“Microsoft Monday” takes a look back at the past week of news related to Microsoft. This week, “Microsoft Monday” includes details about HERE Maps being discontinued, a Reddit thread going viral about the problems associated with the automatic upgrade of Windows 10, Sony’s response to the Xbox One cross-network feature, the HoloLens team highlighting the capabilities of Actiongram, the possibility of a 64 person party chat on the Xbox, Windows 10 Mobile being rolled out to older devices, the Xbox One price drop as part of the “Spring Sale,” the progress of Cortana for Xbox One, the extension of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 support on Skylake-based PCs, support for Windows 10 apps in the Xbox One coming in several months, Microsoft’s apology for the scantily-clad dancers at the Game Developers Conference afterparty and more.
HERE Maps To Discontinue Windows Support
HERE recently announced in a blog post that it will be removing the HERE branded apps from the Windows 10 store on March 29, 2016 and the development of apps for Windows Phone 8 will be limited to critical bug fixes.
“In the last few months, we made the HERE apps compatible with Windows 10 by using a workaround that will no longer be effective after June 30, 2016. To continue offering the HERE apps for Windows 10 would require us to redevelop the apps from the ground up, a scenario that led to the business decision to remove our apps from the Windows 10 store,” said Pino Bonetti, the social media lead of HERE.
Lumia With HERE Maps / Photo Credit: HERE
The HERE apps will no longer work on Windows 10 mobile devices after June 30, 2016. And the HERE apps will be removed from the Windows 10 store on March 29th. Google Maps is not available on Windows phones so HERE Maps was an essential app for that platform.
HERE was actually a division of Nokia, but it was sold to a consortium of German automotive companies including Audi, BMW and Daimler AG, according to Business Insider. HERE is also known for selling geographic data to technology companies like Facebook and Amazon. HERE is recommending Windows 10 phone users to rely on the Windows Maps app instead, which is powered by HERE Maps data.
Fortunately, Microsoft has a plan to make up for the removal of the HERE app. A Microsoft employee wrote on a Reddit postthat there is an “exciting update” planned for the Windows 10 Maps app. The update will include an improved driving mode — which will be available for Windows 10 testers first.
Windows 7 And Windows 8.1 Users Angry About Automatic Upgrade, But Microsoft Downplays The Issue
There is a Reddit thread with over 5,100 up votes and 3,000 comments about the problems users are having with the automatic Windows 10 upgrade. A computer repair shop employee said that the business has been receiving calls “all week from doctor’s offices, dental practices, B&Bs and roofing companies” that were hit by the automatic upgrade and it’s a “mess.”
Microsoft seemed to downplay the issue by releasing this statement via HotHardware:
“We shared in late October on the Windows Blog, we are committed to making it easy for our Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers to upgrade to Windows 10. As stated in that post, we have updated the upgrade experience to make it easier for customers to schedule a time for their upgrade to take place. Customers continue to be fully in control of their devices, and can choose to not install the Windows 10 upgrade or remove the upgrade from Windows Update (WU) by changing the WU settings.”
Sony Responds To Microsoft Xbox One Cross-Network Service
Rocket League / Photo Credit: Psyonix
Last week, Microsoft announced a native cross-platform play service between the Xbox One and Windows 10 systems. This means that Xbox One and Windows 10 users will be able to use Xbox Live to play with people on different online multiplayer networks including the Sony PlayStation Plus network. What does Sony think of Microsoft’s olive branch?
Sony told GameSpot that it is open to the idea of cross-console play, but it did not specifically cite Xbox Live. “PlayStation has been supporting cross-platform play between PC on several software titles starting with Final Fantasy 11 on PS2 and PC back in 2002,” said Sony via GameSpot. Sony provided this statement when it was directly asked whether a partnership with Microsoft would happen.
Rocket League is the first Xbox One game that will be able to utilize the cross-platform feature. But it’s worth mentioning that there is already a cross-network feature built into the PlayStation Network that allows users to play with Steam users.
Microsoft HoloLens Team Highlights Actiongram Capabilities
The Microsoft HoloLens virtual reality headset is currently available for developers. But it is unknown when the HoloLens will be available for consumers. However, Microsoft is starting to preview some of the nifty features built into the Actiongram app for Microsoft HoloLens. The Actiongram app for Microsoft HoloLens is able to add virtual objects inside videos — which can be very entertaining.
Microsoft built a virtual holographic studio where actors, objects and characters have been created. For example, the Actiongram app lets users embed Ned the zombie, a dinosaur and Teddy Roosevelt into videos.
