However, some of the most talked about features are coming to Microsoft Notepad. The app has been a staple for quick editing since its release in 1985 and hasn’t had a major update in years. Build 17713 introduces some major improvements, including line and column numbers when word wrap is enabled. Notepad also supports wrap-around find and replace, and the window will now remember previously entered values and checkboxes. The find bar is also populated automatically when you have text selected and open the dialog....

We will get to the Xbox One dashboard changes, but the removal of Cortana is the big news year. It furthers the demise of the virtual assistant as a consumer fronted tool. It’s a situation that has been brewing for some time. Cortana was struggling to compete against alternatives such as Alexa. Microsoft decided to transform the service into productivity assistant. While that may be different/deeper integration in Windows 10, on Xbox One (a fully consumer-focused platform), Cortana’s demise seemed inevitable....

1 Windows App Controls2 .NET 5 Because of that lack of features, we can file .NET Core 3.1 as a minor update. However, it is worth your while because of the mentioned improvements and bug fixes. It is also necessary because .NET Core 3.1 is a long-term release that Microsoft will support for the next three years. You may remember .NET Core 3.0 will only be supported until March 2020. While the changelog is limited, there are some notable additions....

If you are unfamiliar with WebView, it is a tool that gives developers the ability to integrate web content into the applications. For example, dev’s can include sign-in pages or create full Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). WebView2 is powered by the Chromium engine that Microsoft also uses to power its Edge preview browser. At the moment, the new WebView is still limited to Windows 10, just like the Chromium Edge browser....

The service combines with Microsoft’s Azure IoT suite, which is a platform-as-a-service solution. Together, the two account for different use scenarios, with IoT suite focusing on control and IoT Central on simplicity. “It is designed to enable the rapid innovation, design, configuration, and integration of smart products with enterprise-grade systems and applications to reduce product manufacturers’ go-to-market cycle and increase the speed at which they can innovate so they can stay ahead of their competition and deliver smart products that delight their customers,” said a Microsoft spokesperson to ZDNet....

This is a direct copy of the media overlay tool in Windows 10. If you are unfamiliar with volume on the Windows platform, there are two features. The first is the traditional volume slider and the other is the media overlay. Windows 10 uses the media overlay to give users the ability to pause video content quickly. The overlay appears on the screen when media is playing and follows you around Windows 10....

As you may know, Chromium Edge is currently only available in preview. Testers can choose between three development branches: Canary Channel: updated daily and considered the most unstable Dev Channel: Updated roughly on a weekly schedule and boasts more stable features Beta Channel: the third channel to launch is update more sporadically (around every 6 weeks) and is close to the finalized vision of Chromium Edge Microsoft has not yet said when the full release of the new Edge experience will be officially launched....

However, a recent patent publication suggests Microsoft is working on a solution. The piece describes a pen with a touch-sensitive retention clip that would send data wirelessly to a PC or tablet. “In some cases, touch input on the display may not be the most convenient form of user interaction with a computing device,” it reads. “…In order to perform a scrolling operation with a stylus via touch input, a user may have to touch the stylus to a scroll bar that is visually presented on a touch-sensitive display....

Specifically, the Phone Link app will now be able to connect to the wi-fi hotspot on a phone instantly. Microsoft points out the feature is currently exclusive to Windows Insiders with Samsung smartphones running the South Korean company’s One UI 4.1.1 or higher. At its core, the feature allows a Windows 11 PC to access the hotspot of a mobile phone through Phone Link. This means connecting to the Wi-Fi/4G/5G of a phone will be more seamless....

Each year, the company conducts the MS Poll, an internal employee satisfaction survey. In this poll, Microsoft staff can offer their opinion on a wide range of work areas, such as work/life balance, compensation, benefits, and leadership. Microsoft has a good reputation as an employer, and it seems the MS Poll backs up that feeling. The survey shows employees are overwhelmingly positive about their work experience with Microsoft. Specifically under the category of “work group health” which includes inclusion, career development, and work/life balance....

