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We hope you enjoyed this week’s episode of This Week on Windows! Head over here to get Adobe Photoshop Elements 15 for 30% off, learn how to find your favorite holiday music with Microsoft Groove or catch up on the latest Xbox and Windows 10 devices – built to make it easy to play anywhere, connect socially around your favorite games, and even take your progress with you during holiday travels. Don’t miss Microsoft Stores’ 12 Days of Deals through Friday, Dec. 16 https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/5ff3d6b9d051ebedf50838680a7f35bc.jpg Whether you’re looking to knock out the last items on your gift list, find a new game for a friend or treat your…

Flying pigs, bunnies with wild eyes and ninja cats. In 3D. Since the launch of Paint3D, people have been creating and remixing crazy 3D creations. Today we’re highlighting some of our favorite weird and wonderful designs. If you are eligible to join the Remix3D Preview community, you can download and remix any of these models (and more!) to kick start your own creations. Could it “bee” any easier? https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/c6921da3ad4aa1bedd5d3b8a9ea2b529.png When we set our remixers loose on our various creations, everything from cats and dogs to sharks and starfish, we saw a number of unique hybrids come to life – including this mult…

It was an exciting week at Microsoft, with STEM education support, LinkedIn news, WinHEC in China and predictions for the new year. Let’s catch up. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/606a7a322c4e590e8037a855e8b28a0a.jpg To celebrate Computer Science Education Week and counteract the dearth of women in computing fields, 17 female researchers at Microsoft shared their predictions for 2017 and 2027. They included Kalika Bali in India, who says speech and language technology applications will become more multilingual next year, and Susan Dumais in Redmond, Washington, who says deep learning in search and information retrieval will come of age. A fasc…

We’re excited to let you know that we’re giving away five albums for free and nine holiday albums for 99 cents each in the US, available now in the Windows Store.* Check out the whole collection of free albums and the holiday albums for 99 cents here, or keep reading! Don’t miss these five albums, yours for free Halsey – Badlands (Deluxe) https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/fa3e86c164af41751d7fa28c23d6e96b.jpg Badlands is American singer and songwriter Halsey’s first studio album, and includes the songs “Castle,” “New Americana,” “Hurricane” and more. Avenged Sevenfold – The Stage https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/9c40…

We believe that everyone deserves a personal assistant, and a great personal assistant should be available to help on-the-go, on whatever device you carry. We’re excited to bring Cortana*, your truly personal digital assistant, to Android and iOS in the UK, and a fresh new look for the apps. Coming to the UK: The Cortana Android and iOS apps are coming to the UK, extending the functionality of your Cortana on Windows 10 to whatever smartphone you carry, always in perfect sync, always helping you stay on top of things. Reminders that Travel with You: Cortana has your back, seamlessly keeping track of the things you need to remember across all the platforms you …

We’re proud to announce Gigantic is available in the Windows Store in open beta for the Windows 10 and Xbox One Game Preview Program in North America and Europe! Gigantic is a free-to-play, third-person MOBA that pits two teams of five against each other in the fight to take down the enemy Guardian. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/4e214d4654281e3dd47d1ceb54a3107d.jpg Choose between 16 different heroes, each with their own unique playstyle. Each hero can be built in a variety of ways, allowing them to focus on a different aspect of their arsenal. As you play and learn about a hero, make sure to experiment with the different upgrades to see which o…

343 Industries is getting the holiday celebrations off to an early start – Monitor’s Bounty is out now for Halo 5: Guardians! The latest content release marks the tenth update for Halo 5: Guardians, and includes new weapons, armor and skins, brand new ways to play and seek out custom games and the largest Forge update we’ve ever released. Halo 5 players on Xbox One and Windows 10 will now have a new way to find matches and teammates with the addition of the join-in-progress Custom Games Browser. This new browser enables players to search for in-progress games from the main menu and utilizes the content browser to filter for any map or mode your heart desires. http…

On Thursday, Microsoft announced it has completed the acquisition of LinkedIn, the world’s largest and most valuable professional network. Plans for the acquisition were announced last June. The acquisition brings together “the world’s leading professional cloud and the world’s leading professional network to deliver more connected, productive and intelligent experiences for our members and customers,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in an Influencer article on LinkedIn. “I’m more confident than ever that our move to join forces with Microsoft will accelerate our mission to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful, and ultimatel…

