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The last 18 months have resulted in a sea change throughout every industry – from the adoption of telehealth in healthcare to digital wallets in financial services to curbside pickup and contactless shopping in retail – and digital technology has been at the forefront of this seismic shift. My own habits have changed as well, to the point I can’t imagine going back to a world lacking technological flexibility and digital dexterity. In other words, thank goodness I can get away with sometimes forgetting my wallet at home. Digital technology is now more necessary than ever, for every organization in every sector, as we move into an era in which people expect their digita…

https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2021/11/Steven-Worrall-Blog1.png Steven Worrall, right, with Mia Leech Morrison, a student at Rosemeadow Public School in New South Wales, Australia, and a participant in the Mini-Digital Custodians program, and her proud dad. The illustrated images are connected to Indigenous heritage and were designed by Mia and her peers using Paint 3D and Minecraft. The Cammeraygal people are the traditional custodians of the land where I’m writing this. They are one of the many tribal groups who have occupied the Sydney basin district for tens of thousands of years along with the many other First Nations tribes across the Austra…

Today, we are excited to announce that Microsoft has acquired Two Hat, a leading content moderation solution provider offering protection measures for online communities with a vision to build better experiences for everyone. Globally, growing amounts of harmful content shared online have increased the need for effective and proactive content moderation. For any online community to thrive, content moderation is a critical investment to ensure positive user experiences and maintain engagement over time. Microsoft and Two Hat share a vision for using advancements in moderation technology to nurture and protect diverse, global online communities. This acquisition is an im…

Age of Empires IV is available now with Xbox Game Pass for PC and Ultimate, and available to buy at the Microsoft Store for Windows PC and Steam. To celebrate the launch, the World’s Edge team is taking over Times Square in New York City by spanning multiple city blocks with large digital screens, a living diorama and an AR experience. If you’re in New York City you’re invited to share your experiences there. Head over to Xbox Wire for all the launch news and tips on how to get started playing the new game. Continue reading...

The last year has brought unrelenting headlines about cybersecurity attacks. Foreign governments have tampered with the software supply chain, targeted on-premise servers, and hacked into sensitive government files. Criminal ransomware groups have attacked schools, penetrated hospitals and shut down a critical national pipeline. As we documented in the recent Microsoft Digital Defense Report, these attacks are growing and becoming more sophisticated. We’ve entered a new international era that falls short of war but with constant foreign cybersecurity attacks that threaten not only our businesses, but our students, healthcare and daily lives. We recognize that no one ha…

Are you an IT pro planning to attend the virtual Microsoft Ignite event Nov. 2-4? If so, be sure to check out the core sessions, interactive experiences and deep dives that will help you deploy Windows 11, optimize device management and keep users protected and productive. You’ll find it all listed here, but here are key sessions to catch: Agile, collaborative, secure: Why adopt Windows 11 today Tuesday, Nov. 2: 11:30 a.m. PT Aidan Marcuss, Wangui McKelvey Join Windows CVP Aidan Marcuss and Microsoft 365 GM Wangui McKelvey for a tour of the value Windows 11 offers commercial organizations today—and a discussion of upcoming investments. From signature experiences tuned for…

What can you do while waiting for the Oct. 28 launch of Age of Empires IV? Join the pre-launch hijinks of course. The World’s Edge team behind the game has booked a castle and built a giant fully functional trebuchet, which it will use to fling a load of assorted items including armor, a sheep (plushie-form only; no animals will be harmed) and other ammunition. Joining the fun is former World’s Strongest Man and star of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, a.k.a. The Mountain. Head over to Xbox Wire to read all about it and find out how to watch the festivities on the Xbox YouTube channel. Continue reading...

https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2021/10/JMJ_9590-1.jpg Attendees at a recent National Association of Black Journalists event. Photo courtesy of Jason M. Johnson/NABJ In our jobs as storytellers for Microsoft, we’re called to improve our storytelling every day, and the best way I’ve found to do this is to look at great stories – whatever the form – and learn from them. That’s why I’m especially excited to team up with the National Association of Black Journalists on the NABJ-Microsoft Storytelling Fellowship Program designed to develop emerging storytellers, offer a platform to amplify their voices and share learnings along the way. Starting toda…

