Articles about Microsoft

Microsoft launched a limited test of Outlook.com Premium back in 2016. This was a subscription-based service that anyone could sign-up for after the test period ended to gain access to a number of benefits including up to five personalized (custom) email addresses and an ad-free environment.

Outlook.com Premium became available to users from the United States in the same year for an introductory price of $19.99 instead of the regular price of $49.99.

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Microsoft has introduced a new feature to its Edge browser that blocks "potentially unwanted apps" from being downloaded.

At the moment, the security feature is available in the beta version of Microsoft Edge, but it will also be making its way to the stable version of Chromium-based Edge later this month. Strangely, Microsoft has chosen not to switch on the feature by default.

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Having now embraced the same engine as Chrome, the Chromium-based Edge is now Microsoft's default browser. If you want to keep using Microsoft Edge Legacy and Internet Explorer 11 for some reason, Microsoft has opened up a way to do so -- and to do so safely.

The company has released virtual machine images that include both web browser. Available free of charge, the images are available for a range of virtualization platforms.

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Microsoft is no stranger to using bug bounty programs to track down security problems and other issues with its software and services. Now the company has launched an Xbox bug bounty program, offering payouts of up to $20,000 to anyone finding vulnerabilities.

The particular aim of this bounty program is to find issues with the Xbox Live network and services. Microsoft says the amounts it will pay gamers and security researchers who report problems will depend on the severity and impact of the vulnerability, as well as the quality of the submission.

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

Mark discovered an interesting tool this week called Hidden Windows 10 Features that Windows 10 administrators may use to make modifications to the system to enable or disable certain features.

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Friday is finally here, signaling the unofficial start to "Super Bowl Weekend." The big game isn't until Sunday, but there will be plenty of coverage of Super Bowl LIV leading up to the actual game. As a New York Jets fan, I am used to not having a horse in the race, but I will still enjoy watching the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers battle it out for the championship.

To celebrate Super Bowl LIV, Microsoft has teamed up with EA (developer of Madden 20) and sneaker-maker Nike for a very cool limited-edition Xbox One X console. It is so limited, in fact, that there is only one being made. The "Madden NFL 20 Air Max 90 Xbox One X," as it is called, cannot be bought either -- it can only be won.

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Another week, another new future Windows 10 build for Insiders to test.

Build 19555.1001 isn’t the most exciting of new releases, but if does offer a number of important fixes, including one that could result in the Start menu and apps not opening.

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Microsoft may have dropped Windows 7 like a hot stone, but that doesn't mean everyone is. Recognizing the fact that large numbers of people are going to continue using the aged operating system, most antivirus firms are going to continue to offer support.

Support from the likes of AVG, Avira, Kaspersky and Trend Micro for at least two years is great news for those concerned about the security of sticking with Windows 7. Of course, this doesn't mean that the operating system is entirely safe to use now that it has reached end of life, but with the right software installed, hangers-on can secure their systems somewhat.

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It's not very often you get to communicate directly with large technology companies to gives feedback about their products, but later today you will be able to speak with Microsoft engineers to share your thoughts about Windows and Office.

For 90 minutes today, Microsoft is conducting an online research event providing one-on-one sessions, giving people the chance to help guide future development. It is an expansion of the Windows Insider and Office Insider programs, and Microsoft says it's keen to hear users' thoughts.

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A self-described "reverser/pwner [and] Windows kernel hacker" has demoed a working exploit for two recently discovered vulnerabilities in Windows Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway).

The exploit takes advantage of the CVE-2020-0609 and CVE-2020-0610 vulnerabilities which have already been shown to make a denial of service attack possible. Now Luca Marcelli has shown how the same vulnerabilities can be exploited in a Remote Code Execution attack.

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We're still waiting for Microsoft to release a patch for the actively exploited security vulnerability in Internet Explorer -- at least for those who will receive it. In the meantime, the company suggested a workaround which involved restricting access to JScript.dll, acknowledging that this might lead to certain problems.

But it seems that the company underestimated the negative impact the workaround could have. In addition to problems with services that rely on JScript.dll or PAC scripts, users are also experiencing problems with printing.

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Some Windows 7 users who installed the KB4534310 update found that their desktops turned black. With the operating system having now reached end of life, the company said that it would only make a fix available to organizations paying for Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU).

But Microsoft has changed its mind. It now says that it will make a patch available for all Windows 7 users, addressing the bug introduced by the last ever freely available Windows 7 update.

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Windows 10 has been with us for a number of years now, so you might think that you know about all of its features by now -- but there could well still be things for you to discover.

As you're probably well-aware, there's a lot that can be achieved by editing the registry; it's a common way to change inaccessible settings, for instance. We've discovered an exciting free tool that save you from having to delve into the registry, but gives you the opportunity to access hidden options, features and settings. We present the freeware tool Hidden Windows 10 Features – it's like a modern day TweakUI for Windows 10.

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Windows 7 is dead: you know this. There are no more Windows 7 updates for most people: you know this. And some believe Windows 7 should be made open source: yeah, right

Whatever the status of Windows 7, the fact of the matter is that there are plenty of people still using it, and the last update (KB4534310) caused a strange problem for some users, turning their desktops black. Microsoft has now acknowledged the issue, but says that it will only fix the bug for those who are willing to pay.

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With St. Patrick's Day fast approaching (March 17), many of us will soon be eating traditional Irish cuisine, such as corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and soda bread. There are sure to be many people wearing the color green as well. On this day, we celebrate all things Irish.

But what if you want to hold a conversation with an authentic Irish person on that holiday (or any other day for that matter)? If the person prefers to speak Gaelic, rather than English, this can be a big problem. Thankfully, Microsoft has come up with a solution. Using its popular Translator service, you can now communicate with those that speak Gaelic -- just use your smartphone to convert words and hold a conversation!

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