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As we head into the height of the holiday season, you might be in search of a new Windows 11 PC as a gift for your loved ones – or even for yourself. Luckily, there’s plenty of choices out there for you, but we’ve curated a few to give you a jump start on your shopping, with devices aimed at delivering the best ways to work and play wherever you are. And once you have it, you’ll find plenty you can do with it thanks to the most recent update on the operating system, such as snap layouts, Focus sessions and Clipchamp. (We made a cheat sheet of tips for you if you need help making the most out of Windows 11.) https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2022/1…

If you’re one of the nearly half of holiday shoppers looking to scoop up gifts on sale this season, we have great news – Microsoft Store’s Black Friday sale starts today, Nov. 17. Savings on everything from Surface devices, Xbox consoles, tech accessories, digital games and more make finding something for everyone on your list a breeze. And if you’re stumped, take the guesswork out and book a free, online personal shopping appointment with a Microsoft product expert. Bring us your hard-to-shop-for family and friends, and we’ll help you find the perfect gifts. When you shop the Microsoft Store, you can start purchasing early and be confident you’re getting a great deal. Th…

At Snapdragon Summit 2022, Qualcomm Technologies outlined its vision to advance mobile computing and revealed technology that will unlock a new generation of AR glasses. Qualcomm Technologies and Microsoft are advancing AI capabilities and transforming modern laptops with the powerful performance, neural processing and industry-leading efficiency of Snapdragon compute platforms. This collaboration on Snapdragon has enabled new AI-accelerated experiences for Windows 11 users, including Windows Studio effects such as Voice Focus, Background Blur, Automatic Framing and Eye Contact. The launch of the Surface Pro 9 5G, featuring the Microsoft SQ3 powered by Snapdragon, highlig…

When small businesses come to RedBit Development, they’re looking for help. They’re trying to figure out the best technology to help them reduce costs, increase profits and develop their missions, which in one recent award-winning example involved redirecting perfectly good food onto hungry people's plates instead of going into a landfill. RedBit – a small business itself with only 17 employees based in Ontario, Canada – responds with big solutions that include custom software, driven by Microsoft technology. Mark Arteaga, who founded RedBit in 2003 and serves as its president, says that a problem he sees with many of his customers is a “mishmash” of ways to share documen…

To make it easier for STEM students to learn in-demand artificial intelligence skills, NVIDIA is making it possible for those with Windows 11 PCs to access its AI platform, which has been adopted by universities worldwide. Students studying popular STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines such as computer science, data science, information sciences and economics need access to the same technology used by research and industry: the NVIDIA RAPIDS suite of software, now coming to Windows 11. Powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs – which can do a lot of mathematical operations at once, like cranking through the calculations that are needed for AI – this platf…

At Microsoft, we take our commitment to creating a safe, inclusive work environment for all employees very seriously. In keeping with this commitment, today we are announcing new steps to prevent discrimination and harassment, following a 2021 proposal that was approved by Microsoft’s shareholders. Based on this proposal, Microsoft’s Board of Directors engaged the law firm of ArentFox Schiff LLP to conduct an independent review of the company’s sexual harassment and gender discrimination policies and practices. ArentFox has completed its work and has provided the Board with a report detailing its findings and recommendations. In addition, the Microsoft management team …

The new 2022 Razer Blade 14 laptops, including the new Mercury Edition color options, come with support for Microsoft Pluton. Microsoft Pluton’s chip-to-cloud security technology protects users with an array of hardware-based security capabilities and services. New and existing 2022 Blade 14 owners should contact Razer Support to download this update. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2022/11/Razer_Blade_14_007-1024x519.jpg Find out more about the new Blade 14 Mercury Edition and other models. Continue reading...

Today, I am honored to kick off our inaugural Marketplace Summit. For the first time, we are welcoming thousands of independent software vendors (ISVs) and Software as a service (SaaS) providers as we broadcast live from Microsoft Studios to share how we are committed to our shared success by helping ISVs maximize the marketplace opportunity. The mass migration to the cloud since the pandemic is forcing an inflection point where customers are looking to optimize and streamline their investments — this creates an opportunity for SaaS providers and ISVs. Because of this growing demand for SaaS services, we are firmly committed to provide the right resources, tools and su…

