States Chronicle - Latest Breaking World News

Saturday, January 16, 2021
Log in
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
  • Investor Relations
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Latest News
    • Right Colors for your Skin Tone
    • MOST ACTIVE NASDAQ After-Hours
    • iPhone 5C Release Date
    • Samsung Galaxy S5 Release Date
    • The History of the Atkins Diet

Privacy Or Security, Microsoft vs. The US Justice Dept.

July 15, 2016 By James Faulkner Leave a Comment

Internet Privacy still at risk from US Government

Microsoft continues to stand strong and promote internet freedom and privacy.

STATES CHRONICLE – Microsoft Corp. and the United States Government continue to not see eye to eye when it comes to user privacy. And at the core of the debate, both sides have valid arguments.

The US Government wants to keep its people safe from harm, and to achieve that, it wants to be able to access the private information of any potential suspect.

Microsoft believes in a free internet with a free cloud where user privacy still matters.

Privacy or Security?

Should the United States government be able to access the contents of a private e-mail account held by Microsoft, if the cloud storage data bank is in Ireland?

Well, if the answer is yes, then it means that with enough reason of suspicion, most companies in the North American continent would be under constant scrutiny by the government.

Half the reason why companies store data outside of the US is to guarantee user privacy and that they do not get leaked. It has repeatedly been proven that if any branch of the US Government is allowed to access data, then that data can and will also be accessed by hackers.

If the answer is no, then the government justice system and government agencies will not be able to best protect its people from oncoming dangers.

Microsoft believes that if the data is not physically located in the country, it is outside of US jurisdiction. The Justice Department does not have legislative reach outside of the country’s borders.

And while this is currently legally true, it has not stopped the United States government to constantly bombard Microsoft with search warrants to the point of harassment.

The United States Justice Department believes that companies using storage outside of US jurisdiction to keep information inaccessible are a bad precedent to make. The United States Government wants to sacrifice the privacy of the many to ensure the safety of the many.

Microsoft is not the only company caught in the crosshairs. Apple, Facebook, and Twitter have all been targeted for, according to the government, assisting criminal activities and impeding progress against the War on Terror.

From the public tribunes where we are all standing the entire situation just feels like, it will end badly no matter which sides wins the argument. Because, honestly, it is not an argument that can be won. This situation needs a middle ground, or better yet, a third alternative altogether.

It feels odd, knowing that in 2016 with all the technological and social progress humanity has done, the question of privacy or security still needs to be asked.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Cloud, Crime, Government, Justice, Microsoft, privacy, Safety, Terrorism

Surface 3 Production Ends December 2016

June 27, 2016 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

The Microsoft Surface 3 Production Will Stop By The End of December 2016.

Microsoft’s Surface 3 is in such high demand that it is rarely in stock in Microsoft’s stores.

STATES CHRONICLE – Microsoft has announced that it will be discontinuing the production of the Surface 3 by the end of December 2016.

Microsoft’s Surface3 is currently reported as being in low stock and high demand in several stores all over the United States. It, however, has proven to be the less popular choice of Surface products.

The Microsoft Surface3 was revealed to the world in May 2015. The original base model had 64GB of storage and was priced at $499. It also came with Windows 8.1. The current popular choice is the Windows 10 128GB version. This latter version was originally priced at $599. Both models come with an Intel Atom Quad Core 2.4 GHz processor and 4GB of RAM.

Currently, it is believed that its reduced storage and Atom-chip are the leading causes for discontinuation. Nevertheless, it is quite unusual for a product to be discontinued when it is met with such a strong demand.

Microsoft has not made any announcements in regards to a new product meant to replace the Surface 3 and the popular belief is that Microsoft will be focusing its efforts on Surface Book laptops and Surface Pro tablets from this point on.

The Spring of 2017 may be Microsoft’s most opportune time to reveal any new products as they have already planned several announcements regarding changes with Windows 10 at that time. If these releases include new series of the Surface Book and the Surface Pro, as well as an heir to the Surface3, only time will tell.

It is worth noting that although no official statements have been made by Microsoft, a Surface Phone with similar specs as the tablet would be the perfect complimentary product for the Microsoft line.

While the CPU and default internal storage space are no longer appropriate tech for a tablet, they are optimal values for a quality phone. March 2017 is speculated to be the time when Microsoft will be making any announcements in regards to the future of their hardware line.

