Author: Microsoft Stories

At the ‘Consumer Preview of Windows 10’ event, Microsoft took the wraps off its latest web browser Spartan. The Spartan browser is an universal application, and will be available across devices. It comes with Cortana integration, which is designed to fetch and display information like bookings, flights, hotel, package tracking, and other data in within the browser.

After unveiling a bunch of new Windows 10 features, Microsoft finally unveiled a brand new product – the Microsoft Surface Hub. The Surface Hub features an 84-inch 4K display, with advanced sensors, dual-cameras, mic array, speakers and support for multi-touch and multi-pen. The device is aimed at work places where there is a need for devices with large screens.

Asus launched a new netbook in India. Called the EeeBook X205, the netbook runs on Windows 8.1 and is priced at Rs 14,999. Highlights of the netbook include its attractive price point, and the impressive set of hardware it manages to pack in. The EeeBook X205 comes with an 11.6-inch display with 1366×768 pixels resolution. It is powered by a 1.3GHz Intel Bay Trail Atom Z3735 processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

At the Windows 10 event, Microsoft announced its first prominent take on augmented reality: Windows Holographic. Microsoft says, with HoloLens, it is finding new ways to visualize, work and create things at work. The HoloLens comes with see-through, “holographic” lenses. It is powered by company’s self-built Holographic Processing Unit and high-end CPU. The headset doesn’t require any connection with a PC. The HoloLens enables one to interact with the environment using gestures like ‘pinch to zoom’.

Dropbox acquired CloudOn, the developer of technology that allows users to edit documents, including Office 365-based documents, on mobile devices and store them in one of multiple file sync and share applications. Dropbox plans to use CloudOn as a way to expand its collaboration technology, but the company does not seem to have specific plans to keep CloudOn’s huge mobile customer base.

Microsoft updated its preview of Outlook on the Mac, the tease it offered Office 365 subscribers in October 2014. This update was the first for the revamped email client, which sports a streamlined user interface (UI) and will look and work more like the next edition of Outlook on Windows than previous editions. The update is available only to customers with an active Office 365 subscription.

Stephen Alvarez, a National Geographic photographer, recently shot some awesome photos and videos using his Lumia 830. This time, he shoots some new videos in 4K resolution using the new Lumia 930 with the Denim update. The Microsoft Lumia 930 has a Carl Zeiss lens and equipped with a 20MP sensor. Together with the new Denim update, the camera is capable of shooting 4K (2160P) resolution photos and videos with great ease.

Microsoft has announced that the company has acquired Equivio, a text analytics service that identifies documents relevant to legal and compliance needs through machine-learning techniques. According to TechCrunch, Microsoft will use Equivio’s eDiscover and other information governance tools to develop Office 365’s offerings in these areas.

A unique mix of capitalist and socialist policies has positioned the Indian economy as one of the ten largest economies in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) growth and per capita income. India is looking to fill the gaps in expertise in the fields of smart grids, nanotechnology, and advanced manufacturing by fostering innovation at the institution level. Some significant organisations involved in this exercise include Microsoft, with its I-Spark programme aimed at nurturing innovation among students across colleges in India. It has set up more than 25 centres in engineering colleges and incubated multiple start-ups.