Microsoft Edge To Gain Support For Extensions
When Microsoft rolled out the Edge browser with Windows 10, it lacked support for extension plugins. But now Microsoft has included a beta of extensions in Build 14291 of Windows 10 on Thursday. That means it is accessible to users participating in the Windows Insider Program.
If you are interested in testing out the extensions, simply click on the “More” button in the top right corner of the Edge browser. And then click on “Extensions.” Currently, you have to install the extensions manually. Eventually, the extensions will be available directly from the Windows Store.
Microsoft Extensions / Photo Credit: Microsoft
The three extensions available on Microsoft Edge includes Microsoft Translator, Mouse Gestures and the Reddit Enhancement Suite. There are more extensions coming soon, including AdBlock Plus. Other web browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari have been supporting extensions and add-ons for years now so Microsoft Edge has a lot of catching up to do.
Xbox 64 Person Party Chat Possibility
Mike Ybarra, the Xbox head of programming, said that Xbox Live could eventually support 64 player party chat. The Xbox One March update increased the party chat to 16 players.
“It was eight six months ago, then we went to 12, now we’re at 16,” said Ybarra via GameSpot. “I’d love to get that to 64 because that’ll get Battlefield and games like that which do 64 vs. 64…have at it! Now, I don’t want to be in a party of 64, but that’s a different problem! (laughs).”
When Ybarra was asked why a 64 player party chat should be given created if it may not be a great user experience, he said it is better to provide it as an option to players.
Microsoft Starts Rolling Out Windows 10 To Older Mobile Devices
Microsoft has started rolling out Windows 10 to its older mobile devices following a delay of several months. The list of devices that are eligible for the update include:
-Lumia 1520
-Lumia 930
-Lumia 640
-Lumia 640XL
-Lumia 730
-Lumia 735
-Lumia 830
-Lumia 532
-Lumia 535
-Lumia 540
-Lumia 635 (1GB)
-Lumia 636 (1GB)
-Lumia 638 (1GB)
-Lumia 430
-Lumia 435
-BLU Win HD w510u
-BLU Win HD LTE x150q and
-MCJ Madosma Q501
According to Mashable, Microsoft also launched a new app called UpdateAdvisor — which will tell you if you are eligible for a software update.
Unfortunately, many popular Windows Phone 8.1 smartphones were missing from the list. This includes models that were previously listed on the Microsoft Insider Preview program. Microsoft said it excluded some models to prevent a negative “impact on the customer experience.” And mobile devices that have 512MB of RAM will not receive the Windows 10 Mobile update.
Microsoft is taking a less aggressive stance on the Windows 10 Mobile compared to Windows 10. Usercreate actually have an option to easily decline the Windows 10 Mobile update.
Three Games Added To Xbox One Backwards Compatibility List
Microsoft has added three more games to the Xbox One Backwards Compatibility list. The three new games are “Pac-Man,” “Alan Wake,” and “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.” There are now about 134 games on the list, according to The Express UK.
Xbox One Price Dropped
According to Forbes contributor David Thier, Microsoft has announced the price of the Xbox One has been dropped by $50. Now the base price of the Xbox One is $299. Tomorrow, Microsoft will also offer digital game deals that will be discounted as high as 60%. And Xbox Live Gold members will see even more discounts as part of the spring sale. The Xbox One price drop is temporary, but it can be an indication of the base price dropping permanently sometime in the near future.
Cortana For Xbox One Is “Coming Along Great”
In November, Microsoft integrated Cortana into the Xbox One as part of the New Xbox One Experience update. But that was an early version of Cortana. The full version of Cortana doesn’t have an expected release date yet, but Xbox head Mike Ybarra said it is “coming along great” after seeing a demo.
Cortana for Xbox One is similar to the way it works for Windows 10. For example, it can be used to open apps and message contacts.
Twitter Updates Windows 10 App
Twitter app for Windows 10
Twitter has updated its Windows 10 app so that it includes support for Moments, GIFs, group chat and muting on mobile devices. The desktop version of the app has a new dark theme. On mobile devices, the dark theme changes depending on the system settings. You can download the updated Twitter app from the Windows Store.
Unfortunately Twitter decided to shut down the development of TweetDeck for Windows. The TweetDeck shut down will be happening on April 15th. Twitter acquired TweetDeck in 2011.
“To better focus on enhancing your TweetDeck experience, we’ll no longer support a standalone Windows app,” said Twitter in a blog post. “If you use Windows, you’ll still be able to visit TweetDeck on the web — nothing is changing about TweetDeck itself, just where you access it from.”
