Microsoft

Microsoft ’s Surface Laptop Studio has received the latest firmware update that adds a significant display feature to the device. The laptop from Microsoft will now support the Dynamic Refresh Rate feature that will allow users to switch between 60Hz and 120Hz depending on the content they’re viewing. The laptop’s display will now be able to drop down the refresh rate to 60Hz to increase battery life or can bump it up to 120Hz to offer a smoother experience. Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio new update availability This feature was made available to Windows Insiders for testing for about a month and now it is being rolled out to all users. According to a report by WindowsCentral, the screen of Surface Laptop Studio was able to switch between refresh rates depending on the content that was being displayed. As Surface updates are rolled out in stages, some users may have to wait for some time to receive the latest one. Users can also search for it through the Windows … [Read more...] about microsoft: Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio’s new update adds an important display feature

Microsoft Corp. will slow hiring in its Windows and Office divisions as well as the Teams chat and conferencing software groups, the executive vice president who runs those products said in an email to employees Thursday. All new hires must be approved by executive vice president Rajesh Jha and his leadership team, Jha said in the email, according to a Microsoft spokesperson. Those groups have expanded recently and the company wants to make sure it’s making the right hires in the right places, the spokesperson said. The step is not companywide and overall the software maker will continue to hire. “As Microsoft gets ready for the new fiscal year, it is making sure the right resources are aligned to the right opportunity,” the company said in a statement. “Microsoft will continue to grow headcount in the year ahead and it will add additional focus to where those resources go.” The company’s new fiscal year starts July 1. Follow Gadgets Now on Facebook … [Read more...] about Microsoft hiring: Microsoft to slow hiring in Windows, Office, Teams Chat groups

Close on the heels of the launch of the Top Gun sequel ' Top Gun : Maverick ' starring Tom Cruise , Microsoft Flight Simulator ’s film tie-in has finally arrived as a free DLC . If you own a copy of the game, you can access and download it. The new content adds a new Top Gun: Maverick Edition livery for the F/A-18E Super Hornet, and as such, three Super Hornet training missions to fine-tune your Super Hornet handling skills. These training missions are aimed at training the player to “master radical flight manoeuvres including unrestricted take-offs, split S manoeuvres, and low altitude, high-speed manoeuvring through complex terrain.” To make you a more skilled pilot in-game, the DLC adds five new challenges, each of them testing your skills on flying very low and very fast. As per the content description, the DLC comes with “five high-speed, low-level challenges that require utmost skill to navigate just above mountains and traverse through canyons.” … [Read more...] about maverick: Microsoft Flight Simulator to train you as a Top Gun pilot

When it comes to gaming consoles, Microsoft ’s Xbox is one of the well-known names. However, since gaming consoles are usually pricey (even with the option of Series S) and often suffer with issues of limited stocks, only select gaming enthusiasts are up for buying them, which keeps the device in the niche category of console gamers. Now, to widen its base of gamers, Microsoft is looking to popularise the Xbox experience with a new, affordable streaming device code named ‘Keystone’, as per a report by 9To5Mac. This is not a new gaming console but a streaming device which can stream games too, leveraging the power of Xbox Cloud Gaming . According to the report, the device would utilise a new “low-cost hardware” and can be connected to any TV or monitor, so that users would be able to stream games without the need for a gaming console. For the present, details about this device are fairly scarce but according to a report by Windows Central, Microsoft has … [Read more...] about xbox: Microsoft is working on a new Xbox device

Audio player loading… Microsoft Outlook is easily among the best email services out there, especially if you use email for work – which is, well, everyone. But the company isn't resting on its laurels, especially when Google is constantly improving Gmail , and a newly released product roadmap (opens in new tab) for Microsoft 365 shows that Outlook is set to get some pretty neat upgrades. After recently teasing the new-look One Outlook client, which was initially leaked , Microsoft seems to be moving towards a future where everything works in perfect harmony. All-new Outlook Outlook will have a new look and feel, message reminders, a single view for calendar, to-do, and emails, among other changes. Things are still being finalised, so check back in the future for more, but it looks pretty good. And it doesn't seem like Microsoft is stopping there. According to the roadmap, Outlook is set to gain deeper integration with Microsoft's other … [Read more...] about Microsoft 365 may finally make Outlook actually pleasant to use

