Microsoft Support & Discussions

"Other storage" and all the space it takes up on your iPhone and iPad is a source of frustration for many people. What is "other storage"? Why does it keep building up? What can be done to clean it out? These are frequent questions, especially for anyone running low on storage. There are a few different explanations, but the most important thing is this — there is a way to fix it! What is the "Other storage" label on my iPhone or iPad actually storing? While it would be nice to know exactly where all our storage space is going, there are just too many things that require physical storage that labeling all of them would result in a bar that stretched much father th…

Microsoft's product placement for the Surface Pro 3 on CNN has taken a surprising turn for the worse. The company managed to score a deal with the broadcaster to have its laptop killers present on CNN's news show, but commentators appeared to be more interested in iPads concealed behind said Microsoft hardware. There's no question that having the Surface Pro 3 on-stage makes the show look more professional, but we're sure this isn't what Microsoft had planned for its product placement. This also isn't the first time Microsoft has had to deal with Surface Pro product placements going wrong. It was only last month when we covered the company looking to "coach" N…

Jawbone is entering into the entry-level segment with the launch of the Up Move, a $50 activity tracker that comes with fitness and sleep tracking features. The tracker bridges the gap between the $129 Up24 and the free Up app, and comes with most features offered by Jawbone's higher-end activity trackers in a form factor that delivers six months of battery life. The water-resistant anodized aluminum body of the Up Move slots into a clip-on dongle that you can attach to a belt loop, or a wrist strap made out of hypoallergenic silicon rubber, which is available for an additional $15. The single cell battery is user-replaceable. The activity tracker lets you easily …

Last chance to enter! The giveaway ends tonight at Midnight! In today's world, no one has time to be tied down. We're always on the move, and that means we don't always have access to reliable Wi-Fi to keep us connected to our digital world. Well all of that is now a thing of the past with one perfect little device from a company called Karma. Keep reading for all the details, and to see how you can enter to win free Wi-Fi for LIFE! Karma Go is an all-new LTE hotspot that gives you Wi-Fi everywhere, on any device, with no contract and no monthly fees. You simply buy the data you need, and that data never expires. Karma also lets you securely share your hotspot …

We've gathered together some great discounts on iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps, accessories, and devices for you today. We'll keep showing sales that are ongoing after double-checking that they're still active and the price is the same, as well as updating the list with anything new that we find. Of course, if you spot any great deals, don't be shy - drop a tip in the comments! Oh, and though there isn't a lot of Apple-specific products here, ThinkGeek's half-off sale has some really fantastic stuff included. Today's top iOS and Mac app deals Twitchy Thrones - $1.99 Free Minuum - $3.99 $0.99 A Dark Room - $0.99 Free Bonza - $0.99 Free Toca Builders - $2.99 $0.99…

The following is excerpted from CSS Animation: An Interactive Guide by Vicki Murley. You've seen several examples throughout this book where a single CSS property is animated. But to create more advanced effects, you may want to animate more than one property at a time. The previous section showed multiple ways to define transitions for multiple CSS properties, on the same element. For example: Or, if you prefer to use the long form properties: To trigger the transitions on opacity and transform to begin, you might write JavaScript that changes the values of these two properties individually, like so: This works, but there's a better approach when …

Microsoft has teamed up with Dropbox to offer the users of the version of Office for iPad, along with the free version of Office for iPhone users, a quick way to both save and sync their documents and files on their Dropbox cloud storage account. The new feature will be added in an update that's due out in the next few weeks. So why offer Dropbox support when Microsoft already has its own cloud storage service, OneDrive? Microsoft already knows that's where you're keeping Office files anyway: With data and mobile usage exploding globally, millions of people are turning to Dropbox and Office to access, manage and collaborate on their files from anywhere, anytime…

In a recent interview, CEO of the Merchant Customer Exchange consortium Dekkers Davidson denied that they had ordered CVS to block Apple Pay, and the exclusivity clause in their agreements with retailers would expire in "months, not years". Davidson went on to say that they weren't afraid of multiple compelling mobile payment systems being in use, and that the exclusivity was simply to provide breathing room for the development of their solution, CurrentC. For those unfamiliar, MCX is an organization of retailers that have been creating their own mobile payment solution since well before the wraps were taken off Apple Pay. Now the binding agreement is putting some…

The back of this 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 5S or iPhone 5. The edges are made of a slim rubber, making it easy to install and remove when necessary. Get yours today and save 45% off the list price. Continue reading...

