Microsoft news – Page 95

Posted on August 4, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

How Jij and Toyota Tsusho are reducing carbon emissions with Azure quantum

Even with the recent decrease in cars on the road, we’ve all had the experience of being stopped at a traffic signal, waiting for the light to turn green, only to be stopped by another red light one block later. Besides being a frustrating driving experience, this inefficient idling time contributes considerably to carbon emissions. If we can optimize the timing of traffic signals to reduce this waiting time, we could improve the flow of traffic and ultimately lessen our impact on the environment.

The challenge with optimization problems like this one is that when the number of variables increases (e.g., volume of vehicles, number of signals, time of day), the computational requirements to calculate the best solution (e.g., efficient signaling time) grows quickly with today’s classical computers.

In nature, we find efficient solutions to complex optimization problems that can be a great source of inspiration when designing new algorithms. Nature speaks the language of quantum mechanics and emulating these unique quantum properties can lead to powerful new optimization techniques. For example, by emulating quantum tunneling on classical hardware we can efficiently find solutions to instances of hard combinatorial problems. Similarly, by using tempering techniques like those used in metallurgy when hardening steel, we can efficiently solve hard optimization problems.

In Azure Quantum, we have developed optimization techniques inspired by natural processes for binary optimization problems. This approach allows for the native encoding of higher-order interactions on an all-to-all graph, meaning that no mapping or embedding is needed, ultimately unlocking applications that are seemingly intractable.

Jij Inc. and Toyota Tsusho are working together to begin tackling mobility and traffic challenges using quantum-inspired optimization (QIO) in Azure Quantum. Founded in 2018 by theoretical physicists, Japanese startup Jij helps businesses like Toyota Tsusho experiment with new computing techniques and apply quantum research to solve real-world problems.

Traditional methods for traffic signal optimization treat each vehicle independently in large-scale simulations that are computationally expensive and slow. Those methods are unable to factor in higher-cost variables, such as the correlation of traffic flow between signals.

To help Toyota Tsusho find a better solution, Jij proposed a Polynomial Unconstrained Binary Optimization (PUBO) formulation, requiring higher-order terms. Solving this PUBO representation of the problem using QIO in Azure Quantum, Jij and Toyota Tsusho were able to reduce car waiting times by 20% when compared to traditional methods with large-scale simulation.

We previously had to simulate traffic for each individual light to find an improved sequence, but that approach was limited because we couldn’t factor in the time correlation of traffic flow between lights. Now with Azure Quantum, we can address this problem from a more systems-level approach. Collaborating with Toyota Tsusho, we seek to improve the timing of large-scale traffic networks, resulting in potential economic and environmental benefits for many cities.

– Kohji Nishimura, CTO, Jij

By building on the same foundational principles as nature, we are moving towards a vision of optimizing entire holistic environments in a way that is not possible with today’s classical systems—fundamentally changing the way people, goods, and services move through cities, countries, and around the world.

Microsoft is partnering with Microsoft Quantum Network members like Jij to realize this vision by supporting their development of practical solutions and accelerating customer impact through Azure Quantum.

Jij and their early work on traffic signal optimization with Toyota Tsusho is a first step toward preparing for a world where scaled quantum computers are more readily available.

We are looking forward to seeing the progress toward a changing transportation landscape—where economic and environmental benefits are increased in cities around the world, ultimately improving the quality of life for all.

For a third-party perspective on our work with Jij and Toyota Tsusho, check out this recent article from The Wall Street Journal. If you would like to learn more about quantum-inspired optimization or ways you can get involved with Microsoft Quantum and Azure Quantum, please reference the links below.

Apply to become an early adopter of Azure Quantum

Request to join the Microsoft Quantum Network

Learn more about quantum-inspired optimization with Microsoft Learn

Posted on August 2, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Microsoft to continue discussions on potential TikTok purchase in the United States

Following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald J. Trump, Microsoft is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States.

Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury.

Microsoft will move quickly to pursue discussions with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, in a matter of weeks, and in any event completing these discussions no later than September 15, 2020. During this process, Microsoft looks forward to continuing dialogue with the United States Government, including with the President.

