For those of you with a houses outfitted with Sonos speakers, you may be pleased to find out that another app has entered the Xbox One library to help you manage your sound system. The Sonos app – dubbed Phonos – currently has a preview version available right now on the Xbox Store, ready to go. The interface is relatively clean, matching up to what you’d expect from the Phonos app that’s already made a home on Windows 10 PCs and Windows 10 Mobile.

Some of you may feel using your phone to control your Sonos speakers just isn’t cutting it, but having this app running on your Xbox One can now give you an excellent way to manage your sound system from a centralized hub – your TV. So, if you’re one of the people who could get some use out of this, go ahead and search up “Phonos” on your Xbox One and you’ll be able to grab it. Keep in mind, however, that this is a preview version and you’re likely to run into a few bugs along the way.

XCOM 2 is coming to the Xbox One pretty soon and its arrival will introduce console gamers to the game that’s been praised by PC players for quite a while now. If you’ve been itching to see more of the game, the folks behind XCOM’s Twitter account have released a few new screenshots for you to fawn over. While newly released shots don’t show much that we haven’t seen before from the PC version, we do get a look at the interface that Xbox One users are going to be navigating.

Here are some NEW screens from #XCOM2 on @Xbox One. #XboxOne pic.twitter.com/SIam2UJeS2

— XCOM (@XCOM) August 11, 2016

The new interface looks exceptionally clean, using the bumpers to switch between targets and a few buttons to scroll through to allow users to choose their actions. Commands like “overwatch” that you tend to use often are tied to face buttons on the gamepad, so you can quickly move through turns where you’re setting most of your soldiers on alert. Beyond the interface, XCOM 2 is looking gorgeous on Xbox One, matching the high graphical fidelity and exceptional style that the PC version set back in February.

While Microsoft has often been mocked for its product placement of its Surface line, whether it be showing up on the sidelines of the NFL or in seemingly contrived displays of functionality on TV shows, it’s the real-life niches’ the device fills that has it gaining consumer interest. Take, for instance, attorney Doug Passon who uses his Surface Pro 4 help power his many creative, productive outlets. Passon is not only a lawyer by day but also adds award writing filmmaker, writer, musician, teacher and father to his list of accolades.

The folks over at Surface Product management are reaching out and highlighting real-life Surface users and came across Passon and his multi-faceted lifestyle being powered by a Surface. The marketing team found that not only does the Surface cover Passon’s many productive needs but it is also fostering a sense of community among users.

Thanks to a little influence from his sister who works at Microsoft, Passon has been using a Surface to manage and power his business called D-Major Films. D-Major Films is a passion project of Passon’s the was birthed from his decade-long career as a defense attorney. The intent behind D-Major Films is to teach lawyers the added value of using photos and film in cases while also crafting time-tested storytelling technique that helps create empathy for their clients if necessary.

However, Passon’s Surface use isn’t limited to just aiding in the courtroom or at his film company; he also makes use creative music-specific apps the built-in Bluetooth to replace a traditional music stand and sheet music.

Instead of a traditional music stand with sheet music, I mount my Surface on a tripod and use a wireless foot pedal to turn the pages during live performances.”

Thanks in part to its appeal as a Windows 10 gaming platform, Passon also finds himself defending his Surface from his avid gaming sons who find the device more powerful than either of their current computers.

Beyond the focus on productivity and versatility, the Surface is also resonating with individuals on sub-culture of distinction. While Microsoft would love to have iPad-like sales of its device, the seeming rarity of seeing a Surface in the wild engenders a level of wow and community from others.

I remember when I was younger, and a friend got a Corvette. I learned that there is this thing between Corvette owners that when one passes another on the street, the driver’s nod at each other. The same kind of thing happens with the Surface. Then the talk inevitably turns to what cool gadgets we use with it, like the Arc Mouse, the wireless adapter, etc.”

Another example Passion uses is the moment he explained to his son about Windows Hello’s facial recognition software built into his Surface Pro 4, “he thought that was about the coolest thing ever.”

Whether intended by design or a pleasant happenstance involving a confluence of evolving mobile computing behaviors, Microsoft’s Surface line of devices (specifically the Pro series) continues to find purpose in the expanding niches of flexible productivity. Passon’s stories echo a similar list of anecdotal experiences the Surface line has engendered from its users and as time goes on, the list continues to grow.

