Tag Archives: microsoft

Microsoft is overhauling its Code of Conduct across all of its platforms come the 1st of May, making it clearer that it reserves the right to rummage through your data and information if issues are to arise. One of the strangest and perhaps most ambiguous entries is that the company's …

The Game Developer Conference (GDC) kicked off this week and we've already had a couple of major announcements. It looks like this year, DirectX 12 is back in the spotlight, with the likes of Nvidia, AMD and Microsoft all working to support Ray Tracing technology. This is a technique commonly …

Two weeks ago, Microsoft stepped in to help distribute Intel’s Spectre and Meltdown fixes as individual vendors would have been too slow. It looks like the Redmond-based company isn’t done just yet, either, as now it’s offering a bug bounty program for anyone that identifies an attack based on the …

For years, ‘cloud gaming' has been touted as the future, removing the need for consumers to buy expensive hardware and run games locally. Instead, gamers can just plug in a lighter, smaller box and have servers across the world do the heavy lifting for them. The idea got off to …

Microsoft has had big showings for hardware at its last two E3 conferences, with the Xbox One S landing in 2016 and the Xbox One X being a big focus of the show last year. This year however, there are no new consoles to launch, with the focus being placed …

Back in June 2015, Microsoft launched one of its most ambitious Surface devices yet in the form of the Surface Hub. This particular Surface system was a huge 55-inch or 84-inch all-in-one PC, with prices of just over £5,700 and £16,200 respectively. The Surface Hub eventually arrived, but it was …

While not officially announced, it seems that Microsoft is planning to reuse its “Creators Update” moniker for a third Windows 10 build. The firm is currently working on an update codenamed Redstone 4, which is the most likely candidate for the leaked, and debatably catchier “Windows 10 Spring Creators Update” …

Back in May 2017, Microsoft announced that it would be launching another edition of Windows 10, known as ‘Windows 10 S'. This particular version was intended for cheaper laptops and ultrabooks, with a focus on getting a ‘safe' version of Windows 10 into schools and into the hands of students. …

Over the past couple of months, Intel has been churning out stable microcode fixes to help mitigate Spectre vulnerabilities across its line of processors. Microsoft has announced that it will begin lending a helping hand with distributing the firmware updates, provided that users are running Windows 10. As of yesterday, …

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has been a key component in Microsoft’s reboot over the past couple of years, helping to redefine the console brand and bridge the gap towards the PC platform. Spencer has stated during the 2018 DICE Summit that an important part of this is addressing workforce …

Despite the slow death of the Windows Phone being officially confirmed last year, it seems that some users are finding it difficult to let go. Unfortunately, Microsoft is still urging them to move on, as some services are being shut down for good. Microsoft broke the news in a forum …

Microsoft has been working on bringing Windows 10 to ARM chipsets for a couple of years now, with the first supported PCs set to go on sale this year. While Microsoft has demonstrated Windows running on ARM before, it has kept quiet about its various limitations. That changed this week …

While consoles don't tend to have official keyboard and mouse support, there are ways around that with adapters. This is something of a concern in multiplayer shooters, where a mouse provides a distinct advantage over a controller. Over the weekend, Xbox VP, Mike Ybarra, was asked if there were plans …

The next Windows 10 update is just around the corner, and with it comes a brand new power management mode exclusive to Windows 10 Pro users. Ultimate Performance, as it’s dubbed, is built for the high demand of workstations that often process heavy tasks such as 3D modelling and will …

Microsoft has confirmed that Skype is currently experiencing a security flaw that can endow attackers with system-level privileges, something which is often reserved for the operating system exclusively. Unfortunately for users of the communication platform, it looks like the company isn’t planning on fixing it at all, instead opting for …

Microsoft’s Cortana has been competing with Apple’s Siri on iPhone for quite some time, but the latest update finally brings the digital assistant to iPad. While all platforms will benefit from the update’s various nips and tucks, the iPad especially will benefit from an “exclusive layout and interface.” The main …

It seems Skype has been stumbling a little lately, with reports that the messaging app has been giving users repeated connection issues. Microsoft is on the ball, though, having reassured users that a fix is in the works and will be arriving soon. Some users seem to have experienced these …

Back in May 2017, Microsoft announced that it would be launching another edition of Windows 10, known as ‘Windows 10 S'. This particular version was intended for cheaper laptops and ultrabooks, with a focus on getting Windows 10 into schools and into the hands of students. Now, less than a …

Consumer Reports concluded last year that 25 percent of Microsoft’s Surface owners suffer issues within the first two years, particularly after the warranty has expired beyond the first year. It seems these problems are still continuing as Surface Pro 4 owners are reporting issues with a “flickering screen.” The glitch …

Given that it’s the default anti-virus protection baked into every Windows 10 system and is the bare minimum needed for securing PCs, Microsoft is keen to continue amping up Windows Defender. Aside from just targeting viruses and malware, Microsoft’s anti-virus protector will now target “scareware” too, in order to protect …

In January last year, Windows 10 officially surpassed Windows 7 here in the UK. Now one year later, Microsoft's latest operating system has managed to just about out-do Windows 7 worldwide, making it the most popular operating system in the world. According to the analytics specialists at StatCounter, Windows 10 …

Microsoft’s Mixer livestreaming service, formerly known as Beam, is finally helping its content creators further monetise their videos by adding tipping into the mix. Mixer is also taking cues from Twitch’s newer features, as users of its platform will soon be able to guide viewers to a direct purchase of …

It is a well known fact at this point that Microsoft is struggling when it comes to delivering first-party content for PC and Xbox. With that in mind, it wouldn't be crazy to think that the company would be looking into buying out other studios. Several big names have been thrown around this week, with the rumor mill pointing towards PUBG Corp, EA and perhaps the most unlikely, Valve.

As of today, Microsoft is the proud owner of PlayFab, “a complete backend platform provider of services to build, launch and grow cloud-connected games.” Or rather, it’s a cloud gaming platform that’s used in more than 1,200 games across all platforms, including big names like Killing Floor 2 and Planetary …

Over the last few weeks, Intel, Microsoft and other firms have been working double-time to push out fixes for the Spectre bug following its public unveiling. The bug poses as a serious security concern, so there is plenty of need for swift action. However, that has come at the expense …

Update (24/01/18): Yesterday, Microsoft dropped a major piece of news, announcing that all future Xbox exclusive games would be added to the Xbox Game Pass library on the day of release. At the time, we didn't know whether or not this would tie into Xbox's ‘Play Anywhere' scheme but as …

As far back as 2013, Microsoft began working on wearable tech, including smartwatches. One of the company's many ideas was actually an Xbox smartwatch, which first appeared on the web in 2017. Now, just a few months later, more details on the prototype have surfaced, alongside a wealth of images. …

Back in mid-October, Microsoft launched the Surface Book 2 in the US. Hailed as the most powerful Surface ever, the laptop features Nvidia GTX 10-series graphics alongside an Intel 8th Gen processor. Since then, the 15-inch of this laptop have only been available in the US, but that is changing …

Microsoft's original Xbox Elite controller launched back in 2015 and while many balked at the £120 price tag, it still ended up selling very well. Now this year, it looks like Microsoft is preparing to introduce a new and improved Elite controller, upping the ante with more features. The original …

It has been almost two years since Microsoft shut down Lionhead Studios, the creators of Fable. While Lionhead might be gone, it looks like Microsoft isn't giving up on the Fable franchise, with sources this week reporting that a new game in the series is currently in the works. This …