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After 25+ years of helping people use and experience the web, Internet Explorer (IE) is officially retired and out of support as of today, June 15, 2022. To many millions of you, thank you for using Internet Explorer as your gateway to the internet. For our readers in Japan, please find the translation here: 日本語: https://blogs.windows.com/japan/2022/06/16/internet-explorer-11-is-no-longer-supported/ As a user, my first experience with IE was version 3, and my view of what was possible on the internet was transformed by the introduction of Dynamic HTML in IE4 and the introduction of AJAX in IE6. When I got the opportunity to join the IE7 team, I leapt on it, and have been …

Between Aug. 30 and Sept. 6, Minecraft Marketplace is going back to school and celebrating learning with a host of educational treats, including a free map from Minecraft Education and the Nobel Peace Center. "Log in to play the free Peace Builders adventure created through a Minecraft Education partnership with the Nobel Peace Center," writes Sophie Austin in a post on Minecraft.net. "Meet four ground-breaking Nobel Peace Prize laureates: Jody Williams, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, journalist Carl Von Ossietzky and the United Nations Refugee Agency, and help restore peace to your Overworld." Head over to Minecraft.net to find out more. Continue reading...

As the only full-time employee at Monkeypod Jam, Aletha Thomas is as small as a small business can get. But her reach extends across oceans and brings people from the mainland to the island of Kauai, her home in Hawaii for 25 years. Monkeypod originally focused on selling preserved fruit and pickled vegetables grown on the island, supplied by local farmers. It started as a project Thomas embarked on to help pay for her 2011 wedding and turned into a business that replaced her career as a teacher. Her growing team used the kitchen of a defunct fast-food restaurant to produce their small batches. Five years after they started, the growing company moved into a building that …

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...

https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/2022/03/ExecBlogSocial_BlogInLine_16X9_v2_1_FINAL-1-1024x576.jpg Cynthia Per-Lee, left, and Erin Chapple. Editor’s note: In recognition and celebration of Women’s History Month, Cynthia Per-Lee and Erin Chapple, two of the executive co-sponsors of the Women at Microsoft employee resource group, got together for a conversation about boundaries, access, inclusion and the powerful impact of the women’s community inside and outside of Microsoft. This is an abridged version of their chat. Learn more about Women’s History Month here. CPL: I’m excited about what’s happening for Women’s History Month and for us to spend s…

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…

Rami’s Racing History, the latest Forza Horizon 5 update, is now available. The update invites you to experience Mexico’s rich heritage of automotive manufacture with a new Horizon story, a festival playlist that celebrates different eras of car culture and deals on classic automobiles in the Forzathon Shop. Head over to Forza.net to see some of the cars in the update, find out about new accolades and more. Continue reading...

Now available to order online, the new Minecraft x Crocs footwear collection features five pairs of Crocs and two blocky sets of Minecraft-themed Jibbitz charms. The charms come in two different sets: a five-pack of flat charms featuring Steve, Alex, an Enderman, a creeper and a pig, and an exclusive 13-pack of 3D charms that includes various characters, mobs and blocks. And in addition to the physical Crocs, you can also download your very own pair of Minecraft x Crocs in the Dressing Room, for free. Simply launch Minecraft: Bedrock Edition and open the Character Creator to claim the item. Head over to Minecraft.net to find out more and see the Crocs close-up. Continu…

Sea of Thieves Season Seven Community Day is set to come ashore on Sept. 17. As a Talk Like a Pirate Day special, the event will offer rewards available across the weekend, with in-game and out-of-game surprises for your pirating pleasure. "This latest Community Day will feature a generous Renown boost from the very beginning, speeding up your progress through Season Seven’s 100 levels of earnable rewards," writes Rare's Christina McGrath in a post on Xbox Wire. "But as with our very first Community Day, it’s gold and reputation that will be significantly boosted by our community tweet-along this time. That multiplier will be in your hands as all players work together to …

Xbox players can now jump into the colorful world and time-warped action of Deathloop, available with PC Game Pass, Xbox Game Pass and Cloud Gaming (Beta) and on Xbox Series X|S. "Deathloop transports players to the lawless island of Blackreef in an eternal struggle between two extraordinary assassins," writes Anne Lewis of Bethesda Softworks on Xbox Wire. "Explore stunning environments and meticulously designed levels in an immersive gameplay experience that lets you approach every situation any way you like. Hunt down eight targets all over the island to put an end to the cycle once and for all, and remember, if at first you don’t succeed… die, die again." Head over to …

Get ready to take on the fiercest domains and demons in rhythm first person shooter Metal: Hellsinger, launching now with Xbox Game Pass and on Xbox Series X|S. "In Metal: Hellsinger you embark on an infernal journey of revenge through the eight Hells," writes Fucom's Marcus Hansson in a post on Xbox Wire. "The higher your multiplier, the more intense the music becomes and the more damage you deal, and at maximum fury, the vocals kick in for the full metal experience." Head over to Xbox Wire for all the details. Continue reading...