“The Azure Orbital Space SDK was created to be able to run on any spacecraft and provide a secure hosting platform and application kit to create, deploy, and operate applications on-orbit. This “host platform” runs onboard the spacecraft including a containerized, scalable compute infrastructure with resource and schedule management capabilities.” Microsoft’s kit provides templates, documentation, and samples to help developers create their projects. There are also template applications that offer more automation across common workloads....

With its hardware focused event on the horizon (September 22), all eyes are on what devices Microsoft will launch and what changes will be made. It is widely expected the company will launch the Surface Pro 8, Surface Book 4, and Surface Duo 2, and maybe some surprises. All these devices are probably going to be incremental updates on the previous generation. I hope that is not true, especially for the Surface Duo 2 considering the first gen of the Android smartphone had aspects that need attention....

It was first presumed the application would not be fully available until Windows 10 20H1 next year. However, it now seems Microsoft is preparing the Cortana Beta app for Windows 10 19H2. It is worth noting the app requirements state it can only be downloaded by Windows Insiders running preview build 18362 or higher. As for Windows 10 19H2, Microsoft has still not started flighting full previews for this release....

According to Finish broadcaster YLE, the man contacted fifteen Microsoft support staff, but they failed to resolve his issue. He then claims to have spent significant time and money recovering files and buying parts, the update causing his CCTV network to fail. The unidentified man initially asked for €3,000, but the board settled on €1,100 after reviewing the claim. For its part, Microsoft says it gave the relevant free support to recover the system but doesn’t deny that the OS was downloaded without permission....

However, Microsoft says despite increasingly powerful collaboration software, remote work negatively impacts how people collaborate across an organization. A study from Microsoft Research titled “The effects of remote work on collaboration among information workers” shows there are problems with remote work. We have heard a lot about how remote work is the future and it has been used hand-in-hand with one of industries buzzwords… collaboration. However, the reality seems to be different from the perception....

As was widely expected, Game Mode is something of a tuning feature for system resources. It tweaks the resources to dedicate more game-specific power to the CPU and GPU. At the Game Developers Conference last week, Microsoft confirmed the feature will allocate several CPU cores to game rendering. In doing so, other tasks are pushed to the background. For example, a system with six cores would use four cores for dedicated gaming, with the remaining cores taking care of other tasks....

OpenClassrooms is among the leading massive open online course (MOOC) platforms. Its services include access to courses across disciplines such as product design, programming, and management. Under its collaboration with Microsoft, the platform will develop programs on Microsoft’s projects. While it is clear Microsoft wants to have it pick of the best AI graduates, the company says masters-level graduates will have a choice of companies seeking AI employees. “The demand for AI and machine learning opportunities has never been stronger,” says OpenClassrooms co-founder and CEO Pierre Dubuc....

The Hub will handle activation and workflow provisioning, connecting to existing APIs to reduce the cost of upgrading. According to the IDEMIA, it’s the first to make eSIM functionality possible in Windows Enterprise devices. “IDEMIA’s eSIM Orchestration Hub is an excellent solution for MNOs looking to support Windows Enterprise eSIM devices without having to undergo significant upgrades to their network. That’s why we partnered with the IDEMIA team to enable faster and easier adoption of eSIM technology in Enterprises worldwide,” said David Lemson, director of program management for Windows IoT and Networking....

This month, the Redmond giant plans to launch a program exclusively for AI startups in Station F. It’s made possible through a partnership with INRIA and will replace the previous project. The first startup to join the family is Recast.ai, a startup that helps customers build, manage, host and launch chatbots. It’s something that aligns with Microsoft’s own advancements with Ruuh and Zo, as well as its Bot Framework. However, Microsoft France developer experience leader Christophe Shaw says, “We don’t plan to invest or acquire startups through this program....

That will mean hundreds of thousands of nonprofits will benefit from Microsoft technology and discounts. In a blog post, the company explains in its fiscal 2022 (ending June 30, 2022), it gave over $3.2 billion in grants and discounts to over 300,000 nonprofit organizations. To kick off its new expansion commitment, Microsoft says it is increasing technology pledges to public museums and public libraries around the world: “Building upon our long history of supporting nonprofit museums, these newly eligible organizations, including over 2 million libraries across 99 countries, can further their mission by allowing technology to do more with less, to extend their reach, increase their engagement and leverage efficiencies in their workflow....