Owura Kwadwo Hottish, a teacher in Ghana has garnered a lot of attention on social media recently after posting several photos on Facebook of himself teaching Microsoft Word to his students using only chalk and a blackboard. The photos show him replicating the entire UI of the program to teach his students about it even though they have no access to a computer in the classroom.

“Teaching of ICT in Ghana’s school is very funny,” he wrote in the post accompanying the photos. “ICT on the board paa. I love ma students so have to do wat will make them understand Wat am teaching.”

His original Facebook post has been shared over 1,200 times and many individuals and media outlets have begun sharing the photos on other social networks such as Twitter as well.

A teacher tries hard to make IT easy for pupils. He draws virtually everything on the board because there are no computers.???????????? pic.twitter.com/dY0bZFMzn8

— I LOVE GHANA ???????? (@irepghana) February 19, 2018

While definitely unusual, his teaching method is definitely proof that education is still possible without the latest technology and his creativity is to be commended.

Last Fall, Microsoft announced that select backward compatible Xbox 360 games would get free Xbox One X enhancements such as higher resolution. Seven Xbox 360 games including Halo 3 and Gears of 3 already received such updates, and the Xbox team has just announced four great additions to the list.

“Starting today, four new Xbox 360 titles will be enhanced for Xbox One X, which includes The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Forza Horizon, Fable Anniversary and Crackdown, the newest addition available now in the Xbox One Backward Compatibility library,” the blog post on Xbox Wire reads. “We’re also excited to release a new graphics setting for enhanced Xbox 360 titles on Xbox One X to give you more control over your gaming experience.”

As Microsoft previously explained, Enhanced Xbox 360 games on Xbox One X play with 9 times the pixel count, antialiasing and more visual updates. Some upgrades may differ game-to-game, with some titles such as Mirror’s Edge getting HDR support on the Xbox One X.

These graphic enhancements can really make Xbox 360 gems look like current generation titles, but Microsoft has apparently acknowledged that some players may prefer to enjoy these old gems in their original form. That’s why the team has updated the Xbox 360 emulator with a new option for disabling graphics enhancements. “If you turn off the Graphics setting, the graphics will be comparable to the experience on Xbox One or Xbox One S,” the team explained.

When you play Enhanced Xbox 360 games on your Xbox, the new Graphics settings menu will appear in the Xbox 360 Guide, which you can access by simultaneously pressing the “view and “Menu” buttons. Please note that you’ll have to restart the game after changing graphics settings.

As enhanced graphics are turned on by default for all Enhanced Xbox 360 games, it’s a good thing to give a bit more choice to gamers. Microsoft also notes that disabling graphics improvements can actually make gameplay feel smoother on the Xbox One X, but if you bought an Xbox One X and a 4K TV to enjoy the best graphics available on console, this probably won’t matter to you.

With the new Xbox One X, Microsoft has found a cool way to breathe some new life into old Xbox 360 games. The community has already played more than 840 million hours of Xbox 360 games on Xbox One, showing that Xbox One backward compatibility is a truly beloved feature. “Preserving the art form of video games is part of our DNA, which is why Xbox One is the only console designed to play the best games of the past, present and future,” the Xbox team said, and this commitment is really a key point of differentiation in the console market today.

Microsoft will soon make it easier for Microsoft Teams users to discover and join private teams. Today, the company explained that starting March 23, 2018, all private teams will become searchable within the team communication app, and all users will be able to request access to them.

Once the change is implemented, all private teams will appear in search results as well as the Suggested teams gallery, which appears when you click the “Add team button.” If a user discovers a private team he wants to join, the team admin will get a notification and have the choice to approve or deny the request.

To prepare for this change, Microsoft is recommending team owners to make sure that team names or descriptions don’t include sensitive information that team members could discover after March 23. If necessary, it will still be possible to hide select teams or groups from search results: To do so, Office 365 admins will have to use the the HiddenFromAddressListsEnabled parameter with the Set-UnifiedGroup PowerShell cmdlet.

Do you think it’s a good idea to make private teams more discoverable within Microsoft Teams? Sound off in the comments below.

Over the past few years, Microsoft has been involved in a battle with the US government over emails from a user who was alleged to be part of the Silk Road. The messages were held at a data center in Ireland, and Microsoft argues federal and local U.S law enforcement agencies cannot use search warrants to seize emails of citizens of foreign countries located in data centers outside the United States. The government, meanwhile, holds the 1986 Communications Privacy Act as its defense, which Microsoft finds dated and conflicting with global laws.

Microsoft recently won an appeal, and in the latest entry to this saga, the US Supreme Court will hear the case today (via Reuters.) The nine Supreme Court judges will consider Microsoft’s argument, and many other tech giants are keeping a watchful eye on the case, as it has the potential to be a champion for privacy rights.

The company today also published a blog post about the issue, saying the situation is a “problem Congress should solve.” Microsoft’s Brad Smith writes that he believes the US government should instead work with the Irish government to obtain the data they want. He is also pushing for “modern laws to govern today’s technology,” writing, “we can’t rely on laws written three decades ago, before the internet as we know it was invented.”

The Microsoft President also mentions the CLOUD Act, which has bipartisan support in Congress and sets the stage for laws that can define how law enforcement agencies can access data across international in the investigation of crimes. He also points to these Microsoft arguments in the case, which “Stand up for national sovereignty.”

