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A year ago, we made a promise to simplify and help secure our customers’ lives, and what an amazing journey it’s been. We have been humbled by the love we have received over the past 12 months. We’re grateful to you, our customers, for trusting Microsoft Autofill to secure your passwords and other data and helping us with your feedback. We’ve heard you and made a lot of improvements along the way, and we thank you for that! Today is a special day not just because it’s our 1-year anniversary, but also because starting today you can use Autofill in Microsoft Authenticator to help protect your online accounts by generating strong, unique passwords. If you’re looking to prot…

The U.S. Congress in 1999 officially designated May as National Military Appreciation Month, and at Microsoft we mark this as a time to recognize and celebrate the employee military community globally. In this moment I remember my own grandfathers. My dad’s father served as an infantryman in World War I. The tri-corner folded flag presented to us at his funeral is encased steps away from my desk at home. My mom’s stepfather served as a paratrooper in World War II. The map he carried with him of the 1943 invasion of Sicily, where he jumped behind enemy lines, hangs just a few feet from my desk as well. Both my grandfathers were enlisted soldiers who volunteered and ser…

As organizations around the world make the definitive shift from remote to hybrid work, one thing is clear: the people who went home to work in 2020 are not the same people returning to the office in 2022. There’s no erasing the experience of the last two years and employee expectations are higher than ever. They want flexibility and face time, and are making career changes that prioritize personal goals and well-being. And based on findings from our 2022 Work Trend Index, there’s no going back to the way it once was. Understanding and keeping pace with new expectations is a challenge facing every leader today — and one that will be key to making hybrid work work. Our …

Lone Wolves: Season 2 is now available as part of Halo Infinite’s free-to-play multiplayer journey on Windows, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Steam. Players can now jump in with fresh content including new maps, modes, themed limited-time events and an all-new premium Battle Pass that never expires. “Season 2 sees a new narrative begin to unfold: Cortana’s dominion has ended, and the Banished rushed to fill the void, decimating all who stand in their way,” writes Will Tuttle on Xbox Wire. “Spartan Commander Agryna is preparing a new generation of Spartans to face them — and perhaps even more dangerous foes. But a few scattered Spartans remain in the field. These Spartans a…

Soon-to-be-released Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels will introduce players to the new Horizon Hot Wheels Park in the clouds high above Mexico. You'll see it July 19 in the Forza Horizon 5 Premium Add-ons Bundle, Premium Edition and Expansions Bundle – and available for standalone purchase at $19.99. You'll be able to design, build and share your own Hot Wheels adventure with over 80 distinct, snappable track pieces and race 10 new cars, including the lightning fast 2021 Hennessey Venom F5 and the iconic 2000 Hot Wheels Deora II. To find out more and view the trailer, head over to Xbox Wire or Forza.net. Continue reading...

VAIO – a familiar name and brand to some – is expanding its FE series of laptops in North America to include Windows 11 PCs aimed at multitaskers looking for all-in-one devices for work, creation, gaming and entertainment. With 12th Gen Intel core processors, these PCs can meet demanding needs quickly and use up to 46% less energy for up to 10 hours of use before needing to charge. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2022/06/Gateway-768x1024.jpegAnother company that will also strike a familiar chord, Gateway, is launching a new lineup of Ultra Slim notebooks – including those with touch screens – also outfitted with the 12th Gen Intel Core processors…

Technology is creating amazing opportunities for our industry and the world, and Windows 11 is at the center of innovation with new experiences that transform how we interact with the Windows PC and each other. With Windows 11, we’re seeing record engagement, our highest customer satisfaction over any previous version of Windows in the U.S., and accelerated growth in commercial deployments. In fact, we recently shared as part of our latest earnings report that over 90% of Fortune 500 companies are currently trialing or have already deployed Windows 11.¹ In February, we brought the new AI-powered Bing to the taskbar and other features to improve the way people get things d…

