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Microsoft puts a stop to April Fools’ Day pranks

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MS-DOS mobile
A previous Microsoft prank resurrected MS-DOS on mobile.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft has banned employees from participating in April Fools’ Day pranks.

The stunts “have limited positive impact and can actually result in unwanted news cycles,” an internal memo explains. This comes just days after Microsoft resurrected Clippy, the famous Office assistant, only to remove it a day later.

Xbox Live is finally available on iOS and Android

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Xbox live
This could be a game changer. Literally.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft’s Xbox Live network is officially making its way onto iOS and Android.

The company revealed today that it is launching a new SDK that will allow mobile developers to add Xbox Live functionality to their games, giving gamers the ability to score achievements on the go.

Microsoft Edge for iOS now translates websites in an instant

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Microsoft Edge translation
Visit your favorite foreign sites in Microsoft Edge.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Microsoft Edge for iOS now boasts instant web page translation.

The feature lets you visit your favorite foreign sites and enjoy them in your native tongue. It also gives you the option to quickly switch back to the site’s original language with little effort.

Apple pulls third-party SDKs from Shazam in latest update

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Apple acquisition meant that Shazam turned a profit in 2018
Apple acquisition meant that Shazam turned a profit in 2018
Photo: Apple

Apple has pulled all but one third-party SDK from Shazam in its latest update.

The move wipes out analytics firms, ad networks, open-source projects, and more — including Google AdMob, Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads, and DoubleClick. Only HockeyApp, a Microsoft platform for beta testing, is still available.

Apple reclaims crown as most valuable public company

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Tim Cook earnings apple
Tim Cook likes his currency the old-fashioned way.
Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is back to being the world’s most valuable publicly traded company once again.

The company’s stock price has been rising steadily since Apple revealed its first earnings of 2019 last month. Worried investors ditched the stock at the beginning of the year due to slumping iPhone sales, but it just passed Amazon and Microsoft today, putting Apple back on top.

Apple briefly regains place as most valuable public company

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Tim Cook talks diversity, sustainability, and coming out as gay
Apple was back at the top of the mountain yesterday!
Photo: Apple

For a long time, Apple stock was predictable in the way that 1980s Mike Tyson was predictable: steamrolling through challengers as it firmly held onto its status as all-conquering champion.

That changed last year as Apple’s market cap fell behind Amazon, Google, and even old rival Microsoft. But yesterday, for a few moments, it climbed back to the top of the mountain as the world’s most valuable company once again. For a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, that is!

Microsoft is bringing Xbox Live to Android and iOS

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Xbox One controller Apple EarPods
Controller support is better than ever.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Microsoft is gearing up to release a software development kit that will allow Android and iOS developers to integrate Xbox Live features into their games.

The SDK, which will be officially confirmed by Microsoft next month, will also be available to Nintendo Switch developers. It will make Microsoft the first console-maker to open up its platform to third-party systems.

Become your office’s Excel wizard with this $39 training bundle [Deals]

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Take a deep dive into one of the most powerful applications for business and number-crunching.
Take a deep dive into one of the most powerful applications for business and number-crunching.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Excel is one of the most commonly used programs in workplaces around the world. And with good reason: Microsoft’s spreadsheet software is an immensely powerful tool for tracking and analyzing data at a massive scale.

Whether you already use Excel, or want to get started, the tips in this educational bundle will prove priceless.

Microsoft Office 365 available now from the Mac App Store

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Office Mac App Store
Your favorite apps could soon be available on any Apple device.
Photo: Apple

Just as expected, the Microsoft Office 365 suite is now available to download from the Mac App Store.

The bundle includes six apps — including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint — each of which can also be downloaded individually. They are free to obtain, but you’ll need a subscription to unlock even basic features in most of them.

Microsoft and Amazon have both overtaken Apple in market cap

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Apple is worth more than the entire US energy sector combined
Apple is now behind where it was at the start of the year.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has done a whole lot in 2018 but, from a stock price perspective, none of it matters. That’s because Apple’s declining stock price means that the company has now officially lost money this year.

AAPL finished 2017 at $169.23. At time of writing, it is trading at $164.48. Overall, it’s now down around 1 percent year-on-year. In the process, it’s fallen behind some major rivals.