Microsoft did not make any announcement regarding its plans for the Band 2. Unveiled in October 2015, the Band 2 has also been a popular user choice. Just like the Surface 3, the item’s popularity got to the point where most stores in the United States exhaust stocks as soon as they are replenished.

Image Courtesy of Amazon.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Atom, Band, Intel, Microsoft, Production, Surface, Surface Book, Surface Phone, Surface Pro, Windows

Wand Labs Bought By Microsoft To Help Make Talking AI

June 17, 2016 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Microsoft buys Wand Labs as part of their Communication As A Platform initiative

JARVIS and Friday may not be coming but Wand Labs could make Halo’s Cortana real.

STATES CHRONICLE – Wand Labs has been acquired by Microsoft for an undisclosed amount, as part of the latter’s efforts in developing communication as a platform.

Wand Labs was founded in 2013. It is most well known for its Wand Messaging app which was presented to the world in May 2015 at the Code/Mobile conference. The Wand Labs team has always had a focus on developing a natural, adaptive, and responsive language for messaging apps and services.

Microsoft plans to use the expertise and technology of its new acquisition in order to enhance further several of the services it currently owns such as Cortana, Office 365, and Bing. David Ku, Microsoft’s Information Platform Group corporate vice-president, stated that it intends to create a stable technological platform for the future of communication.

As part of their acquisition contract, Wand Labs as an entity will cease to exist. All of its services and team members will migrate to the Microsoft team. The initial focus of the former Wand Labs team will apparently be Bing. However, it is currently speculated that other Microsoft services, such as Cortana and Office 365 are in line for enhancement as well.

Microsoft announced earlier this year that they were working on the development of features referred to as “communication as a platform.” The features intend to expand and enhance the way users will interact with technology, allowing for fluid two-way conversation between man and machines.

The end goal is an artificial intelligence which will be able to identify speech patterns and adapt its communication language to match that of its user. The intelligence will then be able to forward the user’s requests to the appropriate apps and services, utilize them accordingly, and then communicate the results back to the user.

Computers can be soon expected autonomously to learn human language, as well as conversational understanding. Users will be able to imprint their personal mannerisms of expression easily. If the technology proves to be successful, vocal communication could become the main means of interaction with future tech.

As new members of the Bing division, the Wand Labs team will most likely be tasked with the overhaul and revamp of the Bing Concierge Bot. With the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft announced a new app collection for Cortana. Microsoft has also recently launched several Skype bots for the web and Mac use.

If Microsoft expects to see their future of communication as a platform come to fruition, then it seems that the former Wand Labs team has their work cut out for them.

Image Courtesy of YouTube.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: AI, Bing, Communication, Cortana, Intelligence, Microsoft, Office 365, Skype, Wand Labs

Microsoft Will Release Apps for Smartphones

February 11, 2016 By Georgia Dawson Leave a Comment

Latest news reported that Microsoft will release apps for smartphones and tablets.

Latest news reported that Microsoft will release apps for smartphones and tablets.

STATES CHRONICLE – Latest news reported that Microsoft will release apps for smartphones and tablets.

In May 2015 Microsoft signed up over 70 smartphone manufacturers to preinstall its applications into phones. Microsoft Company faced a lot of difficulties in the mobile device field. They reinvented themselves and tried to make some changes several times.

They started from CE to Pocket PC to Windows Mobile and the Windows Phone and now they released Windows 10 Mobile. Every platform has had its benefits and followers. Throughout the years, Microsoft seemed to have some troubles on how to manufacture mobile applications. In the last few years, though, the company reassessed their strategies about the way of working with the mobile field.

Microsoft realized their most important products run applications only related with their system. The company designed apps for platforms such as Android and iOS, but customers had to download and install them. At the moment, Microsoft made it official that from now on many Android devices will feature Microsoft pre-installed applications.

Last year the company had 31 device producers offering Microsoft’s pre-installed apps on Android devices. Microsoft’s blog described that devices such as LG G Pad 2, Samsung Galaxy S6 and Sony Xperia Z4 will include Microsoft’s designed applications.

To make sure this happens, the Redmond Company has partnered with Acer to preinstall a number of its most used applications on the Android-powered smartphones and tablets the company produces. Starting from July, Acer smartphones and tablets will have preinstalled apps such as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, OneDrive, OneNote.

