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The company says it has recreated every user’s avatar through the Unity engine. This will allow for more customization features, which will be added later in the year. Microsoft says the available changes will allow users to better represent themselves on Xbox Live. For example, users will be able to create avatars with baby bumps and prosthetic limbs. All the new features will go live in the fall and will include many new props and options....

regulators such as the CMA, European Commission, and the FTC in the United States are investigating the acquisition. Sony’s main contention to the Microsoft Activision Blizzard merger is based on restricting competition. The company believes Microsoft will use major Activision franchises like Call of Duty and make them exclusive to Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming. However, Microsoft’s response to the UK CMA highlights how Sony is hardly the reference point for sharing properties....

Specifically, Microsoft News now allows users to select from three different layout types. Available to choose from are Standard, Compact, or Text Only: “You now can pick the layout you like best — standard, compact or text-only. It’s the one feature you have requested the most. Thanks for your feedback, we’re listening!” On iOS, this latest update brings the app up to version 3.2.12. You can download Microsoft News for iPhone and iPad here....

Apple launched support for cursor and mouse support back in March. Since then, developers have been updating apps to reflect the change. For Microsoft, Office applications will benefit greatly from the cursor feature. Techcrunch reports Microsoft is working on bringing the support to its Word, PowerPoint, and Excel iPad apps. While development is active, it seems the update won’t be ready until this fall. Microsoft has yet to share any official information regarding the feature....

An Office Insider Slow Ring update has added the ability to sketch using a touchpad on MacOS. in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, users can drag their finger across their laptop to draw. The change means users won’t have to worry as much about editing their content across devices, but it’s far from ideal. Drawing with a touchpad is inaccurate and difficult, and is unlikely to be comfortable for long periods....

That collection of Microsoft 3D emojis is now available on Figma and GitHub. “That’s no small feat when you’re talking about 1,538 emoji, but we wanted to ensure that every creator can build experiences that serve their community’s needs,” says Microsoft Corporate Vice President Design & Research Jon Friedman in the accompanying blog post. “This especially applies to developers and audiences who haven’t been historically included. A headdress, an Afro, a sari — enabling the world’s majority (aka Black and Brown people) to express themselves how they want, to whom they want, and when they want is not just powerful, but necessary....

Available through the Halo Waypoint, the service is similar to Microsoft’s other Insider programs. If you unfamiliar with those programs, they allow users to test upcoming features for Microsoft products. In return for these early access features, users provide Microsoft with feedback on the service. This is important for the company because it means fixes can be issued for problems ahead of the launch of a feature. “The Halo Insider Program is the new way Halo fans and community members can partner with 343 Industries to improve our games, products, and services,” Microsoft notes....

Users report Windows 10 KB4549951 update is throwing up error messages when it is installed. Interestingly, Microsoft has yet to confirm this problem and include it as a known issue. Even once the error messages are closed, KB4549951 is causing some serious problems. Among them are broken connectivity through WiFi and Bluetooth. More concerning for users are automatic blue screen of death (BSOD) shutdowns. Some users are also complaining about reduced PC performance....

As the company pushes more into retail, it could be Mixed Reality that changes the physical shopping experience. Of course, Microsoft has done more than most to develop Mixed Reality and make it viable in real-world scenarios. A recent Microsoft Patent shows a method for placing shopping buttons within a virtual reality render. As you may know, Mixed Reality blends the virtual with the real, so this shopping button would interact with real world environments and objects....

In an announcement today, Microsoft says the latest investment brings the total tech aid it has given to Ukraine to $400 million. Since the invasion started in February, Microsoft has partnered with authorities in Ukraine on several issues. The company ceased all sales in the country and has blocked Russian news sources from Microsoft News. However, the Redmond-based giant is also focusing on helping Ukraine, such as with cybersecurity measures....

At the moment, it does not seem the postponement is because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the decision seems more closely linked to Panos Panay recently becoming head of Microsoft’s Windows division. Under his new role, Panay heads up both Windows and Surface. ZDNet reports Microsoft wants to put a focus on Windows 10X and not the device. This means instead of rolling out the new Windows platform on the dual-screen Surface Neo, Microsoft will send out Windows 10X on single screen laptops made by OEMs....

1 Warrantless Data Requests2 A Good End for Microsoft? The essential promise of the Cloud Act is to clarify the law surrounding data requests. Microsoft’s initial lawsuit arose when the DoJ requested information housed on an Irish server. The company argued that the DoJ should request via an Irish warrant, as the data is physically stored in that country. The DoJ’s case hinged on a 1986 law, making it abundantly clear that an update was needed....

He’s joined by Stanford University professor Percy Liang and UC Berkely’s Dan Klein, both experts in the field. Several employees also worked at voice recognition company Nuance, which was also powered by Siri. What does this mean for Cortana? Microsoft is hoping for a push in conversational AI, with the goal of making the discovery and access to information more natural. It believes virtual assistants should be able to hold a conversation, rather than just responding to commands....

A team of researchers deep in the halls of Microsoft has developed a new AI-based application. This software allows users to change photographs into caricatures. The Microsoft Research team that developed the app is comprised of Redmond’s Lu Yuan alongside Stanford graduate Kaidi Cao and Jing Liao from the City University of Hong Kong. So yes, file this project under fun. To create the required results, the team developed an AI that can automatically convert images into caricatures....

Users began to complain almost instantly about the issue, but Microsoft didn’t admit to the problem until August 2nd. ‘Small number of devices’ “The update to resolve this issue has gone live on Windows Update (you can obtain this fix by checking Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update,” said employee Bryan H. “Once installed, the update will require a reboot to initiate the change). The specific driver will be listed as “Surface – System – 1....

While the fix seemingly worked, the cumulative update was causing installation issues for just about all Windows 10 users. Microsoft put a pause on the update to ensure it did not reach more users. Over the weekend, the company worked on squashing the bugs causing the problems. With that work out of the way, the KB5001649 optional update is once again available to Windows 10 users. It can be found on the Microsoft Update Catalog, weighing in at 400MB....

“Service for the Attract and Onboard applications will end on February 1, 2022. Eligible customers can continue using Attract and Onboard until February 1, 2022 or the end of their most recent Dynamics 365 contract or renewal, whichever occurs first. Current customers will be able to renew their contract up until June 6, 2020.” According to Microsoft, the apps will be removed on February 1, 2022. That means users have just over two years with the apps before they are shuttered....

After a tense wait period, Microsoft has delivered on that claim via a new release. Rs2_release_xbox_1703.170221-1900 also adds a network icon in Guide and fixes other known issues. Xbox Alpha Ring Changelog According to an official Reddit post, the change to Guide is as follows: “Your connection status from Settings > Network is now represented in the Guide. To view the status of your network, press the Xbox button to launch the Guide and note the network icon in the upper right corner....

While speaking at the Web Summit Technology Conference in Lisbon, Portugal today, Smith described how AI will drive an increasing connection between people and technology. “When we look to the decade ahead, in many respects AI will be a tool of the sort the world has seldom seen before, and hence it can become a weapon as well. When you look back at the first half of the twentieth century, it was a time that was transformed by one invention above all else: the combustion engine....

Microsoft took to the stage at the seventh Global Citizen Festival in New York to debut the Digital Peace Now project. The new campaign is accompanied by a website. This online portal has a petition that can be signed by visitors who want to show support for the initiative. “Right now, we all have an opportunity to stop future assaults on our digital world but our world leaders need a wakeup call — and that starts with you,” said Jamal Edwards, Microsoft’s Global Advocate for Digital Peace, during his speech on the Global Citizen stage....