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2020 is now – finally – hindsight. It was a year of unprecedented disruption – how businesses connected with their employees and customers transformed nearly overnight. We saw organizations rapidly pivot to remote-first environments, undergoing years’ worth of digital transformation in a matter of months. Time to market was already top of mind for software development teams, but the last year ushered in urgent requests for new functionality to engage with customers and communities digitally. Much of this transformation was supported by developers who became “digital first responders” – helping their organizations become more agile and resilient. Developers moved workloads to the cloud and found new ways to code, collaborate, and ship software faster, from anywhere. Many of the changes we saw were trends already underway for software development teams, but they accelerated amid the turmoil of the pandemic. As we enter the new year and look forward to recovery, it’s a good time to reflect on these massive shifts and consider the lasting changes they’ll have as we transition back to hybrid work environments. It’s also an opportunity to consider how these changes will affect the future of software development and how we can play a role in building a more resilient future together. In this blog, I’ll discuss how we can help grow and support developer talent amid unprecedented demand, improve developer inclusivity and velocity, and help engineering teams scale out through open source and low-code tools. High demand for developer talent The most successful companies understand digital transformation is not just about adding technology, but about supporting their people to continuously generate value through deep customer insights and rapid iteration. This doesn’t just apply to tech companies. LinkedIn data shows across the U.S., hiring for engineering roles grew 25% from 2019 to 2020. Digital skills will remain in high-demand – we expect to see 150 million tech or tech-adjacent jobs over the next five years. Topping the list of fastest-growing skills on LinkedIn since the pandemic hit are digital skills including programming and digital marketing. However, many organizations struggle to hire technical talent, and digital skillsets continue to evolve rapidly as well. LinkedIn data shows more than 20% of hiring professionals say the skills they’re looking for now are different than they were before the pandemic. The global developer shortage limits the pace of innovation, digitization and transformation. To help meet this demand, we must make technical learning more accessible to anyone who wants to learn to code and pursue a career in software development. This has become even more important over the last year as the pandemic and economic crisis left so many people seeking new jobs. In fact, research shows 70% of workers moving into emerging fields like product development, data and AI jobs come from outside of those roles. Leaders need to build skills training programs alongside onboarding to ensure they are preparing their employees for the tasks ahead. That’s why Microsoft has created a global skills initiative to help bring more digital skills to 25 million people worldwide through data, free learning content, low-cost certifications and job seeking tools. Minting new developers With technical skills and developer expertise in higher demand than ever before, a lot of people will be learning to code over the next few years. To inspire the next generation of developers, we’ve teamed up with partners including Warner Bros. and LeBron James in “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “Wonder Woman 1984,” Smithsonian Labs, and NASA; and with Netflix on their new original movie “Over the Moon” to help learners explore computer science, data science, and learn to code with their favorite superheroes, athletes and cartoon characters. By connecting learning content to something interesting, relevant, and most importantly – inspiring, computer science and coding become less intimidating and more attainable for learners of all ages – whether they are 8, 18 or 80. YouTube Video Click here to load media It takes more than technical skills to succeed. To help students and educators build vital skills like communication, confidence, problem-solving and resilience, we’ve developed a series of mentoring toolkits to help build a more inclusive future for the tech industry. The educational landscape is also shifting significantly – from physical settings to institutions that educate in virtual and hybrid spaces, to self-taught learners. In remote learning environments, students learn via cloud-hosted platforms and tools, and their educational institutions build on the benefits of self-service environments and at-scale collaboration. At Microsoft, we’re building platforms for teaching people how to code that provides all the infrastructure for remote learning – the developer environment, lab and tools for real-time collaboration to facilitate rapid learning at scale. Workplace flexibility and