Microsoft Edge web browser now available on both iPads and Android tablets

Microsoft has announced that its Edge web browser is now available to use on Android tablets as well as Apple's iPads.

"Now, you too, can experience familiar features like your Favorites (including Roaming Favorites), Reading List, New Tab Page, Reading View, and Roaming Passwords in Microsoft Edge across all of your devices," the company said in a blog post.

This comes a few months after the web browser was made available for iOS and Android platforms in preview mode, something which happened in October last year. The preview label was removed in November.

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Bill Gates Thinks Cryptocurrency Is Killing People 'In a Fairly Direct Way

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, whose recent takes have included that Apple should just build a backdoor into the iPhone because the government might demand it anyway, is now warning that cryptocurrency is killing people.

As noted by CNBC, during a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session on Tuesday, Gates explained that he thinks cryptocurrency is really bad because it aids and abets people who want to keep their financial transactions hidden from the government. He seemed particularly concerned with whether the blockchain revolution is mostly revolutionizing financial crime, terrorism, and drug dealing, thus killing people “in a fairly direct way”:

The main feature of crypto currencies is their anonymity. I don’t think this is a good thing. The Governments ability to find money laundering and tax evasion and terrorist funding is a good thing. Right now crypto currencies are used for buying fentanyl and other drugs so it is a rare technology that has caused deaths in a fairly direct way. I think the speculative wave around ICOs and crypto currencies is super risky for those who go long.

Gates is far from objectively wrong here—the crypto space is chock full of outright thievingand pump-and-dump schemes, while authorities claim criminals the world over hide billions in profits in various coins. Hard cash is technically vaguely anonymous in the sense that it circulates freely without being tracked all the time, but it’s a lot harder to transfer secretly than crypto. (You have to carry cash, which is probably hard on the glutes, or route it through state-monitored financial institutions.) New varieties of token that are taking off in the wake of Bitcoin also seem to have conveniently crime-friendly features (hmm) like even greater anonymity and hidden transaction histories.

Yet that transition has been driven in part because Bitcoin is too hot for criminals, and also in part because authorities are starting to get a lot better at tracking down and bustingcriminals who try to anonymize themselves with crypto.

There’s the fact that some of the crimes to which Gates alluded, like drug dealing and terrorism, have an irreplaceable physical element. If you’re a drug dealer or a terrorist, at some point you’re going to have to lug actual drugs or guns or bombs around, and payment or funding is only one part of the equation as to how the police can track you down. Authorities can also suppress illicit crypto activity by going after the hard points where the blockchain by necessity meets IRL, like exchanges where tokens can turn into cash, and appear to already be doing so

In most rich countries, crime is falling dramatically, perhaps in part because the authorities are better capable of using technology to fight crime than criminals are to increase it. Problems like the opioid crisis also are much more deeply rooted than whatever payment mechanism is used, you know?

So, again, Gates isn’t wrong, but in lieu of the collapse of organized government and a descent into a dystopian cyberpunk universe, it’s pretty hard to determine what impact crypto is actually having on the public’s safety. For what it’s worth, there are plenty of reasons to be somewhat skepticalabout cryptocurrency that have nothing to do with money laundering or terrorism, like its Tulip mania-esque boom and bust cycle that increasingly hints at destabilizing the real economy, or how a non-negligible portion of the market is built on people legally exploiting dopes who think they can ride price surges to easy riches.

[CNBC/Reddit]

The Microsoft Store is selling Lumia smartphones once again

Looks like Windows Phone is back on the menu boys! Cheesy references aside, it's no joke. Listings for the Lumia 950, 950 XL, 550 and 650 can all be found on the official Microsoft Store website. A sales rep even confirmed, what we can only assume was a random find, since the Lumia phones do not appear under the "all phones" category at all:

They are recently back this early February. Specifically, on February 4th 2018

That's a pretty long time for nobody to notice, but then again, the Lumia mobile line has been presumed dead for quite some time now. Although never officially stated, unless you count a couple of Joe Belfiore tweetsas official that is, the general assumption over the past few moths has been that Microsoft is shying away from the smartphone scene, for now. Or, alternatively, working on the elusive and mythical Surface Phone behind the scenes.

That being said, we are not sure what to make of this sudden comeback. It might be just a case of trying to move old stock, without taking the state of the Windows 10 mobile platform or the potential end-user experience under much consideration. A less likely, but still plausible scenario would be viewing this as a sing of an extended support program for the platform.

In any case, if you still fancy one of the above devices, they can be picked up from the following links:

Lumia 950 XL - $499

Lumia 950 - $399

Lumia 650 - $199

Lumia 550 - $139

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Deal: Microsoft offering $200 discount on latest Surface Pro

Microsoft is offering a solid discount on its latest Surface Pro. The official listing reveals a price cut of $200.

The discount is available on Core i5/4GB/128GB model as well as Core i5/8GB/256GB models, bringing their price down to $799 and $1,099, respectively. The promo runs through February 24 (coming Saturday). For more info, head to the Source link below.

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Windows 10 is getting an ‘Ultimate Performance’ mode for power users

Only available in Windows 10 Pro for Workstations

By Tom Warren on February 15, 2018 6:13 am

Microsoft is adding a new power scheme to Windows 10 Pro for Workstations, enabling power users to get more out of their machines. The new mode will be available in the next Windows 10 update, expected to be released in March or April. It’s designed for power users with high performance workstations, and will include special power management features to ensure performance is as best as a system will allow.

