Since acquiring Simplygon, Microsoft has been using the company for its main purpose. The startup provided a game-focused platform for developers to add more details to their mixed reality creations. The startup became known for its CAD-based product visualization platform that integrate existing CAD data into applications such as Epic´s Unreal Engine 4. They use a five-step procedure to bring raw graphical data to industry-standard file formats. As the name suggests, Simplygon makes optimizing 3D data easier....

Today the company is significantly expanding its FastStart catalog, from 8 to 18. There’s a mixture of Xbox One and Xbox 360 titles, but all are available on Game Pass. Importantly, the additions include titles people might actually play, including Fallout 3 and Oblivion. On Xbox One, there’s the popular State of Decay and Guacamelee. Here’s the full list: Xbox 360: BattleBlock Theatre Fallout 3 Oblivion Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Xbox One: Costume Quest 2 Guacamelee!...

The Windows system in question is Microsoft Management Console (MMC), where several cross-site scripting bugs (XSS) and a single XML external entity (XXE) flaw are leaving admin PCs vulnerable. All the bugs are collected under CVE-2019-0948. Eran Vaknin and Alon Boxiner, researchers from security firm Check Point, published a description of the vulnerabilities: “The goal of MMC is to provide a programming platform for creating and hosting applications that manage Microsoft Windows-based environments, and to provide a simple, consistent and integrated management user interface and administration model,” they explained....

Microsoft has embedded ransomware protection directly into the platform. It is worth noting that the company did this earlier this year. The feature was a part of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. To ensure users both known its there and where it is, the company is sending new security notifications. Essentially, these will advise users to turn on ransomware protection in the Settings app. The notices are for users who may not have known ransomware protection in Windows 10 is even a thing....

This time, Microsoft is taking away the Share Nearby feature from Office Mobile. If you are unfamiliar with this tool, it allows users to send and receive files efficiently over Wi-Fi through the Office apps. There is no doubt the idea behind Share Nearby is good and the feature is handy. However, Microsoft admits it does not meet the demands of users. So, the company says that Share Nearby will no longer be available on Android from December 31, 2022....

The purpose of the Mixed Reality studios is to give developers a platform to create holograms based on real life objects. Microsoft has already been using a similar set up at its main Redmond headquarters. Through the development of Windows Mixed Reality, the company captured Buzz Aldrin, Cirque Du Soleil performances, and others to create augmented reality experiences. Alongside the San Francisco and London studios, Microsoft will continue to operate its Redmond base....

In 2017, Microsoft created four separate rings within the Xbox Insider Program. Delta and Beta rings are largely unrestricted, and anybody can join. However, the Alpha and Skip Ahead rings are by invitation only. That means if you want access to the very newest features as early as possible, you need to be invited by Microsoft. Today, the company says it is spreading the invite net a little further. Specifically, any Xbox Insider Program can fill in a survey to tell Microsoft they want to join....

Yes, this is the same link unfurling feature that made its debut on Microsoft Teams in early summer. Microsoft has now decided to bring the capability to its popular email client. Link unfurling works by spicing up URLs, transforming them into more complete card previews that allow users to take actions within them. This is more than just an aesthetic change. URLs are easier to overlook or ignore, while link unfurlings are more interactive....

This is definitely good news considering the Contacts experience on the Outlook mobile app has been woeful. By woeful I mean non-existent. Many users favor Outlook because it can manage multiple email accounts, even those from rivals such as Gmail. However, while the email experience has been killer, the Contact experience has not been. That is now changing with the following new abilities. Firstly, Microsoft has introduced the ability to add and edit contacts on the app....

The last point is important. When Microsoft acquired LinkedIn in a mammoth $26.2 billion acquisition, the network had some 450 million members. However, that impressive number was tempered by the fact that only 25 percent were active monthly users. So, that means about 112 million users were consistently using the platform, the rest were not. Of course, this is not an uncommon pattern for any social network, but it puts more perspective on the situation....

