Microsoft to offer data storage outside of the U.S. for foreign customers

Microsoft wants to alleviate the concerns of its foreign clients about the U.S. National Security Agency’s monitoring of foreign citizens by offering the ability to store information on servers located outside of the U.S. According to Read Write, Microsoft wanted to implement the changes because of the NSA issue.

“People should have the ability to know whether their data are being subjected to the laws and access of governments in some other country and should have the ability to make an informed choice of where their data resides,” said Brad Smith, general counsel of Microsoft.

Microsoft re-releases Surface Pro 2 firmware update

Microsoft has just re-released the Surface Pro 2 tablet firmware update after users complained about installation issues of said update. Ubergizmo reports that initial installation attempts have seen those problems addressed. The firmware upgrade is being rolled out in phases so wait for the update notification to show up on your device.

Microsoft adds speech input capabilities to Bing Translator on Windows

 

Microsoft introduced new updates to Bing Translator for Windows and Windows Phone apps. The tech company brings speech-to-speech functionality from Windows Phone app to the Windows app to let you speak into your device with the microphone and have the app answer you back in the native speaker’s accent. You can also now use your device’s camera in portrait and landscape to take a shot of text and have the app translate the words in the language you select.

Meanwhile, the Bing Translator for Windows Phone received improvement when it comes to speech features in order to improve the quality and “responsiveness” of the translations. The UI for the offline language packs has also been revamped.

Microsoft partners with GoDaddy to offer Office 365 plans to small businesses

Microsoft just announced a new deal with GoDaddy to offer three different Office 365 plans geared towards small business owners. The first tier is priced at $3.99 per user each month for 2GB space on SkyDrive and 5GB email storage. The second tier is priced at $8.99 per user each month for 25GB storage on SkyDrive and 50GB email storage. And the third tier is priced at $12.49 per user each month for complete access to Office 365 and its desktop apps for up to five PCs and Macs as well as access to mobile apps for Windows Phone, iOS, and Android.

While the first tier is only $1 cheaper than Microsoft’s plans, the difference of the mid-level and top-level plans of GoDaddy’s plans against Microsoft’s are evident at $12.50 for the second tier and $15 for the third tier per user each month. GoDaddy users in Canada and the US will be the ones who gain first access to the plans, while other countries will be offered the new plans within the next three months. The plans all come with live customer support.

Source: The Verge