The discussions with ByteDance will build upon a notification made by Microsoft and ByteDance to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The two companies have provided notice of their intent to explore a preliminary proposal that would involve a purchase of the TikTok service in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and would result in Microsoft owning and operating TikTok in these markets. Microsoft may invite other American investors to participate on a minority basis in this purchase.

This new structure would build on the experience TikTok users currently love, while adding world-class security, privacy, and digital safety protections. The operating model for the service would be built to ensure transparency to users as well as appropriate security oversight by governments in these countries.

Among other measures, Microsoft would ensure that all private data of TikTok’s American users is transferred to and remains in the United States. To the extent that any such data is currently stored or backed-up outside the United States, Microsoft would ensure that this data is deleted from servers outside the country after it is transferred.

Microsoft appreciates the U.S. Government’s and President Trump’s personal involvement as it continues to develop strong security protections for the country.

These discussions are preliminary and there can be no assurance that a transaction which involves Microsoft will proceed. We do not intend to provide further updates until there is a definitive outcome to our discussions.

Posted on August 2, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Starting Sept. 15, @XboxGamePass Ultimate members can play more than 100 games from the cloud on their Android phone or tablet

Our vision for Project xCloud, Microsoft’s cloud gaming technology, is to give you the opportunity to play the games you want, with the people you want, anywhere you want. Since launching the public preview across North America, Europe and in South Korea, you’ve shared stories about the unique ways you’ve played from the cloud while providing invaluable feedback that’s helped us improve the experience.

Cloud gaming as part of Xbox Game Pass is the next major step in our ongoing vision to put you at the center of the experience, to give you more value from your games and membership, and to remove the barriers from play. Last month we laid out our commitment to you and announced cloud gaming, powered by Project xCloud, will be part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at no additional cost.

Today we’re excited to share more about what you can expect. Beginning September 15, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can play more than 100 games from the cloud on their Android phone or tablet. Cloud gaming will launch in beta for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in 22 markets to ensure stability as we scale the feature to millions of gamers.

When cloud gaming launches as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, players will have access to more than 100 high-quality games playable from the cloud, including Minecraft Dungeons, Destiny 2, Tell Me Why, Gears 5, Yakuza Kiwami 2, and more. And as we’ve committed to providing day-one access to new titles from Xbox Game Studios as part of Xbox Game Pass, it’s our intent to make those same games available in the cloud from the day they release. We’ll have more to share about the full catalog of games as we approach launch.

As the world around us changes and entertainment is readily available no matter the device, it’s our vision to make games accessible in a variety of scenarios. All the experiences you expect on Xbox and your gaming profile travel with you on mobile, including your friends list, achievements, controller settings, and saved game progress. You can continue your Gears 5 campaign while traveling away from your home console, or if a sibling or roommate is using the TV you can still complete strikes with friends in Destiny 2.

Cloud gaming also unlocks new couch co-op experiences with traditional online games. Sail off to adventure in Sea of Thieves on your tablet while a friend plays alongside you on console, right in the same room. Cloud gaming removes the need to wait until you can access your console in order to play your favorite games: Just pick up your phone or tablet and play the games you want, any time you want.

Since its inception in 2017, Xbox Game Pass has been about providing members with the freedom to discover and play games from a curated, constantly updated library. With this in mind, making cloud gaming available as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate was a natural next step. More than 10 million Xbox Game Pass members are already discovering and playing great games on console and PC – and with the addition of cloud gaming, members can discover and try out new games on Android phones and tablets. And Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members have a shared library of games, so no matter whether your friends prefer to play across Xbox One, mobile or PC, it’s never been easier for Xbox Game Pass members to play the same games together. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can dive right into the latest library addition’s campaign within seconds, and a spontaneous Minecraft Dungeons co-op session really is just an invite away.

You can join Xbox Game Pass Ultimate today for $1 for the first month, then $14.99 per month after that. In addition to cloud gaming, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes access to more than 100 high-quality games for console and PC; exclusive member discounts, deals, perks, and Xbox Live Gold. To play games on your phone or tablet, download the Xbox Game Pass app from the Samsung Galaxy Store or the ONE Store (both of which include a complete, full-featured experience with in-app purchase capabilities), or the Google Play Store.

Cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be available on Android devices in 22 markets at launch, including Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

To enhance the mobile gaming experience, we’re partnering with Razer, PowerA, 8BitDo, and Nacon to create all-new accessories specifically designed for cloud gaming. These include different types of phone clips that adapt to a wide range of devices, travel controllers that fit in any bag, and exclusive Xbox-branded controllers that split apart and attach to the side of your phone. You can also play with your Xbox One Bluetooth Wireless and PlayStation DualShock 4 controllers.

This is an exciting time as we enter a new era of gaming. For those who’ve participated in the Project xCloud preview, we thank you – you’ve helped us shape the way we play games moving forward. The preview will continue to be available until September 11. We’ll also continue to listen to our community and add new features, games and perks to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate over time, including news at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event tomorrow (August 5). We look forward to continuing this journey and enabling you and your friends to seamlessly play the games you want anywhere you want. For more information, please visit www.xbox.com/gamepass.

Posted on August 2, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Microsoft joins Open Source Security Foundation

Microsoft has invested in the security of open-source software for many years and today I’m excited to share that Microsoft is joining industry partners to create the Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF), a new cross-industry collaboration hosted at the Linux Foundation. The OpenSSF brings together work from the Linux Foundation-initiated Core Infrastructure Initiative (CII), the GitHub-initiated Open Source Security Coalition (OSSC), and other open-source security efforts to improve the security of open-source software by building a broader community, targeted initiatives, and best practices. Microsoft is proud to be a founding member alongside GitHub, Google, IBM, JPMC, NCC Group, OWASP Foundation, and Red Hat.

Open-source software is core to nearly every company’s technology strategy and securing it is an essential part of securing the supply chain for all, including our own. With the ubiquity of open source software, attackers are currently exploiting vulnerabilities across a wide range of critical services and infrastructure, including utilities, medical equipment, transportation, government systems, traditional software, cloud services, hardware, and IoT.

Open-source software is inherently community-driven and as such, there is no central authority responsible for quality and maintenance. Because source code can be copied and cloned, versioning and dependencies are particularly complex. Open-source software is also vulnerable to attacks against the very nature of the community, such as attackers becoming maintainers of projects and introducing malware. Given the complexity and communal nature of open source software, building better security must also be a community-driven process.

Microsoft has been involved in several open-source security initiatives over the years and we are looking forward to bringing these together under the umbrella of the OpenSSF. For example, we have been actively working with OSSC in four primary areas:

Identifying Security Threats to Open Source Projects

Helping developers to better understand the security threats that exist in the open-source software ecosystem and how those threats impact specific open source projects.

Security Tooling

Providing the best security tools for open source developers, making them universally accessible and creating a space where members can collaborate to improve upon existing security tooling and develop new ones to suit the needs of the broader open source community.

Security Best Practices

Providing open-source developers with best practice recommendations, and with an easy way to learn and apply them. Additionally, we have been focused on ensuring best practices to be widely distributed to open source developers and will leverage an effective learning platform to do so.

Vulnerability Disclosure

Creating an open-source software ecosystem where the time to fix a vulnerability and deploy that fix across the ecosystem is measured in minutes, not months.

We are looking forward to participating in future OpenSSF efforts including securing critical open source projects (assurance, response), developer identity, and bounty programs for open-source security bugs.

We are excited and honored to be advancing the work with the OSSC into the OpenSSF and we look forward to the many improvements that will be developed as a part of this foundation with the open-source community.

To learn more and to participate, please join us at: https://openssf.org and on GitHub at https://github.com/ossf.

To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us at @MSFTSecurity for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.

Posted on August 2, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

New offerings in Microsoft Teams include ability to scale meetings up to 20,000, use Teams Calling for 1:1 connections

This post was written by Nicole Herskowitz, Teams General Manager

In recent months, the shift to remote and hybrid work has catalyzed organizations of all sizes, and across every industry, to rethink how their people and teams communicate and collaborate. Many of our customers are now navigating a new COVID-19 response phase, moving on from “remote everything” to a more sustainable, hybrid workplace, blending remote work and physical offices. They are investing in long-term resilience and strengthening their organizational agility, while proactively managing cost and risk of current economic uncertainty.

