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Xbox Wire went behind the scenes at Tango Gameworks to look at the inception of an idea as it moved through the entire creative process, right up to its full release. That idea, which started as “an action game where everything that you do matches with the music and creates a living soundtrack” – took five years to develop into Hi-Fi Rush. It’s a game that “pleasantly knocked its custom-built guitar over our heads with its crisp, rhythm-based gameplay, excellent soundtrack, and memorable characters, all wrapped up in a unique world for us to explore,” writes Xbox Wire’s Mike Nelson. Hi-Fi Rush is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC and with Xbox Game Pass and PC …

I recently highlighted how generative AI technology is opening doors for organizations to imagine new ways to solve challenges, while unlocking innovation and delivering greater business value for those who adopt it. Organizations with modern data estates fortified with the Microsoft Cloud are already accelerating their AI transformation; and as many business leaders seek to keep pace they are turning to Microsoft and our partner ecosystem for industry expertise, scale and copilot capabilities. Microsoft has built a foundation of successfully delivering AI solutions for many years. Now, we are infusing generative AI capabilities across the services customers know and l…

The Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty represents a significant advancement at the intersection of global demand for innovation and evolving national policies regarding data privacy and control. It ushers in a new era for governments worldwide, providing a secure avenue for modernizing their technology infrastructure and workflows. Today, we are announcing public preview of the Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty. Furthermore, we are announcing our planned general availability of the Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty for this December. This solution will enable governments to meet their compliance, security and policy requirements while harnessing the cloud to deliver value to …

In October, Xbox spotlights the gaming and disability community – which makes up more than 400 million players. Elle Vance, software engineer II for Xbox Player Services, shares the impact of being part of the gaming and disability community: “I understand the world through a different perspective. Unlike most neurotypical people who understand the world from a top-down perspective; I start with a bottom-up approach, focusing first on the details.” Head over to Xbox Wire to read more from Vance. You’ll also find news about Xbox’s Special Olympics partnership (Gaming for Inclusion Esports tournament), how to support the gaming and disability community by donating points to…

Devices with “Red, Green, Blue” (RGB) lights can help users personalize their Windows experiences beyond the screen. With the latest feature update, Dynamic Lighting on Windows 11 enables users to control their RGB devices right in Windows Settings. They can use it to extend their Windows accent color onto the devices around them, synchronize RGB effects across devices from different brands and exercise finer control over how their apps control their device’s lights. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2023/09/9a921c9e-856f-43e0-b5ad-2439ef0d00ae.png Dynamic Lighting helps create cohesion across the RGB devices market and enables new and engaging ex…

Today, Yusuf Mehdi announced the latest Windows 11 innovations that bring the power of AI to enhance what you can achieve using your PC, plus many new features and experiences ranging from accessibility to security. Windows is a tool that more than a billion people around the world use to connect, learn, play and work. In this blog I’ll share how to get the new Windows 11 features, details on our approach to availability and further Windows roadmap information. How to get the latest innovations We are committed to delivering continuous innovation to Windows 11 to provide you with the best experiences, when new features are ready, via our familiar processes. Today, Co…

Just last week, we announced exciting innovation coming not just on Windows, but across Surface, Microsoft 365, Bing and the new Microsoft Copilot. Starting today, there is available for our customers in the September Windows update. Ready to upgrade or buy a new PC but not sure how to make the shift quickly and easily? Windows Backup is there to support you every step of the way. In a hurry to make a healthy meal plan for the week and finding the time to do so is challenging? Copilot in Windows can make building the plan and creating the shopping list a breeze. Want to unleash your inner creative and brand that side hustle you’ve been thinking about? Powerful creator …

There are more than 100 PC games available through PC Game Pass, but where to start? To help players find the right game for them, Xbox tapped streamer Bruce Greene to pick some of his favorites from the PC Game Pass library. “I’ve been playing PC games for 25 years and I’m super impressed by what’s on PC Game Pass,” he says. “I picked like 40 or 50 cause like there were so many good games on there and I had to pare them down which is hilarious. Being a curator, it’s perfect for me.” Head over to Xbox Wire to see what he picked and why. Continue reading...

