Microsoft News, Reviews And Analysis Featuring Paul Thurrott Windows, Office, Mobile & More


Another day, another selection of tech tidbits: Various Microsoft app updates on iOS and Android, SpotBright is a wonderful app for all Windows 10 users, Google Nexus 5X gets a permanent price cut, and an interesting comparison of the adoption of the latest Android and iOS versions. For many users, protecting Windows against viruses and other malware is a combination of common sense and using the OS's built-in security tools. The good news that can be derived from the tweet is that we may see either or both a PC and Mobile build drop next week. As a reminder, the last build that went out to testers was Windows 10 Mobile Insider preview 10586.36 on Dec 17. Windows 10 build 11082 for PCs, also known as Redstone, went out a day earlier. Next week could also see the official roll out of Windows 10 Mobile , rumored to take place on Tuesday, January 12th, which also falls on Patch Tuesday. Windows Phone 8.1 devices that support the upgrade path to Windows 10 Mobile could be prompted to upgrade on that day , although nothing has been confirmed yet. Although it's clear Aul hasn't broken any promises to Windows Insiders, it's good to know that we will probably get at least one new build to play around with next week, quite possibly both for Mobile and the desktop. Even so, Microsoft won't rely on a transient halo effect to drive Windows 10 Mobile. That will help, along with a constant supply of new hardware to keep Microsoft in the news. Samsung's tablet was first mentioned in the summer Recent reports suggest a 12-inch model running Windows 10 to compete with Apple's iPad Pro. Surface Phone will be the key device in 2016 for Microsoft's mobile ambitions, but expect plenty of other devices like the HP Falcon , and mid-range devices from other partners. However, an explosion of IoT and smart home news is coming at January's CES show and over the year. Microsoft needs its own devices, or compatibility with these and the likes of Amazon Echo, to ensure that Windows becomes a key part of the smart home environment. It stands a greater chance of success in smart cities where Azure can play a big part and Windows 10 Core for IoT will be easily accepted by smart city businesses businesses, project managers for national and local projects. While it may launch to modest, enthusiast-dominated, interest in 2016, virtual and augmented reality could be huge for Windows 10. For example, if you're running Windows 7, any browser version below IE 11 won't be supported anymore, while on Windows Vista SP2, IE 9 will still receive security updates. Customers have 24 months to move to Windows 8.1 after General Availability in order to remain supported. If you wish to remain supported, i.e. receive security updates, it's high time to upgrade to Windows 8.1 or move directly to Windows 10. Microsoft is aiming for 1 billion devices running Windows 10. Those of you running Windows 7 or 8.1 can expect to get hassled by Microsoft to upgrade to Windows 10 We have already seen some of Microsoft's strategies, such as removing the option to decline the upgrade. The first Redstone Preview Build was just released to Windows Insiders, but only contains minor changes. Most notably, Microsoft has made structural improvements to OneCore , the shared code of cross-device Windows versions. Essentially, OneCore is the heart of Windows, and these improvements to OneCore make building Windows across PC, tablet, phone, IoT, Hololens and Xbox more efficient. The page was quickly taken down, but what this means is that browser extensions for Edge will soon show up in a Windows Insider Preview build. Windows 7 and 8.1 users have until July 29, 2016 to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. To secure this offer, it's sufficient to activate Windows 10 once, which will tie the license to your current hardware. Once you have done that, you will be able to re-install Windows 10 indefinitely on this particular device. To secure the free upgrade offer without giving up your current Windows installation, you could install a Windows 10 dual boot This is easier than it sounds! Interestingly, even though support ends in January, Windows 8 will theoretically be sold pre-installed until June 30, 2016. Microsoft's flagship operating system didn't manage to overtake any of the most recent and still popular older Windows versions, including Windows XP. By summer 2016, despite increased efforts to get laggards into upgrading, Windows 10 will barely surpass Windows XP and Windows 8.1 to become the second most used operating system. But it won't even be close to catching up with Windows 7. This will force Microsoft to extend its free upgrade offer, possibly even to Windows XP users, which will still make up around 8% of the market. From productivity to entertainment, we've rounded up a selection of apps that definitely deserve a place on your Windows 10 device. Todoist has been keeping the Alphr team organised for a while now, and so it's great to see it finally launching a native Windows 10 app. And, thanks to a new three-pane view, currently only available on Windows 10, group discussions are now possible in one view alongside your upcoming tasks and folders. It's no surprise that some