If you’re looking for technology to pursue your creative passions, you have a new option to consider: the Dell XPS Desktop. Powered by Windows 11, this PC ushers in an expansive suite of next-gen performance technologies and a more robust cooling architecture, making it the most powerful XPS Desktop ever made [1]. Designed to bring you closer to what you love, Windows 11 empowers your productivity and inspires your creativity. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2021/10/New-XPS-Desktop-internal-airflow_2000-1024x819.jpg Digital content creators – such as photographers, graphic designers, music producers and many others – can tap into a “Creator Editi…

Today, we are announcing the availability of the Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability public preview. It is an important moment. The work to reduce carbon emissions has become a global priority that requires focused and urgent action by all of us individually and collectively. We believe this new offering can make an important contribution to this effort, helping customers move toward more sustainable operations. Around the world, governments and companies – Microsoft included – have stepped forward the past two years with important carbon reduction pledges. But as the world heads to the 26th Conference of the Parties in Glasgow – or COP26 – to share net zero ambitions, …

Demand for data and digital services is expected to continue its exponential growth over the coming years, with global internet traffic projected to double by 2022. The Microsoft cloud is the trusted cloud for everyday digital experiences at work and at home – from critical applications for life and safety services, education institutions and governments to advancing scientific research surrounding the world’s most pressing challenges – like climate change. Underpinning the cloud are physical datacenters, networking and fiber connected to the world’s energy grids. Customers already benefit from the cloud’s ability to provide massive efficiency that reduces the collective …

Millions of real-time strategy fans around the world have enjoyed playing the Age of Empires series for nearly 25 years. With a focus on real historical events dating all the way back to the Stone Age, the series tasks players with determining how those events played out, allowing them to experience history as it was or create a new history of their own. Now with Min Spec Mode, players on older and lower-powered machines can experience the latest in the series: Age of Empires IV. “When looking to bring this new game to the franchise, we knew we needed to support a diverse set of PC configuration,” said Michael Mann, executive producer at World’s Edge. “Even looking …

https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2021/10/Hero-art-Oct-25GettyImages-993313430-1024x683.jpg Photo credit: Hiroshi Watanabe/Getty Images As countries have begun to ease travel restrictions, I’ve had increasing opportunities to meet customers face to face. During my visits, customers shared how they are bringing to life digital optimism to overcome business challenges, especially during the pandemic. Customers are increasingly capitalizing on the value of the Microsoft Cloud to enable continuous innovation. What’s more, they are recognizing the advantages of digital transformation go well beyond a simple cost-benefit analysis. With the Microsoft C…

On Thursday Xbox Wire shared how 343 Industries and Xbox took everything they learned from bringing Halo: The Master Chief Collection to PC to making Halo Infinite a game that looks, feels and plays like a PC shooter should, all the while honoring the legacy of what makes Halo, Halo. Head over to the post to read all about it and watch the video to hear directly from both the PC team and the Sandbox team at 343 Industries about how they built Halo Infinite to be a great PC experience in-game, out-of-game and off the screen. Continue reading...

Today, I am sharing Microsoft’s 2021 Diversity and Inclusion report, our third annual report and our eighth year of releasing our global workforce demographic data publicly. This past year was a challenging time for so many people, communities and organizations. Ongoing acts of hate and violence in the U.S. and around the world have continued to move racial injustice to the forefront of social consciousness, while the global pandemic has exacerbated inequities and upended our lives. In the face of these realities, the sense of urgency to solve some of the biggest systemic problems of equality and inclusion is palpable. This report is an opportunity for us to quantify t…

Eternal Return launched on Oct. 19 as a free-to-play title on Windows PC, with Perks for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members. The game, a mix of popular genres combined into a multiplayer online survival arena, has a solid esports and competitive scene. Head over to Xbox Wire to read all about it. Continue reading...

Football Manager 2022 with Xbox Game Pass for PC and Football Manager 2022 Xbox Edition with Xbox Game Pass will be available with Xbox Game Pass day one on Nov. 9. A new post on Xbox Wire details new features and game upgrades to give you an idea of what you can expect in both versions as you work your way to becoming a managerial great. Continue reading...

