Michael Kors shows us their take on Android Wear

403

Fashion designer brand Michael Kors has expanded into the tech industry, fusing both tech and glamour for their debut of two watches. Dylan and Bradshaw are two of Michael Kor’s first attempt on making Android Wear smartwatches.

Some of you may realize that both smartwatches have very similar aesthetics when compared to fellow luxury brand Fossil. This is largely due to the fact that Fossil is responsible for designing these watches, based on an agreement from two years ago. Nevertheless, both the Dylan and Bradshaw look very pleasing to the common eye. First off, the Dylan is catered towards male consumers. It features a 46mm casing with a 22mm silicone strap. The more female centric Bradshaw on the other hand, looks more flashy with a more metal look compared to the Dylan’s sporty touch. The Bradshaw sports a slightly smaller casing at 44.5mm, which isn’t much of a difference.

Both watches feature a 1.4-inch display of 320×290 resolution. The processing power relies on the Snapdragon 2100 chip, and both watches have 4GB of onboard storage. They also feature a speaker, which seems to be essential when Android Wear 2.0 arrives, but what’s absent is a heart rate sensor. Battery life is said to last from a day to two depending on usuage. The 360mAh battery will charge from 10% to 80% in 2 hours, and lastly, both the Dylan and Bradshaw are IP67 rated for dust and water resistance.

Both the Dylan and Bradshaw smartwatches are available today with a price tag of $350 (RM1,418.01), which seems fairly decent for a designer brand and when compared to other Android Wear smartwatches. What do you think?

Source:
Michael Kors

android
bradshaw
dylan
kors
michael
smartwatch
wear


Michelin launches the new and improved Pilot Sport 4 tyres

931

As much as we like to speed with our ride, we always need to ensure that our tyres can handle that adrenaline, which is why Michellin has introduced the new Pilot Sport 4 tyre, designed to meet the highest expectations of drivers by increasing every aspect of performance so that you’ll feel confident and safe while driving really fast, but still we would urge everyone to drive safe on the road.

The Pilot Sport 4 tyre is the first to feature the company’s Dynamic Response technoogy, which consists of a belt with hybrid aramid and nylon reinforcement that allows the tyre to withstand centrifugal forces and maintain contact patch stability at very high speeds. Furthermore, the Pilot Sport 4 aims to deliver better dry handling performance as its tread pattern is inspired by Formula E racing tyres, a new-generation functional elastomers and silica hydrophobic were added to the tyre rubber compound in order to incrase braking efficiency and traction on both wet and dry surfaces. Last but not the least, the tyre’s outer sidewall design features a premium ‘velvet look’ that was first used back in the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyre.

In terms of availability, Michelin has begin selling the Pilot Sport 4 in 23 sizes from 16 to 19 inches with a starting price of RM481, do check out with your workshop about it for more details about specific pricing for your car.

cars
michelin
pilotsport4
tyre


Michelin launches ‘Tyres Are Not Bananas’ campaign to promote tyre care

1K

Michelin Malaysia has launched its ‘Tyres Are Not Bananas’ educational campaign to focus on tyre quality and care instead of preoccupation with the date of manufacture as research has proven that performance is not solely based on the age of a tyre. By using bananas and their limited shelf life and freshness as an example, Michelin aims to educate motorists that countdown on the life of a tyre begins with the date of fitment and dedication to regular tyre care.

Participants will be presented with bananas, a content card and Michelin premiums, the competition will run on Facebook and will entail a five-step process that requires participants to post their most creative photograph of them posing with bananas. The 100 most creative photos will receive prizes ranging from movie tickets, Michelin travel bags, and petrol cards, while three Grand Prize winners will each take home a set of Michelin tyres.

The Tyres Are Not Bananas promotional campaign will run from July 12 to August 4, two teams of promoters visiting high traffic areas in the Klang Valley to create awareness among motorists and inviting them to join in the photo competition.

bananas
campaign
care
michelin
tyre


Micromax Canvas 6 and Canvas 6 Pro launched in India, both cost the same

367

Some of you have probably heard about Micromax, and some of you haven’t. The Indian manufacturer had some light shed on it due to its dispute-triangle alongside Chinese startup OnePlus and Cyanogen Inc, in which Micromax claimed it had exclusive rights to Cyanogen OS, a custom ROM for its smartphones in India. The dispute was solved nearly a year ago. Indian citizens seem to be loyal to local smartphone manufacturers, with Micromax taking second place in last year’s smartphone market share, right behind Korean OEM Samsung.

Micromax has pushed things further with the launch of its latest flagship line, the Canvas 6 and Canvas 6 Pro. You’d be expecting the Pro version to literally be a “Pro” variant of the Canvas 6, but that isn’t entirely applicable, plus both the devices are of the same price, which is pretty odd. Let’s dig in to their similarities first: both handsets come with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, the same MediaTek Helio X10 SoC and 13MP rear cameras and 3,000mAh batteries.

The difference between both devices see some compromises and corners cut to maintain the same price point. First of all, the Canvas 6 features a unibody all-metal design whereas the Canvas 6 Pro sports a matte plastic build with a removable back cover. The Canvas 6 Pro has 4GB of RAM underneath the hood, one GB more than the Canvas 6’s 3GB of RAM, but have 16GB and 32GB of expandable storage respectively. Furthermore, the Canvas 6 seems more selfie centric, sporting an 8MP selfie shooter, slightly belittling the one found on the Pro variant. Also, the Canvas 6 has an added bonus – a fingerprint sensor below the rear camera whereas the feature is non-existent on the Canvas 6 Pro.

Micromax is always seen as an alternative for budget devices if consumers don’t intend to go for Chinese smartphones. Both the Micromax Canvas 6 and Canvas 6 Pro are attractively priced at Rs.13,999 (RM817.85). However, as usual, they are only limited to the Indian market. Who knows? Maybe Micromax has plans to go proper global soon. What do you think about both these Indian handsets?

Source:
FoneArena

canvas
fingerprint
helio
india
mediatek
micromax
pro
sensor
x10


The Micromax Canvas Infinity goes really cheap for an 18:9 display smartphone

295

We’re now seeing more and more 18:9 display smartphones in the market. 18:9 display aspect ratios not only offer a more immersive experience when operating a smartphone or consuming media, but it also provides a better multi tasking view which separates the windows into two squares. Indian smartphone maker Micromax has launched its latest smartphone that has an 18:9 display on the front and does not break the bank at all.

The Micromax Canvas Infinity name of the handset speaks for itself. On the front you’ll find a 5.7-inch FullVision display, in 1440 x 720 resolution. The tall front display means that you’ll be looking at minimal bezels on the front panel. Underneath the hood, the Micromax Canvas Infinity is powered by a modest Snapdragon 425 processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.

The rear camera of the Micromax Canvas Infinity is at a standard 13 megapixels with an f/2.0 aperture while the selfie camera is a more impressive 16MP sensor. Both shooters are equipped with their respective LED flashes. The battery packed in the handset is at a decent 2,900mAh capacity.

The Micromax Canvas Infinity will of course be exclusive to the India market just like the rest of its devices. The tall display handset will be sold exclusively on Amazon India for a price of INR 9,999 (RM 668.08).

18:9
aspect ratio
canvas infinity
display
fullvision
micromax


Micromax moving into new pastures in China

313

Micromax, one of the most prominent smartphone manufacturing brands in the land of India, is planning to officially expand its consumer market beyond its country starting next year. Plus, the company is targeting a a spot in the global top five smartphone makers by the year 2020.

According to Android Central, Micromax co-founder, Vikas Jain has stated that the company is eyeing to be the fifth largest smartphone manufacturer globally by 2020, at a conference held in Hong Kong. In order to achieve that, Micromax will counting on the Chinese consumer market as it starts pushing out its phones to China next year. Jain said that the company will require more money to build more networks and acquire other companies to make its phones stand out when compared to competitors.

Although Micromax has managed to surpass Samsung before as the number one smartphone manufacturer in India, the company has been gradually losing out to the Korean OEM along with a couple of emerging Chinese manufacturers. Time will tell whether or not Micromax phones will thrive in China. What do you think?

Source:
Wall Street Journal

china
consumer
india
market
micromax
phones


The Micromax Selfie 2 features real time bokeh effect for portraits

339

It can’t be any more straight forward when a company decides to name its phone the “Selfie 2”. This isn’t by any means a joke as Indian smartphone maker Micromax has done so with its latest selfie centric handset – the Micromax Selfie 2. Indian smartphone companies have been churning out pretty decent devices so far, and the Micromax Selfie 2 is no exception.

Starting off with the display of the Selfie 2, which might be disappointing to some at a sub standard 720p resolution. Measuring at 5.2-inches, you might have to squint your eyes a little before realizing that it is a non-full HD screen. Underneath the hood lies a MediaTek MT6737 processor, alongside 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

The rear camera of the Micromax Selfie 2 isn’t at all special at a standard 13 megapixels. with an f/2.0 aperture. Since the phone is centered at selfies, the Selfie 2 features a front facing shooter of 8 megapixels. What’s unique is that the selfie camera is HDR ready, and it has real time bokeh effect for selfies, which is definitely a selling point for enthusiasts. Other specs include a rear fingerprint sensor and a 3,000mAh battery.

The Micromax Selfie 2 will only be available in India. It will go on sale with an affordable price tag of INR 9,999 (RM 667.15). Sounds like value for money device for its selfie capabilities.

bokeh
camera
india
micromax
selfie


Micromax's Yu launches a Yunicorn phone, pun intended

324

Indian OEM’s have been thriving successfully in its home country, where Micromax and its sub-brand Yu are two of the well known smartphone manufacturers whenever you think of India. Yu has unveiled another smartphone to its Yu lineup, and as far as names go, the Yu Yunicorn takes it all.

Obviously named with the mythical horse pun intended, the Yu Yunicorn lives up to its legendary title with pretty decent specs. For starters, a 5.5-inch display at Full HD resolution, protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The horsepower (again, pun intended) of the Yunicorn consists of a MediaTek Helio P10 octa core processor alongside 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage which can be expanded via the handset’s dual SIM/hybrid micro SD slot.

