In a blog post, Microsoft said users have complained the read back voice is too robotic: “A common theme that we heard from Read Aloud feedback in the current version of Microsoft Edge was that the default speaking voices sounded robotic and unnatural,” Microsoft’s Scott Low explains. “People also told us how time-consuming it was to install different language packs so that they could read text in other languages. We have made this experience better with the arrival of cloud-powered speaking voices in the preview builds of Microsoft Edge....

The new Azure Container Service (AKS) ability is available from today, although it is currently a beta release. The specific purpose of AKS is to allow organizations to run a hosted version of Kubernetes. Microsoft has released AKS months after it debuted Kubernetes support on Azure Container Service. With the introduction, Azure customers are able to scale clusters more easily for the first time. For those not familiar with Kubernetes, here is a brief summary: “A Google-incubated open source container orchestration system....

The funding will be used to create new divisions, including use for emergency critical applications in cities and Homeland Security. It’s will also increase its existing hold over mining services, refineries, seaports, and oil facilities. “We continue to execute our vision: taking the human pilot out of the loop and increasing the value drones can create,” said Ran Krauss, CEO, and Co-Founder. “This fundraising enables us to continue to expand, within industrial facilities, and with our newly launched Defense division....

In the blog post, Microsoft is brazen in its push to appeal to MongoDB dev’s who are concerned by the breaches. Indeed, the company titles the post “Dear #MongoDB users, we welcome you in #Azure #DocumentDB.” From the lead, the company makes it clear that security is a priority in DocumentDB. Customers can expect to be protected from code development to incident response. By working with Azure, developers automatically adhere to the Security Development Lifecycle (SDL)....

With this release, Office 2016 is moving up to version 16.17.180904 on Apple’s platform. Among the new features coming to users on Mac is LaTex equation support in Microsoft Word. In its release notes, Microsoft explains customers have frequently requested this support. With LaTex equations in Word, users already have a wide range of mathematical keywords. Word is also gaining support for @mentions, alongside fellow Office 2016 for Mac app PowerPoint....

At the SIS Global Forum 2019, the companies said it was the first three-party partnership of its kind. The companies will work on Azure applications in Schlumberger’s DELFI cognitive E&P environment. “The parties will ensure the software developments meet the latest standards in terms of security, performance, release management, and are compatible with the Open Subsurface Data Universe (OSDU) Data Platform,” said Microsoft. “Building on this open foundation will amplify the capabilities of Chevron’s petrotechnical experts....

The flaw is present in Remote Desktop Services and affects Windows Server 2008 and 2003, Windows 7, and Windows XP. Frighteningly, the vulnerability requires no user interaction and is pre-authentication. This means attackers could craft ‘wormable’ malware that spreads across devices. “Any future malware that exploits this vulnerability could propagate from vulnerable computer to vulnerable computer in a similar way as the WannaCry malware spread across the globe in 2017,” explained Microsoft in a support article....

The company’s argument that USB Type-C is too fragmented is frankly behind the times, as does the policy of continuing to avoid including ports on the Surface Pro and Laptop. Android devices released in the last few years have USB-C, as do most of the best Bluetooth headphones. New Microsoft Patents point to the company’s continued exploration of USB-C and the promise that one day Surface devices will fully adopt the standard....

However, one newly discovered Microsoft patent features a mechanism that we think is more likely to be included on the Surface Pro 7. Once again, Microsoft is tweaking the hinge dynamics and seeking something more durable. Windows Latest discovered a patent filed by Microsoft in 2017 and published to USPTO on June 18, 2019. Titled “High strength hinge mechanism”, the patent’s goal is wrapped up right there in the title....

Back in May 2019, Microsoft rebooted its PowerToys, a modern version of the suite of tools that appeared on Windows 95. The core difference was that the suite is now open source. Many users are still sleeping on PowerToys, which remains an under-the-radar suite in the Windows ecosystem. It is definitely worth checking out as there are plenty of interesting tools in the service. Version 0.62.0 is one of the most complete updates for Microsoft PowerToys yet....

