Articles about Microsoft

Forget Surface Go -- System76 offers huge back-to-school savings on Linux laptops

Next month, students across America will be returning to school. Whether K-12 or college, technology has become increasingly important in the classroom. It is for this reason that a laptop can be an essential tool for a learner.

Microsoft recently launched the Surface Go, and while the underpowered tablet looks like a decent enough option for students on a budget, let's be honest -- it isn't a true laptop. Its floppy keyboard (which is sold separately) means it is not sturdy on a lap. Not to mention, it is more of a secondary computer -- not a main PC. If you would rather equip the student in your life with a true computer, why not turn to Linux? After all, open source is the future of computing. System76 has a new back-to-school sale that makes buying a computer running Ubuntu or Pop!_OS much more affordable.

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Rejoice! Microsoft gives Skype classic a temporary stay of execution

Skype on laptop

There was outcry when Microsoft recently announced plans to kill off Skype classic (better known as Skype 7.0) and force users to migrate to Skype 8.0 -- the modern version of the app. But after an outpouring of disappointment from Skype users, Microsoft has relented... a bit.

While it's not true to say that Skype classic has been saved, the kill date of September 1 has been extended -- until when is not clear. Microsoft says that it is extending support for the much- (well, more-) loved messaging tool "for some time".

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Urban Armor Gear launches 'Metropolis' and 'Plasma' rugged Microsoft Surface Go cases

Microsoft Surface Go is not an expensive tablet. Starting at just $399, it costs far less than the Surface Pro. Still, if you are spending your hard-earned money on it, you probably want to protect the investment. After all, if it does break, you probably cannot repair it on your own.

A case is a great way to shield the Surface Go from damage, and today, Urban Armor Gear launches two such products. Both cases -- the Metropolis and Plasma -- are MIL-STD 810G 516.6 rated and compatible with the official type cover. They even feature a place to hold the Surface Pen.

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How to lock down Windows 10, block telemetry and kill unwanted features like Cortana and Bing-integration

Business security

Windows 10 has got over its early teething problems, and is now shaping up to be an excellent operating system. It might have taken a long while to get there, but the fact it’s about to overtake Windows 7 shows how far the new OS has come.

However, you only have to read one of our lively comments sections to realize there are plenty of people who still prefer Windows 7 and have no desire to switch to Windows 10.  Those people typically aren’t fans of Microsoft’s telemetry gathering, forced adverts, and unwanted features, and I get that. However, there is a way you can quickly lock down the new OS and make it -- dare I say -- more like an updated version of Windows 7.

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Microsoft Surface Go is a repairability nightmare, and that's OK

Microsoft Surface Go

The Microsoft Surface Go launched this week, and unsurprisingly, it seems to be quite polarizing. Some reviewers give it high marks, while others disliked its anemic performance. While I have yet to try the device myself, I totally expected that -- people have different needs and expectations, and that includes reviewers. In other words, if you have meager needs, it will probably be a dream, but you obviously shouldn't expect too much from a computer that starts at $399.

Today, popular site iFixit did its typical "teardown" of the Surface Go, and the results are exactly what they should be -- it is a repairability nightmare with a lowly score of 1/10. You know what? While Microsoft haters will use that to take shots at the Surface Go, it really isn't a computer that is intended to be repaired. Starting at $399, it isn't exactly disposable, but if you do break it, it really wouldn't make sense to fix it. Right or wrong, just like Android tablets and the iPad, Surface Go isn't meant to be opened up.

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Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17730 with new Your Phone app for Android and iOS

Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17728 to Insiders on the Fast ring three days ago, and at the same it teased its new Your Phone app.

This app allows iOS and Android users to sync content from their phones to a Windows 10 PC. Today, the software giant rolls out another new Insider build, and announces that Your Phone is now live.