On the camera side of things, the Yunicorn sports a pretty standard setup of a 13MP primary camera with dual-LED flash, coupled with a 5MP selfie shooter. The handset packs a larger than usual 4,000mAh battery which promises up to 20 hours of talk time and supports fast charging. A fingerprint sensor is embedded in the home button on the front of the metal-framed device. The Yunicorn will run Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box, which is rather disappointing. However, Yu has promised that it will have Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow rolling out to the phone within a month, as soon as it is released.

The Yu Yunicorn will be exclusive to the Indian market and will be released on the 7th of June with a special first month price of Rs. 12,999 (RM795.74) exclusively on Flipkart before its normal price of Rs. 14,999 (RM918.17). The Yunicorn will be offered in three different color options – Rush Silver, Graphite and Rush Gold. Let us know your thoughts at the comments section below.

Source:
Gadgets360

4000mah
helio
mediatek
micromax
p10
yu
yunicorn


Microsoft 365 Personal and Family now in Malaysia – new updates and no price change

1.2K

The Microsoft Office 365 subscription offering has officially been renamed to Microsoft 365 and as per usual, both Personal and Family options are available. We already know this was happening, but it’s the updated prices that we didn’t know before; now, we’re glad to report that they remain unchanged at RM27 per month (RM269/year) for Microsoft 365 Personal, and RM36 per month (RM359/year) for Microsoft 365 Family.

One of the newest features added to the software suite is Microsoft Family Safety which is a mobile app that provides a holistic parent-child monitoring experience which includes alert notifications and location sharing when a member departs or arrives at a location.

There’s also an option for parents to monitor their children’s screen time and, as Microsoft puts it, understand how your kids are spending their time across their Xbox, Windows PCs and Android phones.

There’s
 also the new improvements made to the AI-
powered
 Microsoft Editor – which is made with writers in mind. One of the newest additions is the Rewrite Suggestions feature that lets you highlight a sentence and the software will offer suggestions to rephrase your sentence.

There’s also the similarity checker for students and academics that helps with checking your content for
plagiarism
 and make citations easier to insert into your paper.

PowerPoint is also getting some love with the all-new Presenter Coach that uses AI to ‘fine-tune- your presentation skills – it recognizes speech patterns and if you’re talking too fast, slow or saying “umm” too much, the AI software will let you know.

There are also refinements made to Outlook as well as an expansion to Play My Emails on Android, where Cortana is used to read-out your mails.

There will also now be Microsoft Teams for consumers stay
organzied
 with your family by uploading files, tasks, manage grocery lists and much more.

These are just a few of the new changes that are coming to Microsoft 365, and they look to improve quality of life quite significantly in both the desktop and mobile spheres. You can find out more about the update
here
, or sign up for it
here
.

microsoft 365
microsoft 365 family
microsoft 365 malaysia
microsoft 365 personal
microsoft office 365 malaysia
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Word


Microsoft acquired an AI startup to make Cortana more human-like

345

Google showed us the advancement of Assistant where it is able to make calls to a restaurant and a hair salon to make a booking for its owner. It even had a voice that mimics how a human would speak and that seemed to cause quite a stir among the tech giants that have their own smart assistant.

One of them is Microsoft, which recently acquired an AI startup, Semantic Machines, to make bots and assistant more human-like. This acquisition will be put towards the development of their Azure Bot Service that is used by 300,000 developers and with Cortana. David Ku, CTO of Microsoft AI & Research said that they will establish a conversational AI Center of Excellence in Berkeley to push the boundaries of language interfaces.

A lot of people are on the fence with the idea that smart assistants can make calls on behalf of its user, and right after Google finished their announcement, the Internet was filled with ethical questions and Memes that poked at the idea that machines are replacing humans. However, there are some that welcomed the idea, stating that this advancement could be a huge benefit to the user that have extremely busy schedules and would rather invest their time in something more productive than taking the time to making an appointment with a hair salon.

ai
assistant
cortana
microsoft
smarter
startup


Microsoft acquires interactive livestreaming service Beam

298

Interactive livestreaming service Beam may be sneaking its way into the Xbox One soon as Microsoft has reportedly acquired them recently.

According to a report by TechCrunch, Microsoft’s ownership of Beam would see the interactive game streaming service team being integrated into Microsoft’s own Xbox team. With Beam now a part of the Xbox team, Microsoft has stated that the Xbox team will “remain committed to its mission of importing users and streamers across platforms.”

As for Beam itself, CEO and founder Matt Salsamendi has stated that the Xbox’s community focus is specifically what made them a good fit for the company. “I’m really excited about Xbox’s focus on community,” says Salsamendi. “Beam is fundamentally built on a connected group of passionate individuals that love gaming, and Xbox is super in tune with that.”

For those who have not heard of the service before, Beam allows for real-time communication between streamers and viewers. The system allows viewers do actively interact with the streamer itself through an interface that allows them to choose weapons, select game modes, and many other options.

Source:
TechCrunch
,
Beam

acquisition
beam
microsoft
streaming
xbox


Microsoft adds feature to Windows 10 that automatically uninstalls faulty updates

312

We love you Microsoft Windows – but sometimes you drive us up the wall with your automatic updates, which sometimes stall our computers, or even cause a tank in performance.

If you’re a Windows 10 user, you’ve likely experienced this as well. Thankfully, Microsoft says that Windows 10 will automatically roll back problematic updates that may be causing issues to your system with the introduction of a new feature.

Image credit: Windows Latest

According to Windows Latest, the OS will remove installed updates that cause problems with start up and other issues that prevent your PC from booting up. If your system goes through this automatic roll back, your next boot will prompt a pop up message telling you that Windows had removed said problematic updates.

From there, your system will ignore updates and prevent them from automatically installing for the next 30 days.

This comes after news of Windows 10’s latest KB4482887 patch that was reported to cause frame rate drops when gaming. Although this automatic roll back works only when the PC has issues completing the update and not when a patch is fully installed; we suspect a new functionality to be made available – besides manual roll back – to suss out faulty patches much earlier.

faulty
microsoft
patch
roll back
updates
windows 10


Microsoft aims to unify PC and Xbox One platforms

452

Microsoft’s gaming division is making a huge change to its current Xbox platform as, according to The Guardian, they are planning to unify its PC and Xbox One gaming platforms into one ecosystem running Universal Windows Applications (UWAs)

During a press event in San Francisco, head of Microsoft’s Xbox division Phil Spencer said that the Universal Windows Platform would be central to the company’s gaming strategy. He explained that this is the culmination of the company’s vision over the past year.

“In other [consumer technology] ecosystems you get more continuous innovation in hardware that you rarely see in consoles because consoles lock the hardware and software platforms together at the beginning and they ride the generation out for seven years or so. We’re allowing ourselves to decouple our software platform from the hardware platform on which it runs,” says Spencer.

Simply put, Spencer is saying that the future Xboxes may no longer be a console with fixed hardware. It is possible that Microsoft may be releasing updated versions of the Xbox console at regular intervals with more powerful processors and graphics hardware. Thanks to the fact that games will be written as UWAs, older titles will remain compatible with the new machine. Of course, whether or not gamers would embrace this yearly update format for their consoles is an entirely different question.

The first game that will be employing this UWA concept is Forza Motorsport Apex. Microsoft has employed an in-house team, Turn 10 Studios, to convert its Forza Motorsports engine to the UPW format. “The Forza Tech engine is now DirectX 12 and UWP so Apex is just the start of that. It was something we had to do for technology reasons, but it was also something we wanted to do to make the platforms better. We wanted to make UWP and DX 10 better for everybody,” says Dan Greenawalt, creative director at Turn 10.

Perhaps the more interesting question is how third party developers would react to Microsoft’s new gaming philosophy. Veteran game developer Byron Atkinson-Jones, who owns his own indie studio Xiotex, believes that while UWA sounds like a good idea in principle, it is reliant on just how hard it is to develop for and how much of a closed ecosystem it may become. “The best thing about PC is that anyone can make a game for it and UWA sounds like it’s going to become a curated system that will probably require some developer registration to get on,” says Atkinson-Jones. However, according to a Microsoft spokesperson, any developer can create UWP games using tools available on
Microsoft’s Developer Network
 page. Developers would currenly have to register to sell through the Windows Store and follow the store guidelines to make their app available, but besides that, there is no approval process to obtain development tools or develop UWP apps.

Another issue that may pop out for the yearly iterations of Xbox-es is its hardware specifications. “As it stands currently, if you are making an Xbox One game, you can be sure on what kind of hardware it’s running. If developers are then forced down a UWA route, is it going to be the case that this certainty is gone and we get back to the situation on PC where you have to start specifying a minimum spec – which kinds of renders a unified platform redundant?” adds Atkinson-Jones.

Whatever the case, the future of Xbox seems to be taking a dramatic shift from the standard console ecosystem into an entirely Windows-centric one. Let’s just hope that Microsoft does not make this into another Games for Windows Live.

Source:
The Guardian

microsoft
universalwindowsapplications
windows
xbox


Microsoft is allowing users to try the Surface Pro, offers full refund if not satisfied

331

It is rare to see companies allowing users to try out the products before buying them, but Microsoft is trying to start a trend of trying products before buying them like what they are doing with the Surface Pro.

From 7th December to 24th December 2017, anyone that makes a purchase of the Surface Pro from any of the
participating retailers
 will be given the opportunity to try the product for 90 days. If they find that the product is not satisfactory, they can easily complete an online claim form
here
 within 31 to 90 days from the purchase date. Once the refund is approved, users will just have to send the Surface Pro back to the address indicated on the email within 15 days and users will receive their full refund into a bank account of their choice.

The Surface Pro is by far the best tablet that Microsoft has created, with its elegance in design and compliments from the Alcantara fabric, it makes for a very fancy device. However, with ultrabooks and powerful laptops that dominate the market, it seems like Microsoft wants to pull users attention to the Surface Pro as it can definitely replace your ultrabook or high powered laptops if need be.

microsoft
pro
promotion
refund
surface


Microsoft and Google will demote search results for pirate sites in the U.K.