When it comes to communications, there is a broad spectrum of needs that are required to connect employees from the worksite to the main office to the home office – across locations and time zones. The spectrum starts with the most basic 1:1 meetings and calls with colleagues, to larger group meetings, all the way to large events and conferences. During the crisis response to the pandemic, many organizations transformed rapidly in group meetings first, as evidenced by Microsoft Teams reaching 200 million participants in a single day. Organizations looking to create more sustained transformation are seeing that Teams serves communications needs well beyond group meetings, taking communications to the next level with broad scale company-wide events. At the other end of the spectrum, Teams modernizes 1:1 calling with a cloud-based phone system in the same Teams app that keeps you in the communications flow.

Today we’re excited to announce new offerings and capabilities across all ends of the communications spectrum.

Scale with professionalism and control with Advanced Communications

Communication systems across the world are evolving to support customers’ changing needs. As our customers are mastering using Teams for group meetings, they want to increase their reach, and use the same familiar tool to deliver online meetings and events at a much broader scale. Naturally, this scale requires both structure and admin control, to achieve a more professional, seamless, compliant experience. Today, we are excited to announce a new Advanced Communications set of capabilities to support these needs:

Scale your Teams meeting up to 20,000 participants. Reach larger audiences to stay connected with your employees, customers, and partners. When building this capability, we were focused on your meeting experience, making sure that even as the meeting scales it is still easy to manage and listen to the speakers. Therefore, we limited the size of interactive meetings to 1,000 participants, with a seamless shift to a ‘view only’ mode after the limit is met.
Enhanced admin control. Use new capabilities and insert more structure to meetings, by adding your company’s branding to meetings for a professional look and feel. Start out with branded meeting lobby, launching in the coming months, and extend your branding to the core meeting experience coming later. Connect with business applications to manage at scale and automate workflows. Work with Teams certified solution partners and help your organization address business needs by setting up compliance recording policy or bringing in collaboration to your customer engagement workflows.

Custom branded background.

Each of these new capabilities will be enabled with the new Advanced Communications plan, which can be added to any Microsoft 365 or Office 365 paid subscription, and is available this week. Get Advanced Communications 60-day free trial via Teams Admin Center now or via Microsoft Teams website in mid-August

Give employees 1:1 connections with Teams Calling

Connecting 1:1 with colleagues, customers and partners is important, especially when meeting face-to-face can be challenging. Employees in your organization can easily call each other from Teams without a phone number. For your employees who use phone numbers to make and receive calls with customers, partners, and vendors, those numbers need to be with them, wherever they are. With Teams Calling, a cloud-based phone system, employees can continue to do this whether they are in the office, working from home, or some combination of the two.

When using Teams, you are getting best-in-class calling capabilities—validated by Team’s leader position in both the Gartner Magic Quadrant and Forrester Wave reports. With all your communication tools in one place, Teams Calling makes it easy to call anyone, anywhere with any device. And, you can also move seamlessly between chat, calling, and meetings based on your needs. This saves IT time, reduces costs associated with multiple point solutions, and diminishes the need for employee training. Teams Calling is a secure, robust solution that is being used by both large call centers and individuals alike. It can be deployed quickly using your existing calling plan or a Microsoft calling plan in select markets.

As communication is being reimagined, so are the tools that we use to communicate. Instead of a desk phone and other peripherals, we’re taking a fresh perspective on what a phone could be with our newest device innovation, Microsoft Teams displays. This is a dedicated Teams device featuring an ambient touch screen, high-quality calling and video, and a hands-free experience powered by Cortana.

With Cortana built-in, the Lenovo ThinkSmart View and Yealink will be delivering the first Microsoft Teams displays in the U. S. later this year.

We also realize that being able to use existing hardware can provide important cost savings when moving to a new phone system. Today, we are announcing extended support for Skype for Business (3PIP) phones beyond 2023, so you can continue to use your existing Skype for Business phones as you move to Teams. Additionally, we will be supporting core calling features on SIP phones from Cisco, Yealink, Polycom, and others with Teams. Support for SIP phones will be available in the first half of 2021.