Although supply chain disruption is not new, its complexity and the rate of change are outpacing organizations’ ability to address issues at a global scale. Many solutions today are narrowly focused on supply chain execution and management and are not ready to support this new reality. Enterprises are dealing with petabytes of data, spread across legacy systems, Enterprise Resource Planning programs (ERPs), and custom solutions, resulting in a fragmented view of their supply chain. An organization’s supply chain agility and resilience will be determined by how they can connect their data and orchestrate actions across all relevant systems to quickly respond to changing…

Minecraft players have helped raise more than $227,000 for the Nature Conservancy and mangrove restoration since The Wild Update was released, with one of the new biomes being the mangrove swamp. "These areas are filled with towering mangrove trees, large mangrove roots and sweet little saplings called propagules," writes Sofia Dankis on Minecraft.net. "Like a lot of things in Minecraft, they also exist in the real world. And like a lot of those things, one of the reasons that we added them to the Overworld is to show everyone how cool they are!" Visit Minecraft.net to watch the video and find out about efforts to preserve the mangrove environment and how Minecraft player…

Hey Minecraft fans: Escape Estate – this year's free Hour of Code lesson – is here. Use the power of code to solve puzzles, open trap doors in a mysterious mansion and reveal hidden clues. Escape by dawn and earn a million emeralds. To get started, download the Minecraft: Education Edition and set a goal of doing an Hour of Code a day. If you're a teacher, find out how to get the lesson plan and take a free course, or register your class to attend a live Hour of Code workshop with a guest teacher offered at multiple times during CS Ed Week, Dec 5–11. Watch the video and find out about it all on the Minecraft: Education Edition page. Continue reading...

Today, we are pleased to announce the start of availability of an exciting new feature. iCloud Photos is now directly integrated into the Photos app on Windows 11 and is beginning to roll out today via a Microsoft Store update to the Photos app. We expect it to be available to all Windows 11 customers by end of the month. The recently updated Photos app on Windows 11 has been thoughtfully crafted to make organization of your photo collection easy, no matter where your photos and videos come from — your phone, your camera, your cloud storage: iCloud Photos, OneDrive1 — see them all together in one gorgeous gallery. We know that many Windows customers have photo and video …

For Dr. Alper Kaya, the darkest days of his life happened about 10 years after he found out he had ALS. Based in Turkey, the ophthalmologist felt fortunate in that the disease progressed slowly, after the initial diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in 1990. He could still perform surgeries, help patients and play classical guitar – one of the constants in his life, ever since he was a teenager. After about a decade, he lost the use of his hands to do those things he loved. He lost hope, too. At the time, it felt unbearable. But with the help of his daughter, he found other ways to make music again. Assistive technology gave him the ability to blow into a MIDI wind …

A critical priority for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is accelerating the speed at which information is collected, analyzed and delivered to where it is needed to support mission goals. Satellites are increasingly playing an important role in this ability to harness and move data around the world, but limitations in the current government architecture can still present challenges to getting information where it’s needed, when it’s needed. To solve this, the DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has partnered with the U.S. Space Force in developing a Hybrid Space Architecture (HSA), designed to rapidly scale available space resources and bring together the best capabi…

Minecraft is teaming up with British luxury fashion house Burberry for “Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond” -- new, free downloadable content that reflects both brands’ appreciation of the wonder of nature. "As the player, you venture into an alternate reality version of London taken over by a malevolent entity called the Nexus,” writes Cristina Anderca on Minecraft.net. “Once a place blooming with foliage and gentle animals, this land has been drained of color and life. Its inhabitants have been scattered to the four realms of air, water, fire and earth, and your quest is to restore the spirit of the wild by traveling to each realm, reviving its Nature Guardian, and freeing …

Seventeen new pieces of Realms Plus content become available in November, including 101Droppers by Diamond Studios, SkyWars by CubeCraft Games and World Builder by Blockception. To get your hands on all the new content and more, subscribe to Realms Plus via your Minecrafting device. For those new to Realms Plus, it's a subscription to your own personal Minecraft server, where you can play online with friends in shared worlds across devices. You and up to 10 of your friends can enjoy over 100 pieces of content on Minecraft Marketplace – including adventures, skin packs, worlds and mini-games. Head over to Minecraft.net for all the details, including summaries of the 17 pie…

