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Starting with the Hover File Card, this feature has been on OneDrive for some time but was limited to specific files. Microsoft says starting this month the File Card will be visible across all file types. The feature allows users to a have a quick look at important files. By expanding file support, the cards are now available for non-Office documents. Furthermore, OneDrive guests can also view cards, as well as external users with permission....

Microsoft says the new Share Dialogue in OneDrive will arrive on the Windows 10 and web versions of the service. We presume that will also mean Windows 11 when Microsoft launches the platform later this year. In terms of the new dialogue, users will now see a “Shared with” section. This lists all contacts you have shared a file instantly without needing to dig around. It will make it easier to see who has access to files at a glance....

The company calls the group “Seaborgium” and says it has actively been working to steal information from NATO nations, such as the UK and US. Sometimes, the group makes the data it steals public to create disinformation campaigns. According to the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC), Seaborgium is using Microsoft OneDrive to reach victims. For example, the group lures unwitting users through impersonation of service attachments or through PDFs with links to attack URLs....

Now Microsoft is expanding the availability of its mixed reality/augmented reality headset again. This time, the company says pre-orders for the HoloLens 2 Industrial Edition are now open. Customers who jump on board with a pre-order will receive the Industrial Edition when it ships this spring. Microsoft points out that demand for HoloLens 2 in industrial situations is now enough to justify this version: “As part of listening, and always learning, we heard strong demand for HoloLens 2 to operate in environments that have rigorous requirements or are regulated by industry certifications....

A source spoke to CRN and explained that the 21-year veteran will lead a merger of both groups as Microsoft seeks more “integration and collaboration across the full Microsoft portfolio and ecosystem.” Microsoft is eager to put more focus on the cloud workspace as Azure Virtual Desktop sales continue to grow. Manchester is an ideal candidate to lead the combined divisions as he previously worked in Azure Virtual Desktop and is an architect of Microsoft’s cloud workspace project....

Azure Sentinel was announced in February and has been running in preview since then. Microsoft says over the preview window, it has been working with partners to tweak Sentinel into a production-ready solution. “Traditional on-premises SIEMs require a combination of infrastructure costs and software costs, all paired with annual commitments or inflexible contracts. We are removing those pain points, since Azure Sentinel is a cost-effective, cloud-native SIEM with predictable billing and flexible commitments....

With that in mind, Windows 10 April 2018 Update has received a massive cumulative update. Microsoft has fixed a slew of problems. The company also released an update for 19H1, the next full Windows 10 release. Perhaps Microsoft wants to get these versions out of the way to focus on the broken October 2018 Update. Launched earlier this month, the latest full Windows 10 release (version 1809) has been plagued by problems....

The company recently announced the 1TB version of the device in ten other countries alongside discounts for students, parents, and faculty members. The new markets are Australia, Austria, China, France, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Users in these countries can now purchase the devices either online via Microsoft stores or from authorized resellers and participating partners. As for the offer, eligible buyers can save up to $449 when they purchase the tablet along with Xbox One at the Microsoft Store....

Nothing has changed in terms of functionality. VFS for Git (like GVFS) serves as Microsoft’s own virtual file system to work in conjunction with Git. Microsoft has already changed most of the relevant filing over to the new name. For example, the GitHub project and readme files both carry the new branding. However, some aspects of the service are still running under the GVFS banner. A quick glance at the official project website shows Microsoft has not yet updated it to VFS for Git....

According to a report from WinFuture, Microsoft will release a 15-inch variant of the Surface Laptop. Previous generations of the device have been limited to a smaller 13.5-inch form factor. For the Surface Laptop 3, Microsoft is seemingly going to give customers more choice. It is worth noting that the Surface Book currently has a 13.5-inch and 15-inch choice. If Microsoft does offer a larger Surface Laptop 3, the company’s hardware output will become increasingly blurred....

