Microsoft has made lots of ads mocking the Apple iPad Pro in the past, and now, Huawei joins the fun doing the exact same thing.

The ad shows off the Huawei Matebook, a Microsoft Surface and the Apple iPad Pro on a party where Cortana pokes fun at Siri, again. They talk about the difference of owning a 2-in-1 Windows 10 device and why it is better than the iOS-powered iPad. Take a look for yourself:

This is a pretty funny commercial, that is probably a play on Apple’s “I’m a computer” ad for the iPad Pro. The Huawei Matebook mentions that it has a fingerprint reader, stylus, keyboard and most importantly, an Intel processor allowing it to run full desktop apps.

You can go ahead and grab the Matebook for around $699 and it comes with a free keyboard dock worth $129 if you buy it before the 19th of September.

Skype is one of the most widely used messaging systems out there, no doubt about it. While its throne as the undisputed champion of messengers has been challenged recently with the rising popularity of things like Discord, the vast majority of people online still rely on Skype for a good portion of their communications. With Skype being such a huge service for Microsoft, it’s always been strange that Skype hadn’t quite gotten a UWP app that’s compatible with Xbox One. Thankfully, it seems like Xbox One users are going to be able to join in on the UWP Skype fun very soon.

In an interview with Windows Central, Xbox One Platform Chief Mike Ybarra stated that “We’ve seen feedback from the community wanting the updated Skype UWP and we’re bringing that update to Xbox One.” While that comment might otherwise lead us to believe that Skype UWP is coming sometime in the indeterminable future, we actually have reason to believe that the release of the app is imminent. In fact, the Skype UWP is already up in the Xbox store under the name “Skype Preview.”

Don’t rush to your Xbox just yet – there’s a catch. While you’re totally free to take a look at Skype Preview on the Xbox marketplace, you can’t actually download it. If you try to grab the app for yourself, you’ll be hit with an error message reading “Try again later, something happened on our end.” All of you Skype enthusiasts are going to have to wait just a little bit longer. Until Microsoft lets us all download Skype’s UWP version, you can still use the service on your Xbox One using the regular, non-UWP version of Skype.

.Skype is beginning the process of closing its office in London. Its London office contained developers who worked on Skype’s range of products and services, particularly so when the company itself was created in London in 2003. After Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype, the company delivered new offices to those employees in March 2013.

As part of the offices being closed, 400 of the employees who worked there are uncertain about their future. As reported by Windows Central, via Financial Times, Microsoft confirmed the office closure and explained that it is because of “decision to unify some engineering positions, potentially putting at risk a number of globally focused Skype and Yammer roles,” and that the employees affected are in a “consultation process,” while the spokesperson explained Microsoft’s current stance:

We are deeply committed to doing everything we can to help those impacted through the process

What do you think of Microsoft closing its London office? Let us know in the comments!

The Windows team released a late-day update to its Windows Map application for Fast Ring Insiders on both PCs and mobile that bring a long awaited tweak and new functional feature for users.

In today’s update to Windows Maps, Insiders get an early look at what will presumably make it into the official release for Maps that includes a new Traffic Hub feature and the addition of system default dark theme.

According to a changelog posted by Redditor and Microsoft employee Dave MSFT, Fast Ring users can look forward to:

• Enjoy dark or light app colors—they now change to match your system settings. If you prefer your apps to be dark rather than light you can now have the Maps app follow your system setting for theme preference or always be light/dark. Plus you can choose to change the map theme too!
• Quickly check traffic for your commute, including live cameras, where available. We have always treated your Home and Workplaces special and now you can check the traffic to your Home or Work locations at any time. Just tap on Traffic in the app bar and you can see traffic conditions to Home and Work and your most recently viewed traffic cameras so that you can stay on top of the road conditions along your route.

Over the past two years, Windows 10 users have slowly been welcoming the addition of Dark Theme or System default dark themes choices to more apps, helping to round out the polish of the overall operating system.

With the recent redesign to Maps, users were only given a utilitarian stark color scheme as the Windows team rushed to add back or create new feature sets for the service and apps. With the addition of the Dark Theme, perhaps the Windows team is preparing its app for an AMOLED future where its on-screen presence is minimally felt on the battery life of upcoming devices.

Perhaps, even bigger news than the addition of Dark theme is the new Traffic Hub feature that enables users to tap into traffic cameras and highway alert systems to measure the traffic on regularly accessed routes by users. Now, users can receive a more detail report of traffic to frequently traveled places such as home, gym’s, work and more.

All of this is live for Fast Ring Insiders on both mobile and PCs, head over to the Windows Store to grab the update for your most used device.

