Windows Weekly 684

Hey Microsoft: Buy Tik Tok!, RIP Cortana on Mobile, Xbox Game Pass

•  Microsoft admits it's interested in buying (part of) TikTok for its community of users.
•  It should absolutely not do so. Because monitoring hate speech on a social network is a no-win situation. And because it would be colluding with the US government to steal part of an international company.
•  And now there's a class-action lawsuit

 

• Cortanageddon
• Microsoft is formally ending Cortana support on Android, iOS, Harman Kardon Invoke, and Surface Headphones.
• That's all folks! Except... not really. They need to rename this thing "Microsoft Search Assistant" and move forward

 

• Microsoft 365
• Windows 10 version 2004 usage remains very low … but…
•  Windows 10 version 2004 rollout expands to more devices as blockers are fixed
•  Related: New Dev channel build today, minor changes
•  Teams is gaining some new features … and holding off on some others
• Microsoft and Samsung still sitting in a tree (for now)

 

• Xbox Newsapalooza
• Project xCloud will be called "cloud gaming" when it comes to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on September 15
•  Microsoft's partners are making lots of mobile controller peripherals for cloud gaming
•  Xbox Game Pass will be called Game Pass. Oh wait, it will be called Xbox Game Pass.
• Here are the first Xbox Game Pass titles for August
• Microsoft speeds up the Xbox Game Store simply by switching to React Native
•  At a time when Microsoft is walking away from Xbox Live Gold, Sony is touting its similar service

Tips and Picks

• Tip of the week: Reduce your sync/storage requirements with OneDrive. You too can live the thin client dream, at least for storage
•  App pick of the week: Flutter 1.20. Flutter has emerged as one of the best ways to make cross-platform apps. And it works even better with Visual Studio Code now.
•  Also: Stardock Curtains is now on Steam
•  Enterprise pick of the week: "It Wasn't Me." A new feature called Azure AD My Sign-Ins is generally available as of this week. This lets enterprise users review their sign in history to check for any unusual activity. The My Sign-Ins page lets users see if anyone is trying to guess their password; if anyone signed in to their account from a strange location; what apps the attacker accessed.
•  Codename pick of the week: Turbine. Our friend Tero Alhonen has been all over tracking new Windows SKUs via the Windows SDK. He found a reference to a Turbine Server e a while ago. Today, the name changed to the much less fun "Windows Datacenter Server Azure Edition." Could this be the "new" OS inside Azure Stack HCI 2.0? Maaaaybe?
• Beer pick of the week: Evil Twin's New York: We've Done the Impossible.

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Links

• Microsoft says it will continue discussions to buy TikTok's operations in the U.S.
• Would a Microsoft TikTok acquisition be anything less than completely crazy?
• Damned if You Do (Premium)
• Class-Action Lawsuit Adds to TikTok Drama
• Microsoft is continuing to focus its Cortana digital assistant on productivity scenarios
• Microsoft is Killing Cortana on Mobile, Invoke, and Surface Headphones
• Windows 10 Version 2004 Limps Forward
• Microsoft Expands Windows 10 Version 2004 Rollout
• Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 20185
• Microsoft adds new Teams calling features and holds off on others
• Samsung to add more integration with Microsoft's Office apps, Windows 10 on Galaxy Note 20 devices
• Cloud Gaming is Coming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on September 15
• Microsoft Shows Off Xbox Mobile Gaming Accessories
• Microsoft’s Updating Xbox Game Pass Branding – Updated
• The Updated Xbox Store is Faster, More Family Friendly
• PlayStation Plus Up 3.4 Million Users, to 44.9 Million
• Live the Thin Client Dream with OneDrive (Premium)
• Google Releases Flutter 1.20
• End users can now report “This wasn’t me” for unusual sign-in activity
• So long Windows Turbine Server, welcome Windows Datacenter Server Azure Edition
• Beer of the week