of the best-designed apps to hit the Windows Store have come from within Microsoft. If you're working on several projects at once and have a ton of things to remember to do on each, Wunderlist is a great app that's worth incorporating into your Windows life. Several auto-updates as well as a version update for Audials 2016 plus the Audials charts with music and movies like every month. As the world's leading streaming recorder for films, videos and music, the new Generation 2016 of Audials Windows software delivers many other new features and improvements. Audials Charts for music and movie recording, another Tips & Tricks workshop and Audials Software Update News. Microsoft's latest cumulative update for Windows 10 was supposed to improve wireless connectivity, but it introduced some substantial bugs as well. Microsoft is pushing forward with its plans to force users to upgrade to Windows 10 in everything but name. Microsoft's latest Windows 10 update is causing problems for at least some users, and uninstalling programs without the user's consent or evidence of a problem. In addition, Microsoft also updated its privacy policy in order to clear how and when Windows 10 utilizes users' data. More than 44.5 Billion minutes were spent in Microsoft Edge across Windows 10 devices in December alone. About 30 percent more Bing search queries per Windows 10 device compared to prior versions of Windows. We'll keep you up to date with Latest News and In-Depth coverage of Current and Future Trends in Information technology. Even though new Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 PC sales end 10-31-2016, the end of support ” date for extended support,” which includes security updates for Windows, will continue far beyond 2016. For Windows 7, the end of support date for extended support is January 14, 2010. For Windows 8.1, the end of support date for extended support is January 10, 2023. This will allow users who wish to keep using those versions of Windows to keep receiving security patches for the software. It also gives users plenty of time to update to Windows 10 before the end of support date. Currently, Windows 10 is being offered as a free upgrade for all existing users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. For users who end up facing the end of support for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, the only options at that time will be to either install the latest available update or service pack and risk exposure to new issues that arise or to upgrade to a newer version of Windows. However, unsupported versions of Microsoft Windows will still continue to run, even if those versions are no longer considered secure. You can find out more information about the Windows Support Lifecycle at the Windows Support Lifecycle Policy FAQ ” page. New Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 PC Sales End 10-31-2016- News: A picture of the End of support” dates for Microsoft Windows as of November 5, 2015 (Source: Microsoft). In observance of the upcoming holiday, USAC will close at 2:00 PM ET on Thursday, December 31, and remain closed on Friday, January 1, 2016. As we approach the 2016 Funding Year, we are balancing the benefits of setting specific dates with the desire to deliver the best possible experience for applicants in the new EPC environment. The Funding Year (FY) 2016 FCC Form 470 Search Tools located on the USAC website have recently been updated. The windows will allow AM licensee applications to move one non-reserved band (92.1 through 107.9) translator up to 250 miles from the translator's currently licensed site. However, there's a twist in Windows 8 support cycle — as a result, it runs out on January 12th. On January 12, Microsoft will be rolling out its first Patch Tuesday of 2016 that will be the last batch of Windows 8 updates. Windows 8, support ends 24 months after the next service pack releases or at the end of the product's support lifecycle, whichever comes first. With Windows 8.1, Microsoft promised tons of bug fixes, new features, and enhancements. While Windows 8.1 reaches its end of support on January 10, 2023, the end of Windows 8 has finally arrived. If you love Windows 8 and want something familiar, go for it as Windows 8.1 is a free upgrade for Windows 8 users. There's also an option to upgrade your PC to the latest Windows iteration i.e. Windows 10. Again, it's free of charge and a few clicks away. While Microsoft could justify this step by calling it straight from the rulebook, it could also be seen as a strategy to lure users into upgrading to Windows 10. Most analysts expected businesses to get serious about upgrading their employees to Windows 10 in 2016, and if 76% of them are in pilots, that's certainly a sign that things are on track. Plus, when businesses are using the latest version of the PC operating system, that encourages them to upgrade all their other Microsoft business software to current versions, whether that's Office 365, Windows Server, or Microsoft's SQL Server database, and those upgrades will usually incur additional fees. It's true that Microsoft is slowly weaning itself from its Windows empire, and encouraging businesses to rent all of their Microsoft business software from Microsoft's cloud, whether that's Microsoft Office 