“This new policy builds on the current High-Performance policy, and it goes a step further to eliminate micro-latencies associated with fine grained power management techniques,” explains Windows Insider chief Dona Sarkar. “As the power scheme is geared towards reducing micro-latencies it may directly impact hardware; and consume more power than the default balanced plan.”

THIS IS FOR WORKSTATIONS, NOT GAMING MACHINES

Microsoft is not enabling this on battery-powered systems, so this will only be available on high-end workstations. This option won’t be available broadly across Windows 10, either. It’s for Windows 10 Pro Workstations, so you won’t be able to enable it on a gaming machine, although Microsoft already has a Game Mode for Windows 10.

Microsoft first introduced Windows 10 Pro for Workstations last year, and it’s primarily designed for server grade PC hardware and power users. Windows 10 Pro for Workstations scales up for machines with a high number of logical processors and large amounts of RAM, and includes faster file support and low latency options for network adapters.

Windows 10 is getting a seamless Bluetooth discovery feature as well

Bluetooth doesn't need to be overly complicated and convoluted to set up. A notion that has been recently popularized by both Android and iOS and one that was considered infeasible or at least unlikely by users only a few months ago. Apparently it took a couple of pairs of fancy headphones to get engineers even thinking on the nuisance of Bluetooth connection, most of us never really thought about. But now that we know there's another way, there's no going back! A memo that Microsoft has received loud and clear.

The latest Windows 10 Insider build 17093, released earlier this week, has a convenient automatic sensing feature in place that can pick up new Bluetooth devices as they come near your PC. It's a neat trick and definitely a time-saver, regardless of whether you find yourself searching for the Bluetooth menu every time you get a new peripheral, or are the go-to tech guy for doing the latter on everybody and their aunt's computers on a regular basis.

Just like with Apple and Google's implementations, though, to get the Jedi force sensing feature to work, you need more than the extra code in the upcoming Windows 10 update, expected to arrive in March or April. The client device needs to be compatible as well. The Surface Precision Mouse is the first device enabled with streamlined pairing. But Microsoft has promised the ability won't remain locked in Surface ecosystem alone. To quote a member of Microsoft’s Windows Bluetooth core team:

only certain enabled peripherals can trigger this experience … We are however looking to standardize this in the long term,

The Redmond giant is reportedly already working with Logitech and other major players in the PC peripheral world, so seamless Bluetooth connectivity seems to be on the fast track to prime time.

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Microsoft introduces cheaper Surface Laptop and Surface Book 2 variants

Microsoft has introduced new price points for each of its Surface Laptop and Surface Book 2 models. Both now start at a lower price, albeit with reduced specs.

Starting with the Surface Laptop, the new base model comes with an Intel Core m3 processor with Intel HD Graphics 615, 4GB RAM and 128GB storage and is priced at $799. Previously, the point of entry for this computer was $999, which has a more powerful Core i5.

Surface Book 2

Similarly, the Surface Book 2 now starts at $1199 for the 13.5-inch model, and has an Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Previously, the cheapest variant was $1499 and had 256GB storage.

While positively rated, Microsoft's Surface computers are often criticized for their high prices. These new variants are cheaper but they also lose out on critical specifications, so the value proposition remains the same. However, if you are on a tight budget and don't mind a slightly slower processor or less storage, then these just might be within your reach now.

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Microsoft now lets enterprise users recover corrupted or deleted files from the past 30 days

Microsoft's newest OneDrive for Business feature lets users restore files from any point in time over the past 30 days. Files Restore, as Microsoft calls it, lets users review changes made to files over those 30 days, including who made changes and at what time. They can then revert the file back to any prior state. The feature starts rolling out today to OneDrive for Business users, and will also work for recovering user-deleted files as long as they remain in the Recycle Bin.

You can get an idea of what File Restore looks like here, timeline and all:

Image: Microsoft

It seems relatively intuitive with the file names laid out, the exact time and date they were modified, and a list of who accessed them. Microsoft suggests using this feature if files are infected with malware, or if they want to see who might be tampering with documents, which makes sense. I just wish this feature would come to regular, non-paying users.

Microsoft unveils $200 Windows 10 laptops for schools

Microsoft is taking the fight to Chromebooks with a selection of new sub-$200 laptops and sub-$300 convertible PCs. They come with Windows 10 and are loaded with free software to aid in your studies.

The Lenovo 100e will cost just $190 and is powered by an Intel Celeron (Apollo Lake). The company also has the 300e, a $280 convertible with pen support. The Trigono V401 convertible ($300) supports both touch and pen input while the Classmate Leap T303 laptop ($200) features the added security of Windows Hello.

   

Lenovo 100e • Trigono V401 • Classmate Leap T303

You’re probably wondering about screen resolution, RAM, storage and so on (we are too). The HP Stream 11 Pro G4 EE (which is also a part of the lineup) has an HD screen, 4GB of RAM and 64GB eMMC storage, which we think is a good guideline of the type of hardware on offer.

That said, the software alone could be worth more than $200. There’s Windows 10 for one (though some of these will run 10 S), but also Office 365 with OneNote and Teams. This will make writing and collaborating with your classmates easy.

Microsoft has partnered with multiple companies to offer digital tools to help students learn. From $300 Mixed Reality Headsets to the pricier HoloLens, there will be a VR curriculum by Pearson, the world’s largest education company. BBC will supply Oceans: Our Blue Panet to classrooms and Lego Education will offer a free Hacking STEM lesson plan.

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