Despite making early strides in the in-dash infotainment market, Microsoft has seen its position slip to rivals like Google and Apple. This week, the company announced its Connected Vehicle Platform (MCVP) at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Billed as an evolving platform, Microsoft discussed how automotive OEMs can leverage MCVP to include the following services in their vehicles: In-vehicle experiences Autonomous driving Advanced navigation Customer engagement and insights Telematics and prediction services Connectivity and over the air updates (OTA)...

Now, the Xbox Team has released yet another 1705 preview build, the second one this week and fourth one in total. This latest preview build is a minor update which is released to solve an issue with the Xbox Store. Several users reported that they couldn’t access the Xbox Store when their consoles were set to a certain language and region configs. The Xbox Team has solved the problem, announcing the release in a Reddit post as well....

The same functionality has now rolled out to Outlook 2016. It gives access to the most common commands, such as formatting, calendar views, and joining meetings. Outlook 15.23 Changelog As well as Touch Bar, Outlook’s latest build introduces several features and improvements. Here’s the full changelog: “Touch bar support on the new MacBook Pro: In Outlook, the most relevant commands to what you’re working on are at your fingertips. (Compatible with MacBook Pro with Touch Bar only)....

The standalone security update is no longer on the Windows Update servers. Microsoft says the reason for the removal is because of “an issue affecting a sub-set of devices.” The company is now “working on an improved version of this update in coordination with our partners and will release it in a future update.” Labeled KB4524244, the security update was rolled out across all Windows 10 versions last week. It was launched to fix a vulnerability in the non-Microsoft Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) boot managers....

Softbank is reportedly readying a second investment, totaling $40 billion, in its Vision Fund. Microsoft is rumored to be involved in discussions regarding becoming an investor in the fund. If Redmond does invest, it will be under the condition that Softbank promotes Azure to its portfolio of companies. This is a rather aggressive strategy by Microsoft. The company is essentially trading investment for Azure cloud use. Many analysts have said the company has to be decisive to ensure its cloud business continues to grow....

“Azure Dedicated Hosts provide you with visibility and control to help address corporate compliance and regulatory requirements,” said Ziv Raflovich, principal program manager, Azure Compute. “We are extending Azure Hybrid Benefit to Azure Dedicated Hosts, so you can save money by using on-premises Windows Server and SQL Server licenses with Software Assurance or qualifying subscription licenses. Azure Dedicated Host is in preview in most Azure regions starting today.” Users can access the new functionality via the usual Azure Portal, with some key benefits....

Through its quarterly earnings report (Q2 fiscal 2019, Q4 2018 calendar), Microsoft announced revenue of $32.5 billion, up 12% year-on-year. The bumper revenue resulted in a good payday for the company, with net income of $8.4 billion, up 14%. So why a mixed bag? Well, while several of Microsoft’s divisions continued to thrive, perhaps the two most synonymous with the company remained static. In personal computing, Windows OEM declined 5% as the PC market contracted through the last quarter....

As reported by New Scientist, DeepCoder can search for the best source code combinations and integrate them to solve issues. By using program synthesis, the AI can separate good code and combine it to create new applications and solve challenges. DeepCoder uses information from a human programmer to get the best results. It can search quickly after receiving information such as available inputs and what the programmer wants the result to be....

The program should simplify the learning curve of becoming a streamer while giving tips on aspects like social media which are vital to a streamer’s career. All of it, of course, will be free of charge, with Microsoft’s main benefit being more content creators on its platform. Mixer Academy is split into three categories: Power User, Moderator, and Streamer. The Mixer Handbook is available to any who simply want to learn more about the platform and how to best utilize its features....

Specifically, the company says it is already working on its next iteration of the Xbox. A report from Thurrott.com points to the company aiming for a 2020 launch of the new device. Of course, the current Xbox One has been with us since 2013 and is now five years old. 2020 will sync up with what we think of as a normal console generational cycle. For example, the Xbox 360 was released in 2005 and replaced in 2013, so a seven-year lifespan for the Xbox One is normal....

It seems the focus of the event was a sizzle video focused on new Surface devices that will launch this year. Those products are likely to be a new Surface Pro and probably a new Surface Book. However, the sizzle video also showed a prototype for Microsoft’s Surface dual-screen, which was also showcased in the flesh at the event. Of course, it’s no secret Microsoft has been working on its Surface dual-screen (codenamed Centaurus) for at least two years....

Because of Microsoft’s new annual release schedule, this is the first and only Windows 10 feature update of 2022. It is currently available to download manually, with an automatic update to arrive in the coming weeks. Windows 10 22H2 (Build 19045.2006) ISO files are now available, while the new update is also available through Windows Update for Business, Windows Server Update Services, and Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC). Microsoft says the usual 18 months of support for Home and Pro users is in place for Windows 10 22H2, while Education and Enterprise SKUs get 30 months....

The Surface Go has a 10″ touchscreen, weighs just 1.15 lbs, and lasts for up to nine hours without charge. Other than its thick bezels, it matches the design of others in its line and should have a high build quality. However, the price of the tablet is less attractive when you consider the accessories that aren’t included. A Surface type cover will set you back $130, and the Surface Pen $100....

We have already seen how Microsoft’s events have been postponed or cancelled, while most have moved to virtual events. Perhaps the biggest casualty so far was Build 2020, which will be held virtually. Now Microsoft is making plans to make all its events virtual until July 2021. Predictions still vary about when the spread of COVID-19 will ease, but it is clear the world won’t simply go back to normal....

Microsoft says the current shift to a hybrid work environment of on-premises and remote collaboration means a new class of applications is needed. These apps must embrace collaboration at their core and on a single layer. Microsoft calls them Collaborative Apps, and Dynamics 365 is one of the first “hero” collaborative apps. By using Collaborative Apps, Teams users can easily sync work with others without needing to switch contexts or applications, or even change data....

However, Microsoft Teams latest update is one of the biggest yet. The team is calling it the “biggest single release of new features” since launch. The star of the show is support for app information in chat. Users can now add content without needing to hyperlink, accessing it via a simple drop down on the emoji bar. You can select the app, search for the relevant content, and click send....

The company’s changing icons were unveiled last week when Microsoft revealed it has a new icon design for Office 365. However, hidden in that announcement was a hint that this is just the start. Jon Friedman, head of Office design and author of the blog post, admits the new Office 365 icons are “the beginning of a cross-company effort to update all icons in the same style.” “It is a huge undertaking to build a common system and design 10 icons at the same time,” he explains....

You may remember last Halloween Microsoft launched a dark theme for Outlook. However, the company made it clear that was a limited time deal. Ture to its word the company later removed the theme and the email client returned to its normal style. If you are unfamiliar with a dark theme, it essentially gives users an added UI option. As the name suggests, users can make their Windows 10 applications look dark....

No official information on this feature has been given, while support is not currently available on preview through the Inside. However, in the latest Windows 10 19H1 preview (build 18272) there is a mentioned of a new API that hints at WPA3 support. WPA3 is a new Wi-Fi standard announced by the Wi-Fi Alliance in July. It is a new wireless connection standard and replacement for WPA2. The core benefits of WPA3 are improved security, including the ability to stay private on open networks....

“We noticed you are using a version of Skype for Windows 10 that will no longer work after May 25, 2018. Older conversation history may be impacted during the upgrade. If you need help backing up your chat contact us. Not able to upgrade? Tell us more.” The date conincides with the enforcement of new GDPR data regulations in Europe, but may be unrelated. Microsoft has a number of reasons to discontinue the versions, from security to incompabililities with users on different versions or Windows features....