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Microsoft has issued an extensive update for the Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, and the Surface Pro 3, and in the firmware in another stab at solving a sleep issue that has plagued the Pro 4 and Book since they launched last year. The company thinks it has cracked the problem this time, but you may remember an update in February was apparently going to do the same, but still users are bothered by the sleep problem....

First up is the World Update VI, a free monster release that will bring a host of new features to Microsoft Flight Simulator. Microsoft will launch the update via the Flight Sim marketplace on September 7. Features landing on the World Update VI include new 3D cities Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, high-resolution elevation maps, and new aerial imagery. Apart from that update, Microsoft is also planning “Local Legends”, which is a series of updates for famous aircraft....

It is worth noting Microsoft Flight Simulator will debut on PC, with no Xbox One launch date offered. For console gamers, we guess Flight Simulator will play a part in the launch of the Xbox Series X this fall. It’s worth noting the company is hosting a game showcase on July 23. There’s a solid chance Flight Simulator will play a part in that virtual event and details about a launch on Xbox will be provided....

According to Business Insider, Microsoft’s decision reflects a wider situation happening across industries. Many companies are in a state of flux because of the COVID-19 lockdown. Tens of millions of people have been forced into their homes. “We continue to seek industry-leading talent in a range of disciplines as we continue to invest in certain strategic areas. However, in light of the uncertainties presented by Covid-19, we are temporarily pausing recruitment for other roles,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement....

Customers can now configure a password with much more flexibility. Microsoft has increased the Azure AD password character limit to 256 characters, a significant increase. The company says account holders will still be required to form their password from a mix of lowercase, uppercase, symbols, spaces, and numbers. Microsoft has detailed its requirements for passwords on this policy documentation page. “Many of you have been reminding us that we still have a 16-character password limit for accounts created in Azure AD....

Customers can use the Bing Search template to find and read articles more relevant to a search term. Bing News Search abilities are enhanced, with filters available based on topics, sentiment, and location, people, and organizations. Brand managers have much more control over searches and can filter snippets to find content that matches their request. To set up the Bing News solution in Power BI, users just need search terms they want to track....

In fact, those on the release preview ring of the Insider Program should already see the update. I can confirm that it’s present on my machine, which was set to “Just fixes, apps, and drivers” in Insider settings. The November update (1909) clearly isn’t limited to apps and drivers, but there’s a reason Microsoft is being less cautious with its rollout. Unlike previous efforts, this update shares the same servicing content as 1903....

Firstly, Microsoft has tackled common vulnerabilities and exposures CVE17-0160. Specifically, there has been a remote code execution flaw that results in the .NET Framework failing to validate input. This happens before libraries are loaded and means an attacker could take control of the system. This would lead to the possibility of malicious software finding its way onto a system, or an attacker viewing or changing data. Microsoft says such an attack would need for the perpetrator would need access to the local system....

On the official Windows Health Dashboard, Microsoft confirms that there is a problem with audio clips from Xbox Game Bar. Specifically, the audio is not syncing properly to the video clip. This seems to happen most when using the “Record last 30 seconds” feature but also happens in a normal recording. Microsoft says it is now issuing a block for any users who have used the capture feature in Xbox Game Bar....

Leading the additions on Microsoft Launcher 5.7 is a new integration with Cortana. A new look version of the voice assistant is built around engaging in conversations with the users. Microsoft has been using this design in the Cortana beta that arrived on the Microsoft Store recently. Microsoft details the improvements in Cortana in its app information: “As an intelligent assistant, Cortana will find all kinds of info, give you weather and traffic updates, and help you search the web....

“Over the past several years Microsoft further established itself as a powerhouse in the developer space, launching tools like Visual Studio Code and TypeScript which we use (and love) at RapidAPI, and acquiring GitHub — the largest developer ecosystem in the world. With its position, we see Microsoft and the M12 team as an extraordinary partner for growing RapidAPI,” said RapidAPI CEO Iddo Gino in a blog post. RapidAPI has been partnered with Microsoft for some time due to the debut of its APIs on its marketplace....

Microsoft News now supports International (English). Like other language choices, this is not just about choosing the spelling you want. Instead, when International (English) is selected, the News app will search for more stories based on English from around the world. Furthermore, Microsoft News will also suggest different topics for a favorites list. We tested the changes around English versions and didn’t see too much different changing from the UK to Australia, for example....

If you’ve been waiting to register to attend Build 2020, you can now do so. Microsoft has opened an official registration page for its major developer conference. As always, Build will be a centerpiece for numerous announcements and reveals. Sure, this is a developer conference, but Microsoft has increasingly used Build for consumer and enterprise-focused announcements. At Build 2020, it is widely predicted the company will delve deeper into the Surface Neo and Surface Duo dual-screen devices....

“A computing device is described herein for capturing handwritten marks. It includes a main computing unit and a detachable writing input device joined by a connecting mechanism. The main computing unit includes a main display device, while the writing input device hosts a keyboard and a writing surface,” explains the patent. “A transfer control component transfers the ink data captured by the writing input device to the main computing unit upon a triggering event, such as the reconnection of the writing input device to the main computing unit....

This shows some threat actors who typically work with/for governments are now spreading into non-espionage cyber-attacks. Microsoft points out this blend makes it harder to know if an attack is for spying purposes or motivated by money. Microsoft says the group Bismuth, or other popular names like OceanLotus and APT32. Known as a Vietnamese-backed cyber cell, the group is a longstanding threat actor in operation since 2012. As it is government backed, Bismuth usually focuses on creating hacking operations within and outside Vietnam that are designed to extract information from systems....

As the name suggests, Live Presentations allows PowerPoint users to set up presentations where users can interact more deeply with details. When giving a presentation online, invitees can zoom in on slides, photos, and details in real-time. “With Live presentations in PowerPoint, audience members can see a presentation on their devices and read live subtitles in their preferred language while you speak. They can use “pinch to zoom” to see the slides more clearly on mobile devices, give feedback, send live reactions to the presenter, and navigate back to review previous slides....

Spencer has been the head of Xbox (including Xbox Live, Xbox Music and Xbox Video teams, and Microsoft Studios) since 2014. With this promotion, Phil Spencer will retain largely the same responsibilities and will continue to manage the Xbox division. However, by becoming a Microsoft Executive Vice President, he is getting a full leadership role with the company. He will join the 16 Senior Leadership team that includes CEO Satya Nadella, Brad Smith, and Terry Myerson....

In terms of security, Microsoft 365 has gained Microsoft Threat Experts this week. The feature is designed to “proactively hunt and prioritize threats”. Elsewhere, Microsoft has added an “Ask a Threat Expert” button to the Windows Defender ATP. Teams is a big part of the Microsoft 365 bundle these days, and in February some healthcare integrations were added. Specifically, secure messaging and priority notifications are now supported. FHIR-enabled electronic health records are now supported in Teams....

Though a great control device for racing and fighting games, the dual-analog stick setup of controllers makes them less accurate when it comes to shooters and RTS. Some games mitigate this with aim assists, but that’s not a popular option for hardcore multiplayer. As a result, controller players can experience unfair difficulty when playing against mouse users. Xbox customers have called for an outright ban from Microsoft’s, but it seems that’s not part of the plan....

Starting as an internal tool, it gradually evolved into a larger framework with over a decade. Today, Microsoft uses it in Windows, Bing, and Azure, and it’s now available to everyone in preview. ML.NET lets .NET developers create their own models and infuse custom machine learning without hassle. They don’t need to be an expert in the field or have any prior experience. It simplifies the process and supports a couple of tasks already....