Microsoft Support & Discussions

Intel plans to offer the first details about its next version of Thunderbolt on June 2 at Computex in Taiwan. The folks at Intel have not given up on their Thunderbolt data and display port technology. The company will be holding a media event at Computex in Taiwan on June 2 where it will reveal 'the next generation of Thunderbolt." Intel has not offered up any more details about what will be discussed or shown at the press event. Intel first announced the current Thunderbolt 2 technology in 2013, which supports data transfers of up to 20Gbps, along with support for up to 4K displays. Apple has used Thunderbolt ports in its older MacBooks, but didn't include it …

If you want to hit the beach — or the hot tub! — with your iPhone 6 Plus, a waterproof case is a must-have. A waterproof case not only protects your iPhone 6 Plus from water damage, but from sand, dust, and dirt as well. It also lets you take awesome underwater pictures! Since failure isn't an option, it's so important to make sure you pick the right waterproof case for you. Here are the ones we recommend! Have an iPhone 6 instead? No problem! Here are the best waterproof cases for iPhone 6! Lifeproof Nuud Waterproof without the screen protector I love Lifeproof's Nuud line of cases because they don't implement the bulky screen guards many other water…

This iPhone 6 hard case takes your preference for sleek design into serious consideration. There aren't extra layers, screen covers or clips to worry about here. It's one piece that simply snaps over the back, leaving complete accessibility all around. Take your pick of black, clear or white today and save 35% Continue reading...

Apple has introduced a new docking accessory for its iPhones with Lightning connectors. The new iPhone Lightning Dock from Apple is compatible with any of the company's phones that utilize a Lightning port for charging and data transfer. This includes the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, along with the iPhone 5, 5c, and 5s. While this isn't Apple's first Lightning dock, it is the first to support the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. It should also be compatible with future models, given that it is simply a Lightning connector sticking up from the base. The dock features its own Lightning connector, and connects to power using the USB-to-Lightning cable included with an iPhone. I…

I’ve written before about my own passion for futbol and how it was a powerful force in my youth growing up in Colombia. For me, as it is for sports fans the world over, the true power and relevance of sport is the community it creates. Fans of a team share the same passion, yet connecting to this shared community when one is not attending the live game or match has historically been very limited. It’s exciting for us at Microsoft to help break down geographic boundaries, and across generations — through the power of technology to unite fans and bring together these communities through the power of cloud, big data and mobile technologies. Last fall we announced an ambit…

Apple has once again added more US banks and credit unions that currently support Apple Pay, bringing the total number of banks that use the payment service to nearly 200. Today, the company added 34 new banks and credit unions in the US to its Apple Pay support list. Here are those new additions: 1st Financial Federal Credit Union Affinity Bank Bank of Springfield Berkshire Bank Box Elder Credit Union C&F Bank Centennial Bank Christian Community Credit Union Community First Credit Union of Florida Credit Union of Denver Denver Community Credit Union Education First Credit Union Educators Credit Union First City Credit Union First Premier Bank Fr…

Complications are what I miss most when not wearing my Apple Watch, especially when I'm looking at my iPhone lock screen. I've been thinking about this for a while, but I became acutely aware of it this weekend when I took my Apple Watch off for a couple of hours to see what, if anything, I'd miss. I expected primarily to be annoyed by the iPhone's notifications, having to reach for my phone at every buzz and beep like it was 2014 again. But after repeatedly glancing at my wrist and seeing nothing but wrist, I realized how much I'd come to depend on the highly accessible, hyper-dense information provided by the Apple Watch's clock face complications. "Complications"…

iOS 8 introduced peer-to-peer AirPlay streaming between iPhone, iPad, and third-generation Apple TVs. What about the Mac? The Apple TV is capable of streaming video content over the Internet or content that's stored locally on host Macs or Windows PCs connected to the same Wi-Fi network. But what if there is no local Wi-Fi network? Well, this week, I'm actually coming to you with a question, because I'm stumped. Mac Help Every Tuesday our Peter Cohen brings you Mac Help — a column where you can get your OS X questions answered and problems solved! Submit your question Email Mac Help D.T. writes: I'm planning a karaoke show at a location that…

