It seems Microsoft is now ready to normalize the ARM offering as part of the main Surface Pro series. That means with the release of the Surface Pro 9, the company will effectively kill off the Surface Pro X. In its place will be an ARM version of the Pro 9, alongside the Intel variant. Microsoft will power the ARM configuration with its own Microsoft SQ3 chipset, a custom version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 SoC....
Reddit user Macsterr created and published an Xbox One concept ad that featured PUBG, which is making its debut on the Xbox One console. The concept seemed to appeal to the folks over at @Xbox Twitter. So much so, they decided to use it without asking permission from Macsterr. When this appeared on Twitter, most would presume Microsoft has simply sought permission or paid for the image. However, that is not the case and Macsterr voiced his displeasure back on Reddit....
As always, the developer conference will host live sessions, although Microsoft has not confirmed how many there will be. If last year is a reference, we should expect around 75 live sessions during Connect() 2018. “Tune in on December 4, 2018 to get the latest updates on Azure and Visual Studio from the comfort of your favorite chair. Plan for a full day of virtual developer goodness—from keynotes to demos to live coding with experts....
As in other years, the Security Intelligence Report offers an overview over the previous year’s security events and recommends ways to combat prevalent threats. Microsoft bases its report on analysis of cloud services and on-premises systems. Microsoft says it analyzed various sources covering 6.5 trillion security signals that pass through its cloud infrastructure each day. The company also collaborated with global security researchers to reach the following core conclusions:...
1 Gaining Access2 Broken Update In fact, the company has quietly fixed a flaw in the Windows 10 that stopped the platform from telling users when apps requested access to all files. It is worth noting the problem has been fixed in version 1809, which is currently on hold on the Windows Insider Program. The vulnerability occurred in the Windows 10 “BroadFileSystemAccess” API. If exploited by a bad actor developing Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, the issue would allow access to all system files....
Microsoft has decided to purchase the cybersecurity company, which is used by 30% of Fortune 500 organizations. With over 6,000 global customers, RiskIQ provides cloud security for giants such as Facebook, BMW, and even the US Postal Service. In a blog post to confirm the deal, Microsoft’s cloud security VP Eric Doerr points out the deal will allow customers to “build a more comprehensive view of the global threats to their businesses, better understand vulnerable internet-facing assets, and build world-class threat intelligence....
This latest milestone continues the amazon success story of Minecraft. Microsoft purchased its developer Mojang in 2014 and by then Minecraft was already half a decade old an extremely popular. Considering the shelf-life of some culture changing games, it was a fair argument to suggest Microsoft entered too late and the game’s popularity would soon decline. Of course, that never happened as Minecraft has continued to grow and thrive under Microsoft’s wing....
Microsoft has published a live demonstration of Project xCloud, which is a cloud-based game streaming service. It is clear Microsoft is saying “Hey, we were here first” ahead of Google’s event. Xbox Project xCloud is a cloud-based game streaming service Microsoft is currently developing. With this service, Microsoft will store all game performance and data in the cloud, allowing gamers to play without system or hardware limitations. This means gamers will be able to access Xbox games across platforms and on any device, even mobile....
It’s now received an update for Windows 10, improving some functionalities and rolling out key fixes. Microsoft To-Do Full Changelog The additions are relatively minor but regular users will be thankful. To-Do version 1.13.2492 addresses several annoyances, simplifies UI elements, and improves icon appearance. Here’s the full changelog: “Improved: We’ve improved the tips section. It’s faster and wishing you a good day and a good evening. Improved: We simplified the tips section to make it easier to add an activity, avoiding to mark them as unintentionally resolved....
The devices’ Surface Management Engine, Surface UEFI, and Surface Integration drivers all got bumped up to a later version, making minor but notable changes. Most important is the changes to UEFI, what is essentially the BIOS on newer Surface machines. Users will need to reboot to install the firmware, and should notice an increase stability and performance when changing power states. Full Release Notes It appears Microsoft is also focusing on battery and power on their other tablets as a result of the negative press from the Surface Pro 3....
