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At CES 2023, Lenovo introduced an array of Windows 11 PCs to satisfy both personal and professional demands and needs. With Windows 11’s latest update, you’ll be able to tap into features such as Focus sessions, snap layouts that make it easier to get things done and the new Microsoft Defender SmartScreen to keep you safer on the web. [caption id=attachment_178049" align="alignnone" width="1024]https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2023/01/ThinkPhone-1000x1024.jpg Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola[/caption] Lenovo debuted another head-turner at CES: the Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola. Microsoft worked with Motorola (a Lenovo company) to bring Microsoft prod…

At CES 2023, AMD revealed a considerable lineup of new processors for desktops and laptops, GPUs and Windows 11 AMD Advantage-certified laptops. This technology aims to deliver enough horsepower for daily tasks, gaming, hybrid work, remote learning and more. AMD introduced additions to the Ryzen 7000 Series Desktop Processor lineup with the Ryzen 9 7900, Ryzen 7 7700 and Ryzen 5 7600 Series processors, aimed at delivering better gaming performance at lower power. Built on the “Zen 4” architecture and featuring a 65W TDP, the new Ryzen processors are optimized for both efficiency and performance. AMD announced additional 7000 Series Mobile processors with the new Ryzen 704…

At CES 2023 ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) showcased an array of Windows 11 PCs for gamers and creators through its “Seeing An Incredible Future" virtual launch event, including its newest lineup of thin-and-light Zephyrus gaming laptops, which come with cooling improvements, better display options and chip upgrades from Intel, AMD and NVIDIA. All models include three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate providing access to hundreds of high-quality PC games.* And with Windows 11, there are many ways to enhance professional and personal pursuits, such as Focus sessions, snap layouts and Clipchamp. [caption id=attachment_178036" align="alignnone" width="1024]https://blogs.windo…

https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2023/01/iStock-1190108780-1024x576.jpg Vehicles are becoming increasingly smarter, more connected, and software defined. It’s hard to believe a mere 200 years ago, the horse and carriage were the predominant mode of transportation — and had been for hundreds of years. And then, with the invention of the internal combustion engine, moving people and goods changed immensely in a short period of time. Mobility became more accessible, affordable and created opportunities far beyond the scope of imagination. It was that once-in-a-century change that brought us to where we are today. Now, we’re facing another once-in…

At CES 2023, HP announced new Windows 11 PCs focusing on sustainable hybrid experiences, including the new HP Dragonfly Pro, inspired by freelancers and their increasing presence in the U.S. workforce. This PC, co-engineered with AMD, is the first HP device to provide one-touch access to HP 24/7 live concierge support directly via one of the device's four hot keys. The Control Center hot key delivers quick access to the device's most common settings, while you can easily adjust camera settings with the Camera hot key. You can customize the fourth key to help optimize workflow or simple navigation. [caption id=attachment_178021" align="alignnone" width="1024]https://blogs.…

Minecraft's New Year's Celebration continues with the free Rising Lava Parkour map – actually three Parkour maps – from Dodo Studios. Claim it now and get jumping on an adrenaline-filled adventure. Find out more about what you'll get by just opening up the Marketplace on your Minecrafting device and downloading. Continue reading...

At CES 2023, NVIDIA announced its largest generational leap in performance ever with its GeForce RTX 40 Series laptop graphics processing units (GPUs) that run on Windows 11 and include DirectX 12 Ultimate. Gamers and creators will find plenty of appeal with DLSS 3, which boosts performance and creates additional high-quality frames using AI. This builds upon NVIDIA RTX, a platform for ray tracing and AI technologies that more than 250 top games and applications use to combine realistic graphics with fast performance. Creators will also find that NVIDIA’s AI can speed up workflows in 3D rendering, video editing, graphic design and more. And these powerful new laptop GPUs …

At CES 2023, Acer debuted the first models of its new Swift Go line, highlighting an ultraportable design with Windows 11 and 13th Gen Intel Core processors built in. The Swift Go 16 and Swift Go 14 have an OLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The thin-and-light laptops deliver vibrant, true-to-life images with 500-nit peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3 color range and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500-certification. Long hours of work, learning and play are made easier thanks to the laptop displays’ TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe display certification, productivity-optimized 16:10 ratio and touch-optional capabilities. The laptops’ backlit keyboards and OceanGlass touchpads further en…

