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 recap the week in our weekly “If you missed it” post.
Earlier this week, we learned that Here Maps are no longer exclusive to Windows Phone, as they are set to arrive on Samsung’s Galaxy devices powered by Android. Rumor also has it that Microsoft, along with other companies, is in talks to acquire Cyanogen, a company which makes custom Android ROMs.
Microsoft also reiterated its commitment to your email privacy, in the wake of a court case. Microsoft is “committed to delivering meaningful privacy protections that build trust with our customers, and we know how much you value the contents of your email. We believe your email belongs to you, not us, and that it should receive the same privacy protection as paper letters sent by mail–no matter where it is stored.”
Chinese antitrust authorities have opened an investigation into Microsoft’s bundling practices. Accusing Microsoft of exhibiting anti-competitive behavior, Chinese officials are concerned with Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player being included in Microsoft Windows.
Kantar released their latest mobile OS market share report for the month ending July 2014 and things don’t look too good for Windows Phone. In fact, Huawei is not planning to launch a Windows Phone device anytime soon, as the company says it is hard to sell Windows Phone handsets.
The DVLUP Developer Ambassadors team for Windows Phone was also killed off this week. But, there is always the Dev Center Benefits program to motivate you to create apps for Windows and Windows Phone.
Microsoft has rolled out the September update for the Xbox One, one week in advance for Xbox One gamers. In this particular update, Microsoft has included new ways to bring your personal media to your Xbox console, updates to the party system, more ways to interact with your Xbox, and new social features for Xbox SmartGlass.
Earlier in the week, Microsoft rolled out an update to the OneDrive app for Windows Phone, as well as rival platforms Android and iOS, as part of the company’s initiative to make the cloud service be the one place for everything in your life.
The topic of misleading apps in the Windows Store has come up numerous times and Microsoft has finally taken action. Earlier this week, Microsoft removed more than 1,500 apps from the Windows Store in an attempt to address scam apps.
Did you know that the Kinect can be used to help those suffering from Parkinson’s Disease? If you purchased a brand new Xbox One without Kinect, you can dish out $149 starting October to purchase a standalone Kinect Sensor.
This past week also saw our very own review of the Surface Pro 3. The Surface Pro 3 is an excellent device. It’s gorgeous, built well and altogether a well-rounded device, but could you replace your laptop with a Surface Pro 3? Read the review to find out! It is also available in 25 additional markets.
You can also take a look at our Back to School Guide 2014 guide if you are in the market for a new Windows device. Oh, and if you are thinking about getting a Chromebook over a Windows device, we suggest you read this first.
Stay tuned for next week’s recap post!
