Microsoft to kill Cortana app for Windows 10 and 11 later this year

Later this year, the standalone app for Cortana will no longer be supported on Windows 10 and 11. This isn’t a totally unexpected development, as the focus on Cortana has diminished over time, particularly after Microsoft tried to integrate Alexa into the mix, which didn’t lead to any success in increasing engagement.

Microsoft’s CMA appeal hearing set for July 24

Microsoft will have its chance to appeal the UKs Competition and Markets Authority ruling against its acquisition of Activision Blizzard on July 24, after the hearing date was set, on an expedited timeline.

PS5 exclusive Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is now headed to Windows PCs

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is making its way to Windows PCs on July 26, after it was announced that the previously PS5-exclusive title will find its way onto a new platform for the first time.

Microsoft lawyers could be examining Plan B to close Activision deal without CMA approval

Whilst a date for Microsoft’s appeal of the CMAs decision to block its ABK acquisition has been set, it has been reported that the company’s lawyers are looking at other options to complete the acquisition irrespective of the UK, should UK approval of the acquisition not come to fruition.

That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.

Microsoft to roll out Windows 11 “Moment 3” update starting May 24, 2023

This week saw the roll out of the latest update for Windows 11, called Moment 3, which began on May 24. The update brings a number of changes and improvements across the OS, including in the Taskbar, Task Manager, and Windows Update.

Microsoft flaunts redesigned and modern File Explorer in Windows 11

In a video shown by Panos Panay, a glimpse of a redesigned File Explorer is shown, showing off the new design briefly. Earlier this year, it was reported a new File Explorer design was being worked on and this has since confirmed that something is in the works.

Today, we announce new AI experiences and tools for #Windows11 to empower developers. Pumped to introduce you to Windows Copilot and Dev Home. #MSBuild https://t.co/MkqiKKtuFg pic.twitter.com/pf1H3o1tyW

— Panos Panay (@panos_panay) May 23, 2023

Microsoft PowerToys will now let you control multiple PCs using the same mouse and keyboard

The latest update for PowerToys has added the ability to control multiple PCs using the same mouse and keyboard. Called Mouse Without Borders, you’ll be able to work across multiple PCs effortlessly without requiring several mice and keyboards. Additionally, it is also possible to share clipboards and files across machines.

Microsoft Bing overtakes Baidu as China’s top desktop search engine

Baidu has been dethroned as the top search engine on desktop in China, to be beaten by Microsoft’s Bing. Bing brought in a market share of 37.4%, placing it 10 percentage points ahead.

That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.

Microsoft bumps Bing Chat’s character limit to 4,000

It’s now possible to send longer queries to Bing Chat as Microsoft has doubled the character limit to 4,000, which allows for more detailed queries to be provided.

China’s antitrust committee joins Microsoft’s growing list of Activision approvals

China has become the latest country to approve Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, giving greater credence to the acquisition, despite the issues facing the deal by the UK’s CMA and the FTC in the US.

You can now use iMessage on your Windows 11 PC

It is now possible to use iMessage on Windows 11 through Microsoft’s Phone Link app, as Microsoft has expanded support to iPhone, after originally only supporting Android phones.

COOL, NEW FEATURE ALERT access your phone from your PC with Microsoft Phone Link! learn more: https://t.co/leOAsROEr1

— Windows (@Windows) May 15, 2023

Xbox Quick Resume feature might be coming to Windows PCs

Xbox’s Quick Resume feature that allows players to exit a game and return to it instantly, without losing progress, could be on its way to Windows PCs, after hints were dropped that it could be on the way.

Microsoft dropping hints that it’s thinking about bringing Xbox Quick Resume or something similar to Windows. This would be great for PC gamers. Here’s Roanne Soanes, head of Xbox hardware, discussing improving the Windows experience here pic.twitter.com/8eT87PhYoy

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) May 11, 2023

That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.

CallRail Launches Integration with Microsoft Teams

CallRail has launched a new integration with Microsoft Teams that makes it quicker to respond to new leads, such as notifications for new calls, texts, and form submissions, as well as a host of other features to provide a smooth experience in handling incoming leads.