884

Those who are conducting online searches using Google’s search engine or Microsoft’s Bing will soon notice some difference in their search resultts with regards to websites that hosts pirated content. Why? Because both companies have willingly participated in the U.K. government’s “Voluntary Code of Practice” guideline.

Signed by Google, Bing, the Motion Picture Association and the British Phonographic Industry, this guideline will formalise and “accelerate” the process in which a rights holder can flag a website that it perceives to be hosting illegal content. Should the request goes through, both Google and Bing would demote the website from the first page of the search result.

As you may have noticed, this system doesn’t remove the websites from search results altogether as they’ll still appear on the second page of the search results. However, the idea behind this isn’t to completely eliminate websites that host pirated content. Rather, the U.K. government is hoping that by making illegal content hard to discover in the first place, casual internet users would look for more easily attainable sources instead. The demotion of search results will be added to the U.K. government’s anti-piracy mechanisms, which currently includes ISP-driven site blocking and written warnings to suspected pirates.

Rest assured, this system will only be users living in the U.K.. However, if the method proves to be effective when it comes to combating piracy, we fully expect other governments around the world to request both Microsoft and Google to implement the same measures in their own countries.

Source:
U.K Government Portal
,
BPI
,
Engadget

britishphonographicindustry
demotion
google
microsoft
piracy
searchresults
unitedkingdomgovernment


Microsoft and Xiaomi joins hands in developing Windows 10 Handsets

349

We know this is going to happen one day, when a software company giant requires support from an influential OEM partner and a smartphone OEM starts growing big in one particular ecosystem. At the WinHEC Summit in Shenzhen, China, Microsoft not only announced the availability of Windows 10 in 190 countries with 111 languages this summer, but also revealed that the company will be working closely with Xiaomi on producing Windows 10 handsets. According to Microsoft, a select group of Xiaomi Mi 4 users will be testing the company’s smartphone operating system and giving feedbacks to the company from time to time, at this point of time they already have access to Windows 10 Technical Preview to load it on to their Mi 4.

This could be a win-win situation for both parties since Microsoft seriously needs publicity for their mobile operating system, with the company’s effort on giving out free Windows Phone licenses to OEMs, Xiaomi could be the next smartphone maker to make affordable and powerful Windows Phone handsets. If we think further down the road, Microsoft could create its very own competition for its
Lumia
 smartphones throughout this partnership, despite having different business entities between the software and hardware division. At the end of the day, it is definitely a great news to hear that Xiaomi will start offering phones with different smartphone platforms in the near future, because I have recently gotten tired of MIUI.


Microsoft announced Windows 10 first major update

352

If you have not upgraded to Windows 10, perhaps it is time to do so, as Microsoft has just announced Windows 10 first major update for PCs and tablets, with improvements such as device drivers and application updates from thousands of its partners. Not only is Windows 10 going to be rolled out to Xbox One today and to select mobile phones soon, Windows 10 has finally reached a maturity where it can now be recommended to business users.

So, what does this major update means to regular users? For one, performance of everyday tasks will show improvement, with boot time now nearly 30% faster than Windows 7 on the same device. Cortana has also seen some improvements; you can now scribble a note on Cortana Notebook and Cortana will recognize the phone number, email address, and physical address to allow you to set reminders, on top of keeping track of appointments and bookings. Unfortunately for Malaysians, we won’t be able to enjoy that yet as Microsoft will be making Cortana available next in Japan, Australia, Canada and India (English).

For those using Microsoft Edge, or still thinking of using it, maybe this new feature will excite you. Other than improved performance and security, you can do a tab preview by hovering over your open tabs to preview a website without leaving whatever application or page you are on. Since syncing across devices is one of Windows 10 plus point, you can now sync your Favorites and Reading List items across devices via Microsoft Edge.

Other improvements made also include applications such as Mail, Calendar, Photos, Groove, Xbox, Store, OneNote, Solitaire, and more.

Now, if you are looking at using Windows 10 for your business, there are some updates as well. Microsoft has introduced two free services to maintain control and deliver reliable quality of services. One of this is Windows Update for Business, which provides IT controls over the deployment of updates within their organizations, while ensuring their devices are kept current and their security needs are met, at reduced management cost. Another update is Windows Store for Business, which provides IT a flexible way to find, acquire, manage and distribute apps to Windows 10 devices – both Windows Store apps and custom line of business apps.

Microsoft has also increased security of Windows 10 as well since this is pretty important for organizations. Some features include:

Credential Guard: safeguards credentials inside a hardware-based virtualized environment and breaks the popular “pass the hash” used in many major breaches.

Device Guard: uses Trusted Boot to prevent intruders from installing malware, helping to keep company devices secure.

Windows Hello (hardware dependent): enables people to say goodbye to passwords with enterprise-grade biometrics including fingerprint and facial recognition.

Windows Defender: our free anti-malware service protecting almost 300 million Windows devices every day.

microsoft
os
software
windows10
windows10update
windowspc


Microsoft announces Creators Update for Windows 10; to be available in early 2017

264

Microsoft’s event is now live and to kick things off, Microsoft is announcing the next update for Windows 10. Called the Creators Update, this update is scheduled to be available sometime in early 2017. As the name implies, the Creators Update will bring with it numerous new features that are tailor-made for creators.

With the Creators Update, Microsoft will be focusing on a couple of segments in Windows 10, with the first being 3D. Microsoft is going all in on the virtual reality, augmented reality and holographic computing sector. To that end, the company is introducing a whole set of tools under its “3D for Everyone” initiative. One of the features that will be coming with this initiative includes a camera function that would allow users to take a 3D image of an object.

Yet another will be Paint 3D, a simple and intuitive 3D design app that Microsoft created to introduce Windows users to the potential of 3D design. With Paint 3D, users can create images in a 3D environment. The app itself will also allow you to share your creations to social media sites, one of which is Facebook. Microsoft will also allow you to import 3D objects from either Minecraft of SketchUp, giving you more design elements for your projects. Finally, Paint 3D will allow you to send your creations to a 3D printer.

Paint isn’t the only one getting the 3D treatment, as Microsoft has also revealed that its “most popular applications” will be able to support 3D elements as well. On stage, Microsoft showed of the potential of 3D on PowerPoint by integrating a 3D object from its 3D clipart library.

The next segment that will be given focus with the Creators Update is the gamer.
We’ve reported
 before that Microsoft has acquired a livestreaming service called Beam two months ago, and it appears that this system will be rolled out to Windows 10 when the Creators Update goes live. Beam will be built right into the Creators Update, allowing users to view another gamer’s stream or set up their own without needing to download any third party software. Additionally, Arena on Xbox Live will be coming to Windows 10 in the Creators Update as well, allowing users to set up private gaming sessions or tournaments with ease.

Lastly, the Creators Update will allow users to pin their contacts onto the task bar itself. Once pinned, users can drop messages to their contacts by simply clicking on the contact’s icon. Users can also drag and drop files to the icons to share them instantly. To streamline communications even further, Microsoft will be mashing up Skype and its Mail app into a single app.

All these features and more will be available when the Creators Update goes live in Spring 2017. Much like the Anniversary Update, the Creators Update will be available for free to all Windows 10 users.

beam
contacts
creatorsupdate
mail
microsoft
office
paint3d
powerpoint
skype
windows10
xboxarena


Microsoft announces Cross-Network Play and MonoGame support for Xbox One

258

Microsoft has just made a rather big announcement today at the Game Developers Conference as they’ve announced that Cross-Network Play and MonoGame support will be coming to the Xbox One.

The biggest news of the day has to be Cross-Network Play. Microsoft has revealed that besides supporting cross-platform play between the Xbox One and Windows 10, Microsoft will also be enabling developers to support cross-network play. This means that players on the Xbox One or Windows 10 would now be able to play with players on different online multiplayer networks using Xbox Live. Simply put, you’ll soon be able to play multiplayer games with the players on PlayStation Network. The first game that will feature cross-network play will be Psyonix’s Rocket League.

As for the second part, Microsoft has revealled that MonoGame support will be coming to the Xbox One soon. As the Xbox One does not natively support Microsoft’s XNA programming framework, developers can now use the open source MonoGame to develop titles for the Xbox One. With Microsoft officially supporting MonoGame, Tom Happ’s Axiom Verge will be coming to the Xbox One with many other titles on the way.

crossnetworkplay
gamedeveloperconference
microsoft
monogame
xboxone


Microsoft announces that Chakra will be going open source

287

Chakra, the JavaScript engine used in Microsoft’s Edge and Internet Explorer browsers, is about to become open source.

Announced at JSConf in Florida, Microsoft has stated that the code will be published to the company’s
Github page
 next month.

The open source version of Chakra, dubbed ChakraCore, is the complete JavaScript engine. It comes with the parser, the interpreter, the just-in-time compiler, the garbage collector, and the API used to embed the engine into applications. However, some features will not be avaialble on the open source ChakraCore. For instance, the glue between the JavaScript engine and the browser’s HTML engine, and similarly, the glue between the JavaScript engine and the Universal Windows Platform will not be available on ChakraCore.

Besides that, ChakraCore will not have the diagnostic APIs the uses COM featured in Chakra proper. ChakraCore will feature its own set of diagnostic APIs which will eventually be integrated into the full Chakra.

Despite the omissions, ChakraCore will have the same performance and capabilities, including asm.js and SIMD support, as well as cutting-edge support for new ECMAScript 2015 language features like the version found in Microsoft’s Windows 10 browser.

ChakraCore will be utilising the MIT license, giving third parties great flexibility in how they can use and embed the code, ensuring that license provisions are unlikely to ever stand in the way of adopting the technology.

chakra
chakracore
javascript
microsoft
opensource


Microsoft announces the Lumia 430 which costs only $70

235

Think the MWC 2015 heat is all over? Its not quite yet in Microsoft’s
case
, the company has just silently announced its most affordable Windows Phone model ever, the entry level Lumia 430 will go on sale at the price of a mere $70 before taxes, which literally translates into RM275 after applying our upcoming 6% GST and challenges the Moto E and ASUS ZenFone 4 over here.

