In confirming the release, Microsoft has also settled on which new features are rolling out with Windows 10 May 2021 Update. It seems as far as major feature upgrades go, version 21H1 is minor in terms of what it brings to the Windows 10 party. Still, you’ll find additions like moving between Windows Hello webcams and some tools for enterprise users. Users will get Windows 10 May 2021 Update when it launches next month....

Neural Voice Research gives developers the ability to create synthetic voices by tapping into Microsoft’s text-to-speech technology. While it is now available to the all users, Microsoft says the tool has limited access. That means developers must still seek approval from Microsoft before using it. However, there are no limitations based on location with the tool available to Azure Cognitive Services in most Azure cloud regions. Microsoft used its machine learning technology in Custom Neural Voice....

If you’re new to the Windows Package Manager, check out our complete tutorial on how to use the new development service. Exports are currently experimental, and for it to work you should execute settings command and add it to the JSON file. When it is enabled, it’s possible to take installed packages from the list (on the JSON) and export them using the export [filename].json command. Next you can copy the file to other PCs or installations and also import using the import [filename]....

Back in January, over 11,000 Microsoft employees were victims of a Reply-all Email Storm. If you’re unfamiliar with the attack method, it’s a sudden surge of “reply all” emails sent on a distribution list. It takes just a single reply from someone on the list to ensure the reply goes to all other contacts. Microsoft says a Reply-All Mail Storm can disrupt organizations and throttle mail flow on Office 365....

It appears Microsoft has listened to that feedback. The software giant first changed the name to ‘Photos & Videos’, and then decided to settle on good-old ‘Photos’ again. The quest to find a name more inclusive of its new features continues. However, it’s also possible that Microsoft had an ulterior motive. If it simply rolled out an update, it would have been largely ignored by the Insider community. They would be relatively oblivious of the new features, and there would be less feedback....

If you’re unfamiliar with the HTML5 Accessibility test, it tests how browsers support HTML5 features through accessibility. For example, it shows how major browsers function with accessibility tools like screen readers: “This site tests which new HTML5 features are accessibly supported by major browsers. This includes if they are keyboard accessible, mapped to the platform accessibility APIs, and if any accessibility related features are supported. An accessibly supported feature means it is usable by people who rely on assistive technology, without developers having to supplement with ARIA or other additional workarounds....

Grammarly is not a new program. It has been available on Chrome and Firefox for some time and has been popular as a tool for website owners. Its introduction on Edge marks the first time the plug-in is available in Microsoft’s browser. It also expands what is still a small number of Edge extensions. Microsoft announced extensions last year, hoping to add functionality to Edge. While many large developers jumped on board, many have held out....

Tengizchevroli is a project involving Microsoft ExxonMobil, and Chevron, alongside Kazakh state-owned oil firm KazMunayGas and LukArko, a subsidiary of the Russian oil firm Lukoil. Most of the oil fields in question are operated by Kazakh workers in Kazakhstan. In his account, the engineer says he visited the country to roll out Microsoft’s technology in the oil fields. His presence was part of an ongoing partnership between Chevron and Microsoft....

Robot Operating System is a middleware from Stanford’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Willow Garage. The purpose of the platform is to deliver optimal performance for robotics-based machines. ROS provides several services to help companies deliver and manage their machines. With the new features, Microsoft says Robot Operating System dev’s to more efficiently build robots. Among the new abilities is an improved Visual Studio Code extension for ROS. Microsoft worked with ROS community members to make the extension more functional....

The company has previously discussed the potential security benefits of Rust but not expanded on the details. Earlier this year, Microsoft signaled its interest in the language as an alternative to C and C++ for Windows developers. While C and C++ remain very popular, they are aging languages. Rust is a modern programming tool that is considered “memory-safe languages”. That’s because it is specifically designed to protect against vulnerabilities in memory corruption....

Listed as “PUA: Win32/CCleaner”, Microsoft has finally decided to explain why it is listing the tool as a PUA: “Bundling of software, especially products from other providers, can result in unexpected software activity that can negatively impact the user experiences. To protect Windows users, Microsoft Defender Antivirus detects CCleaner installers that exhibit this behavior as potentially unwanted applications (PUA)”. Microsoft has never really liked registry cleaning tools. Developed by Avast, CCleaner itself is not a nefarious service, although the registry cleaner has been compromised by malware attacks in the past....

Microsoft is now explaining exactly why Windows 11 can deliver improvements in usability. Of course, a performance gain for a new software generation makes sense. However, due to the rolling nature of Windows 10 updates, there is a new version (Windows 10 version 21H2) rolling out alongside Windows 11. So, why is the newer platform more powerful than the last? Well, Microsoft says the significant performance gains on the same hardware comes from several factors....

First announced in June, Microsoft said GitHub would remain an independent company. Today, the company reaffirmed that position: “GitHub will retain its developer-first ethos, operate independently, and remain an open platform. Together, the two companies will work together to empower developers to achieve more at every stage of the development lifecycle, accelerate enterprise use of GitHub, and bring Microsoft’s developer tools and services to new audiences.” That confirmation may ease the concerns of some developers, who were threatening to abandon GitHub....

And so ends the great cull where Microsoft has been letting stocks die for the best part of two years. In fact, we have been surprised how long some of the inventory hung around. We thought the 2017 Holiday Season would have dried the well, but Windows Phone devices lived on. The HP Elite x3 and Alcatel Idol 4S were the two remaining devices and they are now out of stock....

1 Reported Feature2 General Users Over the weekend, Microsoft was forced to pull the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. Users had shown the manual update version of the release was deleting user files like documents and images. It was unknown how long Microsoft would take to issue a fix. We speculated the company would roll out a fix through yesterday’s Patch Tuesday and that’s what happened. The company says it is just testing the fix at the moment, but it should protect user files....

Firstly, Microsoft was proudly highlighting that Flight Simulator is the company’s longest-running game franchise. In fact, the series will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in November. Microsoft published a trailer for the 40th Anniversary Edition of the game, while also providing details on what to expect. Like other major updates, the 40th Anniversary of Microsoft Flight Simulator will be free and huge… it may be the biggest of the lot....

Summer of 2021 to be more accurate, although the company is also killing plans for an Xbox One launch. Or that’s how it seems because Microsoft does not mention the old console in the trailer. That’s a shame, especially since Microsoft said Flight Simulator would come to its now old console. No reason has been given for going back on that promise, but I think it’s obvious. The company wants as many people as possible to move with the Xbox Series X|S and Microsoft Flight Simulator is the kind of game that could push them to an upgrade....

What is interesting about the app is it brings high-quality curated news content to Microsoft’s gaming console. The news feed allows quick reading of news headlines and the option to open any story for more in-depth content. Your News also gives Xbox One users the ability to watch news content directly on their console. Microsoft leverages the power of its MSN platform to gather content. This allows the app to deliver video feeds directly from MSN....

When users enter tablet mode in Windows 11, they can now select between two options: First is a state where the taskbar is collapsed and displays important status icons only. The second is an expanded taskbar that will make it easier to touch apps and icons. Microsoft is locking this feature, which means it is exclusively for devices that can be used as tablets, such as full tablets and 2-in-1 convertibles....

[February 14, 2018 1:54 pm CET] As reported on Monday, a security vulnerability could give hackers access to system-level privileges. If properly exploited, attackers could use Skype as a backdoor to get full system rights and enter all areas of an operating system. In response, Microsoft said it was unable to fix the bug immediately because it would require a lot of work. Indeed, the company said patch the flaw would take a massive code rewrite....