One of the more welcome additions to Edge in the Windows 10 Anniversary Edition is the ability to run extensions, those add-on applets that extend a browser’s capabilities. While Edge is limited so far in the number of extensions available, particularly compared to Google’s Chrome browser, some popular and useful extensions are available that make Edge far more competitive.

Another extension has been released to the Windows Store, the Microsoft Personal Shopping Assistant. The extension is developed as a Microsoft Garage project, and is also available for Chrome and Opera, and is aimed at capturing and saving information on product pages and making it easier to do your shopping.

Here’s the app description:

Your personal assistant for a smart, productive and enjoyable shopping experience. Automatically organize the various product pages you visit. Add to favorites and get notified on price changes. Make smart choices by comparing products across sellers. Get back to your shopping flow, on the web and on your phone.

This is a Microsoft Garage project. The Microsoft Garage is an outlet for experimental projects. Learn more at https://garage.microsoft.com

The following video provides a walk-through of the extensions functionality:

You can download the extension via the link below. Let us know in the comments if you’ll be using this newest Edge extension, or if you’re still waiting for another.

Microsoft continues to improve Office 365 services and offerings to provide users with a smooth Office 365 experience across all of their devices, Office applications, and platforms (whether it be Windows 10, Android, or iOS). Microsoft posted a blog post going over some of the more important Office 365 news that happened in the last few weeks.

Recently, Microsoft announced the pre-release of Visio Online, allowing for cross-platform viewing of Visio diagrams and allowing users to collaborate and communicate using their Visio visual content. Visio on iPad was also announced, and Visio Pro for Office 365 also got new updates, including one-step data linking for diagrams, a more advanced design, and enhanced AutoCAD support.

Office 365 Groups got a new update that allows users to add guest access, making it easier to communicate with customers, partners, and other support staff outside of your business, by including them as members of your Office 365 Group. Now Office 365 Groups makes it easier to collaborate and connect with your customers and partners to provide the best customer service possible.

Other Microsoft Office 365 news included improvements to SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Exchange Online. Outlook also received a handful of calendar improvements, including the Interesting Calendars feature for iOS and Android. Interesting Calendars allows you to add external reminders to add your favorite TV show or sports team schedule to your calendar so you can stay on top of the other things that matter to you besides work.

Lastly, Microsoft added new data centers in the UK to improve Office 365’s global reach to offer customers in the US and abroad the best and uninterrupted Office 365 service available. In addition to the new UK datacenters, Microsoft has data centers in Japan, Australia, India, and Canada.

Microsoft has more upcoming Office 365 news on updates, improvements, and more coming your way, so stay tuned. Let us know in the comments if you’re particularly enjoying any of the most recent Office updates.

NBA 2K17 and Mount & Blade: Warband are both available to buy, download, and play on the Xbox One. NBA 2K17 is the latest in the popular basketball video game franchise while Mount & Blade: Warband is the latest title in the Mount & Blade series and features a larger open-world and a more detailed combat system than its predecessors.

Here’s the official description for NBA 2K17:

Following the record-breaking launch of NBA 2K16, the NBA 2K franchise continues to stake its claim as the most authentic sports video game with NBA 2K17. As the franchise that “all sports video games should aspire to be” (GamesRadar), NBA 2K17 will take the game to new heights and continue to blur the lines between video game and reality.

Buy NBA 2K17 on Xbox One

Here’s the official description for Mount & Blade:

Warband: Mount & Blade: Warband is the iconic entry in the series that brought medieval battlefields to life with its realistic mounted combat and detailed fighting system.

• Free-form sandbox gameplay. You are free to go anywhere in a world with more than a hundred unique locations including villages, castles and towns.

• Groundbreaking horseback combat.

• Highly advanced and intuitive sword-fighting systems.

• Fight on horseback and foot using a vast variety of medieval weapons, each with unique characteristics.

• You can become anything from a lonesome adventurer to a ruler of a faction.

• Varied cultures with unique troop types and equipment.

• Sophisticated AI will challenge you in combat and in your strategic plans.

• Freedom to interact with hundreds of characters.

• Multiplayer battles with up to 32 players. Multiplayer modes include Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Conquest, Battle, and Siege.

Buy Mount & Blade: Warband on Xbox One

Have you bought any new video games for your Xbox One console recently? Share your recommendations with the community in the comments below.

Microsoft has announced today that all of its retail stores across the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Australia now have dedicated zones for small and medium-sized businesses. The new SMB Zones will provide business customers tailored resources including access to Answer Desk advisors, business sales specialists, and personal training. Both SMBs and Microsoft Partners will also  be allowed to use the areas to host training or networking events.

