Microsoft today announced that it has joined the Open Source Initiative (OSI) as a Premium Sponsor. The OSI, which launched in 1998, takes a relatively pragmatic approach to open source and advocates for open source in business and government. The OSI also reviews open source licenses, which are often vendor specific, to ensure that they […]
At a special event today in San Francisco, Microsoft announced that it has acquired social VR app AltspaceVR. The virtual reality social networking app allows users across headset and web platforms to join 3D chat rooms to play games, watch videos and attend events. In July, the startup announced it was shutting down after a […]
Azure Functions, Microsoft’s platform for building serverless applications, has long supported a variety of programming languages but it’s adding an important one today: Java. Fittingly, the company made this announcement at the JavaOne conference in San Francisco. As Microsoft notes in today’s announcement, Java support was one of the top feature requests for Azure Functions […]
MEST appointed Aaron Fu as its new Managing Director, as the Accra based incubator scales up its presence across Sub-Saharan Africa. Founded in 2008, MEST operates as a training program and seed fund for African innovators to build successful commercial tech companies. Fu told TechCrunch he plans to focus on the incubator’s continued expansion. The organization currently […]
It’s no secret that Microsoft’s Mixed Reality platform will support SteamVR games over time. That’s a big deal because Steam is, after all, the largest store for buying PC games and Microsoft needs a large catalog of VR games to jumpstart its ecosystem. Until now, though, we didn’t really know what the timeline for this […]
You can’t fault Microsoft for trying, but Groove Music, its Spotify competitor, never took off. Today, the company is admitting defeat. Microsoft today announced it will soon shutter both its Groove Music Pass streaming service and the ability to purchase songs and albums in the Windows Store. Given how competitors like Spotify and Apple now […]
Social media giants have again been put on notice that they need to do more to speed up removals of hate speech and other illegal content from their platforms in the European Union. The bloc’s executive body, the European Commission today announced a set of “guidelines and principles” aimed at pushing tech platforms to be more pro-active […]
2017 has been the year of AI, reaching a fever pitch of VC and corporate investment. But, as with any hot technology, AI is outgrowing this phase of experimentation and hype. According to research firm Gartner, we’re past the “peak of inflated expectations.” Next up is a necessary recalibration of the space—one that will separate […]
At its Ignite conference, Microsoft today put its stake in the ground and discussed its progress in building a quantum computer and giving developers tools to experiment with this new computing paradigm on their existing machines. There’s a lot to untangle here, and few people will claim that they understand the details of quantum computing. […]
Shopping may be turning into an increasingly virtual exercise, with people buying goods online and through apps, but there is no denying the power of a physical in-store experience — a lesson that Microsoft is taking to heart. Today the company announced it will be opening a new flagship store in London in Regent Street near […]