Microsoft (MSFT) news recap is a new weekly feature highlighting the top Microsoft news stories of the past week. Sit back, grab some coffee, and enjoy the read!

The Big Edge debate

Microsoft started off its week of announcements and news by declaring war on its browser competition. Over the past year, the Edge team has been hard at work filling in the feature cracks that have left most users heedful of using Microsoft’s built-in web browsing experience in Windows 10. Now, with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update a few weeks away from a general release to the public and a slew of new features to boast about, the Windows team appears ready to redouble its efforts in getting users to notice the built-in browser.

Out of the gate on Monday, Microsoft declared that its Edge browser delivers the best battery life of all major browsers and that it will only get better with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. In a video released on its Microsoft Edge YouTube Channel, Microsoft ran a series of side-by-side comparisons of its Edge browser against the likes of Opera, Chrome, and Firefox.

The breakdown of comparisons included a look into energy efficiency by measuring background tab management, Flash plugin handling, UI efficiencies, and ultimately, how each browser networked with Windows. Admittedly, the Edge browser has an inherent advantage being co-engineered with Windows 10 development, but arguably it should, as would any other operating systems built-in browsing experiences such as Safari on iOS or Mac and Chrome in ChromeOS.

The results showed that using Edge on a Surface Book left Edge lasting “70% longer than Chrome, 43% longer than Firefox and 17% longer than Opera (with Battery Saver enabled).”.

The news perhaps came as little surprise for avid Chrome users who have staunchly stood against using the Edge browser for a myriad of reasons that included its performance compared to other browsers.

Perhaps, less surprising was the reaction from its embattled counterparts. With Chrome being the new web browsing market leader gobbling up users at a 60% clip, the response to Microsoft’s Edge comparison remains a silent one. Despite Microsoft’s claims of Edge being more user efficient in the UI and underlying API framework, Windows users continue to flock towards Chrome usage leaving the undisputed Google-developed browser unaffected by the company’s claims. Firefox, another browser listed in the comparison, also remains seemingly unaffected by the claims as it recently edges out Microsoft’s combined efforts of Edge and IE11.

However, it was Opera who had something to say about the recent comparison to Edge. Opera fired back at Microsoft’s comparison with a member of the Opera team claiming “If we get beaten in a test like this, we consider it a bug.”, “Better luck next time, Microsoft!”

Opera ran its own convoluted comparison that involved a use case with a four-step configuration process to prove its browser still outlast Microsoft’s Edge browsing experience.

Unlike Microsoft’s testing, Opera’s single test didn’t offer real-world telemetry test nor was it backed by the Wall Street Journal who ran a parallel test to the Edge comparison for validity.

Either way, Microsoft is causing some wave (albeit smaller) in the browsing market, just in time for its Windows 10 Anniversary Update release.

Microsoft quietly strengthens its Band 2

The Microsoft Band 2 has seemingly seen an overwhelming welcomed update to its version one predecessor in almost every way except one. Where the original Microsoft Band entered the fitness band market as a bulky and rigid prototype-like device, the Band 2 evolved the rough edges and software experience of its gen one counterpart.

Unfortunately, for some users, the Microsoft Band 2’s evolution and refinement comes at the cost of hardware reliability. Over the course of nine months, a small but growing group of Band 2 users have been complaining of the new thermal plastic elastomer silicone vulcanite tearing in certain areas after prolonged usage.

To address the multitude of returns from customers and the vocalized complaints in various forums, there are reports that Microsoft has been quietly issuing an updated lot number to retail outlets that correspond with a “fortified” or “thicker material” being shipped with the Band 2.

“The first two numbers in the Lot number appear to be the year of shipment, and the second two appear to be the week. So, this indicates that Band 2’s with the Lot number of 1608 (2016, 8th week) are the ones with the heftier skin for enhanced tear protection.”

The Silk Road to Ireland woes

Update to reflect a more accurate account

Traveling 2,683 miles from Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington State to Washington D.C, the company remains embroiled in a series of court battles with the US Government regarding emails it stores on its servers in Ireland.

In 2014, Microsoft has been fighting a battle to keep the information it stores overseas secure and out of the hands of the US government to some extent. The case began with the US Government looking into a drug-related case that included email service from Microsoft. While the court battle has been going on for almost two years, new information alleges the identity of drug-related parties involved.

