More expensive software isn’t always better software. But sometimes, the features that you get by paying more can be extremely helpful—provided you make use of them.
That’s the case for Windows 11 Pro. Most people will get by just fine with Windows 11 Home, but if you’re a power user (or think you’ll need assistance from one), the additional features that Pro unlocks can be well-worth the cost. The upgrade puts deeper control of the operating system into your hands.
TypeScript 5.1, available in a beta release as of April 18, features a variety of coding enhancements including easier implicit returns for undefined-returning functions and allowing unrelated types for getters and setters. Snippet completions for @param JSDoc tags also are featured.With easier implicit returns for undefined-returning functions, TypeScript 5.1 now allows undefined-returning functions to have no return statement, fixing a situation in which only functions that could have absolutely no return statements were void-returning and any-returning functions. This meant that even if a developer explicity indicated that a function returned undefined, at least one return statement was required.This was a problem if an API expected a function to return undefined, in which case at least one explicit return of undefined or a return statement and an explicit annotation was needed. This behavior was confusing and frustrating, Microsoft said. Also with TypeScript 5.1, if a function has no return expression and is being passed to something that expects a function to return undefined, TypeScript infers undefined for that function’s return type.
Microsoft, with the latest preview of its planned .NET 8 software development platform, is highlighting three new C# 12 language features: primary constructors for non-record classes and structs, the use of aliases for any type, and default values for lambda expression parameters.These capabilities are included in .NET 8 Preview 3, which was released April 11. General availability of both C# 12 and .NET 8 is expected in November. Developers also can access the C# 12 features in the latest Visual Studio 17.6 preview.With primary constructors, developers can add parameters to the class declaration itself and use these values in the class body. For example, developers could use the parameters to initialize properties or use the parameters in the code of methods and property accessors. Primary constructors were introduced for records in C# 9 as part of the positional syntax for records. C# 12 extends these to all structs and classes.
The never-ending quest to enhance the quality of our code and improve its readability, maintainability, and performance has produced a number of architectural and design principles over the years. The DRY (“Don’t repeat yourself”), YAGNI (“You’re not gonna need it”), and KISS (“Keep it simple, stupid”) principles are three we should all keep in mind when we code.These three acronyms represent concepts that can help streamline your development process as well as make your code simpler, cleaner, and more maintainable. We will examine these three principles here as well as learn how they can be applied to the code of your .NET applications.To work with the code examples provided in this article, you should have Visual Studio 2022 installed in your system. If you don’t already have a copy, you can download Visual Studio 2022 here.
Bouncing between apps and programs can become a time suck—a problem that Microsoft Edge’s newest features want to nip in the bud. Splashiest among them is the integration of Microsoft’s Dall-E powered Bing Image Creator, which lets you generate custom AI art right within the browser.
Available for desktop users, Bing Image Creator generates four images for download in response to a prompt (e.g., “smartphone with a thick case but broken screen”). For users who’ve had the feature roll out to them, you’ll need to first add it to Edge’s sidebar, or the strip of icons running along the right side of a browser tab or window. Afterward, getting started is merely a single click in the sidebar.
Microsoft made a significant investment in Windows 10 Mobile, including acquiring Nokia to produce its own handsets. Despite the strengths of the tiled mobile operating system, it was unable to compete with the dominant iOS and Android platforms. While Windows 10 became a successful operating system for PCs and tablets, Microsoft was eventually abandon its mobile ambitions As Windows 11 gradually replaces Windows 10, the question remains whether it would perform better than its predecessor in the mobile space.
Microsoft's ongoing layoffs are hitting its home turf, with new notices affecting 1,248 people in the Redmond, Bellevue and Issaquah, Wash. areas in May.
Microsoft's May job cuts will affect 689 people in that area, starting on May 5, plus 559 people located in Redmond and Bellevue, which will occur on May 26, according to a Fox 13 report. The layoff statistics come from the state's Employment Security Department, which issues "a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification alert when companies with 100 or more employees have layoffs or closures," the report noted.
Microsoft's latest collaboration application, Loop, is now available as a public preview.
The Microsoft Loop service has three parts, consisting of "components," "workspaces" and "pages." The Loop App ties those elements together.
The components part of Microsoft Loop was released late last year, and it functions like sharable application chunks that can be coauthored, with the changes appearing across apps. Loop pages are described as "canvases" for organizing Loop components. Loop workspaces are the "shared" spaces that can be used to collaborate on group projects.
Since its inception, Microsoft Defender Antivirus was considered somewhat of a joke by power users. They would assert that it provided you with the protection of an umbrella in a hurricane. While its deficiencies were often exaggerated, indeed, it didn’t give you the same depth and scope as high-quality third-party solutions.
When Bitdefender retired its free antivirus solution in 2021, many turned back to Microsoft Defender. After all, Microsoft should ultimately know the best ways to secure its software. It's surprising it took so long for the company to expand the coverage of its Microsoft Defender line, especially, with the largest share of its revenue being made from intelligent cloud computing.
Microsoft is reassuring the public that it still is focused on mixed-reality products, including Microsoft Mesh and the HoloLens 2 headset.
Microsoft's mixed-reality product commitments were described by Robin Seiler, corporate vice president and chief operating officer of Microsoft's Windows and Devices organization, and manager of the company's mixed-reality operations. Seiler offered the following assurances: HoloLens 2 is still getting produced by Microsoft, and it receives monthly software updates.