In the News

Ubuntu-based Bash Shell could be installed on Windows 10 in case you do intend to run Linux software directly on Windows. In Windows 10’s Anniversary update, Microsoft introduced a “Linux Subsystem for Windows” which is a big new feature for developers. However, if you are using 64-bit Windows 10 Insider preview, then you can easily install the Bash shell.

Simran Singh, a student of Class XII of Sheiling House School, brought laurels to the institution and his parents by winning a global competition, ‘Imagine Cup-Earth’, conducted by Microsoft. Simran, who had been learning the basics of coding early on, managed to design a web application on an algae named, ‘Project Vision’ which predicts algae levels, and plots it in the form of an image on the desktop monitor or laptop screen. He had the privilege of meeting Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in New Delhi, where he introduced his web app to him.

Earlier this week, Rajya Sabha passed the GST bill. Hailed as the biggest tax reform in India since independence, GST harmonizes 11 state and central levies into a national sales tax and cuts business transaction costs. Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India, “I am pleased that the Goods and Services Tax Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha. It is a positive development and I hope the government will implement this long pending reform by April 1, 2017. The government’s idea of a single-tax regime is crucial to improve ease of doing business in India and address the ambiguities of the current indirect tax landscape, proving beneficial for the economy, at large.”

The Xbox One S’s launch has been a major success, and the console has gone on to sell out. This actually comes as a shock to a lot of people, as many would argue that the Xbox One S had everything stacked against it from the beginning. Speaking on Twitter, Phil Spencer thanked everyone who had made it a success, adding that he views it as a vindication of Microsoft’s decision to be open about their plans for upcoming hardware, and letting customers make an informed choice either way.

GameStop’s rather attractive trade in program for the Xbox One S, where users trade in one of the other relevant current generation systems to get up to $200 off from Microsoft’s slimline revision, was originally only valid on July 30. But now, the retailer has gone ahead and extended the offer through all of August. The offer accepts trade ins of a PlayStation 4, an Xbox One, a Wii U, or a Nintendo 3DS towards a new Xbox One S (any bundle and any SKU). Trading in an Xbox One nets you a $150 discount, while Wii U and 3DS net you $100.

LinkedIn Corp. reported earnings and revenue that were higher than analysts expected, after the company negotiated a $26.2 billion sale to Microsoft. This may be LinkedIn’s last earnings report as an independent company, before it joins Microsoft in one of the largest technology industry deals on record. The company started the deal process after earlier this year reporting that it would grow more slowly than expected, causing its shares to drop more than 40 percent in a day.

Boeing’s decision to run its aviation analytics applications on the Azure cloud computing software is a big win for Microsoft, which is chasing Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the high-stakes race to sell computing, storage and other infrastructure software over the internet. The aerospace giant based its choice largely on Microsoft’s willingness to help it develop applications to serve its 300 airline customers, which are starved for ways to optimize fuel efficiency and better manage fleets.

The Thread Group and Open Connectivity Foundation join forces to make it easier for smart home devices to connect. Windows 10 has the ability to automate home tasks, and the operating system’s smart-home credentials are getting a serious boost with a recent internet of things pact. Microsoft wants to put Windows 10 at the center of smart homes. The company wants users to be able to tell the operating system’s Cortana voice assistant to switch on a light, open a door, release food for a cat, and even check the contents of a refrigerator.

Microsoft introduced Skype Bots in the month of March. Now, the company has introduced new bots for Skype that help users in doing everything from making travel plans to buying tickets for events. The new bots are Hipmunk, StubHub, IFTTT and Skyscanner. While StubHub enables users to find tickets to concerts and other events, IFTTT serves automated notifications from apps, devices, and websites based on user interests.

Prysm Inc, a global collaboration solutions provider, has enhanced offerings within Prysm Visual Workplace with integrated Microsoft OneDrive for Business and Office 365. Using the OneDrive for Business API from Microsoft, Prysm has made it easy for customers to connect Prysm to their existing OneDrive for Business environments to make it a seamless experience for end users to access, search for, and sync with content from OneDrive for Business. Within a Prysm Visual Workplace project, users may now access, work within and download content from Office 365 using Prysm’s built-in web capabilities.