If you picked Apple’s IPO over Microsoft’s, you can start crying now

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Microsoft Windows
Apple may be the cooler company, but Microsoft's where the money is.
Photo: Microsoft

If you’d had the foresight to invest in Apple and Microsoft back when they first went public, it’s no secret that you’d be sitting on a big old pile of cash today.

But which company would have made you more money? CNBC recently crunched the numbers and, well, the results are somewhat surprising.

Microsoft’s new Surface Go ad blasts iPad as a child’s toy

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Surface Go ad 2018
Don’t give an iPad, apparently.
Photo: Microsoft

Think twice about buying your little ones an iPad for Christmas. Once they reach a certain age, Apple’s tablet just isn’t good enough, according to a new Microsoft holiday ad.

The hilarious 30-second clip features a young girl singing about all the reasons why the Surface Go is a better option. It suggests the iPad is a toy — not a “real computer” that’s fit for work.

iCloud now syncs with Windows 10 again

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Hacker who tried to extort Apple for $100k is spared prison
iCloud is fixed for Windows 10 users.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple has updated its iCloud client for Windows to restore syncing with the Windows 10 October 2018 update.

Microsoft’s most recent release prevented iCloud for Windows from being installed or syncing for many users. The company actually halted its rollout for iCloud users as a result.

No, Microsoft didn’t overtake Apple as most valuable tech giant

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money
But that does't mean it can't happen in the near future.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A number of news outlets reported over the weekend that Microsoft briefly overtook Apple as the most valuable U.S. company. This followed several weeks of precipitous declines for Apple, which has seen billions of dollars wiped off its market cap.

In fact, Apple continues to lead Microsoft with a valuation of $817.6 billion to Microsoft’s $791 billion. The incorrect reports were caused by confusion about Apple’s number of outstanding shares, used to calculate market cap. Microsoft is definitely getting closer, though!

How to translate anything with Siri shortcuts

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If only all text was so easy to translate.
If only all text was so easy to translate.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Today we’re going to make a Siri Shortcut that takes any text, converts it into English, and copies it to the clipboard. Never again will you have to struggle with a foreign menu on a web page, or a snippet of text from a non-English news site.

There are a few ways to translate text and websites on iOS, but this shortcut has two big advantages: It’s really, really fast, and it automatically copies the result to the clipboard. If you ever used the otherwise-excellent Microsoft Translate share extension, you will already be sick of having to manually select the result in a tiny window, and then use the share sheet again just to copy it.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen dies at 65

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918388A7-B41E-4841-BD44-4A940D084258
Paul Allen (left) and Bill Gates in the early days of Microsoft.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen died today after a battle fighting non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Allen was 65 years old and was also the owners of the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trailblazers.

Microsoft will stream high-end games to your iPhone

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Microsoft Project xCloud
Project xCloud won't require powerful hardware.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft plans to start streaming high-end games to your iPhone, iPad, and other devices.

Its new service, dubbed “Project XCloud,” will remove the need for dedicated games consoles and pricey PCs — but you’ll have to wait until next year just to trial it.

Epic will let Fortnite players merge multiple accounts

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Fortnite
Rescue your purchases from an old Epic account.
Photo: Epic Games

Epic Games is giving Fortnite players a new tool that will allow them to merge multiple accounts.

The merge will combine all item purchases, V-Bucks, game stats, and Save the World campaign access. It’s perfect for those who were forced to set up a second Epic account to play Fortnite on the Nintendo Switch, or because they were locked out of their original.

Apple tops Best Global Brands list for 6th consecutive year

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Apple adds 5 new vice presidents to its executive lineup
Apple is way ahead of the competition in value.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple has topped Interbrand’s annual list of the Best Global Brands for the sixth consecutive year.

The iPhone-maker, which has seen its brand value increase 16 percent this year, ranked highly in consistency, engagement, and differentiation. It is followed by Google, while Amazon has quickly climbed into third place after its brand value increased an impressive 56 percent.

Microsoft scarcely tweaked the design of its iPad Pro competitor

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One of the major changes in the Surface Pro 6 is it comes in black. Woo.
One of the major changes in the Surface Pro 6 is it comes in black. Woo.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft today unveiled a new generation of its Surface Pro 2-in-1. This has a faster processor than its predecessor but other than that remains practically unchanged. The long hoped for USB-C port is still missing.

The improvements are so marginal that Microsoft is left emphasizing that the Surface Pro 6 is available in a new color.