Microsoft Support & Discussions

Publisher JoyBits has released the latest of its Doodle series of games, Doodle Tanks, for the iPhone and iPad. This game is meant in part to help celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. JoyBits says this is an all-ages game that lets users design their own WWII-themed tanks and armored vehicle. Here's a look at its features: Start with four basic elements and watch your creations come alive as you create historically accurate tanks and armored vehicles that once rolled across Europe and Africa. Along the way, learn about the historic events and designers that shaped the outcome of the free world. It's time to go to War in Doodle Tanks! …

Apple has pushed out an update for Safari for Mac today that addresses a few of security issues with WebKit. The update applies to Safari on OS X Yosemite, Mavericks, and Mountain Lion, clocking in at version 8.0.6, 7.1.6, and 6.2.6, respectively. Here's the full breakdown of the issues these updates address: WebKit Impact: Visiting a maliciously crafted website may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution Description: Multiple memory corruption issues existed in WebKit. These issues were addressed through improved memory handling. WebKit History Impact: Visiting a maliciously crafted website may compromise user inform…

Apple has launched a new section of its website dedicated to showing off how to use the iPad in different aspects of everyday life. Titled "Everything changes with iPad," the site is intended to help you get started with your iPad. The site directs you to one of five different sections: Cooking, Learning, Small Business, Traveling, and Redecorating. Each section contains examples of apps that you might find useful. For instance, the Small Business section has apps for building an online presence, doing business on the go, and managing money. Apple encourages you to mix these apps with the iPad's built-in capabilities. You might use Maps to plan the route for your tr…

The charity auction for lunch with Tim Cook has closed, raising $200,000 for the Robert R. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. Bidding for the auction began in April. The winner will receive an hour-long lunch with Tim Cook for themselves and a guest at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California. The cost of the meal is included in the auction, though travel and accommodations for Cupertino are not. The winner will also get two VIP tickets to one of Apple's upcoming keynotes. With WWDC 2015 just around the corner, they might be able to take advantage of that sooner rather than later. Last year's auction raised $330,001 for the Robert F. Kennedy Center…

Get ready for a nostalgia-fueled haze of excitement: the creator of Snake is bringing a reboot of the mobile classic to iPhone and iPad on May 14. Called Snake Rewind, the reboot breaks the game out of its classic black-and-white confines and adds a splash of color and extra flair with 10 visually distinct levels and new power ups. Here's a breakdown of what's coming in Snake Rewind: Rewind the snake to continue the game even after crashing! Many different types of special fruit, with unique powers and effects! 10 levels with distinct visuals and music, unlocked by completing fun and challenging missions! Fruit Store where boosters and items can be upgrad…

Pixelmator for iPhone is coming, and will bring powerful photo editing to your pocket. Pixelmator for iPhone will arrive as an update to the existing iPad application, which will make the app universal. The iPhone app will have all of the same features as its iPad counterpart, and will bring with it new tools to make Pixelmator even more powerful. This includes a new Distort tool, built using Apple's Metal graphics technology. It adds some amazing new features, too, such as the new Distort Tools, powered by Apple's Metal technology (translation: incredibly fast graphics processing tech, mainly used for creating graphics-intense games). A release date for P…

The Apple Watch has been named the top smartwatch by Consumer Reports after rigorous testing against rival devices. Consumer Reports, a publication noted for its rigorous testing of consumer products, has named the stainless steel Apple Watch as their top smartwatch. Tested against 10 competitors, the Apple Watch held up the best under multiple tests, including usability and durability. The Apple Watch Sport performed similarly in most durability tests, but the stainless steel watch had the edge in scratch-resistance. From Consumer Reports: As part of our durability testing, we run all smartwatches through a scratch-resistance test with a series of picks cal…

Grim Fandango Remastered, a graphically updated version of the classic and acclaimed LucasArts adventure game, is now out for the iPhone and iPad. The original version of the game was first released for Windows PCs in 1998, and was an instant critical success, and has since become known as one of the best video games of all time. The remastered version, which adds higher resolution textures, dynamic lighting and a live orchestra re-recording its soundtrack, has been launched by developer Double Fine. The company was founded by Tim Schafer, who was the project leader of the original Grim Fandango at the now defunct LucasArts. Just in case you are unaware of the sto…

If you receive a phone call on Apple Watch at an inappropriate time, you can quickly silence it with your palm. We've all had times when we received a call at an inopportune time — or forgot to silence our iPhone in a crowded space. The Apple Watch can make these situations slightly less embarrassing by letting you silence all your devices with one quick gesture. That means no fumbling around for your iPhone in a purse or pocket to hit the ignore button anymore. Here's how to do it! How to quickly mute an incoming call on Apple Watch To mute an incoming call on Apple Watch, simply place your hand over the screen so your palm comes in contact with and covers the…

Looking for Bluetooth wireless speakers for your Mac, iPhone or iPad? Look no further! We've covered Bluetooth headphones for the iPhone and Apple Watch; now it's time to take a look at the best portable Bluetooth speakers you can get for your Mac, iPhone, or iPad. All the speakers on this list are truly wireless: Equipped with Bluetooth, they'll play wireless audio from your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch — and with plenty of juice so that you don't need to hunt for a power outlet before you can get your jam on. Classic Portable Anker's Classic Portable is a pocket-sized cube speaker with 15-20 hours of playback time thanks to a built-in lithium-ion ba…

The Muppets have , and UL has John Drengenberg. “Never put foil in a microwave,” Drengenberg said as he picked up a large, crumpled section of tinfoil and placed it in a white microwave. He set the timer for five minutes and hit start, triggering an impressive light show and sci-fi sound effects that made my fillings tingle. Still, my inner eighth grader leaned forward, wide-eyed. Looking up from the lightning storm, Drengenberg saw my expression and chuckled. “Hey, don’t do as we do, do as we say.” UL’s John Drengenberg leans into a high-speed fan capable of simulating tornado-grade winds. At UL, it’s not just gleeful, don’t-try-this-at-home mayhem for t…

