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Launched at the end of last week, the update follows last month’s continuation of the Alpha (Tech Alpha 2) Invitation process. Another round of Alpha invitations has now been opened with the latest update. For Friday’s update, Microsoft brough the next two episodes of its Feature Discovery Series to Flight Simulator testers. For Episode 6, Microsoft discusses airports it has developed within the game environment. In Episode 7, the company takes a deep dive into the instrument flight rules (IFR)....

Project Catnip will be available for all Windows Insider Program users. At first, it will be a Windows app, but Microsoft says it will also be available on Android and iOS. Microsoft’s continued use of PWA technology means porting across platforms is a simple effort for the company. While availability will be across platforms and for all Insiders, Catnip is starting as a preview. Currently the app is only available for select Windows Insiders but will be available more widely in the near future....

Office Scripts are automation features that are currently only available for Microsoft Excel on the Web. However, in October, the company will bring the scripts to the Mac and Windows versions of the app. The proposed expansion has been confirmed on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, telling Windows and Mac Excel users that repetitive spreadsheet tasks will be handled automatically. Users can edit, create, and run Office Scripts in Excel via the Code Editor and All Scripts pane....

Specifically, the pair will develop solutions for customers through Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, and 5G and IT technologies from NEC Corporation. Both will also leverage their expertise in AI and IoT for new products for enterprise customers. The goal is to help organizations as they increasingly shift into the cloud. To help drive this concept, NEC will use Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platform to help customers digitize into the cloud....

Published by USPTO, the patent describes an electronically functional fabric glove. It uses motion-restricting mechanisms to provide vibrational output through multiple haptic output devices. In the patent, Microsoft discusses a smart glove that has areas of differing stiffness. This allows the smart fabric to host an input and output device. The wearable will allow users to connect devices such as touch screens, game controllers, and keyboards. Here’s how Microsoft describes the technology in a patent: “In some embodiments, the input subsystem may comprise or interface with selected natural user input (NUI) componentry....

Launched in August 2020, Microsoft Flight Simulator has been a huge success and has wowed players with its photo-realistic graphics. While Flight Sim has been available on PC since its launch, it has yet to come to Xbox. There was no release for Xbox One and we are still waiting for the game to land on Xbox Series X. Microsoft previously said that the game would drop on the Series X, as well as the less powerful Xbox Series S during the summer of 2021....

Once projects are created in XAML Studio, dev’s can easily copy the results into Visual Studio. The benefit of creating in the studio is the ability to preview XAML code in real time. Furthermore, developers can further edit and interact as if the code is running in an app. “XAML Studio is about that quick prototyping loop. Using this tool, I can type my XAML and see how it renders right away....

Microsoft has been fleshing out Groove over the last year to make it more competitive against rivals like Spotify and Apple Music. While the service is probably still short of these streaming competitors, each update brings it closer in terms of functionality. Indeed, update 10.17032.1019.0 is among the most substantial Groove releases for some time. The big new addition here is the ability to watch music videos. It is worth noting that not all songs the library with have a video, but if one does, you can now watch it....

When launched, Paint 3D was a content creation tool that allows users to build 3D models and interact with them in various ways. The software already comes with numerous editing abilities, but Free View still feels like an important step. You may be thinking Paint 3D already has a free view. That is correct, it allows users to view their 3D creations from all angles with mouse and touch. However, if you want to edit something you spot in free view, you need to go back to the main regular view of the app....

Firstly, Skype adds the AI as a text chat contact for all users, but it’s more than just one-on-one. While you chat, Cortana will now suggest ‘in-context assistance’ based on your message content. With a single click, you can summon the AI to a conversation, detailing IMDB reviews, nearby restaurants, local film showings, and reminders. She’ll even suggest replies to generic messages like ‘how are you?’ and ‘what’s up?’. If the suggestions are poor, you can hit a thumbs down button to send feedback....

As this is a preview release it is only available through the Windows Insider Program. Perhaps the most significant change in this build is Microsoft has disabled the activation for preview keys. The company says users can still download and use this build for testing without activating. If you are unfamiliar with SQL Server vNext, Microsoft describes it as: “SQL Server vNext represents a major step towards making SQL Server a platform that gives you choices of development languages, data types, on-premises and in the cloud, and across operating systems by bringing the power of SQL Server to Linux, Linux-based Docker containers, and Windows....

Microsoft had already announced it has ported the ProcDump applications to Linux. ProcDump is a part of Sysinternals, so it was clear Redmond was preparing something. Mario Hewardt, Principal Program Manager for Azure Diagnostics, says Microsoft is working on bringing the ProcMon Sysinternals utility to Linux. Hewardt added the ports will further Microsoft’s plans to release the whole Sysinternals package for Linux in the future. Windows Sysinternals is a suite of free software that provides various services for Windows debugging....

Whether that means anything long term is unclear, but it is more likely Microsoft is just offering some consumer choice. Other retailers beat Microsoft to the punch and have been selling the device without the pen for a few weeks. It is worth pointing out that only the entry-level Surface Pro 4 is available without the pen. That’s the Intel Core m3 model. Indeed, Microsoft is now only selling this model without a pen....

The engineering team is talking to Insiders in 5-10 minute slots, though Microsoft notes it “may be longer if there is more to discuss”. Despite the important nature of the call, the company says it won’t be recorded or stored. The call is anonymous, with no request for name, phone number or other information. However, Microsoft may ask customers if they want to join a customer research panel. Judging by the calendar events, the company is currently looking for feedback on its Windows 10 Light Theme....

“To best support our Microsoft 365 customers worldwide and accommodate new growth and demand during these unprecedented times, we’re making temporary adjustments to select non-essential capabilities. We do not expect these changes to have a significant impact on the end user’s experience but wanted to make you aware,” reads the email. One example given includes slowing the interval in which Microsoft checks if another person is typing. It may also reduce video resolution and how often apps check for presence....

Specifically, Microsoft has taken $200 off its entry-level Surface Book. This is the version with a 6th-generation Intel Core i5 Skylake processor. Its other specs include 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage. If you are interested, you can now pick up this model for $1,299, down from its usual $1,499 price point. The exact saving for customers is 13%. Microsoft says the deal will run until April 22....

And feature packed it is too. With the integrated tools, users can add more power to insights and understand network health and performance in more detail. Microsoft says the Azure Network Watcher works within PowerShell, CLI, Portal, Rest API and SDK. The company created the service to help customers diagnose critical problems. In the past, this meant a time-consuming process of accessing packet data in a virtual machine. Now this can be achieved more rapidly....

It was a powerful feature that Microsoft felt was surplus to requirements. The company was wrong as Outlook.com users have since made bringing back Skype integration their number one request. This week, Microsoft is finally listening to users and bringing Skype integration back. Once again, a button for the service sits on the top bar and brings core features like messaging. As this is a new Outlook.com experience, the Skype integration looks and feels different....

Microsoft appears to be making a major move in the brain computer interface field. The company is exploring ways in which BCIs could be used to control a computer. In an effort to further development, the company has patented several methods of note. In one patent (below), Microsoft describes a brain reading capability. If integrated in an app, the technology could understand what a user’s intended action is and automatically execute it....

Now that version 19H1 has left the Fast Ring for the release channel, Microsoft can merge branches. The company has been using Skip Ahead in recent months to preview Windows 10 20H1, which will launch next year. “Hello Windows Insiders, today we are moving the Fast ring forward to 20H1 and merging the small group of Insiders who opted-in to Skip Ahead back into the Fast ring with the release of Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 20H1 Build 18875....