According to ZDNet, Microsoft has updated its Home Use Program (HUP) offerings. The company now only allows customers to have Office 365 subscriptions. HUP is a model that allows Software Assurance customers and companies with over 2,000 employees get Office 365 as a reduced price for use in their home. “Microsoft is updating the Home Use Program to offer discounts on the latest and most up to date products such as Office 365, which is always up to date with premium versions of Office apps across all your devices....
In a blog post, Microsoft explains how Gallium is not concerned about hiding its tracks and its brazen in its attacks. For example, the group leverages cheap tools for their attacks. While Microsoft does not see the group as advanced, the company is concerned by how effective Gallium has been. Among the fast and dirty techniques being used is scanning for vulnerable web servers and using well known exploits to form attacks....
Users can work together either locally or online with pen, mouse, keyboard and touch support. Documents sync automatically to the loud for use on any PC at a later date and inviting another user is as easy as sharing a link. While collaborating, users see a little avatar to signify the work of another user, and color choices provide further clarity. According to Microsoft, the app has seen a surprising amount of use in its preview period, which has driven various improvements: “Since releasing a preview of the app in December, more than 200,000 customers have helped us fine tune the feature set and end-user experience,” said a spokesperson....
The change ends an era that began around a decade ago. However, it comes for a good reason. The retirement is the result of changes to Microsoft’s role-based training and certifications that began in 2018. It sees the new role system as better suited to the modern workplace, with a total of 34 new certifications now available. In the meantime, those who want an MCSA, MCSD, and MCSE can pass the exam before June 30....
The company has decided to focus its resources elsewhere, on more recent technologies, rather than propping up old experiences. For Windows XP, games will be unplayable by the end of the month, while Windows 7 will have until January 22, 2020. “We truly appreciate all the time and passion you’ve put into Microsoft Internet Games. This has been a great community,” said Microsoft in a statement. “However, the time has come for us, along with our hardware and software partners, to invest our resources towards more recent technologies so that we can continue to deliver great new experiences” The full list of unsupported games is as follows:...
Many programs claims to scan a PC for errors for free. However, many will then push PC users to upgrade at a cost to fix any errors that are found. Microsoft is empowering Windows Defender Antivirus to classify these programs and delete them. In a blog post, the company points out these types of “bullying” programs have been increasingly common. They feature coercive and deceiving messages to get unwitting users to upgrade through a paywall....
Minecraft Education can be a good resource for teachers. Through Classroom Mode teachers get the tools to create an in-game online space to interact with children. They can set tasks, give resources, chat, and see where all members are on the map. Microsoft says it will bring Minecraft Education to iOS (only iPad) during September. Basically, this means educators and students can access the platform from their iPad. Class resources, interaction, and other features will all be available....
You may remember that movie was originally scheduled to be released during May 2019. With that date fast approaching some substantial changes behind the scenes mean the project has been shelved. Director and co-writer Rob McElhenney told TheWrap that he has left the project and the release date is “not happening”. As McElhenney was writer and director, we guess the movie was moving ahead deep within his vision. Now the creative force has left the project, it leaves the Minecraft Movie in flux....
Today, Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, introduced Xbox Game Pass, a new gaming subscription service coming later this spring. According to Spencer, Xbox Game Pass will give players unlimited access to more than 100 Xbox One and backward compatible Xbox 360 games for $9.99 per month. Titles such as Halo 5: Guardians, LEGO Batman, NBA 2K16, and Mad Max, will be included in Microsoft’s new offer. Download the full titles One of the most interesting aspects of Xbox Game Pass is the fact that it will allow players to download the full game titles on their Xbox One....
In terms of the Turing architecture, Nvidia describes it as “the greatest leap” since the CUDA GPU was revealed in 2006. The architecture is used in three new GPUS within the Quadro range of cards. As the world’s first ray tracing GPUs, the company says the architecture “fundamentally changes how computer graphics will be done, it’s a step change in realism.” The new range boasts Nvidia’s new RT (ray tracing) Cores, which literally trace the path of lights as it works with objects in a scene environment....
