Microsoft’s new OneDrive design is out now!

Microsoft’s new OneDrive design is out now!

Microsoft has announced a major update to its cloud storage service, OneDrive, that brings a new design and improved consumer features. The new design, previously available only for business users, is now rolling out to all OneDrive users across the web, mobile, and desktop platforms.

The new OneDrive design aims to make it easier and faster for users to access and manage their files, photos, and videos in the cloud. Some of the key changes include:

  • A simplified navigation bar that lets users switch between files, recent, shared, and recycle bin views with one click.
  • A new command bar that shows contextual actions based on the selected items, such as share, download, delete, and more.
  • A revamped details pane that shows more information about the selected items, such as file size, date modified, sharing status, and activity history.
  • A new photo view that automatically organizes photos by date and location, and lets users create albums, slideshows and edit photos with built-in tools.
  • A new video player that supports streaming and downloading of high-quality videos, and lets users trim, rotate, and add captions to videos with built-in tools.
  • A new personal vault feature lets users store their most sensitive files in a secure folder requiring an extra layer of authentication to access.

Microsoft says that the new OneDrive design will enhance the user experience and productivity of its cloud storage service, which currently has over 250 million active users. The update will also bring OneDrive in line with the Fluent Design System, Microsoft’s design language for its products and services.

The new OneDrive design is rolling out gradually to all users over the next few weeks. Users can check for updates in their OneDrive settings or visit the OneDrive website to try out the new design.

Apple’s first-party Podcasts app

Apple’s first-party Podcasts app

If you are an avid podcast listener, you might be wondering what Apple’s first-party Podcasts app has to offer. In this blog post, we will explore some of the features and benefits of using Apple Podcasts as your primary podcast player.

Apple Podcasts is a free app that comes pre-installed on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. It lets you access millions of podcasts from various genres and categories, as well as exclusive shows from Apple Podcasts Subscriptions. You can also create your own custom stations and playlists, download episodes for offline listening, sync your progress across devices, and more.

Here are some of the reasons why you might want to use Apple Podcasts as your podcast app of choice:

  • You can enjoy a seamless listening experience across all your Apple devices. Whether you are at home, in the car, or on the go, you can easily pick up where you left off on any device. You can also use Siri to control playback, search for podcasts, and get recommendations.
  • You can discover new podcasts and content with personalized recommendations based on your listening history and preferences. You can also browse curated collections and charts, or explore by genre, topic, or region.
  • You can access exclusive and original shows from Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, a new service that lets you subscribe to channels or individual shows from your favorite creators. You can get ad-free listening, bonus content, early access, and more. You can also try free trials and share your subscriptions with up to six family members.
  • You can support your favorite podcasters with Apple Podcasts Connect, a platform that lets podcasters manage their shows, analytics, and monetization. You can also leave ratings and reviews, or send feedback directly to the podcasters.
  • You can customize your listening experience with various settings and options. You can adjust the playback speed, skip silences, enable Smart Play to automatically play the next best episode, enable CarPlay to listen in your car, and more.

Apple Podcasts is a powerful and versatile app that offers a lot of features and benefits for podcast listeners. If you are looking for a simple and convenient way to enjoy podcasts on your Apple devices, you might want to give it a try.

Google just launched LUMIERE

Google just launched LUMIERE

Google just launched LUMIERE, a new artificial intelligence platform that aims to revolutionize the way we interact with the web. LUMIERE stands for Learning, Understanding, and Manipulating Information with Enhanced Reasoning and Empathy. It is a powerful system that can understand natural language queries, generate relevant and personalized content, and provide feedback and guidance to users.

LUMIERE is based on the latest advances in deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and knowledge graph. It can handle complex tasks such as summarizing articles, answering questions, creating presentations, designing websites, and more. LUMIERE can also learn from user behavior and preferences, and adapt its responses accordingly. LUMIERE is not just a tool, but a companion that can help users achieve their goals and enhance their creativity.

LUMIERE is available as a cloud service that can be integrated with various applications and platforms. Users can access LUMIERE through a web browser, a mobile app, or a voice assistant. LUMIERE can also interact with other devices and services, such as smart speakers, smart TVs, smartwatches, and social media platforms. LUMIERE is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive and to respect user privacy and security.

LUMIERE is the result of years of research and development by Google’s AI team, in collaboration with academic institutions and industry partners. LUMIERE is part of Google’s vision to make the web more accessible, useful, and enjoyable for everyone. LUMIERE is not only a technological breakthrough but also a social innovation that can empower users and foster collaboration and communication.

LUMIERE is now open for beta testing, and users can sign up for a free trial on the official website. Google invites users to explore the possibilities of LUMIERE and to share their feedback and suggestions. Google hopes that LUMIERE will inspire users to discover new things, learn new skills, and create new experiences.

Tizaaworks – Your One-stop Online Hub for Employability and Entrepreneurship

Tizaaworks – Your One-stop Online Hub for Employability and Entrepreneurship

Tizaaworks
TizaaWorks is a coined out initiative by Microsoft Ghana in what is being rolled out as a number of employability platforms in Africa and the Middle East by Microsoft’s Youthspark and 4Afrika initiatives in these regions with local partners. The idea is to have 13 platforms in Africa with Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Algeria, Egypt, Botswana, Mozambique, Mauritius, Morocco, Madagascar, Libya and Angola as beneficiaries and hopes about 960,000 jobs and 200,000 entrepreneurs will be created by the end of 2015.
Microsoft Ghana and the International Institute for Communication and Development(IICD) launched Tizaaworks and hopes it’ll be national one-stop online hub for employability and entrepreneurship. Tizaaworks acts as an online aggregator for job search, acquiring and sharpening employment and entrepreneurial skills.
The portal will help;
  • Plan your career – career counseling, job market info and stats
  • Get trained – mentor matching, IT training, entrepreneurship, CV writing, soft & language skills n
  • Find a job – job matching tool
  • Entrepreneurs – Start-up training, funding tools, social entrepreneurship and free-lance opportunities.
  • Get engaged – Community-based networking platform for users to share ideas and volunteer opportunities
Brad Smith, General counsel and Executive Vice President of legal and corporate affairs at Microsoft on the project said;
“Technology can empower young people to make a vital contribution to their community and our world.  We hope that this platform serves as a bridge, connecting Ghana’s young people to the tools, resources and people they need to find the fulfilling careers they deserve,”
Martine Koopman, Ghana country manager and global advisory services manager for International Institute for Communication and Development(IICD) also said of the initiative;
“The TizaaWorks platform is critical for expanding IICD’s impact in supporting Ghanaian youth in smart learning, working, and earning. Thanks to TizaaWorks, our programmes that build market-driven digital skills and help youth find employment and start their own IT-related businesses can reach out to a much wider audience, beyond our physical presence”
Give the platform a try and tell us what you think.
 Follow Tizaaworks on social sites Facebook, Twitter: @TizaaWork, Website: Tizaaworks

Source: Microsoft, Tizaaworks, Biztechafrica