Author: Amit Chowdhry / Source: Forbes
“Microsoft Monday” is a weekly column that focuses on all things Microsoft. This week “Microsoft Monday” features news about the Flipgrid acquisition, next-gen Xbox and Surface details leaking, a preview of Office 2019 for Mac, how AI is being used for determining which Windows 10 devices are ready to be updated and much more!
Microsoft Acquires Flipgrid
Today Microsoft announced that it has acquired social education company Flipgrid. Microsoft is making Flipgrid free for all educators and is offering prorated refunds to everyone that bought a subscription in the last year. The terms of this deal were undisclosed.
What does Flipgrid do? Flipgrid essentially distributes short video clips to simplify educational lessons.
“Back in 2015, Dr. Charlie Miller, Jim Leslie and Phil Soran came together to envision a world where educators could recast the role of video in the classroom, from a passive experience to a tool that empowers and amplifies every student’s voice,” said Microsoft CVP of Education Eran Megiddo in the announcement. “Flipgrid does just that, now supporting more than 20 million Pre-K to PhD educators, students and families across 180 countries. But the success isn’t simply in the numbers, it’s in how students tap into Flipgrid to define their voices, share their voices and respect the diverse voices of others.”
Next-Gen Xbox And Surface Details Leak
Last week, a few details about Microsoft’s next generation of Xbox and Surface devices came up. Here is what Microsoft reportedly has up its sleeve:
Next Generation Of Xbox Consoles
At E3 2018, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer said that the Xbox deep is already “deep into architecturing the next Xbox consoles.” And Brad Sams of Thurrott.com received a tip that the next Xbox is code-named “Scarlett” and is expected to be released in 2020. Sams also pointed out that “Scarlett” is a family of devices rather than an individual one.
What makes this timeline interesting is that the Xbox One X was launched last year so the turnaround time for a new generation is rather aggressive. It seems likely that “Scarlett” would also support backward compatibility just like the Xbox One consoles as that has been a very popular feature for the current generation consoles.
“As with any leak this far out, timing and plans can change but I was able to verify the information I viewed as being authentic and fully believe that the company is on-track to release the new console in two years,” wrote Sams.
Next Generation Of Surface Devices
In a separate report, Sams’ sources also revealed Microsoft’s strategy for future Surface devices. The code names for the upcoming Surface devices are Libra, Andromeda and Carmel.
The Libra device is expected to be a lower cost version of the Surface. It is believed that the Libra device will have a smaller 10-inch display with rounded edges and a USB-C charging port with about a $400 price point. And the Libra device is expected to be announced by the end of the year.
Andromeda is expected to be a foldable dual-screen device that should be arriving later this year as well. It is also rumored to have the ability to make phone calls and text messages through Andromeda. And the Andromeda device should be able to fit in your pocket.
The next generation Surface Pro is code-named Carmel, but the release date is not yet known. According to ZDNet, the sixth-generation Surface Pro will be “heavily redesigned.”
How AI Is Determining Which Windows 10 Devices Should Be Updated First
In a blog post, Microsoft’s Director of Program Management, Windows Servicing and Delivery John Cable detailed how artificial intelligence is now being used to improve the quality and reliability of Windows 10 updates. In fact, Microsoft’s rollout of the Windows 10 April 2018 update…
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