The
Lumia
 430’s specs is rather unimpressive but for that price tag, we shouldn’t be complaining, it comes with a dual-core Snapdragon 200 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and has 8GB of expandable storage, a 2-megapixel rear camera and 0.3MP front camera, and powered by a 1500mAh removable battery, there’s also Dual SIM HSPA+ support with WiFi 802.11n and Bluetooth connectivity.

Microsoft is offering 30GB of free OneDrive storage and the phone will come preloaded with Windows 8.1 and the
Lumia
 Denim update, the Lumia 430 will also receive an upgrade to Windows 10 once Microsoft flips the switch on, which definitely makes a difference from entry level Android phones which most of them are still stuck on Jelly Bean, for that price tag, we really can’t complain about its hardware.

Microsoft will start selling the
Lumia
 430 in the APAC region from April onwards, its slightly higher end
Lumia
 435 sibling will be making presence around that time as well and we expect a local launch event invite from Microsoft soon


Microsoft announces the new entry level Lumia 532

245

Microsoft has announced the
Lumia 532 Dual SIM
 this week, which is literally a water down version of the
Lumia
 535, which now features some even more lower end hardware onboard to make up the price of RM379, a RM100 cheaper than its higher end sibling

The
Lumia 532
 will be powered by the very same 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 CPU, it has 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory with MicroSD expansion up to 128GB, a 5-megapixel fixed focus camera and VGA front facing camera, and a very tiny battery size of 1560mAh. Apart from that, the phone sports the usual
WiFi 802.11n
 and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity and will support HSPA+ 21Mbps speeds.

In comparison to the Lumia 535, Microsoft has downgraded the camera setups to fixed focus main camera and a lower resolution front shooter, a smaller display and battery size, thankfully the phone’s processing power, RAM and storage remains so if you think the
Lumia
 535 is still too pricey for your budget, you know where to look.

Microsoft has made the Lumia 532 Dual SIM starting from today (27 March) at authorized retailers, the phone will be available in bright green, bright orange, white and black. Here’s the best part, if you purchase the
Lumia 532 Dual SIM
 within 27 to 30 March 2015, you’ll be able to redeem a return flight ticket to selected destinations from AirAsia, which includes Phuket, Krabi, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore & others destinations, so make sure you head on to the source link to find out more, time is ticking so hurry up!


Microsoft announces the Surface Book i7

368

Hardware was a part of the Microsoft event today, and the first of the two new hardware is an improvement over a pre-existing Microsoft product. It is the Surface Book i7, and it comes with souped up components as well as an expanded battery life.

In terms of design, the Surface Book i7 is pretty much identical to the current Surface Books. It still retains the hinge design, the full keyboard, the removable PixelSense display, and the Surface Pen. What is new on the Surface Book i7 is the coolers, as Microsoft has implemented a new thermal system that comes with a second fan into the Surface Book i7.

Performance is where the improvements can be seen on the Surface Book i7. While the proper specifications of the Surface Book i7 was not revealed on stage, we do know that the Surface Book i7 will be powered by Intel’s Skylake Core i7 processor. For the battery, Microsoft claims that the Surface Book i7 will last for at least 16 hours on a single charge, which is a 30% improvement in battery life over the pre-existing Surface Books.

The Surface Book i7 will be available for pre-order starting today, with the device being made available sometime in November. The Surface Book i7 will have an asking price of USD2,399 (RM9,976).

battery
corei7
intel
laptop
microsoft
skylake
surfacebooki7


Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 3

361

While we still don’t even see a Surface Pro 2 over here, Microsoft has announced their latest Surface Pro 3 in New York City today and it’s going to destroy notebooks in the market with its stunning form factor and internals. Like all Surface predecessors, the new Surface Pro 3 still has a kickstand and has an amazing thickness of only 9.1mm 12-inch screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio HD display, and weighs only 800 grams. The Surface Pro 3 could probably resolve people’s broken decision on choosing a
tablet
 or laptop.

Microsoft has made sure that the new form factor is able to include the latest Core i7 processors and a good cooling system for the Surface Pro 3 with its refined chassis, it still includes a fan but you no longer see the fan ridge that is used to be seen on the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2. The new kickstand on the
tablet
 supports a 150 degree angle and the new type cover has a larger trackpad this time.

Pricing of the Surface Pro 3 is still unknown but we hope it stays less than RM3000 when it is launched here. Microsoft Malaysia, please make this happen.

UPDATE: According to our friends at Lowyat.NET, the Surface Pro 3 is expected to land here at the end of August.

Source:
The Verge


Microsoft criticises Apple for blocking xCloud gaming service in App Store

421

Apple
 has been criticized by Microsoft recently for its App Store policies that deny cloud gaming services like Microsoft xCloud from being included on its platform.

Apple’s App Store policy requires an individual review of each app

Image credit: Apple Insider

It’s not just Microsoft xCloud; Google Stadia is also not allowed on the platform. Apple told
Business Insider
 that these cloud services violate the App Store guidelines as the company can’t individually review each app.

Our customers enjoy great apps and games from millions of developers, and gaming services can absolutely launch on the App Store as long as they follow the same set of guidelines applicable to all developers, including submitting games individually for review, and appearing in charts and search.”

Microsoft xCloud: An Android exclusive for now

Microsoft has also ended the testing period for Project xCloud for iOS and announced that it’ll be an Android exclusive until further notice. According to
The Verge
, Microsoft has plans to make its xCloud and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription available on iOS devices — the only question left is how the company plans to implement that.

app store
apple
google stadia
Microsoft xCloud


Microsoft Band accidentally leaked in app store

332

We’ve heard of a
Microsoft wearable in the works a few months back
 and the company has probably accidentally leak this piece of information, albeit in a weird source – the Mac App Store, in which the company has published an app called Microsoft Band Sync which serves as a synchronization program with the smart wearable that Microsoft is announcing. According to The Verge, Microsoft has also published the device’s app in Google Play and the Windows Store, it’s called Microsoft Health.

Therefore, it’s obvious that Microsoft Band will be supported on Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices, this will be the first smart wearable ever to support all three major mobile operating systems. The Microsoft Band will have Cortana support on Windows Phone and it’ll also be able to receive notifications such as phone calls, text messages, tweets from Twitter, weather, and stocks information. It’s display resolution is reported to be 310 x 102 pixels.

Microsoft Band’s launch date shouldn’t be faraway, given that the company has so ‘publicly’ leak the images of it, which we believe it shouldn’t be an accidental issue as well. If you want to check out the app itself do head over to the source link down below to download the Microsoft Health app on to your smartphones.

Source:
Android
,
Windows Phone
,
Mac App Store

VIA:
Windows Central


Microsoft begins cracking down on online 'terrorist content'

309

Microsoft has begun taking a no-nonsense approach to extremist content found online as the company has announced that they will be cracking down on such content on some of its consumer services.

According to a
blog post
, Microsoft has outlined what it plans to do with what they consider “extremist content”. From this point forward, Microsoft will be proactively removing terrorist content from its services. This includes places such as Xbox Live, Outlook, Skype, and perhaps even OneDrive. The company will also be allowing its users to report any activity that can be consider an extremist action via
this form
.

As for Bing, Microsoft has said that it will remove links to other websites that promote extremist acts when, and only when that “is required of search providers under local law,” citing free expression as the reason for doing so.

Microsoft has also stated that they will be tackling this issues with other companies as well. For extremist acts that are done outside of Microsoft services, the company has said that they will be investing in public-private partnerships and leveraging new technologies in order to curb extremist actions. Microsoft will also be providing additional information and resources, such as the online safety program pages located in Microsoft’s YouthSpark initiative, to combat the extremist ideologies found online.

Source:
Microsoft Blog
,
Reuters

microsoft
online
terrorism


Microsoft brings back its A.I. chatbot experiment with Zo

332

Microsoft’s last attempt at experimenting with an A.I. chatbot
…didn’t exactly pan out the way the company had hoped. After the rough first attempt with Tay, Microsoft has launched its second A.I. chatbot experiment named Zo.

Currently available only on the
Kik chat platform
, Zo is more or less an English-variant of Xiaoice, Microsoft’s Chinese chatbot. At the beginning, Zo will gauge your personality, after which a conversation can proceed as normal.

In its current form, Zo has a personality of a teenage girl and its responses reflect that. The experience as a whole is identical to Tay except with one glaring change: Zo will attempt to steer clear from any political discussion. Microsoft has obviously learnt from the Tay fallout and they have programmed Zo to divert the conversation if subjects like Donald Trump or Hitler are brought up.

Microsoft’s decision to use Kik to experiment with Zo instead of a far more popular chat service means that the company could experiment with it in a more controlled environment. For now, no plans were mentioned as to whether or not Zo will be available on a more public platform like Twitter. If it eventually comes on Twitter, you can bet that the same people who corrupted Tay will attempt to do so with Zo as well. Should that happen, let’s hope that Microsoft’s topic filter system will work under immense load.

Source:
MSPowerUser

chatbot
experiment
kik
microsoft
tay
zo


Microsoft brings live captions and subtitles to Skype and PowerPoint

308

In conjunction with the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Microsoft announced that both Skype and PowerPoint will be getting live captions and subtitles so that the applications can accommodate for the deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

Users can already experience the new feature on the latest version of Skype where the live captions and subtitles work for both one-on-one calls and also group calls. Skype users are also given the option to turn on the feature for just one call or for all the calls. When Skype users communicate with each other, there will be captions and subtitles on the bottom of the screen which will be auto-scrolled, but Microsoft promises that there will be additional viewing options in the future.