According to The Times of London (a paywalled site, via IBTimes) none other than alleged Silk Road administrator Gary Davis is at the center of Microsoft’s heated legal debate with Ireland as he fights extradition to the US from Ireland cited by a recent court ruling.

While Silk Road is associated with the sales of gun, drug, and other illicit items and Gary Davis is well liked to the site, he maintains his innocence.

While Davis may or may not be directly involved in the situation, creator Ross Ulbricht was tried and convicted money laundering, computer hacking, and conspiracy to traffic illegal drug charges.

Regardless of Davis’ alleged involvement (to which we updated, it may not be any) getting details on who Microsoft is inadvertently fighting, are still a little eyebrow-raising, to say the least.

Xbox Talk

Another week another set of announcements, reveals, and updates regarding the Xbox have us traveling 2,683 miles from Washington DC back to Microsoft’s home in Redmond. On the heels of an announcement-packed E3 2016 event, the Xbox team is prepping itself to deliver the goods it showed off during its keynote. Earlier this week, Xbox Preview owners were issued an update to their consoles that included a few minor UI tweaks in the dashboard as well as:

“Language Independence – Based on overwhelming fan feedback, we’ve enabled Language Independence to give you, even more, choices over your Xbox experience and how you engage with your Xbox One. Language Independence gives you the freedom to choose any supported language on Xbox One, regardless of your location.

Please try out this capability and give us your feedback. If you encounter any issues, change your language and location settings back to their previous values to see if the issue still exists. We look forward to your feedback.

Game Pre-orders – When purchasing a game pre-order, funds may no longer be deducted from your account immediately (depending on when the game pre-order is purchased). Pre-order funds will now be deducted from your account 10 days or less prior to the game’s release date.”

In other Xbox-related news, head of Xbox Phil Spencer confirms that the Xbox isn’t the “ugly step child” of Microsoft’s for profit business portfolio. Perhaps, since the billion-dollar write-down that came with infamous red-ring-of-death (RRoD) seemingly making it the “ugly stepchild” weighing on Microsoft’s financials, analysts, and journalist have wondered whether Microsoft would have the fortitude and marketing savvy to remain in the gaming industry.

Earlier this week an analyst report from DFC Intelligence calling for the quick and immediate exiting of Microsoft’s gaming efforts with its Xbox One.

According to the DFC Intelligence reports, when Microsoft announced Project Scorpio’s existence, the company effectively Osborne its newer better-equipped console coming out in August of 2016. Bordering on the lines conspiracy rhetoric, DFC sees Microsoft closing up shop next year due to some marketing missteps, move to combine PC and console and its second place position in the gaming market.

There are all kinds of other problems with Microsoft’s mixed messaging. The pricing on the original Xbox One is great, and the Slim is wonderful, but all the important new games will be on PC, so why invest in a console? Just upgrade your PC. And if you do want a console why buy now when Scorpio will be here later. All of this is a net dampener on new hardware sales now and really opens the door wide open for Sony and even Nintendo for the NX.

The biggest issue is whether Microsoft will even have a game division by the time Project Scorpio launched. It is no small irony that the E3 events went on at the EXACT same time as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was announcing the $26 billion acquisition of LinkedIn.”

In defense of the efforts continually put forth by the Xbox team, Spencer immediately rebuffed the notion when brought up by concerned Twitter users concerned about the longer term viability of the console and ecosystem.

Spencer took to Twitter to reassure users that the Xbox will be around for some time to come.

Lastly, Xbox’s Aaron Greenberg added to Spencer’s proclamations by discussing how powerful the new Xbox One (Project Scorpio) will be in 2017.

“We’re going to build a box; we’re going to build a beast of a box, that will be 6TFLOPs of power, that will be able to deliver true 4K games, and be able to do high-fidelity VR, in the living room, on a console.”

While Microsoft will seemingly remain a contender in the console gaming market, news leaked that the company attempted to avoid competing in the industry altogether. Before Microsoft built the Xbox, it attempted to partner with Sony and Nintendo.

A co-founder of the Xbox sat down with IGN in an interview where he revealed that:

“When we first started thinking about doing Xbox, we met with Nintendo. We sat down with Iwata and others and said ‘this is what we want to do, could we partner?’ And they said no.

Then Bill (Gates) met with Sony, same deal. Can we work together, can we partner. And they said no.