Apple has released an updated 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and $1999 entry level iMac with Retina 5K display. The 15-inch MacBook update not only brings Apple's new Force Touch trackpad to the bigger, more powerful model, but faster flash storage, longer battery life, and a faster AMD Radeon R9 M370X discreet graphics option. The new, lower price point on the Retina 5K iMac makes Apple's latest all-in-one desktop more accessible, and a price-drop on the higher-end model to $2,299 makes the entire lineup more affordable as well. The Force Touch trackpad was introduced alongside the all new MacBook back in March but shipped first on the updated 13-inch MacB…

Deezer is adding podcasts to its streaming solution, bolstering features available to subscribers by offering not only on-demand music, but also programs for download. Music streaming services are preparing for the upcoming launch of Apple's own product, and are tasked with looking at ways to differentiate themselves. Deezer is working to incorporate multiple sources of entertainment in its official app to allow streamers to access different content without having to boot up multiple apps. The new podcast catalogue will be powered by Stitcher, which the company acquired last October. The podcast feature will provide access to those who reside in France, Sweden…

Audible has updated their app for iPhone and iPad, adding support for CarPlay, along with several other improvements. With support for CarPlay, Audible now gives you access to your audiobook collection while you're driving. The update also adds several improvements to the Discover experience and sleep timer, along with several optimizations for both the iPhone and iPad. You can check out all of the changes in Audible 2.5 below: CarPlay is now available for Audible! Lock Screen/Control Center – Previously, the Lock Screen/Control Center buttons were always chapter forward/back, even if your settings were for 30-second forward/back. Now, your lock screen/Cont…

The back of this hard case is made of a thin polycarbonate that's completely transparent, so it's almost as if you don't even have a case around your iPhone 6 Plus. The edges are made of a slim rubber, making it easy to install and remove when necessary. Even the side buttons are raised for easy access! Continue reading...

Tired of Google Chrome launching every time you restart or log in to your Mac? If Chrome is your browser of choice, it can be convenient. If you tried Chrome but switched back to Safari, like I recently did, it can be annoying. I still want to be able to use Chrome from time to time, but I don't want it opening on login or launching on startup. Luckily, there's a super simple way to get Chrome to stop launching automatically, and it only takes a few clicks! How to stop Chrome from automatically opening at login Launch Chrome if it isn't running already, or hasn't been set to stay on your Dock. Right click on the Chrome icon on your Dock. Hover over the Options…

Part of the verdict won by Apple against Samsung in 2012 has been reversed due to trade dress issues. A portion of the verdict against Samsung, which Apple won in 2012, has been reversed by a U.S. appeals court. The court ruled that Apple's trade dress could not be protected, while upholding patent infringement claims. From Reuters: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the patent infringement violations found by the jury. But the $382 million awarded for trade dress dilution will have to be reconsidered by the lower court. Trade dress is a legal term for a trademark on the way a product is packaged or presented. The amount awarded to A…

A new report claims Apple is set to open the largest Apple Store yet, with 50,000 square feet of space, at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai in August 2015. Apple may be in the middle of constructing its largest Apple Store yet in Dubai, which may also be the first retail store from the company to open in the Middle East. According to the Khaleej Times, citing unnamed sources, the store will open in August 2015 at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai and it will have 50,000 square feet of space. Apple's Dubai office did not respond to Khaleej Times queries regarding the store location and its opening date, but a spokesperson for the Mall of the Emirates owner said: …

A new report has surfaced today that points to a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Force Touch and a 27-inch iMac launching sometime this week. MacG is where the report on a new 15-inch MacBook Pro and 27-inch non-Retina iMac originates from, citing sources familiar with company plans and who have been reliable in the past. The publication admits that details on both the new products are scarce. According to France-based MacG (translated): "A new 15" MacBook Pro and a new 17" iMac will be available Wednesday. It takes the risk to avoid the conditional, these confidences come from people who are reliable. We have no further details." For the MacBook Pro, it's no…

