James Farrell

James Farrell is the former editor-in-chief of Chiang Mai CityNews, where he wrote and managed daily news, features, op-eds and blogs on a diverse range of topics. Prior to this, in the same city of Northern Thailand where he lives, he was the longstanding deputy editor of the monthly magazine Citylife. He has written on culture, politics, travel, tech, business, human rights, for local, national, and international news services and magazines. He has a keen interest in the role technology is playing in the transformation of society, culture and politics, especially in developing nations. This is reflected in his not-so-successful first novel.

Latest from James Farrell

Microsoft releases its vastly affordable Surface tablet: is this the best non-pro Surface yet?

We reported last week that Microsoft was working on a successor to its failed Surface 2 tablet, an affordable non-pro alternative to the Surface Pro 3 that will not run Windows RT. The rumors have now been confirmed as Microsoft has officially launched the Surface 3. The tablet, which will start at $499 (half that of ...

Microsoft’s new browser ‘Project Spartan’ unleashed in Windows 10 Technical Preview

The successor to Internet Explorer, Project Spartan, is now available in the Windows 10 Technical Preview. The new build (10049) can be downloaded by Windows 10 testers today, and it will feature the new browser. If you’re already running the technical preview you can follow the Windows Update, and if you’re not you can check ...

Microsoft’s Windows 10 Technical Preview coming to many more phones

Microsoft has announced that its Windows 10 Technical Preview will be coming to a much greater number of phones, far-outnumbering the few devices the build was available for when first released on February 12th. Commenting on why the list was so paltry at first Microsoft said in a blog, “the reason for this is that ...

Microsoft acquires another app-making start-up: PowerPoint plug-in LiveLoop

The acquisition of LiveLoop by Microsoft has been confirmed for an undisclosed amount, making it the third notable app-specific start-up, after the popular email app Accompli and Android calender app maker Sunrise, Redmond has acquired recently. LiveLoop is a San Francisco-based web service that converts PowerPoint presentations into Web URLs, that can be shared on any device ...

Microsoft to mount a challenge in the tablet marketplace with its unleashing of the Surface 3

A successor to Microsoft’s discontinued Surface 2 tablet is on its way, according to a report in WinBeta. The new Surface will presumably run a full version of Windows 8.1 – updated to Windows 10 when it is officially launched this summer – and might be a formidable foe to Apple Inc.’s iPad and other similarly ...

Microsoft’s new Azure App Service makes building web and mobile apps across all platforms easier

Microsoft today revealed its three-in-one cloud service, Azure App Service, that has bundled Azure Websites, Azure Mobile Services, and Azure BizTalk Services, in an effort to provide developers a one-stop single-service facility in which they can deliver cross-platform, cloud-connected applications at less cost and more convenience. The combination of the three services follows the model ...

Samsung and 11 more manufactures team-up with Microsoft to preinstall apps on Android devices

On Monday Microsoft revealed that it was expanding its partnership with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd to pre-install Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote), OneDrive, and Skype, on Samsung’s Android tablets. Adding to that Microsoft also reported that it had forged new partnerships with 11 other Android device makers. While these apps can already ...

Human nature in a virtual world: Living with our Avatars (Part 3)

This is the third entry of a three-part series exploring heightened technological immersion in the near future. Part Two:Virtual friends and real rewards is here. In the previous two parts to this story we looked at the pros and cons relating to how immersed we should become in digital technology. Should we be concerned about constant surveillance, ...

Counterfeit Windows? No problem, says Microsoft, we’ll still upgrade you to windows 10!

In an unprecedented move that aims to push Windows 10 firmly into the Chinese market Microsoft has said that when the new operating system comes out this summer consumers will be able to upgrade even if they are using counterfeit versions of Windows. “Anyone with a qualified device can upgrade to Window 10, including those ...

Microsoft gives more away about Windows 10 and says the new OS is going global in 111 languages this summer

Microsoft’s new, and perhaps last, operating system, Windows 10, will launch this summer in 190 countries across the world in 111 languages, Terry Myerson, executive vice president of Windows, announced. The statement came during a speech as Microsoft were showing off Windows 10 at the Windows Hardware Engineering Community (WinHEC) conference in Shenzhen, China. Windows ...