If you’re unfamiliar with JEDI, it is the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure project. Microsoft’s cloud services will underpin an overhaul of the DoD’s computing infrastructure. Microsoft was originally awarded the contract a year ago. Legal Battle If Microsoft had been working on the project since 2019, those improvements would have been weaved into the infrastructure. However, with any project needing to start from scratch, the DoD has simply decided to cancel the $10 billion deal....

Since 2013, Xbox has been working diligently to win back the faith of its fans, going back on many of those design decisions. Now, at E3 2018, it seems to be pivoting back towards that vision, but with considerably more care. As well as the revelation that Forza Horizon 4 will be an online-first experience, Microsoft announced a game streaming service. It’s still in progress, but the idea is to unlock console gaming on PCs and phones....

In fact, Zuckerberg was taking the side of fellow controversial CEO, Elon Musk. Last week, new Twitter chief Musk criticized Apple’s App Store fees. On iOS, Apple forces app developers to pay between 15 to 30 percent for in-app purchases. Twitter is rolling out a verification system that will cost users $8 per month, while Twitter Blue is also a paid service. These count as in-app purchases, which means for every transaction done on Twitter via iOS, the company must pay 15-30% to Apple....

However, in response, Facebook has issued a public statement. The network says it only scraped data from users who offer permission. Already firefighting the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook responded quickly to the report and created a repost. Titled “Fact Check: Your Call and SMS History”, the company says the report is in accurate and explains its situation: “You may have seen some recent reports that Facebook has been logging people’s call and SMS (text) history without their permission....

That’s what has happened, with Messenger taking a property from Instagram that allows the former to have new camera effects. Facebook Messenger has two new camera modes that were first available on Instagram. The first is Boomerang, which loops videos through simple interaction. The other popular Instagram camera feature heading to Messenger is Selfie Mode. As the name suggests, Selfie Mode puts a quality emphasis on the subject of the image or video....

Considering much of Facebook’ social network is based on image sharing, the Messenger app has previously restricted how photos are shared. Size limits were previously limited enough to stop users uploading high-quality visuals. That is changing today as Facebook understands the need for improved images: “The way people message today is no longer limited by just text; visual messaging as our new universal language is much more emotional and expressive… We’re making significant investments in how people communicate visually on Messenger....

Like we have often seen on Facebook, the news agenda is being skewed with bad information, whether purposefully or on accident. For example, some reports suggest there is a cure for the virus, while others are presenting bad data about death tolls and spread. In response, Facebook says it will make a more asserted effort to ensure fake news is removed from the site. Speaking to Business Insider, the company said the following: “We recently implemented a policy to prohibit ads that refer to the coronavirus and create a sense of urgency, like implying a limited supply, or guaranteeing a cure or prevention....

“Today Facebook finally shows commitment to more transparency and straight forward language in its terms of use. A company that wants to restore consumers trust after the Facebook/ Cambridge Analytica scandal should not hide behind complicated, legalistic jargon on how it is making billions on people’s data,” said Vera Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality. “Now, users will clearly understand that their data is used by the social network to sell targeted ads....

Japanese company Fujitsu says it has created a solution that allows facial rec to pickup emotions more efficiently. Researchers for the company have leverage AI to track subtle movements in expression on a user face. With the ability, facial recognition can pick up emotions such as confusion. In the past, technology has been limited to the eight main emotions: fear, anger, disgust, contempt, happiness, sadness, neutral, and surprise. Fujitsu’s new technology can detect more micro emotions....

Rather than putting a blanket block on everything, the browser keeps a list of sites the user has clicked to play a video previously and excludes them from the practice. This means sites like YouTube that use autoplay effectively won’t be impacted. It’s a simple but effective way to block only the most annoying content. By default, the browser will autoplay videos with audio on just 1,000 popular sites. As your browsing history accumulates, it will tailor more to your preference....