Gamers looking to level up now have more options, thanks to Windows 11 PCs introduced at CES 2023 by Dell and Alienware. And with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate [1] built in through the Xbox app, players can access hundreds of PC games. Game Pass on Windows 11 takes advantage of features like DirectX 12 Ultimate, DirectStorage, Auto HDR and Controller bar [2] to make playing easier and faster. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2023/01/G15-03-1024x767.jpg Dell’s new G15 gaming laptop is a top-notch entry-level PC for gaming enthusiasts, with colors appealing to ‘80s pop aesthetics. It comes with exclusive gaming function macro keys and toggle audio keys to…

At CES 2023, Intel rolled out its 13th Gen Intel Core mobile processor family, led by the launch of the new flagship Intel Core i9-13980HX – what the company calls “the first 24-core processor for a laptop.” The new H-series processors push the computing possibilities for gamers and creators with up to 5.6GHz turbo frequency – the highest clock speed available for the laptop market. Intel also debuted the 13th Gen Intel Core P-series and U-series mobile processors, intended for those who want high performance on the go in sleek, thin systems. These processors feature up to 14 cores (6 Performance-cores, 8 Efficient-cores) and the enhanced Intel Thread Director. New Intel …

Explore the ocean depths in Trident City, this week's free adventure as part of Minecraft's New Year's Celebration. The newest release from Shaliquinn's Schematics, Trident City takes you to a far flung location, a mystical place from the depths of the sea. How do you get it? Open up the Marketplace on your Minecrafting device and download to explore wonders from the darkest areas of the ocean. Find out more. Continue reading...

It's only Dec. 20 but the Minecraft New Year's Celebration is already underway. Claim Lucky’s Minigame Mayhem by Logdotzip by downloading it from the Minecraft Marketplace. And while you're there explore the Marketplace for deals of up to 75% off. Find out about Lucky’s Minigame Mayhem, where you can morph into mobs like the Warden and master the art of furniture design in a minigame that showcases the diversity of Minecraft. Continue reading...

Lenovo has started its CES 2023 announcements a few weeks ahead of the annual event, unveiling several Windows 11 PCs that include ThinkPad X1 laptops that have more recycled materials, a new generation of IdeaPad Pro and a refresh of the compact IdeaCentre Mini. In line with its vision of achieving net-zero by 2050, Lenovo continues to increase its use of recycled and recyclable materials in its products and packaging, and collaborating with industry partners to help increase its devices’ energy efficiency. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 includes 90% recycled magnesium in the palm rest and a 55% recycled aluminum bottom cover, while the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 has 90% recy…

I’m delighted to share the news that Melanie Nakagawa will join Microsoft in January as our new Chief Sustainability Officer. Reporting directly to me as a Corporate Vice President, Melanie will partner with teams across Microsoft and take on the leadership role for our company-wide environmental sustainability work. Melanie brings to Microsoft almost two decades of environmental sustainability experience at the nexus of policy, business and technology, which will be vital as we continue our sustainability journey. She most recently served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Climate and Energy on the National Security Council at the White Hous…

Celebrate the coming of 2023 in Minecraft Marketplace with free worlds and Character Creator items, plus deals of up to 75% off selected content until Jan. 3. "Each year we try and give back some of the creativity and joy that you, our community puts into Minecraft by showering you with our gratitude – and gifts," writes Sophie Austin on Minecraft.net. "That’s why we’re stuffing the next five weeks full of fun, freebies and discounts, starting Dec. 20! Come with me for a secret, and a sneak peek of what celebratory delights await you this New Year." Head over to Minecraft.net to watch the video and find out what Minecraft has in store for you to ring in 2023. Continue …

In October, our Microsoft Ignite event drove incredible dialogue around how organizations can navigate a challenging market. Digital perseverance as encapsulated so well by Judson Althoff, our executive vice president, and chief commercial officer, resonates deeply with us across the Azure business and is sharpening how we think of strategic innovation in the face of headwinds. There’s that word: Innovation. It continues to mean so many things to so many and, honestly, innovation becomes harder to distill amid constrained resources and near-term pressure. As we close 2022, reflecting on our own transformation, we remain inspired by a holistic cloud strategy; one which …