Apple is apparently having some trouble securing deals for its rumored streaming music service ahead of a possible WWDC debut. While Apple has reportedly been hoping for a WWDC debut for its long-rumored music service, several of the licensing deals for the service are still being hashed out. While some believe that Apple won't be able to secure the agreements in time, others have express confidence in Apple's ability to close a deal, according to Billboard: A June launch is still attainable. One source notes Apple has been able to quickly secure licensing deals in the past. "If any company can pull it off, they can," the source tells Billboard, adding that "labe…

Some Volkswagen vehicles will soon be able to support the Apple Watch, thanks to an update to an app that will enable features like remotely opening doors and more. The update will allow all Volkswagen cars equipped with its Car-Net system to connect to the Apple Watch app. Here's what Volkswagen says those car owners can do with Apple's new smartwatch: Owners can keep an eye on their vehicle from afar, remotely locking* and unlocking doors and viewing the status of doors, windows and sun roof (open or closed). Finding a parked vehicle is a snap, with a map of the current vehicle location, walking or driving directions to the vehicle and the ability to honk t…

Not only can you receive calls right on your Apple Watch, you can also make them! It's like living in the future. Phone calls. On your wrist. And there's more than one way to do it. While Siri will almost always be the easiest and quickest way to make a call on your Apple Watch, you can also fall back on the Phone and Friends apps for when Siri isn't available or appropriate. All three ways are simple to so, once you know how! How to make a call with Siri on Apple Watch Say Hey Siri or press and hold the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to activate Siri. Tell Siri who you want to call, for example: "Call Heather" Tap the number you want call, if there's more …

Support for Apple Pay continues to grow as several more banks add support for the payment service. Apple Pay has added support for 24 new banks and credit unions with these most recent additions. This brings the total number of institutions supporting Apple Pay to over 220. You can see the list of additions below: Bellwether Community Credit Union Benchmark Federal Credit Union Blackhawk Community Credit Union Community America Credit Union Community First Credit Union Connections Credit Union cPort Credit Union Denver Fire Department FCU Electro Savings Credit Union Elements Financial FCU First Financial Credit Union Greater Nevada Credit Union Harvard…

Mophie has announced a new case for the iPhone 6 that will not only increase its battery life, but can help the phone withstand more abuse from drops and water. The Mophie Juice Pack H2PRO case for the iPhone 6 still offers a battery that adds up to 100% more power, like the regular Juice Pack that launched in January. However, the new Juice Pack H2PRO has been made to exceed military standards for smartphones, which enables the case to protect the iPhone 6 from dust, forgine objects and water. Indeed, the case exceeded the P68 Ingress Protection standard, which means it can protect the iPhone 6 when it is in up to four feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Mophie…

OtterBox has updated its Symmetry case line, adding new, iPad-focused cases. OtterBox's Symmetry line, originally debuting for the iPhone, now features cases for the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini. All models of iPad mini are supported by the smaller version of the Symmetry case. A folio case, the Symmetry comes with the ability to sit up, acting as a stand for your iPad. The stand can be used both in landscape and portrait modes. The cases come in either fabric or dark faux leather versions. The Symmetry case for iPad mini is available for $59.95, while the iPad Air 2 version will cost $69.95. The faux leather versions of both are available now, while the fabric c…

Zen Studios is teaming up with Valve for Portal Pinball, a new table for the Zen Pinball games for the iPhone and iPad. The new table will be released the week of May 25. Portal Pinball will bring Valve's world of Aperture Science, which it created for the classic puzzle games Portal and Portal 2, down to a pinball table. Players will hit their flipper buttons and try to navigate through the sometimes treacherous landscape. Here's what Zen Studios has to say about the game: "Guide Chell and Wheatley through test chambers by navigating portals, using aerial faith plates, defeating turrets and facing other obstacles, and battling against GLaDOS as you attempt t…

The Apple TV has added two new channels to its lineup with CBS Sports and USA NOW. CBS Sports on the Apple TV brings you on-demand highlights and analysis of your favorite sports. The channel showcases video from different CBS Sports programs like Jim Rome, Doug Gottlieb, and CBS Sports Originals. There's also a dedicated section of the channel for fantasy sports, with fantasy reports on different players in football, baseball, and more. USA NOW lets you watch USA programming on-demand. It offers the latest episodes of its current shows, as well as several episodes from older programs. You'll need to sign in with a cable subscription in order to watch most of wh…

This hybrid case can absorb some serious impacts thanks to its dual-layer design that combines a shock absorbing silicone bumper and a strong transparent, textured exterior plastic shell. Grab yours in a black or lime bumper for only $16.95! Continue reading...

If you run a Mac server, what's the best way to back up data using Time Machine? That's the question posed to me in this week's Mac Help. Now, I'll extol the virtues of the Mac mini as a home and small business server until my dying day. Sometimes I think I'm the only one, then a question comes in that reminds me I'm not. This one focuses on storage for OS X Server, Time Machine and more. 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 R.S. writes: "I am in the process of restructuring my home network. I currently use…

Apple's rumored upcoming Apple TV refresh will reportedly include a redesigned, slightly thicker remote with a touch pad. According to a report out of The New York Times, the expected refresh of the Apple TV will include a slightly thicker remote with an integrated touch pad. From *The New York Times: When Apple introduces its new TV box this summer, the remote control will gain a touch pad and also be slightly thicker than the current version, according to an employee briefed on the product, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the device was confidential. The touch pad can be used for scrolling around and there will also be two physical buttons, the …