Lenovo is one of the premier makers of Windows 10 machines of all kinds, from desktops to notebooks to various hybrids. Their Yoga series ranges from affordable ultrabooks to high-end 2-in1s, and the ThinkPad line that the company purchased from IBM years ago continues to offer some of the best-made Windows machines around.

Lenovo has a press event scheduled on August 31 during the IFA 2016 event being held later this month (via Windows Central). In preparation, the company has released a video providing a glimpse at some upcoming devices. Of particular interest are flexible screens, a “new chapter in tablets” to a “whole new kind of intuitive keyboard”–all centered around the theme of “different for the sake of better.”

The video is well worth your 49 seconds in gaining a look into Lenovo’s near future. Let us know in the comments if you think Lenovo will be announcing anything particularly interesting to Windows 10 users.

When the third party HitBox app hit the Windows Store it marked the first moment Windows users could use the streaming platform to watch live broadcasts of the games you love straight from their favorite Windows device(s). Ever since then, we have extensively covered the app and the multiple updates delivered by the hands of developer Jonathan Antoine.

Today, another update has been released that further improves the HitBox on Windows experience.

hello again. Just to let you know that I have updated the app with chat and bitrate/play rate sélection ☺ Have a nice day !

— J͜͡o͜͡n͜͡a͜͡t͜͡h͜͡a͜͡n͜͡ (@jmix90) August 11, 2016

As seen above, Hitbox developer Jonathan Antoine mentioned to our editor Jack Wilkinson on Twitter that the app has just been updated with chat and a bitrate and play section. These are just the latest features, as the app was previously updated a few weeks ago with support for Hitbox accounts and followers.

And so, if you’re using the app please head over to the Windows Store now and press the update button! Even if not, we have done you a favor and have included a download link for you below.

Download
QR-Code

Hitbox – next generation live streaming for games

Developer:
Jonathan ANTOINE

Price:
Free

Microsoft Azure continues to be an important and growing element in the company’s transition to focusing on “cloud-first, mobile-first” productivity. Azure revenues jumped 102% year-over-year in Microsoft’s last quarterly financial report, and it’s clear that the cloud services platform will become ever more important in maintaining the company’s profitability and revenue growth.

Today, the Azure blog posted a video that provides a look at the upcoming Azure Stack Technical Preview and some other updates. According to the Azure team:

We have also heard questions around the integrated systems hardware strategy, with concerns around flexibility, cost, and size. So, we asked Vijay Tewari to sit down with us and provide some insights behind our vision and rationale for integrated systems in this short video. The video provides insight into their top engineering design goals, the value of having software tightly connected with specific hardware, and how they ultimately think about lifecycle management of this system. One point worth reemphasizing is the prioritization of integrated systems from Dell, HPE, and Lenovo, as a starting point. As we have done in other cases in the past, we will continue to broaden our support for a diverse hardware ecosystem that allows customer choice and configuration from a certified catalog of solutions.

If you’re interested in Azure or responsible for its use at your organization, then you’ll want to check this video out. Let us know in the comments if you come across anything particularly helpful.

Microsoft’s Power BI software is adding real-time streaming of data to its list of analytical features today. Power BI program manager Sirui Sun announced that Power BI customers can now use a preview version of real-time data streaming to Power BI that allows users to “quickly gain insights from data of all shapes, sizes, and velocities.”

The move to enabling real-time data streaming comes off the back of Microsoft’s analysis of a growing IoT and social media trends that lend themselves to quicker information monitoring. As more IoT devices, sensor hubs, and social media accounts pull in various data at almost lightning speed, service providers are seeking to not only monitor the data more accurately but respond in accordance.

Recently, we’ve seen an explosion of powerful real-time use cases – from factories using IoT sensors to monitor their equipment, to media agencies monitoring their social media campaigns as they go viral.”

Power BI’s new real-time dashboard tile preview is intended to be a lightweight application that fits snugly in a customer’s dashboard allowing quick access to up-to-the-minute data. Similar to other Power BI controls, creating a real-time tile can be as granular or templated as a customer desires with the entire process taking only minutes to produce.

