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Creators express themselves in all kinds of ways and mediums. In the video below, you’ll see Allison Anderson, an artist who’s as comfortable with touchscreens and software as she is with paint and pencils. Watch the video to see a sampling of Windows 11 PCs and key features she looks for in creator devices, such as high-end processors, ample memory, SSD storage and color-accurate displays. Windows 11 was designed to bring people together, to help people play and have fun, to empower productivity and inspire creativity. Recently, the Windows 11 2022 Update rolled out in more than 190 countries. This first major update to Windows 11, which launched in 2021, shows ho…

Take on the Tower with all-new multiplayer levels, explore the jungle in Treetop Tangle, or see who now awaits you at camp. Fauna Faire, Minecraft Dungeons’ third seasonal adventure, arrives on Oct. 19, bringing both new ways to play and customize your character. "The fall might be upon us, but Fauna Faire brings an animal-focused late summer to the camp," writes Per Landin in a post on Minecraft.net. "This means there will be an abundance of furr-tastic skins, pets and other mob-themed cosmetic items to add to your closet. Whether you want to embrace your inner chicken or show off your mighty paw-er, there’s something for everyone." Head over to Minecraft.net to watch th…

Windows is building what matters most for your business. This was the theme as Chief Product Officer Panos Panay took the stage in Seattle for a live keynote to kick off day two of Microsoft Ignite 2022. Together, he and engineering leaders from Windows, Intune, Windows 365, Defender, Teams, Loop and Surface discussed (and demonstrated) some of the latest features in Windows to support secure hybrid work from client to cloud. Here are a few highlights from this year’s conference plus details on where you can take a closer look at the capabilities that will help you easily deploy, update and manage—and deliver the most secure, personal and productive experience for devices…

Play as the Dark Knight himself in the new Batman downloadable content for Minecraft. You’ll be tasked with an important mission, because Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's loyal butler, is in trouble and needs your help. "In this sprawling adventure from DC and Noxcrew you’ll get to experience Gotham City as you’ve never seen it before," writes Sophie Austin on Minecraft.net. "Claw your way between blocky rooftops or speed the Batmobile past iconic locations like Wayne Tower and the Monarch Theater as you track down the lairs of old foes." Head over to Minecraft.net for all the details and to watch the video. Continue reading...

Today, we are excited to announce the availability of new features in Windows 11 along with some exciting new experiences to help you be your most productive and creative, while also having fun. Announced in September, these new features and experiences begin to be available today and are a continuation of our commitment and journey to deliver continuous innovation in Windows to inspire and empower you. It’s been an energizing few weeks for Windows with the launch of the Windows 11 2022 Update in 190+ countries around the world and our announcement just last week of new Surface devices. At the event, the team enjoyed showing you how Windows 11 comes to life on the new dev…

We know the important role your PC plays every day for hybrid work, learning, entertainment and gaming, and we are committed to supporting our customers using Windows 10. Today, we are announcing the availability of the Windows 10 2022 Update (also known as Windows 10, version 22H2). Based on customer feedback we are providing a limited scope of new features and functionality delivered via a familiar, fast and reliable update experience. Version 22H2 will continue the recent Windows 10 feature update trend of being delivered in an optimized way using servicing technology. A scoped and streamlined update Windows 10, version 22H2 will have a limited set of features focu…

When pandemic lockdowns more than two years ago required Swetha Machanavajhala to work from home, she almost immediately felt the impact on her ability to work efficiently. Born deaf, the product manager on the Azure Cognitive Service Translator team reads lips and doesn’t use sign language, so when virtual Microsoft Teams meetings became the norm for working together from home, she couldn’t follow the flow of conversation when people didn’t appear on camera when they spoke. Since 2013, when she joined Microsoft, she’d been able to attend meetings and presentations in-person, reading the lips of speakers. She also used the Microsoft Translator app and had access to the se…

Fight to disrupt the prophecy of Flameheart’s return in Sea of Thieves’ latest time-limited adventure, live from Oct. 13 to Oct. 27. "Even in the wake of his historic defeat, Captain Flameheart has loomed large over the Sea of Thieves," writes Rare Creative Director Mike Chapman in a post on Xbox Wire. "Fleets of his Ghost Ships roam the open ocean and attack anyone they encounter, while the infamous warmonger himself continues to mastermind his nefarious schemes from the shadows." Sea of Thieves is available free for all players with Xbox Game Pass and across Windows 10/11, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Steam. Head over to Xbox Wire to watch the launch trailer for "The H…