365, SQL Server, or Microsoft Dynamics (its competitor to Salesforce). When businesses use its cloud, Microsoft makes money even if a company's employees don't use Windows PCs. But Microsoft makes far more money if it can keep its business customers in its Windows ecosystem. Internet Explorer 11 is the last version of Internet Explorer, and will continue to receive security updates, compatibility fixes, and technical support on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. For those who turned to Microsoft Edge with the launch of Windows 10, the above announcement does affect at all. For the matter, in case you are a fan of Internet 11 even on Windows 10, then Microsoft has already ensured that IE 11 is supported on Windows 10. Even for sites that need better backward compatibility, Microsoft Edge is capable of launching Internet Explorer 11 for them. While announcing the killings of older IE versions, Microsoft said that it will continue to support IE 11 for the life of Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. While it seems to be good news, you may want to read the specific support lifecycle policy of the individual operating system. With January 12, 2016 deadline nearing, upgrading to Internet Explorer 11 is the best option if you are using older versions. To upgrade , you just have to turn to Windows Update and click on Check for updates ”. The super-quick adoption of Windows 10 isn't all that surprising: Microsoft is giving away Windows 10 for free to most consumers with Windows 7 or 8 running on their PCs. But some of the electric growth is coming from businesses too: Microsoft said 76% of its corporate customers are testing out Windows 10. More than 10% (22 million) of Windows 10 devices are being run by businesses and schools. All that Windows 10 usage has led to some eye-popping statistics: People have spent more than 44.5 billion minutes using Microsoft Edge — the default Windows 10 browser that replaced Internet Explorer. And customers have asked Windows 10's virtual assistant Cortana 2.5 billion questions. One question Microsoft investors have frequently asked is how the company plans on making money off of Windows 10. Microsoft began to answer that question Monday by demonstrating that Windows 10 customers are spending more time — and money — on Microsoft products than ever before. Windows 10 customers have also spent 4.5 times as much on apps, movies, songs and other items from the Windows Store as Windows 8 customers purchased. This marks a milestone in delivering new value for Office 365 subscribers with a focus on collaboration, apps that work for you, a perfect pairing with Windows 10, and security features businesses will love. Along with Office 2016 for Windows, today we are also releasing Office 2016 for Mac as a one-time purchase option, along with several new and enhanced Office 365 services. Keep teams connected with Office 365 Groups, now available as part of Outlook 2016 and in a new Outlook Groups app on iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Originally unveiled earlier this year, GigJam is today available in private preview and will become part of Office 365 in 2016. Outlook 2016 provides the smartest inbox yet, delivering lightning fast search, removing low priority mail automatically and making sure everyone on the To: line has the right access to modern, cloud-based attachments from OneDrive. The highlight is the preview of the next generation sync client for Windows and Mac, offering improved reliability and selective sync, as well as increased file size and volume limits. Previously available only in Office Online, Tell Me and Smart Lookup are now available across the Office 2016 client apps. Excel 2016 now includes integrated publishing to Power BI and new modern chart-types to help you make the most of your data. The cloud-powered most recently used documents list allows you to pick up right where you left off in seconds, because it travels with you across your devices whether working in Office Online, the mobile apps or in the 2016 client apps. While we have made a lot of progress on delivering Office cross-platform and remain committed to this strategy, we see Windows as being home” for Office. Together, Office 365 and Windows 10 are the most complete solution for getting things done. With Windows Hello, you can sign in to your PC and Office 365 with a simple look or a touch—no need to type a password anymore. In the coming months, Cortana will get even smarter and more useful by gathering intelligence on Office 365 through Outlook 2016 support. With the Office Mobile apps and Continuum on Windows phones, your phone can act as a desktop, and you can project, create or edit your presentation or sales budget from your phone to a monitor while using the same phone to take notes with the OneNote app. Our Office Mobile apps on Windows 10 (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) have also received great reception and 4+ app store rankings. Then, later this year, we will be enabling Enterprise Data Protection (EDP) in Windows 10, with support in Office Mobile, which allows more secure corporate content sharing across corporate managed apps and network/cloud locations, preventing inadvertent content sharing outside corporate boundaries. As promised