Microsoft Support & Discussions

Apple has confirmed that select iCloud services are down for users, including Documents in the Cloud, iCloud Mail and Contacts, and Photos. Services like iChat, Maps, iMessage, FaceTime, iTunes, App Store, Apple ID, and Find My iPhone are still working fine. Apple did not give any reason for the outage, but you can check on the status of iCloud through Apple's system status page. Is iCloud down for you? Update: Looks like iCloud is back up and running! Continue reading...

After having rolled out the iOS 8.0.2 update to consumers, it looks like Apple is actively working behind the scenes to keep the momentum for iOS software updates going. Now, in Apple's developer portal, developers have access to iOS 8.1 beta 1. Currently, a change log isn't given as to what will be new with the iOS 8.1 beta 1 update will include. Apple said: This is a pre-release version of iOS 8.1 beta for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Devices updated to iOS 8.1 beta can not be restored to earlier versions of iOS. The build for the software is listed as 12B401. Given that you cannot revert back to an earlier version of iOS, will you be an early adopte…

iOS 8 brings with it an awesome new ability to pull filters, editing tools, and lots more from your favorite photo editing and filter apps. However, it requires that developers support the feature in order for it to work. Luckily, there are already a handful of really great ones available that can give you a wide range of tools to use without ever having to leave the Photos app. So if you're only concerned with the best iPhone apps where photo extensions are concerned, these six apps should definitely be on your short list! Litely Litely has some of the best subtle filters that aim to enhance your photos rather than change them completely. Not only can you acc…

Apple has just released a new important software security update to patch the new Shellshock vulnerability for its Mac systems. The update is now available through Apple and is titled the OS X bash Update 1.0 download. There are separate downloads, depending on which version of the OS X operating system your Mac is currently running, whether it's Lion, Mountain Lion, or Mavericks. Apple had previously said that most of its Mac users are safe from the exploit. Download: Mavericks, Lion, Mountain Lion Continue reading...

Earlier this month, we unveiled a first look at the new MSN. Over the past 3 weeks, nearly 10 million of you took the opportunity to test out the new site and more than 80,000 of you even took the time to tell us what you thought. Based on your feedback, we have made numerous changes to the site. From everyone here, a sincere thank you. Over the next 72 hours, we will roll out the new MSN to the more than 425 million people in over 50 countries around the world that come to the site each month. In addition, people using Windows and Windows Phone 8.1 will have the option to update their devices to the new MSN apps starting today. At the top of the homepage, you will see…

Every day dozens and dozens of new and updated apps and games hit the iOS and Mac App Stores. It's impossible to keep up with them all, but it's not impossible to pick out the very best. Here they are! Waze has some new tools for those on the road and there's a great new game from Kairosoft to check out. New iOS apps Galaxy Trucker: Build a custom spaceship and fend off all manner of threats in this colorful board game. - $4.99 - Download now The Pyraplex: Build and manage your very own ancient egyptian pyramid in this business sim. - $4.99 - Download now Updated iOS apps Waze: The crowdsourced GPS navigation app now has a section called Places, where you c…

Before the iPhone 6 launched to the world, its biggest rival in the smartphone space, Samsung, launched a new competitor. We think of the Galaxy S5 as the big rival, and sales numbers surely back that up, but in the Galaxy Alpha, Samsung has a device that's 4.7-inches and made with its own dose of metal. And over on Android Central I've squared them off against each other. Platform bias aside, there's a tough choice to be made if you're presented with these two side-by-side in the store. So head on over and check out the post in full as each phone is broken down and pitted against its new rival. Does the Galaxy Alpha sway you at all? Samsung Galaxy Alpha versus i…

Join Serenity, Peter, Georgia, Ally, and Rene for the podcast version of our iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus review! Design, display, chipset, camera, radios, and more! (No Q&A this time! It's just the review. We'll do a full on Q&A next time!) Continue reading...

