Microsoft pledges $75 million to expose more kids to computer sciences

Just like the City of New York, Microsoft believes that it’s best to expose kids to computer sciences as soon as possible to prepare them for the growing number of tech jobs out there. That’s why Satya Nadella and company have decided to invest a total of $75 million into its YouthSpark initiative within the next three years. YouthSpark will distribute cash donations/grants and resources to various non-profit organizations across the globe, which pledge to increase kids’ — especially youths from under-represented backgrounds — access to computer science education. One of the groups that will be benefit from this decision is Microsoft’s own Technology Education and Literacy in Schools or TEALS program. It pairs up Microsoft engineers (among other tech professionals) with high school teachers for training, and those teachers are expected to teach their students what they learned, in turn.

Microsoft President Brad Smith told USA Today that this move is a response to a serious problem in the industry: the lack of diversity. By exposing kids to computer sciences early, the company hopes to get them interested in pursuing a career in tech. “We don’t have enough people in the country with the skills to fill the jobs that our industry is going to create,” he said. “Even more than that, we are not creating opportunities for everyone across the country. We see that most notably in the shortage of African Americans, Latinos, girls and women entering the tech sector.”

[Image credit: Getty/Leren Lu]

Filed under:
Misc, Microsoft

Comments

Source:
Microsoft (1), (2), USA Today

Tags: microsoft, youthspark

Microsoft’s new Send app for Android aims to get away from the confines of traditional email

Microsoft is taking a unique approach to email with a new Android application called Send. Aiming to move away from the themes of standardized email, Send takes on a more instant messaging style than traditional email.

That said, there’s no need for subject lines or signatures, you can just send a quick note to the intended recipient and hopefully get a swift reply back! There’s no need to worry about clutter, as Send only shows you messages sent inside the application, not your email’s inbox.

Send has been available for awhile now on iOS, but has just today launched it on Android.

It’s certainly a nifty take on email, but unfortunately it’s not available for public use. Send can only be used by business and education Office 365 customers, at least for now. But if you’re fortunate enough to have a professional account, just hit the download link below to get started with Send.

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Microsoft’s new Send app for Android aims to get away from the confines of traditional email

Microsoft’s Zune services wind down November 15th

If you’re still relying on what’s left of Microsoft’s Zune services to feed your Zune HD with fresh content… well, you’d better have backup plans. Microsoft is warning that it will shut down Zune services on November 15th, preventing you from downloading or streaming Zune media from that point on. If you’re still holding on to a Zune Music Pass for dear life, you’ll switch to a Groove Music Pass sometime between October 15th and the cutoff date — you’d better get your 10 free tunes while you can, because those are going away. Also, any copyright-protected content you’ve downloaded might have trouble playing, since the licenses aren’t guaranteed to renew.

The folks in Redmond are quick to note that Zune devices will keep working. If you’re still rocking that old-school MP3 player, you won’t have to worry about it suddenly breaking. Still, it’s hard not to get a little bit teary-eyed. While Microsoft has spent a long, long time weaning people off of its legacy music and movie platforms, this officially marks the end of the Zune era. Unless you’re happy syncing content from your PC, you’ll have no choice but to move on.

[Image credit: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images]

Filed under:
Portable Audio/Video, Internet, Microsoft

Comments

Via:
The Next Web

Source:
Microsoft

Tags: groovemusic, internet, microsoft, music, streaming, zune, zunemusic, zunemusicservice

Microsoft brings the Windows 10 Start Menu to Surface RT

Microsoft has released an update for its orphaned Windows RT 8.1 OS that gives it a Windows 10-like Start menu, according to users who’ve downloaded it. That’s good news for owners of the original Surface and Surface 2 RT hybrid laptops, or those who bought RT devices like the Asus Vivo Tab RT and Dell XPS 10. The feature isn’t exactly the same as it is on Windows 10, as it lacks the settings options, and the power-off icon has been moved to the top right. There’s no news of any other features, because the update wasn’t accompanied by a Microsoft announcement.

The “Update 3” release makes good on Microsoft’s earlier promise that Windows RT would get “some” of Windows 10’s features by September. Still, it’ll keep the OS fresh for the near future, making the “hard rice” of Windows 8.1 RT easier to digest, as Acer’s CEO famously put it. Since Microsoft is phasing out the much-detested operating system, however, it might be the last time RT gets any new features. Windows site Thurrot pointed out that users can disable the new Start menu and stick with the Windows 8.1-style tiled layout if they prefer. The exact update is KB3033055, but it might take some time for it to arrive to your device via automatic updates.

Filed under:
Laptops, Microsoft

Comments

Via:
SuperSite for Windows

Source:
Tero Alhonen (Twitter)

Tags: microsoft, StartMenu, update, Windows10, Windows8.1RT, WindowsRT