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Indeed, the company says it is updating all unsupported (and indeed supported) Windows versions, including little-used Vista to stem the spread of the malware. The company says there is an “elevated risk” of attack and Windows needs be secure across all versions. “In reviewing the updates for this month, some vulnerabilities were identified that pose elevated risk of cyberattacks by government organizations, sometimes referred to as nation-state actors, or other copycat organizations,” says Adrienne Hall, general manager of crisis management at Microsoft....

One of the key points of the Chromebook movement has been web based applications. This improves safety by locking users down to applications and not desktop apps. Windows Cloud will also allow this. When it comes to this capability, Microsoft has a big advantage with native Office apps. Another Chromebook capability Microsoft will use for Windows Cloud is the ability to use apps and files across devices. In terms of Chrome, this works across Android and the Chrome OS....

As Microsoft moves ahead to future generations of the Surface Duo, the company wants to improve on the first iteration. Of course, that means solving some of the software issues and old specs of the OG model. Still, Microsoft will also work to improve the already amazing hinge system. While it’s unclear what is planned for the Surface Duo 2, a new Microsoft patent suggests it may get a new “impact resistant” hinge....

According to Microsoft, the reason for cutting off free trials is because of overwhelming demand for its new product. “Following significant demand, we have reached capacity for Windows 365 trials,” reads an official note on the Microsoft 365 Twitter account. “We have seen unbelievable response to Windows 365 and need to pause our free trial program while we provision additional capacity,” adds Scott Manchester, director of Windows 365 program management....

Windows Central says a “major gaming outlet” has been given access to Project Scorpio by Microsoft. This includes a closer look at the specs of the console. The outlet is going to reveal those specs in what the report calls an “exclusive blowout of coverage”. Of course, any rumor such as this needs to come with the caveat that it should be treated with a pinch of salt. That said, the guys at Windows Central have been on the button for a lot of Project Scorpio news....

1 Azure Disks performance gets 4x speed2 Cost efficiency with smaller Premium Managed Disks Specifically, Microsoft has extended the maximum size of the disks from 1.024 GB to 4.095 GB, enabling customers to add quadruple disk storage size per Virtual Machine. As a result, customers will no longer need to scale up to multiple VMs or stripe multiple disks to provision larger disk capacity. Additionally, Redmond says in the announcement blog post that two new disk sizes are now available....

By including a 15-inch variant, one could argue there is no longer a point in the Surface Book. For 2-in-1 needs, consumers can choose the Surface Pro 7 and for those seeking a traditional PC experience, the Surface Laptop 3 is the answer. Indeed, the company put the Surface Laptop 3 as the opening launch device on the show, highlighting its growing importance. Surface head Panos Panay said the previous generations of the device has the best customer satisfaction scores in the sector....

Included in ML.NET 0.6 is a new API that helps developers create models. Microsoft says this is the first release of ML.NET APIs. Developers will find more flexible models and simpler code workflow. Microsoft has also included a tool for scoring pre-trained INNX Models and general performance improvements across the platform. Below is the full changelog for ML.NET 6.0: New API for building and using machine learning models: Our main focus was releasing the first iteration of new ML....

If you are unfamiliar with Highlights, it was a mobile-only Skype feature that borrowed heavily from SnapChat’s Stories. However, users were clearly unimpressed by the feature. Microsoft says it has removed Highlights from Skype on iOS and Android. This is an embarrassing situation for sure, but the company is hiding the removal by saying it was seeking to simplify Skype: “We heard your feedback and have taken a step back to simplify Skype,” the Skype team explained on the Microsoft Community website....

The new name for the feature arrived in the latest update for the application. Through a new update, Snip & Sketch is now up to version 10.1807.2286.0. Microsoft has also made some feature changes to the app ahead of its full launch in October. Microsoft first announced Screen Sketch with Windows 10 Insider Preview build 17704 back in June. The app is meant to replace the Snipping Tool as the primary screen capturing option for Windows 10 users, offering all the currently available Snipping Tool functionalities, along with additional improvements....

