As Microsoft employees clink glasses and toast the holidays, it’s easy to see why. Business is booming, share prices are at an all-time high. Even the future looks bright—with dual-screen Surface devices, and maybe a revised Windows waiting in the wings.
But was 2019 really all that great? Name any feature that you remember from the two Windows feature updates. Are the new Surfaces worth the upgrade?
Okay, so maaaaybe Microsoft’s 2019 was more of a mixed bag. Join us as we take a look at the highlights and lowlights of Microsoft’s year, with a few “what was that?!” moments in there, too.
Well, except for Windows 10 Mobile, of course. RIP.
Mark Hachman / IDG
Microsoft’s ebookstore and Windows Phones: two of Microsoft’s casualties in 2019.
In the past, we’ve complained about Microsoft’s Draconian tactics to force upgrades. But momentum finally seems to have shifted. Oddly enough, though, we still see love for Windows 8 in some corners of the web.
FAIL: Windows 10’s boring feature updates
If you fall into the camp of “I’ve found what I like, and don’t change it” (see above), then the relatively mundane Windows 10 May 2019 Update and the supremely dull Windows 10 November 2019 Update may actually be your cup of tea.
Microsoft
Windows Sandbox is really useful, but is anyone using it?
Honestly, the May 2019’s Update Sandbox feature was the only standout addition for the entire year—and who are we fooling?—only a handful of dedicated enthusiasts will take advantage of it. Visibility has always been a problem for Windows. Users rarely see cool new additions like kaomoji unless they’re led to them, taught how to use them, and then incorporate them into daily use. If there’s no pizzazz, then you might as well forget it. Of course, there were also the expected bugs, as well as the patch to patch the patch.
We’ll have to see what lies in wait for 20H1, and…
WIN: Windows 10X
Any revamp of Windows is worth pursuing, and Microsoft’s taken the wraps off of Windows 10X, a dual-screen interface that will power the next-generation Microsoft Surface Neo. (The Duo, the other, smaller, dual-screen device, will run on Android.) Windows 10X is supposed to be one of several “experiences” that Microsoft is building on what is supposedly Core OS, thought to be the next iteration of Windows.
Microsoft
We’re looking forward to seeing what Microsoft has in store for Windows in 2020.
While a dual-screen/simplified/optimized Windows that’s flavored for different devices sounds extremely interesting, we’re curious to see how Microsoft navigates the conservative corporate and enthusiast crowds, some of whom want an easy-to-manage, staid OS rather than something fresh and new. Still, 2020 should be fascinating in this regard.
FAIL: Windows 10 S
In March, 2018, Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore went on record claiming that Microsoft “expect[s] the majority of customers to enjoy” Windows 10 in S Mode in 2019. Say it ain’t so, Joe! Well, he never actually went on say that, but we all know that Windows 10 S did not take the world by storm—though we’ve noticed it on some low-cost laptops on Amazon and Best Buy.
WTF: Windows 1.11
Sure, Windows 1.11 was a promotion for the Netflix show, Stranger Things. But this interactive promotional app and its freaky glitches showcased the sort of dynamic, geeky creativity that endless, practical updates to Windows or Office or Azure subsume. It feels like a labor of love as much as an ad, and it’s definitely worth a few minutes to download and enjoy over your holiday break. Yeah, this is a WTF moment, but in a very good way.
Microsoft
Use Windows 1.11…if you dare!!
WIN: Windows is getting smarter
We remain intrigued by the slow but inexorable rise of “smarter” applications through the use of AI. Though it can be a dangerously vague buzzword in some cases, “AI” has come to define what Microsoft is trying to accomplish within Windows and Office: apply intelligence to help simplify common tasks. Case in point: the search boxes Microsoft is applying to its apps, improving your writing through AI, and transforming Cortana into an assistive intelligence, rather than a personality.
Microsoft
Microsoft sees Cortana now as more as an assistive technology, rather than as an assistant, but she’ll still have a role somewhere in your PC and phone, it seems.
Microsoft’s old, HTML-based Edge was fine. The new, Chromium-based Edge is…fine. Edge has simply gone from a little-used browser that dared to be different to a little-used browser that dares to be the same.
Microsoft
Microsoft’s Chromium-based Edge has compelling privacy features that Microsoft will have to push heavily to ensure they resonate with consumers.
Perhaps that’s a little unfair, but it goes to show the marketing challenge Microsoft has in front of it. I enjoy using Microsoft Edge, but I enjoy using other Chromium-based browsers, too, including Google Chrome, Opera, Brave, and Vivaldi. Microsoft has a potent team of developers behind the new Edge, but nothing about it sets the world on fire just yet.
WTF: Microsoft embraces Linux even tighter
It seems like just yesterday Microsoft agencies were writing pretend letters to government officials, “astroturfing” the need for Windows over Linux. So Microsoft’s ongoing love affair with Linux still amazes. From Microsoft’s lovely Terminal redesign to the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2, 2019 has surprisingly become the year of Linux. Even Microsoft Teams is getting into the act, as the first Office app designed specifically for Linux. Whoever saw this coming?
