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Inspired by 20th Century Studio’s movies and crafted by 4j Studios, the frost-covered world of "Ice Age," alongside its huge host of huggable characters and a vast, explorable map, is coming to Minecraft. "Cast your eyes towards a glittering horizon and you’ll see saber-tooth tigers prowling the glaciers, prehistoric pigs snuffling around the trees, vultures swooping through the skies and a dark shadow lurking beneath the ice-blue waters," writes Sophie Austin on Minecraft.net. "This expansive map rebuilds some of the most iconic locations from all the movies – including the new Adventures of Buck Wild – in brilliantly blocky ways. And you’ll want to investigate it all, b…

Basketball has been a part of Natalie White’s life since she was 5. She’s pretty sure her first word was "ball." She grew up idolizing Pat Summit, a legendary coach at the University of Tennessee. White played as a point guard on school teams and in amateur leagues in New York City through high school. All these experiences made her a passionate advocate for the sport. “So often, women's basketball has been regarded as almost a JV version of men's basketball. We have female basketball players used to wearing men's uniforms, used to shopping in the men's section, used to playing before or after the men. Everything is in relation to the men,” says White, who graduated from …

Starting Wednesday, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to stream A Mountain of Entertainment, including the Paramount+ Original Series, “Halo,” premiering on March 24, along with other exclusive originals, big movies and more with a 30-day free trial to Paramount+ via Perks. Ultimate members who are new to Paramount+ will be eligible to claim the 30-day subscription trial through the Perks gallery on the Xbox app on Windows PCs, on their Xbox console or through the Xbox Game Pass mobile app on iOS and Android. Once the Perk is claimed, members will be directed to the Paramount+ site to activate their trial. The Paramount+ app is also available to download and us…

At CES 2022, Razer introduced the Razer Blade 14, Razer Blade 15 and Razer Blade 17, equipped with the recently announced NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs, up to an RTX 3080Ti, making the new Blades better than ever. All new Razer Blade gaming laptops now also include Windows 11 and all its gaming benefits, including DirectStorage, Xbox Game Bar and Xbox Game Pass. [caption id=attachment_176744" align="alignright" width="300]https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2022/01/Razer-Blade-14-2021-8-High-Res-300x169.jpg Razer Blade 14[/caption] These devices are each powered by advancements from both AMD and Intel. The Blade 14 returns with the ne…

As we observe Earth Day 2022, we know that protecting the planet is critical, and we are committed to creating a more sustainable future. For Microsoft, sustainability isn’t just an ambition — it’s part of our culture. Our commitments and actions on sustainability are far-reaching and are some of the most ambitious out there. Our goal isn’t just to become more sustainable though, we want to help every organization on the planet to do the same. Organizations around the world need to transition to a net zero, environmentally sustainable future in a short period of time, and our partners are leveraging the Microsoft cloud, Cloud for Sustainability, data and AI to build innov…

From July 21 through Aug. 17, you’re invited to get behind the wheel of the fully-electric Extreme E ODYSSEY 21 e-SUV in Forza Horizon 5 and experience four weeks of racing action. It's all part of the Series 10 Update for Forza Horizon 5, available to download on Windows, Xbox and Steam. The update provides access to the Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels expansion, new Extreme E content and numerous changes to improve your gameplay experience. Head over to Forza.net to find out more. Continue reading...

A native of Scotland, she loves “wild” (in other words non-pool) swimming in nearby lakes (including Loch Ness) with friends and family. In the winter, she uses a wetsuit, but she doesn’t need to wear braces or tape in the cold water, which soothes her joints. Mountain hikes are also part of her routine – though her backpack comes with a feeding tube. She’s also six months out of medical school, doing a vascular surgery rotation as a junior doctor (the equivalent of a medical residency program in the U.S.). She intends to pursue a career as a pediatric physician. “In pediatrics it’s very much about helping children live with what they have,” she says. “It’s about getting …

If you’re looking for a Windows 11 PC built for working in a hybrid environment, check out the new HP Spectre x360 13.5-inch 2-in-1 laptop. HP also launched its most thermally advanced gaming laptop ever with the OMEN 16 and debuted its first Victus 15 Laptop for emerging gamers. The HP Spectre x360 PC has the latest in audio and visual advancements, as well as a touch display that will be familiar to smartphone users. When your Windows 11 PC comes with a touchscreen, you’ll be able to take notes or sketch with an optional digital pen and use multi-finger gestures, pinch-to-zoom, double tap, and press and hold for quicker navigation – and to create and easily manipulate d…

