In the News

A new list of Xbox 360 games that will be backwards compatible on the Xbox One has been revealed by Microsoft. Though games like The Witcher 2 and Red Dead Redemption still haven’t been confirmed, there are still a healthy number of titles to look forward. Prominent among those is Halo: Reach, Braid, Deus Ex: Human Evolution and Portal: Still Alive. Microsoft has promised to regularly reveal Xbox 360 titles that will receive the backwards compatible treatment.

Microsoft brings two-device support to its popular Translator app. The speech recognition is top-notch, translations are generally good and the speed at which it does this allows to have conversations in close to real-time with only slight pauses as each party reads the screen. Users with an Android Wear or Apple Watch, can now enjoy a close-to-seamless real-time conversation by handing over the phone while using the built-in microphone on smartwatch.

Microsoft Corp. and the American Council of the Blind announced they will partner on efforts to advance the accessibility of information technologies to better meet the needs of persons with visual impairments. “To deliver great solutions for people with disabilities, accessibility must be central to our culture and an integral part of how we design and build Microsoft products. By working with the ACB, we will gain valuable user insights about our experiences.” said Rob Sinclair, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft.

Microsoft Office Suite, available on Windows phone, has been selected as the Best Office Suite app of 2015. An Office 365 account is all that’s needed for operating Word, Excel and PowerPoint, respectively. It’s free only for basic editing, and offers the advance features only if the user has an Office 365 subscription. Microsoft’s Sunrise Calendar was a popular pick for its light and intuitive interface and Android widget while Outlook was been chosen as the best email feature.

Microsoft’s latest and greatest controller for the Xbox One, the Elite controller, has been selling gang busters since it released on October 27th next to Halo 5: Guardians. The response was so great that Xbox boss Phil Spencer wasn’t even sure if consumers would be able to find one for Christmas. The Xbox Elite controller retails for $149.99 and includes an interchangeable D-Pad, thumbsticks, hair triggers and other customization options for players. It’s been widely praised for its feel and range of customization.

OneDrive for Business entered the next stage of its evolution on Wednesday when Microsoft launched a series of updates that are aimed at improving its cloud storage and productivity service for businesses and other large organizations. The company launched its next-generation OneDrive for Business sync client which should bring increased speed and reliability to the experience of using Microsoft’s enterprise cloud storage on a computer.

Microsoft restarted distribution of Windows 10 previews by delivering the first new build since the November upgrade of five weeks ago.The new version, identified as build 11082, was offered to Windows Insider participants who have selected the “Fast” ring, or delivery track.

Microsoft’s Lync replacement, Skype for Business, is now available for Android. Available without a fussy beta tag, Skype for Business — for Android — brings all the functionality you like about Skype, but with a mobile twist. A new dashboard surfaces all of your upcoming meetings, contacts and recent conversations. The app also has full-screen video and large buttons for things like muting your microphone or disabling video.

Smartwatch market in the country has got a new player — Hug Innovations, an Indian technology startup. The company has launched its gesture control-enabled Hug Smartwatch. The smartwatch is built on the Microsoft Azure platform and is designed to help users control their gadgets with motion of hands.

Technovanza and Microsoft present the Hack4India Challenge, powered by Exotel. Inspired by the Prime Minister’s initiatives and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s program to bring low-cost broadband technology to some five lakh villages across the country, Technovanza wishes to affect positive change and develop a new generation of programmers that will provide innovative solutions to the challenges faced by many in India.