Known Issues In Windows 10 Build 10074

Windows 10 Build 10074 is available now. In case, you still haven't downloaded it, you can find the links at OSBetaArchive. Another thing you might want to be aware of, is the known issues with the build as declared by Microsoft on the Windows blog.

• Developers cannot enable Developer Mode in the Settings app for installing and testing apps on this build. We’ll enable this in an upcoming build. In the meantime, you will need enable your device for development using the Group Policy Editor.
• There is an issue in this build preventing some games from playing in full screen mode. We’re working to get a fix out via WU as soon as possible.
• The People app continues to crash. We’re planning to release an update for the People app through the Store Beta that fixes this.

For Indian Female Students Only: Get Free Microsoft Certificate & Earn Recognition Under 'Microsoft Women In Tech' Campaign

"

Microsoft aims to inspire women to play an active role in technology. Microsoft Women in Tech is your stage to explore the world of technology. To find the winner in you. To discover incredible opportunities that will bring out your passion. Come, be a part of one million girls and women whom we want to reach out to, across India. Together, let’s change the world with technology.

"

In order to obtain your free certificate, complete any one of the following courses. 

Developing Universal Windows Apps with HTML and JavaScript Jump Start 

Get Started with Windows Azure Today Jump Start 
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals 
Developing Universal Windows Apps with C# and XAML 
Introduction to Mobile App Development 
Security Fundamentals 

After completion, go to My Dashboard>Courses Completed. From there, download your certificate of completion. 

Now, to get recognition under Microsoft Women In Tech Campaign, fill out this claim form  where you would be required to upload your certificate of course completion. 

Mention the following data for the given fields in the form. 

Insert MSP- MVA Campaign Referral Code: MVA2909 

Name of MSP who encouraged you to work on MVA: Shruti Kaushik 

Last date is 31st March 2015. 

Finally, to receive further updates regarding opportunities for female techies across India, register on Microsoft Women in Tech.

Also, you can register at http://bit.ly/1G7xjEm to learn fundamental IT subjects from Microsoft and earn certificate for each. This program is open for both boys and girls.

The last date to register for this program is also 31st March.

Watch Cortana Running On Windows 10

Cortana, which was until now only available for Windows Phone will now be available on desktop as well as part of Windows 10 although .

WinBeta says, 

"From the get go, Cortana can do pretty much everything the Windows Phone version can. This includes reminders, call people with skype, check my location/maps, play/pause music, launch apps, check the weather and more. Right now, Cortana doesn't have a personality in Windows 10, meaning she doesn't answer questions like "Who are you", however we have it on good authority that she will have this ability by the time she rolls out to the public."

Well, Windows 10 isn’t expected to launch for quite a while so for now all you can do is watch the video above to see Cortana in action.

via WindowsBeta 

Microsoft's Office: One Of The Coolest Work Places

One of the biggest perks of working at Microsoft is the vibrant working environment. You're bound to fall in love with their office. See for yourself.

Images' Sources: Microsoft's Facebook Page

Windows 10 Demo Video

Well, Windows 10 preview is now available for download but if you want to take a look before trying it out, check it out below in a video walkthrough by Gizmodo highlighting it's main features.

Windows 10 Preview Is Now Available For Download

Image Courtesy: litabi.com

Windows 10 with the much desired start button is now finally here. We have a lot of hopes with this one and it certainly does look promising.
Take a look at it's features in this article or rather just download the preview here, and decide for yourself.
Do let us know your take.

Microsoft Warns Of Fake Job Offers

Phishing, the act of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication, is not a new trend. Only now Microsoft has also joined the list of those trustworthy entities whose name is being used by scammers.

Microsoft has perhaps recently received many queries regarding these fake job offer mails due to which they are warning everyone of it. Following is the message I received from them in my Microsoft account.

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Recruitment Fraud Awareness

April 9, 2014 -

We want to make you aware of some incidents whereby certain organizations or individuals, claiming to act on behalf of Microsoft India’s companies have contacted potential job seekers or candidates and made false offers or promises of employment with Microsoft India companies. These false offers or promises of employment can also involve requests to the potential job seekers or candidates for payment of money against ‘fees’ on account of placement fee, application fee, caution deposit, etc.

Please note that Microsoft (including any authorized agencies or firms that conduct recruitment on its behalf) do not, under any circumstances, require money or payment from applicants during the recruitment process. Any such false job or employment related communications, whether requiring payment of money or not, that appear to originate from Microsoft are unauthorized and fraudulent in nature. These could originate from fictitious or misleading email addresses, websites, portals or online social or professional networking sites. Such false or fraudulent communications may also be printed on forged Microsoft letterheads and stationery, refer to Microsoft’s office address or be copied to a Microsoft email id. You are advised not to respond to such fraudulent and unauthorized communications or offers from such persons. You are also advised to notify any such incidents to Microsoft at recfra@microsoft.com. If you are the victim of such fraudulent offers or promises of employment, please report it and file a complaint with the relevant police authorities. Microsoft will provide all reasonable cooperation, as required by you or the police authorities, in pursuance of your complaint

---

Kindly be aware of any such mail, be it from Microsoft or any other company. No company would ask you to submit money for any reason. 

You can recognize a spam mail by certain obvious aspects. You can read Fake Hyundai Job Call Letter to get an idea.