It’s been such an exciting year for Edge and Bing. We’ve worked diligently to bring you rich, AI-powered innovation to help you find, create and achieve beyond what you ever thought possible. Yesterday, we announced another iteration of AI-powered features across Bing and Edge, and today, I’m eager to tell you more. Like advancements in shopping, to help you find what you need at the best price, and new ways help you get more done with browser actions, Tab Auto-grouping, Inline Compose and PDF view in Bing Chat on the Microsoft Edge mobile app. And because we need smarter ways to get more done at work, we’re excited to tell you more about Bing Chat Enterprise on the Micro…

We are entering a new era of AI, one that is fundamentally changing how we relate to and benefit from technology. With the convergence of chat interfaces and large language models you can now ask for what you want in natural language and the technology is smart enough to answer, create it or take action. At Microsoft, we think about this as having a copilot to help navigate any task. We have been building AI-powered copilots into our most used and loved products – making coding more efficient with GitHub, transforming productivity at work with Microsoft 365, redefining search with Bing and Edge and delivering contextual value that works across your apps and PC with Window…

The vast amount of data in today’s enterprises provides a great opportunity to get valuable insights that enhance an organization’s products, goods and services. At the same time, many companies are migrating to the cloud to take advantage of its flexibility, efficiency and scale. With the recent advances in generative AI, businesses face new urgency to bring cloud services like analytics and machine learning to one of their most valuable technology environments: data. According to Gartner, the database market grew 14.4% this year and is on course to be a more than $100 billion market by the end of 2023. The overwhelming contributor to that growth is cloud database as …

At Microsoft, our mission is to provide people with effective tools to boost productivity. Windows 365 enables you to securely stream your full Windows experience - including personalized apps, content and settings—from the Microsoft Cloud to any device, anywhere using a Windows 365 Cloud PC. We are excited to introduce the Enhanced Windows 365 App Experience, a built-in experience for Android devices that empowers you to harness the capabilities of a full-fledged Windows experience powered by the Microsoft Cloud right from your Android smartphone. Together with our partners at Lenovo, we recently announced and released this experience to market as a built-in integration …

If  you’ve ever dreamed of launching into space and exploring new worlds, a much-anticipated new video game can take you there in rich detail and immersive storytelling. With Starfield, the first new universe from Bethesda Game Studios in 25 years, your role-playing journey can lead to more than 1,000 planets. It’s available day one on Xbox Game Pass on Sept. 6, and on Xbox Series X|S consoles, Windows PCs and Steam. “We love the idea of exploring space and always wanted to turn it into a game. People love to get lost in games we build, and we do as well,” says Todd Howard, game director and executive producer of Bethesda Game Studios, which Microsoft acquired through par…

At IFA 2023, Lenovo introduced several new additions to Windows 11 gaming, including the Lenovo Legion Go – the company’s first Windows 11 handheld device for gamers – and its top-of-the-line Lenovo Legion 9i laptop. Businesses also got fresh options, including a new glasses-free experience with the ThinkVision 27 3D Monitor that is compatible with real-time eye-tracking. The Lenovo Legion Go brings the power of Windows 11 to a new mobile form factor, powered by AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme or Z1 processors that bring games to life on the 8.8-inch Lenovo PureSight Gaming Display. The 10-point touch screen enables intuitive control for scrolling, tapping, or swiping. Every…

HP has introduced its first 16-inch Pavilion Plus laptop, which is expected to be available in October. This is the latest addition to the Pavilion Plus line, designed to drive creative content creation and collaboration on-the-go, with Windows 11 and the latest processors from Intel and AMD. Log in quickly with Windows Hello face recognition using the 5MP camera, while the dual array mic ensures your voice comes through loud and clear for meetings. The updated 2023 Pavilion Plus portfolio also incorporates sustainability in its design, using 20% post-consumer recycled plastics and 50% recycled metal. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2023/08/2023-…

It’s hard to believe summer is almost over, but for some, the school year has already begun. PCs are important resources for students. If you’re still looking for the right one, you can find many choices with Microsoft’s partners. These laptops come with Windows 11, making every task easier, helping pupils from kindergarten to grad school. Right out of the box, they’re easy to set up, with a clean design that puts the taskbar front and center. There, you’ll find handy features such as an AI-powered Bing in the Windows search box and Windows Studio Effects with AI-enhanced video call enhancements. Multi-taskers will also appreciate snap layouts with touch controls, voice a…