For customers looking to modernize their phones, we are bringing a new line of Microsoft Teams phones with physical buttons, high-quality audio, and core calling features at an affordable price. These phones are designed for common areas and basic information worker scenarios, with options available from AudioCodes, Poly, Yealink starting early 2021. We are also expanding our portfolio to deliver new USB peripherals that have dial pads and a modern Teams user interface for heavy call users. These USB phones work out of the box, featuring a Teams button, and will connect to both a PC and Mac to bring a high-quality Teams audio experience. These will be available in late 2020 and the first of which will be shipped with Yealink.

Left: AudioCodes C435HD (Microsoft Teams phone), Right: Yealink MP50 (USB phone).

How Microsoft Teams is transforming calling for CenturyLink

CenturyLink, a Telecommunication and technology company, had to rapidly respond to COVID-19 to support customers. The calling services in Teams means that sales reps can take calls from their customers whether they are on their phone with the Teams mobile app or working on their laptop with the Teams client open. Over one weekend, CenturyLink deployed Teams to 8,000 employees in the North American sales force. By the end of three weeks, employees in North America were working from home, with the full global workforce of 40,000 quickly following—all using Teams. “With the rapid move home during COVID-19, we were able to ensure that anyone had a telephony solution regardless of what devices they were using or where they were using them,” says Scott Poulter, Director of Systems Application and Transformation, Network Operations Center at CenturyLink. “It eliminated the need for a hard phone sitting on a desk and allowed people to continue to use the technology to connect with the people they needed to—customers or colleagues.”

As your organization navigates a new normal of hybrid of work and learning, Microsoft wants to help you with a communication solution that addresses the spectrum of your needs- with the right tools for any meeting size. We understand that every customer is in a different stage of your digital transformation journey, and with this new set of communications tools, we are here to make the adoption of the tools your organization needs as simple as possible. We have several ways for you to get started with Teams easily:

Get started with Teams for free.
Get guidance and resources through the FastTrack program.
We are rolling out promotional offers for Advanced Communications, Audio Conferencing, and Teams Calling to support your communication journey, and experience new capabilities. Reach out to your Sales Representative for more details, or learn more on Microsoft Teams website.

Posted on August 2, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

New Microsoft Store experience coming to Xbox Insiders

Summary

Introducing the new Microsoft Store on Xbox
A completely rebuilt experience designed to be faster, safer and easier to use than ever before
Available in beta beginning August 5 for some Xbox Insiders

Hello Xbox fans! We’re excited to share something we’ve been working on for a long time: the all-new Microsoft Store on Xbox. Far more than a typical app update, we’ve rebuilt the experience from the ground up to be faster, safer and easier to use than ever before. We’re obsessed with getting it right for customers, and we can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been working on.

Faster

The new Microsoft Store on Xbox is more than twice as fast as before. It launches in under two seconds, and the browse performance is greatly improved – it’s faster than ever to load pages and find what you need, whether it’s checking out a sale price or watching HD trailers.

The Microsoft Store on Xbox makes it easier than ever to discover what you’re looking for, whether you want to try out a gaming membership like Xbox Game Pass, find a specific title or DLC, or access an app, movie or TV show. View trailers inline while you search and browse (or turn on autoplay for the most seamless experience), easily see which games your friends are playing, and get information about discounts and offers at a glance.

Easier

Our goal is to provide an inclusive and intuitive experience for everyone, and we’re committed to making it easier than ever to find your next favorite game, app, movie, or TV show. This starts with a fully redesigned navigation system, allowing you to jump between shopping experiences in a snap or deep dive into something specific.

In order to improve ease of use, we’ve revisited and refined a few features and functionalities:

With the redesigned search functionality, it’s easier to filter your results.
Guided by your feedback, we rebuilt the Wish List. You can now easily add new games to your Wish List and quickly check your list content (including keeping tabs on any sale pricing for your Wish List items).
The updated shopping cart makes it easier to add items to your cart as well as view the items in your cart before and during purchase.
We’ve also made it easier than ever to shop across four generations of great Xbox content by enabling customers to view pricing while browsing for new Xbox One games and backward compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles, as well as add these games to your Wish List or shopping cart.