•  When the U.S. Government requires a tech company to execute a warrant for emails stored overseas, the provider must search a foreign datacenter and make a copy abroad, and then import that copy to the United States. This creates a complex issue with international consequences.
• Other countries want to be in control of when and how law enforcement agencies access data belonging to their citizens. When one country seeks private emails stored in another country, international treaties and norms require bilateral cooperation, not unilateral actions. The risk of foreign relations clashes is all the more acute because state and local U.S. law enforcement—not just federal officials—can invoke the Stored Communications Act, the law the DOJ is using in this case.
• People deserve to have their privacy protected by their own country’s laws. If the U.S. Government obtains the power to unilaterally search and seize the private communications of foreign citizens that are stored exclusively in foreign countries, then other governments will be emboldened to do the same to us.
• U.S. companies are leaders in cloud computing. This leadership is based on trust. If customers around the world believe that the U.S. Government has the power to unilaterally reach in to datacenters operated by American companies, without reference or notification to their own government, they won’t trust this technology.

The Redmond company was the first tech giant to challenge a US search warrant for data outside the US. A decision is expected sometime in June, and many other tech giants have backed Microsoft, with the EU recently filing an amicus brief in the case.

With Windows 10 Mobile being dead, you’ve likely already purchased (or plan to purchase) an Android device soon. Although Microsoft will likely never manufacture their own Android device, the Redmond giant still has many apps on Google’s mobile platform. So without further ado, here are my tips on how you can turn your new Android device into a Microsoft Phone.

Download Microsoft Apps from Google Play Store:

One of the first steps into transforming your Android device into a Microsoft Phone is to download Microsoft Apps from the Google Play Store. This is essentially a Microsoft App Hub, allowing you to see some of the basic Microsoft apps available for download on the Google Play Store.

It makes your life easier, sparing you the pain of having to navigate manually through the store and click on multiple listings to find Microsoft’s apps. You can even filter through the hub for various categories, be it Communication, Education, Finance, and more. Personally, I found this as a great way to download the office apps, including Outlook and Word, and OneNote.

Download
QR-Code

Link to Windows

Developer:
Microsoft Corporation

Price:
Free

Download Microsoft Launcher:

Another great way to turn your Android device into a Microsoft Phone is to download Microsoft Launcher. Microsoft Launcher superpowers your Android device by letting you continue the things from your phone on your Windows 10 PC, and vice versa. It also replaces your stock launcher, be it Samsung TouchWiz or Google Home, and it is much more customizable.

My favorite features are the integrated Cortana Support and the universal search bar which lets me search through the files, docs, and messages on my device. I also love the fact you can see a personalized feed for quick access to your most used documents, and your most used apps. The launcher is very heavily integrated with Microsoft services, so it is great for those who own a Windows 10 PC or are just coming from Windows Phone.

Download
QR-Code

Microsoft Launcher

Developer:
Microsoft Corporation

Price:
Free

Download Microsoft Edge:

Asides from the phone and messages app, the web browser is another key area where you’ll be spending lots of time on your Android device. That said, downloading Edge is another great way to transform your Android phone into a Microsoft Phone.

As we pointed out before with the iOS version, Edge is a solid browser, and it lets you continue web pages from your Phone to your PC. It also syncs your bookmarks and passwords right with Edge on your Windows 10 PC, helping make your browsing life much easier. The browser has been downloaded over a million times, so it is definitely not something to miss.

Please be aware that unlike with Windows 10 Mobile Edge on Android runs on the same Chromium browser engine as Chrome. So it is basically like using a custom Microsoft version of the Chrome browser— which is already popular as is. Download for yourself below.

Download
QR-Code

Microsoft Edge: AI browser

Developer:
Microsoft Corporation

Price:
Free

Use OneDrive on Android:

Everyone is always on the go or working on multiple PCs. That said, you can keep all your photos right at your side on your Android device and also sync to your Windows 10 PC by using the OneDrive app. This is a great way to get that Microsoft Phone experience and skip out on Google Photos.

Whenever Wi-Fi is available OneDrive can automatically back up your camera roll, meaning you can see the photos you took from your phone right on your Windows 10 PC (and vice versa!) This is pretty useful, especially with the OneDrive Files on Demand feature, and the 1TB of OneDrive that comes with an Office 365 Subscription.

Those who aren’t too keen on this can also try out the Photos Companion app, which allows you to wirelessly from your phone to your PC without the need for OneDrive. I wrote about that here.

Download
QR-Code

Microsoft OneDrive

Developer:
Microsoft Corporation

Price:
Free

The app was not found in the store. ?

Go to store
Google websearch

Change your app defaults, hide Google apps and other unwanted apps:

Being that Android phones contain Google Software, it is technically impossible to fully turn the device into a full-on Microsoft Phone. You’ll need to keep Google Play services running, and a few other background apps just to keep the phone going for daily tasks. However, you can still disable or hide certain apps and Google services which you don’t find useful.

For one, you can change your app defaults if you feel fit. In my case, I changed the default browser from Chrome to Edge. You also can open the app draw on Microsoft Launcher, press the “…” on the top, and then press on “Hide apps” to and hide certain Google apps and the other non-Microsoft which you may not be using. I hid a few of the Google apps, including Gmail, and YouTube, giving the phone a cleaner home screen look.

At the end of the day, the only real way to turn your Android phone into a Microsoft phone is to download Microsoft apps. You can try out other launcher apps which will bring back features the feel and look of Windows Phone, but these are not free and the experience may be laggy. So, I recommend sticking to Microsoft Launcher, and Microsoft apps on the Google Play Store— at least until Surface Phone finally surfaces.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite has just updated to become an Xbox Play Anywhere title. This means that gamers can buy it on Xbox One and play it for free on Windows 10 and vice versa. Game progress will also automatically transfer between versions as will Xbox Achievements. Here’s the official game description.

