Articles about Microsoft

Skype isn't the best communication service. Actually, it is often quite bad. Microsoft's development team seems to not care about the user interface as it looks terrible compared to competitors. Quite frankly, it is often a frustrating experience. The saving grace for Skype is its cross-platform nature -- there are clients for all popular operating systems. Not to mention, many users likely use it out of habit and name recognition.

All is not lost, however, as Microsoft still has plenty of time to right the ship and make Skype better. Today, the Windows-maker unveils a new feature that, while cool, doesn't exactly address Skype's needs. But OK, I'll take it. What is it? Well, Microsoft has partnered with PayPal for a new way to transfer funds using Skype. The unimaginatively named "Send Money" feature lets you easily do things like split a restaurant bill with friends or family, pay a dog-walker, and more.

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There are a lot of accessibility options built into Windows 10 at the moment, and soon there'll be a new feature. Brought about by an idea raised at Microsoft's 2014 hackathon, the company is bringing Eye Control to its operating system.

As the name suggests, Eye Control gives users the ability to control and interact with Windows 10 using eye movements -- something which is incredibly useful for anyone with limited movement. The feature is destined for inclusion in a future version of Windows 10, but a beta version will be made available to Windows Insiders.

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Windows 10 S is a special locked down version of Microsoft’s new operating system. It’s aimed primarily at those in education, and can only run apps from the Windows Store, which offers security benefits, including protection from ransomware.

While the OS is predominately to be found on new hardware like the Surface Laptop, Microsoft last week made it available for developers, and from today anyone can officially download and install it. Here’s how.

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If you need a Windows 10 computer, you can't go wrong with a Surface. Slowly but surely, Microsoft diversified its offerings, which now includes a tablet, two laptops, and an all-in-one-desktop. In other words, the Windows-maker recognized that one size does not fit all. Regardless of your needs, you can probably find a Surface that makes you happy.

The problem? These Surface computers are expensive. Actually, they can be very costly -- especially with top specifications. If you find yourself wanting one of these computers, but don't have any money in savings, I have good news. Today, Microsoft launches the Surface Plus Program for both consumers and businesses. This program essentially loans you the money, with a possible zero percent interest rate, to buy a Surface. Zero percent essentially means "free money," making it a wise alternative to high-interest credit cards.

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Minecraft fans can play the Microsoft-owned game on a variety of platforms, including PC, Android, iOS, and console.

It’s great fun as it is, but things are about to get even better, as from today Microsoft releases a beta that will let you play the game with friends across different devices.

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Microsoft Garage is the place where many cool little projects take off. Word Flow, the iOS version of the keyboard that ships with Windows on smartphones, is among the more popular experiments, receiving positive reviews since its launch, more than a year ago.

But, like with other Microsoft Garage endeavors, that is not always enough to keep it alive. The software giant has pulled Word Flow from the App Store, telling users to give its other, better-known keyboard a try.

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Microsoft sent shockwaves around the technology world back in 2013 when it released the first edition of its Surface Pro. As its first computing release, the device was a bold change by a company best known for its software, but the success of this initial model, and the three successive releases, have proved it to be a shrewd idea.

Released last month, the latest edition of the Surface Pro has dropped the model number seen in previous generations, meaning this product goes back to basics when it comes to naming, however when it comes to what's inside, the device has received a welcome upgrade.

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The Android version of Cortana has been getting some attention from Microsoft recently, and today the company has released another update to its virtual assistant. With Cortana 2.9, Microsoft not only introduces something of an interface makeover, but also adds new features.

While the redesign is nothing major, it is a move for the better, with Settings now easier to access and the interface is reduced to two tabs rather than three -- and they are now labelled too! But it doesn’t end there.

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It is now two years since Google launched its open source compression algorithm, Brotli. Microsoft has already shown some interest in the technology, adding support to Edge late last year to speed up the loading of web pages. Having conducted rigorous tests with Brotli compression, Microsoft is now ready to bring it to .NET.

Microsoft's tests show that Brotli is at least as good as Deflate and gzip, in terms of compression levels and the amount of time it takes to compress and decompress. It is because of these results that Microsoft is happy to launch .NET support for Brotli compression "as an alpha-quality preview."

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The big, standout new feature in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Build 16251 is cross-device web-browsing. This lets you start browsing on your phone, and then switch to your PC and continue from where you left off.

The feature was initially only available for Android, but Microsoft promised that it would arrive on iOS "soon." Well, it’s here even sooner than expected and iPhone and iPad users can grab it now.

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As Windows 10 continues to disappoint some users, Microsoft is increasing its focus on Linux. Whether or not the company will ever take the big step of making its own distribution based on the kernel remains to be seen. With that said, the company has sort of come close -- it has allowed Linux to infiltrate its beloved Windows operating system by way of the "Windows Subsystem for Linux" feature. Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer would probably be rolling in their graves right now -- if they weren't alive, of course.

Today, Microsoft takes its commitment to Linux a bit further. You see, it has announced that "Windows Subsystem for Linux" will be shedding its "beta" designation in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. In fact, the Beta tag has already been removed in Windows 10 Insider Build 16251. In other words, the beta label on the feature has been taken off in a beta version of the operating system. Confused? Welcome to the party, pal!

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Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology from Dolby Laboratories. It debuted in 2012, and is designed to "pull you inside the action" with sound that moves around you in a three-dimensional space without being constrained to channels.

Microsoft supports Dolby Access in Windows 10 Creators Update, and enabling it and using it is straightforward, but there are some catches to be aware of.

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Microsoft today announced that it’s finally making the Windows 10 Creators Update available to all, and it’s also opening up Windows 10 S to developers.

Windows 10 S is a locked down version of the new operating system that’s designed to only run Windows Store apps. It’s to be found on hardware like the Surface Laptop.

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The Windows 10 Creators Update rollout has been glacially slow, and -- at times -- problematic. Shortly after it began, back at the start of April, Microsoft suggested people didn’t manually install it, and three months after its official release only half of Windows 10 users were running it.

Finally, though, with the horrendously named Fall Creators Update due soon, Microsoft has made the decision to finally offer the current feature update to all -- well nearly all.

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The tracking capabilities of social media sites has long been a cause for concern, with Facebook being the most notable example. Now the Microsoft-owned professional social network LinkedIn has announced details of a new tracking feature that will be of interest to website owners.

LinkedIn Website Demographics does not (despite what some reports might suggest, #PrivacyKlaxon) allow for the tracking of individual users, but it does give website owners the chance to get a better idea of the demographics of their visitors. This is less about creating targeted content, and more about determining whether existing content is attracting the right audience -- although clearly one leads to the other.

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