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Microsoft Halts Production of Xbox One X and Xbox One S Digital as It Steps into the Future with Xbox Series X

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As per reports, Microsoft has decided to officially halt the production of both the Xbox One X and Xbox One S Digital consoles. The step comes as a way to help the company move into the next phase of interactive gaming. With the Xbox Series X, the company is shifting focus onto newer ventures, and has, therefore, come up with the natural decision to stop the manufacture of further old models. However, Microsoft will still manufacture, market, and sell their Xbox One S console. Here’s a look at what the halt in production means for gamers, and what Microsoft aims to do for the future.

Remaining Stock and Shortage

In the last few weeks, certain reports had stated that there was an acute shortage of Xbox One X and One S consoles. Both these models have seen an increase in demand ever since the start of the global pandemic, which has left people stranded at home. Though Microsoft halted production for the One S Digital and the One X, most stores will likely have stock left over, for the next few months. Hence, gamers can check with local retailers if they require any Xbox One hardware. 

Xbox One S

However, Microsoft has decided to keep churning out the Xbox One S. though it has canned the One S All-Digital Edition. Microsoft came out with the One X in 2017, calling it the “most powerful console in the world, thanks to the six teraflop capacity. The One S Digital came out in April 2019 as a disc-less alternative to the One S. In fact, reports stated that the model was selling out like hot pancakes, leading Microsoft to include it as a part of their Xbox All Access subscription.

Xbox All Access Subscription

The company will carry on providing the All Access subscriptions for the Series X as well. The console’s launch is expected to happen sometime later this year, and such an offer will allow users to upgrade their console. The subscription costs $19.99 currently for the One S Digital Edition, and this includes the Game Pass Ultimate. Later this year, Microsoft is planning on adding Project xCloud streaming technology to the Game Pass.

The All-Access subscription helps to split the cost of the console, Game Pass, and Live features into monthly installments across a period of 24 months. While the One S digital bundle costs $19.99, a regular One S package costs $22.99, and the One X comes in at $30.99 per month. Furthermore, the company also allowed gamers to upgrade to Project Scarlet within a year if they choose the One X bundle. The Project Scarlett console will hit the market at the end of this year.

Second Reveal of the Year

Furthermore, Microsoft might launch a cheaper, next-gen Xbox with fewer capabilities this year as well. Nicknamed “Lockhart,” this Xbox will serve integral to deciding Microsoft’s pricing plan for the rest of its next-gen Xbox consoles. Certain rumors state that the company will unveil Lockhart sometime next month. Initial reports noted that June was the month chosen for the launch initially. The rumors further claim that the console will go by the name Xbox Series S, and will target 1440p/1080p gaming. All of this information comes from a leaked document that hit the internet recently, with speculators waiting for a launch in August. 

Microsoft has been working on a cheaper next-gen model for months. The console will have a devkit, nicknamed Dante, which allows developers to enable a Lockhart mode. The reports also claim that the console will have 7.5GB worth of usable RAM, and four teraflops of GPU performance. In comparison, Xbox Series X will have 13.5GB worth of usable RAM and 12 teraflops of performance.

If the reports are true, gamers can expect Microsoft to launch the Series S and drop the pricing plan for the Series X in August, this year. The former will be a more affordable option, targeting mid-level gamers, whereas the latter will be a state-of-the-art console for high-end gamers. Users will just have to wait and see how the company spaces out the releases. No matter what the case, it looks like gamers will have something to celebrate in 2020, after all.

Spellcheck with google and microsoft

Spellcheck experience gets better in Windows with the collaboration of Google and Microsoft

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Any software should regularly monitor its updates to up with the fast-changing world. Skipping the tiniest change can also shake the stability of user experience thus resulting in negative feedback. Keeping that in mind, Microsoft Edge and other Chromium browsers didn’t have an impressive spellchecker until now. Yesterday, the company decided to introduce a new spellcheck experience, Windows Spellcheck. As the name goes, it is exclusive to all the Windows users with OS Windows 8.1 or above.

What has replaced Hunspell?

