Short Takes Daily: What's going on in the world of Microsoft this Thursday, June 11, 2015

Today in the news: Say goodbye to Skype for Windows; Surface grapples with Windows 10 bugs; why Microsoft's 3-D patents matter.

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ON OUR SITES/ ON OUR SISTER SITES

Q. Are there shortcuts in Windows 10 to quickly get to certain settings pages?

Q. I'm trying to Workplace Join my device as the local administrator but I can't. Why?

Q. Can I run Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 VMs on Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V?

Top Ten: New Features in Windows Server 2016

Microsoft Ignite Headed to 40,000 Attendees?

Microsoft Acquires BlueStripe Software

Having Trouble Getting Windows 10 Build 10130 Installed on Surface 3? Yes, You Are.

Product Review: Inateck 3-Port USB 3.0 Hub with Magic Port

Modern Skype app being nixed in favor of desktop version

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BUGS ON THE SURFACE

As Rod Trent reports:

Due to a bug in the CherryTrail systems, those attempting to install Build 10130 on a Surface 3 are having trouble getting it installed. 

Intel's Cherry Trail line of Atom processing chips are featured in Microsoft's latest tablet, the Surface 3. Users grappling with this issue will have to wait for a newer build. Build 10130 was recently released as an ISO file, but was not made available to the slow ring due to "several bugs."

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SAY HELLO TO NEW SKYPE SCHEMES

As Richard Hay reported for us:

Microsoft is putting the Modern version of Skype out to pasture in an effort to streamline the number of potential Skype clients on your Windows 8.1 devices.

The move is a precursor to Windows 10 where the difference between a Modern app and a desktop program is blurred thanks to the ability to run any Modern app in a window on the new operating system.

The move presages shutting down the touch-friendly Skype app as of July 7. Anyone trying to access the modern Skype app afterward will be automatically directed to the desktop app (which you can download here).

On a related note: Skype for Web, which debuted last week, which is designed to work within a Web browser via a plug-in, does not work on Microsoft Edge.

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AZURE: NOW CERTIFIED TO ENTER MORE WORKPLACES

The cloud computing platform has four new workplace certifications spanning the globe, for a total of 22 certifications: United States Defense Information System Agency (DISA) Level 2, which means Azure can now be used for hosting basic defense applications in U.S. Defense agencies; Japan Financial Industry Information Systems (FISC), which allows Japanese banks and financial institutions to run cloud services on Azure; New Zealand Government Chief Information Officer (GCIO), which is certification saying Azure has met the New Zealand government's concerns related to data sovereignty, privacy and security risks; and Singapore Multi-Tier Cloud Security Standard (MTSC) Level 3, which opens up opportunities for Azure in regulated organizations with the most stringent security requirements around critical data. 

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GET THE MOST OUT OF WINDOWS 10

Two quick how-tos can make your Windows experience more personalized and pleasant: a rundown on personalizing or hiding the Quick Access dynamic folder and a round-up of quick how-tos on customizing the system tray, hiding notifications and controlling which apps run in the background. 

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HOLOLENS, TAKING OVER THE WORLD ONE PATENT AT A TIME

Microsoft has been granted a patent for a technology that makes 3-D object renderings after a real-life object has been scanned. The way the technology works: A static depth camera scans the object, which is then regenerated as a model on a computer. This model can then be modified or manipulated. Folks following the HoloLens beat will remember that Microsoft's also got a patent for technology that overlays instructions over 3-D holographic renderings of the furniture itself. And they've also got a patent for the use of "augmented reality" tags in books, where the HoloLens could display specific characters or scenes in the environment around the person reading the book. Taken together, the three patents can begin to sketch in how Microsoft is going to provide the tools to build an immersive -- and editable -- training environment for future learning.