Here’s a complete list of the services to be offered in the SMB Zones:

• Business Sales Specialists – Business sales specialists help guide local business owners and entrepreneurs with their technology needs whether it’s in-Store or on-the-ground at the business.
• Answer Desk: Advisors at the Answer Desk help small and midsized businesses keep their devices running smoothly. They are on-hand to answer technical questions, make recommendations and offer full service and support on all software and hardware. In fact, they’ll answer questions and attempt to fix PCs, tablets or phones free of charge, regardless of what device you have or where you bought it – it’s like having your very own helpdesk and IT support right in our Store.
• Surface Membership: A subscription-based program, Surface Membership provides Microsoft Stores’ small and midsized business customers with in-Store, online and phone support, one-on-one personal training, financing, member discounts and more. Small and midsized business customers can now take advantage of lower monthly rates, reduced buyout fees and additional in-Store support with our updated Surface Membership model.
• Personal Training: Specialists educate customers with tutorials about Windows devices, Office 365, OneNote, Skype, OneDrive and more. Personal trainings are available for $49 for one-hour or $99 for one year of unlimited use.
• In-Store Events: Microsoft Stores regularly host networking events, workshops, trainings and seminars on topics like “Quick and Easy Online Advertising” and “How to Stay in Touch With Customers” led by both Microsoft and industry experts.
• Hosting Events: The Community Theater is available at most Microsoft Stores for partners and businesses to host trainings or networking events, free of cost.

Additionally, Microsoft is also launching a new leasing program called Accelerate Your Business. According to the blog post:

This new leasing program is designed to simplify the decision-making process and ensure business owners have access to the latest in business-grade devices, warranty options, and best-in-class in-Store and online training and support.

The Redmond giant currently has over 100 retail locations worldwide, and this new initiative will be a nice complement to the Microsoft Technology Centers that already help business customers to learn more about the company’s offerings. Let us know in the comments if the addition of new SMB Zones makes Microsoft Stores a more attractive destination for your business.

Microsoft’s Azure cloud service has been affected by a global DNS outage this morning (via ZDNet). The outage affected several Microsoft services including API Management, Web Apps, Service Bus and SQL Database and more, and the company has since explained on the Azure Status Page that it was working to resolve the issues.

As of now, most services are back to normal except for SQL Database for customers in Central US. Microsoft posted the following update:

Starting at 11:48 UTC 15 Sep, 2016 a subset of customers using using SQL Database in Central US may experience issues accessing their services in this region, as the result of an earlier DNS issue. Additional impact may also be experienced by customers using HDInsight and Media Services. Engineers have identified a possible underlying cause, and are working to determine mitigation options.

As an increasingly cloud-focused company, it’s good to see that Microsoft was quick to work on the issue. If you use Microsoft cloud services, let us know in the comments if you were affected by the outage.

Just yesterday, Dona Sarkar and the Windows Insider team pushed out Windows 10 Insider build  14926. While some new features were officially noted by Microsoft, the folks over at WinSuperSite came across an unannounced “Windows Anywhere” feature also in the latest build.

As seen above, “Windows Anywhere” can apparently be found under the “Sync Your Settings” portion of the Windows 10 account settings page. It’s not exactly clear what this new feature is for, but it could possibly be a rebranding of the “Sync Settings” feature. There is, however, still the possibility that this may also be a new feature which could reinvent or bring additional sync options to Windows 10. In fact, as WinSuperSite points out, a Microsoft job listing tweeted out by WalkingCat previously mentioned :

We’re passionate about UX and transforming how users interact with our products…. As a member of our team you will: Design, develop and perfect new ways of interacting with apps and files across all Windows devices.

The job listing, combined with “Windows Anywhere” showing up in the latest build perhaps hints that Windows Anywhere may bring newer sync setting options in the next generation of Windows 10. Regardless, we would love to know what you think of “Windows Anywhere” appearing in this build. Let us know what you think by dropping us a comment below!

About a month ago, Microsoft announced that it had acquired the live streaming service, Beam. At the time, Microsoft highlighted that the acquisition displayed their commitment to making Xbox Live more social and fun, and bringing watching games and playing games closer together. Now Beam has announced via Twitter that the service will be coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 this winter.

https://twitter.com/Beam/status/776133706029277184

As seen above, the company Tweeted out a winter launch timeline. The timeline is rather vague, and no other details are available at the time. The company, however, noted in a second tweet that more details will be out soon and that support for low latency playback of all streams is in the pipeline for Xbox.

In case you did not already know, Beam  is best known for giving viewers the ability to watch and play games along with their favorite game streamers in real-time, regardless of the platform. Using low latency technology, Beam also makes interactivity easy and is designed to work for any game.