Today I am sharing Microsoft’s 2022 Global Diversity & Inclusion Report, our fourth annual report and our ninth year of releasing our global workforce demographic data. This year’s data shows that globally we are a more diverse Microsoft overall today than we have ever been, with the highest year-over-year representation progress of the past five-year period for many employee communities. We’re motivated by our ongoing progress, and this year’s growth feels particularly meaningful in the context of significant challenges around the world. As one of the most transparent companies of our size when it comes to the diversity and inclusion data we share, we are continua…

With the holidays fast approaching, savvy shoppers are already on the hunt for great deals on tech for family and friends. Microsoft Store is kicking off savings earlier than ever with can’t-miss Early Black Friday deals on PCs starting Nov. 1. And with our Microsoft Store Promise, extended holiday returns through Jan. 31, flexible payment options and low-price promise, shoppers can have confidence they’ll get our best deals of the season. Ready, set, shop! From Nov. 1, save up to 50% on select PCs: Starting at $149.99, which come preloaded with Windows 11 to make the everyday easier. Starting from $279.99, HP 15-dy2046ms 15.6 Laptop: Stay connected to what matters most w…

"Hail adventurers, both young and old. We bring you grave tidings, if we may be so bold." So begins verses by Per Landin on Minecraft.net, inviting Minecraft Dungeons fans to join Spooky Fall, an event underway now until Nov. 9 in the game. Head to Minecraft.net to find out more, but heed Landin's warning: "Make sure to tread carefully when your skin starts to crawl. We hope you survive this spookiest fall..." Continue reading...

This month is Minecraft Marketplace’s Spooky Season, which brings a host of terrifying new skins and surprises in store. "Explore the dark and creature-filled corners of Haunted Park by Everbloom Games, uncover a chilling ritual in Shiver Mist Island by Monster Egg Studios, play Trick or Treat with Lifeboat Games or test your courage in the Scariest Map Ever from Sapphire Studios, to name just a handful of spooky delights," writes Sophie Austin on Minecraft.net. Head over to Minecraft.net to watch the video and find out more. Continue reading...

The Age of Empires IV Anniversary Update is coming on Oct. 25. So is the Season Three: Anniversary Update, bringing new civilizations, challenges, achievements, features and more. And October marks the 25th anniversary for Age of Empires. Get a sneak peek at all the celebratory in-game events, with unique challenges and rewards starting on Oct. 25. You won't want to miss out on all the fun in Age of Empires IV, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition with celebratory cakes, castles and capybaras. Continue reading...

To help everyone see themselves in Minecraft, the team has created more options that better reflect the community. As a result you will now be able to make your way through Minecraft in seven new default skins. "Hopefully, you will see a bit of yourself in these skins and will grow to love them just like Alex, Steve and everything else that makes up the blocky world that is Minecraft," writes Sofia Dankis on Minecraft.net. Head over to Minecraft.net to check out the new skins and find out more. Continue reading...

https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2022/10/1920-x-original-OMB-10-24-hero-GettyImages-1341846254-1024x683.jpg Photo credit: Weiquan Lin/Getty Images It was great to connect with so many of you in person and virtually at Ignite, Microsoft’s annual gathering of developers and IT professionals. While attendees acknowledged the business impact of current macroeconomic challenges, they remain committed to maximizing the value of their digital investments by generating economies of scale with the Microsoft Cloud. Doing more with less is more important than ever as organizations are navigating uncertainty and shaping the future. Cloud-powered technologies, s…

Explore Tokyo as a student during the day, stealing hearts as a phantom thief at night in Persona 5 Royal, available to play now for Windows, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, as well as with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. "Persona 5 Royal is a critically acclaimed, award-winning RPG from Atlus with unique, signature visuals you won’t find anywhere else," writes Atlus' Michael Cerven in a post on Xbox Wire. "This definitive edition of Persona 5 Royal includes over forty items of included DLC, including costumes, BGM, and an additional difficulty level. Explore Tokyo, unlock Personas, customize your own personal Thieves Den, experience alternate endings and much more." Head ove…

Last week, we announced our new creator tools in Microsoft 365, Microsoft Bing and Edge, designed to help ignite people’s imaginations and express themselves. Today, Image Creator from Microsoft Bing begins rolling out in a limited preview to select markets and will be coming soon to Microsoft Edge. To learn more about how Image Creator works, check out this post from the Bing team. As I mentioned in last week’s announcement, we are in the early stages of bringing DALL.E 2 by OpenAI to these experiences. We are in limited preview with the Microsoft Designer app and today we are beginning to roll out Image Creator in Bing to a small set of geographies. We are intentiona…