Windows Weekly 544

Visual Studio Live Share: Coming soon to a pair of programmers near you. New collaboration service coming in early 2018: VS Live Share. New Visual Studio Tools for AI extension. MariaDB as an Azure service; Databricks (Spark) as a service; and Cassandra as a service. VS App Center is now GA. 
Microsoft v. perception: how can Microsoft make itself part of the conversation? Related: Microsoft half-asses another phone. 
Windows (7, 8.1 and 10) news: Paul is starting a Redstone 4 features deep-dive series, starting with Fluent Design System. Some Windows 10 1511 users get a 6-month support extension. Some apps are coming back from the dead. SteamVR is coming to Windows Mixed Reality today. 
Surface: two big releases this week. Surface Book 2 and Surface Precision Mouse are out tomorrow. 
Xbox controversy of the week: What's a launch title? 

• Tip of the week: You can now gift games on Xbox 
• Tip #2: Get the Invoke for just $99! Or an Xbox One S for $175! 
• App pick of the week: Groupy 
• Plus: Firefox Quantum 
• Enterprise pick of the week: New Skype Professional service integrates productivity tools with Skype 
• Skype Professional preview coming soon (US only at first).
• Beer pick of the week: Prairie Birthday Bomb!

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Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

Check out Mary Jo's blog at AllAboutMicrosoft.com

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The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Links

• Microsoft's Visual Studio Live Share to improve developer collaboration
• Microsoft to integrate Visual Studio with AI services
• MariaDB coming to Azure as Microsoft joins the MariaDB Foundation
• Microsoft gets data-fabulous at NYC event
• Visual Studio App Center
• Microsoft’s Problem? It’s Not Technology
• Microsoft Finds a New Way to Mail it in with a Phone
• Mining Redstone 4: Fluent Design System
• Enterprise, Education users get six more months of support for Windows 10 1511
• Fall Creators Update Patch Brings Apps Back from the Dead
• SteamVR Support Lands on Windows Mixed Reality Today
• You Can Now Pre-Order Surface Book 2
• You Can Now Pre-Order Surface Precision Mouse Too
• The Most Launch Titles Ever? That Depends
• Game Gifting Comes to All Xbox One Users
• Hey, Cortana, $99 is the Right Price
• Microsoft Drops Xbox One S to its Lowest Price Ever, Brings Invoke Down to $99
• Stardock introduces Groupy windows-management tool for Windows 7, 8.1, 10
• Firefox 57: Come for the Speed, Stay for the Text Rendering
• Microsoft readies preview of Skype Professional tool for online-centric small businesses
• Birthday Bomb! | Prairie Artisan Ales