A couple of months ago, Microsoft posted on some testing it had done on the effects of browser use on battery life, claiming that Edge used significantly less energy than its competitors. Then a few days later, some users started noticing popup notices on their battery icons claiming that “Chrome is draining your battery faster,” and urging users to switch to Edge.

Of course that didn’t sit too well with the likes of Google and Opera, who fired back with rebuttals, but now the folks at Edge are at it again. In a blog post this morning, Microsoft notes that it has made improvements to Edge in the Anniversary Update to make the browser even more energy efficient, and publishes the results of their initial tests, rerun with the latest software:

At the risk of giving away the ending, the results may look familiar! With the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft Edge is more efficient than ever, and still the best choice for extending your battery life on Windows 10 – up to 24%-43% more efficient than the competition for general purpose browsing, and lasting up to 23%-69% longer when streaming video.

At the risk of giving away the ending, the results may look familiar! With the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft Edge is more efficient than ever, and still the best choice for extending your battery life on Windows 10 – up to 24%-43% more efficient than the competition for general purpose browsing, and lasting up to 23%-69% longer when streaming video.

Microsoft takes an almost gleeful tone when noting the turmoil they’ve created with their competitors, noting that they’re “thrilled” with the response their first rounds of tests inspired, but they don’t waste much time before producing another graph showing a comparison of battery browser efficiency across the latest stable builds of the most popular browsers:

In response to the initial tests released by Microsoft, Google recently released a test of their own (one that only tested their Chrome browser, omitting any comparisons, so the Edge team went ahead and recreated Google’s test, too, looping a video from Vimeo (Microsoft’s initial video tests used Netflix):

In this test, Microsoft Edge lasted even longer – more than 13 hours! – and still beats Chrome by more than an hour. Microsoft Edge even lasted 62% longer – more than five hours! – when compared to Firefox.

Microsoft has open sourced their lab tests (the full test and the video test) and published their full methodology on GitHub, so if you’re skeptical, you can run the tests yourself.

Microsoft continues to work on Edge, and yesterday’s Windows Insiders Fast Ring update to build 14926 contained a number of improvements to Edge both on PC and mobile.

Are you convinced to try Edge, now that you’ve seen these tests? Let us know in the comments below.

The rather unique video game, Conga Master, is now available to buy on PC via the Steam gaming service but it has also been announced for release on the Xbox One sometime in early 2017. The game supports up to four players in simultaneous multi-player and tasks each participant with creating the longest conga line they can.

Here’s the official game description:

The hilarious party arcade game Conga Master sees up to four players each controlling their chosen party-goer in his or her quest to create the most epic conga line ever. Travelling through different nightclub locales during a night to remember, players will find all manner of dancers with different styles and personalities. Shimmy up close to entice them with a successful display of dazzling dancing, and they will join your line. But, with great conga comes great responsibility, and the longer the conga, the harder it will be to maintain momentum and avoid disco downers, like the crotchety custodians or the pigs in disguise who will try to infiltrate your line and stink up your party vibe.

No digital pre-order is available yet for Xbox One but we’ll make sure to post about it once it goes live so check back soon.

Ubisoft’s Just Dance karaoke spin-off, Just Sing, launches today on the Xbox One. This new video game uses the console’s Kinect camera or users’ smartphones to record video and audio during songs and compiles all of the captured data into music videos. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t have support for Windows phones so some readers may be at a disadvantage.

Here’s the official game description:

Create your own music videos with Just Sing™! Sing or lip sync to your favourite songs – from the hottest hits to all-time classics. A smartphone is all you need to get the party started! Simply download the free Just Sing Companion App to your smartphone, sync it with your console and use your smartphone as your microphone and camera. With Just Sing, easily create memorable videos with up to 3 friends by changing themes and filters as you perform. Save your video locally to keep track of the fun or share it with your friends!

 

ENJOY A LARGE SONG CATALOGUE: Including hits from Sia, Maroon 5, Shawn Mendes, and many more!

 

HAVE FUN SINGING OR LIP-SYNCING: Sing and get scored, or just lip-sync and put on a show. Up to 4 players.

 

YOUR SMARTPHONE IS YOUR MIC AND CAMERA: With the free Just Sing Companion App. No console camera required.

 

CREATE AND CUSTOMISE YOUR OWN UNIQUE MUSIC VIDEOS: Choose from different themes, filters and effects.

 

SHARE YOUR VIDEOS WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Buy Just Sing on Xbox One

Just sing can support up to four players simultaneously and all of the music videos can be shared with friends as long as a console is connected to the internet. The game also supports USB mics so those gamers who don’t like to use their smartphones now have an alternative play style to try out. Are you going to give Just Sing a try? Let us know your impressions of it in the comments below.