In October, I shared how the Windows 10 Creators Update will empower a new wave of creativity, bringing 3D and mixed reality to everyone, enabling every gamer to be a broadcaster, and much more. At our core, we are all creators. Whether an artist, an architect, a teacher or student, a business professional on the go or a hardware engineer building innovative devices for the future, each of us creates using technology in our own way – and we are building Windows for each of you. Today, we’re at the Windows Hardware Engineering Community event (WinHEC) in Shenzhen, China –where our OEM partners have created more than 300 Windows devices shipping in 75 countries genera…

Hello Windows Insiders! It smells like snow up in Redmond-town and you know what that means? A big ole pile o’ features to keep us company during SNOWpocalyse! Today we are excited to be releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14986 for PC to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. What’s new in Build 14986 Making Cortana awesomer: Turn off your computer, change volume with voice commands: Being able to control your computer with just your voice is one of the top requests we get with Cortana, so we’re excited to say that we’ve added several new features to Cortana that let you do just that. Now you can shut down your PC just by asking Cortana. You can also re…

2016 has been a year of exciting growth and innovation here at Microsoft and for our customers. Business leaders, IT professionals, developers and our partners are embracing the cloud and new technologies like artificial intelligence, IoT and mixed reality to drive digital transformation. As we look toward 2017, I’d like to share an update on Microsoft’s premier conferences for the year ahead. As always, our goal is to provide high-quality event experiences that deliver impactful guidance and enable our vibrant communities to network, grow and learn from each other. First, we are bringing our annual Microsoft Build conference to Seattle — the “cloud city” — from M…

Trying to figure out what to get the zombie survivalist in your life for the holidays? Dead Rising 4 has you covered and we’re excited to share the game is now available across the world in the Windows Store for Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One, and in Japan this Thursday, Dec. 8. Play Video Restricted Content Confirm your age to continue month JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember day 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 year 2016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986198519841983198219811980197919781977197619751974197319721…

Hot on the heels of Forza Horizon 3 winning the Best Racing/Sports award at the 2016 Game Awards, today we’re unveiling our latest car pack – the Logitech G Car Pack, which features seven amazing vehicles hand-picked to deliver driving delights during the holidays. The car pack is included as part of the Forza Horizon 3 Car Pass, which is available as a separate purchase or as part of the Ultimate Edition of Forza Horizon 3 in the Windows Store. You can also get the car pack as a standalone purchase for $6.99 in the Xbox Store. Leading off the pack is the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept. Sure, it might not be drivable in the real world yet, but it’s easy to appreciate…

It was roughly six months ago, on June 13, that we announced that Microsoft would acquire LinkedIn. At that time, we said that we aimed to close the deal by the end of the year. Today, the European Commission announced that it has cleared the acquisition. As a result, we’ve now obtained all of the regulatory approvals needed to complete the acquisition, and the deal will close in the coming days. The approval in Brussels follows similar reviews and clearances in the United States, Canada, Brazil and South Africa. In each country and in a number of others, we’ve had the opportunity to review our combination with government officials and regulators in considerable detail…

Today, we’re showing you a couple ways you can make the most of Groove Music for all your holiday playlists! From modern twists such as Josh Groban’s “Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to oldie classics like Frankie Valli’s “Merry Christmas Baby,” you’ll love the hand-selected holiday playlists to set the perfect holiday mood. You can start listening now if you’re a Groove Music Pass subscriber – and if you aren’t, you can sign up here for a free 30-day trial and start listening today on your Windows 10 devices. Enjoy a daily musical treat with 31 days of holiday playlists https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/0e7b4cd70bc7d39d8a38727728793d7…

https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/f4571ce7327d90d877a703b1e1c0b4a6.jpg This year’s event will consist of talks and presentations about Microsoft’s vision for the hardware ecosystem with innovations in mixed reality, gaming, and other incredible opportunities for partners powered by the Windows 10 Creators Update. Attendees will gain an understanding of what’s next for Windows 10 and how to build devices that will take advantage of new capabilities. The WinHEC keynote begins Thursday, Dec. 8 at 9:30 a.m. in Shenzhen, China (Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 5:30 pm Pacific time). We’ll be sharing our keynote news right here on the Windows Blog along with deta…

Get ready to unwrap a new offer every day beginning December 5 through December 16 with 12 Days of Deals at Microsoft Stores and microsoftstore.com. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/5ff3d6b9d051ebedf50838680a7f35bc.jpg Whether you’re looking to knock out the last items on your gift list, find a new game for a friend or treat yourself to some of the coolest gadgets, the Microsoft Store has you covered. With great savings on some of the most sought-after gifts of the season like Xbox One games, select Surface devices, virtual reality experiences and many others, Microsoft Stores put everything you want within reach – at a great price. Visit your l…

