Category: Software

Starting from January 1, 2024, Steam, an online platform for purchasing computer games, will no longer support Windows 7 and Windows 8 systems. The majority of Windows users have already upgraded to either Windows 10 or Windows 11, with almost 95% of Windows desktop users using one of these two versions, according to StatCounter. Steam's own data indicates that as of November 2023, the number of users on Windows 10 and Windows 11 is 98.98%.

Microsoft and auto technology company TomTom are joining forces to add AI voice assistants into vehicle information systems. TomTom has recently developed its own generative AI voice assistant specifically designed for cars. This voice assistant will be powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI service.

Microsoft has swapped out Bing's own speed test feature with the Ookla Speedtest widget. This widget enables users to measure their download speed, upload speed, and connection latency.

Microsoft and Suno have teamed up to bring artificial intelligence music creation to the masses. Through their partnership, Microsoft Copilot now features a tool to create songs from text prompts, powered by Suno's AI algorithms.

Microsoft has introduced a new feature in Visual Studio Preview projects, allowing developers to use AI-powered smart renaming with the GitHub Copilot Chat extension. This option allows developers to choose new names for variables, methods, and classes from suggested lists provided by Copilot Chat, based on their coding style.

Researchers at the Chinese security firm QiAnXin identified a malicious installer posing as the Russian version of the 7Zip software available on the official Microsoft App Store. Despite it being uploaded in January 2023, the app was only removed by Microsoft after a series of complaints.

Microsoft has introduced a new feature called School Connection to the Microsoft Teams For Education app on mobile devices. This feature allows parents and guardians to track their children's progress in school.

According to Microsoft Gaming Chief Financial Officer Tim Stuart, Microsoft is experimenting with a new approach to Xbox Game Pass by offering free access in exchange for viewing ads. Stuart also mentioned that Microsoft is actively seeking to expand Xbox Game Pass to other platforms like PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, although Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has denied these plans.

Google has introduced a solution to address a synchronization problem that was causing the removal of files in Google Drive for certain users. The company has released step-by-step instructions to tackle this issue.

Microsoft Copilot, previously known as Bing Chat, has completed its preview phase and is now available to the public. In November, Microsoft announced the rebranding of Bing Chat and Bing Chat Enterprise to Copilot.