It’s time for yet another episode of Visual Studio Toolbox, a podcast that’s been covering some of the intricacies of Visual Studio for a while. Although the podcast might not be great for the general Microsoft fan, developers who consider themselves proficient at Visual Studio might get a kick out of learning a few new things. The latest episode features Microsoft’s Charles Sterling, who’s come on to talk a little bit about Power BI, and how you can use it in your Visual Studio development.

The episode meets the average Visual Studio Toolbox length of around 23 minutes, so it’s good for a sitting of listening. In the words of Robert Green in the episode’s Microsoft blog post, it ought to show how “you can parse, model and transform the resulting JSON to make creating rich interactive reports a snap and integrate this into your development efforts by embedding the Power BI data visualizations into your web applications.” If that sounds like something you might want to learn about, go ahead and give it a watch, or even put it on as background noise.

According to the Microsoft blog post earlier today, the Surface has been sold at nearly double the amount last year to students and educators. The business of providing tools for higher learning is a goal that Microsoft has often had its hand in. That’s probably why they announced a new Surface Complete for Education warranty that appeals to the clumsy hands of students and teachers alike.

The warranty will cover as many accidental claims as the school purchases. For example, if a school purchases 200 Surface devices, they can claim one device of accidental damage up to 200 times instead of a single device being claimed only once or twice. The warranty also includes onboarding resources that will work best for education.

Surface Complete for Education will be priced at $225 for Surface Pro 4 and $359 for Surface Book in the U.S., but prices will vary depending on location and device otherwise. The warranty is available for U.S. customers tomorrow while international partners will need to wait until it’s released at the end of the month, September 30.

In a post on their Enterprise Mobility and Security Blog, Microsoft announced their newest partnership with Ping Identity. Microsoft’s partnership with Ping Identity will allow for a more secure access experience to on-premises web applications by utilizing Azure AD (Active Directory) Application Proxy and PingAccess.

Currently, Azure Active Directory is being used by tens of thousands of enterprise customers and millions of users to allow a secure single sign-on (SSO) to thousands of cloud SaaS (software-as-a-service) applications. Azure AD Application Proxy provides support for any open standards that are available. On the other hand, Ping Identity developed PingAccess, an enterprise solution for managing access to legacy applications that do not support using open standards.

Here is a video of Loren Russon, VP of product management at Ping Identity, and Alex Simons, Director of program management at Microsoft, discuss their enterprise customers’ benefits of this partnership.

Microsoft and Ping Identity worked together to create “PingAccess for Azure AD,” which will be deployed as a public preview starting in the first half of 2017. Microsoft’s Azure AD Premium customers will be able to use PingAccess for Azure AD to connect to up to 20 on-premises web applications at no additional cost. For enterprise customers that need to use more than 20 applications, Ping Identity will have the full license available for purchase.

Microsoft also decided to add another Ping Identity product, PingFederate, into Azure AD Connect. For those going to Ignite in Atlanta, Microsoft will be holding a special session showing off the benefits of this new Ping Identity partnership.

Microsoft’s Rewards program has been scheduled for a facelift for some time now. Previously known as Bing Rewards, the new Microsoft Rewards program not only branches out beyond being tied solely to Bing search but also allows participants to earn points by shopping at the Windows Store or providing feedback as an Insider among other avenues.

Alongside the release of Windows Insider preview build 14926, Insiders have been given more details about the program, the rollout, and how to join.

Introducing Microsoft Rewards

There are now more ways to get rewarded with Microsoft. Microsoft Rewards is a new rewards program that just launched earlier this week. It builds on the foundation of Bing Rewards, but with expanded ways to earn. With Microsoft Rewards, you earn points for searching with Bing, shopping at the Windows and Microsoft stores, and browsing the web with Microsoft Edge. As a Windows Insider, you can continue to earn points even on Insider Preview builds. Then you can redeem your points for Xbox or Windows gift cards and pick from thousands of games, movies, TV shows, music, and apps. Or you can use your points to get Microsoft Store discounts, Skype Credits, Xbox Live Gold memberships, and more, or even donate them to charity

For anyone interested in joining the revamped Microsoft Rewards program can get more details here. Hopefully, Microsoft will advertise this updated version and get more Windows, Windows 10 Mobile, and casual shoppers involved.

A bunch of UWP apps are being released in the Windows Store today, including Evernote, Arduino IDE, PhotoScape, MAGIX Movie Edit Pro, and more. New apps show up in the Windows Store every day, but there is something special about these apps because they aren’t entirely new. What is special about these apps is they are the first wave of Classic Windows apps converted into UWP apps via the Desktop Windows App converter.