One problem with implementing Google Search in China is the country’s strict regulatory rules. Basically, the government wants a lot of control and limits exactly what Google would be able to show. Mountain View appeared to be nearing a search roll out in China through a development codenames Project Dragonfly. However, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has now said Project Dragonfly was nothing more than an in-house “experiment”. Pichai suggests the project was never supposed to reach a general release, seemingly killing Project Dragonfly in the process....

Google is known for building some of the best smartphones on the market with its excellent Pixel handsets. However, the company is not necessarily known for being a pioneer in form factor development. On the software side, sure, Google can blaze a trail but in terms of hardware, the company is a follower. That may be a harsh assessment, but the truth is Google has never pushed design boundaries on its devices....

Over 300 employees including designers, engineers, programmers, and executives have released an open letter urging Google to cease development of Project Dragonfly. Employees had previously voiced concerns and now seem to be escalating their protests. “We object to technologies that aid the powerful in oppressing the vulnerable, wherever they may be,” the employees said in the letter published on the blogging service Medium. One problem with implementing Google Search in China is the country’s strict regulatory rules....

It’s all fairly simple. You open Google Maps, drop a pin, and see a combination of numbers and letters. They consist of an area code and a local code, determined by a virtual grid that sits across the world. Users can then share it with friends, customers, or emergency services for directions, and Google hopes it will allow those without postcodes to register to vote. They work in unmapped and disputed territories, offline, and in oceans....

The color showcased in the leak matches the Google Pixel’s ‘not pink’, while the bottom of the device has a strange corrugated orange design. The model here is apparently the entry-level one, holding an Intel Core m3, 8GB RAM, and 13.3-inch FHD display. However, the publication reports that i5 and i7 variants will also be available, with the option to bump up to 16GB RAM and a 4K screen. Either way, that screen’s aspect ration will be 16:9, and you’ll get a headphone jack, powerful front-firing speakers, a 2MP webcam, and two USB-C ports....

According to Reddit user, /r/Dio-V, their Xiaomi Mijia smart camera was streaming content from someone else’s camera through their Google Home Hub. Users can choose to connect the camera via a Google account and use the company’s services through the Mi Home application. Dio-V offered proof through a video showing how camera footage from the device. When he tries to stream content from his camera to the Home Hub, random images from other unknown cameras appear on the screen....

Before continuing, I am certainly not suggesting Here is going to catch Google Maps anytime soon. Still, recent Maps changes have turned some core users away from Google and Here wants to snap them up. Small businesses have been able to integrate Google Maps by embedding a map on their site. Recently, Google decided to bump the price to get API access to Maps. Fair enough, but worse was the company demanding users have a credit card and Google Cloud account to access APIs....

Using the augmented reality headset, users can join a meeting, add contacts, add new contacts, and call people directly on Microsoft Teams. This is a part of Microsoft’s wider productivity push for HoloLens 2. Other abilities include the ability to open holographic windows that shows chats, display and work on Word documents, manage PDF files, access OneDrive, and watch videos. These holographic windows can be resized and positioned wherever the HoloLens 2 wearer wants....

1 How to Create a Flowchart in Word with Shapes2 How to Make a Flowchart with SmartArt in Word Two ways for creating a flowchart in Word In fact, there are two Word flowchart tools you can use: Shapes and SmartArt. If you just want to create a flowchart in Word as quickly as possible, SmartArt is the way forward. It provides several flowchart templates you can pick and customize. The shape tool requires a little more time investment, but still allows you to make your flowchart pretty quickly....

1 How to Enable or Disable Chrome PDF Viewer2 How to Enable or Disable the Microsoft Edge PDF Viewer3 How to Enable or Disable the Firefox PDF Viewer4 How to Remove Password Protection from a PDF5 How to Insert a PDF into an Excel Spreadsheet However, you also sacrifice more advanced functionality, such as PDF editing. Today we’re going to show you how to enable or disable the PDF viewer in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge so you can customize the experience to your liking....