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As we reported in our wider look at Microsoft’s financial results, Xbox earnings increased by a massive 51 percent. This was part of a $15.1B haul for the overall More Personal Computing category. While Windows and Surface are also in that category, Xbox was the star of the show through last quarter. Xbox Live and Xbox Game Pass saw a 40 percent revenue increase. There were also a couple of records broken through the period; third-party title revenue topped $2 billion for the first time, while gaming revenue overhaul went over $5 billion for the first time....

The new series is designed for training and interface. Microsoft says the ND-series is powered by NVIDIA’s Tesla P40 GPU and is built on the Pascal Architecture. This allows customers to get double the performance compared to older generations. Improvements in AI workloads are also available with the new series. Microsoft is expanding the range because its NVIDIA Tesla-based GPUs have been a huge success. The company first launched these GPUs last year....

On the company’s IoT blog, Corporate Vice President Julia White said the company will pump $5 billion into IoT development. The money will be spent over the next four years, White confirmed. Make no mistake, this is a massive investment and shows Microsoft’s commitment to IoT. Let’s not forget the market is still nascent, albeit with the expectation of driving future technology. White says Microsoft has decided to invest heavily in IoT due to “increased adoption and exponential growth that analysts have been forecasting for years, and we’re just getting started....

1 Full Changelog2 Promotion Controversy This was no low-key update either as Microsoft introduced numerous new features and tools to the application. With the release, the app is now up to Preview build version 0.3. If you are unfamiliar with the new service, the Terminal is a dedicated app for command line implementation on Windows 10. Developers can leverage multiple tabs and customize the experience with themes. On that latter front, you’ll need to edit a JSON file to access the full suite of customization tools....

In a statement on Friday, the Pentagon revealed that it will provide these to the Defense Department, Coast Guard, and intelligence services. The contract is indefinite delivery/quantity, meaning Microsoft can give an indefinite number of services until January 10, 2024. “Support includes Microsoft product engineering services for software developers and product teams to leverage a range of proprietary resources and source-code, and Microsoft premier support for tools, knowledge database, problem resolution assistance, and custom changes to Microsoft source-code when applicable,” explained the DoD....

First up, Microsoft raised a curtain on a new Bing Maps SDK for mobile (iOS and Android) platforms. With the SDK, developers can write applications with Bing Maps integration. Among the features of the SDK are controls powered by a vector 3D map engine. This engine can offer several mapping capabilities when still running at native performance. Second of the new Bing Maps announcements was a new SDK for mixed-reality applications....

We will let you decide if that is bloatware or not, but it probably depends on whether you use Sling TV. The company also announced today that its Xbox One app has been given a UI refresh and new look. By coming pre-installed with Windows 10, Sling TV joins some other services that are locked in. For example, Candy Crush, 3D Builder, and Solitaire are also baked into the platform....

However, Microsoft is worried that’s not the end of it. Meltdown and Spectre were just two discovered bugs, and there could be more hiding out there. As such, the company is offering $250,000 to anybody who can discover a similar flaw. The bugs are known as speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities. In essence, the discovery of Meltdown and Spectre unearthed a whole new category that’s yet to be fully explored. “Speculative execution is truly a new class of vulnerabilities, and we expect that research is already underway exploring new attack methods,” explained Phillip Misner, principal security group manager at Microsoft....

If you’re unfamiliar wit FLoC, it is Google’s response to websites blocking third-party cookies. Advertisers use cookies to target users with ads based on what they are browser online. It’s a controversial ad tactic and many users seek to prevent it. Of course, Google’s revenue is based advertising, so the company’s finances are directly impacted by ad blocking tools. So, the company developed Federate Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), which leverages web browsers to categorize users under interest or browsing behavior sections....

The functionality was spotted by user William Richardson, who provided videos to XDA. Assumedly, this is one of many preparations the company is making for the release of its Surface Duo foldable. Much like LG’s G8X, the device will have two separate displays, though they’ll be joined by a complex hinge mechanism rather than a standalone accessory. Functionality such as this is designed to make it easier to be productive and minimize the time spent switching apps....

