Windows Weekly 666

Microsoft cancels Ignite, will embrace "all-digital experiences"

•  It was inevitable, but Microsoft seems to suggest that more changes are coming.

Microsoft 365

•  Microsoft hosts a digital press event to announce Microsoft 365 for consumers. There are some new features coming too.
•  Microsoft Editor, new PPT tools, more
•  A consumer version of Teams is coming eventually, plus home/work integration in work Teams
•  Microsoft Edge - Password monitor, vertical tabs, and more are on the way
•  It's not just consumers: Microsoft is also rebranding its Office 365 SKUs for small- and medium-sized businesses. Only its Enterprise SKUs remain as "Office 365." That will change, Paul thinks.
•  Related: A look at Microsoft 365 and how we got here.
•  Related: Slack says it will integrate with Teams chat. And boom, it does so

Windows 10/Edge

•  Microsoft releases the 5th CU for Windows 10 version 2004
•  Windows 10 version 1909 adoption nears 30 percent
•  A paper written by an academic (that is, not a true academic paper) falsely accuses Microsoft Edge of being less private than, gasp, Chrome. Microsoft says it's not true.
•  Related: Google resumes Chrome development. So does Microsoft Edge.

Cloud v. Covid19

•  Microsoft cloud demand is WAY up, so it is prioritizing traffic
•  Oh, about that 775 percent thing. That was just Italy, sorry.

Xbox

•  Hacker leaks some of the Xbox Series X GPU source code. Thanks again, AMD!
•  Here are the titles we're getting with Games with Gold in April
•  Microsoft delays Minecraft Dungeons to late May

Tips and picks

•  Tip of the week: Gaming in the apocalypse

While many are turning to Netflix, etc. during our isolation, maybe we should try something more interactive: Video games. There are plenty of free games to be had across PC, console, mobile, and web. And plenty of games that are fun to play with others, including some family members who are not gamers. Also, how about some actual, physical games? I have some choices to try.

•  Tip of the week 2: Learn software development!

If I could plug my own beginner programming project efforts again, you could also look into learning software development. I've created .NETpad in WinForms and WPF so far, and I'm working on a UWP version now. But there are all kinds of books/video courses/etc. out there, and lots of languages/environments/frameworks to consider. If I was starting right now, I'd choose JavaScript and probably React/React Native.

•  App pick of the week: Microsoft Editor.

Microsoft's new Grammarly clone is available as an extension for Chrome and Edge.

•  App pick of the week 2: The real Grammarly is now available for Word for Mac and Word Online
•  App pick of the week 3: Microsoft PowerToys 0.6 adds new and improved tools, er, toys.
•  Enterprise pick of the week: Get ready for a remote Patch Tuesday

MS has a good blog post on how to use ConfigMgr to handle Patch Tuesday when many of your users are now remote: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/configuration-manager-blog/managing-patch-tuesday-with-configuration-manager-in-a-remote/ba-p/1269444

•  Enterprise pick No. 2: Microsoft extends the retirement date for key certifications by 7 mos.

MCSE, MCSD and MCSA certifications won't be retired until Jan. 2021 because (you guessed it), impacts of COVID-19

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

Check out Mary Jo's blog at AllAboutMicrosoft.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Links

• Microsoft to take most of its external and internal events for the next year digital-only
• Microsoft rebrands Office 365 consumer subscriptions to M365; adds more new features for same price
• Microsoft Announces Consumer Version of Microsoft 365
• Microsoft Previews Its New Consumer-Focused Features for Teams
• Microsoft outlines more new features coming to its Chromium-based Edge browser
• Microsoft to rebrand some Office 365 commercial plans as 'Microsoft 365'
• Welcome to the Microsoft 365 Era
• Microsoft Teams-Slack calling integration is coming, says Slack CEO
• Slack delivers a beta of its Microsoft Teams Calls app
• Windows 10 Version 2004 Gets its 5th Cumulative Update
• Windows 10 Version 1909 Nears 30 Percent Usage
• Academic Study About Browsers is Wrong About Microsoft Edge
• Google Resumes Chrome, Chrome OS Updates
• Microsoft: Cloud services demand up; prioritization rules in place due to COVID-19
• Microsoft Details Impact of Coronavirus on Cloud Services Usage (Upated)
• Hacker Leaks Xbox Series X GPU Source Code
• Microsoft Announces New Games with Gold for April 2020
• Microsoft Pushes Minecraft Dungeons to Late May
• We may be stuck inside, but luckily, there are a ton of free games available to claim right now.
• Recent The WinForms Notepad Project Stories
• Recent The WPF Notepad Project Stories
• The UWP Files: First Steps (Premium)
• Microsoft Editor is Available as a Browser Extension
• Grammarly Comes to Word for Mac, Word Online
• Microsoft Releases PowerToys 0.16, Details Future Roadmap
• Enabling Remote Work
• Microsoft extends retirement of key certifications by seven months to January 2021
• Before Dawn