In an effort to help managers better understand just how productive their workers are, Microsoft has announced a new product for its enterprise customers called Workplace Analytics that utilizes the data collected by Microsoft Graph to provide valuable insight into how employees spend their workdays.

This new product builds off of the company's MyAnalytics, which was released last year, that gave employees the ability to view their own individual productivity using data collected from their Skype history, calendars, emails and documents.  The difference between this previous tool and Workplace Analytics is that now employers will also be able to view the productivity levels of their employees.

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Summer is finally here, and so far, I have been loving it. While I haven't gone to any fancy beach parties, I have had quite the good time relaxing in my backyard. Nothing beats soaking up the sun while laying in a chaise lounge. As the breeze blows by, I sip my favorite beverage -- Perrier sparkling mineral water.

While this scene sounds great, there is still something missing -- music. While listening to the songs from birds and sounds of lawnmowers can be enjoyable, I prefer to rock out to my favorite tunes. Ranging from 2 Chainz to Wings, I blast my favorite songs -- not so loud as to bother my neighbors, however. This year, the Bluetooth speaker that is serving up my jams is the wonderful JBL Flip 4. It is rugged, waterproof, and most importantly, it sounds phenomenal.

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In what can be described as part political statement, part historical documentation, and part 21st century technology, a new exhibit has opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California, in which visitors can experience a virtual reality experience of what it is like to cross the border from Mexico to the United States.

The exhibit opened earlier this week, and public tickets are already sold out through the scheduled end of the exhibit, September 10.

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Before unveiling its latest flagship, OnePlus announced that it had partnered with DxO to improve the camera performance of the OnePlus 5. That was interesting mainly for one reason: DxO, on top of making software that enhances photos, frequently puts popular smartphones to the test to assess their photo and video quality.

So, at some point, we would find just what sort of effect that partnership had on the OnePlus 5, using DxO's own metrics. As it turns out, the new flagship still has some way to go before it can challenge the elite.

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Transparency reports about government data requests have become very common from tech companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Google. But while these firms publish reports, their hands are tied when it comes to what they can reveal. Twitter wants to change that.

A federal judge in California ruled in Twitter's favour, dismissing the US government's claim that revealing precise numbers of data requests represented a "clear and present danger." The ruling against the government doesn't change anything in the short term, but it is still an important victory for freedom of speech.

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In 2017, it is not uncommon for people to own many mobile devices. Using myself as an example, I regularly use an iPhone, iPad, and Nintendo Switch. Let's not forget my portable MacBook Pro too.

If you own a bunch of mobile devices like me, such as a smartphone, tablet, and slim laptop, Satechi has a really cool new product for you. Called "R1 Aluminum Foldable Stand," it aims to provide an optimal viewing experience for all of your devices -- including Nintendo's popular Switch gaming console. When you aren't using it, it can fold up to go into a drawer, laptop bag, or luggage.

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We've known for a few months that Qualcomm is interested in banning iPhone imports in US, and now the company is making its intention official by filing a patent infringement complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC).

Qualcomm claims that Apple infringes at least one of six patents that it has on "key technologies that enable important features and functions in iPhones," which is why it has requested the ITC to investigate the matter and "ultimately [...] bar importation" of those devices.

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Global shipments of smart devices including PCs and smartphones are set for a surprising decline this year, according to new Gartner figures.

Shipments will hit 2.3 billion this year, representing a 0.3 percent decline compared to the year before, the analyst firm said, before returning to growth next year.

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According to new analysis by Sopra Banking Software, men still dominate senior roles in the tech sector and this is harming the industry’s growth.

A study by McKinsey Global Institute finds that 38 percent of women in the technology field feel that gender discrimination staggers growth and chances for progressing their career in the future. What's more, 60 percent of these women attribute not wanting to be a top executive to excessive stress and pressure.

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The Petya ransomware -- and several variants -- wreaked havoc with data around the world, but now the author of the original malware has released the master decryption key.

Janus Cybercrime Solutions has provided a key that work with all "official" variants of Petya (meaning NotPetya is not included). The key was released to -- of all places -- Mega, and its authenticity has been verified. While Petya has already been cracked, the key offers the fastest and most reliable decryption method yet.

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Running is a great way to get fit and lose weight, but it’s rarely fun. London-based developer Six to Start has changed all that with Zombies, Run!, the most popular smartphone fitness game in the world, which transforms a boring run into an action-packed journey through the zombie apocalypse.

I’m a big fan, having used it since the early days, as well as other Six to Start apps, including The Walk, and Racelink. I spoke with Adrian Hon, CEO of Six to Start, and he told me about the app’s early days, and what’s next for the company.

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Two-hundred-and-thirty-eight in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days.

July is Anime Month in Windows Store, with deals for Anime TV shows, movies and games across the board. The Windows Store games sale is still on as well.

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World Cup 2018 is not far off, and social media networks are preparing to offer millions to obtain streaming rights from Fox Sports. The soccer tournament is to be held in Russia next year, and Facebook, Twitter and Snap Inc are all eager to be able to show highlights online.

As Fox Sports is the exclusive US rights holder, there is potential for bids for access to highlights to become high. A report from Bloomberg suggests that the social media giants have already put up "tens of millions of dollars."

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New research reveals that younger consumer groups are increasingly turning to traditional face-to-face shopping habits alongside digital.

Amsterdam-based payment solutions company Acapture has been looking at the preferences of the youngest and largest sets of digital native consumers -- millennials and generation Z.

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Google is making an important change to Google Maps that will help to make life a little easier for wheelchair users and people with other accessibility needs. Last year the company added accessibility information to locations on Maps, but now it is taking things a step further.

Recognizing that it will take a long time to wait for individual establishments to supply information about whether they have wheelchair access -- and even longer for Google to manually check things -- the power of crowdsourcing is being embraced. It's now easier than ever to add accessibility information about places to Google Maps.

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