Users that have the app downloaded will still be able to use it. TweetDeck for Mac is not being shut down though.
Microsoft Updates Office Apps For Android With Several Major Features
Microsoft Word App For Android
Microsoft has updated the three major Office Apps for Android with several new features. The new features include auto-save and real-time collaborative editing abilities. According to Android Police, the apps do not show the users what changes are being made by invited guests live – which makes Google Docs more sophisticated in that case.
A new useful feature that has been added is version history. This makes it easier to revert back to an older version of the document.
The PowerPoint app has received a new feature called “Designer,” which provides design ideas based on several preloaded themes. Layouts are also suggested to color coordinate with added images.
The Office apps have been updated in the Google Play Store.
Windows 7 And 8.1 Support Extended On Skylake-Based PCs
In January, Microsoft made a controversial announcement about providing support on certain Intel Skylake-based PCs until July 17, 2017. Fortunately, Microsoft is extending support for another year.
“We’ve received feedback from customers at various stages of planning and deployment of Windows 10,” said Microsoft general manager Jeremy Korst in a blog post. “Led by their feedback, today we are sharing a few updates to our Skylake support policy.” Now support will be provided through July 17, 2018.
Following that date, Microsoft will simply provide security updates until January 14, 2020 for Windows 7 and January 10, 2023 for Windows 8.1.
Microsoft Changes It’s Mind About Cancelling Okta’s Invitation To Conference
Microsoft has decided to reverse it’s decision about blocking a startup called Okta from the Ignite technology conference. Okta was given permission to be a sponsor again too.
“We have a lot of criteria we consider when reviewing sponsorships. We revisited the historical criteria and determined that Okta qualified for sponsorship opportunities. We’ve reached out to Okta and look forward to seeing them at Ignite,” said a Microsoft spokesperson via Business Insider.
Why did Microsoft ban Okta temporarily? Apparently Microsoft had a problem with the “broad competition” between the two companies in the mobility market. Okta’s software manages employee passwords for various cloud services. And Microsoft offers similar software. However, Microsoft did not seem to mind other rivals from attending such as Cisco. Cisco sells products that competes against Microsoft’s Skype and Yammer services.
Business Insider said that the temporary ban decision did not come from upper management. The Ignite conference will be taking place from September 26 to 30 in Atlanta.
Xbox One Console To Support Windows 10 Apps In Several Months
At the Game Developers Conference, Microsoft Game Studios principal group program manager Jason Ronald said the Xbox One will support Windows 10 apps. Microsoft will be combining the Xbox Store and the Windows Store following those changes, according to CNET.
Microsoft has been pushing for uniformity across its platforms through the Universal Windows app program under the leadership of CEO Satya Nadella. The Universal Windows app program makes it easier for developers to deploy apps across multiple platforms including the Xbox One, Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. By offering Windows 10 apps on Xbox One, it could make Microsoft’s console more appealing against the Sony PlayStation 4 — which is currently dominating the gaming market. And the Windows 10 apps will be downloadable to the Xbox One console.
Microsoft also revealed a feature called the “Xbox Live Tournaments Platform.” This feature allows players to set up sports leagues through Xbox One and Windows 10.
To ensure users can seamlessly play Windows 10 games on the Xbox One, Microsoft’s console will need to be able to work with a keyboard and mouse. Microsoft is actively working on that feature.
Minecraft Is Coming To The Samsung Gear VR
Minecraft / Image Credit: Microsoft
Microsoft is going to be launching Minecraft for the Samsung Gear VR virtual reality headset. This announcement was made shortly after Microsoft said Minecraft would be available for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. Oculus actually worked with Samsung to build the Gear VR.
The Gear VR virtual reality headset is available at a low cost. Samsung is selling it online for only $99.99 and it comes free with the purchase of a new Samsung Galaxy S7 depending on the wireless carrier it is purchased from.
One of the reasons why the Gear VR is cheaper is because it doesn’t have a screen built in. The Gear VR is controlled by Samsung’s latest smartphones.
Microsoft Apologizes For Scantily-Clad “Schoolgirl” Dancers At Game Developer Conference Afterparty
Following a media backlash, Microsoft apologized for having scantily-clad women dressed in schoogirl outfits dance on platforms during its Game Developers Conference afterparty. At the afterparty — which was hosted by the Xbox team — many people tweeted and posted photos of the dancers.
“Making a formal complaint tomorrow. I will not stand for this,” said game developer Kamina Vincent in a tweet. “I’m trying to encourage women into the industry then this happens.”
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