Amazon is continuing to add features to its $99-a-year Amazon Prime subscription service. Today, those same Prime members can store an unlimited amount of full resolution images on a cloud account with the new Prime Photos. For iPhone users, Amazon allows access to the new Prime Photos service from its Cloud Drive Photos app. Here's the 411 of the new features for Prime members: Upload photos from their iOS and Android devices, Fire tablets and Fire phone, and Mac and Windows computers—and have them stored for free in the Amazon cloud. Access their photo collections at any time from nearly any device—including the big screen using Amazon Fire TV or the newly ann…

Apple has opened the doors of a new software and engineering office in Seattle, attempting to attract local talent in the shadow of Microsoft's Redmond campus. The new office is looking to recruit talented individuals who will join former employees of Union Bay Network, the networking start-up Apple has confirmed it acquired. "Ever wanted to work at Apple, but didn't want to live in Cupertino?" Benn Bollay, former chief technology officer at Union Bay, is now listed as a manager at Apple on LinkedIn and appears to be hiring for the new Seattle office. Bollay recently published a notice (no longer available) on LinkedIn, stating that Apple is "looking for talented mul…

Much as I would like to pretend that I have all the time in the world to keep my grey matter working at a collegiate level, that's not true. We all have jobs. Errands. Hobbies. I've made peace with the fact that I'll never crack open that 1200-page "Master Your French" textbook sitting on my bookshelf or drop thousands of dollars on graduate studies; instead, I've taken to using third-party apps to keep my head in the game. I spend less than thirty minutes a day in these apps—before I get out of bed, in-between errands, and sitting at the coffee shop—and that time alone keeps my poor brain from devolving into internet mush. It's about the same time I'd spend playing Th…

Nest has announced an upcoming 4.3 software update for smart thermostats. This software upgrade will begin rolling out to Wi-Fi connected Nest thermostats through next week, enabling home owners to take advantage of some new features and improvements. The company has been able to fine tune algorithms used to help customers save even more energy. The auto-schedule tool has been enhanced, making the thermostat learn and adapt to schedule changes more efficiently. These sorts of changes are welcomed, but visual improvements also matter to users, which is where the quick view comes into play. This new quick view displays current time and outside temperature, as we…

We've gathered together some great discounts on iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps, accessories, and devices for you today. We'll keep showing sales that are ongoing after double-checking that they're still active and the price is the same, as well as updating the list with anything new that we find. Of course, if you spot any great deals, don't be shy - drop a tip in the comments! Today's top Apple app deals Minuum - $3.99 $0.99 Zombies, Run! - $3.99 $1.99 A Dark Room - $0.99 Free Bonza - $0.99 Free Toca Builders - $2.99 $0.99 Toca Hair Salon - $2.99 $0.99 Toca Train - $2.99 $0.99 Slender Man Origins - $4.99 $2.99 The Walking Dead Season 2 - $4.99 $1.99 The Ro…

AirDrop is a file transfer protocol that lets you quickly and easily send files, small and large, between compatible iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Have photos on your Mac that you'd like on your iPhone or iPad? Just AirDrop them, no cables required! Before attempting the steps below, remember that you must have a compatible device. iOS devices must be running iOS 7 or later while you must own a 2012 or later Mac in order to AirDrop between iOS and OS X. You'll need to make sure AirDrop is enabled on your devices. In order to do so on your Mac, just open a Finder window and choose AirDrop in the side navigation. You can then change who can see your Mac at the bottom of…

Six new banks have started supporting Apple Pay beginning today. Cards from USAA, U.S. Bank, Navy Federal, PNC, Barclaycard, and M&T Bank are all now working with Apple's digital wallet. Most of these banks had been listed as Apple Pay partners coming "later this year" on Apple's website, with earlier reports claiming that support would arrive on November 7. Apple Pay initially rolled out with the launch of iOS 8.1 last month. It's U.S.-only for now, though Apple is reportedly working on getting it up and running in other countries. Apple Pay is currently available on the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 3. Source: 9to5Mac …

