Over the last few weeks, customers have been able to pick up the entry-level Surface Book with $200 off its price. Similarly, the company also slashed $250 off the cheapest model that sports a discrete GPU. With the new deal, Microsoft has reduced all other models in the range by 10%. That is even applicable to the top of the line Core i7 powerhouses. Of course, that doesn’t make much sense as all three of the i7 machines are out of stock....

According to WindowsArea, Android users who enter their Outlook details into the Email app are getting ads from Microsoft. An email tells them it’s better to use Microsoft’s app over Google’s due to features like Calendar and Focused Inbox. It provides a link to sync Outlook emails across at the very bottom, but also a big button to download its app from the Play Store. Too Far? While definitely an underhand tactic, it’s hard to judge how users will react....

Other guarantees of Azure DocumentDB is 99.99% high availability, multiple well-defined consistency models, and predictable throughput. Microsoft says its updated SLA ensures that Azure DocumentsDB continues to provide to customers. The company’s globally distributed database platform brings limitless scale and fast performance. At default, the service can automatically index data it ingests and serves across SQL, MongoDB, and JavaScript language-integrated queries in a scale-independent manner. With new comprehensive SLA, Microsoft is offering the following benefits:...

It seems this problem occurs when a device is woken from a sleep. It affects some wireless wide area network (WWAN) LTE modems. This problem has been persistent on Windows 10 versions 1903 and 1909 since earlier this year. As a result, Microsoft says users with affected modems on this Windows builds cannot update to Windows 10 version 2004: “After waking from sleep or hibernation, certain WWAN LTE modems might show no internet in the Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) in the notification area and might be unable to connect to the internet,” Microsoft says on its update health dashboard....

Importantly, the release of Microsoft Launcher 5.0.2 is specifically for users running Android Pie (Version 9) of Google’s OS. The update is available from the Google Play Store for users around the world. As you may know, Android Pie is slowly making its way to more and more devices. As we see with various software releases (Windows 10 October 2018 Update, for example), a roll out can come with its fair share of bugs....

With this update, the Managed Home Screen app logo is now orange and not blue. Furthermore, Microsoft has rounded the corners out, although it is not much different from the old one. Alongside the icon change, Microsoft rolled out a general update for the app. For example, Managed Home Screen on Android now supports x64-bit tablets and allows users to put a Time & Weather widget onto a home screen....

In an announcement on its Office Blogs, the OneDrive teams welcomed the app: “…we are excited to announce support for the new app and its file management capabilities. OneDrive integration with the Files app will make it easier for you to access your content from any Apple device and will provide a better file management experience on iOS for your personal and work OneDrive and SharePoint sites. We will share more details when iOS 11 releases....

As we have seen in recent years, Microsoft is now fully embracing open source. Indeed, the company’s developer events are taking an ever-increasing focus on open solutions. With that in mind, the release of three Windows UX frameworks to GitHub makes sense. There frameworks are Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Forms, and Windows UI XAML Library (WinUI). By open sourcing these frameworks, Microsoft is giving developers the ability to actively contribute to feature creations....

In a Windows Blog announcement, Microsoft says users are not able to also gift applications on the Microsoft Store. The company has expanded its digital gifting, which was previously limited to games, Xbox Live and Game Pass subscriptions. The company explains how users can gift apps and Xbox Live Avatar items to friends and family: Process When a gift is purchased and sent, the recipient receives a code that can be redeemed....

It was arguably a surprise move considering Microsoft’s Twitch rivalling game streaming service went through a shaky few months. From laying off staff in what seemed to be a sign of winding down the service to poaching Twitch’s biggest streamer, a lot has happened. Ninja’s exclusivity to the brand meant Microsoft was recommitting. A quick glance through Reddit or YouTube at the time showed a recurring question: How many millions must Microsoft have paid Ninja for his allegiance?...

However, that technology has been largely restricted to phones and tablets, leaving laptop users a lot more vulnerable. They don’t have a cellular connection, and therefore users can’t access them remotely. With Microsoft’s upcoming cellular PCs, that’s set to change, and a patent suggests you may not even need a carrier subscription. Emergency Call Technology The Microsoft patent suggests use of emergency call technlology to facilitate the feature even if the sim has been taken out....

Windows Latest reports the patent details a new kickstand, which could be used on 2-in-1 devices or dual-screen hardware. As we know, Microsoft has been working on double screen and folding technology for some time. The patent is titled “SECURED DEVICE PORTIONS” and was filed by Microsoft back in 2017. That means the company has been working on it for some time. Among the details in the new Microsoft Patent include photos of a Surface Pro with a new kickstand mechanism....

QDK moves to version 0.2.1806 thanks to this update. In terms of performance, Quantum Development Kit now handles simulations better. Microsoft notes the increase is noticeable regardless of qubits. The two new functions released are called DumpMachine and DumpRegister. Both output probability information in regard to quantum machine targets. You can check out the details and all changes with the update log below: Significant performance improvements for simulations, regardless of the number of qubits required....

Firstly, Microsoft Research and Peking University announced details of FaceShifter. This face swapping tool is similar to other such solutions. However, it has some added features like the ability to detect more facial expressions and color variations. Elsewhere, FaceShifter can also detect the way a subject is postured and angles, making it unique amongst face swapping tools. To develop the software, the researchers used generative adversarial networks (GAN). With this integration, FaceShifter does not need prior knowledge of how face-swapping methods were previously used....

Microsoft Research wants to integrate the concept of positive feedback into machine learning models. Such a training technique would help AI build confidence and work more effectively to fulfilling a goal. According to the research team running the project, learning through reinforcement is often used to achieve a goal through policy rewards. However, these rewards are often too broad so intrinsic rewards are more effective. These rewards depend on the task at hand and can more accurately highlight success in achieving a goal....

Microsoft researchers define risk in four categories. Reputational threats include doxing and damage to reputation. Behavioral means bullying, trolling, hate speech and microaggressions. Sexual includes unwanted messages of a sexual nature and revenge porn. Finally, the personal or intrusive category includes things like unwanted contact, and victims of swatting, hoaxes, scams, and fraud. To collect the data, Microsoft interviewed teens age 13-17 and adults from 18-24. It found an increase in negative experiences from family by 4%....

The company allayed those concerns yesterday with a pair of motion controllers for Windows Mixed Reality. Visually, they are similar to the Vive, but there are some small changes that make it more suitable for the new platform. Design Changes The controllers will use the headset for tracking, rather than relying on external sensors or cameras. The result is a much more compact experience, but it doesn’t come without some design changes....

“I get it. Ads are not the most fun thing in the world to deal with, but it’s super important to remember what you’re doing on the site,” Rothamel said. “The site is free, you’re watching content for free, and you’re supporting partners.” He emphasized that Microsoft is looking for ways to fund creators with the ads, but that it’s still mulling exactly how it will gel with its partner system....

1 Phishing and Easy Attacks2 Ransomware Microsoft bases its report on analysis of cloud services and on-premises systems. Released annually, the new Microsoft Security Intelligence Report is specifically focused on threat trends observed since February 2017. The company says all data gathered to compile the report is anonymous and comes from consumer and commercial systems. Data comes from Microsoft services like Office 365, Windows, Azure, and Bing. “At Microsoft, we have massive depth and breadth of intelligence....

The company has started rolling out the Microsoft Store name to Windows 10 users. This will start officially with tomorrow’s full release of the Fall Creators Update. The new version of Windows 10 is rolling out in stages, so not everyone will get the new store experience right now. As I wrote at the time, it is easy to be confused by the rebranding. Of course, Microsoft Store is already a thing, mainly a storefront for hardware and subscription services....