Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Microsoft Introduces HoloLens for High-Definition Holograms
HoloLens changes the way you communicate, learn and create by portraying multidimensional objects directly in your eyesight. In going beyond the screen, these images will then become even more real than imaginable, as you will be able to edit designs and gain multiple vantage points, all while sharing with others. Such interaction with these three-dimensional images ultimately brings a new reality, as the very space that you are in becomes a completely new world thanks to HoloLens. And while exploring these places that you’ve physically never been, you can abandon touching and clicking all the while.
The HoloLens goggles themselves bear no cords or wires and then feature advanced sensors that allow you to see the new imagery. The headwear is also lightweight and adjustable so to fit any head size.
Microsoft’s HoloLens Is Now Available to Pre-Order for $3,000
Just over a year ago, Microsoft introduced its innovative HoloLens technology to the world. Now, the company is gearing up to release the “Development Edition,” although it still isn’t ready to unveil a consumer variation just yet. Interested parties will have to apply to purchase the headsets that will then be shipped on March 30. Keep in mind, this initial HoloLens availability is just the first step on the way to making the technology available to all consumers.
To apply for an invitation to purchase the Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition ($3,000 USD), follow here.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
This Is What Bill Gates Thinks About the Apple vs. FBI Case
After making some initial comments last month that suggested he had sided with the FBI in its case against Apple, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates spoke up on the subject again as part of arecent Reddit AMA. Asked to weigh in, Gates said he hopes government and private companies can come together to discuss best practices as it relates to information-gathering.
There is a perception that exists that the government may overstep its bounds in this area. Gates said a meeting where rules are defined, or at least discussed, would help establish the appropriate "checks" to ensure information is only obtained and used for situations involving criminal activity.
"I think there needs to be a discussion about when the government should be able to gather information. What if we had never had wiretapping?" he said. "Also, the government needs to talk openly about safeguards. Right now a lot of people don't think the government has the right checks to make sure information is only used in criminal situations. So this case will be viewed as the start of a discussion.
"I think very few people take the extreme view that the government should be blind to financial and communication data but very few people think giving the government carte blanche without safeguards makes sense," he added. "A lot of countries like the UK and France are also going through this debate. For tech companies there needs to be some consistency including how governments work with each other. The sooner we modernize the laws the better."
Asked directly "What would you do if you were Apple?" Gates said he would like to see the iPhone-maker propose a plan that strikes a balance between giving government authorities the ability to obtain infomration while also having safeguards in place to ensure this technology is not abused.
"There is no avoiding this debate and they could contribute to how the balance should be struck," he said.
In February, Apple was ordered by the government to create essentially a new version of iOS that would allow authorities to tap into the iPhone of San Bernadino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. In an open letter, Apple CEO Tim Cook said what the government is asking of the company fundamentally violates the privacy, security, and trust of its customers. In a follow-up letter to consumers, Apple said it is technically possible to do what the FBI is asking. Apple refuses, however, because it is "too dangerous."
"The only way to guarantee that such a powerful tool isn't abused and doesn't fall into the wrong hands is to never create it," Apple said at the time.
In his own statement, FBI director James Comey said the government has no intention of creating a master key to "set loose on the land."
"The particular legal issue is actually quite narrow," he said. "The relief we seek is limited and its value increasingly obsolete because the technology continues to evolve. We simply want the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorist's passcode without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly. That's it. We don't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land."
"Although this case is about the innocents attacked in San Bernardino, it does highlight that we have awesome new technology that creates a serious tension between two values we all treasure--privacy and safety. That tension should not be resolved by corporations that sell stuff for a living."
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai all sided with Cook and Apple, according to FT. Additionally, Edward Snowden said the Apple vs. FBI battle is "the most important tech case in a decade."
Also in Gates' AMA, someone asked the Microsoft veteran--who no longer has any day-to-day responsibilities at the company--to bring back the Age of Empires strategy series.
Microsoft testing app that unlocks Windows 10 PCs over Bluetooth
Microsoft is currently testing a new version of its Authenticator app for Windows 10. Twitter user WalkingCat discovered the app, named "phone sign-in beta." It appears the updated app will allow Windows 10 users to unlock their machines over Bluetooth, simply tapping the machine from a list to unlock it.
Microsoft has been introducing new ways to sign into Windows 10 PCs without a password, including Windows Hello support through fingerprint readers and cameras. This latest Authenticator app is currently in internal beta testing at Microsoft, and it appears to be limited to Windows 10 Mobile devices. Microsoft doesn't currently offer its own authenticator app for iOS or Android, so it's unlikely we'll see a similar version across all platforms.
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