Microsoft looks to generate $5 billion in revenue from LSEG and the financial services sector through 10-year strategic partnership. Today, we announced a 10-year strategic partnership with the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), a world-leading financial markets infrastructure and data provider. Following LSEG’s acquisition of Refinitiv, a market leader in data services, LSEG has differentiated itself in the market with an end-to-end proposition across trading, execution, data and analytics solutions. Together we look forward to empowering the future of financial markets by delivering next generation data, analytics and workspace solutions that transform how firms c…

Today, Microsoft announced it has acquired Lumenisity® Limited, a leader in next-generation hollow core fiber (HCF) solutions. Lumenisity’s innovative and industry-leading HCF product can enable fast, reliable and secure networking for global, enterprise and large-scale organizations. The acquisition will expand Microsoft’s ability to further optimize its global cloud infrastructure and serve Microsoft’s Cloud Platform and Services customers with strict latency and security requirements. The technology can provide benefits across a broad range of industries including healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, retail and government. Organizations within these sector…

The recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) selecting Microsoft among the cloud service providers to support its Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) contract is a significant milestone in the department’s goal to establish an enterprise-level tactical cloud. With the announcement, Microsoft will help deliver mission-critical 21st century technology to our nation’s service members and strengthen U.S. national security. The selection is another clear demonstration of the trust the DoD places in Microsoft and our technologies. Our work on JWCC will build on the success of our industry-leading cloud capabilities to support national security missio…

Twenty-eight pieces of new content are landing on Minecraft Realms Plus in December. "We’re kicking off Realms Plus-mas in the snowiest setting: Holiday Winter Mansion by CrackedCubes," writes Sophie Austin on Minecraft.net. "If you’ve ever wondered where Santa lives (or where your North Pole invitation went) then wonder no more! In this frosty spawn, you’ll discover an incredible arctic wonderland, complete with custom terrain, and an enormous mansion nestling between the snow-covered pine trees." And that's just for starters. To find out about all the new content in December and how to subscribe to Realms Plus, head over to Minecraft.net. Continue reading...

Minecraft fans can now get their virtual hands on new Avatar Legends downloadable content from Nickelodeon and Gamemode One. "Drawing from both 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' and 'Avatar: The Legend of Korra,' this immersive DLC sets you on a mission to become the Avatar: the only one who can bend all four elements and restore harmony to the world’s four nations," writes Sophie Austin on Minecraft.net. "Explore iconic locations from both series, and meet familiar friends and foes from the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation and the Air Nomads on your epic quest!" Head over to Minecraft.net to find out more and watch the video. Continue reading...

Prepare for the new year with resources, trainings and deals from Microsoft Store For many, the holidays bring quality time with loved ones, delicious seasonal treats and nostalgic traditions. The backbone of many of these festivities are a vibrant network of small businesses, such as local bakeries, florists and retailers, that make up 89% of all businesses in the U.S.* As small businesses work to bring festive magic to life for their communities, this holiday season may be especially daunting due to inflation, supply chain shortages, staffing concerns and other challenges. To ease some of the seasonal pressure, we compiled tips, deals and other resources to help sm…

For some people, it takes a long time to figure out what their life’s passion is going to be. Jonathan Morris started his journey as an entrepreneur in the fourth grade, when he sold sports-team themed bookmarks to classmates. Much later, in 2014, he channeled that enterprising spirit into opening his first official business – a barbershop in Fort Worth, Texas. “It’s in me to take ideas I’m fixated on and cultivate them into experiences that other people get to share as well. My hypothesis was that other people are likely to feel the same way,” says Morris, who grew up in Denton, Texas, but moved to Fort Worth (a half-hour west) 10 years ago from Dallas. “At that time, I …

The fifth annual Block Friday Sale is now underway on Minecraft Marketplace. Through Nov. 28 you can enjoy savings of up to 75% off select content and claim a free Quackers skin pack featuring seven duck skins. In addition to price reductions across a range of content, you’ll also find three new doorbusters each day. Head over to Minecraft.net for all the details. Continue reading...

Soccer Celebration, new to the Minecraft Marketplace, offers a journey from rookie to full-time pro as you engage on a quest to compete in a championship game. Partake in rigorous and challenging training drills to hone your skills on the road to stardom. Improve your shots, dribbling, passing, tackling and control until you’re ready to join the team of your dreams. Once you’ve succeeded, you’ll be able to explore and customize your own stadium to your heart’s content and put your personal mark on your team’s home turf. Find out more at Minecraft.net. Continue reading...