➀ Microsoft has removed instructions for installing Windows 11 on older PCs that don't meet hardware requirements; ➁ The company is pushing users to upgrade to new PCs running Windows 11; ➂ The removal of instructions coincides with the end of free support for Windows 10.
Recent #Microsoft news in the semiconductor industry
➀ Windows 11's market share has reached a new high of 36.65%, surpassing the previous peak of 35.58% in October 2024; ➁ The increase is attributed to Microsoft's push for users to upgrade to Windows 11 as Windows 10 nears the end of its support; ➂ Despite Windows 10's impending retirement, Microsoft continues to release new features for the OS.
➀ Microsoft has released new Surface Pro systems with Intel, priced at $1,499.99; ➁ A Surface Pro Copilot+ system with Snapdragon X Plus is on sale for $799.99 at Best Buy; ➂ The system features a 13-inch IPS display, Snapdragon X Plus chip, and 10-core CPU.
➀ Microsoft accidentally advertised the addition of World of Warcraft to Game Pass; ➁ The team confirmed it was a mistake and apologized for the confusion; ➂ The email was sent to Xbox users; ➃ Blizzard's World of Warcraft is not yet available with the service.
➀ Microsoft is testing a 'Drag Tray' feature in Windows 11 that appears when dragging a file, making sharing via email or Phone Link easier.
➁ This feature is similar to sharing files on Android and iOS devices, which could make the Windows 11 experience more familiar to smartphone users.
➂ Despite new features, Windows 11 remains a buggy OS, and many users are hesitant to upgrade from Windows 10.
➀ Microsoft has released Windows 11 Build 26100.3025 (KB5050094) through the Release Preview Channel.
➁ The update includes fixes for mouse stuttering and HDR issues.
➂ New features include improved taskbar previews and a 6GHz hotspot option.
➀ On January 22, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure at the White House.
➁ This project, called The Stargate Project, aims to build new AI infrastructure in the United States over the next four years, led by SoftBank and OpenAI.
➂ The initiative is expected to secure American leadership in AI, create jobs, and enhance national security.
➀ Microsoft is still adding new features to Windows 10 despite planning to retire the OS; ➁ The latest build includes a retooled Calendar experience and a new Outlook for Windows app; ➂ The update also addresses several bug fixes.
➀ A software engineer named Wojciech Graj has successfully ported the classic game Doom into a standalone Microsoft Word document.
➁ The document, which is 6.6MB in size, can be run on x86 systems with modern Microsoft Office installations.
➂ Despite the successful port, there is currently no sound in the game, and users need to bypass security warnings to enable the VBA macro in the document.
➀ Microsoft has announced the upcoming Game Pass lineup for January 2025, including Diablo and UFC Sports 5; ➁ The list also features Road 96, Lightyear Frontier, My Time at Sandrock, Robin Hood – Sherwood Builders, and Rolling Hills; ➂ EA Sports UFC 5 and Diablo 1 are set to arrive on January 14th, while several games will be leaving Game Pass on January 15th.
➀ Microsoft is pushing Windows users to switch to Edge, emphasizing security benefits; ➁ The company is using pop-ups to nag users who have set a different default browser; ➂ Users can use third-party applications to disable these pop-ups.
➀ Phil Spencer confirmed that 4 of Xbox's first-party titles would be coming to other platforms; ➁ Reports suggest exclusive Xbox console games will be the exception rather than the rule; ➂ Microsoft's 'Project Latitude' content strategy is believed to be the cause of this change.
➀ As more sites and services require login accounts, users are overwhelmed with managing multiple passwords, leading to poor choices like reusing passwords. ➁ Microsoft is promoting passkeys as a replacement for passwords and has been working to integrate this authentication method into its services. ➂ The company aims to make passkeys the default method of account authentication, simplifying user management and enhancing security.
➀ Microsoft has unveiled Phi-4, a small AI model with impressive mathematical reasoning capabilities; ➁ Phi-4 outperforms larger models and even beats heavyweights like Claude Sonnet 3.5, GPT 4o, and Google Gemini Pro 1.5 in math competition problems; ➂ Microsoft's advancements in developing Phi-4, including the use of high-quality synthetic data sets and innovative post-training methods, push the frontier of size vs quality.
➀ Windows 11 on Arm runs on selected Android smartphones but experiences rapid heating and significant battery drain; ➁ Despite performance issues, it can perform certain tasks and run older games; ➂ The experience is facilitated by Windows on Arm development focused on Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, with limitations due to incomplete driver support.
➀ Microsoft has clarified that it is not training AI on user's Word and Excel data; ➁ The confusion arose from social media posts claiming Microsoft was scraping user data; ➂ Microsoft emphasizes that the optional setting for data sharing has been on by default since 2019, and users can adjust their settings at any time.
➀ Microsoft temporarily halts the Windows 11 24H2 update on PCs with select Ubisoft games; ➁ The issue is causing frequent freezing and black screen glitches in modern Assassin's Creed, Star Wars, and Avatar titles; ➂ Users are advised to avoid manual updates and wait for a fix from Microsoft and Ubisoft.
➀ Microsoft has released its controversial Windows 11 Recall feature in preview for Copilot+ PC owners; ➁ The feature is intended to help users 'recall' what they say on their screens by searching locally saved and analyzed snapshots of their desktop; ➂ Recall has faced criticism for security and privacy concerns, leading to its delayed release.
➀ Microsoft has added more server capacity to improve player accessibility in MSFS 2024, but the access issues persist; ➁ The troubled launch has led to many players being unable to play the game or even install it; ➂ Microsoft acknowledges the problem but has not provided a roadmap for when full functionality will be restored.
➀ Microsoft showcased the Azure HBv5 at SC24, featuring the AMD MI300C chip; ➁ The MI300C combines Zen 4 cores with HBM3 memory, offering significant performance gains over Intel's Xeon MAX 9480; ➂ The system is designed for HPC workloads and utilizes a 4-socket design.