Today Microsoft rolled out a big set of updates covering a whole swath of their core Windows 8 apps. That includes Mail, Calendar, and People apps of course but there have been updates to others too. These core apps were made particularly to help you seamlessly manage your communications on your Windows 8 and Windows RT devices across multiple accounts. These updates should not only help out with improving performance, but provide some new features making it easier to connect with people, easier to organize  your life, and make the whole thing more effortless to manage.

These days you can play video games on almost any gadget it seems. I’m a big gamer myself. I love console gaming, PC gaming, even mobile gaming. One of my favorites over the past year has been gaming on tablets. A lot of gamers don’t realize it yet, but tablets are fantastic for gaming. There are so many great games you can play on them - the formfactor means you can play virtually anywhere, they have nice big screens compared to smartphones, and the touch controls can facilitate some unique game-play mechanics.

Despite what the slick image says, Future Shop confirms the Surface Windows 8 Pro is launching at Future Shop stores and Futureshop.ca on Saturday, February 9, 2013. 

Earlier this year we reported on the big splash Microsoft was making with the announcement of their new line of Surface tablets. Way back in June, half a year ago, we got our first glimpse at this new hardware and it certainly made an impression with many gadget lovers. You don’t often see an announcement get that much attention, but since then there wasn’t much information revealed. Today we can finally announce that the Surface RT tablets will be available at Future Shop retailers and online very soon.

One of my favorite new features with Windows 8 is the new ability to “refresh” your PC. If you’ve ever had to reformat your PC to bring it back to a condition resembling how it was when you first got it, with everything humming along optimally, then you’ll want ot pay attention here. This is for you.

A couple of weeks ago we saw the huge launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops II to eager fans across Canada. There were midnight openings for the game at Future Shop locations coast to coast. PaulH shared some of his photos from the Toronto launch event earlier. Now that we’ve had the chance to sink our teeth into it a bit, lets take a closer look at what it has to offer.

Its been quite a few years since gamers have been treated to a new game in the popular Hitman series. The first game, Hitman: Codename 47 first came out back in 2000. Since then we’ve seen three other Hitman games with the last (Hitman: Blood Money) releasing in 2006. Since then theres even been the theatrical release of a Hitman film that didn’t quite do as well as hoped. It looked like the franchise was in trouble and we might not have our screens graced by a new Hitman title again. All that has now changed, as we’ve got a whole new game first hinted at in 2007 - a generation ago in gaming terms. With such a big wait, gamers would be right to be both concerned and excited for what the sequel has in store. A lot can happen in that much time.

Installing a new operating system to your PC can seem like a daunting task to many. It can be a pain free process for the most part these days with Windows 8 but of course you should still take care to make sure you have everything backed up first when you start the process. That's where Western Digital can come on to help.

As you’re no doubt aware, Windows 8 is finally here. Many new systems are coming pre-loaded with Microsoft’s latest operating systems and purchasers of new Windows 7 PCs are still eligible for Microsofts discounted upgrade offer. Once you’ve got a Windows 8 PC setup in front of you, you may be wondering how you can augment your system to take further advantage of it. With that in mind, there are already a bunch of Windows 8 optimized PC accessories on the market, with more on the way soon.

If you’ve got a new Windows 8 touchscreen PC and you’re looking to have some fun with it you’ll be happy to know that game will start increasingly support touchscreen controls. For now your options are somewhat confined, as touchscreen PCs and Windows 8 are still in their early days, but there are already some great fun options available in the Windows Store to let you take advantage of your new touchscreen PC as a gamer.

Let's face it, there's always going to be someone on your list who has everything.  This person has all the coolest gadgets and is constantly raring for more. Shopping for this person might seem near to impossible, but finding unique new products isn't as hard as you might think.  Check out my list of products that stand apart from the rest, and will wow even the most savvy tech enthusiasts.  

Today is the day. One of the biggest days ever in Microsoft’s history: the launch of Windows 8. Why am I saying today is bigger than, say, the Windows 7 launch? Because just like how the launch of Windows 95 meant the end of DOS, the launch of  Windows 8 is Microsoft breaking with many of the conventions of all their operating systems since Windows 3.1. Windows 8’s primary interface is the ‘live-tile’, touch-friendly based ‘Modern UI’, which is a dramatic paradigm shift away from the current UI based on icons, windows and menus all of us are used to. Along with this radical change in the way we interact with Windows, in order to make it better-suited to use on mobile devices like tablets, Microsoft has also made some big changes under the hood. One of those big changes is Windows RT, a new version of Windows available on select devices, and it is important to understand the differences between RT and 8 when shopping for a new PC.

If you’re looking for a new tablet, its a good idea to check out some of the great upcoming Windows 8 options on the horizon. One such device is Acer’s Iconia W510 tablet PC with Windows 8. I had the opportunity to sit down with this device not long ago and have seen first hand what a slick little gadget it really is.

In two weeks on Friday, October 26, 2012, Canadians awaiting the release of Windows 8 will rejoice when it becomes available for sale in-store and online at Future Shop.

We’re getting tantalizingly close to the launch of Windows 8. A big rollout of new hardware is only to be expected with that in mind. ASUS has a pair of new tablets coming to Future Shop to go along with the Windows 8 launch at the end of October. The Viva Tab and the Vivo Tab RT tablets have been named with inspiration from the latin verb for ‘to live’.