Hybrid Boot is more like a cross between shutdown and hibernation. Typically, when you hibernate your computer all the contents of the RAM are written to non-volatile such as a hard drive. Hybrid Boot will do the same, but only for crucial system service which need to be started every time Windows is booted-up.

Hybrid Boot will seemingly reduce the boot-up phase and speed up the operating system considerably. Reports from Windows 8 Italia suggest they were able to boot-up Windows 8 within 20 seconds. We cannot really go by the figures here because boot-up time varies depending upon the system configuration.

Hybrid Boot is enabled by default, and can be turned off from the control panel in Windows 8. System restarts are not affected by Hybrid Boot, and it would function like traditional reboot.

Windows 8 to feature Cloud Sync at the heart of the OS?

Another discovery suggests Microsoft could be working towards integrating cloud-based services for file synchronization and other cloud computing tools straight into the heart of the upcoming operating system.

This could probably be just Windows Live SkyDrive integration to sync files and folders or hopefully third party access to the core functions of Windows 8’s cloud sync feature via SDK. If the latter is the case, then it’s definitely a step in the right direction as cloud computing is the future of computers as we know it. This would open-up the possibility of Dropbox-like services for Windows 8 file/folder sync. The possibilities are endless when you start thinking about it.

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1. Microsoft Launches Sync Framework
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3. Explorer Breadcrumbs for Windows XP

This article, Windows 8: Cloud Sync and Hybrid Boot for Faster Startup, was published at TechBuzz. Please don't violate our copyright

If you believe in geeky gossip, it is reported that Microsoft is working on introducing “Reset to factory default” option like seen on our iPhones and iPods. The source of this rumor is a set of leaked presentation slides, like this one:

Although this sounds like a very captivating feature, I wonder if OEMs will bundle it with their crapware. If they do, this feature would completely remain pointless. For most tech-savvy users, a re-install is a simple 20 minute job. These days, re-installing the OS is no different than installing Call of Duty.

That being said, most laptops or even desktops for that matter, don’t ship with OS disk. They come pre-installed with a licensed operating system, and this feature could be a lifesaver in such a situation. Netbook users would also find it super handy to compensate for the lack of DC/DVD tray.

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This article, Windows 8 to include “Reset to Factory Default” Option, was published at TechBuzz. Please don't violate our copyright

Nokia’s official response to this leak was “Any speculation on what our 2012 roadmap, including operating systems and product branding, are completely premature”. Considering the fact that Nokia spent $410 million to buy the remaining share of Symbian and loaned out another $630 million to improve the operating system, such a statement was greatly anticipated, keeping share-holder’s sentiments in mind.

Nokia seems to be impressed with the response their latest Maemo powered N900 is receiving from consumers and bloggers. It makes perfect sense for them to play around and try new opportunities. NSeries looks like an ideal test ground for Nokia to experiment Maemo OS and try winning the market share back from iPhone and other bling-bling Android phones.

Nonetheless, I don’t see Symbian dying anytime sooner or later. Not at least with such a large footprint of consumers, developers and applications. ESeries and XSeries will continue to breed using Symbian and Nokia will support both operating systems with Ovi Store and Maemo Select. Positively speaking, by 2012, if the world doesn’t end, we’ll see Maemo marketplace filled with applications to make it a mainstream success.

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This article, Nokia Dumping Symbian as the OS for N-Series Phones?, was published at TechBuzz. Please don't violate our copyright

It all started way back in July 2005, when Google acquired Android Inc. Rumors started building up that Google was trying to move into mobile marketplace, but it was not clear whether they were developing mobile software for their existing products or get into the handset business.

On 5 November 2007, the Open Handset Alliance, a group of several companies in the mobile industry was formed with the objective to improve open standards for mobile devices. Their first product was Android, which was built on the Linux kernel version 2.6. But it was only on 21 October, 2008 Android was made open source and released under Apache License.

Mobile advertising firm, AdMob has interesting numbers about Android’s first year as a mobile platform:

• Android currently has 7% worldwide market share. Symbian, BlackBerry and the iPhone still lead, but Windows Mobile is lagging behind Android at the moment.
• In the UK, 10% of smartphones run Android OS and HTC Dream is following iPhone as the most popular phone for surfing the web
• Android’s crucial markets are North America and Western Europe.
• HTC Magic is one among the top 10 of smartphones.
• The HTC Dream is rated fourth worldwide.

Android is yet to make any solid presence here in India. Couple of models from HTC has been released, but they are highly overpriced compared to other countries. Do you own an Android powered phone? Tell us about your Android experience.

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1. Android SDK Released, $10 Million Challenge Announced
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This article, Google’s Android OS is One Year Old!, was published at TechBuzz. Please don't violate our copyright