Safer

We’ve also been working hard to make sure that the Microsoft Store on Xbox is the best place for families to shop for gaming and entertainment. To help parents ensure that their children are interacting with appropriate content, customers must be signed in to their Xbox account before browsing. Being signed in also helps you have a more personalized experience – you’ll see content that is more relevant for you.

Similarly, we’ve made improvements to the way content is filtered to align with the family settings applied to child accounts. With this update, we ensure that content rated beyond a user’s content filter level does not appear anywhere in search or browse experiences. This means that a child with content filters set for an 8-year old will not be able to view content in the store that is rated for a teenager, for example. The update also guarantees that content filters are applied even when multiple users are signed in. It also makes it easier for parents or caregivers to grant exceptions to restrictions for particular games, movies, or TV shows they may allow their family members to have access to. Click here to learn more about child accounts and family settings on Xbox.

You’ll see content ratings more clearly surfaced: All trailers start with a consistent ratings pre-roll, ratings information is always clearly shown at the top of game details pages, and persisting age ratings information shows up all the way through the purchase process.

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If you want a closer look at all of these updates, I walked through them on Major Nelson’s video podcast – check out the video above and here.

How to participate

We’ll be rolling this update out gradually, so if you’re an Xbox Insider, you may begin to see the new Microsoft Store on Xbox starting as early as August 5; the experience will be available for more Insiders over time before it rolls out to all users this fall. If you encounter any issues, please submit feedback via Report a problem (hold down the Xbox button on your controller and select Report a problem from the power menu). Please submit feedback under Category > Apps and Subcategory > Microsoft Store. If you are not yet an Xbox Insider you can find more about and join the program at Insider.xbox.com.

We’re looking forward to your feedback. The new Microsoft Store on Xbox is just the first of many updates we’re rolling out in the coming weeks, all built to keep the gamer at the center of the entire gaming experience – stay tuned for more.

Posted on August 2, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Buying a new computer for your student? 3 things to look for

It’s an unusual time to be a student. Virtual classes, hybrid models, independent learning—going to school just doesn’t look the same as it did last year.

Yes, having a good computer for school has always been important. But now it’s vital to pick a laptop that has the power, adaptability, and longevity for the “new normal.”

Here’s why we think it should be a Windows 10 PC powered by a 10th Gen Intel® Core™ processor.

1. Function AND form

In 2020, “status symbol” laptops or tablets just don’t carry the same clout when everyone’s learning from home.

What students need more than ever are powerful PCs with innovative form-factors, like 2-in-1 laptops that learners can switch from tablet mode to laptop mode depending on what works best for them.

Speaking of which:

Two words: touch screen. Today’s students grew up using their smartphones. Touching the screen is how they interact with devices. This naturally translates to computers with a touchscreen interface, and they can use all the inputs they want—touch, mouse, pen, and keyboard.

Oh, the options you have! From 2-in-1s to tablets and laptops, of all different sizes—there are a variety of form-factors from respected manufacturers like Dell, HP, and Lenovo to choose from. You’ll find an option that’s perfect for your student’s needs and style.

Sounds expensive, right? You’d be surprised at the laptop deals you can find. Whether your budget is $300 or $1,300, you can find the best laptop for learning and for your student, wherever they are.

Here’s what you should look for:

Speed and power: If you’re looking for blazing speed, you’ll find it in an Intel® Core™ i7 powered laptop. Intel® Core™ i3 and Intel® Core™ i5 laptops are also incredibly powerful compared to older PCs. And whether it’s research, writing, content-creation, or compiling code, all of these devices have the speed you need.
Screen size: Classes are long and school days are even longer. A bigger screen can make it all a little easier on the eyes. There are great laptop options that can also be backpack-friendly for when they return to school or head out for a study session, while still a great size for relaxing on the couch for gaming or streaming.
Battery life: The whole point of laptops is to work on them wherever you want without being tethered to a desk or power cable. Longer battery life enables flexibility to work from the couch, kitchen table, classroom, or library.

2. Accessible and compatible by design

Learning styles vary greatly. Some students are visual learners, whereas others are more hands-on. Some read to understand, others listen or talk to understand. Some students struggle to read, write, or speak.

Classes have different application requirements. Some teachers require use of a course-specific app, or all final papers to be completed in Microsoft Word format.

