If you are unfamiliar with Azure SQL Data Sync, it is a tool that lets users synchronize data between Azure SQL Database and other SQL endpoints. This can be achieved eithers bidirectionally or unidirectionally. Other capabilities of the service include enabling hybrid SQL deployment and local data from Azure and on-premises apps. “It also allows you to deploy your data applications globally with a local copy of data in each region, and keep data synchronized across all the regions,” Microsoft explains....

Office 365 will get its new app launcher over the next couple of months. The key change in the launcher is a fresh design. However, Microsoft points out apps will still be available on the launcher. What apps appear will depend on which license a subscriber has. One of the biggest changes in the Office 365 launcher is that it now focuses on personalized applications of individual users. This means users can see the apps that are most relevant to them....

By using ONNX Runtime with BERT, users can lower latency for language representation on the Bing search platform. Microsoft has previously said BERT brings “the largest improvement in search experience” for Bing. With ONNX Runtime support, developers can use BERT to scale to as low as 1.7 milliseconds latency (alongside a Nvidia V100 GPU). Microsoft told VentureBeat that this capability has previously only been available to major tech companies. “Since the BERT model is mainly composed of stacked transformer cells, we optimize each cell by fusing key sub-graphs of multiple elementary operators into single kernels for both CPU and GPU, including Self-Attention, LayerNormalization and Gelu layers....

So, why are receipts from ride-sharing giant Uber causing Outlook to misbehave? Well, Microsoft says crashes happen because Uber uses “complex tables” in emails, and Microsoft Word and Outlook struggle to render them. The problem was first spotted in the Current Channel Version of Outlook. This is a stable version of the client that is available to Microsoft 365 customers on Windows. In a support note, Microsoft says a fix is in the pipeline: “The Word Team has implemented a fix that will be released to the Beta channel shortly for fix verification,” says Microsoft....

Patch Tuesday was rolled out earlier this month. The release did not deal with problems with the April 2018 Update that affected Google’s Chrome web browser. Microsoft is now addressing that issue. We wrote about this problem when it first emerged in early May. Users reported that the Chrome browser was freezing after updating to the new Windows 10 version. In fact, the issue causes the whole machine to freeze, with all keystrokes and mouse movements going unanswered....

The student at Silverland Middle School was advised to write a letter to his favorite company, and he chose Microsoft. Luckily for him, the letter made it all the way to Smith’s desk, who traveled out to meet him. In a video documented by Microsoft, Smith, Yi read out his letter, which notes “Of course, I picked Microsoft, since you guys manufacture every spoiled, squeaky little teener child’s favorite thing, the Xbox....

Furthermore, Microsoft said the other planned nations will receive the service next week. Those countries are Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. Microsoft has made it clear it has revised its roll out for Project xCloud. Specifically, the company is taken a slow approach to what is previously planned. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, telecommunication networks that deliver xCloud are under increased strain. “We will take a measured approach to help conserve internet access, beginning the preview in each market with a limited number of people and adding more participants over time,” Catherine Gluckstein, GM & Head of Product for Project xCloud....

Yes, once again we are back to the idea that Microsoft has been developing a super phone that will leave all others in its wake. If I come off as flippant, it’s because I simply don’t believe the company has been working on such hardware for four years. That’s right, Surface Phone rumors have been persistent for half a decade. As I have written before, this timeframe means there never was a Surface Phone....

Generally, they follow the Patch Tuesday updates that shipped last week and push the build to 17763.1012. With the end of support for 1809 fast approaching in May, users should really consider an upgrade to 1909 for the sake of security. However, these additions will at least keep the OS more stable in the meantime. You can also grab versions of the updates on versions 1803, 1709, and 1607, provided you’re still in support as an Enterprise or Education user....

Though the on-screen keyboard looks exactly the same as previous builds, there’s a lot going on under the hood. It’s powered by SwifKey’s honed neural net, which learns the words and phrases users use. Windows 10 build 17692 also introduces some improvements to Microsoft Edge. The browser has seen some changes to its WebDriver developer testing tool. The free cloud-based solution is now a Windows Feature on Demand, meaning it updates automatically with the OS....