Microsoft eyes partnership with Firefox to make Bing its primary search engine

Mozilla’s current contract to have Google as the default search engine on Firefox is due to be renewed this year, and a new report suggests Microsoft is looking to clinch the default search engine contract for its Bing search engine, as it continues to see success with its Bing Chat.

Microsoft skips raises for salaried employees in 2023

An internal memo from Microsoft said that, due to the economic conditions, full-time salaried employees at Microsoft will not receive a raise this year. Despite this, bonuses and stock awards can still take place.

Ads are coming to Bing Chat apps – new API for publishers released

It was inevitable at some point, but Microsoft has released a new API for publishers that will allow ads into Bing Chat apps.

That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.

Bing Chat finally hits general availability, with third-party plugins on the way

This week saw Bing Chat enter general availability, ending the need to join a waitlist to get access, instead people can jump straight in to using Bing Chat. Additionally, Microsoft has confirmed that it is working to add third-party plugin in support, giving an example of finding and booking a restaurant on OpenTable via Bing Chat.

Microsoft further integrates the new Bing in Edge

As Microsoft continues to push the new Bing, the company has begun testing a new “Ask Bing Chat” option in the right-click context menu when selecting text. The new option is not currently available to everyone, but does offer a new way to access Bing Chat and send information to it to receive more context.

Bing chat has been integrated into Edge's mini menu (Canary):https://t.co/C9EIjSwncZ
. pic.twitter.com/uNiD0V1cU5

— Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) April 29, 2023

Xbox Game Pass unveils new friend referral program

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members are receiving a new feature to invite up to five friends to a 14-day free trial of PC Game Pass, as part of a new friend referral program that has been launched.

Minecraft Legends gets its first update as game surpasses 3 million players

The latest game under the Minecraft umbrella, Minecraft Legends, has crossed the 3 million players mark, and also saw its first update this week, bringing a number of improvements, but notably the ability to invite friends to join your team in matchmaking.

#MinecraftLegends just launched and over 3 million players have already hopped in! We’re pleased to announce our first game update, which is starting to make its way to supported platforms right now!

Find out more here: https://t.co/R9gVpqsA0J pic.twitter.com/hA0heojV4B

— Minecraft Legends (@legends_game) April 28, 2023

That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.

Microsoft signs another 10-year deal with Nware, despite Activision Blizzard deal block

On the back of the CMA blocking Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft signed another 10-year deal, this time with Nware, a Spanish gaming service that offers the ability to stream games from Steam, Epic Game Store, and Ubisoft Connect.

Microsoft and European cloud gaming platform Nware have signed a 10-year agreement. Our statement here: pic.twitter.com/GWoSBg63P6

— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) April 28, 2023

Microsoft will no longer provide Windows 10 feature updates

Microsoft will stop providing feature updates for Windows 10, with the last version being Windows 10 2H22. However, security updates will still be released until October 14, 2025, and some Long-Term Servicing Channel releases will continue to receive updates beyond that date. Microsoft suggests upgrading to Windows 11 for the latest features.

Microsoft rolls out Phone Link for iOS on Windows 11 support worldwide

Microsoft is rolling out Phone Link for iOS to Windows 11, available in 39 languages across 85 countries. Phone Link for iOS will offer support for calls, messages, and access to contacts. Now it’s not just Android users that can enjoy the benefits of Phone Link, but iOS as well. Not all users will receive the feature at the same time, as it is a phased rollout.

Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition halted as CMA blocks deal

The Competition and Market Authority (CMA) in the UK has blocked Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, citing “reduced innovation and less choice for UK gamers” as their reasoning to end a six-month long investigation into the viability of the two companies merging. Microsoft plans to appeal the decision.

That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.

Elon Musk responds to Microsoft dropping Twitter from its Ad platform by threatening a lawsuit

After Microsoft dropped Twitter from its Digital Marketing Center Smart Campaigns function, Elon Musk has threatened to sue Microsoft, claiming that it has illegally used Twitter data to training.

They trained illegally using Twitter data. Lawsuit time.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 19, 2023

Microsoft is working on ways to reduce your laptop’s power consumption even when connected to a charger

A new feature is being tested for Windows 11 called Content Adaptive Backlight Control that aims to reduce laptop power consumption, even whilst plugged in. The feature adjusts brightness and contrast depending on the content on the screen to reduce energy usage.