The Desktop Bridge was one of the many bridges Microsoft began building to help developers convert their existing apps into UWP apps for Windows 10. The bridges had names like Project Astoria (the now defunct bridge for Android) and Project Islandwood (the alive and kicking bridge for iOS apps). One bridge, called Project Centennial, was developed to convert Classic Windows Apps, such as Win32 apps, into UWP apps.

Back during Build 2016, Microsoft announced the Desktop App Converter (previously known as Project Centennial) and a 5-step path for developers to convert their Classic Windows apps into UWP apps. Microsoft then started opening up the process of publishing these converted desktop apps in the Windows Store last month. All of this leads to today and the first wave of converted desktop apps starting to appear in the Windows Store.

The first batch of converted Classic Windows apps includes:

• Evernote
• Arduino IDE
• Double Twist
• PhotoScape
• MAGIX Movie Edit Pro
• Virtual Robotics Kit
• Relab
• SQL Pro
• Voya Media
• Predicted Desire
• korAccount

Not all of that list is live yet. Microsoft said the apps will appear in the Windows Store over the next few days. At the time of writing this article, it looked like Evernote, MAGIX Movie Edit Pro, and SQL Pro are available to download. You can download these three apps from the links below.

Microsoft had some announcements for developers as well regarding the Desktop Bridge. The Desktop App Converter is now available for free in the Windows Store. Microsoft also announced IntallShield, FireGiant, and Caphyon’s Windows installer technologies will include support for the Desktop Bridge.

While some of the bridges haven’t worked out as originally planned, hopefully, the continued success of the Desktop App Converter bridge will strengthen the diversity of apps in the Windows Store.

It’s been a while since Insiders have had a new Windows 10 Preview release to play with. Well, the wait is over, Insiders are getting Windows 10 Insider preview build 14926.1000 to test and try out today.

As with every build, the Windows team has issued several notes on the build and Insiders are getting a new What’s New list of items to look out for with preview build 14926 for PCs.

What’s new in Build 14926

• Snooze in Microsoft Edge: We know you all love when we get creative with you, so we have added an experimental “Snooze” action on a tab in Microsoft Edge which provides you with a way to set a Cortana reminder on the website you are viewing. People often keep tabs open in their browser indefinitely as a “to do” list, and do not close those tabs until the action associated with that website is complete. This feature lets you put a site into a Cortana reminder that will show up as a notification and in Action Center, allowing you to quickly open that site in Microsoft Edge when you’re ready to get back to it.
• Improving your PC upgrade experience: One of the ongoing feedback items we’ve heard is how the apps that come preinstalled with Windows will reinstall after each upgrade – particularly noticeable for our Insiders that receive multiple flights per month. We’ve heard your feedback, and starting with Build 14926, when your PC updates it will check for apps that have been uninstalled, and it will preserve that state once the update has completed. This means if you uninstall any of the apps included in Windows 10 such as the Mail app or Maps app, they will not get reinstalled after you update to a newer build going forward.
• Making pin login easier: Ever tried to enter your pin, only to discover the numbers you’ve been typing are nowhere to be seen because Num Lock was off? We’re happy to announce that that will no longer happen! With this build, regardless of your Num Lock state, numbers will be input if you’re typing into the pin password field. Let us know what you think!

Other improvements and fixes for PC

• We fixed the issue causing Adobe Acrobat Reader to crash when you try to launch it.
• We fixed the issue causing the Settings app to crash when navigating to Settings > Personalization.
• We fixed an issue where Windows icons and text are not rendered correctly on some devices with Intel Atom (Clovertrail) processors.
• We’ve improved scaling for full screen games where the aspect ratio doesn’t match the native display resolution, for example, when playing Counter Strike: Global Offensive using a 4:3 stretched resolution.
• We fixed the issue where some people would experience a bugcheck (bluescreen) after plugging/unplugging certain types of Kindles such as the Paperwhite and Voyage.
• This build improves the performance on websites with changes to large numbers of HTML Elements containing text by improving spellchecker efficiency. This results in substantially improved performance on websites like TweetDeck.
• We have addressed the largest cause of reliability issues in Microsoft Edge running on Insider Preview builds. This should improve reliability on major websites such as Facebook and Outlook.com.
• We fixed an issue resulting in certain links (for example, Facebook) displaying a default favicon in the Microsoft Edge Tab, rather than the logo intended by the website.
• We fixed an issue where the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar might show full bars when connected to a Wi-Fi network with low signal.
• We have fixed the issue which prevented the wireless network adapter in Surface Pro 1 and Surface Pro 2 devices from working. This also fixes the issue with the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows not working. and other wireless network adapters from third-parties such as D-Link.
• We fixed an issue where File Explorer’s “Open Command window here” context menu option was opening set to the C:\Windows\System32 path, rather than the desired directory.
• We fixed an issue potentially resulting in the taskbar no longer auto-hiding when a full screen window has focus (for example, when watching videos, gaming, or when using Remote Desktop). Note: If there’s an app that is asking for attention, it’s by design that the taskbar won’t hide (so you can see that there’s something trying to notify you).