At CES 2022, NVIDIA announced its new GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and 3070 Ti Laptop GPUs, with the latter the newest GPU in the company’s fastest growing segment. Both are built on award winning NVIDIA Ampere architecture, with technologies like ray tracing for the most immersive and realistic experiences. NVIDIA also revealed over 160 new next-generation RTX 30 Series laptops, from all of its OEM partners, new Max-Q technologies and the new GeForce RTX 3050 GPU for desktops, the newest member of the RTX 30Series graphics card family. Find out more about these and other NVIDIA announcements at CES 2022. Continue reading...

At CES 2022, Dell unveiled the latest iteration of its XPS 13: the XPS 13 Plus, designed to be minimalist and modern in a light and thin package. Users will find curved, comfy edges and no wasted space. It’s got larger keycaps and a new capacitive touch experience to switch between media and function keys easily. A new seamless glass touchpad that provides haptic responses replaces a traditional trackpad. The company’s mindful minimalist approach extends beyond design to encompass both the production and packaging process. By removing steps and reducing finishes and materials – but elevating the ones that remain – they’ve decreased scrapped parts and their overall…

Minecraft Dungeons has hit the milestone of 15 million players since the launch of the game, and is celebrating with the Festival of Frost, taking place from now until Feb. 22. “Avid Tower runners will discover that their favorite tall structure has been outfitted with new frost-themed floors,” Per Landin writes in a post on Minecraft.net. “In addition, seasonal trials from the Chills and Thrills event will make a return, offering players who missed out on last year's event the chance to experience all the fun. And, saving the best for last, to commemorate this occasion, every player who logs into the game after Feb. 8 will receive the ‘Iceologer Cape’ reward as a thank y…

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 …

At MWC Barcelona, Lenovo unveiled a lineup of Windows 11 laptops to meet the needs of hybrid workers, global travelers, students, gamers and more. The first ThinkPad powered by the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 compute platform – running up to Windows 11 Pro – is the ThinkPad X13s, developed in collaboration with Qualcomm and Microsoft. The ultra-slim, 2.35-pound, fan-less design also incorporates battery life up to 28 hours, enhanced 5G connectivity options and application support through the Microsoft App Assure program for maximum productivity, security and collaboration. Lenovo, Qualcomm and Microsoft are continuously collaborating with top tier ISVs (Independent Software Vend…

https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2022/07/1_Re-Hero-image-July-25-OMB-1024x726.jpg Photo credit: Weiquan Lin/Getty Images Our annual partner conference, Microsoft Inspire, just concluded. The conversations I had with Microsoft’s partner community echo those I have had recently with leaders from both established organizations and earlier-stage enterprises. Leaders across industries share a commitment to innovation as the only path forward through uncertainty in global markets, especially as they continue to strengthen their security posture, reduce their carbon footprint, inject more visibility into their supply chains, and promote more inclusive pros…

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) aren’t space tourists. They’re workers, scientists and engineers. They are doing critical science missions in an intense operating environment where safety is paramount. On spacewalks they repair equipment, install new instruments and upgrade the largest spacecraft ever flown. Just like workers here on Earth, their gloves can show wear and tear – even rips and cuts – presenting potential safety concerns. To prevent problems from arising, astronauts working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) must take photos of their spacesuit gloves during and after every spacewalk and transmit them down …

Editor’s note: In recognition and celebration of Black History Month, Lauren Gardner and Bill Borden, executive co-sponsors of Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) employee resource group, got together (virtually) for a personal conversation about history, action, inclusion and the powerful impact of the Black and African American community inside and beyond Microsoft. This is an edited version of their chat. Learn more about Black History Month here. LG: Bill, as you know, this year’s theme for Black History Month at Microsoft is “every act makes history.” What does that mean to you? BB: It’s a simple statement, but it’s powerful if we reflect on it. We can all think of count…

