On Excel for the web, Microsoft has brought the ability to “Check Performance”. With this feature, Microsoft Excel will automatically find problems in formatting inside a project that may be causing performance issues for the app. Users can then apply recommendations for actions that the tool will then use to optimise the workbook. This solution is available from Review > Check Performance. Also on Excel for the web, it is now possible to share parts of a workbook....

This is a sizeable expansion as it nearly triples the amount of markets HoloLens is available in. Customers in 39 separate countries can now get a headset. When discussing HoloLens as a consumer product that is available to customers, it is worth noting that it isn’t. Microsoft has never launched a consumer version of the device. HoloLens units are still the Development Edition or the Commercial Suite. Microsoft delayed the release of the consumer version until 2019....

Windows.old is a file left behind when a new update for Windows 10 is installed. This file essentially keeps a version of the previous installation on your system. It is a handy file because you can go back to a previous install is the new update fails. Deleting the Windows.old folder should be easy enough through the Disk Cleanup tool. Once an update is installed, removing this folder can free up much needed GBs of storage....

As expected, Microsoft Research has developed the facial recognition technology that the app uses to change users’ selfies. In conjunction with the huge image database of Bing, it allows users to transport themselves into fun scenes. The search engine of Face Swap automatically finds faces in pages and shows users the possible results. In addition, the app matches skin tone, head turns, tilts, and lighting conditions. For now, the application is available for Android and you can download it from the Play Store....

Also during the HIMSS conference, Microsoft will discuss healthcare-specific abilities coming to the Teams collaboration apps. Elsewhere, new health-record integration tools will be showcased for Azure and Teams. The Microsoft Healthcare Bot service has been in development since 2017, when it was introduced as a research project. Through implementation of bot technology, users can create solutions for health services. From chatbots to AI-powered assistants, the service has increased potency in preview....

The United States Air Force has announced plans to buy several Microsoft HoloLens headsets. The 412th Electronic Warfare Group will use mixed reality to create improved Modeling and Simulation Flight plans. By using HoloLens and Meta 2 AR systems, the group will design augmented-reality models into the simulation workflow. The units sent out a press release that pointed out how this integration will work: “Imagine walking into the Benefield Anechoic Facility, putting on an augmented reality visor and “seeing” your proposed test setup or being able to view test scenarios and test results, all without being disconnected from those around you....

This should put it more in line with modern requirements and make it more attractive to customers. However, it’s worth noting that both this and the new feature are undergoing a phased rollout, so you may not see the extra just yet. Speaking of Personal Vault, we now know a little more about how it will work. It can be likened to a highly secure safe inside your home. You have the regular door, which is your OneDrive account password and two-factor, then an additional layer around your most important or private files....

It turns out that may not be strictly true. As spotted by ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, while that’s true for consumer versions of the device, it’s a different story for businesses. Microsoft’s resellers appear to be offering only the 10th Gen Core i5-1035G7 and i7-1065G7 for the Surface Laptop 3. On the Microsoft Store, it’s a similar story. Selecting the 15-inch model only gives the option of an i5 or i7 Intel chip....

Microsoft typically reserves patches for Patch Tuesday. The monthly roll outs are part of the company’s Windows as a service ethos, which also includes twice-yearly feature updates. However, the Windows Defender flaw was deemed critical and needed a quicker patch. Indeed, it must have been fairly problematic as the regular Patch Tuesday is less than a week away. Microsoft says the Malware Protection Engine (mpengine.dll) is vulnerable to attack. Considering it is the very core of the company’s Windows Defender anti-malware service in Windows 10....

Microsoft says the update is gradual and in stages. Newer Windows 10 machines should be eligible for update now or soon, while others will get the upgrade later. The company is clear that newer machines are first, with older eligible devices coming later, maybe much later: “We expect all eligible Windows 10 devices to be offered the upgrade to Windows 11 by mid-2022.” You can check if your device is ready to upgrade to Windows 11 through the Windows Update section in the Windows 10 Settings app....