It explains that traditional, large speakers have a flexible corrugated support called a spider. This holds the voice coil in place in a “basket housing”. Some variants of speakers attach the spider to the membrane with a basket or magnet on the other side, which stabilizes it. Voice coils in speakers generate the magnetic field that causes vibrations that are then amplified by the membrane, which pumps sound waves into the air....

According to Business Insider, sources close to Microsoft say the company will use a loophole to bring Project xCloud to iPhones. Specifically, the Redmond will deliver the service to iOS users through a web browser version. The news comes following Xbox chief Phil Spencer reportedly saying: “We absolutely will end up on iOS,” in reference to xCloud. It is unclear how Apple would react to such a move, although the company would probably be powerless to stop it....

Since opening its doors in 2015, Clear Software has been an integration platform-as-a-service (IPaaS) used in SAP and Oracle. It helps users to create automated tools for cloud-based apps and platforms. Microsoft is now leveraging the suite to bring new tools to the Power Platform in General Availability. According to the company, this increased integration will make it easier for SAP users to digitally transform and automate. Leading the changes is a selection of new prebuilt Power Apps available through a new solution Microsoft calls SAP Integration....

1 Official Changelog2 Recent Updates Since rebooting PowerToys, Microsoft tweaked existing tools and added new ones like Keyboard Configuration. As the development team moves towards version 1.0 of the suite, there are constantly new features coming. Users were hoping the shortcuts to mute microphones and turn off webcams in Windows 10 would return. This feature debuted on PowerToys 0.22, but Microsoft admitted it was an experimental tool. The company now says the feature will return on the next experimental release, version 0....

While being powerful devices, both the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 were left with performance matching older Intel Pentium processors. Indeed, speeds were clocked at a mere 400MHz and the problem stopped Intel’s Turbo Boost from working. The problem is caused by an Intel CPU flag called BD PROCHOT. This is a flag that can be set by peripherals and instructs the processor to reduce its speed in an effort to manage system temperature....

During the first open-source SimuLand event last month security teams could create test attacks patterns, deploy lab environments, and see how Microsoft security platforms work against threats. Throughout the experiments, researchers took telemetry data to enhance understanding of attacks. Microsoft is now releasing a public dataset covering that telemetry data. Specifically, from the first simulation looking at how threat actors could steal the Azure Directory Federated Services (ADFS) token-signing certificate from an ADFS server stored on-premises....

The company confirmed the change through Windows 10 2004 for IT Pros documentation this week. According to the company, it is removing the manual deferral ability because users were becoming confused by the options. “Last year, we changed update installation policies for Windows 10 to only target devices running a feature update version that is nearing end of service. As a result, many devices are only updating once a year....

According to The Information, Microsoft will partner with Huawei to build the company’s AI chips. Specifically, Microsoft will use Huawei AI processors to help power its China-based datacenters. It is worth pointing out that the two companies are said to still be in negotiations on the deal. If a collaboration is made, Microsoft may court some controversy in the United States. Huawei is banned from developing and using technology in the U....

Professor Douglas Leith claimed there is no good way to turn off this identifier, which is sent to Microsoft’s back-end servers. Further, his analysis of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari found their back-end communication to be more private. When asked about the study, a Microsoft spokesperson offered a slightly curt, but factual response. “Microsoft Edge sends diagnostic data used for product improvement purposes, which includes a device identifier. On Windows, this identifier enables a single-click ability to delete the related diagnostic data associated with the device ID stored on Microsoft servers at any time (from Windows settings), something which is not offered by all vendors,” she said to ZDNet....

“Calling became harder to execute and Highlights didn’t resonate with a majority of users,” says Peter Skillman, Director of Design for Skype and Outlook. Just a year ago, the new Skype experience was seen as a significant step forward for the app. Microsoft has long been criticized for not developing Skype enough when rivals like Snapchat became popular. Microsoft’s response to almost wholesale copy rivals, such as Facebook Messenger and Snapchat....