Hunspell is one of the most popular spellcheckers that was previously used by Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. It is an open-source program written in C++. But, Windows Spellcheck has finally replaced it in an attempt to wipe out the existing problems with acronyms, customized dictionaries, etc.

The new Windows Spellcheck for Microsoft Edge and Chromium browsers will have several benefits. Apart from the support for acronyms, abbreviations, and a shared custom dictionary, the new tool will also support additional languages, dialects, URLs, and email addresses. Previously, a red underline appeared in all of these which won’t happen anymore.

Microsoft’s opinion

Microsoft’s Edge team said that the collaboration of Google with the company has benefited Windows users in several ways. The user experience for both Edge and Chrome has improved especially since Microsoft decided to work with Google last year. Many big changes are yet to take place apart from the Windows Spellcheck.

Moreover, apart from the new spellchecker that rolled out yesterday, the scrolling experience of Microsoft Edge also improved last month. The company is also currently working on the Chromium Project to improve the same for Chrome. Microsoft has also helped Google back in January to improve the management of Chrome.

The Chromium Project

Microsoft introduced Microsoft Edge to the Windows users in 2015 and since then it didn’t make any major progress. It was after a couple of years that Microsoft’s team spoke to Bill Gates and decided to switch to Chromium. This was a big step for the company and also the engineering concept was different for both Edge and Chromium. So, at first, they were a bit nervous but after they made the news public in December 2018, the company received mostly positive feedbacks. Mozilla didn’t approve the change though and said they will “fight for a truly open web”.

The engineering team put a lot of effort to create a better ecosystem for both the users and the two companies. Over the years, the relationship between these two companies went haywire at certain points. But, the recent development of this new feature might bring back peace as is advantageous to both the companies.

How to enable spellcheck in Microsoft Edge?

Remember, for most of the users they don’t need to enable the spellcheck exclusively. The tool will automatically inherit the preferred language from Window settings. But, you can always visit the edge://settings/languages page to make the changes according to your language preference. 

To install additional languages to evaluate it with Windows spellcheck, here are the following steps.

  • Go to settings in your Windows PC.
  • Under settings to the section of Time & Language.
  • Click Language and then select on Add a preferred language.

If the user is unable to install the preferred language, then Microsoft will automatically start working with the spellchecker powered by Hunspell. Also, the new version of this Windows Spellcheck will be available for Edge version 83 and above.

How to enable spellcheck in Google Chrome?

Though the feature of Windows Spellcheck is the default for the Edge users it is not the same with Chrome users. The Google Chrome users need to follow these steps mentioned below to enable the Windows Spellcheck.

  • Open Google Chrome of version 83 or above.
  • Go to chrome://flags.
  • A search bar will appear. Type “Use the Windows OS spell checker” in the search bar.
  • From the drop-down menu select Enable. 
  • Re-launch the browser to implement the feature of Windows Spellcheck. 

Conclusion

Always remember to turn on the Windows OS spellcheck. Windows is providing another additional option of spellcheck, that is, Hybrid spellcheck. It allows the user to use both Windows spellcheck and Hunspell. The change is instead of typing “Use the Windows OS spell checker” in the search bar, go for “Use hybrid spell checking on Windows”.

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Microsoft Surprises Windows Users with a New Windows Package Manager

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Windows users are in for a significant surprise. Microsoft surprised users Windows worldwide by announcing a new package manner on Tuesday. Essentially, the package manager is a command-line tool that gives developers and users the ability to install apps using simple commands. If you have manually wiped a Windows device clean and reset it, you will know how time-consuming it was. Well, users never have to endure the pain of finding download links and reinstalling ever again. Let us take a look at what the new package manager brings with it, and how it helps!

Windows Manager to the Rescue

The Windows Package Manager will remove the hurdles associated with reinstalling and resetting your devices. It is a platform to create simple scripts that will allow you to install apps you want. While the Windows Store should have been the go-to location for all applications, that wasn’t the case. Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform ensured that useful win32 apps were not a part of the Store. Therefore, users had to individually download and install these apps, as and when they needed them. However, this system ended after the launch of Windows 10, but developers still didn’t consider the Store their go-to place. Most users downloaded apps from online or used managers like Chocolatey to set up their machines. 