Normally when you're walking around with a WiFi-enabled device, if it's not connected to a network, it's broadcasting probes in order to try and find known networks. These probes would be sent using your phone's WiFi MAC address, which is a unique and normally persistent value. This means that anybody monitoring these probes, say in a department store for example, can persistently track you through a store and across multiple visits. This information isn't tied to your personal identity, but a lot of information about your shopping habits could be gleaned from this data by analytics companies, and some users aren't thrilled about not having a say in this. And remember, th…

Jawbone UP fitness tracker owners have enjoyed using the official iPhone and iPad app for some time, but the company has just released a second fitness tracking app with support for Apple HealthKit. Fear not if you're baffled by the presence of two apps as we'll explain what's going on and help clear up any confusion. The old (or rather, current) app requires the use of Jawbone's UP and UP24 (check our review) bands, while the newly released UP app uses Apple's HealthKit to use your iPhone (running iOS 8) to track progress as well as apps and wearables from other companies. If you own a UP wearable and are content with the app and service, you'll be able to continue …

This case and holster combo provides excellent protection against impacts and ensures the safety of your iPhone 5/5S while at your side or in your hands. The case is made with quality polycarbonate and rubber materials, while the holster features a rotatable belt clip for an adjustable fit. Yours today for only $9.95! Continue reading...

A company called Reis Labs has announced plans for a wooden Bluetooth speaker called the Street Performer, and are seeking funds to launch it via Kickstarter. The page states: Reis' unique wood construction, in lieu of a more conventional plastic or metal casing as employed by most speaker manufacturers, naturally provides an extraordinarily rich sound. In addition, our internal packaging has been designed to maximize amplification without compromising sound quality. To best exploit the acoustic properties of our housing, we use a varied range of powerful drivers, tweeters, radiators and other components in our speakers. There will be two models sold; a re…

The European Union is apparently set to accuse Apple of taking illegal tax aid from Ireland. The aid allegedly came in the form of sweetheart deals that resulted in a much lower tax rate. Apple currently enjoys a very low tax rate in Ireland, and the company says that no laws were broken in their deal with Ireland, where it's been operating for more than thirty years, according to the Financial Times: Apple, which has operated in Ireland since 1980, maintains that its agreements with Ireland did not break any laws. "There's never been any special deal, there's never been anything that would be construed as state aid," Luca Maestri, Apple's chief financial officer, t…

The iPhone 6 Plus would really benefit by giving folders reachability view by default and providing an option to view more than nine apps per page When it comes to arranging the application shortcuts on my phone's home screen, I'm a folders addict. I hate scrolling horizontally through pages and pages of apps. Occasionally I try and allow apps to spread out across more home screen panes, but eventually my OCD kicks in and I spend hours re-organizing everything until I'm down to fitting it all neatly on the default home screen view, with my most frequently-used apps at the bottom so they're easily within reach of my thumb. Accomplishing this typically means I need to us…

Looking for a few brain-teasers on your iPhone? You've come to the right place. These are the very best puzzle games you can load onto your iPhone 6, 6 Plus, or whatever else you've got in your pocket. There's a healthy dose of physics games here, but many other puzzler permutations can be found on our top ten list. As always, we're eager to hear your favorite puzzle games, so please leave a comment with your favorites. We've also rounded up some of the best free iPhone puzzle games elsewhere if you're looking for something a little different. Without further ado, here are our top puzzle games for iPhone. 1. The Room Two The Room Two takes players on a dark jou…

Excited store associates celebrate the grand opening of a Microsoft retail store as they prepare to welcome customers in Boston. When we opened the first Microsoft retail store back on Oct. 22, 2009, our intention was simple: deliver outstanding choice, value and service for everyone who walks into our stores. Microsoft Stores were designed to create a meaningful, direct connection to our customers and give them the best place to experience and purchase Microsoft technology. Nearly five years after our first store in Scottsdale, Arizona opened, our footprint has reached a scale where 80 percent of Americans are within 20 miles of a Microsoft Store and includes 104 Mi…

At Sibos this week, Microsoft customers and partners are showcasing new technology to help financial institutions become digital banks. This includes a host of new Windows 8 apps, demonstrations on how the cloud can help banks do business in underserved and emerging markets, and a new partnership with the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis center to help banks fight cybercrime. Working in partnership with Microsoft, companies such as Citi, Fidelity Information Systems (FIS), Pershing (a part of BNY Mellon) and Temenos will show off their latest and greatest apps and services at the conference. The need for banks to become digital businesses is more …