We hope you enjoyed this week’s episode of This Week on Windows! Read more about three ways Cortana can help you this holiday and don’t miss the free holiday albums available today in the Windows Store* and the 12 days of deals at the Microsoft Stores. Here’s what’s new in the Windows Store this week: Pre-order Halo Wars 2: Definitive Edition https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/926febdcb9bda5506e3f7549294c8012.png Early access to Halo Wars: Definitive Edition, available to anyone who preorders the digital version of Halo Wars 2 Ultimate Edition, begins rolling out to Xbox One and Windows 10 PC on Dec. 20! Halo Wars tells the tale of the UNSC …

After the Thanksgiving holiday, we came back to work to discover news about Microsoft’s participation in a $3 million fundraising effort to shelter homeless families, how quantum computing can help end world hunger and how one couple has figured out how to convert used cooking oil into soap. Microsoft joined The Starbucks Foundation, the Schultz Family Foundation and many other businesses to support the annual No Child Sleeps Outside campaign by Mary’s Place. They’re part of an unprecedented effort to mobilize the King County, Washington community, contributing more than $3 million to provide safe emergency shelter for the estimated 500 unsheltered families in King Cou…

In a surprise announcement at The Game Awards, 343 Industries revealed on stage that early access to Halo Wars: Definitive Edition, available to anyone who preorders the digital Halo Wars 2 Ultimate Edition, begins rolling out to Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs on Dec. 20! Play Video Restricted Content Confirm your age to continue month JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember day 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 year 20162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985198419831982198119801979197819771976197519741973197219711970…

We’re excited to let you know that we’re giving away holiday albums in the US, available in the Windows Store for free!* The albums include holiday songs from Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Mary J. Blige, the classic album from Vince Guaraldi Trio, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and more. You can get all of these and more right now if you’re a Groove Music Pass subscriber – and if you aren’t, you can sign up here for a free 30-day trial and start listening today on your Windows 10 devices. Justin Bieber – Under The Mistletoe, Deluxe Edition https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/478b96232ad949d6f268be915407d6c9.jpg Justin Bieber’s 2011 holiday album is …

Hello Windows Insiders! Today we are excited to be releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14977 for Mobile to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. We will not be releasing a PC build this week due to a blocking bug that could result in broken apps after updating to a new build. What’s new in Build 14977 Read EPUB books in Microsoft Edge on your phone: In addition to being able to read any unprotected e-book in the EPUB file format on your PC with Microsoft Edge – you can also read unprotected e-book in the EPUB file format with Microsoft Edge on your phone! When you open an unprotected e-book in Microsoft Edge, you will be taken into a customizable reading…

We are feeling rather nostalgic on the Minecraft team these days, because November marked just about the five-year anniversary of Minecraft: Pocket Edition. It was fall five years ago when the team first began rolling out Pocket Edition on Android and iOS – beginning with Xperia Play. Since then, Pocket Edition has expanded to run on Kindle devices, Fire TV, GearVR and Windows Phone. It’s grown to over 40 million players that can connect to each other and players on Oculus Rift and Windows 10 via online multiplayer and Realms. In just the past six months, we’ve ushered in redstone, witches, the Wither, Elder Guardians and pig riding. And Pocket Edition and the Window…

Today, HP announced their new affordable, durable and fully functional learning PC – the ProBook x360 11 Education Edition, powered by Windows 10. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/c7bfdb3db468b0d7a04663375c214d45.jpg As technology usage in the classroom increases, HP has approached the design and creation of this device with students and teachers in mind. In addition to great built-in features like a touchscreen that enables Windows Ink, this PC also comes with student-friendly features, including an optional active pen to make math, art, note-taking in OneNote or highlighting in Microsoft Edge easier than ever. For teachers, great features are…

Donovan Brown was a new technical seller at Microsoft struggling with a demo when he sent the email that changed his life. “I had completely hosed the VM [virtual machine] I was using,” Brown recalled. He sent a desperate, cold-call email to a technical evangelist for help, which led to an invite for Brown to demo on stage, which led to a meteoric career rise. Three years later, the once-unknown salesman has become one of Microsoft’s top presenters, with Brown now the senior program manager in charge of the company’s vision for DevOps, an approach to software development that incorporates Agile methodologies. DevOps calls for development and operations teams to step…