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“I’m pleased to share that we’ve acquired Cycle Computing, a leader in cloud computing orchestration, to help make it easier than ever for customers to use High-Performance Computing (HPC) and other Big Computing capabilities in the cloud,” he said. “Azure has a massive global footprint and, more than any other major cloud provider. It also has powerful infrastructure, InfiniBand support for fast networking and state-of-the-art GPU capabilities. Combining the most specialized Big Compute infrastructure available in the public cloud with Cycle Computing’s technology and years of experience with the world’s largest supercomputers, we open up many new possibilities....

In a blog post, Microsoft explains how the program works: “We have a longstanding commitment to maximize product life, minimize waste, use more renewable resources, and improve the modularity, reparability, and recyclability of our devices—including our packaging. We are also working with our industry partners to make available more repair options that ensure the quality of repairs, safeguard consumer’s privacy and security, and help protect consumers from injury.” We will start by looking at the Surface Pro 7+, which previously had the Microsoft Surface Removal SSD available....

In an announcement blog post, Microsoft explains that despite living in a digital world, most users still need proof of identity to be managed by a central service. For example, a driver’s license or passport number. This system is too complication, Microsoft argues, while security checks to prove identity are also growing in complexity. By working with Mastercard, Redmond wants an instant digital verification process for smoother identity management. The two companies are creating a service that gives users the ability to choose how they manage identity data....

Furthermore, NTT Corporation will use Microsoft Azure. Specifically, Azure will underpin NTT’s ICT infrastructure, cybersecurity tools, and other enterprise frameworks. “Our strategic alliance combines NTT’s global infrastructure and services expertise with the power of Azure,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “Together, we will build new solutions spanning AI, cybersecurity and hybrid cloud, as we work to help enterprise customers everywhere accelerate their digital transformation.” Goals and Details of the Collaboration Formation of a Global Digital Fabric: Global Digital Fabric is a combination of Microsoft Cloud and NTT’s globally connected ICT infrastructure....

At the moment the number of networks is limited to some of the biggest carriers in key markets. We expect more to be added in the future, but for now early support is provided by China Telecom in China, the only Asian offering so far. In the United States, Sprint and the nation’s largest carrier, Verizon, are introducing Windows 10 Always on PC on their LTE networks. The largest network in the United Kingdom, EE, is also on board....

Get & Transform helps users to connect, combine, and refine data sources to meet their analysis needs. Back in January, Microsoft added several new features to Get & Transform. These features included a new connector, support for percentage data type, and many improvements. Now, the company has announced the following five new data transformation and connectivity features for Get & Transform: “Support for the same file extensions in Text and CSV connectors....

1 Integration2 Ongoing Support PyTorch is a popular open-source machine learning framework that works as a tool for training and creating learning models. Completed models can be used across instances, typically within natural language recognition and computer vision. Microsoft has been offering full support of PyTorch in Azure since last year. Developers within the company are part of the Torch community and Microsoft allows customers to access the framework within its own AI services....

The Data Box Heavy has several advantages over its smaller brother, which launched last year and became generally available in March. It supports a massive 1 petabyte, rather than 100 terabytes, with 770TB usable capacity vs 80. It also comes with multiple 40 Gbps connectors, which means a whole datacenter can be moved in just a few weeks. The Data Box Heavy is available in the US and EU to start....

In PowerPoint, users can now convert their hand drawings to texts or shapes. This is an interesting addition that also supports even scribbles on the title with a pen. When drawings or shapes are inputted, PowerPoint will automatically convert the ink to text. As for Outlook mobile on Office iOS, Microsoft has added a mini calendar to the app. When you RSVP a meeting or event, the mini calendar will appear allowing faster replies....

Today, the company announced privacy settings coming to Windows 10 with the FCU. These settings will focus on both consumer and commercial customers. Microsoft says the new features will enhance protection for users and give them more control. For consumers, Windows 10 will give users the ability to access privacy information during the setup process. First, the Microsoft Privacy Statement will now be visible during setup. Second, users can jump directly to settings such as location, speech recognition, diagnostics, tailored experiences, and ads....