There it is, the full list of improvements and fixes that are coming with build 14926 for Insiders on PCs.

Head over to the Update Settings page to grab the latest build if you’re on the Fast Ring for Windows 10 Insider Preview releases.

Happy downloading, Insiders.

Microsoft has released today the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14926 for PC and Mobile, and the new bits come with a warning from the Windows Insider team about expiration dates for old preview builds. If your PC is currently running a “really old Insider build” (Microsoft didn’t share more details, but we guess the company meant old Windows 10 Insider builds version 1511 or earlier), you will start seeing expiration notifications starting tomorrow, September 15th.

If you don’t update your PC to the latest Insider build available on your Insider Ring before October 1st, your PC will then start rebooting every three hours and it will completely stop booting on October 15th. That’s pretty radical but hey, updating your PC to the latest Insider build is a straightforward process: just go to Settings > Update & security > Windows Update and check for new updates.

Here’s how Head of the Windows Insider program Dona Sarkar explained it today:

Just as we’ve always done with pre-release versions of Windows, Insider Preview builds have expiration dates. Starting tomorrow September 15th, PCs running really old Insider Preview builds will start to see build expiration notifications once a day. Then on October 1st, these PCs will start rebooting every 3 hours and then on October 15th – these PCs will stop booting all together. If your PC is running one of these old Insider Preview builds, please make sure you update to Build 14926 via Settings > Update & security > Windows Update. Build 14926 has an updated expiration date of May 1st, 2017. If your PC is running the Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Build 14393) in the Slow and Release Preview rings today – this does not apply to you and you will not be notified of your build expiring.

If you’re on the Insider Fast Ring, we invite you to read our other posts detailing what’s new in the new Windows 10 Redstone 2 build 14926. If you’re still running an old Insider build, let us know why in the comments and tell us if you’re going to update as soon as possible.

Earlier this week, HP signed a six-year deal with Microsoft to use the company’s Dynamics CRM solution to handle its daily marketing, sales, and service operations and Microsoft’s executive VP of cloud and enterprise Scott Guthrie is pretty excited about it. HP previously was as Salesforce customer as Guthrie explained during an on-stage interview at the Deutsche Bank technology conference yesterday (via Geekwire):

HP is a very large Salesforce shop — or they were until yesterday. It was a Salesforce takeout. HP Inc. is planning a massive migration and a big bet on Dynamics. It’s one of the more public wins we’ve had.

Winning HP over Salesforce is indeed a pretty impressive achievement for Microsoft. Last week, we reported that the Redmond giant beat Salesforce as the leading Software as a Service (SaaS) provider in a recent study from Synergy Research. Both companies actually have a quite complicated relationship as Microsoft reportedly tried to acquire the CRM and cloud solutions provider back in 2015. This year, Salesforce also reportedly entered in a bidding war with Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn which pushed Redmond to add $6 billion to its purchase price.

According to Guthrie, Microsoft also has big ambitions in the cloud and the company definitely has market leader Amazon Web Services in its crosshair. “We’re number two and aspire to be number one. Sometimes it’s a matter of features. And we focus on hybrid, which is probably our biggest differentiator,” he explained.

Microsoft is opening today a new Technology Center in Bellevue, WA (via The Seattle Times). Earlier this year, the company also opened a similar are in Houston, Texas, and with this new location the Redmond giant now has more than 40 MTCs around the globe. For those unfamiliar, Microsoft Technology Centers (not to be confused with Microsoft Innovation Centers) are dedicated areas where business customers can learn about the company’s growing portfolio of enterprise solutions.

The new 18,000-square-foot space located near the Lincoln Square tower will allow customers to have a hands-on experience with the company’s enterprise offerings. A dedicated server room with five racks of servers will be available for customers looking for live demos of Microsoft’s cloud products, and the Technology Center also features a 100-person conference room. Microsoft Technology Centers are currently not open to everyone (business and government customers must take an appointment with Microsoft’s sales team), but people living in the Seattle area will still be able to attend workshops and other public events.

