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1 Deprecated Features2 Removed Features As is customary with every major Windows release, Microsoft has detailed what features have been depreciated and removed. For Windows 10 May 2020 Update, the list of removed tools features some recognizable names. “Each version of Windows 10 adds new features and functionality; occasionally we also remove features and functionality, often because we’ve added a better option,” a Microsoft support document notes. This essentially means Microsoft has either killed or will kill off the features listed in the document....

In a note, Microsoft says the flaw is a “moderate” threat found on Windows Server hardware. For consumer users of Windows 10, the threat has been deemed “critical”. Furthermore, the problem affects some of the latest Internet Explorer versions. Specifically, IE 9,10, and 11. In its report, Microsoft says the exploit is a remote code execution that gives bad actors the ability to access a system with the same privileges as someone logged in....

Alex Kipman, Microsoft’s technical fellow and HoloLens lead, published a 42-second video teasing a press event on February 24. That date lines up directly with Mobile World Congress, so it seems HoloLens 2 will land at the Barcelona-based mobile event. Having said that, the video is cryptic enough that we can only file it under teaser and hardly a confirmation. What is clear is Microsoft has a press event for February 24th at 5PM CET (11AM ET) that will be attended by Kipman alongside CEO Satya Nadella, and CVP Julia White....

In its announcement, Adobe tapped its partners (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Mozilla) to discuss how they will continue to move away from Flash. The intent was clear, to show developers that it is possible to move to a more modern format. One of the party lines from all the companies is the legacy of Flash. Microsoft tows that line by praising the software, while recognizing it is very much a time and a place platform....

According to Redmond’s survey, Edge users generally dislike notifications unless they happen to be important. Naturally, deciding which notification requests are valuable and which are not is difficult for a browser. However, Microsoft thinks it has the tool for the job. Microsoft Edge is getting an option for “quiet notification requests”. The feature has dropped on version 84 of Microsoft’s new Chromium-based browser that dropped in preview this week. Under the feature, users see notification requests hidden behind a bell icon in the address bar....

Security is important, especially when browsing online. Many users are at risk from attack, so understanding if a website you visit is safe or not. A lock icon is a solid first step, showing that the site uses HTTPS and security tools like SSL encryption. However, it is no guarantee that the site is overall safe or not trying to scam you. Moving forward, the pop up will show wider information about a site you are visiting, with details from Wikipedia....

The newest Edge Canary update includes a built-in photo editor for the web browser. As spotted by Leopeva64-2, users running this preview can edit an image directly in Edge before saving it. In terms of the jack-of-all-trades features Microsoft is throwing at Edge, this is amongst the most useful. Users can use the editing feature by right-clicking an image to see the built-in editing options. These tools are directly from the Photos app, so you can crop, add filters, annotate, and handle metrics such as exposure, contrast, and brightness....

“Microsoft makes millions of dollars in profits by helping fossil fuel companies extract more oil,” says an open letter on GitHub. “In this week’s company-wide all-hands, our CEO, Satya Nadella, defended our contracts with Big Oil by suggesting that our technology helps them in their R&D efforts to develop sustainable energy. Yet, this is in clear contradiction to the ambitions of fossil fuel-CEOs and even other Microsoft leaders.” Nadella did indeed suggest that the partnership would aid in addressing the world’s biggest energy challenges, sustainability included....

Excel users can use the feature to capture a photo of a data table, whether it is printed or hand-drawn. Using AI technology, Excel works with the device camera to turn the image into a spreadsheet. Once loaded into Microsoft Excel, the spreadsheet can be edited, shared, and analyzed as normal. One of the obvious positives of Insert Data from Picture is users don’t need to manually enter data into a spreadsheet file....

The importance of the announcement is worth mentioning as this is the first datacenter Microsoft has opened in Africa. It allows organizations to use Microsoft Azure cloud services with region-held resources and connectivity. “The launch of these regions marks a major milestone for Microsoft as we open our first enterprise-grade datacenters in Africa, becoming the first global provider to deliver cloud services from datacenters on the continent. The new regions provide the latest example of our ongoing investment to help enable digital transformation and advance technologies such as AI, cloud, and edge computing across Africa....