Apple has teamed up with Southwest Airlines to offer Beats Music streaming to passengers on Wi-Fi-enabled flights. Customers using Beats in-flight will have unrestricted access to the service for free. The partnership is being introduced today with a special event on a Southwest flight, complete with a Beats-branded plane, a special playlist, and more, according to Southwest: To celebrate, a special playlist was created that will come to life with live concerts from a couple of the artists on select Southwest flights at 35,000 feet! The official Beats Music aircraft is planned to depart from Dallas Love Field to Chicago-Midway on flight 732 with Cobra Starship onboa…

With this car charger you're not only getting the quickest and most efficient 12W charge available, but are also protected from overcharging and overheating thanks to the advanced circuitry built inside. The extra USB port is perfect for any passenger to simultaneously charge their device, too! Get yours today for just $17.95 Continue reading...

Children love bubbles and water fountains. Most adults tend to find more exhilaration from an incoming text. Sometimes, however, there’s that rarest of souls, a grown-up who manages to find beauty in both. Those are the types of people you want to be around, because their contagious joie de vivre delivers a jolt of energy to your ho-hum day. Laura Butler, Distinguished Engineer at Microsoft, is one such person. Currently she’s standing in harm’s way for a photo shoot, underneath a massive metallic fountain at the Seattle Center. As the waterworks cascade down, Laura just laughs and twirls her umbrella, a modern-day Mary Poppins. “If it’s not fun, you’re doing it wrong.…

If Microsoft designers have groupies, then they look like the chipper young guys who pop out from around corners at Studio B to greet Stevie Bathiche. Tagging behind Bathiche, distinguished scientist with Microsoft’s Applied Sciences Group — an interdisciplinary team working on the next phase of interactive technologies — I feel like the rookie reporter in a geeky version of “Almost Famous.” But if he’s famous, he doesn’t know it, or at least act like it. Bathiche is disarmingly humble and refreshingly honest. Tall and lanky, with long, rock star-quality black hair, he’s even a little goofy. Bonding over an appreciation for Italian coffee and discussing the nature of i…

Certain Starwood Hotels have begun rolling out keyless room entry for Starwood Preferred Guests, a program first announced early this year. SGP Keyless allows guests to open their room through their phone, and at some point next year, the Apple Watch. The program is starting at three hotel brands, Aloft, Element, and W. Guests will be sent a Bluetooth key specifically for their room to the SPG app before arrival, allowing them to bypass standard check-in, according to Starwoods' press release: After booking a reservation at a keyless hotel, SPG members are invited to opt-in to SPG Keyless and register their phone through the SPG App. Approximately 24 hours be…

Apple wants to get third party app developers on board for their upcoming Apple Watch and now they are hiring for an evangelist to help promote the smartwatch to those software creators before the product's launch later in 2015. The job listing states As a member of Apple's Technology Evangelism team you'll work closely with 3rd party developers to help them build platform differentiating, next generation apps for iOS, with a primary focus on Apple Watch apps. You'll use your app development know-how and experience to communicate app architecture, design, and programming best-practices. You'll work closely with Apple's engineering and marketing organizations on…

New legislation could be in the works to effectively force UK operators to offer roaming options for customers where signal is poor. The UK government continues to work with mobile carriers on a solution to address black spots and areas where signal is hard to come by. The plan is to offer said roaming support to make it possible to switch between networks to maintain service, something mobile operators previously rejected. According to The Telegraph report, Culture Secretary Sajid Javid plans to introduce network roaming across Britain with new legislation if carriers do not comply. It's estimated that a million people suffer from unreliable network coverage, but it…

Apple's products get almost as much coverage in Microsoft ads these days as they do in Apple's own, and this latest effort is no exception. The newest spot features the MacBook Air and the new Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro. While short, it's not quite so ridiculous as some previous ads, and does at least focus more on the actual strengths of the device in question. But it leaves out anything related to the respective operating systems. I've actually seen the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro, and it is a remarkable laptop computer. Marginally slimmer than a MacBook Air, available in a striking shade of Orange (among other colors) with a high-resolution display and a hinge that's frankly a wo…