Microsoft To-Do comes to Mac
Apple makes great hardware and operating systems, but when it comes to applications, the company has plenty of room for improvement. For productivity, Microsoft still reigns supreme. Apple's iWork, for instance, is passable, but it is largely garbage compared to Microsoft Office. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote may look great, but smart professionals will invest in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint -- they are far more powerful. Even the totally free LibreOffice bests Apple's iWork.
With all of that said, macOS users should be very happy that Microsoft supports Apple's operating system. Quite frankly, without Microsoft's excellent productivity software -- such as Office and OneNote -- Mac computers would be far less attractive to power users and professionals. Today, Microsoft brings another fine app to the macOS platform -- To-Do. It is chock-full of useful features, including the ability to add tags/hashtags by simply typing a #.
Microsoft advises Azure customers to update Exim to avoid a Linux worm
Microsoft has issued a warning to Azure customers using Linux Exim email servers running Exim version 4.87 to 4.91.
The company explains that these versions of Exim are vulnerable to a critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) security flaw and need to be updated to prevent the spread of a worm.
Microsoft Edge could come to Linux
Not so long ago, the idea of Microsoft releasing an internet browser for Linux would seem to be out of the question. But in recent years, Microsoft's love of Linux has grown exponentially.
Now, having not only started to embrace the Chromium engine for Microsoft Edge, the company is also not ruling out releasing Edge for Linux. It could be argued that Edge on Linux is something that no one -- or at least very few people -- yearn for, but the Microsoft Edge development team has revealed that releasing a Linux-friendly version is something that it would "like to do".
Organizations urged to patch for BlueKeep as latest malware charts are revealed
Check Point Research, has released its Global Threat Index for May 2019 and is warning organizations to check and patch for the BlueKeep Microsoft RDP flaw in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 machines, to prevent the risk of it being exploited for ransomware and cryptomining attacks.
BlueKeep affects nearly a million machines accessible to the public internet and many more within organizations' networks. The vulnerability is critical because it requires no user interaction in order to be exploited. RDP is already an established, popular attack vector which has been used to install ransomware.
CERN is moving away from expensive Microsoft software and embracing open source
CERN -- the European Organization for Nuclear Research best known for its particle smashing Large Hadron Collider -- has decided to eschew Microsoft in favor of open source software.
For many years, CERN benefited from hefty discounts on Microsoft products, but this is coming to an end. Rather than paying hugely increased licensing fees, the organization is instead implementing its own Microsoft Alternatives project, known as MAlt. CERN says it is "taking back control using open software".
Microsoft releases Windows 10 20H1 Build 18917 with Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2)
Windows Insiders are currently testing builds from the 20H1 branch due out a year from now.
The latest new flight, Build 18917, introduces download throttling and Windows Subsystem for Linux 2, as well as a whole host of other improvements.
Free up over 17GB of storage space by cleaning up after the Windows 10 May 2019 Update
Microsoft has released another big feature update for Windows 10. The May 2019 Update is rolling out to compatible systems now, although you can force the update if required.
Of course, a big update like this requires a big download, and the files that Microsoft places on your system don’t get removed immediately afterwards. In other words, the May 2019 Update -- Windows 10 1903 -- could be responsible for taking up tens of gigabytes on your hard drive. Fortunately it’s easy enough to reclaim this.
Apple makes Windows 10 less terrible with refreshed iCloud app in Microsoft Store
Most iPhone users do not own a Mac. If they did, Apple's desktop market share wouldn't be so low compared to Windows. That's historically not a big deal for Apple, since its Mac business was never really about volume -- the company make a fortune off the marked up machines as it is.
The problem, however, is the company is increasingly focusing on services. And as great as iCloud is, the Windows experience has been abysmal. Yes, iCloud on Windows is functional, but it is not even close to the elegance of macOS. So when an iOS user needed to use Windows 10 for iCloud, it made the OS seem sort of... terrible. While Microsoft's desktop OS has lots of problems, and some consider it to be quite bad, the iCloud deficiencies (slow, buggy, etc.) were not really the fault of the OS -- that was Apple's failure. Well, except that one time.
Microsoft reveals Project Scarlett, its powerful next-gen Xbox console with 8K graphics coming in 2020
At E3, Microsoft has revealed details of its next-generation Xbox, dubbed Project Scarlett, which is scheduled for release in late 2020.
It's not yet known what the follow-up to the Xbox One will be called, but among the launch titles is Halo Infinite. As for the console hardware, Project Scarlett will feature an AMD Zen 2 chip, Radeon RDNA graphics architecture, GDDR6 memory, SSD, and support for 120 fps, 8K graphics along with real-time ray tracing.
The ABCs of Microsoft Office 365's Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
When it comes to data breaches, it's not a matter of if a breach will occur, it’s a matter of when. And regardless of how substantial -- or how advanced -- you think your cybersecurity is, you’re still vulnerable.
The most recognizable data breaches for 2019 (so far) include:
How to rollback and uninstall the Windows 10 May 2019 Update
The Windows 10 May 2019 Update is currently rolling out to users. If you install it and encounter major problems, as some users doubtless will, you might want to go back to your previous version, and wait until the update is a bit less buggy.
The process is straightforward enough, although there are some downsides to be aware of.
Microsoft takes down huge MS-Celeb-1M facial recognition database
Microsoft has deleted a database containing around 10 million photographs that was being used to train facial recognition systems.
Known as MS-Celeb-1M, the database was created in 2016, and originally contained photos of celebrities. Over time, however, images of writers, journalists and others crept in, and ultimately 100,000 individuals were to be found in it. Microsoft has not made much noise about the deleted content, but has said that the database was wiped as the person maintaining it was no longer a company employee.
How to check the battery status of Bluetooth devices on Windows 10
Thanks to Bluetooth technology, people are able to connect several devices to their Windows 10 computer wirelessly. You can use it to transfer your files or to operate electronic devices, including wireless headsets, gaming consoles, and other computer peripherals. While Bluetooth has certain limitations, like lower bandwidth than Wi-Fi and a shorter range, it can still provide a reliable connection between your devices.
Now, if you are using Bluetooth devices like a keyboard, stylus, mouse, or headset, you'll likely need to know if their battery levels are still sufficient. If you’ve installed Windows 10 version 1809 -- also referred to as the October 2018 Update -- you will be able to check your Bluetooth peripherals' battery levels, using the Settings app. Keep in mind that you can only do this if your device supports the feature.
BlueKeep Windows vulnerability is so serious, even the NSA wants you to patch your system
It's around three weeks since Microsoft first urged Windows users to patch their systems against the BlueKeep (CVE-2019-0708) vulnerability. Concerned that not enough people were taking notice, the company then issued a further warning stressing the importance of installing a patch.
Now the NSA has got involved, joining Microsoft in begging users to secure their Windows XP and Windows 7 computers. The agency says that is "concerned that malicious cyber actors will use the vulnerability in ransomware and exploit kits containing other known exploits, increasing capabilities against other unpatched systems".
Microsoft releases Windows 10 20H1 Build 18912 to the Fast ring
While the Windows 10 May 2019 Update is slowly making its way to mainstream users, Microsoft is busy working on Insider builds from the 20H1 branch, the feature update set to be released in the first half of next year.
A week ago, Microsoft rolled out Build 18908 with more features for its Your Phone app, and today it follows it up with Build 18912.
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