The epic clash between two storied universes returns with Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, the next era of the highly revered action-fighting game series. Marvel and Capcom universes collide like never before as iconic characters team up for action-packed player-versus-player combat. Ultron Sigma has begun the systematic eradication of all biological life. Against all odds, heroes arise from the rubble, form new alliances and stand together against the ultimate threat, their only hope laying with the all-powerful Infinity Stones.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite was the first Marvel vs. Capcom video game to be designed for current gen video game consoles however it hasn’t been as popular as its predecessors due to some odd character design choices and a roster of playable fighters that’s completely lacking in X-Men characters.

Have you had a chance to play Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite on Windows 10 or Xbox One yet? Let us know if you like it (or don’t) in the comments below.

Download
QR-Code

MARVEL VS. CAPCOM: INFINITE

Developer:
株式会社 カプコン

Price:
$39.99

Noted by The Verge, Windows XP and Vista PCs will no longer have access to the iTunes store starting May 25. Apple announced it is introducing new security changes and users with Windows XP and Vista PCs are being urged to upgrade to Windows 7 or newer in order to use iTunes.

According to Apple, Windows XP and Windows Vista users can still use previous versions of iTunes on their PCs, but without support from Apple. Unfortunately, though, this means XP and Vista users won’t be able to make new purchases from the iTunes Store or redownload previous purchases.

This should not come as much of a surprise as these older operating systems are now unsupported and unsecure. Microsoft ended support for Windows XP over four years ago, and Windows Vista just last year.

That said, it’s best to invest in a new PC, or upgrade your existing Windows XP or Vista PC to Windows 10 if you want to continue making purchases from the iTunes Store and re-download previous purchases. The latest version of iTunes can be found here, and Microsoft also has a handy guide here for new PC purchases. Oh, and by the way yes we’re still waiting for an iTunes on Windows 10 app, announced last year at Build and promised by the end of 2017.

As you already know, Microsoft has confirmed that there will be no further development on Windows 10 Mobile and the platform is dead. However, there are still some highly-skilled developers who are also Windows Phone fans that are not giving up so easily. As noted by a report on Softpedia, @Hikari_Calyx has posted some pretty convincing evidence on Twitter of Windows 10 on ARM on full display on a Lumia prototype.

Still not convinced? pic.twitter.com/dG62O8Omzk

— Hikari Calyx (@Hikari_Calyx) February 25, 2018

The Lumia prototype in question appears to be the “Nokia Hapanero,” an unreleased version of the Lumia 950 that Microsoft presented at Build 2015. Interestingly enough, @Hikari_Calyx was the one responsible for the leaked photos of the Nokia Hapanero device.  Judging by the clips on Twitter, if this is in fact Windows 10 on ARM and all features will be useable on Lumia devices, such as the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, this could be great news for Windows Phone fans.

@Hikari_Calyx reassures us “It’s neither remote desktop nor playing video on this phone, I promise.”

RX-130 MSM8994 with Windows 10 ARM64. Unfortunately, that member isn't willing to release the UEFI. At least someone can't construct the road to Surface Phone any longer. pic.twitter.com/PZNVXEgiMQ

— Hikari Calyx (@Hikari_Calyx) February 25, 2018

While there are some die-hard Windows Phone fans holding out for a possible Surface Phone on the horizon, this might be their only hope. The more likely scenario is Microsoft will release an “Andromeda” device with Windows Polaris or focus on Progressive Web Apps (PWA) instead.

Last week Microsoft announced the signing of a Strategic Framework Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Xiaomi, the $46 billion Beijing, China mobile device maker, to partner on cloud, laptop sales, and Cortana. Microsoft hopes this to help solidify Xiaomi’s leadership and also contribute to the acceleration the Xiaomi’s international expansion.

Under the MoU, Microsoft and Xiaomi will specifically focus on cloud support, laptop-type devices, Cortana and Mi AI Speaker, and a collaboration on AI Services. Microsoft points to the following aspects of the MoU.

• Xiaomi and Microsoft will explore utilizing Microsoft Azure cloud platform to support Xiaomi’s user data storage, bandwidth, computing and other cloud services in international markets.
• Xiaomi will leverage Microsoft’s support on joint marketing, channel support, and future product development for Xiaomi’s laptop and laptop-type devices to penetrate international markets.
• Both companies are discussing opportunities to integrate Cortana with Mi AI Speaker. Senior executives from both parties are involved to drive deeper technology integration and collaboration for AI-powered speakers.
• Xiaomi and Microsoft intend to explore multiple cooperative projects based on a broad range of Microsoft AI technologies, such as Computer Vision, Speech, Natural Language Processing, Text Input, Conversational AI, Knowledge Graph and Search, as well as related Microsoft AI products and services, such as Bing, Edge, Cortana, XiaoIce, SwiftKey, Translator, Pix, Cognitive Services and Skype

Xiaomi was founded in 2010 by serial entrepreneur Lei Jun and the company has been working with Microsoft since 2015. The company recently adopted Microsoft Azure (operated by 21Vianet in China) to run its Mi Cloud service for smartphone users and has also pre-installed Microsoft Office and Skype apps on its Android tablets.

“By collaborating with Microsoft on multiple technology areas, Xiaomi will accelerate our pace to bring more exciting products and services to our users. At the same time, this partnership would allow Microsoft to reach more users around the world who are using Xiaomi products,” said Wang Xiang, Global Senior Vice President and Head of International Business, Xiaomi.

This week at Mobile World Congress, Lenovo is announcing the new Yoga 730 and the Lenovo Flex 14 convertible. The Yoga 730 comes in 13-inch and 15-inch models, and the Flex 14 promises natural, intuitive and convenient experiences. As usual, we’ve divided up the new models for you below, including specs, descriptions, and all you need to know ahead of release.