Not everyone works in an office or at home. If you work in more challenging environments – such as ambulances, fields, factories, deserts and tundras – devices that can withstand harsh conditions and still perform all necessary tasks are a must-have. To fulfill the needs of people who require mobility, ergonomics and durability in a PC, Dell has revealed its new Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme Tablet. It comes with Windows 11, 12th Gen Intel Core up to i7 processors and integrated Iris Xe graphics. The tablet’s new Wi-Fi 6E* capability and dual broadband support allow faster speeds while energy consumption has gone down. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/site…

The past few years have been a period of dramatic change, with disruptions to our society, the global economy, political landscape, technology and the way we work. As organizations adapt to new challenges, they are turning to their technology providers to help them succeed. Against this backdrop, at this year’s Microsoft Ignite we are focused on how Microsoft Cloud is helping customers do more with less. In today’s uncertain economic environment, companies are looking to change the way they do work to get better results, with less friction and more choice. Microsoft Ignite is a showcase of the best of what’s next for Microsoft and its partners, technical decision-ma…

On Sept. 20, the Windows 11 2022 Update rolled out in more than 190 countries. This first major update to Windows 11, which launched in 2021, shows how Windows keeps evolving and adapting. The newest steps on that journey focus on making the PC easier and safer to use for everyone; empowering people to be more productive; making Windows the best place to connect, create and play; and delivering added security, management and flexibility to the workplace. The 11 features below highlight those key areas: System-wide live captions*: Now the live captions are displayed at the top of the screen, right under the camera on most systems, which makes it easier to follow the capt…

As companies and employees settle into new work norms post-pandemic, we’re living through a once-in-a-lifetime shift in work patterns. Whether work happens from home, at the office, in a warehouse or on the go, work is no longer a place, but an experience that transcends place and time. Over the past two-and-a-half years, new patterns of work have emerged that put people, communications, and workflows at the center. In that time, Microsoft Teams has grown to 270 million monthly active users, becoming the most ubiquitous platform for workplace collaboration and business processes. Teams’ growth is a sign of how work has changed, and where it’s going. People crave dee…

On-the-go professionals looking for the right PC for their hybrid work lives now have another choice: the Acer Swift Edge, a lightweight 16-inch OLED Windows 11 PC laptop powered by AMD Ryzen PRO 6000 series and AMD Ryzen 6000 processors and up to eight high performance Zen 3+ cores built on advanced 6 nm process technology. For IT administrators, AMD PRO technologies deliver multilayered security features to help keep threats at bay, and comprehensive manageability options that scale for long-term stability and reliability. The Acer Swift Edge comes with the Microsoft Pluton, a security processor designed by Microsoft that hardens new Windows 11 PCs with additional prote…

From Oct. 4 to Nov. 9, you can trick your friends with printable masks, treat yourself with Marketplace adventures, or test your courage with Minecraft Dungeons seasonal trials as the Minecraft team celebrates all things spooky, all at once. "There’s something for everyone this Spookyfest, whether you want to dive into the unknown, sword in hand, or get cozy near the fire," writes Sophie Austin on Minecraft.net. Read all the scary details on Minecraft.net. Continue reading...

Starting Oct. 4, five iconic franchises celebrate milestone birthdays with six weeks of new content releases, community activities and game discounts. "From Microsoft Flight Simulator to Forza Horizon, each of these genre-defining franchises has taken us around the world or immersed us in the nuclear wasteland," writes Xbox Wire's Mike Nelson. "We’ve captured major activities from each franchise so new and old fans can celebrate with us." Head over to Xbox Wire and jump to each section for what's in store for Fallout's 25th anniversary, Forza Horizon's 10th anniversary, Dishonored's 10th anniversary, Age of Empires' 25th anniversary and Microsoft Flight Simulator's 40th A…

G5 Entertainment, the Swedish publisher and developer of free-to-play games for smartphones, tablets and PCs, is celebrating 21 years in business. Check out check out their game collection on Microsoft Store. G5, which continues to grow and develop new games with a team of over 900, has prepared a special landing page to mark the event where gamers can take part in activities and receive daily prizes, discounts and special offers. The anniversary campaign will run until Oct. 16. Continue reading...

