In the News

Microsoft is betting on artificial intelligence (AI) with the creation at the end of September of a new AI and Research Group. This newly formed group brings together Microsoft’s research organization and more than 5,000 computer scientists and engineers focused on AI and is now the fourth major division in the company, on par with the Windows, Office and Cloud divisions.

Almost half of Australian IT leaders will drive their organizations’ transition to hybrid cloud infrastructure over the next few years, according to a study by Microsoft. Approximately 40 percent of Australian respondents indicated that their organizations are already transitioning to hybrid cloud with either integrated or non-integrated public or private cloud infrastructure. Microsoft expects this number to increase to 49 percent in the next 12 to 18 months.

Microsoft issued a firmware fix to a second battery issue affecting some Surface Pro 3 devices on November 7. Microsoft officials acknowledged a second battery issue affecting some Surface Pro 3 users in late September. This acknowledgement came after a firmware fix for a different Surface Pro 3 battery issue experienced by some with devices using Simplo batteries. Microsoft issued a firmware fix meant to address those with Simplo devices suffering from extreme battery-drainage issues in August.

Back in May, MSPoweruser got a preview of Project Cheshire, a to-do list app that Microsoft has been building. Reportedly that tool has got a major update and is in private beta. Since the first time it was revealed, Project Cheshire has arrived on Android and iOS, and is also available as a UWP app. As with other such tools, it lets users create multiple lists, set reminders and sync your to-dos across your devices.

WhatsApp has always been a supporter to Windows Phone and now the company has decided to add another security feature for the Windows Phone users. WhatsApp is still investing in its Windows Phone apps, keeping Microsoft users in line with Android and iOS users. According to MicrosoftInsider, WhatsApp might soon offer two-factor authentication for the Windows Phone platform. Two-factor authentication is a security measure that protects users’ accounts beyond the typical username and password layer, providing alternative authentication systems, such as codes that are delivered to the owner’s mobile phone.

Earlier this year, Microsoft made a splash at its Ignite conference for IT professionals when it announced that it has been racking cards of programmable chips together with servers in its cloud data centers. The chips, called field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), can be reconfigured after being deployed to optimize them for particular applications such as networking and machine learning. Now, Microsoft is investing in tools that would allow customers to program the FPGAs, said Scott Guthrie, the Executive Vice President in charge of Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise division.

Congratulating Donald Trump for becoming the 45th US President, Microsoft’s Indian-born CEO Satya Nadella said he looks forward to working with all those elected. “We witnessed the democratic process in action here in the US. The results are of importance around the world, and I know that interest is shared among Microsoft employees,” Nadella said in a statement posted on LinkedIn.

Microsoft has rolled out their latest version of Microsoft Pix. This update comes along with several improvements for iPhone users including better support for live images. What’s New in Version 1.0.21: Live Image’s white balance has been improved to make it consistent with the captured photo, one can now perform crop/rotation/filter or face enhancement at the same time and apply the changes only once and more.

Skype has now launched a program to improve the video chatting application, based on feedback from its most dedicated users. Those who are interested in the program will have early access to the latest features and updates across all platforms, before a wider roll out. Skype Insiders will also be able to contribute to the direction the product goes in, as well as help the Skype team improve the user experience. Planned new features include group video calls, one on one VoIP audio calls, and Emoji.

Microsoft is currently working on the Xbox Scorpio, their next console, which is due to launch in Holiday 2017. Unlike the relatively disappointing PS4 Pro, the Scorpio seems to be a beast of a machine- it was unveiled at E3 as ‘the most powerful console ever made,’ and with a 6TFLOP GPU, it looks like Microsoft will deliver on that vision. Citing insider sources, Windows Central claims that the Scorpio will become the centre for first party game development, for all Microsoft games on Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One.