So that is true. Actually, if anyone thought about buying Nintendo, I never heard that.”

Surface 3 reaches its end

In the last bit of news for the week, Microsoft is ending its production run of Surface 3 devices. While the attention and buying patterns have favored the more recent releases of the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book, some price-conscious buyers have still been purchasing Surface 3 devices.

However, as of December 2016, Microsoft expects its dwindling supply of Surface 3 devices to be completely out of stock and at that point, the company has no plans to continue manufacturing anymore.

“Since launching Surface 3 over a year ago, we have seen strong demand and satisfaction amongst our customers. Inventory is now limited and by the end of December 2016, we will no longer manufacture Surface 3 devices.”

With Microsoft skipping the production of a Surface 3 equivalent during last year’s Surface hardware reveal, the news of the company ending production of its relatively lower cost alternative has begun to raise questions as to what, when or if a replacement is on its way.

As of now, Microsoft has offered no news or information regarding a possible Surface 3 replacement, for those still looking for a low premium low-cost 2-in-1, visiting a Best Buy, local Microsoft Store or Amazon is highly encouraged.

Realarm, an alarm and reminder app for Windows 10, has been updated to a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app. You can now use Realarm across your range of Windows 10 devices, be it PC, mobile, or the Surface Hub.

The app has been in beta for a little while, as the developer wanted testers to report bugs and suggest enhancements to the experience.

In a post on Reddit, the developer, ViktorSze, announced the release of the update, saying that he is “happy to announce that Realarm official has been updated to UWP”. Viktor went on to state that the beta version of the app will no longer be updated, and instead will begin using the flight control system that Microsoft provides developers, allowing them to have what is effectively a slow/fast ring, similar to how Microsoft handles Windows 10 builds for Insiders.

It is similar to its previous version but offers a much smoother and bug-free experience for those on Windows 10.

In our testing of the app, we found that on Windows 10 Mobile, it crashes upon launching the app, and there appear to be no workarounds. We also found that the non-beta version of the app is not currently being listed as available for Windows 10 PCs, nor is it showing in the Store on PC – we’ve reached out to the developer on both issues and will let you know when we find out more.

The next update for the app is planned to have voice command integration, likely using Cortana. This will allow you to set or stop alarms using just your voice – how about screaming at your phone when you’re trying to get some sleep?

If you would like to use Realarm on PC right now, you’ll need to use the beta version until the new version becomes available:

Or, if you’re on mobile, here’s the official version:

The Gears of War 4 Elite controller for Xbox One was announced back during E3 2016, and it’s available for pre-order right now. For those who may not have gotten the chance to get their hands on an Elite controller back during their initial release, this is a great opportunity to get yourself a version of the controller that not only serves the same hyper-competitive purpose of its predecessor, but also comes with some extremely flashy art to sweeten the package for the selective consumer.

The Gears 4 Limited Edition Elite Controller is available to pre-order at the Microsoft Store! Supplies are limited. pic.twitter.com/Sst9cBkRdS

— Gears of War (@GearsofWar) June 16, 2016

The Elite controller, for those who don’t know, comes with interchangeable sticks and buttons, switchable game modes, better grips, and a metal material that doesn’t wear out and stays firm and beautiful forever. The art of the Gears of War 4 version is also amazing, showing a COG symbol on the front along with a few other interesting decals, including a blood splatter and some Locust scratches, all on a dark maroon backdrop. All in all, you’ll be paying $200 for a very high-quality collector item.

NASCAR is one of the biggest sports institutions in the United States, and it’s about time that its technology starts catching up to all of the other heavy-hitters in the sports industry. Microsoft is stepping in to help NASCAR do just that, creating an app that’s meant to do tons of the heavy lifting when it comes to managing a race. The app is going to be making its debut in races starting in the upcoming event out in California at the Sonoma racetrack, less than a hundred miles away from Silicon Valley.

It seems like the app is mostly there to track data reliably so that teams can keep an eye on relevant numbers while in the thick of a race. Things like historical data, timing and scoring, pit road officiating, video replay and car positioning are all tracked, condensed into an easier-to-digest format. On top of that, if there’s a violation of some sort going on, video can be cut and sent out via the app – a much more efficient way to get that information across than the current system of just calling out violations through the airwaves. It seems like Microsoft’s new addition to NASCAR’s toolbox is an overall upgrade on every front.