Yoga 730 (13-inch) April 2018, Starts at $879.99

Lenovo’s Yoga 730 packs a 4K display and is elegantly designed in Copper, Iron Gray, and Platinum Silver colors. It also comes with the latest 8th generation Intel Core i7 processors, sure to give you enough power to unleash your inner creativity. Both the 15-inch and 13-inch model also come with support for Amazon Alexa on Windows 10. Specs are listed below.

• Processor: Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7
• Display: 13.3″ UHD IPS touchscreen
• Graphics: Intel HD 620/UHD 620
• RAM: UP to 16GB DDR4 RAM
• Storage: Up to 512 PCIe SSD
• Up to 11 hours battery life on FHD model and 11.5 on UHD model
• Weight: 2.46 lbs
• JBL Speakers & Dolby Atmos headphones
• Ports: 2 x Type-C (Thunderbolt); 1x USB 3.0 with always-on charging & audio jack
• Supports Lenovo Active Pen 2 with 4,096 levels of sensitivity.
• Windows Hello Fingerprint reader on board

Yoga 730 (15-inch) April 2018, Starts at $899.99

The 15-inch model of the Yoga 730 looks to be a powerful device. It comes with an optional NVIDIA GTX1050 discrete graphics card powered by Pascal. Lenovo also notes the device is designed for a versatile life, so we’re sure it is bound to impress. The 15-inch model comes in the same Iron Gray and Platinum Silver colors, and you can see below for some more detailed specs.

• Processor: Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7
• Display: 15.6″ up to UHD IPS touchscreen
• Graphics: Up to NVIDIA GTX1080
• RAM: Up to 8GB DDR4 onboard + 8 GB DIMM
• Storage: Up to 1TB SSD PCIe
• Up to 11hrs on FHD and 9 hours UHD model
• Weight: 4.16 lbs
• JBL Speakers & Dolby Atmos headphones
• Ports: 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB-C HDMI, audio jack
• Supports Lenovo Active Pen 2 with 4,096 levels of sensitivity.
• Windows Hello Fingerprint reader on board
• Support for Amazon Alexa on Windows 10.

Lenovo Flex 14: April 2018, Starts at $599.99

Lenovo’s Flex 14 is a stylish and affordable Windows 10 convertible which packs all the features you may need in your life. The device has support for Lenovo Active pen and Lenovo promises dazzling visuals and audio clarity.  There is only one color for this device— Onyx Black— and you can see other specs below.

• Processor: Upt o 8th Gen Intel Core i7
• Display: 14” up to FHD (1920 x 1080)
• Graphics: Up to NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (4 GB DDR5 dedicated)
• RAM: Up to 16GB DDR4 RAM
• Storage: Up to 512GB PCIe SSD
• Up to 10 hours battery life
• Harman Speakers with Dolby Audio Premium
• Weight: 3.25 lbs
• Ports:1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-C), 2 USB 3.0 Type A, 1 HDMI, 4-in-1 card reader, audio jack

These devices join the upgraded ThinkPad X, T, and L, devices announced at CES 2018 in Lenovo’s lineup. It also joins the Miix 630, and updated ThinkPad X1 models. Do you have a Lenovo device that you’re looking forward to this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Welcome back to our Windows 10 news recap, where we go over the top stories of the past week in the world of Microsoft’s flagship operating system.

Huawei unveils the MateBook X Pro, bringing a hidden webcam and upgraded CPU

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 has kicked off, and with it Huawei has announced the next member of the MateBook family, the Huawei MateBook X Pro. The MateBook X Pro brings a hidden camera built-in to the keyboard, as well as an upgraded CPU.

Microsoft Store is selling Windows 10 Mobile Lumia handsets again

Strangely enough, Microsoft has seemingly begun selling Windows 10 Mobile Lumia handsets on the Microsoft Store again, after removing them all last year. So, if you’re wanting to get yourself a new Windows 10 Mobile device, now might be the time.

You’ll soon be able to run multiple instances of some UWP apps at the same time

While it won’t be a feature for all UWP apps like some may want, Microsoft is adding support for some UWP apps to support having multiple instances of the same UWP app at a time, making it a bit more Win32-like.

Two new Microsoft patents reveal locking mechanism, detachable hinge for foldable mobile device

Microsoft looks to be continue to look into potential features of a foldable mobile device, as two new patents pop-up around a locking mechanism and a detachable hinge for a foldable mobile device.

https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/966893196729925635

That’s it for this week. We’ll be back next week with more Windows 10 news!

Welcome to our weekly Xbox news recap series, where we go over the top stories of the past week in the world of Xbox. Let’s get started.

Phil Spencer talks toxic gaming culture

At the DICE summit in Las Vegas this week, Xbox boss Phil Spencer took the time to talk about toxicity in video games. Whether it’s sexism, racism, or just general toxic behavior, many users have experienced harassment while playing any number of video games. Spencer didn’t offer much in the way of specific solutions, but he gave the discussion a decent jumping off point, and noted our collective responsibility to fix the issue.

Gaming has its best month in seven years

Video games made over $1 billion in the month of January, marking the best month that the industry has seen in 7 years. The Nintendo Switch, predictably, did the best in console and game sales with titles like Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey. Microsoft’s best seller, far and away, was PUBG – signalling that Microsoft’s investment in the franchise was a smart one.

Direct Twitter sharing coming to Xbox

You’ll be able to share your gameplay captures directly to Twitter very soon, according to a tweet from Mike Ybarra. When asked on Twitter, Mike said that the feature was coming “very soon” to preview, and should be shipping in a couple months. This is a big milestone to social media sharing for the console, and should check off a big box for a ton of gamers on Xbox.