Until now, Azure Kubernetes Service has been limited to Microsoft’s Azure cloud customers. Originally launched in 2017, AKS is a managed cloud service designed to run containerized applications efficiently. Bringing AKS to Windows IoT and Windows devices provides a lightweight version of the service, which is why Microsoft is also calling the tool AKS lite. In an accompanying blog post this week, Microsoft says this version works on microprocessors as well as PC devices....

In a week-long visit, Microsoft engineers were invited to a North Carolina military base to see the tech roadmap for HoloLens 2 and IVAS integration with the U.S. Army. Microsoft’s Deborah Bach this week published a blog detailing the visit. The partnership between Microsoft and the army is an extension of an initial deal agreed back in 2018. When the initial deal was signed in November 2018, Microsoft’s own employees criticized the agreement....

Microsoft officially debuted the Surface Duo last month, nearly a year after introducing the smartphone. Customers will start receiving the handset on September 11 and it costs $1,399. At last month’s launch, Microsoft explained details of the Duo, including its core specs and general information. However, Microsoft is still quite on the finer specifics of the hardware. It doesn’t help that reviewers have not been able to properly look at the Surface Duo, with Microsoft limiting them to only looking at the hardware....

Indeed, many of the new features are some Microsoft discussed as part of the Fall Creators Update introduction. Microsoft Edge is a focus of Windows 10 Preview Build 16226. Among the additions to the browser is the ability to migrate bookmarks from Google Chrome to Edge. EPUB improvements continue to be made, such as Copy and Ask Cortana for EPUB reading material. There are also changes made to the favourites experience and the way in which Edge manages closing tabs....

Specifically, the company has shuffled the pack and will no longer have a Skip Ahead branch. In doing so, Microsoft will shutter a channel that it first debuted two years ago. Since its launch, Skip Ahead has slotted into the Windows Insider Program in the following way: Skip Ahead: Available to a restricted userbase who want new features as early as possible even if they may compromise stability Fast Ring: Still an unstable channel, the Fast Ring is available for Insiders who have first access to upcoming Windows 10 builds....

Yes, Microsoft is pulling LinkedIn because some aspects of the app do not comply with draconian Chinese regulations. Instead of making changes, Microsoft will simply remove the app altogether. This ends a 7-year run for LinkedIn in China. The app entered the country in 2014, before Microsoft paid $26 billion to acquire the company. For the most part, the experience in China was the same as the app in other regions....

When first announced, Qualcomm senior director of product management Miguel Nunes confirmed work alongside Google. He said Chrome would likely come to Windows 10 on ARM during the second half of 2019. A new report from 9to5Google suggests Microsoft is actually offering the most contribution towards the Chrome integration. Indeed, the report says two Microsoft developers have taken the lead on the project and most contributions have been used in the Chromium branch....

Researcher Laxman Muthiyah discussed both the vulnerability and Microsoft’s rewards in a blog post this week. He says the security hole would have allow attacker or “anyone” to “over any Microsoft account without consent [or] permission.” Still, it may seem “any Microsoft account” is an overstatement because it looks like the flaw affects just consumer accounts. The problem stems from the way Microsoft handles password reset, specifically the “Forgotten Password” page....

Today’s releases come in the form of two patches, one for the Insider Preview and Slow Rings, and the other for the Fast Ring. Both contain some necessary bug fixes. Changelogs for Cumulative Update 15063.13 and 15063.14 While this isn’t the most exciting build yet, it does show Microsoft’s dedication to getting a polished product out before release. Cumulative Update 15063.13 (KB4016251) contains the following: “We fixed an issue where printer connections from clients running older versions of Windows (V3-XPS-based-drivers) failed to connect to clients running the Windows 10 Creators Update....

As expected, the new OneNote comes with an improved layout and looks greatly redesigned. It now offers improved accessibility, allowing improved navigation with screen readers and keyboards. In addition, OneNote now has a new feature which lets users solve page conflicts in shared notebooks, such as having two versions of the same page in a notebook. Thanks to this handy feature users will be able to easily resolve these conflicts....