Do not even provide personal information as your response could be used for identity theft as in the following examples.

Fake 'Abba Queens Hotel' Job Offer Mail

Fake Audi Promo Program

People claiming to make you millionaire

Also, if you're on Twitter, you might want to read this, Don't Fall For Phishing On Twitter.

Interesting Facts About Microsoft That You Probably Didn't Know

• Microsoft didn't make MS-DOS, their original Operating System. TweetThis
  
  They licensed the software  for 86-DOS (aka Quick and Dirty DOS) from Seattle Computer Products, reworked it and then renamed it.

• Microsoft is involved in near-continual legal battles. TweetThis
  
  A large portion of their legal woes for the last decade centered around monopoly-like business practices that illegally blocked competition.

• At Microsoft, they like to mix work with pleasure.
  
  Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder, was a childhood friend of Bill Gates. TweetThis
  
  Founder Bill Gates married Microsoft employee Melinda French. TweetThis
  
  Steve Ballmer, the second Microsoft CEO, was a Harvard class-mate of Bill Gates. He was Microsoft's 24th employee. TweetThis

• Chujwamwdupe, a hacker, published attack codes after Microsoft refused to credit him for finding software vulnerabilities. TweetThis
  
  Microsoft usually credits hackers by their online handle, but "chujwamwdupe" is a sexually explicit term in Polish, and Microsoft was uncomfortable with this graphic name.

• Microsoft was originally called Micro-soft. TweetThis
  
  They removed the hyphen in 1976. Microsoft is a combination of the words "microcomputer" and "software".

• Microsoft's total revenue in it's first year was $ 16,000. TweetThis
  
  In 1989, just four years later, they made $ 1 million.

• Windows was originally called Interface-Manager. TweetThis
  
  Fortuantely, the marketing department stepped in.

• WinVer 1.4, the first Windows Virus was unleashed in 1992. TweetThis

• Jim Allchin, a former Microsoft executive who retired the day Microsoft Vista was released to the public, felt that Microsoft had lost it's way with Windows Vista. TweetThis
  
  He claimed that he would have purchased a Mac had he not been working for Microsoft.

• Microsoft had made Bill Gates a billionaire by age 31. TweetThis
  
  He was knighted by the Queen of England in 2005.

• 2009 was the first year in 23 years that Microsoft reported a quarterly drop in revenue. TweetThis

• Microsoft has more than 10,000 patents. TweetThis
  
  They are one of the top five U.S. patent holders and file about 3,000 every year.

•  Microsoft is one of the biggest corporate collectors of contemporary artwork. TweetThis
  
  They have over 5,000 pieces. Their collection includes works by Cindy Sherman, Chuck Close and Takashi Murakami.

•  It's a Microsoft tradition to celebrate events with M&M Candies. TweetThis

• Microsoft interviewees are asked unusual questions like "Why are manholes round?" TweetThis
  
  They are also asked to design products that Microsoft isn't going to produce, like a coffee maker for astronauts. Microsoft uses these unique questions to gauge their creativity.

• Temporary Microsoft employees are given an email address with a dash (-) before the at (@) symbol. TweetThis
  
  Permanent employees refer to them as "Dash-Trash".
  
  P.S.: In case you're wondering how to add the TweetThis link to your blog or website, read this.

Classic Pixel Art In MS Paint By 99 Year Old

Hal Lasko, better known as Grandpa, worked as a typographer back when everything was done by hand. His family introduced him to the computer and Microsoft Paint long after he retired.

Now, Grandpa spends ten hours a day moving pixels around his computer paintings. His work is a blend of pointillism and 8-Bit art.

Meet 99-year-old Hal Lasko, The Pixel Painter. 

This film on Hal was screened at Cleveland International Film Festival and Imagine Science Films Festival and has also won the People's Choice Award at Imagine Science Film Festival.

Originally a traditional painter, Hal switched to MS Paint full-time when his vision was impaired by wet macular degeneration, an eye disease that causes blindness in the center of the vision. 

“He’ll talk to anyone for hours about his artwork,” says his son Ron. “It’s his passion. He loves to chat, and it takes nothing to get him going.”

"On my 85th birthday, the family presented me with my computer," Lasko said. "I didn't even know how to turn one on."

“When I lost my eye-sight, I wasn’t able to get the brush quite where I wanted it,” says Lasko. “So when I got into the art program on the computer, I appreciated that I could magnify it enough to be sure that I was hitting the right spot.”

Lasko says he draws inspiration from impressionism, and that his artistic influences include Edward Hopper and Paul Klee. Many of Lasko's paintings feature trees. He mentions how the poem Trees had this influence on him since 3rd grade. He recites the poem,

"I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain... "

Ending it with an additional line,

"Poems are made by fools like me, 
 I always say, paintings are made by fools like me,
 But only God can make a tree"

While he initially didn’t realize that his digital paintings could be printed, he now has a website selling prints of six different works, launched by his grandson, Ryan Lasko.

Following is one of the remarkable works by Lakso.
Image: “Looking Up” by Hal Lasko

Microsoft, the company whose software enabled Lasko to continue his artistic career, acknowledged him by featuring his work in its Super Bowl commercial.

Pursuing his passion with such dedication at this age, Hal Lasko is an inspiration to all of us.

You can connect with the amazing artist at this Facebook Page.