Windows Weekly 667

Edge is #2!!!, MS Cancels all Live Events Until July 2021 

•  Microsoft confirms it's canceling its in-person first-party conferences and events through July 1, 2021. All events will be online-only
•  Microsoft gives employees paid pandemic leave - And has apparently stopped hiring, sort of
•  Microsoft makes tweaks to Microsoft 365 to address increased remote working
•  New Win 10 Fast Ring build out today (w. File Explorer-Linux integration) but still no word on 2004. Blame COVID!

Microsoft Edge

•  Microsoft Edge is #2!! Beats Firefox, still way behind Chrome
•  Plus: Microsoft brings improved scrolling features to all Chromium browsers

Microsoft 365: The battle of numbers

•  Office 365: 200 million monthly active users
•  G Suite: 6 million "paying businesses"
•  How do they really compare?

Corporate

•  Microsoft buys corp.com
•  Microsoft hires ex-Apple exec to lead HoloLens

Xbox

•  Xbox One getting yet another UI change
•  Microsoft opens Game Bar to extensibility
•  Xbox Game Pass comes to Korea, Japan; plus new games
•  xCloud is coming to more European countries soon
•  And … now Amazon is jumping into the game streaming market too

Tips and picks

•  Tip of the week: Tip: Pin browser tabs for quick access. In addition to pinning web apps and pages to the taskbar, you can also pin them within the (first) browser window. There are advantages to this approach.
•  App pick of the week: Firefox 75. Mozilla's venerable browser picks up a big address bar change
•  Plus: Stardock does it again with CursorFX just $4.99
•  Enterprise pick of the week: FAQ about using Conditional Access to secure remote access. Microsoft has continued to post a number of helpful remote working posts, especially geared to IT pros and admins. There's a new one about setting up MFA for home workers, using MS Endpoint Manager to limit devices hitting corp. networks, enabling certain apps and blocking others and more. (Thanks to Mark Morowcyznski for the tip) https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-active-directory-identity/…
•  Enterprise pick No. 2 of the week: How to create your own custom background in Teams NOW. MS is going to be adding this capability, but Tony Redmond has a how-to available already on Petri for those who just can't wait: https://office365itpros.com/2020/04/06/teams-meeting-background-image/
•  Beer pick of the week: New England Brewing 668 Neighbor of the Beast. I haven't had this beer (yet). But I thought the name was appropriate, given our show numbers lately. Plus New England Brewing, based in Woodbridge, Conn., makes some other fantastic beers too (Fuzzy Baby Ducks, anyone??) Their 668 Neighbor of the Beast is a Belgian Golden using LaChouffe Belgian yeast. Banana, clove and all that good stuff!

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Links

• Microsoft makes more tweaks to its M365 services
• Microsoft Gives Employees Pandemic Leave Benefit
• Microsoft adds File Explorer integration to Windows Subsystem for Linux in new Windows 10 Fast Ring build
• Microsoft to take most of its external and internal events for the next year digital-only
• In-Chredge-ulous: Microsoft’s New Browser is Number Two?
• Microsoft Details Improved Scrolling for Edge, Chromium
• Google Claims 6 Million G Suite “Paying Businesses”
• Microsoft has bought the corp.com domain, which was up for sale
• Microsoft Hires Former Apple Exec to Head HoloLens
• Xbox One Is Getting New Interface Updates With the Next Update
• Microsoft Opens up Windows 10’s Game Bar to Third-Party Developers
• Xbox Game Pass Coming to Japan and Korea, Gets New Titles
• Microsoft Starts Expanding Project xCloud to More European Countries
• Amazon Plans Original Games, Game Streaming Service
• Browser Workflow: Another Approach to Web Apps (Premium)
• Firefox 75 Brings Redesigned Address Bar for Faster Searching
• Create custom mouse cursors with CursorFX™
• Frequent questions about using Conditional Access to secure remote access
• Custom Background Images for Teams Meetings
• 668 Neighbor of the Beast