Pedro Hernandez

Windows users have enjoyed Skype Translator since October. Now the same technology that enables users to conduct online conversations between a handful of languages is available on iOS and Android, courtesy of the newly updated Microsoft Translator apps for those mobile platforms. “The new conversation feature uses the same Microsoft Translator translation engine that powers […]

On Dec. 1, Facebook’s billionaire co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, pledged to give 99 percent of their fortune to charity, thrusting the philanthropic efforts of those in technology circles into the spotlight. This week, Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith outlined some of the steps his influential company […]

‘Tis the season for candid iPhone pictures of holiday festivities. Microsoft is streamlining photo sharing on Skype on iOS with the new 6.8 update, the company announced this week. “Skype 6.8 for iPhone and iPad makes sharing content with friends on Skype really easy,” wrote the company’s Skype Team in a Dec. 15 blog post. […]

Microsoft and members of the tech startup scene in Georgia are celebrating the opening of Microsoft’s latest Innovation Center in Atlanta today. Located in the historic Flatiron building in downtown Atlanta, the facility will act as a hub for the company’s outreach efforts to local communities, schools and technology startups. Microsoft Innovation Centers (MICs) offer […]

Administrators can now test Office 365 Planner, a new cloud-based team collaboration offering from Microsoft, the company announced this week. Microsoft began switching on the new feature for organizations enrolled in the Office 365 First Release early access program on Dec. 14. An email will alert administrators when Planner is enabled on their Office 365 […]

Just in time for the holidays, Microsoft has added new features to its Band 2 wearable that could boost its appeal to fitness buffs and music lovers. First unveiled during this fall’s Windows 10 Hardware event in New York, the Band 2 is a curvier follow-up to the original, hard-edged Band. Sporting a rounded display, […]

In August, Microsoft massively increased the capacity limits on its Azure Backup data protection offering. Now, the Redmond, Wash., software and cloud services provider is going for speed. “Azure Backup now leverages USN journal (Update Sequence Number Journal) technology in Windows to track files that have changed between consecutive backups,” announced Giridhar Mosay, a Microsoft […]

Following the Dec. 1 launch of Dynamics CRM, Microsoft is previewing some of the new capabilities the company has planned for the customer relationship management software and cloud services suite. “We are introducing several other capabilities and licensing changes to our Service workload,” said Denis Ford, senior business planner for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, in a […]

Office 365 Groups, a collaboration-enhancing service offered by Microsoft, now includes new features intended to help corporate IT administrators, lawyers and compliance officers see eye-to-eye. Christophe Fiessinger, senior product manager for Microsoft Office 365, announced on Dec. 9 that the software maker has added e-discovery support to Office 365 Groups. “You can now perform an […]

In another sign that “Microsoft loves Linux,” as CEO Satya Nadella proudly proclaimed last year, the Redmond, Wash.-based software and cloud services company today announced a new certification for IT professionals. Dubbed the Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) Linux on Azure certification, and created with the help of the Linux Foundation, the stamp of approval […]

Siri is getting a roommate. Calling it a companion app for Windows 10 PC users, Microsoft today announced the official release of Cortana for iPhone (iOS 8 and up), Android “Jelly Bean” (4.1.2) and Cyanogen OS. Last summer, Cortana made its debut on Android as a beta app. “In May, we announced that Cortana would […]

Microsoft is taking a somewhat unconventional approach in establishing its latest presence on social media. Today, the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant launched Inspired By, its first Tumblr page. Now owned by Yahoo, Tumblr is a popular microblogging site with a social media-like approach to posting and sharing content. Rather than showcase Microsoft’s own products and […]