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This area of the CPU is called the (memory) stack and the new tool will help protect this when code is being stored by an application. Hardware-enforced Stack Protection protects the stack by adding management restrictions through modern CPU hardware and shadow stacks. We were not familiar with shadow stacks, but Microsoft describes them are copies of an app’s intended execution order. With the feature, the system will access security features in CPUs to make a copy of the app shadow stack....

Among the changes to Windows ADK is the renaming of the Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer (ICD) tool. Microsoft is now calling this feature Windows Configuration Designer. Windows 10 users can get this tool in app form from the Windows Store. Those on older Windows builds can install the tool from the Windows ADK. Microsoft has also expanded which Windows versions can support a customized Start Menu and taskbar. Users of Windows 10 Pro will now get this ability, joining Windows 10 Enterprise and Education customers....

PowerPoint Designer was launched back in 2016 as a tool that gives suggestions to users about building slides. Those suggestions include improvements for text, adding icons, or integrating images. Since its launch, Microsoft says users have created over one billion slides using PowerPoint Designer. To begin its push towards the new one billion, Microsoft says users can now add templates in Designer. Branded templates are among the biggest user requests on PowerPoint due to a need to comply with corporate branding rules....

In March 2018, Microsoft did a major reshuffle, combining half of its Windows division into Azure and the other into Experiences & Devices (E&D). This split essentially brought the core of the Windows platform to Azure and the front-facing elements such as the UX into E&D. Microsoft Azure uses a “semester” development cycle, which means it has separate development sections with each semester using a codename from the periodic table....

By leveraging Host Integration Server, organizations can use these Microsoft services to tap into IBM tools such as IBM z/OS 2.3, IBM i 7.3, IBM CICS 5.4, IBM MQ 9.1, and IBM DB2 for various platforms. If you want to check out all the integrated services, check out Microsoft’s document here. HIS is not a new Microsoft solution, but it has not received a new version since HIS 2016. In a blog post, Microsoft explains exactly what HIS can provide to customers: “Microsoft Host Integration Server (HIS) technologies and tools enable enterprise organizations to integrate existing IBM host systems, programs, messages and data with new Microsoft server applications....

Beam takes the traditional streaming from sites like Twitch and adds a different spin. It adds interactive elements that let the user control or vote on aspects of the streamer’s channel. This is made possible by Beam’s ‘Faster than Light’ protocol which lets streamers and watchers interact with almost no delay. Theme Week It’s an impressive set of features, and Microsoft seems to think its release on Xbox is something to celebrate....

According to Microsoft, Windows 10 20H2 is available as commercial pre-release validation. Microsoft says most users won’t need to do anything as all releases will ship automatically for Beta and Release Preview Channels: “If you manage updates directly from Windows Update, or have devices enrolled in the Beta Channel (previously the Slow ring) or the Release Preview Channel for validation purposes, you don’t need to take any action. “Windows 10, version 20H2 will be automatically deployed to all commercial devices in the Beta and Release Preview Channels and those who have devices on Windows 10, version 2004 will get to experience the remarkably fast update that comes with moving from version 2004 to version 20H2 via an enablement package,” Microsoft explains....

TAG says HYPERSCAPE is being used by persistent threat groups backed by countries. Threat actors are taking emails that gather in an inbox. Google’s security research team says it has a working version of the tool and is running simulations to assess the risk level. It does seem like this is a dangerous hack, not least because it does not involve tricking victims into installing it. Instead, it is an attacker endpoint threat than can install malware on its own....

1 April 2018 Update2 Windows Update Fix In terms of October 2018 Update (version 1809), Microsoft has updated to build number 17763.316. As this was a Patch Tuesday release, there were no new features but plenty of fixes. Among them were solving an issue in Microsoft Edge that was stopping the browser from connecting to sites with IP addresses. Microsoft also fixed a Windows Hello for Business Hybrid Key Trust problem that would cause sign-ins to fail when Windows 2019 Server domain controllers (DC) are used....

Images show a Surface Pen-like stylus that can be bent to wrap around a user’s ear. An earpiece can then be docked at the eraser of the pen and charged when connected to the stylus. It’s one of the wilder ideas we’ve seen from the company, though it’s worth reiterating that it’s just that. There’s no guarantee this patent will come to the market, and given the strangeness of the solution, it seems quite unlikely....