Why It Is Important

But now, Microsoft has come out with its own Windows Package Manager. The winget works as a command-line tool, allowing you to install apps quickly and conveniently. For instance, just go to command prompt and input “winget install Steam,” to install Valve’s latest Steam app on your system. While Zoom, Steam, Logitech Remote, and WinRAR are absent on the Store, they are accessible through the manager. The manager helps you save time and prevents frustration by automating the process of getting apps installed on your machine. All developers have to do is specify what they want installed, and the manager installs the latest version. As of now, the Manager’s preview is available from a GitHub repository- https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli. You can also get the Manager by joining any Windows Insider rings. Another way to get your hands on it is by sending your Account details to feedback@microsoft.com and request for access.

Preview Phase

Since the manager has been around only for a day, it doesn’t have all the apps you need just yet. A lot of the apps found on the Windows Store haven’t found their way onto the winget. However, Microsoft is setting up a repository of validated apps, and so app support will come as a future update. Also, since the project is open-source, developers will be able to leverage other packages and use the manager as a distribution channel. However, using the manager requires you to trust Microsoft, as they are the ones validating the apps. Microsoft uses SmartScreen, hash validation, static analysis, and certain other processes to check for malicious software, and prevent its entry into your system. 

Wake-Up Call for the Windows Store

These managers help developers build their own dev box by adding and installing their favorite apps. The Windows Store messes this up by not creating a sustainable repository, with most users complaining that their library is empty. The Windows Package Manager will help developers personalize their dev box, and it also serves as a wake-up call for the Windows Store, which isn’t working as well as it should. 

Soon enough, we might see the Manager and Store working in tandem to provide developers everything they need. This would make it a lot easier for developers to access the desktop apps that they need, and do so with ease!

COVID-19

Microsoft Predicts a Permanent change in the Way We Work Following the COVID-19 Crisis

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As the COVID-19 shows no signs of stopping, most people are still stuck in-home quarantine or lockdown. Most of the world’s major nations are still imposing strict travel bans to prevent the spread of the virus. Almost 80% of the world’s colleges, schools and non-essential offices have been shut due to this pandemic, pushing most people to work from home. So, how will this impact the way we work? Microsoft thinks that this COVID-19 pandemic will forever change the way offices function. Here’s a look at their report that tries to make sense of what after-effect this pandemic will have on employer-employee relations.

Usage of Microsoft Teams Surges

Microsoft recently revealed usage statistics regarding its enterprise application, Microsoft Teams. The company explained how companies and employees are using the app and how the coronavirus will change the way the world learns and works. Since last month, worldwide demand for the Team app has increased exponentially. The app which served 32 million users daily, now helps over 44 million, and that shift took place in just one week! As usage rises, Microsoft is releasing work trend reports to showcase how the pandemic is changing work habits and relations.

Due to most people working from home, every day, the Teams app sees 2.7 billion meeting minutes, which is 200% higher than the usual 900 million minutes from mid-March. It was around March that most American companies shut down and went into work from home modes. Furthermore, studies show that people are relying on video conferences two times more than before with rates of video call surging by 1000% since March. Also, employees in the Netherlands and Norway use video calls for 60% of their communication, whereas, in the US and UK, it takes up 38% and 47% respectively.

Making Room for the New Users

Behind the scenes, Microsoft engineers are scrambling to make enough room for all the new users. They have had to expand their infrastructure to respond to all these new responsibilities. Jared Spataro who heads Microsoft 365 said that due to demand skyrocketing, the engineers have really had to work hard to maintain capabilities. Furthermore, the sudden surge in demand led to Teams outage around Europe, catching the company by surprise. All the issues that arose, as per Spataro’s judgment where due to the Microsoft team having to adjust and respond quickly. While they had studied the situation, the pattern that came through in Europe geographically wasn’t what they were expecting at all.

Furthermore, the company has also seen a rise in the usage of Stream, which is its video-streaming service. As more and more companies move to digital spaces to conduct meetings, presentations, and conferences, such moves will keep happening. To help the transition, Microsoft raised the maximum limit from 10,000 to 100,000 participants on Stream.