The devices will also include the popular free voice and video calling application, Skype. Acer Company already manufactures phones that run on Windows Phone OS. Moreover, Acer’s devices are compatible with the most popular mobile operating system, Android.

Nick Psyhogeos, Microsoft President of Technology Licensing stated that:

“We’re pleased that we have been able to enhance the already strong partnership that exists between Microsoft and Acer. Mutually beneficial and collaborative agreements such as this one promote innovation and lead to better products and experiences for consumers.”

It was also estimated that Microsoft bought other software companies which design applications for Android or iOS devices. The fact that Microsoft will release apps for smartphones and tablet is a big change for Microsoft and perhaps will allow it to increase its popularity even more.

Photo Credits: Wikimedia

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Acer Company, Android devices, Microsoft, preinstalled apps, smartphones and tablets

The New Nokia N1 Android Tablet Revealed Today

November 18, 2014 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

nokia n1 android tablet
It hasn’t been long since Microsoft announced that they will purchase the mobile division of Nokia. Microsoft even launched its first Lumia smartphone using the Microsoft name. The latest news comes from the Nokia side of the business as it announces their new smart mobile device called Nokia N1 Android tablet.

The new Nokia N1 Android tablet was presented at a conference in Finland called Slush and it comes with some really cool features. The N1 runs on an Android OS, it’s made of aluminum, has a 7.9 inch laminated display and 64-bit quad core Intel Atom z358 processor. Nokia N1 Android tablet also comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It has an 8MP back camera and a 5MP front camera; the battery has 5,300mAh.

Nokia N1 Android tablet has rounded edges which make the N1 look a bit like Apple’s iPad. The tablet is pretty thin at 6.9 mm and it comes available in Lava Gray and Natural Aluminum.
On the software side of things, the new Nokia N1 Android tablet runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop and it comes customized the Z Launcher. The Launcher was released in June and many were pleasantly surprised with it. The Nokia Launcher allows its users to quickly launch apps or contacts onto the main screen of the tablet. It can also be used to search the web faster.

The new Nokia N1 Android tablet costs $250 and it will be first launched in China starting next year in February. Nokia said that the new tablet will be in stores just in time for the Chinese New Year, which is on February 19. After that, Nokia plans to release the N1 tablet in Russia and other European countries, where Nokia used to be very influent as a phone manufacturer before the Microsoft deal. Nokia hasn’t said anything about US release.

Nokia said that the company will not return to manufacturing smartphones, although the Microsoft contract allows it to make and sell smartphone starting with 2016. Nokia said that the company wants to license its brand to companies that want and can sell devices under the Noka brand name.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Android tablet, iPad, Microsoft, microsoft nokia, Nokia, nokia microsoft, nokia n1, Nokia N1 Android Tablet, nokia news, Tablets

Microsoft Rolled Out Big Update for Skype

October 13, 2014 By Sebastian Mc’Mannen Leave a Comment

At the beginning of this month, Microsoft launched their new operating system for PCs and tablets, the Microsoft Windows 10 and today it has announced that it is going to roll out a big update for Skype. We can hear the entire Internet breathe a sigh of relief and say in unison: It was about time!

Microsoft is Rolling Out Big Update for Skype

Microsoft has just begun rolling out a big update for Skype for Mac and Windows PCs. A large number of improvements have been made to the software that include a better video chat experience, free group video calls and a much-needed multi-tasking feature.

Microsoft brings us Skype 7.0, which is going to be available on all platforms, desktops, smartphones and tablets. The big update for Skype can be uploaded by both Mac and Windows users. The desktop version of the new Skype 7.0 includes round avatars and easy sharing of documents and photos.

Big Update for Skype

You can now use multi-tasking features on video or voice calls without being forced to disconnect the call. Overall, design-wise, Skype simply looks better. Many people were complaining that Skype had an old design feel about it and we’re happy to say that that is no longer the case.

Tom Huang, Skype executive, said of the big update for Skype in a blog post:

We’ve made the Skype experience consistent whether you are using your mobile device or your desktop PC. Now, you’ll see thumbnail pictures of your contacts, a new bubble-style chat design, and consistent icons for chat, video calls and audio calls.

We highly recommend you update your version of Skype with the new version. Microsoft has done something really nice with this big update for Skype!