While Microsoft will persist with its own Surface Connector, the company could be working on something to appease those yearning for USB-C ports. A patent filed by Jan Raken, Director of Surface Design for Microsoft, shows that the company is working on a connector that will hook to the Surface port on one end and USB-C on the other. Yes, an adaptor in other words. The device will carry the magnetic connection of the Surface Connector....

Now the company is hoping to expand that domestically. A test network was established by the research group in 2009, and a pilot project in North Carolina won regulatory approval at a later date. Microsoft is seeking further approval for 12 U.S. states in the next year. It’s a decision that was influenced, in part, by the current political climate. Speaking of last year’s elections, chief legal officer Brad Smith stated: “It’s fair to say the election raised our level of consciousness, as it did for a great many people in the country....

Both peripherals have just passed through the FCC, which usually means a launch is following shortly. In the FCC listing, the Surface wireless mouse and keyboard seem to be new devices, although they could be updates of the existing models. As for model numbers, the Surface wireless mouse is numbered 1929, while the wireless keyboard is model 1898. A question raised by the filing is what these accessories will be for....

AirSim is a Microsoft Research project that allows drone manufacturers and software developers to create robotic autonomous systems. As the name suggests, the platform provides a realistic simulation environment. Designers can use the sim to train their machine learning technology and generate data for analysis. Project AirSim runs on Microsoft Azure, allowing organizations to build and train AI aircraft in a high-fiedlity simulation. In a blog post to accompany the announcement, Microsoft explains how AirSim can help train Autonomous vehicles quickly: “In these realistic environments, AI models can run through millions of flights in seconds, learning how to react to countless variables much like they would in the physical world: How would the vehicle fly in rain, sleet or snow?...

Alongside the rebranding, Microsoft Purview is becoming a one-stop shop for customers to protect their assets. That includes providing protection for a whole data framework for customers, including apps, clouds, endpoints, and more. With the rebranding, the company is also announcing an expansion to Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention, which is now available for macOS. There are 50 new classifiers for sensitive information. Furthermore, there is a preview of co-authoring of encrypted documents for Android and iOS....

Microsoft is rolling out fixes for a number of those this week, bumping the build to 18362.145. One of the biggest fixes is a remedy for strange behavior for external USB and SD cards, which were reassigned to the wrong drive during installation. Updates were previously halted on such devices for this reason, so those users should now be able to upgrade. The patch also fixes issues with Night light, which would often disable when switching display modes....

A report from Windows Central points to a GDC session that shows Microsoft is readying such an SDK. The kit will allow developers to implement Xbox Live in games on PC, Xbox, iOS, Android, or Nintendo Switch. According to the information, the SDK will be launched in March. It is worth noting that the SDK would allow full Xbox Live integration on all platforms. Current Live features available on Android and iOS only function on Microsoft Studios games....

Firstly, the preview SDK contains bug fixes and changes to API surface area. A number of changes have come to the C/C++ ETW code generation of mc.exe, with the -mof parameter becoming depreciated. If the -mof generator isn’t used, the C/C++ header is compatible with kernel mode and user mode, regardless of the use of -km or -um. It does so by using the ETW_KM macro to determine which mode it’s being compiled for and then pulling it the appropriate APIs....

Canonical’s Ubuntu Linux Terminal can be downloaded and installed on any Windows 10 Insider build beyond 16215. It will eventually become available to anyone who runs Windows 10 Fall Creators Update or later. With the use of the new app, users of Windows 10 can run Ubuntu command line utilities such as bash, ssh, git, apt, and more. In order to use the feature, one first needs to use “Turn Windows features on or off” to turn on the “Windows Subsystem for Linux” option....

Many of these fixes are the same as we saw last week’s updates, with some additional changes unique to the version. Generally, they’re fairly minor fixes and improvements, but they should add to the feeling of stability and refinement in older versions. The highlights for build 17763.652 are as follows: “Updates an issue that may cause Internet Explorer to stop working when you drag a tab to create a new window....