PlayFab is a cloud-based company that provides game management and analytics solutions. Among its services are virtual currency tracking, leaderboards, authentication, commerce, and more. The acquisition highlights Microsoft continuing push in gaming and its cloud first ethos. Intelligent cloud and the gaming industry are moving closer together and Microsoft wants to be a part. PlayFab is a startup from Seattle that will give Microsoft more tools to manage and launch games that have cloud-enabled abilities....

OTA lets devices like cars and smartphones receive updates wirelessly and securely, but it also helps deliver feedback. According to a HERE spokesperson, its OTA capabilities have been limited for some time. “The ATS acquisition will make us a major player in this area,” he said to TechCrunch. “This is an exciting opportunity for ATS as we will be able to combine HERE’s deep customer relationships with OEMs and our global client and partner network to deliver new commercial solutions and enhance the existing functionality of HERE products and services,” added HERE CEO Eric Schmidt....

Starting with the Skype Meetings App, Microsoft says it is improving efficiency for end users when troubleshooting issues. Specifically, if the application is not functioning properly after being installed, new troubleshooting links will be placed on the screen. Microsoft says these options include “Try to join the meeting again,” “Try to reinstall Skype Meetings App” and “Join with my Skype for Business desktop client”. The company has also removed a pop-up message that many users complained was confusing....

“The new lineage view covers all Power BI workspace artifacts, including dataflows, datasets, reports, and dashboards and their connections to the external data sources,” explains Power BI product manager Yaron Canari. “Moreover, we’ve included some new features, such as gateway information, highlighting the lineage path of a specific artifact, viewing lineage in full screen, and more.” The simple overview can help customers understand the dependencies which can help immeasurably when troubleshooting....

With the Reddit collaboration, users searching for specific content will find it more easily. For example, searching Bing for communities or pages will let Bing provide results higher up. AI fits into this equation as Microsoft leverages intelligent search abilities to natural language processing to match Reddit content to search terms. There are three steps to the integration. Typing a subreddit name on the search engine will result in a live snapchat of the subreddit’s top threads....

It is worth pointing out the Surface Dock does work with the Surface Pro X even if users cannot get firmware updates. Microsoft wants to change that and is preparing a new firmware version for the Always Connected PC in the coming weeks. Users can continue to use the Surface Dock on the tablet in the interim weeks. The Surface Dock is an accessory for Surface devices and has been available since 2015....

That means some UI elements that have rounded corners for context menus instead of Windows 10’s more squared corners. Microsoft has taken to GitHub to propose some of the design changes it has in mind. For example, rounded flyout menus for the TimePicker and DatePicker in Windows 10 Sun Valley apps. Microsoft is experimenting with a transparent-to-solid effect where the color solidifies when the flyouts set. In fact, in its proposal, Microsoft describes this as an “x-ray” effect: “This lets us do a color swap dynamically even during the scrolling, which gets a really smooth looking “x-ray” kind of effect....

When Windows 10 October 2018 Update, the company will be more forceful in pushing users towards Microsoft Edge. A new feature called “App Suggestions” will be turned on for all users by default. This will result in a popup windows appearing when a third-party browser is installed. The new popup will prompt users to try Microsoft Edge before installing a third-party browser. At the moment, it seems that the popup is tied to the Microsoft Store....

As the 21H2 number shows, this is still Windows HoloGraphic based on Windows 10. Microsoft has not yet said when the mixed reality platform will move to Windows 11. Looking at the new features, Microsoft has a few new tools landing with Windows HoloGraphic version 21H2. First up is Moving Platform Mode, which adds new locations for tracking with dynamic motion. Available in preview, Microsoft says will expand the update soon....

For the curious, the crypto jacking apps were: FastTube, VPN Browser+, Downloader for YouTube Videos, Clean Master+, Findoo Browser 2019, Findeoo Mobile & Desktop search, Fast-search Lite, and Battery Optimizer. The currency being mined is Monero, which is designed specifically for privacy and security and is often used on the darknet. The apps are able to mine on both regular Windows 10 and Windows 10 S mode, so this is a significant bypass of Microsoft’s security....