Sirui offers a step by step process on how to create a new real-time tile that explains the getting started in the Power BI REST APIs developed in PubNub and how customers can navigate the new services once completed.

To add a streaming dataset via PubNub, choose “Add streaming dataset” and select the PubNub option. In the next dialogue, provide your PubNub Dataset name, Sub-key, Channel name, and PAM Auth Key (if applicable). if you’re not sure what these are, sign into your PubNub account, and go to the PubNub Admin portal.”

On top of the new real-time tile preview, the Power BI team has also made some improvements to its existing Power BI REST APIs. The new set of improvements is intended to work in conjunction with the new real-time preview, thus making the entire experience easier to manage as a whole. Creating a streaming data set now seems to be even easier than before.

For anyone interested in taking the real-time dashboard and tile for a spin, the Power BI team is offering sample streaming datasets at GitHub. New to the entire process, but still interested? Sign up for either the Power BI’s newsletter or visit the Microsoft Power BI blog for more information.

Microsoft previously stated that it would not be supporting devices running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 past 2018. However, it appears Microsoft has had a change of heart. Today, Microsoft announced that it will extend support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 devices that are running 6th generation Intel Core (Skylake) processors.

Microsoft is changing their 6th generation Intel Core (Skylake) support policy. Instead of ending the Skylake support period on July 17, 2018, Microsoft will extend the Skylake support dates for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. Microsoft will also provide all necessary security updates for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 too. Microsoft made the policy change based primarily on user feedback from their enterprise customers.

Please note that this policy only applies to enterprise customers and does not affect customers that are already running Windows 10. Here is a list of the changes for enterprise customers still running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1:

• Today Windows 7 is in extended support and support will end for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020, and support for Windows 8.1 will end January 10, 2023.
• 6th Gen Intel Core devices on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will be supported with all applicable security updates until the end of support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.
• This change is made possible through the strong partnership with our OEM partners and Intel who will be performing security update validation testing and upgrade testing for 6th Gen Intel Core systems running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 through the end of support dates.
• As previously communicated earlier this year, future silicon platforms including Intel’s upcoming 7th Gen Intel Core (Kaby Lake) processor family and AMD’s 7th generation processors (e.g. Bristol Ridge) will only be supported on Windows 10, and all future silicon releases will require the latest release of Windows 10.

Relying mainly on user feedback, Microsoft will continue to provide its customers the best Windows experience possible. Changing their Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 support policies will allow enterprise customers extra time to buy more modern hardware and prepare to deploy their current systems to Windows 10.

Check the Microsoft lifecycle support policy FAQ for more information.

If you belong to an organization that uses both SharePoint sites and OneDrive for Business, then you might have had a need in the past to copy files and folders directly from the latter to the former. Until now, that’s not been possible, but Microsoft today announced on the Office support site that files 50MB or smaller can now be transferred directly between the company’s cloud storage solution and its content management platform.

The process is as simple as selecting “Copy to” via the options for a file and selecting a SharePoint Team Site as the place to copy. You can do the same for folders.

Microsoft makes note of two limitations for the feature:

• 50MB file limit Currently, the size of files and folders you can copy at one time is limited to 50MB. Support for larger files is coming.
• Scripting must be turned off for personal sites If scripting is turned on for personal sites in your organization, the Copy command is restricted to copying within your OneDrive.

In addition, scripting for personal sites must be turned off in SharePoint in order for the copy feature to be available. Generally, Microsoft recommends turning scripting off as a security measure to protect sites from cross-site scripting attacks.

Microsoft continues to integrate their various services to provide the best “cloud-first, mobile-first” productivity solutions for their customers. Let us know in the comments if the ability to copy files from OneDrive for Business to SharePoint will be welcome in your organization.

While the HP Elite x3 Windows 10 Mobile phone won’t be available for purchase in the US until September 5, the company has already started to tease the device in a series of promotional videos. That’s not all though, as Iranian website Winphone.ir has also spotted that HP Workspace, the premium service that will allow business users to use virtualized Win32 apps when the handset is connected to HP’s Continuum dock, has appeared on the Windows Store (via Windows Central).