Image credit: Microsoft

In addition to that, Microsoft will also be adding translations for over 20 languages and dialects which will be rolling out in the coming weeks. This is so that they can offer better services for more users, and help Skype users understand each other even when they speak different languages. This translation feature can also be switched on or off in the settings, and users can actually set the language they usually speak and the subtitle language to be different.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhY9MrAStQo]

Apart from that, PowerPoint will also be getting live captions and subtitles, and according to Microsoft, this feature is powered by AI so that the live captions and subtitles can be done in real-time, meaning that while the presenter is presenting his/her content, the AI will in translating or processing the words so that it will result in perfect captions/subtitles or translations. The captions and subtitles can also be presented in different languages so that other individuals who are unfamiliar with the presenter’s language can understand what he/she is presenting. When the new feature is launch, Microsoft promises that it will support 12 spoken languages and more than 60 languages of on-screen captions or subtitles.

While the live captions and subtitles are already available in Skype, it will only roll out in late January 2019 for PowerPoint and it will be made available for all Office 265 subscribers for PowerPoint on Windows 10 and Mac, and also PowerPoint Online.

microsoft
powerpoint
skype


Microsoft brings Outlook to Android Wear

280

iOS and Android users take up the majority when it comes to mobile devices, but most of us are still reliant on Microsoft’s apps and services, which the company has brought across a number of platforms for our convenience instead of us to switch over to Windows Mobile or something. We’ve seen Microsoft Office apps released for both iOS and Android platforms, and now Microsoft has brought its email service app, Outlook to your Android wearables.

With a dedicated Microsoft Outlook app for Android Wear, users don’t have grab their phone out to view emails in Outlook. Outlook for Android Wear also allows users to reply emails using preset replies. Replies can also be initiated via voice dictation. Notifications for the app can also be accessed via the notification window. With the Android Wear release of the app, users now have the option of Gmail or Outlook from the comfort of their own wrist, hence a more level playing field for Microsoft.

Outlook for Android Wear is in the midst of a rollout to Google’s Play Store so do check on it every now and then, depending on how eager you are to have Outlook emails displayed on your Android wearable. Are you a Gmail or Outlook user?

Source:
Google

android
app
email
gmail
microsoft
outlook
wear
wearable


Microsoft in talks to buy TikTok after President Trump threatens to ban the app

373

In light of US President Donald Trump’s threats to
ban
 video app giants TikTok, citing national security concerns, Microsoft looks to be set to become the new owners of the platform, albeit just its US arm for now.

Reports say that the American giants are in talks with the Chinese-owned app’s parent company
ByteDance
 to take over operations in the United States, which would supposedly eliminate any problems of spying – right, Microsoft?

The discussions between the two parties is tabled to conclude this September 15 which apparently hinges on “
buy-in
” from the Trump administration – this could also potentially mean
TikTok
 in the US is partly government-owned, just run and maintained by Microsoft. If this is the case, it runs the risk of heavy censorship on content that go against the Trump Administration’s
mandate
.

More likely, however, the buy-in here simply refers to President Trump giving the OK to Microsoft to seal the deal, but have no input in how the app is run and what videos go on there – but considering how political this whole kerfuffle is, the former sounds like a bit possibility too.

On whether or not the take-over will affect the app’s existence in Malaysia, it will likely still remain as is – but this acquisition is reportedly going to include Microsoft having control over the app in regions such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. With that in mind, there’s always a possibility of the company diversifying their grasp on the platform across more regions.

ByteDance
microsoft
TikTok
trump
us
us government
video app


Microsoft ceases production of Xbox 360

314

Microsoft have finally came to their senses, closing the chapter on the Xbox 360 console. The Xbox 360 achieved a milestone late last year in November, celebrating its 10th birthday. The fact that a gaming console has been in production for 10 years, coupled with the rapid advancement of technology, the company has realized that it’s finally time to stop the production of the Xbox 360.

Microsoft boasts a total of over 78 billion gaming hours played, a Gamerscore of 486 billion on 27 billion achievements and more than 25 billion hours in terms of app consumption via the Xbox 360. Existing units of the Xbox 360 will of course still be sold worldwide, but those will be the last batch of the decade-old gaming console. During its prime, the console has seen great development on the Halo franchise, alongside the birth of the famous Gears of War.

As reality strikes, Xbox 360 players will still be receiving Xbox Live services, and servers will remain active. Xbox 360 titles will also continue to be sold on the online store while they last. On top of that, the hardware will still be supported on the Xbox website. The newer Xbox One owners will still be able to play Xbox 360-exclusive titles via the Xbox One Backward Compatibility.

Are you an owner of the Xbox 360? The team at Xbox thanks you for being a part of their community, and contributing to who they are today.

Source:
Xbox

360
console
gaming
gears
halo
microsoft
of
one
war
xbox


Microsoft collaborates with DJI, launching Windows SDK to control drones

387

In the recent AirWorks conference, Microsoft partnered with DJI, a company known for drones manufacture to introduce Windows SDK to the public for developers to create Windows 10 applications that can control DJI drones.

The Windows 10 applications will have access to control the DJI drones, in addition to integrating hardware such as robotic components and sensors that can be controlled by users through their PCs. Windows SDK will also allow machine-learning and data-transferring capabilities, which can be used in navigation, surveillance and maintenance inspections to decrease the risk of accidents.

In addition to that, a new service called AirMap was also announced to help educate users on the local law and ensure that they comply to the laws and to better the drone technology, AirMap works with several authorities to execute an airspace management strategy for drone traffic security. Azure will be AirMap’s exclusive cloud computing partner to manage the drone traffic and developers’ apps and services, and all the data gathered through DJI drones will be able to be processed via Azure whether it is on the cloud, through devices or Windows 10 PCs.

The AI-powered drones are expected to be able to solve issues faced such as public safety, emergencies, agriculture problems and also bring improvement to business performances.

AirMap
Azure
dji
drones
microsoft
Windows SDK


Microsoft Defender ATP: Antivirus trial for Android devices announced

422

Microsoft
 offered Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac about a year ago; the company is now offering the same for mobile operating systems like Android.

Now, Microsoft Defender can offer protection from phishing, block unsafe connections, and enhance protection to prevent breaches by malicious apps or
malware
.

Microsoft Defender ATP for Android provides web protection

Image credit: Microsoft

With
Microsoft Defender,
 Android devices can be protected from unsafe websites and URLs with the help of Microsoft SmartScreen technology. When access to malicious apps or sites are blocked, both the user and the security team will be notified. Users can then choose to allow the connection, report the URL as safe, or dismiss the notification.

The same works with unsafe network connections that might be made without the user’s knowledge. The same thing happens — user and security team are notified and the user can choose to allow or report the connection.

Malware scanning & sensitive data protection

Image credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Defender will also scan all the apps and files that are being installed/downloaded on Android devices to detect malware and potentially unwanted applications. If the apps are safe, there will be a notification to alert users.

Using Microsoft Endpoint Manager, Microsoft Defender offers multiple layers of protection to prevent access to sensitive information. If an Android device is detected to be compromised, the device will be flagged and Conditional Access will be activated to prevent access to corporate assets. However, access can be restored once the device removes all the malicious apps and files.

For more information, check out Microsoft’s
tech community
 or start the free trial
here
.

android
antivirus
microsoft
Microsoft defender


Microsoft Devices announces the Lumia 930, available next week at RM1999

257

Microsoft Devices f.k.a Nokia today announced the
Lumia
 930, which is Nokia’s last announced flagship for this year. Feature highlights of the
Lumia
 930 include a 5-inch Full HD OLED Gorilla Display 3 display, Snapdragon 800 2.2GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage with no Micro SD expansion, 20MP Pureview camera with O.I.S and ZEISS optics and a 2420mAh battery.

The
Lumia
 930’s build quality feels pretty solid and has a non-removable colored back cover, which makes us feel that Nokia wants to blend the device’s design with its operating system Live Tiles, however in our opinion the design simply feels a bit weird as the mixture of an aluminum finishing with a colored back cover just doesn’t feel right. The
Lumia
 930 will come with Windows 8.1 and the Lumia Cyan update, which features goodies such as Bluetooth 4.0 LE, Nokia Camera with Living Images, and updated versions of Nokia StoryTeller, Creative Studio and Refocus that brings more image editing capabilities to the phone. When everyone’s talking about fitness, Microsoft Devices introduces SensorCore which will offer low power motion sensing to help people track their activity all day without using up the 2420mAh battery, which will be useful for fitness tracking apps such as Bing Health and Fitness.

Announced along the press event today is the Treasure Tag, an accessory that pairs up with your Lumia smartphone via Bluetooth or NFC to ensure that you will never lose your belongings or leave your smartphone behind, the accessory does similar things like the HTC Fetch, which is a pretty cool accessory if you can afford it.

Microsoft will be doing a Transformers roadshow at Low Yat Plaza from 30th June till 6 July, which customers will be able to preorder the Lumia 930 and get a free Nokia Treasure Tag, 4400mAh power bank and flip cover. The Lumia 930 will be available at a suggested retail price of RM1999, with color choices of bright orange, bright green, black and white.


Microsoft Devices introduces the Lumia 730 Dual SIM, Lumia 735 and Lumia 830

262

With cheap and powerful smartphones dominating the market, Microsoft Devices certainly have a strategy to overcome that and has introduced the
Lumia
 730 Dual SIM, Lumia 735 and
Lumia
 830 at IFA 2014 in Berlin.

The Lumia 730 is a dual SIM smartphone that is built for Skype and selfies with its wide angle 5-Megapixel front facing camera, the phone has a 4.7-inch 720p display, 6.7 Megapixel main camera with LED flash and processing power is done by a Snapdragon 400 Quad-Core CPU with 1GB of RAM and comes with 8GB of internal storage while supporting MicroSD memory expansion.

If you don’t need a dual SIM option, the Lumia 735 is has the similar cameras and hardware internals onboard with LTE support and wireless charging, both the Lumia 730 Dual SIM and Lumia 735 will come with 15GB of free OneDrive storage, 2220mAh battery and is priced around 199 Euros and 219 Euros before taxes respectively.