remote-first collaboration As my colleague Scott Hanselman wrote, “Quarantine work is not remote work.” As we’re working from home, our children are learning alongside us. We’re dealing with unprecedented stress from pandemic life and economic challenges which we hope will see some relief over the coming year. As recovery begins and we all get back to school and work – remote work is here to stay. At Microsoft, we’ve adopted a policy for a more flexible workplace that allows all employees to work from home for up to 50% of the time. I expect greater workplace flexibility will become the industry standard – in fact, LinkedIn saw a 4.5x increase in remote job postings from January to December 2020. Generally, this is good for inclusion, it’s a better environment for some employees who can concentrate better at home, and for many women who often bear the brunt of domestic responsibilities. Our team was always remote-friendly – but we didn’t realize until this year what a huge difference there is between remote-friendly and remote-first. We found aspects of some developer tasks were easier to transition – for example, making a check-in to a cloud-hosted repository is something we’ve already been doing for years. But other aspects are missing – particularly around team culture, collaboration, and new employee onboarding, that usually depend upon huge amounts of osmosis and have generally taken place in person in a physical environment together. Initially, when we looked at certain measures of activity like pull request (PR) rates, we didn’t see much of a change as we entered mandatory work from home. But as we broke it down by role and experience, we found that managers and new hires seemed to be disproportionately affected. In some parts of our organization, we saw significant increases in after-hours instant messaging, as well as increases in PR rate. However, new hires were submitting PRs at a rate much slower of those new hires of last year. And we found many managers responsible for keeping morale high were also facing burnout themselves. We’ve worked to foster more inclusive remote-first environments for employees including encouraging shorter meetings, creating space for transitions and Teams features like virtual commute, focusing intentionally on time for well-being and learning, as well as finding new ways to collaborate, which I discuss more below. Inclusive and supportive team cultures and human-centered developer tools At Microsoft, we have long been advocates for human-centered design. We recently used human-centered design to help us work with partners to create lifesaving solutions. We also use community co-creation and our Customer-Driven Playbook for building our tools for developers. Our process often starts with an open-ended inquiry to understand where developers are experiencing the biggest pain-points. As we talk with development teams, we’re seeing a tremendous need for developers to collaborate pre-commit – for pair-programming, mentoring, defining component boundaries, debugging, and learning. This has become more difficult over the past decade as teams have become more distributed. With distributed teams, it becomes harder to build social capital – the kind of connection with a colleague that makes it easier to overcome challenges together. A focus on building the right team culture is critical – encourage team communication, normalize asking for help, and make it a priority for established employees to support onboarding. If we’ve learned anything while being separated from each other last year, it’s that connection and bonding are important elements in successfully working together. That’s why we’ll see a growing need for human-centered coding experiences – those that enable you to connect and bond with your colleagues in different modalities as you code. However, developers require focus for productivity and collaboration can sometimes mean interruption. Human-centered coding can become a way for you to learn about your colleague’s habits, coding styles, best practices, and general tribal knowledge asynchronously while also being provided cues on the best time to engage in real-time with your colleagues and connect with high-bandwidth tools optimized for developer-to-developer collaboration like Visual Studio Live Share – so you can both preserve your focus time and stay “in-the-zone.” Human-centered coding also means bringing other human perspective into your development process. This requires being open and engaging with users and developer communities for feedback and input. As my colleague Sarah Novotny says, “Success in open source is just as much about your own contributions to the community as it is about what you learn from the community.” This has always been a tenet of open source, and we’re now seeing it apply to product development at large. Scaling out with open source Over the past year, we saw an interesting trend on GitHub: Enterprise developer activity dropped on weekends and holidays but open source contributions jumped, suggesting that as people are “signing off” of work, they are “signing on” to