Author: Microsoft Stories

Microsoft armed Windows Insiders with a new technique to help bash bugs when it rolled out its Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14332. The Redmond giant is allowing Windows Insiders to tackle the bugs in the sequence and style that comes naturally to them, rather than laying out the steps to access a feature or scenario. With this open-ended approach to bug-bashing, Microsoft will likely receive a wider range of bug reports.

Bsquare announced that it has extended the terms of its distribution agreement for Microsoft Windows Embedded, including IoT products such as Windows 10 IoT. This agreement, which maintains a longstanding relationship between the companies, enables Bsquare to continue providing Microsoft Windows IoT to its OEM customers as well as to DataV IoT customers that require a robust embedded OS.

Twist Bioscience, a company accelerating science and innovation through rapid, high-quality DNA synthesis, announced Microsoft has agreed to purchase ten million long oligonucleotides from Twist Bioscience to encode digital data. Doug Carmean, Microsoft Partner Architect, Technology and Research organization, Microsoft, said, “As our digital data continues to expand exponentially, we need new methods for long-term, secure data storage. The initial test phase with Twist demonstrated that we could encode and recover 100 percent of the digital data from synthetic DNA. We’re still years away from a commercially- viable product, but our early tests with Twist demonstrate that in the future we’ll be able to substantially increase the density and durability of data storage.”

Microsoft has asserted that it is committed to the Windows 10 Mobile platform and is currently working on the next-generation products. Terry Myerson, Executive Vice President, Windows and Devices Group, Microsoft, said in an email, “I understand that you are hearing concerns from certain partners about Microsoft’s commitment to the mobile space. Let me be very clear: We are committed to deliver Windows 10 on mobile devices with small screen running ARM processors.”

Microsoft’s new business communication product is finally coming to the Mac after the company launched it for PC users last year. The company announced the first technical preview of Skype for Business for Mac. This provides users of Apple computers an easy way to connect to meetings they have scheduled through Microsoft’s professional audio and videoconferencing software.

The article presents a review of the ‘Gears of Wars 4’ game, available on Xbox One. The game runs extremely well, thanks to the improved hardware in the Xbox One. It did make some sacrifices in terms of textures to help ensure players get a smooth 60 fps multiplayer experience which makes a phenomenal difference to the Gears of War 4 multiplayer.

Everyone, who’s anyone in the tech industry, from Jess Bezos to Mark Zuckerberg has signed an open letter to Congress urging them to put $250m of federal funds towards providing every student in the US with the opportunity to learn computer science. Some $48 million has been raised privately, including $23 million from the likes of Microsoft and Google towards Code.org, plus additional funds from both of these companies and others specifically geared towards schools.

Paragon Solutions, an advisory consulting and systems integration firm, announced it has achieved a Silver Microsoft Project and Portfolio Management competency. To earn a Microsoft silver competency, partners must successfully demonstrate expertise through rigorous exams, culminating in Microsoft certifications. Phil Sorgen, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Partner Group, Microsoft, said, “By achieving a silver competency, organizations have proven their expertise in specific technology areas, placing them among the top 5 percent of Microsoft partners worldwide.”

Microsoft has started testing its app handoff feature allowing apps to handover data across devices to enable users continue where they left off. The Windows 10 feature, codenamed Project Rome, aims to let Windows 10 apps connect and share data with other devices via Bluetooth and the Internet.

Otis Elevator Company and its parent company, United Technologies Corporation, are looking towards building a strategic alliance with Microsoft. It will accelerate development of digital solutions for smart building equipment, such as elevators, to improve energy efficiency and make people more productive. Tito Arciniega, Vice President, Worldwide Industry and Global Accounts, Microsoft, said, “United Technologies is at the forefront of an essential shift, using technology to make buildings and transportation function more efficiently and move the world forward.”