Coming very soon to Preview, ship in couple months to all we hope.

— Mike Ybarra (@Qwik) February 23, 2018

Plex gets new codec support and bug fixes on Xbox

In addition to improving several of the language translations, Plex has gained support for more codecs and several bugs from the previous version have been squashed. Plex is one of the most popular media streaming services on the platform and the addition of more codecs is going to have a considerable impact on people who use it.

Thanks for joining us. To keep up to date with all the latest Xbox news, keep a close eye on our Xbox One tag.

While there might now be a shiny new Skip Ahead release scheduled for today, Windows 10 Insiders are still being greeted with a much appreciated Fast Ring fix it build.

Hello #WindowsInsiders we have released Build 17107 to the Fast ring. There won't be a Skip Ahead build for this week. https://t.co/75nO98cEeg

— Dona Sarkar at #AbilitySummit (@donasarkar) February 23, 2018

Insider Preview 17107 was recently released to the public and brings a whole slew of fixes making it a bit more stable of a release for the weekend as well as new operating system behavior that should make your old PC run like new.

Here’s everything that’s being fixed with this build.

General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We fixed an issue where Settings would crash when you tried to open Themes.
• We fixed an issue where the Settings tile didn’t have a name if you pinned it to Start.
• We’ve updated About Settings to include at a glance entries for the two new
• Windows Defender pillars (Account Protection and Device Security).
• We fixed a typo in Storage Sense Settings.
• We fixed an issue resulting in all dropdowns in Settings appearing blank until clicked.
• We fixed an issue that could result in Settings crashing after having navigated to and left Sound Settings.
• We fixed an issue where closing certain apps after using in-app search could result in them hanging on the splash screen the next time they were launched.
• We fixed an issue where plugging in an external optical drive (DVD) will cause an Explorer.exe crash.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the hamburger button in Windows Defender overlapping the home button.
• We fixed an issue where certain games using Easy Anti Cheat could result in the system experiencing a bugcheck (KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED).
• We fixed an issue where we had observed seeing longer-than-normal delays during install at the 88% mark. Some delays were as long as 90 minutes before moving forward.
• We fixed an issue resulting in the Windows Defender offline scan not working in recent builds.
• Some Insiders may have noticed a new message when holding down the power button which says “Please release the power button. We just need a few more seconds to shut down”. This is an Insider-only feature that gathers additional diagnostic data for situations where holding down the power button was used to recover an unresponsive or nonfunctional system. It is important to note that holding down the power button is not the appropriate way to shutdown/reboot a system that is functioning properly. See this support page for additional information on how to properly shutdown your PC.

And, for the bonus, Insiders are getting their first glimpse at what I’m dubbing Background Updates. Microsoft may be stepping on a landmine here when it comes to user privacy, but it’s attempting to make Windows 10 run a little like ChromeOS and preemptively downloading and installing updates.

Windows Update Improvements

Keeping PCs Up-to-date: In an effort to prevent PCs from becoming out of date, we are introducing a change in behavior to Windows Update that is designed to be more proactive at keeping PCs updated. In RS4, now when Windows Update scans, downloads, and installs on a PC with AC power – it will prevent the PC from going to sleep when it is not in active use, for up to 2 hours when receiving an update in order to give Windows Update more opportunity to succeed. If you are not seeing this new behavior, let us know by sending in feedback via Feedback Hub.

There we have it, build 17107 in a nutshell. Insiders on both the Fast Ring and Skip Ahead release cycles can check their Settings page for the update.

When you’re a blogger like me, you’re likely working with multiple devices and constantly taking photos to go with posts. Even with services such as OneDrive, this means there is still a lot of photo syncing that needs to happen across platforms. Things can sometimes get messy, so enter Microsoft Photos Companion on iOS, the app that made my blogging life much easier.

Local Storage— You’re in control:

My favorite part of the Microsoft Photos Companion on iOS is the level of control. With most cloud services, my entire photo library gets uploaded whenever Wi-Fi is available. For instance, with Microsoft OneDrive, all of my photos can automatically be backed up to the cloud and streamed to all my devices or my PC. This is great for (god forbid) that one day I may one day lose my phone, but sometimes it just gets in the way of my privacy.

I don’t want that embarrassing photo I took of my friend to show up when I open up the OneDrive app on my devices— or even in the Windows 10 Photo app. I also don’t want to take up space on my OneDrive with the hundreds of unnecessary screenshots I take with my phone. That’s where Microsoft Photos Companion saves the day.

With Microsoft Photos Companion, I can scan the QR code on my Windows 10 PC and easily transfer just the photos I want to a secure location on any PC I own. The most recent photos also show right in front on my phone, and I can scroll through the list and select a specific photo I want to move to my PC.

This proved to help me a lot when I had to transfer app screenshots over to my PC. It is something I do more than you think, and the Photos Companion app really helps since it cuts out my usual OneDrive app upload and OneDrive download routine.

It is relatively easy:

Yes, cloud backups from OneDrive or Google Photos are automatic and more convenient, but the Photos Companion app proved easier and much more instantaneous once I got used to it. The transfer process does not take much, and I didn’t need to visit the web, click on folders, or wait for OneDrive to fetch just that one Photo I wanted on my PC.

To transfer a photo with Photos Companion, you simply need to have your phone and PC on the same network, enable transfer via Wi-Fi in the Photo app settings,  press import from mobile over WiFi, and scan the code with the app on your phone. The app works its photo transfer magic (even if your PC is connected via Ethernet!) and then creates an “Imported from Photos Companion” folder on your PC for convenience. It also shows up directly in the Photos app, for viewing pleasure.