Do you use Skype? Are you excited about the fact that Microsoft is finally making a big update for Skype? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Microsoft, news, Skype, skype update, technology

Nadella’s Advice to Women Attracts Much Criticism

October 10, 2014 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

Microsoft has released their Windows 10 operating system and the whole Internet was wondering why it was called 10 and not 9. To be honest, nobody knows, but we suspect it’s because Microsoft wants no more associations to be made between Windows 8 and the new OS. Today, we’ve learnt that Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, has given some advice to women when talking to an all-women tech conference that attracted a lot of criticism. Let’s see what Nadella’s advice to women was!

Nadella’s Advice to Women on Asking for a Raise

Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, said some disappointing comments when he spoke at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, one of the world’s largest gatherings of women in tech. When he was asked about how one should approach the difficult issue of asking for a raise, Nadella’s advice to women was that they shouldn’t ask for raises and that they should trust the system and wait for good karma.

Nadella’s Advice to Women

Naturally, the response wasn’t pretty and Nadella felt the need to backtrack his statement a couple of hours later.

I answered that question completely wrong. Without a doubt I wholeheartedly support programs at Microsoft and in the industry that bring more women into technology and close the pay gap. I believe men and women should get equal pay for equal work. And when it comes to career advice on getting a raise when you think it’s deserved, Maria’s advice was the right advice. If you think you deserve a raise, you should just ask.

Nadella’s advice to women comes at a time when the technology industry is getting a lot of criticism for not hiring more women and for not making efforts for equal pay. For example, female computer scientists make 89% of what male computer scientists make. 27% of the tech world is made up of women, which is a highly disappointing percentage.

What are your thoughts on Nadella’s advice to women? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us about it!

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Microsoft, satya nadella, sexism, technology

Microsoft Windows 10, the new Operating System that Skipped a Beat

October 1, 2014 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

Remember how we predicted that the new operating system from Microsoft will not be called Windows 9? Well, we were right! It’s not called Windows 9, but Microsoft Windows 10. Microsoft simply skipped a number and the reason behind this decision is, we think, that it want to distance itself from the fiasco that was Windows 8. Read on to find out what new things Microsoft brought to its new operating system.

Microsoft Windows 10 – What Is It Like?

Microsoft didn’t reveal too much about their new operating system, there is still plenty to learn about the new Microsoft Windows 10 and we will, in due time. If you’re wondering when it will be made available for the public, we’re guessing it’s going to be somewhere towards the end of 2015. The technical preview that Microsoft offered was just that, a preview, and the operating system is far from being ready for launch.

Microsoft Windows 10

The new Microsoft Windows 10 is going to be an operating system that will run across all device form factors, including smartphones. It was confirmed by Microsoft that Windows 10 will be the version of the next Windows Phone, but we don’t know what devices can get the upgrade.

Another thing the new Microsoft Windows 10 is getting (back) is the Start Menu; a feature that was robbed from us by Windows 8. Also, it appears that searching inside the Start Menu, will also perform a web search, if connected to the internet.

Something that the internet is calling virtual desktops (although the name was not confirmed by Microsoft) is also present on the new Microsoft Windows 10. It gives you the ability to open up a new desktop and also switch between desktops. We’re quite exciting by this feature, to be honest.

What are your thoughts on this news? Will you be getting the new Microsoft Windows 10? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us about it.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Microsoft, microsoft windows 10, software, technology, windows 10

Windows 8 Owners Rejoice: Windows 9 Will Be Free!

September 29, 2014 By Sebastian Mc’Mannen Leave a Comment

Some rumors circulated last week that were saying that the new operating system from Microsoft will not be called Windows anymore. Although this sounds very hard to believe, there could be some truth behind this, as Microsoft is really trying to make up for the massive flop that was Windows 8. It appears that Microsoft has just discovered how to do that: Windows 9 will be free to all Windows 8 users!

Windows 9 Will be Free to Windows 8 Users

Microsoft is making the latest preparations for the launch of their new operating system, the Windows 9. The tech giant is going to present the new Windows 9 during an event in San Francisco tomorrow, September 30. Tomorrow we’ll get to see a Windows Technical Preview, which is an overview of the new OS, a formal and technical presentation.

Windows 9 will be free

Many Microsoft lovers we can’t wait to get rid of Windows 8 and upgrade to Windows 9 and for them, the following rumor is going to bring them a lot of joy. Indonesian new site, Detik.com has revealed that the new Windows 9 will be free to all Windows 8 users and that the operating system will update automatically.

