Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella just wrapped up the keynote at the company's big developer conference, Microsoft BUILD. This year, the keynote was a wild ride through the future of what Microsoft thinks the world will look like, but in between the philosophy quotes and visions of dystopias where you have Skype embedded in your car dashboard, Microsoft actually did reveal a few new projects and products. This year is all about software, AI, distributed computing, and the "multi-device" experience. In case it wasn't clear before, Microsoft wants to make it clear that it doesn't care if you're using a Windows PC, a Mac, an Android phone, or anything else that can access the internet. It just wants you to be using its platform and its software to do so, and that's at the core of everything the company announced today.

A mysterious, cone-shaped device, shown in a demo Monday at Microsoft's Build event in Seattle, hinted at a big leap in capability for the company's digital assistant: the ability to see and identify people. In the ruthless war among Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, and Google's Assistant, this is a feature we haven't yet seen from the competition. What we don't know is what this prototype is, and whether it will ever come out. Microsoft's official, overshadowed demonstration showed us the conference room of the future. Microsoft incorporated Cortana, the Surface Hub, and Skype's translation and transcription features, together with PowerBI and Microsoft Teams, into a cohesive working environment.

Microsoft Build 2018 Developer Conference has been held between May 7 to May 9, 2018, at Seatle in Washington. There have been various announcements regarding the addition of new features in Microsoft's software platforms. The already existing Microsoft product Surface Hub seems to have a new look in near future. Surface Hub is actually a brand of interactive whiteboard developed and released by Microsoft in mid-2015. During the demo at Build, four useful features were noticed and these would be much needed in a business discussion of future.

Microsoft hasn't posted one of its documentary-style Productivity Future videos for a while now -- not since 2015, I believe. But that doesn't mean the company has stopped'envisioning' what might be next for Office and the workplace. In a new Microsoft .Future podcast episode, called How AI will make meetings less painful, Microsoft drops some hints about some of the latest future concepts that ultimately may inspire its coming products and services, including Cortana. The podcast (which is audio only) mentions that Director of Office Envisioning Anton Andrews and team have "re-envisioned everything -- from what you should expect from a dry erase board, to what you might expect from the floor." Andrews said during the podcast that Microsoft sees the floor people stand on as a potential communications tool, but he didn't elaborate on how/when/if the company may provide more on what that means.

Google has unveiled a giant touch-screen canvas for companies trying to make it easier for their employees to brainstorm as they work on team projects and other assignments. The'Jamboard,' will replace whiteboard, the firm hopes, and goes on sale today for $4,999. It boasts a 55-inch, ultrahigh-definition screen capable of recognizing the difference between when someone is writing on it with a stylus or touching it with a finger. The'Jamboard,' boasts a 55-inch, ultrahigh-definition screen capable of recognizing the difference between when someone is writing on it with a stylus or touching it with a finger, Google says. As with a whiteboard, employees can post their ideas, documents and images on the Jamboard, only they won't need markers, tape or sticky notes to do it.

Google has unveiled a giant touch-screen canvas for companies trying to make it easier for their employees to brainstorm as they work on team projects and other assignments. The'Jamboard,' will replace whiteboard, the firm hopes, and will go on sale in May for $4,999. It boasts a 55-inch, ultrahigh-definition screen capable of recognizing the difference between when someone is writing on it with a stylus or touching it with a finger. The'Jamboard,' boasts a 55-inch, ultrahigh-definition screen capable of recognizing the difference between when someone is writing on it with a stylus or touching it with a finger, Google says. As with a whiteboard, employees can post their ideas, documents and images on the Jamboard, only they won't need markers, tape or sticky notes to do it.

"Microsoft Monday" takes a look back at the past week of news related to Microsoft. This week, "Microsoft Monday" includes details about the acquisition of "Wiki" by Agile Extensions, a leaked Project NEON screenshot hinting at Windows 10 design changes, a federal judge ruling in favor of Microsoft in regards to the Justice Department lawsuit, the new suggested reminders feature for Cortana, Visual Studio 2017 launching on March 7th, the Surface Hub "Try & Buy Program" and more! In the past, Microsoft has been notorious for making design changes that did not sit well with consumers like we have seen in Windows Vista and Windows 8. Tom Hounsell, the creator of a Windows build tracker website called BuildFeed, published this leaked screenshot of the Windows 10 Project NEON design: The most notable Project NEON change is the removal of the window borders. This new user interface change could cause confusion in terms of resizing and moving windows. For example, some users may be confused about where to place the mouse in order to perform those functions.

Microsoft's program allowing potential customers to try a Surface Hub for 30 days before buying it will start on Feb. 15. The try-and-buy program is available only through Surface Hub resellers in North America, Asia, and Europe. A list of resellers can be found on Microsoft's website. The Surface Hub is a gigantic Windows 10 computer available with a 55-inch or 84-inch screen. The 55-inch model is priced at US$8,999 and the 84-inch model is $21,999.

One of the most significant features of Windows 10's Anniversary Update was the addition of pen computing, known as Windows Ink, which we criticized as falling short of the average consumer's needs. We don't know whether any new inking features will be announced at Microsoft's Windows event on Wednesday (or the event that follows on November 2). Recently, however, we took a deeper dive into the capabilities, when we tried the new Math and Replay features within Windows 10's OneNote UWP app. Math translates and solves inked equations, while Replay records your series of ink strokes and can play them back. But the devil's in the details, and the challenges of both features show how Windows Ink is struggling with the realities of handwriting recognition and data wrangling.

This summer, a spate of new features are headed to Windows 10 by way of the Anniversary Update, Microsoft's next major revision to the OS. Chief among the additions is Windows Ink, an experience specifically designed for digital pen users. The full Ink experience is still months away--longer, if you wait on the fruits of Microsoft's partnership with Wacom, which will reportedly yield a special Ink pen by the holidays. But thanks to the recent, massive Windows 10 Build 14322 that Microsoft released to its Insider beta testers, we've had a chance to try out several aspects of Windows Ink, including Ink Workspace, Sketchpad, Sticky Notes, and more. Click the new pen icon to launch the Windows Ink Workspace apps. If you haven't actually worked with digital ink before, relax: Windows Ink is an optional way to interact with Windows, in much the same way you can use either voice or keyboard to query Cortana.