Further Changes in the Way We Work

This demand has changed the way the company prioritizes features for Teams. They finally realized the custom backgrounds feature, which had been announced a year earlier. Such a feature helps people hide their messy backgrounds while handling office meetings. The feature has also recently found a place in the Zoom app.

Furthermore, Microsoft will add the Raise a Hand feature by the end of this month, and organizers will have the option to end meetings with a single click from today. The opportunity to download participant reports which have join and leave times will also be available. Microsoft has also stated that it is working on improving Team’s video call capabilities. Just like Teams, Zoom has also enjoyed a massive increase in users. Soon enough, Microsoft will make it possible for users to add more participants to their Team meetings.

Worldwide Trend

This lockdown period has seen webcams and laptops sell out in minutes as users are buying equipment to facilitate work from home. Since more and more people realize that they can’t work out of their iPads, they are investing in PCs and desktops. Mobile usage is also on the rise when it comes to applications such as Zoom and Teams, as the education sector tries to get back up and running. So what essentially happens once the pandemic dies down? Will people go back to how they were before or will we see remnants of this? Spataro believes that a new standard will come in place and things will not go back to what they were before.

There will be further restrictions, new patterns and new ways in which people will work and learn. Even after China lifting COVID-19 restrictions, Teams are still enjoying higher usage. Daily, their number of active users is increasing, implying that more people are now comfortable with working from home. Singapore too is implementing a circuit breaker model wherein people work from home and students study from home.

It is safe to say that according to Microsoft, the world will forever change due to the COVID-19. The new normal which this pandemic established will see these new tools be put to use regularly. With communication companies such as Google, Zoom, Slack and HouseParty all seeing a surge in users, this new theory might just be how the world works once we recover from this pandemic.

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MICROSOFT ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL BE RELEASING THE MICROSOFT 365 PERSONAL AND FAMILY PLANS

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Keeping in mind the outbreak of novel coronavirus, we still have to keep up our pace. Almost every company has declared work from home and the educational institutions are also teaching through online classrooms. In this time of sheer need, we need proper resources to carry out our work smoothly. So, Microsoft declared the news of new plans for Microsoft 365 subscription yesterday. It will be of great benefit to access all features, especially for students, teachers, and employees. This will also attract many new subscribers as it will allow using Premium office apps, extra cloud storage, advanced security, and many more such features. Microsoft will make these plans active on 21st April.

What Microsoft is providing?

The Microsoft 365 plan is not new to consumers. But, now the company is releasing a more enhanced version of it along with many new features. The new Microsoft Personal and Family Plans will be charging $6.99 per month for Personal subscribers and $9.99 per month for the Family pack. The family pack allows a maximum of six people. Everything will be available from 21st April. The subscribers will have access to all the new and existing features, which the company has not revealed yet.

Microsoft through its powerful set of features and services will not help us create and organize. We can share our works and connect with family and friends as well. So, it is just trying to build a stronger community through the web and collaborate across the world. Any user with this subscription plan can access it from Windows, iOS, macOS, and Android. The applications like Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Skype, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive are also available in these plans.

Moreover, all the applications will be up-to-date. Every subscriber will get 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage. For a single person, it is more than enough to store all the important files. Apart from this, Microsoft 365 will provide 60 Skype minutes and not to mention constant technical support.

What are the new features of Microsoft 365 plans?

Microsoft is planning to add two new features to its subscription plans. The first feature is the Microsoft Family Safety app. It is very important for parents to track their children’s location. Moreover, every family member can get a notification when another family member leaves for work, etc. The app will generate notification along with a sharing location. The family members can also manage screen time across multiple devices.

The Safety app is not only limited to this feature. The company has also incorporated a driving report feature in it. This feature is especially to track a new driver in the family to keep updated about the driving habits. This is a not-so-good-news for the kids but it is beneficial for the parents. This safety app can be accessed through Windows PCs, Android devices, and Xbox consoles. The limit has to be set centrally. It will also add some new features to the Microsoft Team of Consumers.