Since I have OneDrive Files on Demand disabled on my PC (as do some people for storage reasons), the Photos Companion app eliminated my usual visits to OneDrive.com. I now just launch the transfer process, check my PC, and the photos I wanted to be transferred are right there. It’s just like manually plugging in my phone and dragging and dropping pictures! No USB Cables or cloud necessary— just Wi-Fi.

At the end of the day, the Photos Companion app saved me some time. It helps me transfer select photos from my phone to my PC, without the need for a USB cable. But as great as it is, it is still a bit flawed. The app needs Wi-Fi to function, and it won’t work on your phone’s cell service. It also is not available on Windows 10 Mobile, as OneDrive already uploads the camera roll on a Windows phone. Anyway, this feature seems very similar to Apple’s Airdrop, and I hope Photos Companion stays around for a long time.

The app was not found in the store. ?

Go to store
Google websearch

The app was not found in the store. ?

Go to store
Google websearch

Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet, a new video game based on the popular Sword Art Online anime series, is now available to play on the Xbox One family of consoles. The game is an action roleplaying game and supports online multiplayer for up to eight players. Here’s the official game description and link.

Your fate has just begun… Experience an original story where you are the protagonist in the world of Gun Gale Online. Create your own avatar and explore devastated lands while experiencing exciting third person shooting in this action RPG. Encounter enemies and run into new and familiar faces from the Sword Art Online series.

Journey through a world of guns where after a chance encounter you’ll gain the help of a very rare AI, ArFA-Sys. Along the way, you will have to make choices. But every choice comes with a price… Will you bring hope or despair? This is your adventure… This is your story…

Are you a Sword Art Online fan and will you pick this up? Let us know in the comments down below.

Download
QR-Code

SWORD ART ONLINE: FATAL BULLET

Developer:
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment

Price:
$5.99

Microsoft is prepping Microsoft 365 for some important GDPR changes in an update available now. GDPR, which stands for General Data Protection Regulation, started off as a regulatory requirement, but Microsoft saw it as an opportunity to gain trust with its customers and provide greater transparency. Microsoft hopes to help Microsoft 365 enterprise customers utilize Azure to identify and protect pertinent company data to support GDPR compliance.

As noted on the Microsoft blog, The newest update gives Microsoft 365 the following capabilities:

• Compliance Manager general availability for Azure, Dynamics 365, and Office 365 Business and Enterprise customers in public clouds.
• Compliance Score availability for Office 365.
• Azure Information Protection scanner general availability.

In this video, Microsoft 365 team members explain what GDPR is and how customers can use the new update.

Besides the newest update, Microsoft 365 can help customers protect their data in apps and in the cloud with Azure, as well as support data protection across multiple platforms. Also, Microsoft 365 Compliance Manager is a Microsoft Cloud services application that helps enterprises evaluate compliance obligations like GDPR. The Compliance Manager is now generally available for Azure, Dynamics 365, and Office 365 Business.

Microsoft has a free GDPR assessment available to see what Microsoft 365 can offer your business. Microsoft also offers a free GDPR white paper and eBook for those interested.

Noted by Ireland’s National Public Service Broadcaster, after nearly three years of construction, Microsoft has finally opened their new South Dublin Ireland headquarters. Located in Leopardstown, Microsoft says the new 34,000 square meter building is a “representation of the cultural transformation” that the company has experienced in recent years (via MSPoweruser.)

2,000 employees will be working in the new building, showing that Microsoft is well committed and invested in Ireland. The campus features a large open “Dreamspace’ which can be used to educate children and others about STEM fields. More standard features of the campus include a “Harbor” entrance area, a fitness room, a yoga studio, a nail bar, massage room and a music room.

Big crowd gathering for opening of @Microsoft swish new campus in Dublin. 34,000sq m of space, €134m price tag. Room for the 2,000 employees and then some. pic.twitter.com/XFDyrrmVgb

— Will Goodbody (@willgoodbody) February 22, 2018

Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director for Microsoft Ireland explained what the building means for Microsoft:

“I think this building epitomises the future for Microsoft and it is us opening our doors to our customers, the community, to have an impact on society as a whole… What we are doing in this building is bringing all of the teams together, whether it is engineering, or operations or digital sales, and helping them to innovate in this new culture of one Microsoft…”

Interestingly, there are no offices in the new campus, and employees instead sit in “neighborhoods” which have different areas across the floor. There are, however, 80 meeting rooms, and a technology center which can seat up to 3,000 people.

The first Always Connected PCs powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 SoC will start shipping this quarter, Microsoft and Qualcomm confirmed yesterday. So far, only Asus, HP and Lenovo announced such devices which will run full Windows 10, although with some limitations.

Qualcomm also revealed the first leading retailers that will distribute these new Windows 10 on ARM laptops:

• U.S.A: Amazon, Microsoft Stores
• Australia: Microsoft Stores
• China: JD.com
• Italy: Unieuro
• France: Boulanger, Fnac
• U.K.: Asus Stores, BT Shop, John Lewis, Microsoft Stores, PC World

In a separate press release, Qualcomm said that “select operators also plan to stock Always Connected PCs in their retail locations,” without sharing more details. In the US, the AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile will all support these first Always Connected PCs on their networks, which is very encouraging. As the first quarter of 2018 is coming to a close, we may hear more about Always Connected PCs next week during Mobile World Congress.

Yesterday, Intel announced a new round of microcode updates for devices running the 6th, 7th, and 8th generation Intel Core chips. Though the updates are once again meant to protect against Spectre and Meltdown, they are now rolling out through PC OEMs instead of Windows Update (via Neowin.)