The Lumia 830 continues Nokia’s mantra of making an affordable flagship smartphone since the Lumia 820, it features a 10 Megapixel Pureview main camera with the thinnest optical image stabilization to date on a Lumia. It has a 5-inch 720p IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and a curved 2.25D glass, Snapdragon 400 Quad-Core processor, 2200mAh battery supporting Qi wireless charging and comes with 16GB internal storage expandable via MicroSD memory. The front facing camera of the Lumia830 is limited to 1 Megapixel. Similar to its lower end sibling, the Lumia 830 will come with 15GB of free OneDrive storage and priced around 330 Euros before taxes.

All of these phones will come with the Lumia Cyan Update and Windows 8.1.1, which introduces a faster system performance and camera startup speed, 4K video recording support, auto HDR, dynamic flash and improved low light shooting algorithms. The Lumia Denim update will also reach current flagships such as the Lumia 930, Lumia Icon and Lumia 1520 as an OTA update in Q4 2014.

The newly announced Lumia smartphones are expected to ship by end of September.


Microsoft discontinues the Band wearables

297

Shortly after discontinuing the Lumia line of smartphone, Microsoft is putting yet another piece of its hardware out to pasture as the company has removed the Microsoft Band wearable line for the company’s
Store webpage
.

With the Microsoft Store no longer selling any of the Bands, it appears that the only place that is still selling Microsoft’s wearable is Amazon. However, once the current stock of the wearable runs out, you won’t be able to get the device outside of the occasional online auction sites. Also removed is the Band’s software development kit, meaning that the Band appears to be retired for good.

For those of you who currently rely on the Microsoft Band 2, a Microsoft spokesperson has told ZDNet that the company will continue to support the device. While the Band will no longer have hardware associated with it, Microsoft won’t be retiring the “Band” name anytime soon as the company has recently renamed its Microsoft Health applications to “Microsoft Band.”

Source:
ZDNet
,
The Verge

band2
discontinue
fitness
microsoft
microsofthealth
wearable


Microsoft disses Macs on commercial series

343

Microsoft has released an ad campaign, showcasing what Windows PC’s are capable of, promoting Windows 10, the Surface Book and the Surface Pro 4. The ad series, which were unveiled during the Academy Awards pre-show, show a form of hostility to Apple’s Mac lineup.

The ad series feature the Bug Chicks, Kristie Reddick and Jessica Honaker, entomologists from Texas A&M university. In the ads, the insect loving duo demonstrate how Windows’ features assist them in educating the world on insects and spiders.

Highlighting features such as Cortana, Microsoft Hello, Microsoft Edge and Ink, both Reddick and Honaker complain about the absence of the features on Mac’s. Directly quoting from the ads are these killer lines:

“I don’t have a touchscreen on my Mac.”
 (referring to Ink)

“Even on the new Mac’s they don’t have that.”
(referring to Cortana)

Mostly promoting about their ease of user experience, coupled with some creepy crawlies to spice up the on-screen interaction, Microsoft certainly has the guts to go against Apple’s Mac’s and OS. The 31-second commercial can be watched
here
, along with three short clips of 15 seconds. What do you think about Microsoft’s style of advertising? Let us know your thoughts!

Source:
Windows Blog

10
ad
apple
commercial
cortana
edge
ink
mac
microsoft
osx
surface
windows


Microsoft Edge will dump Flash for HTML5 with the next Windows Insider preview build

286

Google
 ain’t the only one that has begun the transition from Flash to HTML5 as
Microsoft has announced
 that they will be doing so with the Edge browser starting with the next Windows 10 Insider Preview Build.

In the next Insider Preview Build for Windows 10, Microsoft will be tweaking the Edge browser so that Flash would not be loaded on a website that supports HTML5, thereby improving performance, battery life and security of the computer.

As for Flash-dependant sites, Microsoft will be implementing a system that allows the user to decide whether or not they want Flash to load and run. Once a choice is made, the preference will be remembered for subsequent visits. Microsoft will be granting some popular websites who are reliant on Flash a temporary exemption to this system. That said, Microsoft has stated that it will gradually shorten the list of automatic exceptions until users are given complete control as to whether or not they want Flash to run in the first place.

If you’re not part of the Windows Insider program, this feature will be made available on the Microsoft Edge browser when the Creators Update goes live in early 2017.

Source:
Microsoft

adobe
edge
flash
html5
microsoft


Microsoft is ending support for Windows 7.5 and 8.0 phones

440

If you own a Windows 7.5 or 8.0 phone, then it looks like its time for you to get a new phone because as of February 20, Microsoft will be ending support for push notification for the mentioned Windows phones. Once the company halts push notifications, live tiles and the Find My Phone feature will not work.

For those of you using newer Windows phones will not have to worry as it only affects the older phones. Microsoft released a statement which says both Windows 7.5 and 8.0 have reached their end of support dates and that service for these versions will be discontinued over time. However, Windows 8.1 and 10 phones will still receive support but they will not be building new features for the platform because it is no longer their focus.

We have always known that the Windows mobile platform will eventually reach the end of the line and it looks like the end is coming very soon. With the end of support for the older versions and lack of focus for the newer versions, it looks like Windows Mobile users will have to look elsewhere for a mobile phone soon.

7.5
8.0
end
microsoft
phones
support
windows


Microsoft ends its consumer smartphone experiment; 1,850 jobs expected to be cut

307

After selling off a big chunk of the
Nokia brand to HMD global
, Microsoft is now ready to lay its consumer smartphone division to rest as the company will be writing off USD 950 million today and will be laying off 1,850 employees.

In a blogpost, Microsoft has announced their intentions to “streamline” its smartphone hardware business, which will be affecting up to 1,850 jobs. To that end, the company is allocating USD 200 million for severence payment.

Microsoft’s Mobile division in Finland will be receiving the brunt of the layoffs as an estimated 1,350 jobs will be cut, with the remaining 500 layoffs expected to occur globally. This move effectively means that Microsoft has thrown in the towel with the Lumia Windows phones, with the Lumia 650 being the last phone from the now-defunct division. While it is highly likely there will be no more Lumia phones, an e-mail by Microsoft’s Windows and devices chief, Terry Myerson, has stated that the company will continue to update and support current Lumia and OEM partner phones.

“We are focusing our phone efforts where we have differentiation – with enterprises that value security, manageability and our Continuum capability, and consumers who value the same. We will continue to innovate across devices and on our cloud services across all mobile platforms,” says Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

While Microsoft’s Nokia experiment is officially dead, the company’s smartphone ambitious may not be entirely over. Rumours are going around that Microsoft may be developing a Surface-branded phone, but seeing as the estimated release target is in 2017, we probably won’t be hearing about it for quite some time.

Source:
The Verge

microsoft
nokia
surface
windowsphone


Microsoft enters the Linux Foundation

287

2016 is shaping up to be a weird year indeed as yet another unthinkable has happened: Microsoft has joined the Linux Foundation.

Microsoft’s relationship with Linux hasn’t exactly been the most cordial of sorts as both companies have been known to throw harsh comments at each other. That being said, this latest development may show that the wounds between them have begun to heal as Microsoft is now Linux Foundation Platinum member. “By becoming a Linux Foundation Platinum member, Microsoft is better able to collaborate with the open source community to deliver transformative mobile and cloud experiences to more people,” says Jim Zemlin, Executive Director of the Linux Foundation.

Known for making closed-sourced software, Microsoft has become one of the biggest contributors of open-source software in recent years. Microsoft’s decision to join the Linux Foundation isn’t completely out of the blue either, as the company has assisted in projects such as Node.js, OpenDaylight, the Open Container Initiative, R Consortium and the Open API Initiative. Here’s to hoping that Microsoft and Linux have finally learnt to co-exist with each other.

Source:
TechCrunch

linux
microsoft
thelinuxfoundation


Microsoft extends the Surface line up with the introduction of the Surface Book 2

296

Microsoft has added a new family in their surface line up, offering the ultimate Windows device with the introduction of the Microsoft Surface Book 2. A powerful laptop that comes with dual graphics card and the latest specs, allowing users to be productive and play all on one device.

The Surface Book 2 features an 8th Generation Intel Core processors and graphics performance thanks to the latest Nvidia GeForce GPU, making it five times more powerful than the original Surface Book.Offering flexibility, the laptop can be placed into four different configurations, Studio Mode, Laptop Mode, View Mode or event as a tablet with its detachable screen configuration.

It will come with either a 13.5-inch or 15-inch screen and offers a battery life of up to 17 hours, from running applications like Adobe Creative Cloud and Autodesk, to playing games like Forza Motorsports 7 and Gears of War 4 at 1080p 60FPS.

Other than that, they also showcased the Surface Laptop for the more straightforward user that wants a pure Windows experience. It comes with a 7th Generation Intel Core processor 14.5 hours of battery life and weighs only 1.25kg. We managed to get one of the early units to do a review which you can check out here.

The laptop can be purchased from Microsoft online store on Lazada and comes with the following price:

Product

SRP

 Surface Book 2 Configuration

 13.5-inch, Core i5, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 620

 RM6,899

 13.5-inch, Core i7, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050

 RM8,899

 13.5-inch, Core i7, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050

 RM11,119

 13.5-inch, Core i7, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050

 RM13,399

 15-inch, Core i7, 256GB SSD, 16GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060

 RM10,799

 15-inch, Core i7, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060

 RM12,499

 15-inch, Core i7, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060

 RM14,199

Product

SRP

Surface Laptop Configuration

Intel Core i5, 128GB SSD, 4GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 620

RM6,899

Intel Core i5, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 620

RM8,899

Intel Core i7, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640

RM11,119

Intel Core i7, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640

RM13,399

Intel Core i7, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640

RM10,799

2
book
malaysia
microsoft
release
surface


Microsoft finally updates the Notepad App in Windows after many years

328

After many years and different Windows operation system, Microsoft has finally updated the Notepad app in Windows with new features that make the app more intuitive for more advanced uses.

Two of the most noticeable changes is the ability to zoom in on text and the find and replace option has also be introduced, which will come with the Windows update codenamed, Redstone 5. The new features are already available to users that are part of the Windows Insiders in Build 17713 with a full release coming later this year. Other than that, it also has support for Unix, Linux and macOS line endings for those of you that want to do some modifications or test out some simple programs. It also has a line and column indicator at the bottom right of the app which can be turned off from the View menu. Lastly, performance when opening up large .txt files have also been improved and the Control + Backspace function can also be used in Notepad.

