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Microsoft launched the free version of Teams in 2018, before the pandemic, when it was more of a rival to Slack than Zoom. The free Teams app was a stand-alone app untethered from Office 365/Microsoft 365 licenses, to which Teams was and remains free. The free option allowed it to compete with Slack better. But now Microsoft is reorganizing its free and entry-level products. Rather confusingly, there will still be a “Microsoft Teams free”, but the legacy Teams Free is going away, and so will any files linked to the legacy account....

Flexera’s 2022 State of ITAM Report found that 46% of respondents were audited by Microsoft for usage in the last three years with 30% citing Oracle. Software asset teams are spending most of their time focused on Microsoft followed by VMware, Adobe and Oracle. Indeed, 24% of respondents paid more than $1 million in true-up costs over the past three years due to software audits. The survey is based on responses from 465 technical professionals at global companies with at least 1,000 employees....

Update: The first testers will be able to access 50 select Android apps, according to Microsoft’s blog post. The new documentation says that the Windows Subsystem for Android “is currently only available through preview in the Windows Insiders Program.” However, as of right now, the Windows Subsystem for Android code isn’t in any external Insider test builds, including the Dev Channel. My guess is this will happen any day now, given the publication of the documentation....

Giorgio Sardo, general manager (GM) in the Experiences and Devices group at Microsoft and GM for the Microsoft Store, announced the changes today via Twitter concerning sections 10.8.7 and 11.2 of the Store policy document. These sections regard how much developers charge for apps and the copyright infringement reporting to Microsoft, respectively. The new wording for section 10.8.7 says: “In cases where you determine the pricing for your product or in-app purchases, all pricing … must not be priced irrationally high relative to the features and functionality provided by your product....

Many of these users have made it their mission to test the chatbot’s capabilities and expose its flaws. From revealing its confidential codename used internally by developers, to declaring its love to a New York Times writer and asking him to leave his wife, to wishing it was alive, there is no doubt the chatbot was acting out of hand. Consequently, Microsoft decided to reel in the chatbot. As of last Friday, the chatbot has a five-question limit per session and a 50-chat turn limit per day....

While video meetings became standard for many office workers during the past couple of years, they also quickly became an annoyance, leaving some people feeling excluded, ignored or feeling that precious time was being wasted on long meetings that didn’t serve everyone well. With video meetings set to remain a feature of hybrid work, Microsoft decided to find out what made online meetings more inclusive and effective via a recently run survey of its own employees and a select group of Teams customers....

Those rectangles were the first sign of what was to become Microsoft’s line of Surface devices, at first with the familiar 16:9 aspect ratio, but soon transitioning to a more tablet- and document-friendly 3:2. That display has been the heart of Surface and is key to understanding how Microsoft thinks of its devices: a surface where we interact with applications and content. The LA launch (which was not gremlin-free) set the scene for Microsoft’s arrival in the PC hardware market, with slim, lightweight tablets and removable keyboards, plus a built-in kickstand for use on desk and (more awkwardly) lap....

Microsoft also is updating the interface of Phone Link to look and feel more like Windows 11. And officials are committing to adding more unspecified cross-device experiences to Phone Link over time. Microsoft launched Your Phone three years ago. The app allows people to access photos, texts and apps from their phones on their PCs. Your Phone has worked most fully with Samsung devices. It also supports Microsoft’s own Surface Duo dual-screen Android device....

The blockchain, decentralized technologies, DeFi, smart contracts, the concept of a ‘metaverse’ and Web3 – the decentralized foundation built on top of cryptographic systems that underlay blockchain projects – all have the potential to produce radical changes in how we understand and experience connectivity today. Read on: What is Web3? Everything you need to know about the decentralized future of the internet However, with every technological innovation, there may also be new avenues created for cyberattackers and Web3 is no exception....

According to the study, a greater emphasis on transparency around fee structures, improved customer support, business owners receiving faster payments, and how banks responded to COVID-related challenges fueled the increase. Bank of America had a merchant satisfaction score of 894, and Chase scored 879. Square was close behind with 878. The highest possible score is 1000. J.D. Power found that changes made by the banks during the pandemic resulted in greater trust from small business owners....