While Microsoft previously used to invite business customers to its Redmond campus, Mark Perry, Director of the Bellevue MTC told the Seattle Times that the new facility which houses a team 10 technologists and salespeople will provide a better experience to business customers. “Our sales teams are great at telling customers our products features and capabilities, but we actually show it here,” he explained. Additionally, all MTCs try to focus on the needs of local industry and the Bellevue center
will be particularly mindful about the needs of customers in retail, manufacturing and healthcare. According to Perry, the live demonstrations will focus on the customers’ needs “so they actually leave here with a plan to go do it,” he added. You can get more information on the new Microsoft Technology Center over here.

The Twitter experience may soon be rolling out to a big screen near you. The online social networking service has announced in a press release that it will soon launch new streaming apps for Xbox One, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.

While it’s not immediately clear how different the new streaming app will be from the already existing Twitter app, the social networking company has said that the free app will feature all live streaming video available on Twitter. Streams of 10 NFL Thursday Night Football games, as well as content from MLB Advanced Media, NBA, Pac 12 Networks, Campus Insiders, Cheddar and Bloomberg News are all apparently part of the app. Other Twitter content such as Tweets and top global Vines and Periscopes are also included in the app as well.

The new app will be available in select world markets, and starting today on Apple TV. The Xbox One version, meanwhile, will soon launch in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Users of the app will not need a Twitter account or a TV subscription to enjoy the experience. 

The official Dailymotion Xbox One app has just updated and in addition to fixing live streaming, remote control support, and a variety of other bugs, this new version of the app also adds sign-in options for both Facebook and Google accounts.

The Dailymotion app is a basic app for consuming videos from the service on the Xbox One. The app itself is in the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) format and features vary depending on which hardware is used to run it. On Windows 10 devices for example, the Daily Motion app supports drag and drop uploads and a mini-player.

Here’s the official app description:

Dailymotion is the best way to find, watch, and share the internet’s most popular videos. Use staff picks and personalized suggestions to discover world class content and creators. Then share your favorites and follow the channels you love to make sure you never miss a moment. You can also share your own videos with the world by uploading directly in app.

Do you enjoy using Dailymotion on your Xbox One? Let us know in the comments below.

As we reported just a few days ago, the Skype team would host a live Q&A event today. Sure enough, a small group behind the scenes sat down around a conference table and took questions from the community through Twitter and their forum. They answered plenty of questions and even gave us quite a look into what could be in store for Skype in the not so distant future.

• Audio and video device controls for ways to switch multiple inputs
• Integration with the Windows Share charm
• Link previews
• Skype UWP on Xbox
• Improved search functionality
• Displaying contacts from the People app
• Hide conversation
• Skype Auto Answer with Video
• Image pasting and screen clippings
• Video Voicemails / Video Messaging
• IM Quoting
• Mobile app Live Tiles
• Transparent Live Tiles

There were some features that they mentioned were being investigated for integration, but weren’t necessarily guaranteed to make it in. Of course, nothing is guaranteed until the feature is released, but here are some that they are considering:

• Support for breaking through Corana’s Quiet hours
• Location related features such as sharing via Windows Share charm
• GIF previews
• Individual window sharing while in a call
• Supporting USB cameras instead of the phone’s native camera
• Improved Live Tiles with a text preview and message count
• Delete conversation
• Opening conversation in a separate window
• Creating groups of contacts

It was clear that a lot of the feedback given through the Q&A event left some lingering thoughts for the team to consider. Some even replied that they were inspired by ideas that users had sent in and that they’d look into adding it to ‘the list’. Such as:

• Cross messaging app communications such as connecting to GroupMe
• Custom wallpapers
• Mute for group conversations
• Moving the self view window

One user on Twitter even asked the team if they were working on a way to prevent “the slew of random ‘Friend Requests’ which are likely spambots.” Team member Meduri assured that they were looking into the issue and might have something up their sleeves for a future release.

Perhaps one of the more exciting features is already being tested internally. According to the Skype team, the SMS integration will be releasing to Windows Insider previews as soon as it’s ready.

Earlier this year we announced native SMS integration (on Windows Phone) and Relay (on Windows PC), this functionality will enable you to send and receive SMS messages from your Windows Phone and Windows PC running Windows 10 Anniversary Update.  We are currently in internal testing of this feature with plans to release to Windows Insider once the quality requirements are met. As for integrated calling, this is good feedback and something we will consider in the future.

They even replied to ensure that Skype will be continually receiving monthly updates with bug fixes and new features. “We know there are some much loved features missing in Skype Preview that are used in the Win32 version of Skype.  We are actively working to close this gap,” they stated, confirming that the name of Skype Preview will indeed be switched back to Skype once it has met the bar.