While the app is not available to download yet, here is the official description:

HP Workspace enables users to run their Windows desktop apps (x86 and x64) when docked on a Windows Mobile device with Continuum. Using HP Workspace, users can bring the Windows desktop experience, with large-screen, keyboard and mouse support, to their Windows 10 Mobile device, and without the cost of server hardware and IT administration challenges of traditional app virtualization services. A subscription is required to access this service.

Earlier this week, we had the chance to ask some questions to HP’s Vice President and General Manager of the Mobility and Retail Solutions GBU Michael Park, who explained why this app virtualization technology can make the Elite x3 a “3-in-1” device that could meet all of the computing needs of business customers. We invite you to read our full article to get more details about HP’s Windows 10 Mobile strategy with the Elite x3.

Download
QR-Code

HP Workspace

Developer:
HP Inc.

Price:
Free

Microsoft has announced that the company has signed an agreement to acquire the Beam interactive live streaming service.  This marks Microsoft’s commitment to make Xbox Live more social and fun, and also marks the momentous occasion of bringing watching games and playing games closer together.

A Seattle based company, 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. Beam also makes interactivity easy and is designed to work for any game.  For instance, using low latency technology, challenges can be created from within Beam and real time choices can be made which affect game play.

While Microsoft may have acquired the service, Beam’s CEO Matt Salsamendi notes in a blog post that Beam remains committed to its mission. He also notes that Beam and will now be better positioned to grow and give more back to the community.

“As part of the Xbox team, we’ll be able to scale faster than we’ve ever been able to before… We’re expanding the team, bolstering our infrastructure, and, most importantly, continuing to grow the amazing community we’ve been lucky enough to build at Beam.”

We'll be streaming all day on @Beam! Tune in and watch teams all across @Xbox on https://t.co/ycyO6dhoG4. pic.twitter.com/2wtoAx50dH

— Microsoft Studios (@MSStudiosBlog) August 11, 2016

In what can be seen as a celebration of the moment, Microsoft Studios will be streaming games throughout the day on Beam. So, if you’re interested in checking out Beam, click the link above or click here to sign up! The service is pretty fun and brings interactive gaming to an entire new level.

Over the last 16 years, a dutch amateur cycling team named the Marco Polo Cycling Team has been welcoming many refugees from non-traditional cycling countries who aim to reach the elite level in cycling. The team already competed in many pro races around the world and allowed 20 amateur cyclists to reach the top level, with one rider winning a world champion title and another one being qualified for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

Today, a new blog post on the Skype Blog explains how members of the Marco Cycling team and their coach Gudo Kramer use Skype and Skype Translator to communicate and encourage themselves wherever they are. If you’re not familiar with it, Skype Translator leverages Microsoft’s artificial intelligence algorithms to provide real-time voice translation in eight spoken languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese Mandarin and Arabic) as well as text translation in more than 50 written languages.

Skype Translator is indeed the perfect tool for the team’s coach to communicate with team members of different nationalities. He explained:

I think it can be a strong tool in getting messages across that need a certain level of detailed understanding. Often, when two non-native speakers communicate in English, a lot gets lost in translation. It is always easier to get the message in your own language! Skype Translator is great for clarifying what someone is saying, and feeling more at home in an international environment.

According to Kramer, the ultimate goal of the Marco Polo Cycling team is to disappear, but that won’t happen until refugees get as many chances as others cyclists to join mainstream racing teams in their new countries. He added:

I think that the background of the riders is a big disadvantage for them. They were not able to train and race for a long time; must get used to a totally new environment; miss their family and friends, etc. But they can use it to get through the suffering and hardship that is required in cycling.

In the meantime, the Marco Polo Cycling Team continues to reach new milestones: one rider is currently competing in the Rio Olympic games, and another one recently won a gold medal in the last World Cup race in Bilbao, Spain. “We hope to see one or two of our other riders active in Tokyo in 4 years,” shared Kramer.

For the Skype team, this story represents everything the new Microsofts aims for, which is to empower everyone and every organization to achieve more:

We hope that through Skype Translator, we can help people achieve their goals through relationships and human connections that would have previously been impossible. Just thinking about the possibilities for this unique team of cyclists makes us want to cheer them on to their highest potential. To us, these guys are already winners.

