Recent News

Microsoft has announced that Forge – the map editor for Xbox One exclusive Halo 5 is coming to Windows 10 PCs later this year. Users can now use the comfy confines of the keyboard and mouse to create in-game masterpieces. In addition to this there will be support for increased resolutions including 4K and the ability to enlist the help of friends to test the maps. In the past, Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 have been released on Windows PCs. Having Forge available now is possibly just the tip of the iceberg before Halo 5 and possibly prior Halo titles come to Windows 10.

“Minecraft,” the popular Microsoft-owned world building video game, is heading to China. Microsoft announced a deal with NetEase, a Chinese online services company, to develop and sell mobile and personal computer versions of “Minecraft” tailored for the Chinese market. The company didn’t announce a release date for the games. Microsoft has a separate deal with China’s BesTV to distribute a version of “Minecraft” for the Xbox video game console too.

Microsoft said it will step up its commitment to reduce the impact its data centers have on the environment. That means using more wind, solar, and hydropower to generate electricity. Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer, Microsoft, said, “Across the tech sector, we need to recognize that data centers will rank by the middle of the next decade among the largest users of electrical power on the planet. Today, roughly 44 percent of the electricity used by Microsoft’s data centers comes from renewable energy sources. Our goal is to pass the 50 percent milestone by the end of 2018, top 60 percent early in the next decade, and then to keep improving from there.”

Microsoft has announced it will put the standard 12 examination results of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on its search engine Bing. The standard 10 results will also be put out in a similar fashion. Microsoft that they aim to take out the unknown elements from exam result experiences and make the process easy and reliable.

The new “Doom” sticks closely to the wacky plot of the original 1993 game. Once again, players portray an unnamed space marine crudely blasting his way across Mars, where hellish demons of all shapes and sizes are pouring out of gaping interdimensional holes. All the weapons a die-hard “Doom” devotee could desire are present. There’s the rocket launcher, super shotgun, chainsaw and — of course — the BFG.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will be in India later this month. In his third visit to the country in just seven months, Nadella is expected to meet entrepreneurs and developers as part of the trip. Microsoft will also host an event with Nadella on 30 May. According to the invites, the head of the US-based software giant will talk about “how technology is fostering a culture of innovation to solve real-world problems and driving India’s transformation”.

There’s been a lot of talk the last couple of weeks about the newest Battlefield and Call of Duty games. Xbox One users can now download the original Call of Duty: Black Ops game on their current generation consoles thanks to backwards compatibility. The game is being offered, as a special treat, for a deep discount for those who have an Xbox Live Gold account.

Microsoft is working on a new digital assistant called the Bing Concierge Bot. According to Microsoft’s job description, the Bing Concierge Bot will be able to communicate with the user over a variety of chat platforms, including Skype, Messenger, SMS, WhatsApp, and Telegram. The “highly intelligent productivity agent” performs the same tasks a human assistant would. It automatically completes tasks for the user and runs errands on the user’s behalf.

Microsoft has pledged to make its cloud a bit greener. Efficient energy use was easier for Microsoft when it was a builder of out-of-the-box software whose main energy need was keeping the lights on at its office parks. According to Microsoft President Brad Smith data centers “will rank by the middle of the next decade among the large users of electrical power on the planet.” He said, “We need to keep working on a sustained basis to build and operate greener datacenters that will serve the world well.”

Microsoft’s Magic Mirror can recognize and greet users, read their emotions and display the weather, time and other information. The Magic Mirror has a hidden facial-recognition camera that can detect eight human emotions, including anger, happiness and surprise. The company plans to expand the mirror’s features, allowing it to show app-fed news as well as Facebook and Twitter feeds in a display panel.