If you own a Windows Phone, it's likely that you understand how to properly close applications. Unfortunately, this method won't close persistent screens in the same instance of an app, as shown below.
Two screens from the app Music+Videos
Convenient, yes but at times this can be a nuisance. To make the most of your screen real estate, and save your battery you can safely backspace out of any unwanted persistent screens. Doing so will place you in the next open area of your app, while removing the previous instance. Repeat as needed for a much cleaner experience.
Ah, the age old conundrum: point fingers or let innovation speak for itself. In Microsoft's eyes, the former option is the better choice of action because clearly, finger pointing is mature and bolsters public trust. This concept works for politicians, so why not tech giants?
Of course, like most finger pointing the above commercial makes the assumption that ordinary people are blithering idiots. Take the tone as an example. It's smug in an "if my intelligence could be quantified in bricks, it'd be the Great Wall of China" way, with a dab of condescension. But for a company with confidence, they're very eager to talk up the viewpoint that Chromebook, in fact, has obvious as day flaws. If this product is beneath you, why go through the trouble? This commercial is the opposite of effective. In fact, it's even erroneous. A deeper look shows that Chromebook has offline apps, as well as access to Office. And just as an aside, ITunes (like all other proprietary PC to device sharing apps) sucks, with a capital S in red, size 72 font.
Finally there's this pot of gold: "Google tracks what you do so they can sell ads". As if this were more sleazy than forcing Internet Explorer, a privacy accident waiting to happen, on the public while claiming it's for our benefit. Or implementing Secure Boot. Microsoft is making money just the same, except Google's methods are public knowledge and noticeably less insidious. And in a world where transparency is scarce, who wouldn't take honesty over manipulation?
It's time Microsoft stopped approaching technology like a smear campaign and more like a showcase of creativity and talent. AMD/ATI & Intel do this. So does Android. What do these entities have in common? They revolutionised how we view CPU architecture, as well as how eCommerce works, respectively. Microsoft can only hope to achieve goals like these. They took years to realise how insufferablybroken IEwas (3 links), and it'll take them years to realise business doesn't always have to be 'business'. If you must tell somebody to like your product, chances are your creation isn't worthy.