Since these updates are available through PC OEMs, consumers will need to use the pre-installed utilities (such as Lenovo Vantage) that came with their PC to download. Businesses and data centers with devices running the latest Intel Core X-series processor and Intel Xeon Scalable or Intel Xeon D Processors should also be seeing this update.

Intel is also still urging people to keep their systems up to date and to check out this schedule to see when updates will become available for a specific processor. Navin Shenoy, the Executive vice president of Intel, noted the company will be sharing more soon and also expressed “sincere appreciation” for Intel customers and partners who are supporting the company.

The official Plex app for Xbox One consoles has updated with a variety of fixes and changes. In addition to improving several of the language translations, the app has also gained support for more codecs and several bugs from the previous version have been squashed. Here’s the official changelog.

• Updated translations
• Added direct play support for wmv2/vc1/wmav2 codecs in wmv containers
• Fixed the titles for recently added TV shows
• Fixed the player sometimes not being able to play watch later/recommended videos
• Fixed bug that could cause app to fail to load
• Fixed cases where playback would error or fallback to a transcode near the end of a video
• Fixed some issues around player buffering indefinitely on start or while seeking

Plex is primarily a media streaming app but it can also function as a DVR service for recording television broadcasts. Do you use Plex on your Xbox One? Let us know how you use it in the comments below.

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During his keynote speech at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, Microsoft’s head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, focused heavily on the evolution of Microsoft into a company that’s more accepting of new ideas and embracing diversity.

“We stand for inclusivity. I personally committed to do better,” he said. “I think it’s a leader’s job to absorb the hit, to take personal accountability. And to be clear about our culture: who we are and what we stand for. Just as culture is renewing Microsoft, I think culture can be the tool that enables us to realize the true power and potential of gaming.”

Spencer also spoke about how unique the gaming culture and industry is, emphasising on its ability to bring people together despite their different backgrounds. “It is the only art form where you walk in someone’s shoes and you see the world from their eyes. It’s the only art form where you are on equal footing, regardless of age, education, socioeconomics, race, religion, politics, gender, orientation, ethnicity, nationality, or ability,” Spencer enthused. “This is why gaming can be one of the great equalizers and great unifiers for society. Together, we can make gaming a reflection of the world we don’t just want to see, but help change it into the world we want it to be.”

An issue that has been discussed more in gaming circles and in the media recently is harassment and abuse both in the video game industry and the games themselves (via online interactions). Spencer emphasised how much Microsoft is aware of these issues and encouraged those listening to try put an end to toxicity in gaming culture when given the chance.

“Honestly, toxic behavior doesn’t just hurt the individual it hurts our entire industry,” he said. “When toxicity is aimed at one of us, it stops with all of us. That’s why I’m encouraged when our community comes together to talk about specific actions.”

Spencer spoke in rather general terms and didn’t offer too many solutions, instead presumably aiming to provide a springboard for further cultural change.

Do you think there’s a problem with toxic behavior in video game communities and has Microsoft done a good job dealing with it? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below.

If you’re a Surface fan in India, there’s some good news for you. After being launched in the United States in June last year, followed by other markets, the new Surface Pro has finally launched in India.

While Microsoft skipped the first two generations of Surface in India, Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4 were launched together in India in January 2016.

We are delighted to announce the launch of Surface Pro in India and offer our consumers another superior device that will enable them create, study, work and play virtually anywhere. We continue to push boundaries to better serve the needs of our customers who are seeking greater mobility and power in their devices to stay productive. The new Surface Pro delivers the versatility of a laptop and a creative studio in one thin, lightweight device.

– Vineet Durani, Director – Windows and Devices, Microsoft India

The Surface Book thought still hasn’t made it to India.

The new Surface Pro will be available online on Amazon and Flipkart as well as leading offline stores like Croma, Reliance Digital, Vijay Sales, and other authorized retailers. For commercial customers, the new Surface Pro will be available through more than 130 commercial resellers.

Unlike last time, when the Surface Pro was exclusive to Amazon, Microsoft has chosen to make the devices available broadly this time around. However, like the last time, only limited color variants are available.

What do you think of the pricing of the Surface Pro in India, and would you like to pick one up? Tell us in the comments!

Google’s Project Zero computer and security researchers have just disclosed another Windows 10 security issue that has yet to be patched by Microsoft. With this latest saga, the search engine giant revealed an Elevation of Privilege flaw in Windows 10 which allows a normal user to gain administrator privileges (via The Verge.)

The full security flaw can be found here and was originally brought to Microsoft’s attention in November as part of a separate security issue with Windows 10. Microsoft addressed one of the issues, but labeled the elevation of Privilege flaw as “important” and not “critical,” claiming the flaw can only be exploited with a “specially crafted application.” Google, in turn, publicly and separately disclosed the Elevation of Privilege flaw today since Microsoft failed to patch it within Google’s 90-day period. The flaw only affects Windows 10, and you can read more on it below.

In order to execute the exploit you’d have to already be running code on the system at a normal user privilege level. It cannot be attacked remotely (without attacking a totally separate unfixed issue to get remote code execution), and also cannot be used from a sandbox such as those used by Edge and Chrome. The marking of this issue as High severity reflects the ease of exploitation for the type of issue, it’s easy to exploit, but it doesn’t take into account the prerequisites to exploiting the issue in the first place.

Microsoft already faced criticism from the Google Project Zero team following the discovery of a vulnerability in Edge this past weekend. It remains unclear if Microsoft will patch this latest flaw, but given how things have gone in the past between the two companies, they’re likely a few Microsoft engineers who are furiously working hard right now.