open source. We saw open-source project creation jump 25% since April, year-over-year. Open source can become an outlet for creative expression, an environment and community that supports learning new skills, as well as a way to build on the shoulders of giants. With the rising demands of new technologies and rapid time-to-market, professional developers have increasingly turned to open source so that they can focus their ingenuity on their unique business requirements. Research shows 99% of applications contain open-source components. The average project on GitHub has more than 200 package dependencies; the top 50 projects are depended upon by more than 3 million packages. As companies move to the cloud, they prefer cloud platforms that offer ready access to open-source ecosystems. Scaling out with low-code solutions As the pressures of 2020 grew, developers were asked to fundamentally reinvent how businesses operate. That was asking a lot of developers who are already stretched beyond capacity. It was in these circumstances that we saw many developers adopt and support low-code tools. Low-code has the potential to fundamentally change how developers work, and we’ve only scratched the surface on how low-code tools and professional developer tools can be used together to get solutions out the door more quickly. To further scale digital feedback loops and accelerate innovation, developer framework teams can create reusable components which can be leveraged by others. These building blocks help junior developers add value more quickly and empower citizen developers, who have domain expertise but lack formal development skills, create applications, and automation that would not have made the priority list of a central IT development team. These solutions built by hybrid teams can still use the same quality processes and DevOps automation used by solutions authored exclusively by professional developers. We saw Microsoft customers across industries – from The American Red Cross to Toyota – turn to the Power Platform to help optimize business processes, improve communication and collaboration, and prioritize work for other strategic business problems. Over the next year, we expect low code solutions to continue growing as a key tool for professional developers and business users. One of our low-code experts, Dona Sarkar, shares a few key trends to keep an eye on, including the merging of low-code with collaboration platforms, how automation helps resolve business hiccups, and how fusion developer teams (both pro-devs and those with a primary job function other than building software) will work together to solve business problems. Continuing to build, grown and learn There’s no doubt the last year will have a lasting impact on the technology industry and the developer profession. There’s a lot to look forward to, and I am excited to see how we all continue to build, grow, and learn together as we continue to support the resilience of our broader communities. The post Software development in 2021 and beyond appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Coming off a year that brought everyone’s priorities into focus, the all-digital CES 2021 was a powerful reflection of the importance of devices in peoples’ daily lives. The digital conference gathered global brands online to share ideas and introduce products that will define the future of the tech industry. This week, we’ve seen innovative PCs, gaming consoles, tablets, Microsoft Teams Room systems and other devices that will make it even easier to work, learn, shop, stream, play and connect in any scenario. Devices designed to empower people This year’s event was the perfect illustration of Microsoft’s belief that modern tech empowers everyone to do more. The intelligent cloud and the intelligent edge are not only transforming how we work, but also serving as a force for good with a strong emphasis on sustainability and security. We are more optimistic than ever about the role of innovation in improving lives and livelihoods as we move toward recovery from the pandemic in the year ahead. Our partners make this possible. Partners are at the center of how we bring technologies, services and solutions to more users with new devices for streaming, gaming, communicating and creating with the intelligent edge and cloud. These devices – and the chips inside them – are empowering people to reimagine routines and be at their best in their work, studies and downtime, knowing their data and privacy are protected by Microsoft’s built-in security tools. Microsoft President Brad Smith delivered a keynote this morning titled (keynote starts at 15:38). He discussed the dual use of digital technology, a powerful tool that serves as the underpinning of economies and communities that if misused, can become a formidable weapon that undermines fundamental human rights. Brad highlighted the steps needed to address these issues and why the tech sector must take responsibility to ensure that technology is used as a force for human progress and the greater good. Innovative devices for unique scenarios