Many tech savvy people aren’t so comfortable with automated OS updates and last week we saw one giant flaw in this method of updating. Apple’s iOS 8.0.1 update was a flawed, which made the phones of 40,000 people almost impossible to use. Apple quickly withdrew the update, made downgrading possible and came up with iOS 8.0.2 the following day, but it left many people wondering if downgrading shouldn’t be made a permanent fixture in iTunes.

What are your thoughts on the fact that Windows 9 will be free to all Windows 8 users? Do you think that this is Microsoft’s way of making up for the fiasco that was Windows 8? Drop us a line in the comment section below and share your thoughts with us.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Microsoft, news, technology, windows 9

Microsoft Has Finally Launched Xbox One in China

September 29, 2014 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Microsoft Xbox One is the most popular gaming device in the world, at the moment. Back at the beginning of summer, we reported on the fact that the new Mortal Kombat X is hitting the market in 2015 and now we’ve got some more exciting news for Xbox fans: Microsoft has finally launched Xbox One in China!

China places a video gaming console ban in the year 2000. Microsoft launched their original Xbox in 2001, which means that China hasn’t been able to enjoy the device until now. It lifted the ban and now Microsoft has launched the Xbox One in China, after the device was officially launched in the U.S. in November of 2013.

xbox one in china

The Xbox One in China will be available in 37 cities and 4,000 retail locations. It doesn’t seem like too much, considering that there are 160 cities in China that have more than 1 million inhabitants, but we’re hoping that following the predicted success, more locations and cities will be added to the list of places you can buy in Xbox One in China.

Microsoft held the Xbox One launch party in Shanghai, at the Oriental Pearl Tower. It was supposed to launch the device last week, but delayed the launch for today, for unknown reasons.

Some rumors are hinting at the fact that Chinese gamers who have already preordered the Xbox One in China are going to get an added bonus, but nothing is known about the type of bonus Microsoft is going to offer. They should be given something, because they’ve been waiting long enough for the Xbox One video gaming console.

What are your thoughts on this news? Are you happy that China is getting a piece of the video gaming pie? Drop us a line in the comment section below and let us know what you think about this news.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: China, Microsoft, news, technology, Xbox One

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 7
  • Next Page »

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 30 other subscribers

Doom and MiniDoom 2

Volunteer-Based Mexican Studio Releases Sidescrolling Doom Clone

March 12, 2018 By Georgia Dawson Leave a Comment

Chinese Mom and locked iPhone.

Toddler Locks Chinese Mom Out of Phone for Half a Century

March 9, 2018 By James Faulkner Leave a Comment

Alexa laughing

Amazon Alexa Laughing out of the Blue Puzzles Engineers

March 8, 2018 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

Flippy and the Burgers

Meet Flippy, World’s First Fast-Food Robotic Chef

March 6, 2018 By Georgia Dawson Leave a Comment

System Shock

System Shock Remastered Delayed, Nightdive Studios CEO Announces

February 19, 2018 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Sea of Thieves.

Sea of Thieves Optimized for Low-End PCs

February 14, 2018 By Georgia Dawson Leave a Comment

Sony and VR

Sony Touts New Generation of VR Controllers

January 31, 2018 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

YouTube

YouTube Stiffens Its Monetization Policy to Discourage Spammers and Bad Actors

January 18, 2018 By Georgia Dawson Leave a Comment

Google Art Doppelganger

Google App Can Now Show Your Art Doppelganger

January 15, 2018 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

YouTube mobile app logo on a smartphone

YouTube Now Enables Vertical Videos on iOS

December 24, 2017 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Samsung Galaxy S2 with a shattered screen

Cracked Smartphone Screens Are a Thing of the Past – Self-Healing Polymer Gets Fixed Just by Pressing It

December 20, 2017 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Bing logo on a white background

Bing Improves Its Search Results with the Help of AI and Reddit Integration

December 16, 2017 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

White hashtag on a blue background

Follow Your Interests on Instagram by Directly Following Hashtags

December 14, 2017 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge on a leather seat

Samsung Galaxy Smartphones Make More People Happier as Compared to iPhones

December 13, 2017 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Markets
  • National News
  • Nature
  • News
  • Politics
  • Science
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • World

Copyright © 2021 statechronicle.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Contact

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.