All the important Microsoft news stories for May 7, 2016

News
By Seth Brodeur
last updated

A lot can happen in a week. Seven days might not seem like much, but it can be an eternity in the tech news cycle.

Between Windows news, hardware and software developments and Microsoft's fast-paced movements throughout the technology landscape, it's never easy to keep your hand on the pulse of technology. Not to mention everything that's going on right here at Windows Central!

Every week we're going to compile the biggest stories into one post, so you never fall behind – In Case You Missed It (ICYMI).

Windows

Windows

Microsoft has published some of their Classic Windows Apps in the Store. The apps, such as WordPad and XPS Viewer, were converted for Windows 10 using the company's Project Centennial tool. Though they can be found in the Store, they are not yet available for download.

At the moment, these apps cannot run on Windows 10 Mobile, but who knows what the future will bring.

We also saw some Edge browser extensions pop up in the Windows Store for Insiders.

Pinterest's Pin It Button, AdBlock, Adblock Plus, and others are all available for some Insiders to download, though only some of them can be installed. Full support for Edge extensions is expected to arrive for all Windows 10 users as part of the upcoming Anniversary Update.

Windows 10 adoption continues to grow at a steady rate. Microsoft reports that more than 300 million active devices running Windows 10, which is 30 million more than just over a month before.

Gaming platform Steam's latest survey indicates that Windows 10 and Windows 7 are almost equally represented on their users' hardware. Windows 7 is hands-down the most popular operating system out there, so it's encouraging to see Windows 10 making gains.

Other notable items:

Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft

Despite, or perhaps because of, the gains made by Windows 10, Microsoft finally lost the honor of being the creator of the most popular web browser. Google Chrome has finally overtaken Internet Explorer as the most-used browser in the world.

Microsoft announced they acquired Solair, an Italian company that provides Internet of Things (IoT) services. Their technology will be rolled into Microsoft's IoT suite:

"Solair shares our ambition for helping customers harness their untapped data and create new intelligence with IoT, and this acquisition supports our strategy to deliver the most complete IoT offering for enterprises. We're excited about their technology and talent – and delighted to welcome them to the Microsoft team."

Millions of Microsoft accounts may be part of an immense email data breach that a Russian hacker is claiming to have pulled off. The haul of information consists mostly of Mail.ru accounts, but also includes credentials from Yahoo, Microsoft, Google, and some other smaller companies from around the globe.

And on a lighter note, E3 2016 is just over a month away. We know that Microsoft will be showing off some of their newest games, but we also put together a list of other highly anticipated announcements that we expect from the conference.

Other notable items:

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

The Wall Street Journal reported that Hulu may soon offer a cable-like streaming service to take on the likes of Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. CEO Mike Hopkins confirmed the reports, adding that the service is expected to launch sometime in 2017:

"This means our viewers will be able to enjoy live sports, news and events all in real-time without a traditional cable or satellite subscription," said Hopkins. "We're going to fuse the best of linear television and on-demand in a deeply personalized experience optimized for the contemporary, always-connected television fan."

A month after launching a free VPN service and incorporating it into their browser, Opera has now rolled out an integrated ad blocker.

HP unveiled a several new additions to their computer portfolio this week, including new All-in-One Pavilions. The manufacturer also introduced us to the brightly-colored and budget-friendly Thin & Light Pavilion line of laptops, as well as the Pavilion x360, which deliver many of the perks of the Spectre at a fraction of the cost.

Other notable items:

Share your thoughts on this past week of news! And we'll be back again next week to do it all over again.

Seth Brodeur
Seth Brodeur