Sonic the Hedgehog races into Minecraft in updated downloadable content that's now available. “From the creative masterminds at Gamemode One and SEGA, this update brings back the Labyrinth Zone, a level from the 1991 game that taught me a) exploring ruins is awesome and b) don’t trust gargoyles,” writes Sophie Austin on Minecraft.net. “Armed with a new mission, you’ll have to dodge obstacles and navigate traps as you try and stop the Master Emerald from falling into nefarious hands! And if that’s not motivation enough for you, then should I mention the new character skins? That’s right, on top of the 24 existing skins, there’ll be five brand new ones!” Open up the Marketp…

On May 22, 1990, Microsoft Solitaire first made its way to Windows 3.0. Thirty-two years later, the classic card game is the most played video game of all time and has a dedicated team that is passionate about keeping the fun alive for many years to come. In celebration of its anniversary, Microsoft Solitaire is throwing a party throughout the month of May with weekly surprises, exclusive in-game events and a new feature release. Microsoft Solitaire Collection is available for free in the Microsoft Store. Continue reading...

Ahead of CES 2022, Qualcomm expanded its portfolio with the introduction of the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 Compute Platform, designed to deliver top performance and exceptional experiences in premium ultra-slim and fanless laptops. The company also unveiled the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 Compute Platform to strengthen entry-tier Windows PC ecosystems with robust 5G connectivity and advanced AI experiences. Both platforms utilize smart, connected technology to modernize PC experiences and redefine mobile computing. Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 marks the world’s first 5nm Windows PC platform. The advanced 5nm process node, combined with other optimizations, dramatically improves the per…

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…

Luminous Night, Minecraft Dungeons’ second seasonal adventure, is now live and available for free. "Explore the Tower as you’ve never seen it before, with floors that feature new biomes, perplexing puzzles and the wildfire – an old fan favorite that is making a triumphant return to the Minecraft universe," writes Per Landin on Minecraft.net. "Luminous Night also features plenty of radiant rewards that will light up your surroundings with bioluminescent delight! These include the dreadfully adorable ministrosity and abomination pets, but also plenty of shiny emotes, skins and flairs." Like all seasonal adventures, Luminous Night is completely free. For those interested in …

The industrial metaverse is revolutionizing industries. Cutting-edge technologies like cloud and edge computing, digital twins and machine learning simulations are enabling organizations to better understand, predict and interact with the physical world. Industries ranging from manufacturing to healthcare are seeing the benefits as they embrace new capabilities like remote collaboration, 3D visualization and AI-based predictions. At the forefront of this technological revolution is mixed reality, which helps organizations bring together digital information and physical systems in innovative ways. Microsoft is deeply invested in this space, and we are excited to share the …

As we kick off the virtual gathering for Microsoft Inspire 2022, it’s an ideal time to reflect on the importance of our partner ecosystem. Each year we host an event to celebrate the work our partners do, and to recognize the impact they have across business and industry. Microsoft has more than 400,000 partners who employ more than 22 million people around the world. Our programs reflect a commitment to shared success. Together with our partners, we can achieve more. In that spirit, we celebrate the winners and finalists of our 2022 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards, which recognize outstanding successes and innovations by partners in over 100 countries and in a…

From Dec. 27 to Jan. 11, Sea of Thieves players can grab a grog (OK, three) and unlock unique cosmetics and more as part of Grogmanay. "For this year’s event, the Bilge Rats want the cheer to flow liberally so they’re offering rewards to pirates who complete Challenges while sufficiently lubricated with grog," says a post on SeaOfThieves.com. "Larinna’s also got a special Voyage leading to a cache of Bilge Rat-inspired fireworks – talk about capping things off with a bang!" Head over to SeaOfThieves.com to find out how it all works. Continue reading...

Every year in the month of April, we celebrate Earth Day. Living in the Pacific Northwest, as the snow begins to melt and the landscape brightens, I reflect on what a privilege it is to live in such a beautiful place. The theme for this year’s global Earth Day is “Invest in Our Planet,” and I believe it represents such an important reminder for us all – to invest. So, when the time comes to celebrate the Earth and recognize the amazing progress Microsoft and our partners are making to reduce our carbon footprints, change business practices to be more environmentally responsible and create more sustainable products, I jump at the opportunity. I’m so proud of the commitment…