, without the slightest conflict. If you’re an IObit fan then it’s worth a look.

With Google I/O in full swing, and Glass a hot topic of discussion these days, two companies have revealed plans to release apps for Google's new wearable computing system. Social network Twitter and note-taking giant Evernote are both on board with the intriguing futuristic gadget.

Evernote's Andrew Sinkov announces that the company is "excited to unveil a first look at the Evernote experience on Glass". Sinkove goes on to explain "our current implementation focuses on two actions. First, you’ll be able to quickly capture a photo or short video and send it to your Evernote account from the Google Glass sharing menu. Second, you can choose a note from Evernote Web and send it directly into the Glass Timeline so that you have it available right in your field of view when you need it".

Evernote says it believes that wearables are the next frontier in consumer technology, and it plans to adapt to this range of devices.

Meanwhile Twitter, not to be outdone, unveiled its own Glass app, which is predominantly used for photo sharing. "With Twitter for Google Glass, you can share photos to Twitter. The Tweet will automatically include the text, 'Just shared a photo #throughglass'" says Shiv Ramamurthi, an engineering manager for the company.

Beyond photos, the company also plans for the ability to keep up with your feed, including notifications of direct messages and tweets from those you follow.

Like it or not, and reactions are all across the board, it seems wearable computing, like Glass and smartwatches, is here for the long term. Are you ready for it?

Loved and loathed in just about equal measure, iTunes is installed on a huge number of computers around the world. It has been a while since the last update, but now iTunes 11.0.3 has been unveiled and there are a few important changes that make it worthy of installing, including new MiniPlayer views.

In the initial update to iTunes 11, many users were disappointed to find that the progress bar has vanished from the MiniPlayer. In the most recent update, this has been reinstated and it is also possible to have album art displayed while playback controls are hidden.

Album art can also be displayed in songs view and improvements have been made to the handling of multi-disc albums. To make those compilations, concept albums and other multi-parters easier to manage, iTunes now treats them as a single album rather than two or more.

These are the most obvious changes, and all of them are cosmetic ones that should be immediately apparent. Apple also claims that this latest update helps to improve performance for people with large music libraries. There are no figures to elaborate on what constitutes a large library, but faster searching and sorting is promised.

You can find out more and download a copy of the app -- which is available for OS X and Windows -- by paying a visit to the iTunes review page.

We don't often cover leaks here at BetaNews -- we want confirmation on things. So, when I saw a Microsoft Scroogled video making the rounds I was initially skeptical, though it looked authentic enough. It turns out the video is real and a Microsoft spokesperson I contacted, while refusing to issue a statement, did acknowledge as much.

"It was an internal video that was leaked" I was told, but further comment was refused. I am not sure why because while I found the last two releases of Scroogled videos to be ridiculous -- simply jokes depicting Office beating up on Google Docs and giving consumers no reason why to choose Office 365 over the Google Solution.

While this one also does nothing to promote the Microsoft alternative, it does at least attempt to show why users may want to avoid Google. It also does so in a clever fashion -- utilizing the search giant's own "Now Everywhere" campaign against it.

The ad is entirely animated, showing the Chrome "bouncing ball" as it hits different devices and grabs money from users -- all set to Beethoven's symphony. The little emblem even sucks cash right out of a user's pocket.

The only question is why was this internal, while videos that attempt to make no point other than humor using B-list celebrities were pushed to the masses? Microsoft's attacks on Google may remain ineffectual, and perhaps contribute to the company's recent problems, but sometimes they do provide amusement.

We already knew that Surface Pro was coming to Europe, but what we didn't know was exactly when. The company today announces the dates for availability, and the rollout begins in France on  May 17, continuing to the United Kingdom on May 23. It wraps up with a broad May 30 release in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, and one more big day in Germany on May 31.

There's more to come, but Brian Hall, General Manager of the Microsoft Surface team concedes that "some markets are still confirming timing so aren’t included here".

Yesterday my colleague Wayne Williams reported that Microsoft was offering a free cover to UK residents who purchase Surface RT before the end of June, but it turns out Microsoft will be offering the same deal to purchasers in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Making Surface available in Europe is a giant step for Microsoft's hopes of getting its first tablet to the masses and making the device, and the operating system, a success.

Telefónica will add 130,000 employees to the Microsoft cloud solution, not only using Office 365, but also Yammer. "Over the past 18 months, we have built very strong foundations and are now ready to move to the cloud," said Adrian Steel, the European production hub lead and global director at Telefónica. Steel goes on to explain "Deploying Office 365 and Yammer is this next step in bringing our global workforce to the forefront of seamless communication and collaboration while still operating at the level of speed and execution we’re known for".

Following a successful proof of concept that was carried out last year, Telefónica has commenced initial deployments across Europe, The communications giant prepares to later continue in Latin America. It also claims plans to utilize Microsoft Cloud Vantage Services to assist in the migration to the cloud.

The company is spread across 24 countries and eight languages and has cited the translation service as one of the main attractions in this decision. Yammer, Lync and SkyDrive were also mentioned. And all of this comes smack in the middle of Google I/O -- perhaps intentionally.

Photo credit: Pressmaster/Shutterstock

Although there are no new sign-ups, TweetBackup is not just going to vanish in a puff of smoke. Existing users will be able to log into their accounts until June 28 2013 but after this time it will no longer be possible to access your backup -- so be sure to download your data before this date.

So what are you supposed to do if you’ve become reliant on TweetBackup? As the service closes down, it does so with the recommendation that users check out Norton Ditto. This is another free backup service, but one that is not focused solely on Twitter.

Norton’s offering can be used to automatically backup not only your Twitter account, but also Facebook and Gmail. All of this can be done on a schedule so even the forgetful Twitter user can rest assured that their data is kept safe.

And of course, there’s always the option of manually downloading your Twitter archive; just head over to the Settings side of your account and hit "Request your archive".

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As a result, the search giant is not overly keen about the implementation and sent Microsoft a letter demanding it to remove the YouTube app for Windows Phone 8. The complaints focus on the ability to download content, the lack of ads and the removal of playback restrictions on "certain platforms". I reached out to Microsoft for a comment on Google's claims and here's the software giant's response:

YouTube is consistently one of the top apps downloaded by smartphone users on all platforms, but Google has refused to work with us to develop an app on par with other platforms. Since we updated the YouTube app to ensure our mutual customers a similar YouTube experience, ratings and feedback have been overwhelmingly positive. We’d be more than happy to include advertising but need Google to provide us access to the necessary APIs. In light of Larry Page’s comments today calling for more interoperability and less negativity, we look forward to solving this matter together for our mutual customers.

It is worth noting that the YouTube app developed by Microsoft is not the sole offering for Windows Phone 8 which forgoes displaying ads. Metrotube, the highest rated YouTube app in the Store's "music+video" category, also does not show ads and neither do other ones that I have used so far.

A visit to the mobile YouTube website from Internet Explorer for Windows Phone reveals a similar tale. There are no ads displayed anywhere within the browser window. Therefore, isn't Google a bit too overzealous in the case of the YouTube app for Windows Phone 8 (developed by Microsoft)?

The cease and desist letter demands the removal of the YouTube app by May 22 and does not seek any alternative solution. Microsoft appears keen to bury the hatchet, as the company said that it can introduce ads as long as Google does its part of providing access to the "necessary APIs".