In an interesting but not unexpected move, Microsoft has decided to tone down focus on the UWP touch-enabled apps. While the UWP apps work on Windows 10 desktop, they were essentially Office Mobile services for Windows 10 Mobile. Sure, many laptops have touch screens these days, but its not an implementation that has taken off in the way Microsoft hoped when it launched Windows 8. It seems laptop users still prefer the tactile approach of a keyboard and mouse....

Sven Mestas, Lead Game Designer from Asobo Studio released a diary on Microsoft’s official game YouTube account. According to the developer, the game will feature every single airport on Earth. We already know Microsoft would roll out the airport red carpet. However, to include every single airport is amazing. 37,000 airports were manually edited with high-resolution Bing Maps scans and Azure tools. For 80 of the most iconic airports, Microsoft went further and gave them “extra attention”....

For example, Microsoft has tweaked the look for Japan while also adding some new items in the Marketplace. Furthermore, Microsoft Flight Simulator also has a new Feedback Snapshot. Perhaps the biggest point of this out-of-schedule update is to improve the general functionality of the SDK. Microsoft is also opening up the developer kit to more members. Below is the changelog for this latest release: “WebAssembly: Improvements to the GDI+ compatibility layer and improvements to the ease of development and debugging capabilities is the current focus....

Microsoft Garage has released a ton of cool projects in its time, some of which have ended up as fully formed products. This time, it’s looking to make a positive impact on the world and produce something that may be a first for tablets. Called Earth Lens, the solution lets users analyze, detect, and track aerial imagery to aid in a number of different scenarios. Microsoft speaks to use in tracking fishing vessels to support sustainability, looking at natural disaster impact, and, more....

Ironically, Microsoft is slowly creeping out of nearly two years of failing to meet the demand for the Xbox Series X. Just as the console becomes more readily available, there is now an Xbox Wireless Controller shortage. However, this supply issue seems to be restricted to Europe and the UK. It is not just retail partners who are running out, the Microsoft Store is also out of stock. As you might expect, third-party retailers with stock are seizing the opportunity and cranking prices up on their controller inventories....

As part of seeking regulatory greenlights for its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft is having to hand over details of its gaming division. Regulators and rivals are concerned the merger will cause competition issues in gaming. Much of the contention comes from the fact Microsoft could make franchises like Call or Duty, Candy Crush, Warcraft, and Diablo exclusive to Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft denies it will do this, stating it makes more economic sense to maintain the cross-platform availability of those brands....

Looking at the feature, it will allow Xbox Series X and S to support HDMI-CEC abilities. In other words, any normal remote control would be able to navigate the Xbox dashboard and interact with apps. For example, streaming platforms like Netflix and Spotify. It is worth pointing out both consoles shipped with some HDMI-CEC abilities. Specifically, features to turn TV volume up and down or power up the TV. Microsoft is now expanding capabilities to general navigation and interaction on apps including YouTube, Twitch, and more....

Specifically, iPhone and iPad users with Outlook can now remove a meeting schedule from the calendar. This is for situations where the circumstances of the meeting change before it is held, such as a cancellation or a change in time. To clear a meeting from the Outlook calendar, simply tap the remove button that now appears in the inbox. And that’s it, as mentioned, a minor update. Still, one we think is worth grabbing....

1 Abilities2 Availability MMD is a cloud-based service that bundles Microsoft 365 Enterprise, device as a service, and remote device management. The idea behind the integration is to help businesses make their IT departments more efficient. There is a real focus on business and not desktop management. In its announcement, Microsoft Managed Desktop was developed after collaboration with small and large organizations. One of the most frequent comments from customers was a lack of time to maintain changing technologies....

If you are unfamiliar with the terminology, the Release Candidate is the final stage of the testing process. It is the finalized build of the platform that will reach all customers next month. As mentioned, Microsoft will release VS 2019 on April 2, accompanied by a day-long digital event: “Join us online on April 2 starting at 9 AM Pacific Time for demos and conversations centered around development with Visual Studio 2019, Azure DevOps, and GitHub....