For many companies, hybrid work has become much more common, especially in the past year. HP Presence Meeting Space Solutions is a new portfolio of conferencing and collaboration solutions that aims to connect people who don’t work together in the same physical space. HP Presence is a suite of scalable, bundled options with hardware and services for meeting spaces of any size – from huddle rooms to large meeting spaces. It will work with Microsoft Teams Rooms, pending certification, interacting intuitively with users to provide an intelligent meeting experience and deliver useful real-time analytics back to IT. HP Presence curates its solutions by size (small, medium and …

As the Xbox 20th anniversary approaches in November, blockbuster games for PCs and consoles will be available through Xbox Game Pass, including the Oct. 28 launch of Age of Empires IV (bringing the evolved real-time strategy game to a new generation on Steam and Game Pass for PC on day one), Minecraft on Nov. 2 and Forza Horizon 5 on Nov. 9. “We've been hard at work to deliver three months of back-to-back game launches,” writes Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, in an Xbox Wire post. “And while we hope you'll join us in celebrating 20 years of Xbox history, know that we're hard at work on the road ahead and what's to come in the next 20 years.” Other games launching a…

Microsoft Flight Simulator, which first launched on PC, gained a new audience of PC gamers with Xbox Game Pass. In July 2021, millions of console players were introduced to the flight simulation experience through the game’s launch on Xbox Series X|S. Now, the Microsoft Flight Simulator Game of the Year (GOTY) Edition arrives Nov. 18. This “Thank You” to fans – new and old – includes new aircraft (such as its first military jet and a legendary short takeoff and landing (STOL) utility plane), new airports, new missions and much more. To celebrate the launch of Windows 11, 11 landmarks across the globe will be lit up in Windows blue within Microsoft Flight Simulator. …

In the past year, you’ve probably had to create workarounds and discover new ways to get things done from home (or homes away from home): your job, homework and connecting with loved ones far and near. And in the center of all that is your PC. In this era of distance and disorganization, communicating and collaborating isn’t always simple or straightforward. Windows 11 strives to solve that. We’re here to help you with 10 tips that will help you make the most of Windows 11, which is now available. With the new Windows, the user experience has been completely reimagined in a simplified, clean, fluid design that is completely new, yet immediately familiar. Get up to speed…

Ever made a mistake when typing your address and your package wasn’t delivered to you? Do you always need to take out your credit card every time you’re ready to purchase something online? For everyone who’s experienced these everyday nuisances, Microsoft is excited to announce autofill support for your addresses and payment info in Microsoft Authenticator along with existing support for passwords! Fill your addresses and payment info across your devices Just like your passwords, Autofill now stores addresses and payment info using your Microsoft account. If you haven't already synced your autofill data on your mobile device, open the Microsoft Authenticator app, go t…

Minecraft Live will be beamed across the world at 9 a.m. PT on Saturday, Oct. 16. Packed with Minecraft news and appearances by content creators, the event will celebrate all things Minecraft and include a pre-show and community vote to influence the game. You can watch it all on the Minecraft.net website as well as on Facebook, YouTube and Twitch. Find out more on this Minecraft.net post. Continue reading...

The latest free update has arrived for Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Season 8 brings a wide array of new content that lets you outfit your Spartan like never before. Featuring uniquely themed armor sets, vehicle skins, weapon skins, back accessories and more, Halo fans have a lot new to dive into. Head over to Halo Waypoint for videos, screenshots and all the details. Continue reading...

If you’re looking for a mobile computer that can withstand the harshest and most demanding environments, Dell’s Latitude Rugged laptops are an option to consider. [caption id=attachment_176380" align="aligncenter" width="1024]https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2021/10/la7330t_enb_rain_bk_shutterstock-1313916497-1280x1280-1-1024x576.jpeg Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme[/caption] These devices come with 11th Gen Intel Core processors, with vPro optional, for enhanced field productivity, Intel Wi-Fi 6E and optional 5G capability for mission-critical connectivity, improved daylight-readability and glove-touch capable screens and battery run-time up t…