If you are an email user, there is a very good chance you use Google's ubiquitous Gmail service. While there are countless other options, such as Outlook, AOL, Yahoo and more, the search giant's offering is quite popular. It is easy to see why -- it is easy to use, secure, and can double as a Google account for things such as Play access on the wildly popular Android.

Today, Google announces that it is making Gmail even more secure. With so much talk about enryption in the news nowadays, the search giant is enhancing its email service with improved TLS encryption. How is it doing this? By working with other email providers, such as Microsoft to make sure encrypted emails remain that way in transmission.

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Last week Microsoft finally revealed extensions for its Edge web browser for Windows 10. It began with just a handful of add-ons, but more are on the way. We previously told you how to install them, including the translator, but now Microsoft is adding a bit more information.

The new Edge extensions are currently considered previews and are only available to Windows 10 Insiders, and you'll need Build 14291 to use them.

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Microsoft has decided to reverse its position regarding support of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on systems using Intel’s Skylake platform.

In January, the company said that it would only guarantee full extended support for Skylake systems running Windows 7 and 8.1 until 17 July 2017. Microsoft now plans to offer full extended support for these systems for one more year, until 17 July 2018.

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After something of a delay, Microsoft finally released a version of its newest browser -- Microsoft Edge -- that supports extensions. We've already seen the first extensions appear in the Windows Store, but there are some big names that people are waiting for.

Included on this list is Adblock Plus, and its fans are clamoring for a version they can use in Edge. The good news is that one is in the works -- the only thing standing in the way now is Microsoft.

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The Windows 10 Mobile rollout is a major screwup. Microsoft had promised to kick it off by the end of last year, but existing smartphones only started to receive a software update last week. Microsoft had also promised to support all Lumias that arrived since Windows Phone 8's debut, but, when the rollout finally started, only a limited number of smartphones were targeted.

What's more, Microsoft now says that it has no plans to support the remaining Lumia handsets in "a second wave", leaving many of its fans and customers, who have been eagerly waiting for Windows 10 Mobile to finally arrive, officially stuck on Windows Phone 8.1.

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The gradual move from physical media to digital downloads has taken its toll on one section of the video games business -- the second hand market. The idea of selling back a digital copy of a game may seem as strange as the idea of selling an MP3 you no longer listen to, but it could be something that Microsoft is considering.

In a survey apparently being shown to Xbox gamers, Microsoft asks whether they would be interested in the idea of selling back their digital purchases. Presented in the way it is -- it's suggested that games could be bought back for 10 percent of their original price -- it may not seem like a great deal, but it's interesting to see that Microsoft is thinking about testing the water in this area.

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At the Free Software Foundation's LibrePlanet 2016 conference, Edward Snowden credited free software with enabling him to blow the whistle about government surveillance. Speaking via video link from Russia, the former NSA contractor said that "what happened in 2013 couldn't have happened without free software".

But as well as indicating his preference for free, open source software, Snowden revealed that he refused to use Microsoft software because he "couldn't be sure" that there weren't backdoors built in.

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Microsoft has been keen to consigne Internet Explorer to the history books, but for a long time there has been a glaring issue with its successor, Microsoft Edge: a lack of extensions. With the release of Windows 10 Redstone build 14291 this finally changed.

While Microsoft Edge may now have extensions, it's still very early days and it's likely you'll find that most of your favorites are yet to make an appearance. But Microsoft has a plan. To make developers' lives as easy as possible, the company is working on a tool that will make it possible to port Chrome extensions to Edge.

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Microsoft is having a very busy Thursday. As well as beginning the long-awaited rollout of Windows 10 Mobile, the software giant has also pushed the button on a new PC build for Insiders on the Fast ring.

Fast ring updates sometimes offer new features, but other times it’s just tweaks to the core and bug fixes. Windows 10 Insider Build 14291 is one the more noteworthy updates, finally delivering the long awaited extensions in Microsoft Edge, as well as pinned tabs and other Edge enhancements. There’s also an updated Maps app, and a wealth of other changes, including the introduction of a new Feedback Hub.

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After what seems like forever, Microsoft has finally started rolling out Windows 10 Mobile to select Windows Phone 8.1 devices. It’s been a long, long wait for Windows Phone users, and if you’re one of them you’ll understandably be keen to begin the upgrade process as soon as possible (provided your device is compatible of course).

But hold on a minute. Sure, the new mobile OS has a lot of welcome features, as well as access to Universal Windows Apps, but don't start that upgrade just yet because you might lose more than you've bargained for if you do.

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Windows 10 for PCs and tablets launched way back in July last year. The mobile version of the new OS was expected to arrive a few months after, but instead what we got were numerous delays. When Microsoft introduced the Lumia 950 and 950 XL in November, both running the new OS, it seemed as if the wait was nearly over, but that turned out not to be the case.

If you have been desperately awaiting the arrival of the mobile OS, the good news is the rumors were true, and today Microsoft officially begins the roll-out to select Windows Phone 8.1 devices.

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While it is widely expected that Windows 10 Mobile will launch today, it is the desktop version of the operating system that still attracts the most attention. The first major update to Windows 10 -- dubbed Redstone -- has already been rolled out to Insiders in the form of an early preview build, but there are some big changes on the way.

The first time we'll get to see what Microsoft has been working on is likely to be at Build at the end of the month, but the company's PR machine has already kicked into action. Product managers at Microsoft already have access to new and exciting features which it is promised will 'change everything' and cause users to 'freak out'.

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While financial pundits are constantly discussing the profitability of Twitter and its stock, tech geeks such as me just enjoy using the damn thing. It is without a doubt my favorite social network -- it helps me stay on top of news and trends in a no-nonsense way.

Unfortunately for Windows 10 Mobile users (yes, they exist), a proper Twitter app was not available. Today, this changes, as an official app comes to Microsoft's struggling mobile platform. Yes, the Windows-maker is experiencing a rare win with its mobile OS. This is great news, as only yesterday the popular Here Maps defected from the platform.

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If you reside in the US state of Maryland then you can find plenty to be proud of -- the Chesapeake Bay is home to great seafood, including the famous Maryland Blue Crab. Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner from a ship during a battle in Baltimore Harbor. Of course, there's the sports teams like the Ravens and Orioles.

But one thing the state tries not to neglect is its history of farming. A vast majority of the state is rural and is home to agriculture, horses and cattle. The state has instituted a Farm Preservation policy to preserve these lands for future generations and even car license plates have been dedicated to the cause.

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There is no doubt that HERE's decision to leave Windows 10 in its rear view mirror is a serious blow to the platform, as it leaves users with fewer options in terms of top-notch navigation apps. Microsoft is well aware of this though, promising an "exciting update" to beef up its own offering, Windows Maps.

As Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile users may be well aware of, HERE apps and Windows Maps share the same maps -- created by HERE -- but their functionality is currently different, with the former offering a more mature feature set. Question is, what will that hyped update bring new to the table?

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