The Skype team definitely deserves credit for achieving a technology breakthrough with Skype Translator that has yet to be matched by competing messaging apps. For now, the technology is only available in Skype for Windows desktop but we hope it won’t be too long before the team releases it on mobile devices. You can learn more about how to use Skype Translator by visiting the dedicated FAQs.

If you’re a member of the Xbox One Preview program, Microsoft has released another new preview build for you to test on your Xbox One (via Windows Central). This latest update comes just a few days after a previous release that brought a Paypal payment option plus various fixes to the Xbox One System software.

Preview Members – Preview post is live detailing the build at 6.00pm PDT today – https://t.co/YfJOwgLl8c we slipped in a GROOVE update!

— Brad Rossetti (@WorkWombatman) August 10, 2016

Yesterday’s update was once again announced by Microsoft’s Brad Rossetti on Twitter, and the latest preview build (rs1_xbox_rel_1608.160808-1700) should improve game stability, fix localization issues and bugs in the Groove UWP app. Here is the full changelog below:

Fixes

• Groove Music: Resolved issues which could sometimes cause Groove Music to crash.
• Localization: Resolved an issue which could sometimes cause the titles of universal apps (Movies & TV) to not appear in the console’s selected language.
• Miscellaneous: General stability improvements for games.

Current known issues

• My Games & Apps: If a universal app version of an app is available, the version which is not currently installed may appear under Ready to Install (causing what appears to be the same app both installed and in Ready to Install).

If you’re a member of the Xbox One Preview program, you can download this latest build on your console by heading over to All Settings > System > Console info & updates. Let us know in the comments if this latest build runs better than the previous one.

Microsoft has announced that the company has appointed Sriram Rajamani as the new managing director of its India research lab, effective August 1, 2016. Sriram Rajamani will be replacing 2 year manager of the lab Chandu Thekkath, and will be responsible for the lab’s continued focus on research, innovation, and collaboration.

Sriram Rajamani is very experienced as was the co-winner of the Computer Aided Verification in 2011 for his research in bringing formal verification of computer programs to industrial practice. He also has experience in multiple areas of computer science such as hardware and software verification. Additionally, he once was head of the Software Productivity Tools group within Microsoft’s Redmond research lab, and was also previously the assistant managing director of Microsoft’s India research lab. Sriram Rajamani, nonetheless, expressed honor for his new position, and said:

“It is an honor to lead Microsoft’s India research lab, with its abundance of top-notch talent. I look forward to leading and expanding Microsoft’s  commitment to world-class research and innovation in India, and deepening our partnerships with our academic partners.”

So, congrats to Sriram Rajamani! As always, please let us know what you think of this latest change in position as Microsoft India Lab by dropping us your thoughts in the comment box below!

Microsoft appears to have completed its rollout of the new visual design for the web version of the Windows Store. The new look boasts a unique background image for each store item, larger text, a newer touch-friendly layout, and the new hardware icons which indicate where an app, media file, or game can be played such as a Windows 10 PC, mobile device, Xbox One, Microsoft Band, or HoloLens (Windows Holographic).

Editor’s note: An unexpected side effect of this Windows Store web update appears to be the breaking of the Windows Store app plug-in we use on Winbeta (hence the broken app boxes on some of our app articles). We expect this to be fixed soon.

The Windows Store also received a similar redesign recently on the Xbox One and on Windows 10 PCs with the Anniversary Update which added Xbox One video games and apps to the store in addition to Edge browser add-ons. Windows phones are expected to receive a similar update before the end of the month but no official date has been released as of yet.

Do you like the new look of the Windows Store? Let us know in the comments below.

The rather pricey Windows 10 note-taking app, Nebo, which usually retails for around $8.99, is currently being given away for free until the end of the month. The app is similar to Microsoft’s OneNote app wherein it lets the user create notes by keyboard or stylus, convert content into digital files, organize notes in folders, and is optimised for the Windows 10 operating system.

