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In a statement to The Verge, Microsoft says it will keep its Microsoft Store locations closed and will see how the situation develops: “Our approach for re-opening Microsoft Store locations is measured and cautious, guided by monitoring global data, listening to public health and safety experts, and tracking local government restrictions,” a spokesperson said. “We are prioritizing the health and safety of our employees and customers and have no new updates on store re-openings to share at this time....

With the new Compact mode, Microsoft Teams users will see 50 percent more messages on their desktop. Needless to say, this is a fantastic update for users who do a lot of messaging in Teams or have laptops with smaller screens. Microsoft announced the new feature on the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and says it will start rolling out to Teams desktop in the middle of February. While the feature works in chats, it will not be available for Channel messages....

Elsewhere, Microsoft Teams is also getting separate windows for calls and meetings. At the moment, it seems the update will be limited to the desktop version of Teams on Windows and Mac. With the large gallery view, users can see all meeting participants in calls or meetings over 10 people, with up to 49 available. This is available through the settings and “Larger gallery”. Together Mode is a new feature that works in a similar way to large gallery but provides a separate box for each person....

Figures from October put Slack at 12 million, and have not been updated since. With the sheer rate of growth of Teams, which was at 7 million in July, it’s fair to say it’s the dominant enterprise chat app. “What’s clear from the data is that the future of workplace collaboration won’t be defined by any one technology,” said Jared Spataro, CVP of Microsoft 365, in a blog post. “Instead, successful teams need collaboration tools that combine a wide range of technologies in new and innovative ways....

Skype Room Systems is Microsoft’s series of devices built by partner OEMs for meeting rooms and videoconferencing. In a blog post today, the company said it is not just simple changing the name of the range. Instead, Microsoft Teams Rooms devices come with some new features. For example, devices will now allow meetings to begin with a single touch, a feature Microsoft calls “One Touch Join”. Elsewhere, using Microsoft Teams, hardware will be able to detect open conference spaces....

Like other similar agreements, the arrangement will allow the two companies to use each other’s technology. This means Microsoft can use Toyota’s in-car developments in development of its own, and vice versa. In the press release, Microsoft says that intellectual property (IP) is important for a healthy tech and innovation environment. The company says it has set over 1,200 licensing agreements since it formed the IP licensing program in 2003....

The report suggests Microsoft will stop manufacturing the Kinect but will continue to support the device on Xbox. Manufacturing will cease, and Kinect will not be sold once current inventory has been exhausted. In terms of raw numbers, Kinect has been a success. Since 2010, the motion capture sensor has sold 35 million users, which is impressive. However, it is worth noting that many of these shipments came as part of the Kindle bundled with an Xbox....

Most notable are the visual changes, which include frameless graphics and new, bold color themes. Like all good design tweaks, though, it also streamlines the interaction experience. The new reminder interface lets users create notes with a couple of taps, using AI suggestions for faster completion. Increased Responsiveness Meanwhile, a new profile page gives faster access to essential settings like app preferences. It’s a definite improvement over previous iterations and collects more information under single UI elements....

One of the main changes is Conversations – Outlook’s fast, interactive email experience. Small tweaks such as showing more of each message and opening to the first unread one make things instantly faster. You can also reply to everyone with a quick tap in the quick reply box, viewing the rest of the conversation as you reply. To reduce clutter, actions like forwarding are now found under a triple dot menu....

Thanks to the latest update, you can now edit Sways that other users have shared with you. That way, users who create Sways together will have an improved collaboration experience. In addition, the new update brings improved navigation to the app. From now on, users can jump to any section while playing a Sway just by using the Navigation menu. Finally, the way to preview a Sway is improved for a better preview experience....

The company is cautioning Windows to patch their older versions of Windows to protect against the vulnerability. BlueKeep is a dangerous vulnerability because it can be executed by bad actors remotely. It is located in Remote Desktop Services on older Windows legacy builds such as Windows 7, Windows XP, AND Server 2003 and 2008. “This [bug] would have the potential of a global WannaCry-level event,” said Chris Goettl, director of product management for security at Ivanti, during Patch Tuesday....

Microsoft says the app is now available for Android users, although it is debuting in preview. The app is available now on the Google Play Store. Here’s the official description from Microsoft: “Microsoft Whiteboard provides a freeform intelligent canvas where teams can ideate, create, and collaborate visually via the cloud. Designed for touch, type & pen, it lets you write or draw as smoothly as you would with ink, you can even type in text or add sticky notes to express your thoughts....

Taking to his Twitter account, an enthusiastic Panay provides a “first look” at the tool. He always say it should be coming to Windows 11 preview builds on the Insider soon. We are filing this video firmly under “teaser” because it is just 17 seconds long. Of course, that is not enough to time to see the total scope of the Snipping Tool in Windows 11. Instead, we get a glimpse of the design that is inspired by the Flow UI, to match the wider aesthetic of Windows 11....

The ruling was made by Judge Veronica Galván on Oct. 19 and was against plaintiffs John (Ted) Stockwell and George (Eric) Engstrom. The decision meants Microsoft’s motion for summary judgement was granted. Engstrom and Stockwell filed a lawsuit in 2015, suing Microsoft for the way they were dismissed. The pair argued they were subjected to internal retaliation and were wrongfully terminated from their employment. However, Galván said Engstrom and Stockwell “have failed to establish the clarity, jeopardy and causation elements of their wrongful discharge claims....

If you’re unfamiliar with Your Phone, it is a bridging application that lets users view and use their smartphone on their Windows desktop. Over the years, the app has received increasing functionality and these days most things you can do on your smartphone your can mirror on PC. However, many features are still linked to a partnership Microsoft has with Samsung. And it was on handsets from Samsung that Microsoft debuted the ability to run multiple Android apps on Your Phone back in 2020....

Specifically, the app has new Content Transfer tools. Among them are ‘SharedContentPhotos,’ ‘ContentTransferCopyPaste’, and ‘ContentTransferDragDrop’. These references are located in the latest Insider version of Your Phone. The feature means Cross Device Copy and Paste is now available in the app. Of course, this is an Insider release so is not yet available on the full app. One of the benefits of the Content Transfer is that you can more easily start work on your smartphone and continue on Windows 10....

Minecraft 1.20 Microsoft-owned Mojang says that Minecraft 1.20 will come to users in 2023. If you are unfamiliar with this update, it is the stock version that will reach all normal Minecraft players. The developer says the release will focus on more creativity and player expression. Specifically, Mojang wants to give players even more freedom to play how they want. Here is the complete list of announcements for Minecraft 1.20 (via Windows Central):...

The company says the Glide Mini Game has been designed to test the flying abilities of Minecraft gamers. By using the elytra wings, users can practice their gliding and swooping skills on a special created aerial track. In a blog post today, Mojang says the track is a first of a series that will be released to expand the Mini Game. Time Attack mode lets gamers use thermal drafts and speed boosters in an attempt to beat the clock....

Mojang says that Minecraft 1.20 will come to users in 2023. If you are unfamiliar with this update, it is the stock version that will reach all normal Minecraft players. The developer says the release will focus on more creativity and player expression. Specifically, Mojang wants to give players even more freedom to play how they want. The latest Minecraft Preview release brings the first glimpse of some of the features coming in Version 1....

According to Black Lotus Labs, over 12,000 Windows Servers running Microsoft Domain Controller with Active Directory (AD) have been leveraged for the DDoS attacks. One of the biggest sources of the attacks is Connectionless Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (CLDAP). It taps into User Datagram Protocol packets to verify users when they sign into Active Directory. Because Windows Server has been sending out huge numbers of packets, threat actors have been able to develop attacks....