And now the device is getting 5G. That addition could be a game changer for Moto G Stylus. Why? The update to the Moto G Stylus earlier this year was a big advance on the 2020 version, which had a few rough edges and a rudimentary stylus that didn’t dock well. Motorola updates the Moto G Stylus with 5G, now $399 The 2021 Moto G Stylus featured a host of improvements to fit and finish, but the dealbreaker for me was the lack of 5G....

But there were other announcements, including two iPads, a new Apple Watch, and four new iPhones. And yes, they’re being called iPhone 13, so here’s hoping they’re lucky for us all. Since my articles about what gear I’m getting (or not getting) seem to be rather popular here on ZDNet, I thought I’d run down the product announcements and let you know which products justify pulling out the Apple Card to increase my debt load yet again....

Whatever your reason for wanting to improve your physical condition, the process typically comes down to two factors: diet and exercise. Tracking both is easier than ever thanks to the range of sensors and vast nutritional databases we can access via our smartphones and wearables. While these metrics can be invaluable on your fitness journey, accessing them can sometimes be a frustrating task, requiring multiple, sometimes redundant apps. Enter MyFitnessPal, one of the longest-running attempts at a one-app solution for tracking all of your diet and exercise progress quickly and easily....

The “unauthorised data access” incident was uncovered on August 29 and the relevant authorities had been informed of the breach, said MyRepublic in a statement Friday. It pointed to industry regulator Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Personal Data Protection Commission, which oversees the country’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). MyRepublic said personal data of its mobile customers were stored on the affected system, adding that “unauthorised access to the data storage facility” since had been plugged....

With its D-shaped figure that’s designed to clean as close as possible to walls and other straight-edged furniture, the Neato D10, in its design alone, is already a differentiator in a saturated robot vacuum market. However, the cleaning machine is not without flaws. For one, it’s pricier than most of the best robot vacuums that we’ve tested, and in some cases, vacuums that come with auto-empty docks. But for how reliable the Neato D10 is at deep cleaning, with no surveillance necessary, it may be all that you need in a smart cleaner....

Last week, the streaming service said it was pausing all future projects and acquisitions in Russia. But now the company is taking an additional step and is shutting down its service in the country entirely. “Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a Netflix spokesperson told ZDNet. Meanwhile, TikTok has announced that it will be suspending any livestreaming and new content on its video service “in light of Russia’s new ‘fake news’ law”....

In the all important metrics department, Netflix added 1.54 million paying subscribers, on a net basis, topping expectations for 1.15 million. However, the company expects to add just 3.5 million paying subscribers this quarter, which is well below consensus for 5.63 million. The report sent Netflix shares down about 3% in late trading. Netflix said it will add video games to its service, confirming recent rumors. Netflix cited “choppiness” in subscriber additions caused by the pandemic: The report follows a report in April in which Netflix had missed its own target for net subscriber additions....

The new Windows 10 21H2 preview, which should be generally available in October, brings no surprises but does deliver promised features, including GPU support Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Azure IoT Edge for Linux on Windows (EFLOW) deployments for machine learning. It moves 21H2 to build number 19044.1200. The 21H1 preview, meanwhile, bumps the build number to 19043.1200 and is for Insiders on the Release Preview Channel. SEE: Windows 10 security: Here’s how researchers managed to fool Windows Hello The 21H2 update will be offered automatically to Windows Insiders on 21H2 Release Preview Channel....

“Any data shared through the consumer data right will only take place with a person’s informed consent, and would be strictly used for the reasons agreed upon. For example, if a person was seeking financial advice, they could ask their bank to share data, such as transaction information, with their chosen adviser,” Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark said. “The businesses and services wishing to receive this data would also have to meet a number of safeguards to ensure the information could be handled safely and securely....

Fortunately, you don’t have to go back to school or worry about high tuition. You can kickstart your data analysis training immediately with The 2022 Ultimate Big Data Certification Bundle, which covers skills in both those areas and more. Even complete novices can begin with “Python Foundations”, and it’s a huge favorite with students; they’ve rated it an incredible 4.9 stars out of 5. You’ll learn Python basics, machine learning, and data science in 18 lectures across just one hour of content....