Summer is coming to an end, and with that the start of a brand-new school year. Though summer will always host great memories, the start of a new school year brings that crisp morning air, brand-new, freshly sharpened pencils, sweaters and pumpkin spice everything. It’s the time of year that is filled with possibilities as we embark on new opportunities and challenges. Microsoft Edge is here to help make this new school year your best yet. Whether you’re a parent with kids headed back to school, or a student going into a brand-new year, today we’re excited to share how our smart browser features can power your creativity, productivity, organization and learning. All desig…

https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2023/08/GettyImages-1224302214-1024x683.jpg Getty Images Today, the promise of technology to help us solve some of the biggest challenges we face has never been more tangible, and nowhere is generative AI more needed, and possibly more impactful, than in healthcare. Epic and Microsoft have been paving the way to bring generative AI to the forefront of the healthcare industry. Together, we are working to help clinicians better serve their patients and are addressing some of the most urgent needs, from workforce burnout to staffing shortages. We combined Microsoft’s large-scale cloud and AI technologies with Epic’s …

Frontline workers represent the face of organizations and make up the lion’s share of the workforce. Gartner estimates that there are 2.7 billion frontline workers — more than twice the number of desk-based workers.i The current macroeconomic climate highlighted by labor and supply chain shortages has put a lot of pressure on these workers to carry more work as organizations drive efficiency across business operations. The recent Work Trend Index shows that there is an opportunity for digital tools to help ease the burden on these essential workers. Over 60% of frontline workers struggle with having to do repetitive or menial tasks that take time away from more meaning…

Businesses that use the Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola will soon be able to tap into more productivity features, thanks to a collaboration with Microsoft. Microsoft and Lenovo have partnered to enhance ThinkPhone’s Think 2 Think feature and bring the full experience of Windows 365 on the ThinkPhone. This will make it easier to sync to workflows, review documents and more while out and about on this smartphone designed for businesses. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2023/08/ThinkPhone_WalkieTalkie.jpg ThinkPhone comes with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform, a 6.6-inch FHD+ display and 68W TurboPower charger that can charge both Motorola smart…

Desktop gamers in search of a new rig can now check out Alienware’s redesigned Aurora R16, which comes with Windows 11. It improves upon the Aurora R15 with a quieter system, lower CPU and GPU temperatures and a new space-saving form factor – all while delivering the elite gaming performance expected from Alienware. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2023/08/awaurorar16-xsy-05-bk-liquid-cool-copy-1024x565.jpg The Aurora R16 is the company’s first desktop to include the Alienware Command Center – a centralized dashboard to quickly get to game-specific profiles and themes, lighting, macros, audio and more. Like its predecessor, the Aurora R16 is desig…

https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2023/07/1-GettyImages-1421511938-1024x683.jpg Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images Over the past six months, I have witnessed the staggering speed and scale of generative AI technology adoption, and how it has opened doors for organizations to imagine new ways to solve business, societal, and sustainability challenges. For many with modernized data estates fortified with the Microsoft Cloud, advanced AI technology is already unlocking innovation and delivering greater business value. At our annual partner conference Microsoft Inspire, I had the chance to speak with our partner community about the critical role they play i…

Looking for a good deal on new PC titles to add to your collection? Check out the Microsoft Store Ultimate Game Sale, which runs through July 31 with discounts on select Xbox and PC games, PC accessories and Xbox console bundles. Top PC titles on sale include “Disney Speedstorm Deluxe Founders Pack,” “Sunshine Island” and “Flight Sim – Premium Deluxe” – but you’ll find hundreds more to choose from. Plus, save up to 50% on select Microsoft accessories for your PC device. Head over to Xbox Wire to get all the details on the sale. Continue reading...

In the last few years, we’ve witnessed a significant shift in how IT decision makers support their organizations. With the rapid acceleration of distributed workforces, companies are dealing with a matrix of vendors and point solutions born out of necessity. But the need to improve security, provide employees with flexibility in device choice while keeping them productive, and get employees up and running more quickly to accelerate time to value is driving vendor consolidation with the goal of reducing costs and complexity. Companies looking for integrated, flexible work solutions don’t need to make trade-offs: the right solution brings value to employees by giving them c…

Collaboration is a key component of Microsoft’s success. Our partner ecosystem consists of more than 400,000 partners worldwide, and they play a key role in making new technology available to customers, especially in today’s AI-focused world. Microsoft Inspire is a chance to acknowledge the role our partners play in customer success and to share new opportunities and ways to engage with Microsoft products. To recognize the impressive achievements of our collaborators, we kicked off Microsoft Inspire by celebrating the finalists and winners in the 2023 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards, which were announced in late June. The awards highlight partner success and innov…