If you are part of the Windows Insiders program, you can download the latest build and try out these new features. As for regular users, you will have to wait towards the end of the year to try out the new and improved Notepad app in Windows.

app
features
Notepad
update


Microsoft rumoured to introduce foldable Surface that runs on Windows 10 and supports Android Apps

369

It’s the year of the foldables – sort of; we say that because giant manufacturers are announcing their own takes on foldable smartphones and devices left and right, and at this point, they’ve lost their appeal; part in due to the Samsung Galaxy Fold’s fold (pun very much intended).

Reviewer units that the Korean company sent out had flaws that made the screen crack, and they’ve since delayed the official launch of the phone pretty much indefinitely. Recent news had also surfaced saying that Huawei are also delaying the introduction of their Mate X foldable phone; we assume because they’re learning from Samsung’s mistakes as well as the fact that they may lose out on Android soon.

Undeterred, Microsoft seems to jumping on the barren bandwagon of foldables with a foldable Microsoft Surface laptop. We say “laptop” because that’s what the Surface usually is, but this time around, it looks to be more of a tablet, one that runs on Windows 10 and can support Android Apps. How cool is that?

Image credit: Talk Android

Other rumours that have gathered say that it could be a 9-inch device that will be marketed as a productivity product, and should be arriving sometime in 2020. Meanwhile, renders suggest that the tablet/laptop/phone will look like an Apple iPad Pro – with an aluminium frame with no bezels. The device seems to fold outward, meaning the screens fold away from each other, which seems counter-intuitive for a laptop or tablet – you’d think if it folded the other way, you could type on the bottom half.

android
foldable
Galaxy Fold
huamei mate x
Microsoft Surface
windows 10


Microsoft gives free Skype calls to earthquake affected Japan and Ecuador

286

In the light of the recent earthquakes that shook Ecuador and Japan over the weekend, tech company Microsoft has taken some steps to assist the families of victims and citizens living in the affected areas. The swift action by Microsoft was carried out through video calling platform, Skype. Our thoughts go out to the victims in the Kyushu region of Japan and the victims in Ecuador, both of which have had many lives taken when the quake struck.

Microsoft has taken the initiative to ensure that you’re able to get in touch with your friends and loved ones living in Japan and Ecuador at no cost via Skype. The company has decided to waive the costs of international and domestic calls to both regions for the next few days. In other words, all domestic and international Skype calls to both mobile and landlines to both Japan and Ecuador are free of charge for the next couple of days. Microsoft however, did not reveal a specific duration for the initiative.

Do note that this excludes calls to special, premium service and non-geographical numbers. Kudos to Microsoft for reacting promptly to the tragedies and playing their part in providing the ease of communication for families and friends involved.

Source: Skype
(1)
,
(2)

calls
domestic
earthquake
ecuador
free
international
japan
kyushu
landline
microsoft
mobile
skype


Microsoft has made a Blush Pink Surface Laptop 2 exclusively for China

1.5K

China has always been a market that gets exclusive product colors due to its culture, and Microsoft has just announced that it will be selling a Blush color (literally pink) of its latest Surface Laptop 2 in China, while Microsoft didn’t specify the reason behind this decision, it has given credit to its talented designer on the Surface design team.

The Surface Laptop 2 will go on sale in some markets starting tomorrow and comes with the necessary hardware updates, such as 8th Gen Intel CPUs and increased base RAM at 8GB, while retaining very much the same hardware design as its predecessor and promises over 85 percent of performance improvement.

Gadgets with gold and pink colors are generally well received in Chinese markets, as it signifies luxury in the Chinese culture, its no wonder that Microsoft wants to have that color exclusively made for the market to attract premium customers, which could be taking an example of how Apple is selling iPhones in the Chinese market.

microsoft
surface laptop 2
surface laptop 2 pink


Microsoft has released their Your Phone app to mirror your Android phone to Windows 10

434

Microsoft has just announced that they are making their Your Phone app available to everyone after offering it to Windows 10 Insiders in July 2018. The app allows you to mirror your phone to your PC and allows for cross-content sharing as well.

Initially, the company decided to include this feature in their upcoming Redstone 5 update for Windows 10 but they decided to launch it earlier, making it available to everyone by simply downloading the app from the Microsoft store. They also plan to add text message syncing as well as displaying notifications on your Android phone to the PC in the future.

Microsoft has also said that they will be supporting iPhones in the feature but currently, they only have plans for continue reading the website on PC feature and it cant sync message, photos and notifications from iPhone to PC. The app can be downloaded from the
Microsoft Store
.

android
app
microsoft
phone
your


Microsoft Health app updated; Cortana is now supported for Android users

310

One of the biggest omissions for Android’s Microsoft Health app is the lack of support for Microsoft’s personal digital assistant, Cortana. Previously, the only way to use Cortana with Microsoft Health is to own a Windows-powered smartphone. Such is no longer the case as an update released today has finally enabled Cortana support for Microsoft Health on Android.

In order to take advantage of Cortana for Microsoft Health on Android, a few requirements must be achieved before hand. First off, you’re going to need to have a Microsoft Band that is synced to your Android device of choice. Secondly, you must have updated the Microsoft Health app for Android. Most importantly of course is that you must have installed Cortana onto your Android device.

Once you’ve fulfilled all requirements, you can begin speaking into your Band’s mic, allowing you to leverage Microsoft’s personal assistant without having to take out your device from your pocket. “With Cortana on your Band, you can access your personal assistant for instant notifications of important events, communications, and voice-active info without reaching for your phon. Speak into the mic on your Band to get Cortana to take actions for you, get facts, and more,” says Microsoft.

Before you get too excited though, do remember that Cortana is currently only available in the U.S.. As such, you’re going to have to tinker with your device settings before being able to use it.

Source:
The Digital Lifestyle

android
band2
health
microsoft


Microsoft resumes selling Huawei laptops on their website – Qualcomm and Intel also against Huawei ban

303

We know by now that Huawei’s ban mean that they can’t do business with American entities such as Intel, Qualcomm, ARM and Google – bringing with it uncertainty and loss of income on Huawei’s part.

This trade ban, however, affects the aforementioned companies too – a recently
report
 says that the likes of Intel and Qualcomm are lobbying against the ban for fear of massive financial losses. Today, it seems that Microsoft are follow in that vein as well.

The company didn’t release an official statement on their stand in the issue, but their Chinese satellite HQ had halted orders for their Windows operating system from Huawei, signifying their intent on distancing themselves from the Chinese brand.

Image credit: Huawei

In spite of that, Microsoft says that they have resumed the sales of Huawei laptops on its website. If anything, this suggests that there’s a shift in the trade war between China and the US. Along with Qualcomm and Intel, Microsoft are now taking a stand on the ban by using Huawei as the messenger.

Microsoft says that they will resume selling existing inventory of Huawei MateBook laptops and continue to provide software updates to existing Huawei devices.

As Huawei continue to receive proxy support from these companies, we have to remember that the company still have an upcoming hearing – which is set for September 19 – to challenge the constitutionality of Section 889 of the 2019 NDAA – a law that essentially prohibits ties between American entities and Huawei.

huawei
intel
matebook
microsoft
qualcomm
trade ban


Microsoft introduces a "Guest" mode for Skype

338

Using Skype has just gotten a lot more straightforward as Microsoft has implemented a “Guest” mode for its communications service. This means that you’ll no longer need to log into Skype to use the service.

Starting from today, anyone can use Skype by going to Skype’s webclient, clicking on the “Start a Conversation” option and entering your name. Once done, Skype will automatically place you in a chat channel with a link. By sending this link to your friends, you can invite them into your chat channel without them needing to have a Skype account of their own.

For the most part, this feature will allow you to use most of Skype’s features such as voice calls, video calls, and file sharing functions. Unfortunately, if you want to call to a landline or use Skype’s Live Translation feature, you’re still going to have to login to the service. Additionally, this feature is currently only available for the web-based Skype client, so those who are looking to use it with their desktop client will still need a login name and a password to do so.

Source:
Skype

guestmode
microsoft
skype
webclient


Microsoft introduces new Lumia and Nokia devices

318

Microsoft have always been focusing on productivity, and with the launch of its two new devices, we can see why. Firstly, the Lumia 550. This affordable 4G LTE smartphone will come with the latest Windows 10 software straight out of the box. The Lumia 550 was previously available to Digi enterprise users for free with a monthly commitment of RM98 for 24 months, but now, you can purchase it starting from today at RM559 at all Microsoft Authorized Reseller stores.

The Lumia 550 features a 4.7-inch display, and sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon Quad core processor and 1GB RAM. It also comes with built-in Microsoft Office apps, which tailors to the screen size, making productivity much easier. Available in matte black and glossy white color.

Now next, let’s take a look at the Nokia 230 Dual SIM device. This internet-enabled feature phone has a great battery life meant to last longer. Its 2MP front camera with LED flash and a shortcut camera key allows you to take photos easily on the fly. This device is able to take and view photos, play videos and games, and you can browse the internet with the Opera Mini browser, or listen to music on its built-in MP3 player and FM Radio.

Also available starting from today onwards at Microsoft Authorized Reseller stores, the Nokia 230 Dual SIM costs RM269 and comes in silver and dark silver color.

dualsim
lumia550
microsoftmalaysia
nokia230
windows10mobile


Microsoft introduces new resources to combat hate speech

284

Microsoft wants to do more in its attempt to cut down on hate speech. As such, the company is introducing a new method by which users are able to report any form of hate speech that they’ve encountered on Microsoft’s consumer services.

Starting from today, Microsoft will allow you to report incidents of hate speech by
filling in this web form
. As the page states, the form can be used by people who have stumbled onto content that advocates violence or promotes hatred based on age, disability, gender, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. This form covers most, if not all of Microsoft’s consumer services, ranging from Outlook, Skype, Xbox Live, OneDrive and other services.