“You may have seen that we have announced a Free-Tier for Azure Cosmos DB,” the official Cosmos DB Twitter account confirmed. “Due to a technical glitch, this announcement went out early. Free Tier will officially be announced and available on March 6. Stay tuned. We hope you like it.” Azure Cosmos DB was announced at Build 2017. This is a cloud database service is a brand-new platform created from the ground up....

This is a feature update, although Microsoft does not like to call it that as Windows is now developed as a service. Either way, the Fall Update is big and loaded with new features. Microsoft has revamped the Xbox One dashboard to add customization tools such as the release comes with Microsoft’s overhauled dashboard for the Xbox One. The company is calling on Fluent Design elements for the new aesthetic....

Microsoft has listed 10 issues that are currently under investigation. Nine of those problems have results in Microsoft putting a “compatibility hold” on some devices. This means some users on specific hardware cannot update to the Windows 10 May 2020 Update. We already discussed one of the issues last week. Microsoft blocked the installation of the update for users with Memory Integrity enabled on their PC. For users with those tools running, trying to install Windows 10 version 2004 will result in the following block message: “Your PC settings need to be adjusted before upgrading to the latest version of Windows 10....

Microsoft engineer Jen Gentleman took to Twitter to confirm Dark Mode is coming to the Windows Console with version 1903. The release will further the company’s unification of the darker theme across Windows 10 apps and services. The screenshot below shows how the Windows Console will look with the black interface, including the darkened title bar. While this is hardly a seismic change, it does bring more color unification to Windows 10 and makes the OS look more refined....

The company announced said it is launching an Xbox Live cross-platform software development kit (SDK). Developers can leverage the SDK to bring Xbox Live functionality to any game on iOS and Android. Microsoft initially included Nintendo Switch in its announcement but later deleted that compatibility. We guess Switch support will arrive at a later date. This is the full Xbox Live package, which includes achievements, friend lists, clubs, Gamescore, and more....

Microsoft has quietly bumped the price of Windows 10 Home off the shelf. If you are unfamiliar with downloadable Windows 10 (again, most receive the platform pre-installed), it usually comes with a so-called “Windows tax”. Customers buying the download version of Windows 10 Home will now have to pay $139, which is a $19.01 increase over the previous $119.99 price. While most people will get Windows 10 Home pre-installed, there is a subset who need the physical version....

Update (02.10. 2018): Finally Today Microsoft revealed This month’s Windows 10 October 2018 Update version 1809 build 17763.1 is now available to download. That includes highly anticipated File Explorer with a dark theme, Cloud Clipboard, new Snipping experience, Start menu improvements, and more. Read Windows 10 October 2018 Update New Features from here Update (31.08.2018) As we previously expected, Microsoft today revealed that the next free Windows 10 update is called the Windows 10 October 2018 Update....

1 Iranian attacks2 Chinese attacks In a post, Microsoft says the breach attempts were targeting emails accounts of those close to the campaigns. Microsoft points out most attacks were prevented. Tom Burt, Corporate Vice president for Customer Security & Trust for Microsoft says some attacks may have been gone undetected. Russian hackers seem to come from a group known as Strontium, also known as Fancy Bear or APT28. Microsoft says the team of hackers have been extremely active over the last year....

Principles The statement highlights those principles, which will create an open relationship with unions: “We believe in the importance of listening to our employees’ concerns. Our leaders have an open door policy, and we invest in listening systems and employee resource groups that constantly help us understand better both what is working and where we need to improve. But we recognize that there may be times when some employees in some countries may wish to form or join a union....

Specifically, the company will slash the ten-year support lifecycle it currently offers to just five years. This new support timeframe will start with the release of Windows 10 21H2 during the second half of 2021. Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC is a variant of the platform that allows enterprise customers to use Windows without cloud services. Many organizations are still holding out on cloud migration for various reasons. However, that migration is hard to ignore, especially as Microsoft is full steam ahead in support of it....