Microsoft buys sales-gamification startup with eye to CRM combo
Katherine Noyes
“Adding the fantasy sports component to its CRM offering will give companies a tool to make incentive programs for sales staff more engaging, according to Bob Stutz, corporate vice president for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, in a [sic] who discussed the news in a blog post.
Microsoft will integrate the platform into its own Dynamics CRM software in the coming months, Stutz said. It will also continue to support customers using FantasySalesTeam with other CRM products.”
ICANN reveals plan for ending America’s control of the internet
Steve Dent
“Though it’s called the “world wide web,” the US Commerce Department has held the keys to the internet since its inception in the ’90s. Last year, it agreed to hand them over to worldwide bodies and asked ICANN, the group that manages internet addresses, to come up with a plan. ICANN unveiled the much anticipated report yesterday, and has given the public until September 8th to comment on it. The gist of the 100-page document? Internet control functions will be given to ICANN and an oversight body made up of “interested parties” that has no connection to any world governments.”
Intel’s new ‘Skylake’ chip scores high marks for gaming
Dan Ackerman
“Coming right on the heels of Intel’s Broadwell line of processors, the new 6th generation of Core i-series CPUs, known by the code name Skylake, has officially debuted at the Gamescom video game trade show in Germany.
But before you toss your current-gen laptop, keep in mind that the first wave of new Skylake processors includes only a pair of very high-end chips for performance desktops, the Core i5-6600K and the Core i7-6700K. These K-series models are going to be found in expensive, high-end desktops from boutique PC makers such as Origin PC, Velocity Micro and Digital Storm. These companies are best known for making built-to-order desktops and laptops primarily for PC gamers.”
Microsoft Sway Now Available to Everyone; Gets Windows 10 App
Robin Sinha
“Microsoft on Wednesday announced the release of its digital storytelling app, Sway, to the general public. The app was until now under ‘Preview’ mode. The firm also introduced Sway’s Windows 10 app along with a new layout and publishing features. The iOS app has also been updated.
For those unaware, Sway was first introduced in October last year. The app is used to create professional designs including images, videos and text together to make a story. It also comes with a compatibility engine that does not hamper the presentation whether it is viewed on a smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC. Users can even import content from social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. The app can be taken as an alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint. Also, it is the company’s newest addition to the Office productivity suite, and is integrated with Office Online.”
Microsoft Opens Windows Bridge For iOS To Developers
Nathan Eddy
“A little more than a week after Microsoft took the wraps off its latest operating system — Windows 10 — the company has released software that could help programmers simplify bridging the gap between Windows applications and apps for Apple’s iOS mobile platform.
Windows Bridge for iOS, also referred to as WinObjC, is a Microsoft open source project that provides an Objective-C development environment for Visual Studio and Windows.”