According to Microsoft, this iteration of the NASCAR app is very much “phase one” of the technology, covering some of the more critical bits of data that NASCAR teams need to make decisions during races. This is meant to be a “multi-stage” process, and going forward, Microsoft wants to “help NASCAR better utilize that information that we are helping them collect.” It’s hard to tell what exactly that means, and we’ll have to see how the first phase of the app works out in these beginning stages, but Microsoft has the potential to really improve NASCAR by introducing it to this technology.

For Azure AD customers, Microsoft has released Enterprise State Roaming for business customers using Windows 10. In an email that is sent regularly to Azure customers to let them know of pricing and feature changes, the company announced the release of this setting synchronisation service for enterprise customers.

This new feature allows businesses to synchronise their employee’s work account settings across devices; just how it works with standard Microsoft Accounts today, where you sign-in on one device, and your settings propagate to all of your others. This change is likely to increase productivity, as there will be less twiddling around with setting panes, and more work being completed.

Settings will be stored in the cloud against the employee’s work account, and downloaded to any devices that they sign-in too. These accounts are directly connected to Azure Active Directory.

As part of this feature release, Microsoft has stated three differences between a personal Microsoft account being synchronised and a work account being synchronised, with work accounts receiving the following as additional benefits:

• Separation between enterprise and consumer data: consumer data will not be stored in the enterprise cloud, and likewise, enterprise data will not be stored in the consumer cloud.
• Security enhancements: data that leaves Windows 10 will be encrypted automatically using Azure Rights Management Services, and stays encrypted whilst in the cloud.
• Management: control over where data is being synchronised and which devices are receiving the data.

Certain features of synchronisation are only available depending on account type and device type, and you can see which ones here. Azure customers with Azure AD Premium can begin using Enterprise State Roaming immediately, available now for all customers, although, it is not currently available in all server regions.

Windows Server SKUs do not currently support this feature as yet.

Microsoft’s official Windows Twitter handle sent out a tweet letting everyone know that today is the 20th anniversary of the iconic “bliss” wallpaper seen in Windows XP. The photo was taken by National Geographic photographer Charles O’Rear while on his way to see his girlfriend back in 1996. Many believe the photo was altered in some way, perhaps photoshopped a little bit, but O’Rear claims the photo was never altered or enhanced in any way.

O’Rear was on the road in St. Helena, California (located in the Napa Valley) when he spotted the hill. “There it was! My God, the grass is perfect! It’s green! The sun is out; there’s some clouds,” O’Rear explained. He pulled over and took the shot using his camera and the rest was history.

Microsoft eventually digitized the version of the photo and licensed it from O’Rear — making it the most popular Windows wallpaper ever. The software company called the photo “bliss” and made it a key part of the Windows XP campaign.

From @Timehop today: In 1996, Charles O'Rear took a photo that became the most popular Windows wallpaper ever. #FBF pic.twitter.com/Nnkqj6YJqo

— Windows (@Windows) June 24, 2016

Windows 10 Insider build 14372 has recently been released to users on the Fast Ring, and as usual for a fast build, the list of issues have been plentiful. One of them seems to have gone under the radar, however, until today, when it was brought up by users on the Microsoft Community site.

Specifically, the issue, reported by Insider Kamil Zmeškal, has to do with the Microsoft Band. In a combination of a Microsoft Band 2 paired with a Lumia 950XL running build 14371, the bug is causing the Band 2 to discharge much quicker than before (12 hours compared to 20 hours pre-14731).

Moreover, Band 2 notifications from Exchange accounts is reportedly randomly showing up 5-10 minutes earlier than on the phone. Connecting headphone through Bluetooth is also problematic, and the Band 2 is randomly not showing calls. The problems is persisting in Build 14372.

Others have observed the same problem happening to a combination of Lumia 930 and the Microsoft Band 1, suggesting that this is not a hardware-related problem but related to the new Windows Insider builds. Hopefully Microsoft will address these issues timely; stay tuned for updates.

Microsoft has recently published a new post by Hyper-V Program Manager, Ben Armstrong, to announce an improvement to Hyper-V that should be great news for many Windows developers and pro-users: better support for high DPI screens in the latest Windows Insider Build.

