Microsoft to Acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion

Microsoft is announcing today that it plans to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion.

Developing...

What to Expect from Microsoft’s Build 2016 Conference

Microsoft is back in San Francisco this week for Build 2016. It’s an annual tradition that sees the company lay out its software plans for the rest of the year.

While last year’s Build saw Microsoft unveil its grand plans for Android and iOS apps on Windows 10, we’re not expecting huge news this year. Microsoft shipped Windows 10 last July, and at Build this year it’s going to be focused on attracting developers to that platform with updates it has planned. HoloLens is also starting to ship to developers, so we’re going to hear a lot more about Microsoft’s plans for its augmented reality headset.

Build 2016 starts Wednesday at 11:30AM ET / 8:30AM PT. We'll be in San Francisco covering the event, and you'll be able to follow along with our live blog for up-to-the-second reports. For now, you can catch up on exactly what to expect below.

Windows 10

Windows 10 has been steadily updated with improvements and fixes since its debut in July, but Microsoft has a lot more planned for the future. While current test versions of Windows 10 haven’t included many new features, we’re hoping to hear about a few new additions at Build. Microsoft has teased "two highly-requested surprises" for its Windows 10 Live Tiles, and many are hoping that this will include interactive Live Tiles that make it easier to respond and interact with notifications within apps.

Windows Phone

Windows Phone has had a tough year. While Microsoft launched its Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL devices late last year, sales numbers of all Lumias plummeted 57 percent in the recent quarter. Microsoft isn’t planning to produce a large amount of handsets anymore, so those sales figures will decline even further.

Xbox apps

Microsoft has been teasing Windows 10 apps on Xbox for what feels like years. It’s finally ready to talk about new apps and a store for Xbox at Build this week. We’re expecting to hear a lot about how developers will be able to create games and apps that work across Windows 10 on PCs and the Xbox One. It’s a key part of Microsoft’s universal app strategy, and the company has been slowly crafting just how it handles apps and the complicated process of approvals for the upcoming app store.

HoloLens

 

HoloLens development kits are shipping out to developers this week, so expect to hear a lot about HoloLens at Build. Microsoft’s annual developer conference is a good opportunity to show off more impressive demos, but it’s getting closer to a shipping product so it’s likely we’ll start seeing real HoloLens apps and games.

Microsoft let developers get a taste of HoloLens last year with a hands-on experience, and it’s likely the company will have a similar setup this time. While we’ve seen what the headset is capable of, it’s time to see what developers can do with it.

Office and the cloud

Microsoft’s Build 2016 keynote will be full of cloud talk. Expect to hear more about advancements in Azure, and how developers can take advantage of Microsoft’s cloud platform for their apps. Developers will be keen to hear about how tools and cloud services are being improved, and it’s likely that Microsoft will spend a large amount of time discussing the merits of its Azure platform.

On the Office side, Microsoft has acquired Sunrise and Wunderlist over the past year. The software giant has promised that Sunrise will start appearing as the calendar interface in Outlook mobile, and we’re waiting to see what the plan is for Wunderlist. Microsoft also recently acquired SwiftKey and Ray Ozzie’s Talko messaging app. While all of these acquisitions have been interesting additions to Microsoft’s cross-platform app strategy, we’re still waiting to hear if Microsoft plans to make them interact with each other in meaningful ways. The majority of these apps fall into the Office side of Microsoft, so could the Office team have something new and exciting to show at Build this year?

Microsoft says it will still Accept Bitcoin after 'Inaccurate' info Released

 

Bitcoin was almost dealt a major blow today when it seemed Microsoft would stop accepting the cryptocurrency for digital purchases through customer accounts. But the company now says an update to a support page was posted erroneously and contained "inaccurate" information. Bitcoin, Microsoft says, will still be honored.

"We continue to support Bitcoin for adding money to your Microsoft Account which can be used for purchasing content in the Windows and Xbox stores," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement provided to The Verge. "We apologize for inaccurate information that was inadvertently posted to a Microsoft site, which is currently being corrected."

It's unclear how, exactly, the information made its way to the page. But Bitcoin boosters will take some solace in the fact that one of the currency's major corporate bastions is still safe.

Microsoft Lumia 950 Threatens PC Growth

For phone lovers and techies, Lumia 950 is the new flagship smartphone for Windows from the stable of device giant, Microsoft. The phone, which demonstrates class and dexterity, is in the range of the iPhones, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S6, among others.

The uniqueness of Lumia 950, apart from the dual SIM advantage, the phone has enormous capability to displace the PC. With the continuum, display dock, users can have the fullest PC-like experience, which connects the phone to a display via HDMI. The Lumia 950 can be summed up in a word, which is being plain. The front is almost entirely featureless with a Microsoft logo the main element.

Click HERE for IMages

 Lumia 950 design
What the Lumia 950 provides is a plastic removable rear cover and completely flat glass. Microsoft has even stopped doing brightly coloured models. The overall feel is distinctly mid-range but exciting, depending on the users preference. It has a weight of 150g and 8.2mm profile.

Hardware, specs and performance
The best Windows Phone devices could offer previously was Full HD in the screen department but Microsoft has stepped things up a notch with the Lumia 950 to Quad HD. A resolution of 2560x1440on a 5.2in display means a pixel density of 564ppi.

As with previous Lumias, the screen is high quality with great colour reproduction and excellent contrast thanks to the AMOLED ClearBlack panel.

Battery Life
Battery Life Battery life of a smartphone can be critical for customers who want to purchase a new mobile phone. The Microsoft Lumia 950 comes with a big battery that offers long usage time. The device is packed in a big 3.340-mAh battery, which is one of the biggest batteries found in well-known phones.

Camera
Camera And Microsoft’s PureView technology is built into this device, boasting a 20MP sensor and triple LED natural flash. The camera captures the perfect image, even in the most challenging conditions, and those photos can be automatically synced across all Windows 10 devices with the Windows Photo app and shared easily with friends and family.
Continuum, Windows Hello and Universal Apps show Lumia 950’s strength
Continuum is one of the main features here and it sounds odd but is basically the way that Windows 10 makes the most of what ever display it is on. Microsoft is pushing the ability of the Lumia 950 to be used with a monitor.

The take away
Loyal Windows phone users will appreciate features like Universal Apps and while Continuum appears to be a real wow features, it requires a lot of extra equipment. The Lumia 950 itself offers some decent hardware, namely the screen, inside an inspiring design.

SHOP NOW ONLINE