Microsoft and its partners have expanded our vision and portfolios to address the evolving needs of millions of consumers, students and businesses around the world still working and learning remotely. The latest devices from our partners at CES show best-in-class technology, chip innovation, a commitment to sustainability and a deeper understanding of how people interact with their devices throughout the day by providing great audio, video and expanded connectivity choices. Here are just a few examples of the devices launched at CES 2021: Acer, Predator Triton 300 Acer has pushed performance-per-pound limits with the next generation of its slim and portable Predator Triton 300 SE. Gamers can play on the go with this notebook’s 11th Gen Intel Core i7 H35-series processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPUs. Meanwhile, the dual-fan cooling system – including the latest 5th Gen AeroBlade Fan and Acer’s Vortex Flow technology – keeps temperatures in check to optimize performance. Users will appreciate the 14-inch FHD display, boasting a 144 Hz refresh rate. The 10-hour battery life, DTS:X Ultra audio, Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX 1650, wide range of ports and backlit, three-zone RGB keyboard complete the experience. ASUS, ROG Flow X13 (Ryzen) ASUS is delivering its first-ever 2-1 convertible gaming laptop with its ROG Flow X13. Powered by an AMD Ryzen Mobile Processor, this laptop delivers powerful hardware in an ultra-slim 13-inch body. And, with a slick convertible design and a 360-degree hinge, The Flow X13 gives gamers the power to use different modes for different tasks. Standard laptop mode is optimal for serious gaming and multitasking while tablet mode makes it possible to swipe through content or draw and take handwritten notes. A textured exterior with a wave-like design adds style while providing a secure, fingerprint-resistant grip for easy carrying. Integrated one-touch login also allows the Flow X13 to wake up like a smartphone. Dell, Latitude 9420 Dell’s portfolio of intelligent, collaborative and sustainable devices now includes the Latitude 9420. It features powerful camera enhancements, the latest 11th Gen Intel Core i7 vPro processors, Intel Wi-Fi 6E (Gig+) or 5G LTE connectivity, Intel Visual Sensing Technology and secure biometric authentication with Windows Hello to help professionals – especially those switching between home and office work environments – feel connected, confident and in control. The 9420 was developed with advanced security built in at every point, including features like SafeShutter, the industry’s first automatic webcam shutter that opens and closes in sync with videoconferencing apps. HP, Elite Folio The HP Elite Folio combines what people love about their phones, tablets and PCs into one device. The device features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 5G compute platform delivering up to multi-gigabit connectivity speeds with 5G and Wi-Fi 6, and incredible performance and efficiency with battery life that can last for days (or up to 24.5 hours of continuous local video playback) so users can be more productive from anywhere. With a wideview HD webcam and premium audio, the HP Elite Folio enables mobile professionals to move around without missing a beat. Its fanless design, quiet keyboard and always-ready HP Elite Slim Active Pen make the HP Elite Folio a device for all environments in laptop, tablet and media modes – all on a sleek 13.5-inch diagonal display in a vegan leather case. Lenovo, ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 Powered by the latest AMD Ryzen Mobile Processors, ThinkBook 16p will appeal to power users who crave performance models with sophisticated display quality, fast memory and high-speed connectivity. Remote workers will enjoy features optimized for video conferencing, including a larger touchpad, a keyboard with quick access conference keys, an AI-based noise cancellation algorithm to suppress ambient noise, and a variety of audio modes for different types of calls. ThinkBook 16p will be available with optional next-generation NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics to complement AMD Ryzen Mobile processing power. Its 16-inch display is a ready canvas for creatives to work, especially when configured with a digital pen, Windows Ink and a pre-calibrated Pantone-certified display for true color accuracy. Partners – and modern tech – make more possible CES transformed into a totally different experience this year, one enabled entirely by modern tech and devices. The devices above demonstrate the impact of Microsoft’s innovation, the strength of our mission and especially the value of our partnerships. And although we’ve missed seeing our partners in person, these innovations remind us of the power of these devices and solutions to keep us connected. Thanks to the Consumer Technology Association and its partnership with Microsoft as well as our Windows ecosystem partners, CES certainly demonstrated that we all have reason to be optimistic for a better and brighter 2021. Continue reading...

