Here Is Everything New Microsoft Announced At Its 2019 Build Event

Microsoft has its fair share of almost everything tech-related and is one of the most valuable companies in the world. However, what is at the heart of its business is Azura, a cloud-based computing platform, not Window like most people think. Here is all the company announced in its annual Build event:

Edge Chromium Browser

One of the most exciting announcements at 2019 Build is the Edge Chromium. Now if you install Window 10, you will automatically have Edge. But that only explains the first half of the new name. The Chromium part suggests that the company has made use of Google’s open-source Chromium rendering edge, a tech on which the current Chrome is running on.

Here are some of the highlights with Edge, apart from the news that it will come to MacOS:

Collections: This function is what excites the public the most. It is an app for taking notes, and it comes with Edge by default. This app works with drag-and-drop mechanism be it images, links, or text. What makes it so great is the fact that it keeps the sites connected to the photos and text you put in Collections so you can always find the source whenever you need. If you want to show the collections to other people or make a Word version of it, the app does support that. If you need a shopping list, the app can do that too and even gives you an excel version.

IE Mode: Edge will have a function called IE Mode that developers and companies can use to imitate Internet Explorer’s features whenever they feel needed.

Edge Privacy: As privacy is getting more serious in the last few years, tech giants are taking steps to make sure that users feel safe online, and Microsoft is no exception. It introduces a function to make it harder for sites like Facebook to keep track of what you do on the Internet. Users have the choice to determine the limit they allow advertisers to see their browsing habit. Edge has unrestricted mode, which gives sites unlimited right to harvest your data; “balanced” means your habit will not be revealed to sites you have never visited, or it will provide you with the safest option possible.

ElectionGuard SDK for ensuring secure, auditable elections

Elections are a sensitive time when most people want it to be fair and transparent, but a lot of others try to manipulate it.

To tackle shady intention to impact the results of elections, Microsoft introduces ElectionGuard SDK to make the whole thing more credible and easier to be checked. With this function, voters can check if their votes have been registered or not. The news outlet and some other organizations can even make their own votes trackers. Encryption will protect all of the data. The program can give officials a tool to audit the votes.

If this system makes it to reality, people can even do their own research and vote from the comfort of their home. Officials can collect votes in the form of QR codes.

A Friendlier, More Open Cortana

The Call Screen from Google is impressive enough, but it is no match for Microsoft’s Cortana, the voice assistant on Window. The company has given it an enhanced ability to make conversations and even understand instructions. Wake words will be trashed, meaning Cortana will always listen to your command but it will respond depends on occasions. In the demo session, Microsoft set up, the virtual voice assistant has reached really close to the way a real human speaks.

The old Cortana is quite competent at simple tasks; the new updates will give it the ability to track everything you do and send you notifications to remind you in case you forget.

A Fluid Web

Microsoft launches a new web platform that developers can use to design better apps. This feature is named Fluid Framework, and it will enable “next generation of real-time colab to the cloud,” said Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO.

Cortana will play a part in this new platform, and it will provide you with translations and edits. You can also have Outlook and Word’s integration.

When you are using emails or Teams, you can save lists and tables. You can also make alterations on them, and the changes will be saved in real-time in the same emails. With these improvements, you do not need to open Word or Excel to make changes.

Windows Terminal

Windows Terminal is like an upgraded version of PowerShell, the Microsoft’s command line app. Now you will have emoji, tabs, GPU-based text rendering, theming options, and many more. The app will be out in June.

People-Centric Experiences On Microsoft 365

Microsoft’s updates are not only for users, but it also has a bunch of cool features dedicated to developers to make more “people-centric experiences” on Microsoft 365, including OneDrive, Excel, and Word.

Some of the highlights are “Ink Recognizer Cognitive Service,” a function that can identify input in the form of stylus or pen. This feature can work on both PC (MacOS and Window) and mobile platforms (iOS or Android).

Cross-platform code’s performance will be enhanced, and XAML Islands will give developers access to new UI.

Gaming: Xbox Anywhere

Microsoft said at the Build 2019 that it would put gamers at the center of its development. In fact, most of their focus and tech innovations are dedicated to fulfilling this target. This year, it launched two new features for a better gaming experience.

The first to mention here is Xbox Live, which has gained over 63 million users and the number is increasing rapidly. Even when the gaming communities are growing fast with more competitors emerge, that of Xbox Live is still one of the largest. Microsoft reminded users that the program is cross-platform and developers can bring its features to Android and iOS.

Another useful feature is the analytics. Developers can use Azure PlayFab to gain more information on the behavior of gamers playing their games. “You want to learn through analytics and change gameplay,” said Microsoft’s CEO, Nadella.