Here’s the official app description: Nebo is the best way to take notes. Handwrite, draw, edit and format your notes quickly. Instantly convert and transport them as digital documents. Designed for Windows 10 with active pen and validated with Microsoft Surface Pro and Book with Surface Pen. Structure your notes using titles, paragraphs, and bullet lists. Add interactive diagrams, editable equations, freeform sketches, and annotate pictures. Finally convert your captured ink to digital typeset document on demand. Nebo documents can be viewed on any device using practically any Internet browser and opened directly in your email client or Microsoft Word. Powered by MyScript Interactive Ink – Work better with your active pen!

It may be difficult to compete with Microsoft’s free OneNote app but since this is also free for the time being, users may as well give it a shot, especially if they’re looking for something with a different design sensibility in their apps than Microsoft’s.

Have you downloaded Nebo on your Windows 10 device yet? Let us know what you think of it so far in the comments below.

Grab Nebo for free here

Download
QR-Code

Nebo

Developer:
MyScript

Price:
$9.99

Around a year ago, Microsoft offered a package of its latest Windows 10 Mobile kit to some Windows Insiders, the kit included a Lumia 950XL and a Display Dock. The idea behind giving these items to selected Windows Insiders was to get feedback on Windows 10 Mobile, the apps and the new features from those who are invested in the platform or deep supporters of it, to speak to the fans. Since giving out the devices, Microsoft hasn’t asked for too much in the way of feedback, however, that is beginning to change. As Microsoft prepares to ramp up its Windows 10 Mobile support for Redstone 2 and beyond, the Redmond giant is now looking to Windows Insiders to help shape the future of the platform.

In an email to the Windows Insiders who were selected to receive the package, Microsoft is specifically asking them to state the importance of 5 categories of apps, as well as give the names and a description of the apps they want to see make their way to Continuum, and by virtue, Windows 10 Mobile. The 5 categories were:

• Apps for productivity at work
• Apps for productivity at home
• Apps for entertainment
• Apps for social media
• Games for Continuum

It asked to rate the categories on importance from 1 to 5, with 1 being the most important and 5 being the least. After that, it gave options to state the app name and why it should be on Continuum and Windows 10 Mobile.

According to Microsoft, the survey will help them “understand which apps are important,” to its users.

It is interesting to see Microsoft send such an email to Insiders, asking only about apps and to state the apps they want to see. Could Microsoft be evaluating the results it receives and working with the companies that see a big interest from the community to make their app available on the platform? We’ll have to wait and see as the company begins its journey to focus on mobile.

Let us know which apps you’d like to see in the comments below!

The first-person adventure Xbox One video game, Valley, is now available for pre-order ahead of its August 24^th release date. The game is developed by the same studio who made Slender: The Arrival, Blue Isle Studios. Here’s the official description:

Explore the vast and beautiful world of Valley using the power of the L.E.A.F. suit: a fierce exoskeleton that grants exceptional speed and agility along with the phenomenal ability to manipulate the life and death of all living things. Experience the adventure of a lifetime.

Valley is a First-Person adventure unlike any other. Hidden deep within a remote region of the Rocky Mountains, you find yourself bewildered within a secluded valley. With the power of a recently discovered L.E.A.F. suit (Leap Effortlessly though Air Functionality), run and jump your way through beautiful forests, dangerous ruins and vast environments; all the while utilizing the power to control life and death to uncover the startling secrets of the mysterious valley.

Pre-order Valley on Xbox One

Have you pre-ordered Valley yet? Let the community know in the comments below.

Yesterday was quite a busy day for Windows Insiders as the company released two cumulative updates for Windows 10 Anniversary Update aka Redstone 1. As you may already know, cumulative updates only bring bug fixes and improvements to your current Windows 10 version, which means that they’re not always the most exciting kind of updates to install for Windows enthusiasts wanting to play with new features.

However, if you’re still enrolled in the Windows Insider Fast Ring, you will soon be allowed to test the first Redstone 2 build, which is the next major iteration of Windows 10 to be released in 2017. In the meantime, we guess that many Microsoft employees are already testing internal builds and Carmen Crincoli, Storage IHV partner manager at Microsoft just shared a quick tease of what’s to come:

Canary ring is already providing happy surprises. Love how quickly teams are working on new features.

— Carmen Crincoli, but Fhqwhgads (@CarmenCrincoli) August 10, 2016

The downside is, I now have to be careful about using my Surface during this conference in order to prevent inadvertently revealing things.