WIN: Surface Laptop 3 (for Business)
Microsoft’s MacBook competitor, the Surface Laptop 3, is as elegant as ever in its latest revision, but the performance depends heavily on the model you choose. We were disappointed by the Microsoft Ryzen 7 Surface Edition’s performance, especially its battery life. When we turned to the Surface Laptop 3 for Business, with its Intel Ice Lake chip, our opinion changed for the better. In the long run, we think the Surface Laptop 3 for Business will be the highlight of the current Surface generation.
Mark Hachman / IDG
Microsoft’s larger 15-inch Surface Laptop 3 was a winner, especially when paired with Intel’s Core i7 “Ice Lake” chip.
FAIL: Surface Pro X
We think everyone wanted to like Microsoft’s Surface Pro X, and expected it to be something that it wasn’t: an always-on, always connected PC that we knew would have some issues with app compatibility and performance. But even Qualcomm executives were quietly seething about Microsoft’s selection of a smaller battery than in previous Qualcomm-powered devices. All in all, the Surface Pro X looks great, but it just didn’t have enough battery life to compensate for the poor performance. You can read our Surface Pro X review for a deeper dive.
WTF: Surface device sales
Well, maybe a “WTH,” because there’s a lot on both sides of the equation here. On one hand, Microsoft’s Surface sales for the fourth calendar quarter of 2018 (reported in 2019) hit $1.86 billion, an all-time high. But they sank back down to about $1.3 billion for the next two quarters. In October, Microsoft’s third calendar quarter, Surface revenue actually declined 4 percent year over year.
Mark Hachman / IDG
It’s lovely to look at, but how will the Surface Pro X impact Surface sales?
So: a great quarter mixed with several average quarters, with a dip to raise the hackles. Congratulations, Microsoft, you’re a PC company.
WIN: Surface Neo/Duo hype
Panos Panay’s “one more thing” reveal of the Microsoft Surface Neo dual-screen laptop (and thankfully, its keyboard) as well as the dual-screen Surface Duo phone was the highlight of the Surface launch. Microsoft has yet to tell us why we’ll want to buy either device, though, save for the current fascination with dual-screen devices that Microsoft hopes we’ll hold on to through holiday 2020.
Microsoft
Thank goodness Microsoft learned from the iPad, and included a physical keyboard on the Surface Neo.
As that date draws nigh, Microsoft will have to answer to business users and enthusiasts who’ll want to know if this is more than a folding, dual-screen Surface Pro X.
FAIL: Microsoft HoloLens 2
We’re consumers, first and foremost, so you’ll have to excuse the sour grapes that stain this entry. The first-generation HoloLens was a thing of wonder when we snagged the first, exclusive hands-on with the HoloLens as well as our later re-review. But then it vanished, while Microsoft mumbled about its potential in enterprise applications.
Adam Patrick Murray / IDG
And thus concludes the brief, public lifespan of the Microsoft HoloLens 2.
That same trend underwrote the development of the HoloLens 2, Microsoft’s second-gen AR device that you just knew would be handed off to corporate customers as soon as its was introduced. The HoloLens 2 may indeed prove to be a halo device for its enterprise ambitions, but it’s as good as dead to those who really care about it.
WIN: Microsoft’s belief in gaming everywhere
Okay, so the Microsoft Store may never be the equal of Steam. But bringing the Halo franchise to the PC in a rolling release was long overdue. Microsoft may still have a problem with developing the sort of unique, iconic, exclusive pieces of gaming IP that define the Sony PlayStation and the Nintendo Switch, so it’s decided that convenience is going to be its selling point. Bringing the all-you-can-eat gaming buffet that is Xbox Game Pass to the PC certainly helped endear Microsoft to the gaming community, especially those who already had a console.
Mark Hachman / IDG
Playing games on the go should be a lot more convenient with Project xCloud, which puts your Xbox inside your PC.
Microsoft’s Project xCloud may deserve its own separate category, but we’re going to lump it in here. Cloud gaming on phones now, and PCs in 2020! Great! And who can forget about Minecraft Earth, which has caused my kids to complain about coming home from family walks.
To be honest, praising Microsoft’s vision of PC gaming is a somewhat myopic view, because xCloud implies gaming should live on all platforms—PCs, phones, and consoles. The “Project Scarlett” Xbox is due in 2020, too. Either way, godspeed.
WIN: Microsoft The Musical
Microsoft’s biggest success of 2019 was a joyful reminder that we all have dreams, even those of us stuck in a cubicle for the remainder of the year. Microsoft The Musical is a little hokey, a little humorous, with the feel of a high-school musical made by those who graduated…maybe not so long ago. And it’s not even an “official” Microsoft ad! Dozens of interns wrote, choreographed, directed, and produced this on their own time. (And boy, have they come a long way since 2005.)
Forget Bill Gates and Ballmer and the Jerry Seinfeld ads of old: This production stands out as the modern face of Microsoft, distinct from anything else the company might manufacture. It’s also one of the most wholesome moments in all of 2019, and not just Microsoft.
How could we not end on this big finish for Microsoft’s 2019? Stick with PCWorld as we cover Microsoft in 2020!
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The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
