For three years, Microsoft has been trying to convince us that a tablet can replace our laptops. Throughout three major design iterations, that’s been the driving message behind the Surface. Last year’s Surface Pro 3 represented the best execution on that idea yet. It showed that if you were willing to make some compromises, you could certainly have a tablet device that replaces your laptop in many ways. (It also has spawned a litany of copycat designs from HP, Dell, Lenovo, and others. Even Apple is about to get into the pro tablet fray.)

This year, Microsoft is putting that fight behind it. It’s no longer trying to sell the idea that a tablet can replace your laptop. If you want a true laptop, Microsoft is now more than happy to sell you one.

So the Surface Pro 4 is different. Not in the ways you might think — it’s shockingly similar to the Surface Pro 3 in design, appearance, and functionality. Rather, the Surface Pro 4 casts aside the burden of being Microsoft’s lone vision for personal computing, and now it can just be the best Surface it can be.

This isn’t the Surface that will convince you a tablet is better than your laptop. This is the Surface for the people that are already convinced.

The Surface Pro 4 is so similar in appearance and design to last year’s Surface Pro 3 that only the most trained eye could distinguish them. It has the same overall shape and footprint, from its infinitely adjustable kickstand to its warm grey magnesium finish. It’s a familiar and signature look, and using it two generations in a row establishes both a brand and visual identity for Microsoft’s computers.

The Japanese government led by Prime Minister Shizo Abe has decided to install a new anti-missile system on Hokkaido island after North Korea tested two missiles that flew over its territory, a Defence Ministry official said on Tuesday.

Tokyo: The Japanese government led by Prime Minister Shizo Abe has decided to install a new anti-missile system on Hokkaido island after North Korea tested two missiles that flew over its territory, a Defence Ministry official said on Tuesday.
The decision to install the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptor in a military base in Hakodate city comes after Pyongyang conducted its latest launch of a medium-range missile that fell into the Pacific Ocean after flying over northern Japan on September 15, the official was quoted as saying by Efe News.
Pyongyang, which had earlier threatened to "sink" Japan with a nuclear bomb for backing the US-led sanctions, fired another missile on August 29. That too flew over northern Japan.
The official added that Japan was monitoring North Korea''s movements for another possible missile launch.
Japan had deployed anti-missile systems in western Japan last month after Pyongyang threatened to launch four missiles towards the US island of Guam, which would cross above the region.
The September 15 launch took place less than two weeks after Pyongyang carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on September 3, which led to fresh sanctions by the UN Security Council, including curbs on its imports of oil products and a ban on its textile exports.
With IANS inputs

Microsoft is rolling out add-in support to Outlook for Android this week, more than six months after first debuting mobile add-ins on iOS. The first set of Outlook for Android add-ins includes Evernote, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Translator, Nimble, OnePlaceMail, Outlook Customer Manager, Smartsheet and Trello.

The add-ins are designed to show up as an icon when you’re interacting with an email, allowing you to create a project card in an app like Trello, or clip emails to Evernote. They’re basic extensions to other apps on Android or iOS, and Microsoft is working with a number of partners to slowly add more to both the Android and iOS versions of Outlook. Wrike, JIRA, MeisterTask, Gfycat, and MojiLala will all be available soon, alongside support for add-ins for Gmail accounts.

Microsoft is launching a special Office 365 toolbar for macOS, providing quick ways to access documents, calendar items, and more. My Workspace is the result of Microsoft’s Garage program that encourages employees to create apps in their spare time. The latest macOS app is designed to sit in the toolbar area and includes a quick overview of calendar items to let you join Skype meetings or RSVP to events.

Just like Dropbox or OneNote, My Workspace also includes a list of recently used files and you can pin important ones or just open them up straight from the app. There’s also quick shortcuts to popular Office 365 settings, and the ability to pin Office Mac apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook. The app is available immediately free of charge, and it’s a useful addition if you’re a Mac user who regularly uses Office 365 documents.