Audio player loading… DuckDuckGo may face a user backlash after security researchers discovered a hidden tracking agreement with Microsoft. The privacy-focused company offers a search engine that claims not to track people’s searches, or behavior, and also doesn't build user profiles that can be used to display personalized advertising. Search engine aside, DuckDuckGo also offers a mobile browser (opens in new tab) of the same name, but this has raised concerns, as although this promises to block hidden third-party trackers, some from a certain tech giant are allowed to continue operating. (opens in new tab) Share your thoughts on Cybersecurity and get a free copy of the Hacker's Manual 2022 (opens in new tab) . Help us find how businesses are preparing for the post-Covid world and the implications of these activities on their cybersecurity plans. Enter your email at the end of this survey (opens in new tab) to get the bookazine, … [Read more...] about DuckDuckGo in hot water over hidden tracking agreement with Microsoft

Audio player loading… Saving your email attachments just where you want them should soon be a lot easier thanks to a new Microsoft Outlook (opens in new tab) update. The team behind the email service has revealed it is working on the ability to allow Android smartphone users to save attachments to OneDrive for Business with just a click. The change would make it a lot quicker and easier for mobile users to save files from their email whilst out and about, for example when travelling to a meeting or preparing for an event. Outlook attachment saves The mention of OneDrive for Business in the Microsoft 365 roadmap entry (opens in new tab) suggests this update will be targeted more at enterprise users looking to save down large or important attachments such presentations or confidential work documents. The roadmap entry notes that the feature is still currently in development, but Microsoft has listed a general availability date of June 2022, … [Read more...] about Microsoft Outlook is getting the quick-save tool we’ve all been waiting for

Audio player loading… Microsoft has announced it is working on a miniature Arm-powered PC that runs Windows 11 . Unveiled during CEO Satya Nadella's keynote at Microsoft Build 2022, Project Volterra (opens in new tab) is the company's first Windows on Arm devkit, and effectively its first true desktop device designed for developers. Although there is no news on exact hardware specifications just yet, Microsoft did reveal that Project Volterra will use an as-yet-unknown Snapdragon processor alongside a built-in neural processing unit (NPU) with "best-in-class AI computing capacity". Project Volterra: What we know The device wasn't shown in-person during Nadella's talk, but an accompanying video appeared to show that Project Volterra would be around the size of a typical mini PC such as the Mac Mini . Designed in a striking granite-black build made of recycled ocean plastic, the device is stackable, meaning developers could stack multiple … [Read more...] about Project Volterra is Microsoft’s new Snapdragon-powered Windows 11 mini PC

Audio player loading… Microsoft is readying a significant update for Teams that will unlock a range of new collaboration opportunities for businesses. According to a new entry (opens in new tab) in the Microsoft 365 product roadmap, the company is almost ready to release its new Teams Connect shared channels feature to all customers, after launching a limited preview back in March 2022. The feature allows organizations to invite external users into a shared Microsoft Teams environment, opening the door to cross-business collaboration with clients and partners. Shared channels in Microsoft Teams Although Microsoft Teams has enjoyed immense success since the start of the pandemic - now serving upwards of 270 million monthly active users - the platform has, until now, focused predominantly on interactions between co-workers. However, the arrival of Teams Connect shared channels will turn the service into a hub for collaboration between … [Read more...] about One of the most eagerly awaited Microsoft Teams features is almost here

Further Reading Xbox unveils cloud-centric strategy: New hardware, servers, regional plans Last year, Microsoft officially confirmed years of rumors and announced plans for "standalone streaming devices" that could stream Xbox games through the company's xCloud service. Now, though, the company says it's essentially going back to the drawing board and "pivot[ing] away from the current iteration" of that streaming-focused hardware. In a statement to Windows Central , a Microsoft spokesperson reconfirmed that the company has "been working on a game-streaming device, codenamed Keystone, that could be connected to any TV or monitor without the need for a console." At the same time, that spokesperson suggested that it may be a while until we see that hardware being finalized and released: As part of any technical journey, we are constantly evaluating our efforts, reviewing our learnings, and ensuring we are bringing value to our customers. We have made the decision to pivot … [Read more...] about Microsoft’s plans for an Xbox streaming stick head back to the drawing board