Communication through Microsoft

Skype has always been the most important application for communication. But, Microsoft is adding some new home features for the Microsoft team which will help connect one’s friends and family. It can be via a group chat, video calls, and anything from one location. All these new features will be available as a preview in this summer and then will be launched as a completed package later this year.

Microsoft Editor

This feature is for anyone who loves writing to anyone for whom it’s a job. With the enhancement of 365 plans, Microsoft is making an expansion to its Editor. It is now available in twenty different languages and most importantly can be accessed through Word, Outlook.com, Microsoft Edge, and Google Chrome. The paid subscribers will be experiencing additional features like advanced grammar, style refinements, etc.

Other features 

PowerPoint is also getting a makeover with the advancement in Presenter Coach Feature. Another most important feature that Microsoft is adding is finance management. It will connect your bank and credit card details and Microsoft Money will act as your finance manager. It will help you track and analyze transactions in Excel and will also send alerts for monthly spending. This feature will be first available in the US and then other locations.

Currently, 38 million people are subscribers to Office 365 Personal and Home. Microsoft is currently trying to make existing things better rather than launching something completely new.

Reliance JIO

Reliance JIO and Microsoft Come Together to Improve Online Learning During COVID-19 Pandemic

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As the novel coronavirus continues its rampage throughout the world, most countries have been brought to a standstill. With worldwide cases having crossed 3 million, most nations have put in place severe restrictions. Almost all schools, universities and offices in Corona-hit countries have been shut. Therefore, this pandemic has had a significant impact on all our lives, rendering most services null. Most countries are shutting down their businesses and keeping alive only essential services. This has also made things difficult for traditional methods of education. The mass shutting of institutes has left millions without a class. Such dire circumstances have led to most major companies pledging their support to fight this pandemic. Recently, Reliance JIO announced that it would work with Microsoft to help the online learning industry in India. Here’s a look at everything you need to know regarding this partnership and what means to Indian students.

Indian Leaders Step Up

With the number of coronavirus cases in India exceeding the 500-mark, most Indian business houses are coming out with plans to help the government fight this epidemic. For instance, Mahindra and Paytm have already announced plans to help the government in various ways. Following suit was Reliance industries which recently pledged their full support for the government. The company has released a list of strategies they were putting in place. One of the main points here has been the help they have offered the online education industry in India.

With schools and colleges shutting across India, millions have been left without a classroom. In this light, to extend support to such students, JIO will partner with Microsoft to provide facilities to help schools and colleges function digitally. This sizeable digital collaboration will bring together these two tech giants and enable them to combine their resources. Their broad bandwidth and digital capabilities will help support both healthcare and educational institutions. This will go a long way in helping schools and colleges continue to function during social distancing and isolation.

Extended Internet

With most people being at home, internet services in the country are finding it challenging to keep up with service requests. Almost 90% of the country is under strict curfews and bans, resulting in large amounts of people working and studying from home. This has put an undue strain on our existing internet facilities, while also taxing individuals. To help such people, JIO has announced that they will provide the basic JioFiber connectivity at 10 Mbps, to whoever needs it, free of cost. The only requirement being that the area in consideration has enough range for their services.

Furthermore, JIO has also said that it will provide routers to people with a bare minimum refundable deposit. Also, existing users will have access to double the data limit they now have, and the same offer will hold for Jio 4G data vouchers. This move will significantly help the students all over the country who are now turning to online learning platforms for their educational needs.

Long-Awaited Partnership

While JIO and Microsoft have not provided further details regarding their partnership to help the online learning industry in India during such difficult times, this plan has been in motion for over a year now. In 2019, the two giants had decided to collaborate on a ten-year project, to help India go digital. This strategic relationship was to help accelerate India’s digital transformation by combining their capabilities and providing Indians with solutions for universal connectivity and storage issues they faced. The partnership would also lead to higher adoption of analytic services such as data science, artificial intelligence, and IOT in India. Details regarding their plans to help the online learning industry will most likely be along the same lines. Students all over the country are eagerly awaiting further details so that they can continue with their learning and education during these times.