Hyper-V, formerly Windows Server Virtualization, is a virtual machine monitor – or “hypervisor” – used to create Windows virtual machines. Hyper-V was released in 2008 as part of the then current version of Windows Server, and has been a part every Windows Server version since, as well as of Windows x64 Pro or Enterprise versions of Windows 8, 8.1, and now Windows 10.

As with many other legacy programs on Windows, however, Hyper-V wasn’t made with high DPI screens in mind, and subsequently runs into compatibility problems when it comes to today’s high-resolution displays, as icons and texts become blurry. Fortunately, for Hyper-V, the problem has now been partly resolved.

Specifically, in Insider build 14371 and later, Armstrong’s team have managed to at least fix up half of the Hyper-V UI experience, which is the Virtual Machine Connection (VMC) window. The executable is now reportedly “completely DPI aware”, meaning no clipped graphics or strings at any settings. A new DPI-aware set of icons has also been made for Hyper-V, which will scale with your DPI. Finally, the problem of guest OS not being aware of host DPI in VMC basic mode has now been fixed: no more tiny boot screens or text screens.

Overall, these improvements should be most welcomed by users needing Windows virtualization, as Hyper-V is built-in and the default choice in this situation. With this, almost all of Windows will have been brought to the modern age of high-resolution displays; here’s to hoping all other third-party software makers will follow suit.

In a recent interview with Gamertag Radio, Xbox’s Aaron Greenberg reiterated Microsoft’s ambitions for the launch of their currently codenamed super powered Xbox One, Project Scorpio, and emphasised the importance of shifting console gaming into the 4K and virtual reality era.

“Well, the idea for us was, how do we bring true 4K gaming to the console market? And in order to do that, today on the PC side, if you invest in a super high end rig, or a really high end PC, you can get 4K gaming now, right? But it’s thousands of dollars, often,” he said of the financial reality of playing 4K gaming right now. “You can even get a high fidelity VR experience. But you can’t get that in the console market. And in order to do that, we know that requires 6 TFLOPs of power, so for us, that’s what we’re coming into with Project Scorpio. We’re going to build a box, we’re going to build a beast of a box, that will be 6TFLOPs of power, that will be able to deliver true 4K games, and be able to do high fidelity VR, in the living room, on a console.”

The creation of a more powerful Xbox One console is consider by many to be a necessity. While the soon-to-be-released Xbox One S console will have 4K video playback, it’s unlikely to be capable of processing 4K resolution video games (i.e. it can just play 4K movies and TV shows) and the current Xbox One console can’t even play 4K video at all. A new console had to be created, especially if Microsoft wanted to truly invest in the virtual reality space beyond high-end PCs.

The creation, of what essentially will be, multiple Xbox One console models will fracture the home audience but Greenberg sees it more as providing the users with more options. “And, think about that, with Xbox Anywhere, we’ll be able to have that ecosystem across both your console, and your PC,” he claims. “So I’m excited about that vision, and I think it’s great that we’re able to tell fans that ‘hey, if you’re looking to upgrade the Xbox One, and you want 4K video and HDR, and a smaller size, we’ve got a great box for you this holiday. But if you want the beast, you want the 6 TFLOP monster coming net holiday, we have that too. And it feels so great to be able to share that, not just with our fans, but also with our development partners, who’ll be thinking about ‘how do I make those great experiences come to life on the console next holiday?’”

Project Scorpio was first announced during the closing moments of Microsoft’s E3 2016 conference. Despite being significantly more powerful than the existing Xbox One console, Project Scorpio is being touted as being within the same console generation as the Xbox One and even moving console gaming “beyond generations”. You can read more about Project Scorpio (which is expected to get a name change before it launches in late 2017) in our full report here.

Do you think Microsoft made the right decision to announce Project Scorpio when it did? Discuss with the community in the comments below.

EA SPORTS NHL 17 is now available to pre-order on Microsoft’s Xbox One video game console ahead of its September 13^th release date. The game is the latest annual release of the NHL series and while it will be more of the same for those familiar with previous entries, it does feature several new features adjustments that should keep it fresh for long-time fans.

Here’s the official game description: Shape Your Legacy in NHL® 17, the biggest and most exciting EA SPORTS NHL game to date.

Own Every Zone with more end-to-end control with Authentic Goalies, all-new Net Battles for offensive and defensive zone play, and new goal celebrations that capture the excitement of scoring the biggest goals.