Crossplay Viking adventures await in Valheim, available now for Windows PC and included with PC Game Pass, and coming to Xbox early next year. "The full crossplay support will ensure that you can play together with your friends, no matter what platform you’re using," writes Iron Gate Studio's Josefin Berntsson in a post on Xbox Wire. "And once the upcoming Mistlands update arrives, you will need all the help you can get..." Head over to Xbox Wire to find out more. Continue reading...

World Update XI: Canada is now available free to all owners of Microsoft Flight Simulator. To get the update, simply update your account, download World Update XI from the in-game marketplace, and prepare to be enchanted by the sights of Canada from the air. "In creating World Update XI: Canada, the Microsoft Flight Simulator team processed troves of its latest geospatial data, including digital elevation models, satellite imagery and aerial photography," writes Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, on Xbox Wire. "Complementing the data, models and imagery, the update highlights 12 urban regions enhanced with the latest photogrammetry data and features 87 hand…

Created in partnership with BBC Earth, the Frozen Planet II experience for Minecraft Education Edition and Minecraft Bedrock just added its second lesson: Frozen Ocean. With it, classes can explore the Arctic Ocean and its wildlife, and see how the habitats and behaviors of animals have been affected by climate change. Visit the Frozen Planet II post to watch the official trailer, find out about the gameplay, get teaching resources and more. Continue reading...

Created in collaboration with LaLiga, the new LaLiga Skin Pack for Minecraft brings you into the exciting world of professional soccer. Pick from over 20 different teams for a total of 80 skins — featuring kits for the 2022/2023 season — to become a Pro Footballer for your favorite team. Open up the Marketplace on your Minecrafting device and download, or visit the Minecraft Marketplace to find out more. Continue reading...

Grounded is available today on Windows 10/11, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Steam for $39.99, and also available with Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta). Having launched into Game Preview/Early Access in July 2020 with only a sampling of what the game would be today, the full backyard experience is now waiting for players to explore. "Two years ago when Grounded entered Game Preview/Early Access, there were six biomes to explore, and 14 creatures to interact with," writes Obsidian Entertainment's Mikey Dowling in a post on Xbox Wire. "Now with the full '1.0' release, there are 13 biomes, three of which have had massive overhauls, 44 creatures, inclu…

Gaming, streaming and recording get a boost with the latest addition to the Intel family: the 13th Gen Intel Core desktop processors, led by the 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900K. This branch of the family includes six new unlocked desktop processors with up to 24 cores, 32 threads and clock speeds up to 5.8 GHz. You’ll start seeing these processors on Windows 11 PCs, such as those from Alienware and Acer. Building on the Intel 7 process and x86 performance hybrid architecture introduced in the 12th Gen Intel Core lineup, these desktop processors enable better system performance than ever – even through the most demanding of multitasking workloads. This includes up to 15% bet…

Alienware revealed new gaming devices today, including a revamped Aurora R15 Gaming Desktop. It will be among the first Windows 11 PCs to feature the latest 13th Gen Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs. The new Alienware Aurora R15 debuts several improvements to achieve higher thermal efficiency and help ensure peak performance including: 240mm liquid cooling anchored in a five 120mm fan layout, hexagonal side-venting to generate additional airflow to the GPU, 80 Plus Platinum-rated power supply options and more. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2022/09/Aurora-R15-Tenkeyless-Gaming-Keyboard-QD-OLED-Gaming-Monitor-1024x526.j…

Designed for hard-core gaming enthusiasts and creators, the Predator Orion 7000 series of Windows 11 desktop PCs have been refreshed with the latest 13th Gen Intel Core processors, which deliver advanced computing and multi-tasking capabilities. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2022/09/Predator-Orion-7000-light-rgb-14-1024x1000.jpg The device also includes one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing access to hundreds of high-quality PC games. Windows 11 and a boosted performance core helps maximize gaming, productivity, entertainment and creativity needs, while delivering the same fully-immersive graphics and best-in-class connectivity. Find …

This morning in London, I sat down with Satya Nadella and Ryan Roslansky, LinkedIn’s CEO, to discuss how leaders can empower employees — and drive business impact — in the face of economic uncertainty. No matter how your people work, from remote to in-person to somewhere in between, understanding your workforce is more important than ever. The world has changed, and anyone who thinks we’re going back to the way we worked in 2019 is sorely mistaken. It’s become clear to us that work is no longer a place, but an experience that binds employees and leaders across home offices, company headquarters, time zones and more. Employees around the world have embraced flexibility …