Microsoft
Microsoft to Acquire Nuance Communications in ‘Biggest Deal’ Since LinkedIn
Microsoft is set to acquire AI software company Nuance Communications – marking Microsoft’s second-largest acquisition ever. The “Nuance deal would be a trophy for Redmond,” according to Wedbush Analyst, Dan Ives. “Nuance is in the midst of an unprecedented strategic turnaround the last few years under the leadership of CEO Mark Benjamin and we believe the company represents a unique asset on the health-care front for Microsoft.” TechCentral revealed that the acquisition could value Nuance at about US$56/share, giving the company an equity value of about $16-billion. “This can really help Microsoft accelerate the digitisation of the healthcare industry, which has lagged other sectors such as retail and banking,” says Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst, Anurag Rana. “The biggest nea...
Nokia to cut up to 10,000 jobs worldwide
File Photo Telecoms company Nokia has announced its plan to cut between 5,000 and 10,000 jobs globally in the next two years. It said the move will enable it reduce cost, catch up on 5G, and invest in cloud computing and digital infrastructure research. Nokia said on Tuesday that the restructuring is aimed at boosting its performance against opponents such as Sweden’s Ericsson and China’s Huawei. The company did not indicate regions affected by the measure, but said about 96 jobs in the UK were under threat as part of the €600m (£518m) cost cuts, BBC reported. A Nokia spokesperson was quoted as saying, “We currently expect the consultation process in the UK to cover an estimated 96 roles.” “At this stage, however, these are only estimates. It is too early to comment in detail, as we have o...
Microsoft’s Surface Book 3 to Rollout in South Africa
Microsoft is set to roll out its Surface device range in South Africa with the introduction of the Surface Book 3 – available from Incredible Connection stores. Surface Book 3 is a powerful tablet with a detachable touchscreen that adapts to all the ways users work and create best. It combines speed, graphics, immersive gaming and long battery life with the versatility of a laptop, tablet, and portable studio. “We are excited to expand our Surface family with the addition of Surface Book 3 – our most powerful laptop yet. It is a portable powerhouse that provides the performance to tackle any task, from intensive video and graphic files to high-octane gaming. Developers, designers and professionals can rely on it for coding, compiling workloads, and for gaming,” says Vithesh Reddy, Consumer...
HHW Gaming: A Few Helpful Tips To Aid You On Your Mission To Buy To A PS5 or Xbox Series X
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Future Publishing / Getty It’s been roughly 5 months since the arrival of both the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and while the systems are different spec-wise, they both share one similar aspect, they are hard to find. If you asked anyone what’s the most difficult thing to purchase right now, without a doubt, the PS5, Xbox Series X, and a pair of Jordans would be on everyone’s lists. Before the launch of each next-gen console, both Microsoft and Sony warned gamers that availability would be an issue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they were not lying on that front. What gamers didn’t account for is the bots scooping the consoles up before they can add either one of them to their carts and swiftly dropping them on the online marketplaces like eBay or StockX. Re...
Microsoft Officially Lays its Edge Legacy Desktop App to Rest
Sourced from Wikimedia Microsoft has officially ended all support for its Microsoft Edge Legacy desktop application – this means that it will no longer receive security updates. “Last August, we announced that Microsoft Edge Legacy desktop application support would end on March 9 2021 as part of this transition to the new Microsoft Edge,” reads a blog post from Microsoft. “Today, Microsoft Edge Legacy desktop application support officially ends, and it will no longer receive future security updates”. The company went on to say that the now out-of-support Microsoft Edge Legacy desktop application will be removed and replaced with the new Microsoft Edge when customers apply April’s Windows 10 cumulative monthly security update (or “B” release). /* custom css */ .tdi_3_1f3.td-a-rec-...
Microsoft Joins Forces with Tech4Dev to Teach Women Coding Skills in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt
Microsoft and Tech4Dev have partnered to launch the Women Techsters Initiative in 54 countries. This programme aims to train girls and women across Africa in coding and deep tech skills, bridging the digital and technology divide and ensure equal access to opportunities across the continent. Ghada Khalifa, Regional Director of Microsoft Philanthropies MEA, was excited about the initiative being scaled to other countries on the African continent from Nigeria where the program was piloted. She says “when we empower girls and women in the ICT industry, through greater access to skills and training, we not only unlock innovation but also economic opportunities”. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_2ad.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_2ad.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } A recent report&...