Live your hockey fantasy in all-new modes, including The World Cup of Hockey, or run the business in Franchise Mode. Take your EA SPORTS Hockey League team on a journey with a new Player Rank System and unlock customizable items and arenas and immerse yourself into Hockey Ultimate Team.

Whether you compete online for glory, live out your hockey fantasy in offline modes, or hit the ice for exciting and innovative hockey gameplay – NHL® 17 lets you Shape Your Legacy on and off the ice.

EA SPORTS NHL 17 is available to pre-order in a Standard, Deluxe, and Super Deluxe Edition. The Standard Edition pre-order comes with the full game, one month of free EA Access, the EASHL Equipment Bundle + the NHL 94 Celebration downloadable content (DLC), plus one Gold Pack per week for 10 weeks after the game launch.

The Deluxe Edition comes with everything in the Standard Edition but with the Gold Pack gifts extending for 25 weeks after launch. The Super Deluxe is the same as the Deluxe Edition but buyers will gain two Gold Packs for 25 weeks instead of one.

Are you going to pre-order EA SPORTS NHL 17? Let us know which edition you’re buying in the comments below.

Vivino has decided to discontinue support for their official Windows phone app citing lack of use as the main reason for the decision.

A tipster over at Windows Central reached out to the company and was told the following; “Unfortunately, we have ceased development and support for the app on the Windows platform. The version located on the Microsoft Store is outdated. It turns out, that the traction we have seen from the platform does not justify the development effort. In essence, we feel that a native app would not be able to deliver the best experience to our users. We know it’s not much help, but at least an explanation from our side. Your wines and other data is not lost since you can access these through our website Vivino.com.”

The Vivino app provided a rather comprehensive database of wine brands and, through using a device’s camera, could look up bottles of wine and provide cheaper alternatives, food suggestions, and reviews provided by other app users.

While the Vivino app is no longer being supported, interested Windows phone users can still download it from the app store. Here’s the official description:

JOIN THE #1 WINE APP: Shopping for wine, dining out, invited to dinner or just looking to try new wines? Vivino is your partner in wine, always with you and ready to help you pick, remember and share your wines. Take a photo of any wine label to uncork pricing, ratings, reviews, food paring suggestions and recommendations from the biggest community of more than 10 million wine lovers.

• Get to know any wine in seconds with a simple scan of a wine label.
• Dining out? Take a photo of the wine list to see the ratings and reviews.
• Remember the best and worst of wines and discover new favorites.
• Find the best wine deals and buy online.
• Get an overview of your personal taste profile and learn about the wines you love Install the #1 wine app today and uncork a simple tool to a complicated world!
• Best of all: It’s free!

Did you use the Vivino app and are you sad to see support for it end? Let us know in the comments below.

When it rains, it pours, and after a week of mixed reactions to Microsoft’s showing at E3 2016, an opportunistic research group by the name of DFC Intelligence used the seemingly murky public feedback to pile on with its ambitious prediction of the Xbox division’s exit from gaming.

However, head of Xbox Phil Spencer isn’t leaving the predictions of DFC Intelligence open for debate. In a series of tweets answering understandably curious fans, Spencer debunks the notion that the Xbox division will exit gaming or that Microsoft has plans to spin off its efforts into a separate company.

quite

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) June 22, 2016

Yes, announcing 2 consoles, to me, would be a strange lead in to that.

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) June 22, 2016

Looking back on it, DFC Intelligence took a very high-level view of the Xbox keynote at E3, wherein the organization makes the argument that Microsoft’s announcement of Project Scorpio “effectively killed the Xbox One Slim right out of the gate.” While the announcement and reveal of a lower-priced, better spec’d and updated hardware offering is a bit more nuanced than asking gamers to “wait” on a mysterious and potentially price-sensitive future project, DFC does have a strong argument to a potential stall in sales of Xbox One Slim console.

It should also be noted that DFC Intelligence has a few low-hanging fruit predictions under its belt such as gaming revenue would hit 100 billion in 2018, which looks to be surpassed as the 100 billion mark will be cleared undoubtedly later this year. However, the much larger, more overarching prediction made by DFC Intelligence that not only would the Xbox division exit the gaming market but when and why it should have rustled the feathers of gamers, journalist, and fans.