The Bing team will also present the findings at the Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Conference (CVPR) in Salt Lake City. “Getting enough high-quality training data is often the most challenging piece of building an AI-based service,” the researchers wrote. “Typically, data labeled by humans is of high quality (has relatively few mistakes) but comes at high cost — both in terms of money and time. On the other hand, automatic approaches allow for cheaper data generation in large quantities but result in more labeling errors (‘label noise’)....

Brad Smith says consumer data should now be factored into deciding if a tech company has a monopoly. This suggests companies that hold the most user data would be under the most threat of accusations of antitrust. Of course, this would mean Facebook and Google would be in direct trouble. Both companies are known for collecting vast user data information and using it for advertising. Facebook especially has been the subject of numerous antitrust cases because of how it handles customer data....

By leveraging these features, developers can automatically test and release code more quickly. Debugging is simpler thanks to live logs that show how an app is performing. CI can help developers by automatically testing code one it is placed in a code base. Once the code has been tested, CD will automatically release it. Combined, the two tools give dev’s means to send out new app updates automatically. GitHub is talking these features up as a major step forward....

In a briefing to CNBC, the US Army , CNBC journalist Todd Haselton got a firsthand look had a first look at the IVAS HoloLens 2 hardware and system. At US Army base Fort Pickett, the device has been developed to reduce the number of devices a soldier needs to carry. Leveraging Microsoft’s hardware, the IVAS HoloLens 2 HMDs remove the need for a soldier to carry phones, night vision and thermal goggles, and computers....

In its release notes, Microsoft says the tool will update any Surface Dock attached to a Surface hardware. Now called the Surface Dock Firmware Update (a slight change from the previous Microsoft Surface Dock Updater), implementing the tool is harder than Microsoft suggests. Like before, the update tool is only available through the Surface Tools for IT download page. That’s not really a major problem and if you’re heading to that page, the tool is listed as Surface_Dock_FwUpdate_1....

Much like a safe inside a house, the vault requires additional authentication methods to access. Users can enable a fingerprint, PIN, SMS code or mobile authenticator to make sure their most important documents are protected even if their account is compromised. Examples Microsoft gives are photocopies of passwords and IDs and tax records. These are files that it would be nice to be able to access from anywhere but have previously been deemed too risky to store in the cloud....

He is planning on pursuing his personal passion of using AI technologies as a positive voice for human rights. Connell says in his profile that he is “taking a long-term leave of absence from Microsoft to lead an effort around human rights.” According to his LinkedIn profile, Derrick Connell started working as a milk boy at his family’s business in Ireland. Since September of 2011, he has been the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft’s Bing and Cortana, leading the product and engineering teams on both....

Whiteboard first leaked back in July and has since been running in private preview. The idea behind the app is it provides a “limitless canvas” for inking and collaboration on Windows 10. Users can collaborate on the app in real time across devices on the platform. If you are running the app, you can see where other user contacts are and interact with their editing and updates. Real-time collaboration works integrated with Office 365 subscribers, while it also supports photo uploading....

There are many reasons why a user may want to revert to Windows 10. Maybe the platform is buggy, your PC performance is slow, peripherals don’t work, or the platform does not work with your organization’s software. Whatever reason, Microsoft does have a path to return to Windows 10. While it is an easy path to walk, Microsoft is throwing some obstacles in the way. Specifically, the company is giving users a race against time to head back to Windows 10....

In an interview with Computing, Tony Pepper, CEO of Egress praised Microsoft for its efforts, but also warned the company against stifling its partners. Speaking specifically about Office 365, Pepper says Microsoft is adept at “plugging the gaps”. He means the company can bring functionality and services without stepping on what is offered by partners and OEMs. He says Redmond has “really stepped up [its] game over the past five years....