Microsoft Support & Discussions

I’ll be the first to admit it. Cortana intimidates me. “Hi Cortana,” I begin, attempting to strike up a conversation. Her spinning blue orb dilates and contracts like a pupil. “Oh, hi,” she responds. She seems glad to hear from me. “What do you look like, Cortana?” It’s a silly question, and she calls me on it. “I’m a circle now, but I have ambitions,” she says with a hint of sass. “One day, I’ll be a sphere.” Windows Phone users are understandably smitten with Cortana’s witty responses to questions like “Who’s your daddy?” (“Technically speaking, that’d be Bill Gates. No big deal.”) or “Who’s your best friend?” (“Whoever comes up with an answer first…

Microsoft’s second annual survey of Internet users around the world, released here in advance of the World Economic Forum that is taking place this week in Davos, Switzerland, shows that fifteen years into the 21st century, Internet users still think overwhelmingly that personal technology is making the world better and more vital. Large majorities of the online populations in all five developed countries we surveyed (France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United States) and all seven developing countries we surveyed (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa and Turkey) say that technology has vastly improved how they shop, work, learn, and generally ge…

The Amzer skin's gloss finish abridges your iPhone's subtle contours, giving you the sleek look of a hard case and the shock absorption of a soft case. This case is fashioned from multiple thermoacrylics forming a cover that is highly elastic and highly resistant to oil, corrosion and abrasions. Yours today for only $4.95! Continue reading...

One of the things I was most interested in for CES 2015 was seeing how far home automation vendors had come in integrating Apple's HomeKit frameworks. HomeKit is supposed to take us from tediously tapping our way through dozens of disparate apps to elegantly controlling everything in our house with Siri. For all the announcements, however, there were no shipping products. So, what's taking so long? Kelly Guimont, writing for The Mac Observer, heard something from Phillips at CES that made her think vendors might be waiting on Apple, and more enticingly, on an Apple "HomeKit event": What if there is going to be an event? And what if that event is an official HomeK…

Apple's end user license agreements (EULAs) are rarely-read from cover to cover; they're often dozens of pages of legalese that make the average person's eyes glaze over. While it's mind-numbing for most of it, it was inspiration for artist Florence Meunier, who used an overlay featuring redaction marks to blot out unwanted text until what's revealed is a poem that tells the story of a man who didn't read the EULA and suffered the consequences. Here's what the artist has to say about the project: Project to re-design and interpret the Apple ICloud EULA (End User License Agreement), perhaps one of the most overlooked and ambiguous agreement we make. By clicking …

Safari for iPhone spun out of Safari for Mac and was one of the very first fully functional web browsers ever to hit mobile. Taking all that power and making it simple and accessible for the masses meant that, over the years, a lot of shortcuts and time savers got hidden away behind gestures. Luckily, once you know how to long-tap (touch and hold) and swipe your way around, you'll be using Safari for iPhone faster than ever! Note: Some shortcuts, like history list and tab restore don't work in private browsing mode, because private. 1. Jump to the top One of the first and still one of the best iPhone gestures, while I'm sure almost all of you already know t…

Have a busted headphone jack in your iPhone 5s? Not being able to listen to music, podcasts, and other kinds of audio is a complete bummer. Not only that, if your iPhone thinks headphones are plugged in when they aren't, a broken headphone jack can mess with sound through the speaker too. Other symptoms could include crackling or audio cutting in and out sporadically. If any of this sounds like something you're experiencing, a DIY iPhone repair can not only save the day, if you're out of warranty, it'll cost a heck of a lot less than a new iPhone. Note: The headphone jack in the iPhone 5s is actually part of the dock assembly. This means you'll be replacing the entire …

Made from a smooth and durable polycarbonate, this iPhone 6 Shellster provides excellent drop protection thanks to the thick edging and impact resistant shell. The back features a patterned texture that gives you an enhanced grip along with a fold-out kickstand. Yours today in black or white for only $10.95! Continue reading...

Not only does iTunes Match let you store your iPhone and iPad music on the cloud, but it lets you do the same across Mac and Windows PC computers as well. For example, if you have your entire music library on your iMac, you may not want to use the hard drive space on your MacBook Air. Instead, just use iTunes Match to stream music. This method isn't just convenient, it can also result in you saving tons of hard disk space on your Mac. How to enable iTunes Match on your Mac or Windows PC To use iTunes Match on your Mac or Windows PC, you'll need to be subscribed to the service. How to subscribe to iTunes Match on your Mac or PC Once you've subscribed, foll…

NSFW is a weekly op-ed column in which I talk about whatever's on my mind. Sometimes it'll have something to do with the technology we cover here on iMore; sometimes it'll be whatever pops into my head. Your questions, comments and observations are welcome. My 14 year old son is defecting for the Dark Side. About two weeks ago he told me that he wants a Windows PC for his birthday. As a near-lifetime Mac user, I have to say that I was disappointed. Sad even. But I knew this day was coming. My kids all use Mac minis of various ages; the oldest is an '09-era machine that my 17 year old daughter uses (and complains about regularly, it seems); the newest is a '12-era …

The iMore show brings you everything you need to know about the week in iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple! On this episode Ally's back from Hogwarts and she's brought a selfie stick with her. Rene is back from CES 2015 and he's brought thoughts on the MacBook Air and ARM Mac rumors. Peter's been holding down the fort and wants to talk stability. Support the iMore show: Go to lynda.com/imore for a free 10-day trial and learn something new for 2015! Subscribe in iTunes: Audio Subscribe in RSS: Audio Download directly: Audio Hosts Peter Cohen Rene Ritchie Ally Kazmucha Feedback Email: podcast@imore.com Twitter: @iMore with hashtag #askimore Comment: Lea…