DFC’s assertions that Microsoft is not committed to gaming and that the company views the division as its “ugly step-child” will ultimately lead to the company leaving the market as soon as 2017 reads more like reactionary gamer fanboyism than calculated analysis. DFC also does itself any favors as it seemingly climbs the tent pole of conspiracy logic amidst the actual wording of Phil Spencer and other Xbox executives during the E3 2016 keynote.

There are all kinds of other problems with Microsoft’s mixed messaging. The pricing on the original Xbox One is great, and the Slim is wonderful, but all the important new games will be on PC, so why invest in a console? Just upgrade your PC. And if you do want a console why buy now when Scorpio will be here later. All of this is a net dampener on new hardware sales now and really opens the door wide open for Sony and even Nintendo for the NX.

The biggest issue is whether Microsoft will even have a game division by the time Project Scorpio launched. It is no small irony that the E3 events went on at the EXACT same time as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was announcing the $26 billion acquisition of LinkedIn.”

Barring unforeseen marketing blunders or manufacturing catastrophes, Microsoft’s Xbox division appears to be moving toward a steady goal beyond 2017. Microsoft’s gaming division is set to deliver the fan favorite Xbox S this August, a slew of first and third party games with schedules reaching well into 2017, offering customer friendly Xbox Design Lab and busy implementing a Windows 10 gaming experience that seems vital to the platform’s long-term developer viability.

With the Playstation beating Xbox One consoles at a healthy (almost) 2-to-1 sales ratio right now and an arguably (strongly argued) middling showcase at E3 2016, it seems easy for an analyst to predict another lackluster year for Microsoft’s gaming division. However, a full-scale departure from multi-billion dollar business coming off the heels of very public hardware and software focused announcement seems “strange.”

Over 248 start-up companies have entered the Affordable Access Initiative competition for Microsoft’s attention and only twelve were awarded funding. One of these companies was the WiFi Interactive Network (WIN) located in Quezon City, Philippines. With the $150,000 USD, the company will be able to work towards their goals of providing wireless connectivity to small businesses throughout the Philippines.

According to Inquirer, the president of WIN, Phili Zulueta, shared more insight through an email interview with FilAM Star personally:

Close to 60 percent of the distribution revenue of (fast moving consumer goods) in the Philippines goes through the traditional channels (such as) sari-sari stores and mini groceries. Having connectivity in these channels allow our sponsors visibility into data that they have not been able to access previously.

Because of this, brand sponsors pay for the installation, management, and maintenance of the WiFi hotspots. In return, WIN provides a ‘purchase-for-access’ model that ensures that the internet is affordable for the business owners. According to the model, “a customer first buys a sponsoring brand’s product prior to being provided internet access,” Zuleueta said. The business model allows for the sponsors of WIN to provide internet access to those that support their business, a win-win for all parties involved.

Another unique aspect of WIN is the technique of installation. Whereas WiFi connectivity has a range of 600 feet, the TV White Space (TVWS) that is created by unused television channels can reach up to an impressive 10 kilometers even over water and through thick solids. The TVWS is a prime angle for providing wireless internet across the large number of islands that make up the country.

WIN hopes to utilize the seed money from Microsoft to extend their reach to over 10,000 WiFi locations within the next three years. Zulueta explained”

Our model is scalable because our brand sponsors are present in most developing countries that also have connectivity issues. India and Indonesia are big markets, while we are looking to collaborate with other like-minded companies who are serving the nations of Africa.

Microsoft’s backing of the WiFi Interactive Network is a testament to their commitment of bringing technology globally. Agreeing with the founder of WIN, there is indeed no reason in this day and age why people should not have internet connectivity.

Developers from Microsoft Garage have released Personal Shopping Assistant, a new Chrome extension that allows users to automatically save their browsed products, get notified on price changes, and even share their favorites with others. Once you download it, the assistant will remember all the products you have encountered during your browsing sessions including key details about it and where you found them.

The extension asks you to log in with either a Microsoft or a Google account to remember your favorites across devices, share them with your friends by email, or access them on your phone by also sending you an email link that opens a web page with your listed products. Note though that “search results and catalog pages, with multiple products listed are not captured.”

On a blog post on Microsoft’s Fire Hose blog, Microsoft Garage developer Gagan Chopra explained how this simple tool allows computer users to do better shopping decisions without interfering with their workflows:

This tool doesn’t tell you what to buy or where, but it’s doing mechanical jobs we’d have to otherwise do ourselves,” Chopra says. “It tells you where else you can buy what you’re looking for and monitors it. This last part makes it much more satisfying and has really taken off on the personalization aspect. What it sees and remembers is based on their data and what is pertinent to them.