Microsoft is trying to increase the compatibility of Windows 10 and Office with iOS and Android and had come up with yet another cross platform feature that will feature in the Fall Creator's Update for Windows 10.

Microsoft's mobile platform Windows 10 Mobile might be on the verge of extinction but the company is still striving to stand by its "mobile-first, cloud first" strategy. Microsoft revealed several new features during the Build 2017 event in March that would make it easy for iOS and Android users to interact with Windows 10 PC.
However, the "Continue on PC" feature is something that motivates users to use the Windows 10 more often. It allows users to continue browsing across platforms. Microsoft introduced the feature in the Windows Insider preview build 16251 with Android receiving the support first of all. The feature is now also available on iOS.
Here is how to setup the feature on iOS devices:
All you need to do is connect your phone to your PC using the 'Phone' settings.
You will be required to enter the phone number for the device you are trying to connect to the PC.
Once you enter the number and hit enter, you will receive a text message with the link to the App Store from where you need to install the app on your device.
Once you have installed the app from the store you need to turn it on in the share list.
To activate the feature you simply need to open the share tray on a web page and turn on the "Continue on PC" feature.
When you want to use the feature all you need to do is click on the share menu and tap on "Continue on PC."                                                                                         
This is indeed a cool feature if you keep switching a lot between your PC and smartphone.

Little more than a day after announcing it was adding Eye Control to Windows 10, Microsoft is letting Windows Insiders take the feature for a spin.

Eye Control is an accessibility-enhancing eye technology that started off three years ago as a One Week project. One Week is Microsoft's annual internal hackathon, and in 2014, the Eye Gaze Wheelchair team took the top prize for a system that enabled Steve Gleason, a former NFL player diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), to move his motorized wheelchair by simply glancing at a Surface tablet.

After three years of engaging the ALS community along with work done by the software giant's researchers and engineers, the technology is being made available to millions of Windows users.

Windows 10 build 16257, out now for members of the Windows Insider early-access program, features a beta of the new Eye Control feature as an accessibility option. Unlike most of the operating system's other accessibility settings, using Eye Control requires specialized hardware, not just an ordinary front-facing camera.

The experience requires a compatible eye tracker, like the Tobii Eye Tracker 4C, which unlocks access to the Windows operating system to be able to do the tasks one could previously accomplish with a physical mouse and keyboard," announced Dona Sarkar, a software engineer at Microsoft's Windows and Devices Group in a blog post. "We are starting by supporting the EN-US [English, United States] keyboard layout, and we are looking to expand to more keyboard layouts in the future."

Microsoft also plans to expand support to more eye trackers, including the Tobii Dynavox PCEye Mini, PCEyePlus, EyeMobile Plus and I-series, said Sarkar.

Addressing potential privacy concerns, the Eye Control settings pane assures users that their data is safe. "We don't save or share eye tracking data," reads a statement containing a link to Microsoft's privacy statement under feature's on-and-off toggle.

In addition to replicating mouse and keyboard functions, Eye Control supports shape-writing, wherein users focus on the first and last letter in a word and quickly glance at the letters in between. Windows' on-screen keyboard then generates predictive matches. Paired with the operating system's text-to-speech functionality, users can have phrases spoken aloud.

Eye Control is a work in progress, reminded Sarkar. The shape-writing function gets stuck on occasion and some interface elements can sometimes get in the way. Direct sunlight can also cause problems with the eye-tracking technology and changing lighting conditions may require a recalibration.

Also new in build 16257 is the company's first update to the Windows Console's default colors in 20 years. The command-line utility now supports full 24-bit RGB color, enabling new color schemes that improve legibility on today's displays, said Sarkar.

The Edge browser has been adorned with the company's Acrylic material, a part of the company's new Fluent Design System that lends depth and transparency to various interface elements with the aim of providing a more modern and polished look. The latest preview build also allows participants of both the Windows Insider and Office Insider programs to incorporate 3D objects into their Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.