Now you can restore a mangrove forest in Minecraft. Using your new seed-scatter-cannon you can plant mangrove trees instantly. The more you plant, the lower the CO2 levels will be. Gradually you'll start to see wildlife come back and the mangrove return to its former glory. It’s all part of Minecraft’s vision to Building a Better World, in which Mojang Studios will be donating $200,000 to The Nature Conservancy to protect mangroves. “We have also partnered with Everbloom Games to bring you a free map, The Mangrove Restoration Project, which you can play to have fun and learn about mangroves,” writes Sofia Dankis on Minecraft.net. “We need to act now to preserve and restor…

https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2022/07/a532c503-01a5-46e5-9304-de119e586add-1024x278.png We’re thrilled to be named Netflix’s technology and sales partner to help power their first ad-supported subscription offering. At launch, consumers will have more options to access Netflix’s award-winning content. Marketers looking to Microsoft for their advertising needs will have access to the Netflix audience and premium connected TV inventory. All ads served on Netflix will be exclusively available through the Microsoft platform. Today’s announcement also endorses Microsoft’s approach to privacy, which is built on protecting customers’ information. T…

Today, Microsoft is kicking off the 12th Annual Ability Summit, a free community event that brings together people with disabilities, allies and industry professionals to imagine and build the future of inclusion and accessibility. It showcases our commitment to accessibility across the company and our fundamental belief that technology should be inclusive, ensuring everyone can access its benefits regardless of ability level, learning style or level of familiarity with technology. We’ve seen the PC become even more integral to productivity, connection and play over the last two years as we transitioned to hybrid ways of working and learning. The internet is a core part o…

With summer in full swing, students and parents are preparing to kick off back-to-school shopping to get ready for the exciting year ahead. We know parents and students are always on the hunt for a great deal, and this year, as inflation continues to rise, parents’ stress over the shopping season has increased by 7% in recent weeks alone. To help families breeze through shopping with confidence, Microsoft Store is offering back-to-school savings – starting July 11 through Sept. 11 – including discounted laptops, PCs and accessories, all supported by an extended price promise and return window. Microsoft Store’s top back-to-school deals and savings include: Save up to 50…

Advanced education and research enables discovery and innovation. The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) recently announced a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Microsoft to help bring the latest in commercial innovations to its campus and from there to the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. As the nation’s premier defense graduate university, NPS is focused on empowering its operationally experienced students and expert faculty to research and solve operational challenges faced by the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Department of Defense. NPS developed this strategic collaboration to bring some of the brightest military students and researchers toget…

Water is one of the most precious resources on Earth. And as someone whose family has been farming for generations, Fred Ziari has made it his life’s work to help growers be more efficient with this vital element for their crops, as well as the energy it takes to distribute it. Ziari is the CEO of IRZ Engineering & Consulting, which provides services to agriculture communities around the world. The company is based in eastern Oregon, which he says is 95% efficient in its water use, vs. about 40% globally. Water management is directly tied to crop productivity. IRZ offers water management services for large scale farms (100 acres or more), using water sensors and Micro…

Twins Miles and Malik George are almost always in sync. They graduated at the top of their high school class as co-valedictorians. At MIT, these bioengineering students embraced and expanded upon their love of science. They were also in multiple diverse groups on campus such as Nu Delta Fraternity, The Standard, and Laureates and Leaders. This last program is dedicated to helping under-represented students get Ph.D.s or M.D./Ph.D.s and has a selective entry process. The two fondly remembered the program as instrumental in shaping their academic careers. They worked with MIT Admissions as Admissions Ambassadors to increase the number of underrepresented students that apply…

Players of Monster Legends can take advantage of a new feature to grow their monster collection and gain other rewards by coming back to the game daily. Look for the new Blooming Tree in the game’s shop, then purchase it to activate the Bloom and get your instant gems reward. Then return the next day to collect your daily dose of gems, and keep coming back until the last day of blooming. Gems Bloom is active for 30 days after the purchase. Also, players can now participate in the last event of the season: the Bounty Hunt. From Aug. 12 to Aug. 19, flip tiles to find the fugitive monster and defeat it. The more points you get in this event, the more leagues you will climb. …

Dell has launched a new portfolio of intelligent Windows 11 PCs, accessories and software for hybrid work. Specialty professionals and creators can maximize performance and portability with the new 14-inch Precision 5470 and is equipped with the latest 12th Gen Intel Core i9 processors, 64GB of DDR5 memory, 4TB of storage and high-performance professional graphics. [caption id=attachment_177000" align="aligncenter" width="1024]https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2022/03/Dell_pr5470_crop-1024x638.jpg Dell Precision 5470[/caption] In addition, new products are aimed at business leaders and users who need portability and performance, come with 12th Gen …

