For the unfamiliar, Seeing AI uses machine learning to help the visually impaired, using a smartphone camera to describe text, items, and clothing colors. It can recognize currency, handwriting, and even plays varying audio cues for the level of light in a room. With the app’s most recent update, Microsoft is taking the functionality further. Users are now able to ‘explore photos by touch’. Within a single image, they’re able to tap on different sections to get a description of an object within them, as well as the relationship with the objects around it....

The Xbox Live Creators Program seeks to fix that, and today marks its launch. Now, anyone can publish Xbox Live-enabled games to Xbox and Windows 10. Those titles have now begun to appear in a new section of the store, giving a curated experience but also providing significant publicity for the developer. It also means devs can integrate features like leaderboards, sign-in, presence, Kinect, and more. They can do so using the same tools as UWP titles, which are available in popular engines like Unity, Construct 2, MonGame and Xenko....

It’s easy to see where there could be some confusion. Microsoft’s Windows 10 21H2 preview build 21359 came with the following change to Windows Timeline: “If you have your activity history synced across your devices through your Microsoft account (MSA), you’ll no longer have the option to upload new activity in Timeline. AAD-connected accounts won’t be impacted. To view web history, Edge and other browsers have the option to look back at recent web activities....

Both US agencies call the malicious activity “Hidden Cobra” but it also known as Lazarus Group by security firms. Cyber actors for the North Korean government are targeting U.S. critical infrastructure such as finance and media. Through the use of a malware called DeltaCharlie, they are able to install DDoS botnets, keyloggers, remote access tools (RATs), and wiper malware. Hidden Cobra is managing to access infrastructure by exploiting older version of Microsoft programs and Adobe Flash vulnerabilities....

The launch of Microsoft Stream on iOS follows the previous release of the service on Android. To run the application on Apple’s platform, you will need to be running iOS 10 or newer. Microsoft has optimized Stream to work on the larger screen of the iPad tablets. If you are interested in Microsoft Stream on your mobile device, you can download it for Android here and iOS here. Microsoft also runs a mobile beta program, which allows users to gain early access to upcoming features....

If you’re unfamiliar with Sysinternals, it is a suite of applications for admins that allows them to debug Windows machines. Furthermore, users can tap into the tool to find and investigate malware attacks. Microsoft Sysmon (System Monitor) is one of the tools with Sysinternals, joining over 160 other applications. It is perhaps the most popular app in the suite that logs system level events on a Windows computer. These events are logged within the regular Windows event log....

Yammer is a business social network that gives organizations the ability to connect individuals within a company. Microsoft acquired the company in 2012 for $1.2 billion. We are surprised Yammer support for Microsoft Teams on mobile is only being added now. The collaborative nature of the tool makes it a dead cert feature. Added to that, Microsoft brought Yammer to Office 365 Groups way back in early 2017. Either way, Microsoft has addressed the balance....

In fact Microsoft added 450 new abilities to Teams in 2021 and the rate is ongoing, with at least a new feature coming to the app per day. Leading the charge in November was the ability to provide an instant poll with one click. This means participants in a meeting can easily gather opinions with simple polls. Polls can be set up previously or done on the fly when a meeting is already in progress....

Specifically, the unification of Planner and Tasks means both personal and assigned tasks can be viewed together in Microsoft Teams. It connects tasks that have been added to Team channels, Microsoft To Do, Outlook, and Planner. Office 365 Planner makes it easier for businesses to manage teamwork operations, allowing the creation of team-wide email notifications, project due dates, and visual dashboards. When Microsoft launched Planner in 2016, the company said it simplified workflow management....

While the lack of software updates is hardly ideal, it is the stop Microsoft puts on security updates that is the big problem. Without critical fixes and security patches, any vulnerability that is found could become a massive and unfixable problem. Microsoft says that the .NET Framework versions in question are 4.5.2, 4.6, and 4.6.1, with each ending support this month. Naturally, the company is urging customers using those versions to upgrade as soon as possible: “On April 26, 2022, the ....