You can download the Chrome extension over here. Let us know in the comments if you think this tool can help you become a more organized shopper.

Sometimes there is just no pleasing a person no matter what you do, and perhaps Microsoft of all companies understands this most. After almost two years of back peddling and course correction, Microsoft’s Xbox division has gone out of its way (depending on how you view gaming as a business) to make up for some sizable missteps with its gaming community.

Despite the turnaround and new emphasis on co-opting both PC and console gaming experiences with Windows 10, Microsoft still finds itself in the ire of some of its staunchest critics such as Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney. Counter to what Microsoft’s Xbox team showcased at its E3 2016 keynote, Sweeney still believes the company is a monopolistic threat to gaming.

Sweeney’s criticisms of Microsoft’s recent re-focusing of PC gaming and storefront practices date back to before E3 2016 and have been well-documented. In a whirlwind of gaming media press, Sweeney’s remarks towards his fear of Windows 10 becoming a gated community took a life of their own a few months ago when he penned an article for the Guardian titled “Microsoft wants to monopolize games development on P.C. We must fight it.” Sweeney’s piece came days after a separate dedicated Xbox and Windows 10 gaming event held by Microsoft to lay out the future of console and PC gaming.

However, since Sweeney’s epic rant against how Microsoft is prioritizing its UWP and becoming “a closed platform-within-a-platform,” head of Xbox Phil Spencer sat down with him to assuage his fears. With the meeting held behind closed doors, we can only speculate that the discussion centered around dissuading incorrect notions that Windows 10 gaming and the Windows Store stands in direct conflict with other curated gaming stores such as Steam of GOG.

Apparently, the conversation has done little to move the needle on Sweeney’s concerns about a potential future where Microsoft’s Windows Store could become the default gaming platform and the company seizing an opportunity to shut out competition.

According to a report from Polygon, the discussion left Sweeney feeling less than satisfied.

We’ve continued to discuss Epic’s concerns directly with high-level Microsoft folks, and are grateful for their willingness to engage in substantive discussions.

“However, no conclusion is yet in sight.”

While some may dismiss Sweeney’s arguments as the rantings of a hypocritical salesperson, he does raise some valid concerns. Fortunately, for gamers to-date, Steam and GOG have taken up residencies in the Windows ecosystem as the default gaming stores and as long as Windows continues to support legacy software that relies on Win32 development or .exe installations, neither store is threatened.

Necessity may narrow Sweeney’s focus; he may be missing the bigger picture of Microsoft’s need to continue Win32 support for the foreseeable future. With legacy business support still at the Windows ecosystem forefront, users who choose to use applications and programs such as Steam and GOG will be free to do so.

Where Microsoft’s ultimate merging of PC and console gaming lands on the spectrum with efforts such as Xbox Play Anywhere or continued UWP development remains an unknown. Perhaps for Sweeney’s part, his doom-and-gloom approach backed by a burn-it-to-the-ground mentality could use a little more cautious observation, especially in light of his seemingly contradictory active participation in the Apple App Store.

Mollie Ruiz Hopper has just taken to the Windows Blog to announce that Samsung is unveiling two new Notebook 7 spin Windows 10 machines. Coming in two sizes, at 15.6-inches and 13-inches, the new devices will be available starting June 26, 2016, at Best Buy, BestBuy.com, and Samsung.com starting at $799.99.

The Samsung Notebook 7 spin feature a 1 TB hard drive, and a full 360-dgree full HD touch screen with a video HDR mode. It also packs an Intel Core i5 or i7, up to 12 GB or RAM, and an upgradable SSD Option.

The 15.6 notebook can be fully charged in 90 minutes, while the 13-inch notebook can be fully charged in 100 minutes. Display wise, the 360- degree touch display offers up incredible viewing angles, and can be transformed into notebook, tent, or tablet modes. The Samsung Notebook 7 spin also packs an  ergonomic auto backlit keyboard with useful hotkeys that give instant access to functions most often used.

So, what do you think of this new offering from Samsung? Do you think you will pick it up once it hits stores on June 26th? Let us know your thoughts by dropping us a comment below.