You can now privately report vulnerabilities on GitHub

GitHub has introduced a new feature that allows vulnerabilities to be reported privately, in an effort to improve communication and assist with the reporting and resolving of vulnerabilities in public repositories.

Minecraft Legends releases as a day one Xbox Game Pass title today

This week saw the launch of Minecraft Legends, an action-strategy game based on Minecraft. The game released as a day one launch on Xbox Game Pass, and is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows.

That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.

Microsoft brings major improvements to the new Bing across Swiftkey, Microsoft Start, and Skype

Improvements to the new Bing have been brought to a variety of Microsoft’s apps, including SwiftKey, Start, and Skype. The updates provide increased functionality of AI across Microsoft’s apps, whilst making it easier to access the new Bing from whichever app you’re in.

Ubisoft+ Multi Access comes to Xbox consoles, finally

After months of waiting, Ubisoft+ has arrived on Xbox, allowing players to subscribe to access Ubisoft’s library of games and add-ons. Players will need to subscribe to Ubisoft+ Multi Access and then connect their Xbox and Ubisoft+ accounts to enjoy the benefits of the subscription service on Xbox.

The Xbox April Update is coming soon with a new search experience and more

The next monthly update for Xbox consoles is on the way, and it will bring a refreshed search experience sporting a gallery-style results, as well as easy-access filter categories, and quicker access to search via the controller. Additionally, YouTube will be available to search via the Movies & TV app, and be able to set custom active hours when your console is in Sleep power mode.

PC Game Pass gets a full launch in 40 new countries today

Microsoft’s PC game subscription service, PC Game Pass, launched in an additional 40 countries this week, bringing the total supported countries to 86. From Albania to Uruguay and everything in-between, PC Game Pass is now available in a much wider range of countries.

That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.

Bing Chat makes its way to SwiftKey on Android

SwiftKey for Android has become the latest of Microsoft’s products to get some form of AI, with Bing Chat integration now rolling out to users. Coming through SwiftKey Beta, it allows users to make use of Bing Chat within any app, and has a feature to rewrite text into a given tone.

Bing Chat is coming to SwiftKey. Download the latest SwiftKey beta and sign in to your MSA.
Reposted with cleaner screenshots. pic.twitter.com/dBss7gnOzn

— Xeno (@XenoPanther) April 5, 2023

Bing could make Google pay a price to remain the default search engine on Apple devices

Microsoft’s AI additions to Bing may result in Google having to pay a heftier price tag to remain as the default search engine on Apple devices, with a Barclays analyst saying “Every five points of TAC rate increase (vs. gross iOS search revenue in the TAC zone) would weigh on Google’s [operating income] by 3%”.

Microsoft officially launches Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock

The Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock was launched this week, offering users hree USB-C ports, three USB-A ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port, and a security lock slot.. The dock provides data transfer rates of up to 40Gbps.

Unilever goes cloud only with Azure as primary cloud platform

Unilever has completed migrating its 148,000-strong workforce over to Microsoft Azure, working with Accenture over an 18-month period to complete the migration. Unilever represents yet another large company to make the move to Microsoft Azure.

That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.

Xbox Friends & Family Plan is reportedly set to launch soon

Several users have reported seeing ads for Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox Friends & Family plan, its Xbox subscription for families, raising suspicions that it is set to launch soon. The plan allows the benefits of an Xbox Game Pass subscription to be shared with up to 5 people.

Dashboard seems to be the only way to access atm pic.twitter.com/HDqhNj2BjU

— Jawmuncher (@Jawmuncher) March 31, 2023

Microsoft maps out its plans inject ads into Bing Chat

As Bing Chat usage continues to grow, Microsoft has started mapping out plans on how to incorporate ads into its chat experience, and is in discussion with partners from Microsoft Start on coming up with ideas on how to shape its ad experience.

Microsoft adds a history feature in Bing Chat, alongside raising the daily chat limit by 200

Users of Bing Chat have had their usage limits increased to 20 uses per conversation and a maximum of 200 uses per day. Additionally, Bing Chat will now allow you to see a history of your chat.

Activision Blizzard deal approved by Japan’s Fair Trade Commission

Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard has taken another step forward after the deal was approved by Japan’s Fair Trade Commission.

That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.