Microsoft today announced Chandler Riggs from AMC’s The Walking Dead as the next celebrity to appear on Xbox Live Sessions. He will be playing Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) on the Xbox One X alongside PUBG Creative Director Brendan Greene and you can watch the action live on Mixer.

The stream will kick off on Thursday, February 22 at 2 p.m. PT and you can tune in to submit questions for the two and also win some awesome prizes. This Xbox Live Session will be hosted by Microsoft Studios Community Manager Rukari Austin, who has appeared in many streams before.

PUBG has proven to be quite popular, and Microsoft holds there have been over 4 million PUBG players on Xbox One. Per recent reports, the game is also set to get its third map within the next four months, timed for before the end of June. More information is coming in March and this wait for new content is mainly because the developer has been busy banning cheaters, nearly 1 million in January alone.

On the occasion of International Mother Language Day, Microsoft announced support for email addresses in 15 Indian languages across its apps and services. The initiative is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to support Email Address Internationalization (EAI) across its products and services.

Going forward, you will be able to use local language email addresses, like व्यक्ति@संगठन.भारत, across Office 365, Outlook 2016, Outlook.com, Exchange Online, and Exchange Online Protection (EOP). You will also be able to send/receive mails to/from local language email addresses via Outlook client on PCs, outlook.com, as well as Outlook apps for Android and iOS.

Microsoft has introduced support for those languages that support Unicode, the international encoding standard for use with different languages and scripts. Local language email addresses are inseparably linked with Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs). Microsoft has shared that the company will also support additional Indian languages as and when their IDNs and email addresses become available in the future, making this feature forward compatible.

In India, users can register local language email addresses from third-party EAI address providers such as XgenPlus.

Microsoft, a member of Universal Acceptance Steering Group (USAG) along with international partners including XgenPlus, Coremail, CNNIC and SaudiNIC, is working to support email addresses in any Unicode script through its apps and services, including RTL (right to left) languages such as Urdu and Arabic.

According to Meetul Patel, COO, Microsoft India, the move will help ensure that language is not a barrier to adoption of technology which is key for digital inclusion and growth.

XCOM 2: War of the Chosen received a free update for Xbox One owners today that makes several changes to the game and also fixes a variety of bugs. Of particular interest is the fact that this update has now made XCOM 2 an Xbox One X Enhanced title which means that it will run and look better when played on Microsoft’s new Xbox One X console.

It’s important to note that this update didn’t make XCOM 2 a 4K title however it has received a graphical boost to 1440 resolution which makes it better than the usual 1080p but slightly less than 4K which is 2160. Here’s the list of main changes made with this update. You can find the complete, much longer, list here.

Numerous gameplay fixes have been issued to War of the Chosen including:

• Challenge mode adjustments and fixes to the Leaderboard
• Skirmisher ability changes.
• Fixed disabling status effects carrying over past Chosen Stronghold missions
• Improved Shadow rendering
• XB1X graphic improvements
• Enabled Screen Space Reflections
• Enabled Bokeh Depth of Field
• Increased FXAA Quality
• Increased XB1X Resolution to 1440

To coincide with this update, a special XCOM 2 Collection has been released in the Microsoft Store. This bundle contains the main XCOM 2 video game as well as all of its downloadable content that was released post-launch.

Have you played XCOM 2 since updating? Let us know your impressions in the comments below.

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R.B.I. Baseball 18 is now available for digital pre-order and pre-download on Xbox One. The game is the latest in the R.B.I. Baseball franchise and features a variety of improvements over its predecessors such as new player models, improved UI, a new Franchise Mode, and a new Home Run Derby Mode. Here’s its official list of features and trailer.

• All-New Franchise Mode: Take control of your favorite MLB team! Make trades, pick up free agents or call up rookies through multiple seasons.
• Home Run Derby Mode: Challenge a friend or the CPU in the ultimate slugfest!
• Authentic MLB Players: Completely redesigned player models including over 300 digitally modeled likenesses and hundreds of new animations
• Better Ballparks: Experience enhanced lighting, textures, revamped 3-D crowd system and new dynamic camera angles in all 30 MLB ballparks.
• MLB Legends: Play as the greats with over 100 historic players
• Online Multiplayer: Jump into ranked and friendly online exhibition games
• Roster Updates: Get the latest rosters throughout the 2018 season and use the new Import Rosters feature to keep your in-progress Franchise current without starting over!

R.B.I. Baseball 18 is due for release on March 20th. Are you going to pre-order it? Let us know in the comments below.

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Metal Gear Survive is now available to play on Microsoft’s family of Xbox One consoles. The game is a spin-off from the popular Metal Gear video game series and is enhanced with HDR visuals for when played on an Xbox One S or Xbox One X console. Here’s its official description.

METAL GEAR SURVIVE builds upon METAL GEAR SOLID V’S enduring stealth action gameplay while introducing the new elements of exploration and survival to create a bold new experience.

• METAL GEAR SURVIVE is a spin off from the main METAL GEAR SOLID V story that takes place in a strange alternative universe.
• Create your own character and learn to survive. Scavenge resources, craft weapons, build a base camp and explore the unknown while developing the survival skills necessary in this hostile environment.
• In CO-OP mode, assemble a team of four players to infiltrate and defend areas from hordes of creatures. Place fortifications and defensive weapons strategically to give you an advantage against ever intensifying enemies. Team work and resourcefulness are key in these fast paced co-op missions.

Are you a Metal Gear fan and will you give this game a try? Let us know in the comments below.

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METAL GEAR SURVIVE

Developer:
Konami Digital Entertainment

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