For users, it means the ability to check how many reward points you’ve earned and the ability to spend them on gift cards and more. The Xbox release means gamers will no longer have to switch to a PC to buy games, movies, or more. For the unfamiliar, Microsoft Rewards used to be named Bing Rewards until late 2016. It lets users earn ‘points’ from Bing searches, buying Windows products, using Edge, dealing with downtime, and even watching movies....

When Microsoft confirmed its was switching Edge to a Chromium base, the company said it will support all Chrome extensions. Earlier this month, the Microsoft Edge Insider addons page went live before being taken down again. That time it seemed like someone at Microsoft had pulled the trigger too fast and the page was then removed. Now the company seems to be opening the doors on the addons page officially....

The chat was wide-ranging, from Xbox’s competition to exclusives and the changing role of gaming in user’s lives. However, perhaps the most stand-out quote from Gwertzman concerned Phil Spencer’s dogged mission to reach the world’s 2.8 billion gamers. “Phil says, over and over again, that we in the gaming division need to find a way to reach the 2.8 billion gamers in the world that we believe there are. That’s a number that you hear over and over again in internal meetings....

According to Microsoft, the feature stops malware and other threats from accessing and changing Windows 10’s system memory. KDP will allow developers to leverage programmatic APIs to change some parts of the Windows kernel to read-only. “For example, we’ve seen attackers use signed but vulnerable drivers to attack policy data structures and install a malicious, unsigned driver,” Microsoft’s Base Kernel Team points out. “KDP mitigates such attacks by ensuring that policy data structures cannot be tampered with....

It seems the ad notifications are set to default in Windows 10 builds. Microsoft is promoting a new Office 365 and OneDrive bundle. I don’t particularly want to repeat the offer here, because then Microsoft is getting even more (free) advertising. However, you can check out the screenshot (courtesy of Thurrott) below to see what the promotion is. Needless to say, Microsoft is getting some heat for this decision. Redditors have been calling the company out on this tactic and pointing out that even those with existing Office 365 subs are seeing the advertisement....

It now appears Microsoft is shifting its strategy somewhat. Speaking to Business Insider, he said: “Last year we said consoles, and we’ve shipped a console and we’ve now detailed another console. I think that’s plural,” he said, in reference to the disc-less Xbox and Scarlett. “Technically that is plural. Right now, we’re focused on Project Scarlett and what we put on stage.” All of this seems to indicate that the company won’t be launching another, more affordable Xbox alongside Scarlett as was initially assumed....

One of the stumbling blocks for developers has been the slow publishing process in the Microsoft Store. Whether its updating the price, a description, announcing new features, or adding screenshots, the publishing process in the store is slow. Today, Microsoft is addressing the situation. The company says publishing times for certain actions are now much faster. In a Windows Blog post, Microsoft says submissions that do not update packages (no software updates) will publish faster....

Of course, Centaurus is just a codenamed, with the name to be unveiled alongside the device. We reported last week that Surface Centaurus is predicted to be announced at Microsoft’s Surface press event on Oct. 2. Much of Microsoft’s work on folding screen technology has been on the hinge mechanism. Over the years, we have charted numerous patents focused on making the folding screen as functional as possible. In the latest Microsoft Patent ideas (published by Patentscope), shows that Surface Centaurus may feature a 360-degree hinge....

At least, that is what Microsoft is suggesting. The company insists Windows 11 does warrant the new rebranding and is not simply a re-designed Windows 10. Microsoft talks about security improvements, but also says the OS was created with a focus on accessibility. With over one billion Windows users, Microsoft says crossing the “disability divide” is important. Windows 11 will become the most accessible version of the OS the company has ever made: “Accessible technology is a fundamental building block that can unlock opportunities in every part of society....

This Microsoft Teams tool allows users to change the background effects in meetings. According to the email, the ability to upload images for customized backgrounds will land in May. This means only pre-selected backgrounds will be available at first. Back in 2018, Teams received a tool that allowed users to blur their background during video calls. This quickly became a popular feature. Early in 2019, Microsoft announced it would bring custom background to the service....