Oxford economist Colin Mayer captures the role of the modern corporation perfectly when he says, “The purpose of business is to produce profitable solutions to the problems of people and planet.” The problems we together are looking to solve are far from static, and as they evolve and grow, a key part of our job here at Microsoft is to create the tools and platforms that deliver better, faster and more effective solutions. Today, developers solve problems, big and small, across every industry and organization on the planet. That’s why this year’s Microsoft Build, the company’s flagship event for developers, so clearly reflects our roots. Of course, the future is exciti…

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…

Century: Age of Ashes is now available as a free-to-play on the Microsoft Store for Windows PC, with an exclusive Dragon Egg for Microsoft Store players. In the game, you play as one of many dragon riders controlling majestic dragons, engage in fast-paced 3v3 or 6v6 competitive skirmishes to prove your skills, gain experience through fights and challenges, unlock hundreds of epic customizations for your dynamic duos, and battle it out to become a ruler of the skies. Microsoft Store users are being offered an exclusive Saarkir Backwaters Dragon for the Phantom rider class. To redeem this unique dragon, download Century: Age of Ashes on the Microsoft Store for Windows 10/…

At Information Systems Europe 2023 in Barcelona, Lenovo revealed a new solution aimed at helping people collaborate better at home and in the office: ThinkSmart View Plus. Powered by the Qualcomm QCS8265 chipset, this integrated device runs Microsoft Teams as a standalone 27-inch multi-touch display with premium video, audio and whiteboarding features. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2023/01/03_ThinkSmart_View-Plus_Phone_Booth_2000-1024x576.jpg Explore big ideas together on this device with a stylus pen and a whiteboarding application. Users can also hear and be heard more clearly with a premium soundbar with two 5w speakers and four-mic array, w…

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…

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…

Today, we are excited to announce that Microsoft Phone Link for iOS on Windows 11 is beginning to rollout to our global audience in 39 languages across 85 markets. We recently announced that Windows 11 was expanding our Phone Link feature to enable the connection between a Windows 11 PC and an iOS mobile device with the goal of removing barriers between your phone and PC and making it easier to connect to the people you care about most. We know that being able to effortlessly connect to friends and family during important times is critical so we’ve taken a conservative approach to launching this update. To ensure the highest quality experience for our users, we asked ou…

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…

Minecraft fans can now get their virtual hands on new Avatar Legends downloadable content from Nickelodeon and Gamemode One. "Drawing from both 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' and 'Avatar: The Legend of Korra,' this immersive DLC sets you on a mission to become the Avatar: the only one who can bend all four elements and restore harmony to the world’s four nations," writes Sophie Austin on Minecraft.net. "Explore iconic locations from both series, and meet familiar friends and foes from the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation and the Air Nomads on your epic quest!" Head over to Minecraft.net to find out more and watch the video. Continue reading...

Srinivas Prasad Sugasani: It’s such fun to connect with you on Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. As Asians and Pacific Islanders, I feel that we have so much to celebrate. At the same time, as we think about some of the events and realities that we have navigated recently, I’m curious from your perspective, Jane, what do you feel is different about this past year? Jane Hesmondhalgh: We’ve continued on our journey of working to create an inclusive culture at Microsoft. And there is still a gap between our aspired culture and everyone’s lived experiences today. For some, that gap may be small; for others it may be larger. But the fact that at Microsoft we have t…

Introduced last month and launching May 11, the ROG Ally is a portable Windows 11 gaming device that’s getting a lot of buzz. Xbox’s Jeff Rubenstein took it for a spin and re-discovered “that childlike wonder” of playing games anywhere. In a post on Xbox Wire, Rubenstein focuses on Game Pass and how the Ally differentiates itself from other handheld gaming devices: by running the full version of Windows 11. “As soon as I signed in, the ROG Ally seamlessly detected that I’m a Game Pass Ultimate member, and even automatically connected to my home Wi-Fi – it’s the little things! Of course, it’s the big things too, like access to all the games I’ve previously purchased from t…

Today we’re reaffirming our long-standing approach to put people in control of their Windows PC experience and to empower developers to take advantage of our open platform. We want to ensure that people are in control of what gets pinned to their Desktop, their Start menu and their Taskbar as well as to be able to control their default applications such as their default browser through consistent, clear and trustworthy Windows provided system dialogs and settings. Third party applications running on Windows and Microsoft’s own apps and features will have access to methods for pinning to these key user experiences and access to directing users to change defaults. Apps may …

Across the world, persons with disabilities remain invisible in the global development agenda. One key reason is because of variances in the availability and use of disability-disaggregated data across organizations and borders. While it is estimated that one billion people, or 15 percent of the world’s population, have a disability – more data is needed to understand the true scale of the living conditions and development outcomes for persons with disabilities, and to get clarity on the degree to which persons with disabilities continue to be underserved. This reality is a part of what the World Bank calls the disability divide – the gap in societal inclusion f…

Following the last few years of record-breaking natural disasters, it’s clear that weather prediction accuracy isn’t just for making daily decisions when going outdoors – it can save lives. From deadly risk of hurricanes to lightning storms to flooding, there’s a critical need for a high-accuracy weather forecast tool. To meet the needs of our users, we decided to build our own weather forecast system in Microsoft Start. Using industry-leading machine learning, AI and other innovative technologies over the last two years, Microsoft built one of the world’s leading weather forecasting capabilities. In a new, independent study commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by Fore…