— Carmen Crincoli, but Fhqwhgads (@CarmenCrincoli) August 10, 2016

If you’re not familiar with it, the “Canary” ring is one of Microsoft’s internal testing rings along the “Operating Systems Group” (OSG) and “Microsoft” rings that the company uses to test Windows 10 builds internally. As we previously reported, Microsoft employees who are members of the Canary ring have opted in to test anywhere from daily to slower monthly released and validated builds. Once this “dogfooding” is done, preview builds which are considered good enough for the Windows Insider program are then pushed to Windows Insiders enrolled in the Fast ring.

It’s still not clear what cool features Crincoli is talking about in his tweets, but while we can’t wait to learn what’s coming in the next Windows 10 major upgrade, you should be aware that the first Redstone 2 Insider builds are not expected to be that exciting. Head of the Insider program Dona Sarkar explained yesterday:

With the new builds we release from our Development Branch, you won’t see any big noticeable changes or new features just yet. Just like we did after the release of the November Update, we are focusing on making some structural improvements to OneCore. If you recall – OneCore is the shared core of Windows across PC, tablet, phone, IoT, Hololens and Xbox. It is essentially the heart of Windows.

Let us know in the comments if you’re still excited by the upcoming Redstone 2 builds and stay tuned to Winbeta to get all the details in the coming weeks!

EA Access is a good way to play some games without laying out a bunch of extra cash. A number of titles are available on EA Access for no additional cost above and beyond the $4.99 monthly (or $29.99 annual) subscription. Today, according to reddit (via Windows Central), another title, namely the snowboarding game SSX, is available on the service even though it’s not been officially announced.

According to our description of SSX when it was added to Xbox One Backward Compatibility:

SSX is the 2012 reboot of the 2000 game of the same name, and marked the return of a beloved franchise when it hit store shelves. Featuring thrilling snowboarding gameplay with a bit of over-the-top action, SSX revolves around tossing the player into massive tracks in places like Antarctica and the Himalayas, focusing its gameplay on doing tricks to rack up points. If you’ve got a copy of SSX lying around or want to pick one up from a bargain bin, it’s well worth blowing the dust off and spending a night in the snow.

It’s Backward Compatibility that EA is using to make the game available on the Xbox One via EA Access, and Windows Central was able to verify that the game does indeed install for free. Let us know in the comments if you’re an EA Access subscriber and will be pulling out your snowboard.

If you ever turn back the clock by taking a trip down memory lane, you will probably realize that technology has come a very far way since your younger days.  It turns out, apparently, that jobs are going this way too, and will become more technologically advanced as time progresses. So, in line with this, Microsoft Surface teamed up with The Future Laboratory to look at and report the creative jobs which modern students will be chasing after by the year 2025.

Overall, the “Tomorrow Jobs” report finds 10 new job titles for the future, ranging from Spacejunk Archaeologists,  Memory Storage Specialists, Battery Innovators, and even Human Parts Designer. We’ve given a few of the most interesting titles a look and have included Microsoft’s descriptions for you below.

1. Space Junk Archaeologists will locate and explore debris orbiting our planet. These specialists will conduct guided tours of abandoned spacecraft and defunct satellites, while also collecting, archiving and deciphering each recovered item.
2. Memory Storage Specialists will help people to use these systems to increase the storage capacity of their over-stretched minds, providing services that allow them to dip in and out of treasured memories and experiences at will.
3. Rewilding Stategists will reintroduce plants and animals that have been extinct in a region for centuries – so wolves and beavers could make a comeback in Britain – and manage assisted migrations in order to create resilient and vibrant landscapes in the face of advancing climate change.
4. Human Parts Designers will combine a design aesthetic and skill set with bio-engineering know-how to create a huge range of customised human limbs, either to perfectly match the existing skin tone, musculature and colour of the rest of a person’s body, or to provide new fashionable looks or enhanced functionality for particular jobs or sport.

For the complete list of future fields of work, you can check out the official Microsoft post by clicking here. The list is rather intriguing and also includes the necessary skills for these jobs, so be sure to let us know your thoughts by dropping us a comment below.