Items tagged with NASDAQ:MSFT
Brace yourself, a new upgrade to Windows 10 is coming. As the name implies, the October 2018 Update for Windows 10 is scheduled to roll out sometime next month, though Microsoft has not issued an exact release date just yet. However, the Redmond outfit has given a heads up as to which features will see the way of the dodo. The October 2018 Update will introduce a bunch of new and improved features to Windows 10, as these twice-yearly major upgrades always do. But Microsoft is also retiring a handful of features. Applications or code that depend on the soon-to-be deprecated features will not function...
Read more...
Rumblings started back in June that Microsoft had some new hardware planned for 2019. Some were surprised when Microsoft sent out invites earlier this month to a hardware event that is suggested to be for the unveiling of new Surface hardware. One of the devices expected at that hardware event scheduled for October 2 is the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2. Ahead of that event, a slew of images has leaked that claim to be of the new laptop in its various colors. The colors seen in the images include a new black laptop that reportedly replaces the Graphite Gold version offered last year. Other colors...
Read more...
Those who enjoy streaming movies and television shows on their devices should always be cautious when downloading content. It has been revealed that several third-party Kodi add-ons for Windows and Linux contained cryptocurrency malware. The cryptocurrency miner is difficult to uncover and is believed to have infected nearly 4,700 users. ESET, a Slovak IT security company, discovered that Windows and Linux Kodi users who downloaded the third-party add-ons Bubbles, Gaia, and XvBMC, were the targets of the malware campaign. The add-ons contain malicious code that mines the cryptocurrency Monero...
Read more...
When Microsoft rolls out its big update for Windows 10 in October, there will be a new and annoying popup for users who try and install Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox on their machines. Word comes from beta testers of the update report the screenshot below pops up if you try and install a competing browser on your PC. The popup notes that users already have Edge as part of Windows 10, and claims that it is the safer and faster browser. While the popup tries to talk users out of installing the alternative browsers, it will still allow you to install the other browsers if you click the “Install...
Read more...
There are lots of computers out there that are still running Windows 7 even though Windows 10 has been out for a very long time and is now installed on 700 million devices globally. The reasons for staying on an old OS like Windows 7 are many and varied but some folks just feel their OS is working just fine and many end users don’t want to shell out money to replace something that isn't broken. In the enterprise realm, it can be a huge undertaking to move hundreds or thousands of PCs from one version of Windows to a new version, especially if there is proprietary software or apps that might...
Read more...
If you're a fan of Microsoft's Surface family of PC hardware, mark October 2nd on your digital calendar. That is when Microsoft will announce the latest round of updates for its hardware family. We're likely to see across-the-board updates, with the exception of the Surface Go, which launched just a few months ago. Microsoft's Surface Pro is due for a redesign, and it’s likely that the device will take some cues from the smaller Surface Go including a slightly more rounded design and the inclusion of USB-C (or Thunderbolt 3) ports. Surface Pro When it comes to what powers...
Read more...
If you’re a heavy user of the Skype messaging client, a feature that was first announced in mid-July is now finally rolling out to users: call recording. Call recording is a cloud-based feature that allows you to save precious moments with loved ones or have a recording of a conversation with coworkers during meetings for future reference. The recording feature is not just limited to audio calls, and extends to video calls as well. And just so that no one is surprised after the fact that a call was recorded, each call participant is notified when someone starts a recording. ...
Read more...
Microsoft had issues with its datacenter near San Antonio, Texas yesterday -- some of which are still ongoing -- that led to some of the server and network infrastructure equipment operating in that facility to shut down, impacting multiple major cloud services for many of its customers. The cause was a lightning strike resulting from severe storms in the area that led to what Microsoft describes as a "power voltage increase that impacted cooling systems." With cooling systems being critical in a data center, the loss of cooling meant that Microsoft's automated data center procedures to keep data...
Read more...
Sony has not exactly been a champion of supporting multiplayer gameplay across different platforms, otherwise known as crossplay. If there was a time and place to reverse course, it would be now, in Fortnite, the world's most popular battle royale shooter. Sony is sticking to its guns, however, drawing ire from not just gamers, but also Microsoft. Fortnite is a veritable cash cow for developer Epic Games, and part of the game's success is its availability on so many different platforms—PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. And for the most part, players on one platform can...
Read more...
Last summer Skype announced with some fanfare that it had overhauled its design. The design was very similar to Snapchat, and many Skype users didn’t like the change. Skype has now announced that after more than a year on the new design, it is changing back to a much simpler interface. Skype is also ditching its interpretation of Snapchat stories called Highlights. w Highlights allowed users on a mobile device to swipe up to open the smartphone camera where they could take a photo or record video to share. They were then able to decorate the media with text or stickers and shared with Skype...
Read more...
Microsoft launched a program back in August 2017r called Surface Plus that allowed consumers to lease a Surface device with a 0% interest payment plan. One of the coolest things about the Surface Plus plan was that it allowed you to pay all 24 months of payments and keep the device or you could give it back to Microsoft in good working order in 18 months and upgrade to a new device. It sounded like a good deal for lots of people wanting an expensive Surface device without needing to shell out big money and then be stuck with a machine that was obsolete. If you have been thinking about trying it...
Read more...
We now have a confirmed name and release month for the next major Windows 10 update, which has been testing under the codename "Redstone 5". Microsoft says that that Windows 10 October 2018 Update will land in... well, October. The naming convention shouldn’t come as much of a shock considering that the current public release is called the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. Microsoft made the announcement today at IFA 2018 alongside a wave of new Windows 10-powered devices like the Dell Inspiron 7000 2-in-1, Lenovo Yoga Book C930 and Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS (Windows...
Read more...
It's not uncommon for people to work with multiple electronic devices these days. You might have a laptop for work, a laptop for personal use, a desktop at home, and a tablet for yourself and several devices for other family members. Lots of devices are common, and this posed a problem for some people when it came to subscribing to Microsoft Office 365. Originally Office 365 was device-limited depending on the subscription you went with. Office 365 Home was limited to ten devices total with five users able to access Office while Office 365 Personal had a limit to one PC or Mac and one tablet for...
Read more...
Back in early June, Qualcomm announced its Snapdragon 850 Mobile Platform, which will form the basis for second-generation "Always Connected" Windows 10 PCs. As expected, Lenovo is the first out of the gate with a new 2-in-1 convertible based on Snapdragon 850, which shouldn't come as a surprise given that it was part of the freshman class with the Snapdragon 835-powered Miix 630. This year, however, Lenovo is launching the Yoga C630 WOS (Windows on Snapdragon). Thanks to the Snapdragon 850 processor running the show, Lenovo is promising a 30 percent boost in overall performance compared...
Read more...