When consumers are choosing PCs to buy, they’re looking not only at the device itself, but also at its environmental impact. Check out the latest episode of “Tech Trends” below, which takes a look at how Microsoft and its Windows 11 device partners are addressing sustainability objectives throughout the design, use and end-of-life management of PCs. “As an ecosystem, Microsoft is focused on achieving consistent sustainability targets across our devices,” explains Katie Mincin, who helps lead Microsoft’s sustainability efforts with its device partners, in the video. “Microsoft has identified six specific ecosystem wide objectives to address with our device partners. These …

The future of Internet Explorer (IE) on Windows is in Microsoft Edge and in less than three months that future will have arrived! On June 15, 2022, the Internet Explorer desktop application will retire and go out of support for certain versions of Windows 10. IE retirement is a major milestone in digital transformation for everyone. Like our customers, we've been working hard on this journey to IE retirement, and we couldn't have gotten here without you. Since we announced IE retirement last May, you’ve provided invaluable feedback that has led to improvements in Internet Explorer mode (IE mode), the legacy compatibility capability in Microsoft Edge. Two of the key enhanc…

New gaming features in Microsoft Edge, the best browser for gamers Did you know there are more than 3 billion gamers in the world? That is almost half of the population on the entire planet! This global community of people share a passion for gaming, and it only continues to grow: Two-thirds of Americans — people of all ages, races, genders, abilities and backgrounds — play video games, which shows the diversity of players. Seventy-five percent of U.S. households have at least one gamer and watching online gameplay is as popular as watching broadcast sports. Microsoft is all in on gaming and as we recently announced, we’re building a platform for the next 20 years that…

Dell’s new Windows 11 Inspiron Plus PC laptops are designed for boosting creativity and connection while providing immersive visuals and crisp audio. With Windows 11, they’ll be able to tap into many features that help them connect faster, be creative and/or productive and bring them closer to what (and who) matters most. The Inspiron 16 Plus features the latest 12th Gen Intel Core H-series processors and optional NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics for quick photo and video editing. When configured with a GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, it provides access to a powerful suite of NVIDIA Studio tools including Broadcast and Canvas apps. [caption id=attachment_177451" align="aligncenter"…

AMD unveiled its newest line of processors, the AMD Ryzen 6000 Series processors for mobile. AMD also brings its “Zen 3+” core architecture together with AMD RDNA2 integrated graphics for the first time with the full lineup of new AMD Ryzen 6000 Series processors. And for the first time in a business notebook, AMD integrated the Microsoft Pluton Security Processor within AMD Ryzen PRO 6000 Series, for continuous protection of user identity, data and apps – such as Microsoft Teams – on new Windows 11 PCs. Find out more about these and other AMD announcements. Continue reading...

Hey Sea of Thieves players: Swap your pirate hat for a detective’s cap as you uncover clues and find out the fate of the missing Merrick in “The Forsaken Hunter,” the game’s latest narrative-driven adventure, from June 30 to July 14. This update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players who have bought the game on Windows 10/11 PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One or via Steam, or players who have access to it with Xbox Game Pass. Simply download and install the latest Sea of Thieves update to get access. Head over to Xbox Wire to watch the trailer and find out more. Continue reading...

The Minecraft Marketplace is brimming with content to transform you from a farmer to a fighter, a builder to a burrower. Behind every door is a new story. What'll your next story be? Head over to Minecraft.net to explore some of the content bundles available, and be sure to check out the official trailer that gives you a taste of the excitement that awaits. Continue reading...

Manufacturing at its core is about innovation, building capacity and talent, and growth. It is essential to all facets of our lives, and the past two years have pushed the industry into the spotlight as it has faced exceptional obstacles. But out of that disruption, we have seen great opportunity and witnessed manufacturers across industries rise to the challenge. Factories have pivoted to produce and deliver COVID-19 test kits and medical supplies while automotive manufacturers have tried adapting to chip shortages, and consumer product companies shifted to home delivery and curbside pick-up business models. Practically overnight, manufacturing has been propelled into a …

At the June 12 Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, Mojang Studios unveiled Minecraft Legends, an all-new action strategy game developed in partnership with Blackbird Interactive. The game is scheduled to launch in 2023 on PC, console and cloud, and will be available with Xbox Game Pass on day one. "Minecraft Legends takes players to the Minecraft universe in a fun and unique new way, as they lead their allies in heroic battles to defend the Overworld," writes Dennis Ries, Minecraft Legends Executive Producer, in a post on Xbox Wire. "Players will discover a gentle land, both familiar and mysterious, full of lush biomes and rich resources. But this beautiful land is on the…