This week has been quite interesting in the world of Microsoft. We’ve covered a lot over the past week and chances are you most likely missed an important piece of news. Let’s take a look back at the past seven days in a feature we call “Weekend Recap.”
Microsoft announced this week that they were doubling the amount of free storage you get with OneDrive. All you have to do is sign up for OneDrive and activate the auto upload feature for your camera roll sometime between now and the end of September, and you will get 30 GB of free OneDrive storage moving forward (15 GB base and 15 GB camera roll bonus).
Gamers in China who were waiting for the Xbox One launch will have to wait a little longer, as Microsoft has postponed the launch of its gaming console till the end of this year. The Xbox One was previously stated to launch in China on September 23rd.
Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One controller for PC, but its nothing to get excited about. It’s essentially the same controller as the one that ships with Xbox One, except for the fact that you can plug this onto your computer thanks to the 9-inch long cable and it has a branding on the box that tells you it works on Windows.
Microsoft confirmed earlier this week that 2,100 people were getting laid off globally, and have started notifying the employees who are no longer a part of the software giant. Microsoft also closed its Research Lab in Silicon Valley.
Bing Image search received a major facelift earlier this week and the user interface has now been optimized for touch and mobile devices. Microsoft has essentially made it easier to browse though images and find the one you want.
Microsoft has brought changes to the Windows Dev Center to make it more appealing to developers. One of the most significant is making registration lifetime and removing the one year renewal limitation which would previously make you pay a yearly amount to keep your app in the Windows or Windows Phone stores. Additionally, Microsoft is introducing changes to the Dev Center Benefits program meant to help your apps reach success.
Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that Teri List-Stoll, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Kraft Foods, and Charles Scharf, chief executive officer of Visa, have been appointed to the company’s board of directors. Dave Marquardt and Dina Dublon, who are currently on the board, will retire at the expiration of their current term.
Microsoft unveiled a cross-platform universal keyboard that works on rival platforms, such as Android and iOS. Not to be outdone, Microsoft also unveiled the Arc Touch Bluetooth Mouse, along with the Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 Limited Edition.
During a luncheon earlier this week, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella responded to burning questions about Windows Phone’s market share by stating that it is not about the market share, rather it is about mobility and people at the center. In fact, Nadella even says, “you’ll find Microsoft icons on any phone.”
A new rumor states that Windows Phone 9 is expected to roll out for developers as early as January 2015. The preview, as expected, should roll out some months after the launch of its desktop counterpart (Windows 9).
We also got to see leaked screenshots of the upcoming Office 16, showcasing a dark theme, a feature called ‘Tell Me helper’ and various other improvements. Not much else is known about the next version of Office, but we are all excited for it.
Internet Explorer 12 (codename Spartan) might be bringing back the ability to run extensions. Since little is know about this project, information comes from job postings and research projects. From job postings, Microsoft seems to be working on a project Spartan within the context of users have a rich interaction with websites above what standard (plug-in free) websites can offer.
That’s it for our Weekend Recap. Stay tuned for a brand new week full of exciting news.