Microsoft Blames Cyber Attack on China-based Hacker Group
Microsoft believes the recent attacks on its business email software was by the Chinese government-backed hacking group, HAFNIUM. “Microsoft Threat Intelligence Centre (MSTIC) attributes this campaign with high confidence to HAFNIUM, a group assessed to be state-sponsored and operating out of China, based on observed victimology, tactics and procedures,” reads a statement from the company. “In the attacks observed, the threat actor used these vulnerabilities to access on-premises Exchange servers which enabled access to email accounts, and allowed the installation of additional malware to facilitate long-term access to victim environments.” The versions affected are: Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 “These vulnerabilitie...
Microsoft to Enable End-to-End Encryption for Teams
Microsoft is set to enable end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for Teams by the first half of this year. Jared Spataro, Corporate VP for Microsoft 365, says that this will address users’ security and compliance requirements. “Teams will support E2EE for one-to-one Microsoft Teams calls, providing an additional option for conducting sensitive online conversations.” He goes on to say that IT will have full discretion over who can use E2EE in the organization. E2EE for Microsoft Teams one-to-one ad hoc VoIP calls will be available to commercial customers. Microsoft Word to Introduce New Text Predictions Feature Microsoft is set to introduce text predictions for Word. This new feature is expected to help users write “more efficiently” by reducing spelling and grammar errors. /* custom css *...
Microsoft Word to Introduce New Text Predictions Feature
Image sourced from Lifewire Microsoft is set to introduce text predictions for Word. This new feature is expected to help users write “more efficiently” by reducing spelling and grammar errors. According to Neowin, text predictions uses a Machine Learning model to “make suggestions based on the text typed by the user”. How Word Text Predictions Work Simply start typing in a Word document and note that predictions start appearing. Press the TAB key to accept a prediction and the ESC key to reject it. Text prediction learns and improves over time. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_666.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_666.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Text predictions are supported in English only and available on the following word platforms and builds: The f...
Microsoft Offers OCR Support for Official South African Languages
Microsoft has revealed it would add Optical Character Recognition (OCR) support for two of South Africa’s official languages, Afrikaans and Zulu. “Adding support for these languages is part of Microsoft’s mission to build meaningful cognitive products and services that improve local engagement,” says Rory Preddy, Senior Cloud Advocate at Microsoft South Africa. “This support, which now counts a total of 73 languages, means that more people are able to connect in their own language and that language will become a seamless feature of using technology, rather than a hindrance.” OCR support for local languages allows users to use visual data processing to label content with objects and concepts, extract text, generate image descriptions and moderate content. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_a3a.td...
HHW Gaming: Xbox Announces Its Own Game-Changing Premium Wireless Headset
Source: Microsoft / Xbox Wireless Headset Next-generation gaming needs next-gen accessories as well. Tuesday (Feb.16), Xbox announced that it would be releasing a pair of premium wireless gaming headphones. Microsoft’s new Xbox Wireless Headset will deliver many upgrades to help take your gaming experience to another level. In a press release, the company boasted that its new headset would deliver “best-in-class audio and chat performance, outstanding design and comfort, and unique experiences that are tailored for each gamer.” According to Xbox, the new headset will deliver a “fine-tuned and configurable auditory experience” that no other Xbox branded headset has delivered before. Xbox Wireless Headset users will be able to play loud and clear through low latency without worrying about lo...
HHW Gaming: Xbox Announces Its Own Game-Changing Premium Wireless Headset
Source: Microsoft / Xbox Wireless Headset Next-generation gaming needs next-gen accessories as well. Tuesday (Feb.16), Xbox announced that it would be releasing a pair of premium wireless gaming headphones. Microsoft’s new Xbox Wireless Headset will deliver many upgrades to help take your gaming experience to another level. In a press release, the company boasted that its new headset would deliver “best-in-class audio and chat performance, outstanding design and comfort, and unique experiences that are tailored for each gamer.” According to Xbox, the new headset will deliver a “fine-tuned and configurable auditory experience” that no other Xbox branded headset has delivered before. Xbox Wireless Headset users will be able to play loud and clear through low latency without worrying about lo...