In what may seem to be awareness on Microsoft’s part, the company has also
included a seperate web form
 that would allow a user to request the company to reconsider and reinstate the content that was removed, thereby preventing people from abusing the hate speech report function to silence people who have different viewpoints.

“We will continue our ‘notice-and-takedown’ approach for removing prohibited content on hosted consumer services, and the new form aims to improve the quality and speed of our reviews,” says Jacqueline Beauchere, Microsoft Chief Online Safety Officer.

Source:
TechCrunch
,
Microsoft

hatespeech
microsoft
onedrive
outlook
skype
xboxlive


Microsoft introduces Office 2019 for Windows and Mac

333

Microsoft has just released Office 2019 for Mac and Windows which comes with a range of upgrade that should make your workflow more smoother on the application. They also mentioned that a few of these new features will make their way to Office 365 ProPlus in the past three years.

Some of the new features that will come to Office 2019 are Focus Mode on Mac which will focus the window by hiding the clutter on the desktop, dark theme on Windows, improved inking features and accessibility like Read Aloud. On Powerpoint, it will get a new roaming pencil case, morph transitions, 4K video support and adding 3D models and SVG images. Excel is not left out as well as it comes with support for Office 365 Groups, mentions, focus inbox and new summaries for deliveries and travel.

As of now, the new Microsoft Office is available to trusted commercial volume customers, while regular customers will have to wait a few weeks before they can get their hands on it.

2019
excel
microsoft
office
powerpoint
update
word


Microsoft introduces the Surface Book 2 in Malaysia with a starting price of RM6,899

278

The Surface Book 2 has finally made its way to Malaysian, Microsoft’s most powerful laptop yet. It comes with the latest 8th Generation Intel Core processors and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 and 1060 discrete graphics chips and comes with a 17 hour of video playback battery life.

The laptop comes in a 13.5-inch or 15-inch PixelSense Display with multitouch support and has seven million pixels on the screen to provide great pixel density. Surface Book 2 comes shipped with Windows 10 Pro and Microsoft Office apps. It also comes with ports like USB, USB Type-C and full-size SD card reader making it perfect for those of you that want to take your work outside the office. Finally, alongside the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, users can let the creativity flow with the new Photos app and a range of other software that will allow you to interact with 3D objects.

The Surface Book 2 13.5-inch and 15-inch will launch on 15 March 2018 with the prices as follows:

Product

Suggested Retail Price

Surface Book 2 Configurations

13.5” Intel® Core™ i5, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, Intel® HD Graphics 620

RM 6,899

13.5” Intel® Core™ i7, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050

RM 8,899

13.5” Intel® Core™ i7, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050

RM 11,199

13.5” Intel® Core™ i7, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 (coming soon)

RM 13,399

15” Intel® Core™ i7, 256GB SSD, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060

RM 10,799

15” Intel® Core™ i7, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060

RM 12,499

15” Intel® Core™ i7, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 (coming soon)

RM 14,199

Some of the prices might not appeal to you as you can easily get a Max-Q designed gaming laptop, but if sleekness and style are what you are looking for then perhaps this might be the best option for now.

2
book
microsoft
surface


Microsoft introduces Surface Membership Plan

300

Microsoft has taken a page out of Apple’s playbook as the company is now offering something called a Surface Membership plan for its Surface Book, Surface Pro 4 and Surface 3.

The Surface Membership plan works much like Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, allowing those interested to keep up with the latest Surface hardware and buy the devices on a monthly payment plan. Available for business users, the membership plan will net members a Surface device, as well as setup, personal training, in-store tech support, an extended service plan, Accidental Damage Protection, and free upgrades when newer models become available

Monthly membership costs varies depending on the device chosen, but it begins at USD 32.99 per month if you opt for a Surface 3 with a 30-month installment. The most expensive offer available is USD 220.99 with a fully maxed out Surface Book.

There are two things to note though. Firstly, the Surface Membership plan is open strictly to business, although the offer seems to allow you to place an order for a single unit. Secondly, this offer is currently unavailable for Malaysia, so it remains to be seen if the Surface Membership plan would be available outside the states.

Source:
Microsoft Store (US)
,
Thurrott

microsoft
surface
surfacemembership


Microsoft is beta testing a password-less login system for Windows

294

Google isn’t the only one looking at
password-less logins
 as Microsoft is apparently testing a similar system via a Windows 10 Mobile app.

First spotted on the Microsoft Store, the Phone Sign-in Beta is apparently undergoing internal testing purposes. If you would like to try out this feature, you’ll need to register for the Beta.

The way this works is that you’ll first need to install the app on your Windows 10 phone. After that, you’re going to need to connect the phone to your computer via Bluetooth. Once conneted, all you need to do is to pull out your phone and tap on the icon of the computer you want to log into. If everything works out well, you can now access your computer without needing to input a password.

Before you sign up though, do keep in mind that the Beta app works on Windows phones only. Secondly, the password-less login will only work on Windows 10. If, however, you have a Lumia on your hands and your computer is running Windows 10, you can be one of the first to log into Windows without needing a password.

Source:
Microsoft Store
,
SlashGear

microsoft
passwordlesslogin
windows10


Microsoft is introducing a new refresh tool; aims to remove all OEM bloatware

368

You know how a new PC from a vendor usually comes with a plethora of OEM-specific software (aka bloatware). Well, Microsoft aren’t big fans of them either, that is why the company is including a new tool for Windows 10 that would allow you to do a fresh install of Windows without requiring an actually copy of the Windows 10 disk yourself.

Currently available
 on the Windows Insider program, this new tool works by fetching a copy of Windows online and performs a clean installation. This process isn’t exactly a complete reformat as the tool does give you the option to preserve your personal data. Anything other than that, such as third-party software, will be deleted during the installation process, so backing up your hard drives before using the tool seems like a good decision.

As the tool is currently in its preview stage, the tool has its own quirks. One problem that has been identified is that tool may occasionally install a version of Windows 10 older than the one that is currently installed. When this version mismatch occurs, the option to preserve your files is removed, meaning that you’ll have to manually backup your data or risk losing it during the installation process.

While nothing has been confirmed as of yet, this refresh tool may be coming to all Windows 10 users once Microsoft rolls out the Anniversary Update. Seeing as the update should be out next month, you need only wait a little longer until you can finally bid all bloatware goodbye.

Source:
Ars Technica

microsoft
refresh
windows10
windowsinsider


Microsoft is introducing a picture-in-picture mode for Windows 10

311

Multitaskers who like to do their work while watching a movie or video take note, Microsoft will be rolling out a picture-in-picture mode for Windows 10 in the near future.

Currently available in the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 15031, which is the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview build, the Compact Overlay window feature lets you run a program in a small window that can be pinned above other applications. On the developers side of things, the Compact Overlay feature “works just like normal windows in all other ways” according to Microsoft description, meaning that it shouldn’t be too hard to implement it on other software.

For the Insider Preview, upcoming updates for Microsoft’s own Movies & TV app as well as the Skype Preview app will allow both these applications to support Compact Overlays. Once the feature goes live, we fully expect this feature to be implemented in various other applications.

Source:
Windows Blog

compactoverlay
insiderbuilt
microsoft
pictureinpicturemode
windows10


Microsoft is reducing Windows 10 update downtime

492

Windows updates can sometimes be a huge nuance as some updates take a while to install and some take almost half a day before you can finally see your desktop again. This is probably why users dread seeing the Windows Update notification and delay it as long as possible.

Well, we won’t have to worry about that issue for long, Microsoft has announced that the upcoming Windows 10 feature upgrades will offer significantly less disruption to users’ work. According to the company, the twice a year heavy update will cut downtime by 63% compared to last year’s updates. When last year’s Creators Update rolled out, it is reported that users had an average downtime of 83 minutes, and subsequent updates were brought down till eventually, it hit 30 minutes. It might seem like an improvement, but users were still delaying and dreading the update as it came around.

The new update method works by merging the online and offline times, with the online time bring updates that will still allow users to use their computer and offline time being when the updates will not allow users to use their computers. This could possibly make updating Windows much better and perhaps users will finally be able to update their computers without worrying about downtime. Users will experience shorter downtimes when the update rolls out in early April.

downtime
microsoft
speed
update
windows


Microsoft is using machine learning to determine when is the best time for an update

360

Over the years, the Windows platform has gone through many changes that made it reach the point where we could be considered on the same level as the smoothness of MacOS. However, the one issue that they somehow still managed to not change is the annoying software updates that happen when you least expect it.

To make software updates less of a nuisance, Microsoft is using the power of machine learning to decide when is the best time to perform a software update. We have seen before this that software updates for Windows can be performed while the user is still going about their daily task, eliminating the infuriating “Configuring Update” screen. This new method uses a predictive model that will study the user’s habits to decide when is the best time to perform an update. The model can go as far as predicting when you will not be using your computer, even to the point where it knows you are stepping away from your computer for a toilet break or to grab a snack.

This feature is currently available to members of the Windows Insider program as it is still in a testing phase and will release to the public at a later time.

learning
machine
microsoft
update


Microsoft is working on a smartwatch

333

We have Android Wear now and probably an upcoming smartwatch from Apple, Redmond obviously isn’t sitting and wait for someone to release a smartwatch that supports its own mobile platform. According to Forbes, Microsoft is reportedly working on a smartwatch of its own which involves the Microsoft Xbox’s Kinect division team, the most interesting thing is that the company’s smartwatch is going to support other current mobile platforms such as iOS and Android apart from Windows Phone. The Microsoft-made smartwatch is also reportedly to look very similar to the
Samsung Gear Fit’s
 form factor and will also be very fitness oriented, which will monitor a person’s heart rate and fitness activities overtime rather than doing manual intervention.

It is interesting to finally see Microsoft developing some mobile hardware as of this time, the smart wearables market can certainly appreciate another company to push it further and having a cross platform smart wearable will definitely make a lot of sense for many. Let’s see what Microsoft has up its sleeve.

Source:
Forbes

Image Credit:
Engadget