In a tweet last week from Chris Gahlsdorf, a Windows Insider Most Valuable Professional (MVP), confirmed the closure. A link to an email his company received showed the following message from Microsoft: “Hi Olympia participant, “We are sending this email to notify you that we will formally be shutting down the Olympia program in a month. We will be unassigning Olympia licenses and deleting the Olympia feedback path. “Action Required: Take a backup of any data if you are using the provided Olympia licenses in the next 30 days, by September 12, 2022....

Yes, a mat (or rug) may not sound like a sexy innovation in the VR space, but it could be important. Moving around in the real-world environment when engrossed in the virtual one can be problematic. Users wearing a VR headset can often hit objects in the real environment. Of course, this is less of problem in the augmented reality as users can see and interact with the real environment....

Arguably the Surface Duo is the most exciting of the pair, considering it is Microsoft’s return to the smartphone market. It is a dual-screen Android handset that will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. It will also have a 5.3-inch display that is 8.3-inches when opened. As for the Surface Neo, it looks like the Duo but in a tablet form factor. It’s running Windows 10X and not Android, with an Intel Lakefield processor running the show....

Folding screen technology is slowly moving into the mainstream. Samsung’s Galaxy Fold and the upcoming Motorola Razr have flexible screens. Microsoft’s approach was different as there is a gap between the screens on the Surface Duo and Neo. In many ways, folding screens and dual screens are similar. For example, both the Galaxy Fold and Surface Duo will allow users to separate content across two screens or have one large screen....

In fact, Microsoft is a contender alongside Apple/Beats with the Surface Headphones. In another move into Apple territory, Microsoft is reported to be working on Surface earbuds that will directly rival AirPods. Multiple sources collected in a report by Thurrott point to plans for earbuds currently being developed under the codename Morrison. Microsoft believes its audio technology now allows it to directly compete with more established rivals. Of course, the company has made earbuds before, selling the peripheral for its ill-fated Zune music player....

Once the update is installed, users should find an uptick in touch recognition among pen and finger input and a better audio experience. The Full Changelog for the Firmware Update: “Microsoft driver update for Surface Pen Settings Microsoft driver update for Surface Touch Servicing ML Intel(R) Corporation driver update for Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology (Intel(R) SST) OED Intel(R) Corporation driver update for Intel(R) Smart Sound Technology (Intel(R) SST) Audio Controller Microsoft driver update for Surface Button Microsoft driver update for Surface System Aggregator Firmware Microsoft driver update for Surface Touch”...

Thankfully, the impact on the company’s bottom line shouldn’t be too massive. It has around 70 in the US, three in Canada, one in Puerto Rico, and one in England. For the most part, it’s the online Microsoft Store and participating retailer that drive its sales outside of the states. “All Microsoft Store locations are currently closed until further notice due to COVID-19 health concerns,” reads the statement. “We know families, remote workers and businesses are under unique pressure at this time, and we are still here to serve you online at microsoft....

For the unfamiliar, Windows 10 S mode is a toned-down version of the OS, aimed primarily at education or non-productivity uses. With it, users can only use apps from the Store and can’t use the command prompt, PowerShell, or Registry Editor. It usually comes with a cheaper purchase price for new laptops and customers can perform a free, one-off migration to Windows 10 Pro if they wish. Essentially, there are usually no downsides to buying such a PC....

The tech giant recently created a system for companies to loan tools like Office 365 to freelancers. On its announcement three weeks ago, Microsoft said the Office 365 Freelance toolkit would have profound implications for companies. Such a move would give Microsoft further dominance over professional data. With its acquisition of LinkedIn, the company gained access to a treasure trove of information. An Upwork acquisition would put 12 million freelancers and 5 million clients under its wing....

The Verge’s Dieter Bohn has described the device as a “heartbreaker”, noting that while it’s a fantastic Office 365 device, it’s sluggish in apps like Photoshop and the app compatibility for ARM isn’t yet there. “It’s a computer built for a world that doesn’t exist — and I don’t know if I can add ‘yet’ to the end of that sentence,” he notes. Similar sentiments are echoed by Engadget’s Cherlynn Low, who praised the design but said its limited app compatibility made it “difficult to recommend”....