In the News

The Xbox One S and the PS4 Slim, both of which are fairly different beasts than the original Xbox One and the PS4 that launched three years ago. The Xbox One S especially is a really competent product- as console revisions go, it may even be the best in history. It is such an improvement over the original console that even people who already have an Xbox should look into getting one for themselves.

Microsoft is building a Windows 10 version for its popular Paint tool. According to The Verge, Microsoft is adding in 3D object support, which will be an “ideal addition” for HoloLens. There are a range of art tools and markers to help create these objects too.

Microsoft’s next big event is happening on October 26. For Microsoft, October has always been about Surface branded hardware. Last year, Microsoft stunned the world by announcing Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book. The focus, this time, is reportedly around Windows 10 Redstone 2 update and Microsoft is reported to showcase third party OEM products.

A Nokia feature phone, which are now said to make a comeback, took a bullet to save a man’s life. This news comes directly from folks at Microsoft who have posted images of the bullet-ridden Nokia handset which is now the cause of prolonged lifespan of its user. These pictures, shared by Microsoft’s General Manager Peter Skillman (via Twitter) have now been going viral on the internet and social media.

Wipro unveiled a new solution, AgileBase, on Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform and infrastructure to enable global enterprises to develop and operate applications faster. “We make investments in building solutions to help customers take advantage of Azure. Our new platform will help customers adopt DevOps faster, both on-premises and to migrate and develop applications on Azure,” said Hiral Chandrana, Senior Vice-President for business-application services, Wipro.

Microsoft owned LinkedIn, on October 6, introduced a new feature to help its users find a job secretly, while there are still employed. The feature is known as ‘Open Candidates’ and allows users to indicate recruiters that they are open to new job opportunities. Eddie Vivas, Head of Product for LinkedIn’s talent solutions business said, “The big challenge job seekers have today is that their profiles are an indication in general of where they are now, not necessarily where they want to go.”

In a new development that theoretically adds substance to reports about Microsoft not releasing new Lumia smartphones in the future, the Redmond-based company’s popular and recent Lumia 550 pure mid-ranger has received a solid $40 price cut and is available to buy at reduced prices. This discount is applicable to the carrier-unlocked variant of the Lumia 550 in the US. Microsoft’s official eStore itself has currently listed the Lumia 550 for a price of $99 (Rs.6603) representing a $40 discount from the handset’s original price tag of $139.

The latest game in the series, Mafia 3, is going to release on Xbox One on 7th October, 2016. It looks promising, bringing a mix of real life settings, historical references, and depictions of gang life.

Microsoft is looking to expand its partner ecosystem under its Surface Enterprise Initiative and Surface-as-a-service campaign. Microsoft in its blog post said, “We have made it our mission to partner with the best in the industry to create the Surface ecosystem together. We continue to look for partners who want to be a part of the greater Surface ecosystem. There is fertile ground to be explored in this area, and we are excited to work with and through partners worldwide to create the next generation services and support capabilities.”

Bharat Sharma, a Class XII student of Shaheed Rajpal DAV Public School won Microsoft’s Imagine Cup Earth 2016, a global student technology competition. Bharat developed a game using Kodu, a visual programming language for the online competition. His game focused on ‘protecting the tuna’, and the project “Shadowing the Tuna Brats,” is based on green practices. The player uses three different cakes for fishing, to maintain a good population of tuna.