Facebook's David Marcus took to his, well, Facebook page today to detail a new voice transcription feature that the company is testing for Facebook Messenger. The feature will take any sound clip that you send or receive and transcribe its contents in text below the voice clip itself. Marcus points out that, for right now, Facebook is testing the feature on a rather limited basis: Our plan is to test this feature at a tiny scale for now and we're looking forward to seeing what you think of it before making the experience more widely available. Sound clips have been a part of Facebook Messenger for quite some time. However, automatic transcription of each m…

After a tumultuous few months concerning casting details, it looks like the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Danny Boyle, has finally started filming. A film crew was spotted today setting up the garage at Steve Jobs' childhood home to prepare for filming. The setup was first reported by CNET, who detailed the layout of the set: Cinderblock and wood shelves are pieced together along the walls. Roller skates, a Thermos, an old vacuum cleaner and 8-track player and stereo lay haphazardly about. An advertisement for a Braun electric coffee maker hangs on the wall, as does a poster featuring Bob Dylan holding a "Get Born" sign fro…

That's right, another motion based game for the Apple TV, this time hitting the lanes and going Ten Pin Bowling! Rolecule, developer of Motion Tennis and Dance Party, is back again with one of the more fun games we've played with our iPhones in a while. Bowling Central actually came about because the community requested it after Motion Tennis. Wii Bowling has always been a favorite, and that same essence has been captured here for the Apple TV. The game is actually playable on the iPhone without an Apple TV using touch and gesture controls. But, through the magic of AirPlay Mirroring, the iPhone is once again transformed into a motion controller while the game…

Apple might not have an official presence at CES 2015, but Apple's ecosystem is everywhere at the show. People are walking around with iPhones and iPads, using them to stay connected and to demo their apps and accessories, tying into CarPlay, HomeKit, and HealthKit, and it general building their platforms on top of the platforms Apple has built. It's pervasive. And that also makes it hard to pick our favorites. There's. Just. So. Much. But that's the job and we did it! Here are iMore's top picks for CES 2015! WeMo sensors Belkin new WeMo line includes a room motion sensor, an alarm upgrade system, and a magnetic sensor for windows and doors. The most interesti…

NSNorth, the single-track upper Canada conference for iOS and Mac aficionados, has revealed more speakers and information on when and how you can get tickets. Joining iMore's own, already announced Georgia Dow is national treasure Jim Dalrymple, the amazing Ashley Nelson-Hornstein and more. Check out the full announcement below. More: NSNorth We have a wonderful weekend planned for you on April 10-12th. We have some exciting news to share. Four new speakers have been added to the lineup. Ashley Nelson-Hornstein from Dropbox Jim Dalrymple from The Loop Ash Lindquist from Storybird Mark Pavlidis from Flixel Photos Don't forget the speakers already ann…

Siri is useful for all kinds of things, including quickly sending an iTunes gift card. Wait, what? You didn't know that? Well, neither did I, not until this week! Whether you forget that birthday or just want to give a random gift of kindness, Siri can help you do it quickly and easily. All you have to do is ask! How to send an iTunes gift card using Siri Press and hold your Home button to launch Siri. Say something like "I want to purchase an iTunes gift card." Siri will automatically launch iTunes and bring up the iTunes gift card option. Fill out the required information, select an amount, and tap Next in the top right corner. Select the gift card theme you …

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich has spoken about his company's relationship with Apple, following rumors that Apple will be moving away from Intel processors in its Mac lines in favor of internally-developed, ARM-based chips. Kraznich said that Intel continues to enjoy a strong relationship with Apple, and that no discussions of this sort had taken place between the two companies. He also noted that Apple would use the supplier that benefited them most, saying to CNBC: Apple is always going to choose the supplier who can provide them the most amount of capability and innovation for them to build on, for them to innovate. They're a company based on innovation. So our job is…

Virgin Mobile USA has partnered with Walmart to offer new prepaid multi-line data-sharing plans. The new Data Done Right plans will be exclusively available from Walmart, and will be available beginning tomorrow, January 17. The multiple line plan will include a free Mobile Hotspot feature. All Data Done Right plans offer unlimited Talk and text. The amount of data available to you depends on the number of lines you activate. Two lines will get you 4GB of 3G and 4G LTE data for $65 per month. Three lines will run you $90 per month for 8GB of data, while customers with four lines have access 12GB of data for $115 per month. Virgin Mobile is also partnering with Wal…

This iPhone 6 flip case is a combination of an Italian polyurethane and a cloth-like texture to provide impact protection while giving your device a snazzy look. What's more is you even have a slot for credit cards on the backside of the front cover! Get yours today for only $21.95 Continue reading...

Twitter and Facebook have been built into the iPhone and iPad for a while, but thanks to sharing extensions in iOS 8, you can now quickly and easily send your photos, videos, comments, and other content to any social network or online service you use, from any app you happen to be using. All you have to do is install the share extension, tap the share button, and choose the extension you want to use. Best of all, share extensions have already been implemented by a bunch of great apps. Here are some of our favorites! Pinterest Pinterest is a social network that lets you collect all the stuff that interests you all in one place — ideas, stuff, links, whatever! Y…

Ed: Welcome to this week's-ever-so-slightly-delayed-due-to-the-artist-being-on-a-train-for-his-birthday's edition of The Pixel Project: a weekly comic from Diesel Sweeties' Rich Stevens on Apple, technology, and everything in-between. This week: Apple is sure slipping lately... or is it? Read more comics from the Pixel Project on iMore.com. [/url] Continue reading...