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Windows 10 Insider Build 10565: Cortana, Skype Updates Microsoft releases Insider Preview Build 10565 to the Fast ring and delivers updates to Skype, Microsoft Edge, and Cortana. As Microsoft built Windows 10 throughout the earlier part of 2015, feedback from its Windows Insider program provided key insights for development. Insiders tested preview builds of the OS and shared their opinions to inform the look and functionality of Windows 10. Participants in the Fast Ring received changes as soon as they were ready. Those in the Slow Ring waited for bug fixes to be addressed before trying new features. The Insider program continued after the public rollout of Windows 10, as part of Microsoft's Windows-as-a-Service strategy. Insiders test and review new OS features before they are delivered via public update. Microsoft has rolled out the latest bundle of Windows 10 features and fixes to the Fast Ring of Windows Insiders. Insider Preview Build 10565 delivers Skype integratio...

Microsoft's Skype For Business Officially Lands On iOS iPhone and iPad users can now download Skype for Business, which Microsoft has rolled out to iOS devices. Microsoft is officially launching the public version of  Skype for Business on iOS . iPhone and iPad users can now download the full version of the updated messaging app. The Oct. 14 rollout follows a preview period of roughly two months. Skype for Business went into preview on both iOS and Android devicesback in August. Now, after undergoing reviews from Microsoft's tester base, the app is ready for public use. The new app promises to simplify navigation and to resolve the sign-in problems of Lync 2013 on iOS9. [What's inside Windows 10 Insider Build 10565?] An updated Skype dashboard displays a contact search bar, upcoming meetings, and list of recent conversations that took place across devices. This means you can search your address book, catch up on old chats, and RSVP to events with a tap, without the h...

Apple Faces $862 Million Processor Patent Judgment A jury says Apple infringed on technology that makes processors more efficient. The company could owe the University of Wisconsin $862 million. Apple could be on the hook for significant monetary damages after a jury said it violated processor patents owned by the University of Wisconsin. The  Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), which manages inventions created by researchers at the school,  sued Apple in January 2014  over technology found in the A7, A8, and A8X processors. The chips are found in the Apple iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and several different iPad models. The patent dates back to 1998 and covers processor efficiency. Specifically, the patent covers a "table-based data speculation circuit for a parallel processing computer." This is meant to improve power efficiency through a brand predictor. WARF says it offered to license the patent to Apple, but the iPhone maker refused to entertain the id...

Apigee, Ex-CTO Of US Aim To Make EHR Data Access Easier With backing from former US CTO Aneesh Chopra, Apigee is trying to make healthcare access easier. The API developer is rolling out a new platform that helps bridge some of the interoperability gaps when it comes to electronic healthcare records. One of the promises of electronic health records is easy access-to-medical information for both patients and healthcare providers. Although your doctor collects and stores your medical information electronically, that fact doesn't mean you have easy electronic access. Nor does it mean you easily can share those records with other doctors or pharmacists. Looking to remedy that, API platform developer  Apigee  Monday released Apigee Health APIx. This software is designed to provide the API infrastructure to help healthcare providers create applications that let patients and healthcare providers securely access and share their information. (Image: s-c-s/iStockphoto) Coincidentally, A...

7 Microsoft Improvements We Need To See Microsoft has demonstrated its commitment to building tech for the future, but there is still some room for improvement across Windows, Office, and hardware. This has been a big year for Microsoft, which is ramping up its efforts to compete as a modern tech company with the likes of Apple and Google. An eventful and promising 2015 brought the launch of Windows 10, Office 2016, and new  Windows 10 hardware ; however, there are a few key areas Redmond will need to focus on as it makes the transition into 2016. When CEO Satya Nadella took the helm in early 2014, he introduced the "mobile first, cloud first" vision that would dictate Microsoft's future. Since then much of the company's structure, products, and services have been revamped to better reflect Nadella's ideas. [What's up next?  IT watchers predict the future of Windows .] Much of Nadella's changes seem positive for Microsoft. The Windows 10 OS caters to a clo...

Dell's EMC Acquisition: Perils, Opportunities Abound Dell's plan to acquire EMC for $67 billion reflects the major disruptions taking place in enterprise IT as businesses increasingly shift toward cloud computing. Here's what IT leaders need to know about the deal. Dell's planned acquisition of  cloud computing and storage company EMC  for $67 billion is the largest technology industry acquisition to date. But the deal is significant beyond its monetary value. It underscores the turmoil among traditional IT vendors as enterprise computing moves from hardware and software products to subscription-based cloud services. The combined company will be privately held, freeing it from the regulatory scrutiny and earnings pressure faced by public companies. VMware, mostly owned by EMC, will remain a separate publicly traded company. On a conference call for the media, Joe Tucci, CEO of EMC, acknowledged that the IT industry is going through a transformation, and the traditional ...

Amazon Re:Invent: AWS Takes The Next Step AWS announced a bunch of new services at Re:Invent, but more noticeable was the revelation of a more assertive Amazon. Andy Jassy, the senior vice president most responsible for the business plan behind AWS's infrastructure technology, wasn't just talking up Amazon's new services as usual. He was also casually, and in passing, swatting at the competition. It was a more confident, competitive Amazon Web Services (AWS) at this year's Re:Invent in Las Vegas, which wrapped up Friday, Oct. 9. That showed up in a number of different ways, both from the jaunty way Amazon executives conducted themselves on the stage, to the dj spinning tunes in the registration lobby, and all the way to the "swag" counter dispensing AWS hoodies to attendees. As AWS wades into business intelligence , a field with many well-established players including Cognos, Information Builders, and MicroStrategy, Jassy said AWS had designed the user interfa...