Windows 10 October 2018 Update, Less Office 365 Limits, Skype Highlights Shut Down

"Microsoft Monday" is a weekly column that focuses on everything related to Microsoft. This week "Microsoft Monday" presents news about the Windows Update October 10, 2018, fewer restrictions on device limits for Office 365 Home and Personal subscriptions, the end of the Surface Plus financing program, Skype closing the Highlights feature and much more!

Windows Update October 10, 2018

Last week, Microsoft revealed the name of the next major update of Windows 10, which originally received the code name of Redstone 5. The name is officially the Windows update October 10, 2018.

"With this update, we will bring new features and improvements to the nearly 700 million Windows 10 devices that help people make the most of their time," said Roanne Sones of Microsoft.

Some of the new features that Windows 10 October 2018 Update will include are clipboard synchronization, a dark mode for File Explorer, easier management of screenshots, SwiftKey for Windows 10, "Your Phone" for Android and iPhone, and a feature It uses machine learning to restart your PCs at the best time for updates.

It is likely that Microsoft will complete the development of the Windows 10 update of October 2018 at the end of September and it should be publicly available for download in early October.


End Of Device Limits For Office 365 Home And Personal Subscriptions


Jared Spataro of Microsoft announced three major changes to the Office 365 consumer subscriptions.

Currently, personal subscriptions for Office 365 Home and Office 365 include device installation limits. For example, Home limits subscribers to ten devices in total in five users. And the Personal subscription limits users to just a PC or Mac and a tablet. However, subscribers will be able to install Office on an unlimited number of devices and log in to their accounts on up to five devices at the same time beginning October 2.

The subscription to Office 365 Home allows five people to have licenses for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage for $ 99.99 per year. And as of October 2, Microsoft is increasing the number of licenses in a Home subscription from 5 to 6.

Another change that Microsoft announced is that you can now manage your Office 365 subscription directly in the Microsoft account portal. From that portal, you can manage all your Microsoft subscriptions, redeem Microsoft Rewards points and review other benefits. Previously, Office 365 consumer subscriptions were managed through Office.com/MyAccount.


The Surface Plus financing program ends

Microsoft finalized the Surface Plus financing program on August 31. The Surface Plus financing program was launched about a year ago with the Swedish bank Klarna as a partner. Even though the Surface Plus financing program was eliminated, Microsoft recently introduced Xbox All Access, which is a similar program for the Xbox, Xbox Game Pass and Live Gold consoles.

Microsoft's Surface Plus financing program allowed US customers UU Buy a Surface device as part of a 24% monthly payment plan with an annual percentage rate (APR) of 0%. However, the Surface Plus financing program for companies still seems to be continuous.

Microsoft may be looking to reintroduce the program with a different payment company at some time in the future. For example, Dell Preferred is the financial company behind the Xbox All Access program, so that same partner could return to a Surface Plus program. Or maybe Microsoft can integrate a Surface Plus financing program into the rumored Microsoft Managed Desktop service.

OneDrive For Business And SharePoint To Soon Gain Video And Audio Transcriptions

 Microsoft will soon add video and audio transcription to OneDrive for Business and SharePoint for Office 365 subscribers later this year. This is the same artificial intelligence technology that was integrated into Microsoft Stream, an enterprise video-sharing service.

So when you view a video or listen to an audio file, a full transcript will appear in the viewer. The transcription feature will support over 320 file types. And by transcribing video and audio files, files will be easier to find through search.

 In the same announcement, Microsoft also announced a new files view will be coming to OneDrive and Office.com homepage, which will recommend relevant files based on the Microsoft Graph.

 And Microsoft will soon have the option to easily share relevant content with meeting attendees through an intelligent sharing feature. So if you just presented a PowerPoint presentation, you will be recommended to share it with the other attendees once the meeting ends.

Most likely, Microsoft will reveal a number of new artificial intelligence features and Windows 10 updates at the Ignite conference in Orlando next month.

