Recent News

This year’s roster of Microsoft-published Xbox One games such as Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition, and Recore sport cheaper prices and are up for pre-order right now. Amazon India has Gears of War 4 listed at Rs. 3,998 as is Forza Horizon 3. Meanwhile Recore will set you back by Rs. 3,298. In addition to these is Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition which includes all seasons of Microsoft’s fighting game as well as its characters and content; all at Rs. 3,298.

The state government in association with Microsoft is developing a mobile app which is built on the Microsoft platform Kaizala. This is set to empower Dwcra groups in the state. Representatives from Microsoft met Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to discuss about the app. The application will help showcase the products made by the Dwcra women and also help market them. The application will also be useful for internal communication among them.

Fancy an email ID in your mother tongue? Given the Indian government’s aim, American tech giants Google, Microsoft and homegrown providers like Rediff could soon be signing you up for email addresses in the desi language of your choice. At a meeting convened last month, the government asked email service providers to enable users to sign up for addresses in local languages, starting with Hindi.

The “Microsoft India Citizenship Report 2015-16” highlights the achievements of Microsoft’s citizenship initiatives in the country. The company has so far equipped more than 7.7 lakh government school teachers with IT skills across 12 states in India under its Project Shiksha program. Microsoft is also running digital literacy initiatives under the YouthSpark program for marginalized communities, with a special focus on girls and young women.

It’s almost been a year since Microsoft launched its Windows 10. The Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users were offered a free upgrade to the newer version of the OS. After July 29, the company will be charging $119 for upgrades to Windows 10. Users who upgrade to Windows 10 during the free period can also upgrade to the Anniversary update coming on August 2 for free.

Windows 10 Pro Education is the new version that is specifically aimed at schools. ‘Existing devices running Windows 10 Pro, currently activated with the original OEM digital product key and purchased with discounted K-12 academic licenses through OEM partners (these discounted licenses are sometimes referred to as National Academic or Shape the Future), will upgrade automatically to Windows 10 Pro Education as part of the Windows 10, version 1607 installation,’ Microsoft explains.

Many Surface Pro 3 users have been complaining about battery drain since May. Now, Microsoft has confirmed that the battery drain issue can be fixed via a software update. A company representative confirmed this through the company’s support forums, “Based on our investigations we can confirm that it is not an issue with the battery cells. We believe this is something that can be addressed via software.”

Microsoft’s plans for the F# “functional first” language include an upgrade later this year that adds capabilities ranging from struct tuples to improved error messages. Backing for .Net Core, a multiplatform, open source version of the .Net programming model, also is in the works. F# 4.1 focuses on flexibility and incremental improvements, the Microsoft Visual FSharp team said. It features struct tuples and interoperability with Visual C# 7 and Visual Basic tuples.

Windows 10 will be a year old on July 29 and Microsoft’s offer to legal owners of Windows 7 and 8 to upgrade to Win 10 for free, ends on that day. They will also be eligible to install the Anniversary Update, scheduled for August 2, and all subsequent updates, for free. Unless Microsoft extends the deadline again, which seems unlikely, Windows 10 in its cheapest version will henceforth cost the equivalent of $119. Also, Windows 7 may be perfectly adequate right now, but it will be supported only till 2020.