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The Surface Go is here, and people just don't know what to make of it

Surface Go thumbs up and thumbs down

After much excited build up, Microsoft launched its latest Surface device yesterday -- the Surface Go. While many have suggested this is Microsoft's attempt to compete with Apple iPad, there's no getting away from the fact that this is a budget Surface, and compromises have been made.

If you're not sure whether this is the tablet for you, you may well start to seek out Surface Go reviews -- and you'll find that they are an incredibly mixed bag of opinions. It looks as though the Surface Go could be one of Microsoft's most divisive products ever. Is it "painfully slow" or "practically perfect"?

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Windows 10 continues to close in on Windows 7, will overtake it soon

NetMarketShare reports on the state of the desktop operating system market on the first day of each month. Usually at least. It spent a few days auditing June’s figures last month, which caused a bit of a delay.

There’s no such lag for July’s figures though, which arrive on time and show Windows 10 continuing to cut into Windows 7's dominance.

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Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17728, teases new Your Phone app

The second Windows 10 Redstone 5 Bug Bash is currently underway, but that hasn’t stopped Microsoft rolling out Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17728 (RS5) to Insiders in the Fast ring.

This new build introduces a number of changes, improvements and fixes, and Microsoft also used this new flight to detail the forthcoming Your Phone app which will soon allow iOS and Android users to sync content from their phones to a Windows 10 PC.

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These are all the websites Windows 10 connects to after a clean install

Windows 10 has always had a bad reputation for snooping on users. While that was a valid issue at the start, each new feature update has made changes to the privacy side of the operating system, and users now have much greater control over things.

When you perform a clean install of Windows 10, the operating system connects to a large number of sites for different purposes, including -- naturally enough -- to send and receive email, download apps and security updates, and so on. The sheer number of endpoints that the operating system connects to might surprise you however. It's a very, very long list.

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Microsoft has a patent for a folding dual-screen, dual-camera device

Microsoft folding device patent

Although Panos Panay has dismissed rumors that Microsoft is working on a Surface Phone, we have already seen some evidence that the company is working on some form of "pocketable" folding Surface device codenamed Andromeda. Now a Microsoft patent has come to light that reveals more about the form this device could take.

The patent -- entitled "Three-way video calling on hinged multi-screen device" -- shows a foldable, dual screen device with multiple cameras. It bears a marked similarity to the renders we saw recently of the rumored foldable Surface device.

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Microsoft reveals all in Surface Go unboxing video

Surface Go unboxing video

Microsoft's Dona Sarkar has taken to Twitter to share Surface Go unboxing videos.

Due for release next week -- August 2, to be precise -- the Surface Go was revealed just a couple of weeks ago. Microsoft has already shared a few videos of its upcoming tablet on YouTube, but the new videos show Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc from the Windows Insider team getting hands on.

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Best Windows 10 apps this week

Two-hundred-and-ninety-three 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.

The first feature release of 2019 for Windows 10 will reduce the likelihood that update reboots interrupt work by using cloud infrastructure and new prediction algorithms.

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Microsoft adds AI smarts to Windows 10 to avoid inconvenient update reboots -- but it's a dictatorial waste of technology

Windows 10 box

Microsoft has just released Microsoft released Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17723 and Redstone 6 (19H1) Build 18204 and one of the new features is a new system that avoids restarts at awkward times following the installation of an update.

This sounds great, and Microsoft says that people have complained about this very scenario. But is an artificial intelligence or machine learning powered system really what's needed? How about just leaving users in charge to choose when their computer restarts. There you go, Microsoft; I fixed that for you.

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Microsoft adds Dark Mode to Outlook.com

Outlook.com Dark Mode

There have been a number of sites and apps that have gained dark modes in the last year -- macOS and YouTube to name but two -- and Microsoft doesn't want to miss the trend. The company has heard the pleas of Outlook.com users and added a new Dark Mode option to its web-based email service.

The feature is one of the most frequently requested, and users got a preview of the new Dark Mode earlier in the month. Now it's rolling out to everyone, and Microsoft is using it as an excuse to try to push Outlook.com users to its Edge browser.

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