This is where Windows PCs shine; compatibility and built-in accessibility features that over 1 billion users enjoy worldwide. Whether your student needs to make everything easier to see by adjusting text size and color or boosting contrast, or would prefer to have items read aloud to them by using the built-in screen reading app, Narrator, your student can customize their computer to work best for how they want to use it, where they want to use it.

Some laptops even come with touchscreens and digital pens that allow students to take notes as naturally as they would on paper. Just switch from Laptop to Tablet mode on 2-in-1 laptops—it’s ideal for math and physics problems! Research even shows that students who use a digital pen for science classes showed a 38% increase in performance.¹

3. More future-proof

If you start your student off with an Intel-based Windows PC in college, they’ll have 4 years of experience with the platform by the time they graduate (8 if you start in high school! Up to 12 if you start in elementary school!). And with Fortune 500 companies looking for computer literacy to get their work done, you’re setting students up for success in the job market ahead. Internship or entry-level role, you’ll be giving your student an advantage by ensuring they’re tech-savvy for the work environment.

This also applies to those who want to blaze their own path. If your current student is looking to be a future entrepreneur, give them the best chance by giving them the best computer that can do it all.

With a Windows 10 computer, your student can take on any challenge from the first day of school to graduation and beyond. Convenience, compatibility, built-in intelligent features that learn and adapt—combine all that with the speed and responsiveness of an 10th Gen Intel® Core™ processors and you’ve got a formula for success.

Posted on July 31, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Court is in session, just not in a courthouse

Courts systems have an obligation to deliver justice—regardless of global or local crisis

Recently courts, like businesses and institutions worldwide, have been affected and required to modify processes. The unprecedented actions of locking down the globe presents many challenges, and unattended consequences, with the potential to impact the delivery of justice for all. While the court was racing to stand-up remote capabilities subsequent pressures including climate change, political unrest, and civil disturbances added to the complexity and urgency.

Courts have a great responsibility to our community given the continuity of justice is what keeps order and fairness. Those two elements become even more important in times of crisis. Many court leaders and administrators were fast to respond to the crisis. The quick adoption of remote working and virtual hearings capabilities helped keep the court open, eliminating backlogs. Meanwhile, court clerks were instrumental in helping the technology industry understand the unique requirements for a court

Microsoft worked with subject matter experts and the court customers to help develop a more tailored solution to meet the needs of a court. Virtual Hearings was the answer to the ask of customers to help replicate the functionality of the court process from a remote posture.

“… in our quest for digital transformation, with the aim of realizing expedited, efficient, and secure trials that are more user-friendly for court users especially during this time of public health emergency,” said the Honorable Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta.

After several months of remote working, we have seen the technology evolve and adoption of the technology accelerate. The courts are learning that the ability to work remotely is not only advantageous for social distancing but an efficient and cost-saving measure that could enhance the services of a court. Technology savvy courts are realizing that they may not need the huge and costly infrastructures of a courthouse, that citizens can get levels of “self-help” from a digitally connected court, paper costs are reduced or eliminated with safer storage, auto redaction, and digital filing. Attorneys can quickly communicate and submit documents—regardless of time or location—to keep the pace of justice moving even when social distancing is no longer required.

Core to Microsoft’s culture, we have applied customer feedback to help evolve our technology to support the unique needs of courts. As our world evolves and changes, the needs of the court will as well. Microsoft, who embraces the mission of empowering every person and every organization on the planet is helping courts deliver on their promise of justice for all.

Watch a virtual hearing in action and learn more about Microsoft in Public Safety and Justice.

Posted on July 31, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

No more button pushing—Microsoft Translator for iOS adds Auto mode for one on one conversations

Translating one on one conversations just got even easier with the newest update to speech mode in Microsoft Translator for iOS. With Auto mode, there’s no more need to push the microphone button when it’s your turn to talk—just select the languages, turn on the mic, and start the conversation. The app will listen for the two languages and translate what you have said after you finish speaking. The other person can start talking right away when you’re finished and the app will translate automatically.

The Microsoft Translator app makes it easy to get your translations so that you can concentrate on the conversation, not the phone. There are two ways you can get your translations—either listen to the speech output or read the text translation on the screen.