Skype To Shutdown Highlights Feature

Skype is making a number of changes to its platform to make it simpler again. As Skype expanded upon its functionality, the complexity also increased.

“This past year we explored some design changes and heard from customers that we overcomplicated some of our core scenarios. Calling became harder to execute and Highlights didn’t resonate with a majority of users,”

The Highlights feature was similar to Stories that you may have seen in Snapchat and Instagram. This feature simply allowed users to share a slideshow of ephemeral photos and videos. If you posted on Skype Highlights before, you will be able to download it as backups before the feature shuts down on September 30th. The Capture button for the Skype camera was also removed.

In the process of making Skype easier to use, the navigation has been improved as there is now an emphasis on Chats, Calls and Contacts. "Our new navigation model removes redundant and underused features that create clutter—making it much easier to find the people you want to talk to and contact them in an instant. On mobile we are moving to three buttons at the bottom of the app—Chats, Calls, and Contacts. Removing Highlights and Capture provides a cleaner and more efficient user interface (UI) that is easy to navigate while still providing all the functionality Skype customers want," Skype added.

This updated version of Skype will be applied to version 8.29 for Android and iOS.

Microsoft also made a number of changes for the desktop version of Skype. Chats, Calls and Contacts were moved to the top left of the window. Plus the colors and user interface was tweaked a bit to improve contrast and readability.

Sign-In To Microsoft Account With Apple Watch

The Microsoft Authenticator is an app that makes it easier to access your Microsoft Account easily. Authenticator -- which launched on Android and iOS last year as a way to sign-in to Outlook, Office and OneDrive without a password -- provides an extra layer of security alongside PINs and fingerprint readers. And now you can sign in to your Microsoft Account with your Apple Watch.

When you see a push notification on your Apple Watch, Microsoft Account users simply just select the number that is shown on the sign-in screen. This feature is currently being tested in public preview and it will roll out to the public within the next few weeks.

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller To Be Available In White

Microsoft’s premium Xbox Elite Wireless Controller is known for adapting to your hand size and play style through its configuration abilities. You can swap between metal thumbtacks and D-pads and there are four slots for interchangeable paddles that can be attached or removed without having to use tools.

Last week, Microsoft announced that a white Xbox Elite wireless controller will soon be available.  The Verge pointed out that this controller will not have Bluetooth support for connecting to Windows 10 PCs though.

If you are interested in buying one, then it will be available for purchase at Microsoft Stores, GameStop and several other stores for $149.99 starting October 16th.

Suppliers And Contractors Required For Offering Paid Parental Leave

A few years ago, Microsoft set up a policy that required some of its suppliers that it does business within the US to provide employees with paid time off. And now these suppliers will also be required to provide employees who handle its work to have paid parental leave.

“We have long recognized that the health, well-being and diversity of our employees helps Microsoft succeed. That’s why we provide industry-leading benefits for our employees, including comprehensive health and wellness programs for families, paid vacation, paid sick leave and paid time off for new parents,” said Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President and General Counsel Dev Stahlkopf.

In the next year, Microsoft will work with U.S. suppliers to implement the new paid parental leave policy. And it will require that suppliers offer employees a minimum of 12 weeks paid parental at up to $1,000 per week. And this applies to parents employed by its suppliers who take time off for the birth or adoption of a child. Specifically, this new policy applies to suppliers with over 50 employees and covers supplier employees who perform substantial work for Microsoft.

"Studies show that paid parental leave enriches the lives of families. Women who take paid maternity leave are more likely to be in the workforce a year later and earn more than mothers who do not receive paid time off. Employers who offer paid time off for new mothers experience improved productivity, higher morale and lower turnover rates. And, paid parental leave is not solely a benefit for women," added Stahlkopf. "Data from California’s paid family leave program shows that men take paternity leave at twice the rate and for longer periods of time when the leave is paid. This increased bonding and time spent caring for young children is correlated with positive outcomes such as higher test scores for these children. Further, when men and women have the opportunity to take paid leave, it can help counteract gender caregiving stereotypes, neutralize stigmas and promote equity in the home and office."