If you've gotten stuck in "No iPhone connection" land, here are a few ways to fix it. The other day, while trying to disable Airplane mode on my Apple Watch, I accidentally tapped the button a few too many times. This overzealous tapping somehow disabled my Watch's iPhone connection — no matter how many times I toggled Airplane mode on and off, it wouldn't reconnect. If you, too, accidentally disabled your iPhone-Watch connection and can't figure out how to bring it back online, here's how I fixed my issue. 1. Restart your Watch The first thing I tried was a plain-jane restart of my signal-challenged Apple Watch. I held the side button until the Power Off sl…

Having problems getting Google Calendars to show up in the Calendars app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac? If you accepted an invitation from someone to share a Google calendar but aren't seeing it on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac; it could be due to your Google Sync settings. Google turns sync off by default for new calendars, particularly shared ones. It's frustrating, and it's why you can't immediately see them on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac even when you can see them online. Luckily it's also simple to fix — once you know how! How to get shared Google Calendars to show up on iPhone, iPad, and Mac Launch Safari or any other web browser on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Go…

Even though the company hasn't made a Google Keep app for iOS, you can still access it right on your iPhone. When I explained how to easily switch from Android to iPhone, that was one of the very few concerns Android owners and Keep users looking to make the switch to iPhone mentioned. Sure there are other services like Evernote that work great everywhere, but those invested in Keep wanted to stay kept. Luckily, there are several ways to do just exactly that! TurboNote With support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screen sizes, and iOS 8 features like Touch ID security, the free TurboNote — and paid TurboNote Pro — wraps Google Keep up in an App Store wrapper…

That's the first teaser for the Steve Jobs movie, the one produced by Sony, written by Aaron Sorkin, Directed by Danny Boyle, and starring Michael Fassbender. Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, the film takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter. Sorkin is best known for The West Wing, The Social Network, and most recently, The Newsroom. Michael Fassbender was young Mageneto in the last two X-Men movies. Danny Boyle directed Slum Dog Millionaire and Trainspotting, among other films. We'll see how it all comes together o…

Review is like app or game coverage but for movie series, television shows, comic books, and other geeky entertainment. It's all about discussing the great stuff you can watch and enjoy on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV! On this week's episode — Avengers: Age of Ultron is here and we've assembled the summer blockbuster panel: Georgia Dow, Guy English, Clayton Morris, Dave Wiskus, and yours truly to review it. Got no strings on us! Subscribe via RSS Subscribe via iTunes Download Directly Follow on Twitter Show notes Iron Man - Download now The Incredible Hulk - Download now Iron Man 2 - Download now Thor - Download now Captain America- Download now The A…

If you use certain clock faces frequently, it can be convenient to have them arranged next to each other for easy switching. The Apple Watch currently doesn't provide a way to re-order clock faces, either on the Watch itself or via the Apple Watch for iPhone app. At least not directly. You can, however, add new versions of the faces, and they'll stay in the order you add them (from left to right). It's a little complicated, but it can also make switching to your most frequently used clock faces much more convenient. How organize the clock faces on your Apple Watch It's important to know which clock faces you want and where you want them before you start. Make a…

You can customize your clock faces as much as you like, but what if you want them customized in more than one way? You can set up the Modular clock face on your Apple Watch, for example, to have a simple, white palette and all the complications you need to stay on top of all your information at work. But you could also set it up with a bright palette and everything you need for when you go for a run. Customizing it from scratch each time would be a waste of time. Luckily, Apple lets you add multiple versions of a clock face and customize each one not only to your liking, but for all the different ways you like! Note: You can only add extra versions of clock faces th…

Thanks to the monogram complication, you can show off up to four characters right on the clock face of your Apple Watch. The monogram complication is currently only available on the Color clock face, and it's meant to put your initials right on the front of your Apple Watch. But that doesn't mean you can only use your initials. The truth is, you can set the monogram complication to show any one to four (1-4) characters of your choosing. And while that doesn't include emoji, it does include the  Apple symbol! How to change the monogram complication on your Apple Watch Launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. Tap on the My Watch tab. Tap on Clock. Tap on Mon…