Users will note a new design for tabs and also better icons. The tabs are now all light grey with an underline rather than the previous squared design. Icons are improved across the board, presenting more contrast, better scaling, and a little more color. However, the update goes beyond Office ribbon changes, introducing new functionality to Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel. Among the most useful the ability to @mention co-workers in comments in Word and PowerPoint, effectively requesting their input....

Perhaps the biggest change is what Microsoft describes as Step Back for C++. This is an historical debugging scenario that allows Visual Studio 2017 to take snapshots of an applications stack when it is running. To achieve this, Vis Studio works with runtime to allow developers to reach a breakpoint and step backward and forwards from that point. Importantly, Step Back provides full access to the stack, watch windows, and variables from the breakpoints....

Not only is the FTC investigating the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard, but it may also even bring an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft. A report in Politico cites three sources close to the FTC investigation who believe the regulator could file a lawsuit against the deal next month. If that happens, the potential of the deal going through will become less likely. The report points out that the four commissioners at the FTC have not yet had a vote on the subject....

When we think of companies that have exploded in the cloud, they grew within the sector as cloud organizations. These companies include AWS, Salesforce, and Slack. Microsoft is something of an outlier as it is the only company to make a properly successful switch from traditional IT company to the cloud. In fact, Microsoft has achieved this cross-over in several aspects, with Azure and Office 365. Speaking to Business Insider, Microsoft chairman John Thompson says the company’s cloud success can be attributed to Nadella....

After a very shaky 2010 launch, FFXIV won its way to gamers hearts with its Realm Reborn re-release on PS4 and PC. At the time, players were unhappy with the lack of an Xbox One version, and that remains present as Square Enix builds up to the release of its next major expansion, Shadowbringers. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely Xbox One fans will receive good news any time soon. In an interview with WCCFTech, Yoshida said he talked to Xbox head Phil Spencer two months, and found him unwilling to budge....

The feature is not on that build (also known as Redstone 4). However, it seems Microsoft’s is readying the tool for Redstone 5 (RS5). We know that Windows 10 build will come in the fall of this year. It is currently being tested through the Skip Ahead branch of the Windows Insider Program. A new Settings page on a recent Redstone 5 preview details the Cloud Clipboard. The inclusion suggests Microsoft is preparing it for a fall release....

Essentially, it could let you replace the monotony of your walk to work with a different one each day. All the while, it’ll be using real-time environment detecting to ensure the user doesn’t collide with people or objects. These collision adjustments can take the form of immersive objects, and make use of two RGB depth cameras and eye-tracking. Naturally, these are paired with a GPS system to accurately detect where the user is in the real world....

Fluid Framework is billed as an easier way for developers to create more interactive tools for the web. It comes with co-authoring support through the web that is available with speed and at scale. Indeed, Microsoft says the framework scales at a level “not yet achieved in the industry”. Microsoft will extend the service of multi-person collaboration tools it already uses in Microsoft Teams, Office, and Whiteboard. Fluid Framework will deliver results that will be based on components, allowing developers to use framework templates across their services in a flexible document format....

The case arose when law enforcement requested data from Microsoft about a drug trafficking case. The information was stored on an Irish server, and the company contested that handing it over would breach Ireland’s sovereignty. It had the support of tech companies, as well as 289 groups across 37 different countries. There were plenty of wins along the way, but the DoJ fought Microsoft all the way to the Supreme Court before its outcome was trumped by the CLOUD Act....

Many users say they don’t use their voice assistant on their mobile device often. Having to speak into the device and receive an audio reply is not ideal outdoors due to extra noise or simply not wanting to talk to yourself in public. Companies have found a solution in terms of keeping voice assistants in our lives. Smart home speakers are growing in popularity and show how assistants can be truly useful....