The app’s split screen design makes reading the translated text simple. Place the phone between you and the other person. You can flip the text on the top portion of the phone so it can be read right side up from the other side.

If you are listening to the speech output, the app also has a brand-new option of slowing down the playback if the default speed is too fast.

Speech output is available in over 45 languages, text output is available in over 60 languages. View the Microsoft Translator app languages page.

The update will roll out to iOS apps over the next couple of days. If you are not seeing the update yet but would like to start using the feature right now, you can manually update your app. Auto mode is not available for Android, but it’s coming soon.

Get started with Auto mode

If you don’t already have the Microsoft Translator app, you can download it for free from the App Store. To start your translated conversation:

Open the app and click on the microphone icon to start speech mode.
Choose your two languages and select auto.
Press the microphone icon and start talking! You can also flip the text of one of the sides of the screen to make it easier for the other person to read.

Do more with the Microsoft Translator app

Multiparty Conversations – Translate conversations with up to 100 people with each participant using their own using their own device.

Text – Translate text in over 60 different languages. You can even download offline language packs so you can translate when you’re not connected to the Internet.

Camera – Translate the text in photos with the app’s built-in camera viewer, or upload saved photos from your gallery.

Phrasebooks – Get verified translations for travel, directions, lodging, dining, and more. Pronunciation guides to help you learn important phrases.

Single Microphone – Tap and speak into the microphone to translate short phrases while online.

Learn more about the Microsoft Translator app.

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Posted on July 30, 2020 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Hackathon team turns to AI to rid plastic from the world’s rivers and oceans

Dan Morris, AI for Earth program director, says the most important result from the hackathon was that AI for Earth taught The Ocean Cleanup a lot about machine learning. “The real value was teaching them through interaction with data scientists and engineers at Microsoft,” he says.

This year, The Ocean Cleanup was named an AI for Earth grantee for its work.

“Using the AI for Earth grant, we’ve been able to set up and run the machine learning models,” De Vries says. “Having the resources at our fingertips has greatly accelerated the technical progress, by taking away practical concerns and letting us focus on the development.

“It allowed us to develop the vision that this is something we can do, not just for one river, but eventually for rivers across the globe.”

Two people at Microsoft Hackathon — Robin de Vries, right, of The Ocean Cleanup works with a Microsoft Global Hackathon team member in 2019.

The Ocean Cleanup is highly admired, particularly in the Netherlands, where the organization has been a symbol of pride for years, even before they became more well-known internationally, says Harry van Geijn, a digital adviser for Microsoft in the Netherlands. Van Geijn is among the Microsoft staffers there who have volunteered to help The Ocean Cleanup when it comes to computer and related support.

While its staff is relatively small with around 100 employees, “they have this cause that they pursue with great tenacity and in an extremely professional way,” van Geijn says. So much so that “When I ask around for someone at Microsoft Netherlands to do something for The Ocean Cleanup, half the company raises their hand to say, ‘I want to volunteer for that.’”

Drew Wilkinson at Hackathon — Drew Wilkinson at the 2019 Microsoft Global Hackathon in Redmond, Washington.

Wilkinson, who grew up in the hot, dry climate of the Arizona desert, spent time at sea as a volunteer for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a nonprofit, marine wildlife conservation organization.

In 2018 at Microsoft, he and another coworker started an employee group, Microsoft’s Worldwide Sustainability Community, which has grown to more than 3,000 members globally. The group focuses on ways employees can help the company be more environmentally sustainable. Wilkinson now is a community program manager for the Worldwide Communities Program, which includes the employee group he co-founded.

Wilkinson sees the issue of plastics in the ocean as a pretty solvable problem and is excited about the work that has been done, the work that he spurred with an email.

“I’m not a scientist, but it doesn’t take a lot of science to understand that our fate on the land is very much tied to the ocean,” he says. “The ocean is the planet’s life support system. Without a healthy ocean, we don’t stand a chance either.”

Top image: Some of the plastic and trash picked up onto the conveyor belt of The Ocean Cleanup’s Interceptor 002 on the Klang River in Malaysia. Photo credit: The Ocean Cleanup.