in July, today Office 2016 for Mac will also be available as a one-time purchase. With this release, we're also shifting the cadence of Office on Windows to feel much more like the cadence we have on the Office mobile and web apps, which release every month with new value. Perfect on Windows 10—We are especially excited about how even more valuable your personal assistant Cortana can be when she has insights from Office. Go here for instructions on how to upgrade to Office 2016 for home, or here for business customers. Samsung has come back to the Windows Tablet market after its foray with the ATIV Book. This premium Windows 10 device running on a 6th Gen Intel Skylake Core M processor also packs LTE in a 2-in-1 Tablet form factor. We expect more mobile-first OEMs to get into the Windows Tablet market as the segment grows further this year. There are a few other OEMs with tablet news to announce and we will be covering those announcements, getting our hands on products, and writing more here in the coming days. The Alcatel OneTouch Fierce XL with Windows 10 Mobile will launch at T-Mobile in the coming weeks.” The Fierce XL runs Windows 10 Mobile on a 5.5-inch 1280×720 display and includes a quad-core Snapdragon processor, 8-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front cameras, 16GB of storage that you can supplement with a microSD card, 2GB of RAM, and a 2500mAh battery. Since T-Mobile isn't officially selling Microsoft's Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL , the Alcatel OneTouch Fierce XL is T-Mo's first Windows 10 Mobile device. It may not be super high-end, but it will be affordably priced,” which should put this Windows 10 Mobile device within the grasp of most consumers. What's New in Nano Server Nano Server now supports the DNS Server and IIS server roles, as well as MPIO, VMM, SCOM, DSC push mode, DCB, Windows Server Installer, and the WMI provider for Windows Update. A Windows PowerShell module is now available to simplify building Nano Server images. Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview increases support for TPM key attestation: You can now use Smart Card KSP for key attestation, and devices that are not joined to the domain can now use NDES enrollment to get certificates that can be attested for keys being in a TPM. What's New in Failover Clustering in Windows Server Technical Preview This topic explains the new and changed functionality of Failover Clustering. A Hyper-V or Scale-out File Server failover cluster can now easily be upgraded without any downtime or need to build a new cluster with nodes that are running Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview. What's new in Hyper-V on Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview This topic explains the new and changed functionality of the Hyper-V role in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview, Client Hyper-V running on Windows 10, and Microsoft Hyper-V Server Technical Preview. Windows Defender Overview for Windows Server Technical Preview Windows Server Antimalware is installed and enabled by default in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview, but the user interface for Windows Server Antimalware is not installed. However, Windows Server Antimalware will update antimalware definitions and protect the computer without the user interface. If you need the user interface for Windows Server Antimalware, you can install it after the operating system installation by using the Add Roles and Features Wizard. What's New in Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2016 For the Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview, the Remote Desktop Services team focused on improvements based on customer requests. We added support for OpenGL and OpenCL applications, and added MultiPoint Services as a new role in Windows Server. What's New in Web Application Proxy in Windows Server Technical Preview The latest version of Web Application Proxy focuses on new features that enable publishing and preauthentication for more applications and improved user experience. What's New in Windows PowerShell 5.0 Windows PowerShell 5.0 includes significant new features—including support for developing with classes, and new security features—that extend its use, improve its usability, and allow you to control and manage Windows-based environments more easily and comprehensively. Multiple new features in Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) are also described in this topic. What's New in Networking in Windows Server Technical Preview The majority of what you'll find for networking is new in TP3. The Windows 10 Mobile upgrade will begin rolling out early next year to select existing Windows 8 and 8.1 phones,” a Microsoft spokesperson told VentureBeat. That means not a single Windows phone will be upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile in 2015. But that's not the issue: It was Microsoft that said Windows 10 Mobile would be ready by December.

Microsoft News, Reviews And Analysis Featuring Paul Thurrott Windows, Office, Mobile & More Microsoft News, Reviews And Analysis Featuring Paul Thurrott Windows, Office, Mobile & More Reviewed by khalil chelbi on 12:25:00 AM Rating: 5

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