It’s been a long road for Your Phone to reach the sort of functionality that will make it valuable to users. That’s partly because Microsoft has been incrementally updating the app. That cautious approach has been frustrating sometimes, but recent features have expanded Your Phone beyond mere novelty. Microsoft took to the official Your Phone Twitter account to reveal the new features. As mentioned, it is currently in testing and will allow users to add another smartphone to the app....

Under the new functionality, users can access a ‘Share screen’ option under the flyout menu during a video call. The feature will be particularly useful for quickly sharing documents, photos, or webpages for collaboration across devices. “Want to show your coworkers a PowerPoint presentation? Or share your swipes on dating apps? Or maybe do some online shopping with your bestie? Starting today, Skype has you covered,” suggests Microsoft. To access the build, you need a Skype Insider account, which is easy enough to acquire....

PowerLauncher was developed by Jessica Yuowono, a Program Manager for Microsoft. The App allows users to launch an app instantly and search for other tools. Other features on the service include auto-complete. Microsoft says PowerLauncher is designed to make it faster to find search results than the Win+S shortcut. The tool will expand on the capabilities of the Start menu in Windows 10. While searches on the Start are driven by Edge and Bing, the PowerLauncher will support customized searches....

On the iOS side of things, there have been some design changes. Microsoft says it has “changed the book of Suggestions in My Day and revamped the sections”. It’ll also delete due date text created using smart dates automatically. Previously, typing ‘tomorrow’ in a task made it persistent. As it scales back Cortana, Microsoft is also enhancing Siri’s integrations. It has improved her shortcuts experience, added Siri donations, and improved localization....

This is another feature-rich update. Most notable of the additions is support for hashtags, which can be used in titles and in notes. Microsoft says it has also made it easier for users to manage their accounts. A new option in the account menu allows users to fix issues with the service. As always, the company is also asking for feedback and requests for future features. The full changelog for To-Do version 1....

With the new design, Microsoft has transformed how Outlook for Mac looks and functions. Specifically, the company has removed the ribbon that has become so familiar across its Office apps. In its place is a new customizable toolbar experience. According to Microsoft, the new functional interface cuts back on visual clutter and allows users to focus on work. Elsewhere on the Outlook for Mac update, Microsoft sync technology has been supported....

The act is reminiscent of the European Union’s GDPR, the tools for which Microsoft has already rolled out worldwide. Crucially, the CCPA gives users the right to know what personal data is being collected, whether it’s sold and to whom. It also lets them say no to the sale of their data, access it, and request deletion. Companies are unable to discriminate against users who exercise these rights. Microsoft says it will extend the core tenets of this agreement to all of its US customers, highlighting its support for more robust privacy legislation....

This feature would give users the ability to only download apps from the Windows Store and not traditional Win32 apps. Once enabled, users will see a notification each time they attempt to install a desktop app. Of course, the feature is not enabled by default. Users can choose to use the ability if they want. There are two specific options for the new Windows 10 ability. Firstly, the installation of Win32 apps can be blocked completely....

For the most part, this lawsuit has flown under the radar. A group of Microsoft Xbox controller users are suing the company saying the peripherals have a widespread problem with the joystick drifting. According to the plaintiffs, the controllers say there is a hardware flaw that means a joystick drift is likely to happen. That hardware component is the “potentiometer,” which controls the physical movement of the joystick. According to the court filing, a lubricant Microsoft uses is causing more movement that usual....

You may remember Minecraft developer Mojang first announced the Caves and Cliffs Update at Minecon back in 2019. This update would combine two updates into a single release. Mojang usually rolls out two major Minecraft updates per year. For example, in 2020 the year started with the Buzzy Bees Update (actually released Dec. 2019) and the Nether Update last June. Both annual updates are major releases adding plenty of new features to the sandbox game....