At CES 2021, ASUS announced its latest lineup of laptops, displays and entertainment solutions at its “Be Ahead” virtual launch event. Among the Windows 10 devices unveiled: The ROG Flow X13, the first 2-in-1 convertible ROG gaming laptop, and the ROG XG Mobile, an ultraportable external GPU that augments the Flow X13’s gaming performance and connectivity. The Flow X13 arrives in an ultraslim 13-inch body with up to an 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS CPU and dedicated GeForce GTX 1650 GPU, which provides the performance needed for demanding workloads and enables strong performance in the latest games. Up to 32GB of memory provides smooth multitasking. A PCIe SSD provides high performance and up to 1TB of capacity, giving users ample storage space for games and professional portfolios. A 360-degree hinge maximizes touchscreen viewing and interaction, quickly flipping from laptop mode into positions for gaming, drawing and presenting. You can also take advantage of Windows Ink. The edge-to-edge keyboard design incorporates a full-sized, desktop-style layout into its compact chassis. The ErgoLift hinge raises the back of the keyboard as the system is opened for a better typing angle. Convert the X13 to tent mode and play games using compatible devices such as the Xbox controller. [caption id=attachment_175300" align="aligncenter" width="1962]https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2021/01/ZenBook-Pro-Duo_UX482_resized2000-1.jpg ASUS ZenBook Duo 14[/caption] Both ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo and ZenBook Duo include Control Panel, a fully customizable app that gives users precise and intuitive control of creative apps, including brush-size adjustment, saturation, layer opacity and more. It supports Adobe tools such as Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Premiere Pro and After Effects. As with the gaming devices, you can sign on using Windows Hello. Both also include a stylus, which enables yet another layer of interactivity for users. So on both you’ll be able to use Windows Ink, wake on voice, far-field Cortana. Find out more about ROG and other ASUS devices revealed at CES 2021. Continue reading...

As part of their special event this week, NVIDIA introduced its GeForce RTX 30 Series laptops, built with the NVIDIA Ampere architecture, the second generation of RTX, which fully supports DirectX 12 Ultimate. This includes new Ray Tracing Cores, Tensor Cores and streaming multiprocessors to give gamers and creators the most realistic ray-traced graphics, AI-accelerated performance and greater efficiency. These laptops introduce new third generation Max-Q technologies. Max-Q is a system wide approach to provide even more performance in thin and light laptops. The technologies include NVIDIA DLSS, Dynamic Boost 2.0 and WhisperMode 2.0, which use AI algorithms to optimize the performance, power and acoustics across the CPU, GPU, GPU memory, fans and more. It also includes support for Resizable BAR, which is an advanced feature of PCI Express that enables the CPU to access the entire GPU frame buffer at once, improving performance in many games. Several of these just-announced GeForce RTX 30 Series laptops join the NVIDIA Studio program. These built-for-creator Windows-based laptops come equipped with up to 16 GB of video memory, pixel-accurate displays and GPU acceleration for ray tracing, artificial intelligence and video encoding that allow artists to create in record time. A total of more than 70 GeForce laptops are coming from every major PC manufacturer, starting Jan. 26. This is the biggest laptop launch for the company yet. They will be available with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, 3070 or 3060 Laptop GPUs. Find out more about the new GeForce RTX 30 Series laptops. Continue reading...

At CES 2021, Acer announced updates to several Windows 10 gaming notebooks in its portfolio, including the Predator Triton 300 SE, Predator Helios 300 and Nitro 5. The company also introduced three new high refresh rate gaming monitors. The Predator Triton 300 SE and Nitro 5 notebooks have been updated to include the latest 11th Gen Intel Core H35-series processors, while the Predator Triton 300 SE and Predator Helios 300 have been refreshed with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs — plus upgrades that include increased display refresh rates and better cooling technology. They're also compatible with Cortana. [caption id=attachment_175284" align="aligncenter" width="2000]https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2021/01/XV2_XV282K-KV_resized.jpg Nitro XV282K KV[/caption] The Nitro XV282K KV gaming monitor immerses users into vivid worlds with its 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS panel, features a 100,000,000:1 contrast ratio to display sharp visuals and covers 90% of the DCI-P3 wide color gamut to allow for intense color representations. The 144 Hz refresh rate panel boasts a 1 ms response time for speedy frame rendering. It comes with HDMI 2.1 and a cable for hassle-free support for the latest gaming consoles at 4K UHD 120 Hz with VRR. The monitor has also achieved TÜV/Eyesafe certification and features Acer’s new Agile-Splendor IPS technology. The Nitro XV282K KV monitor will be available in North America and in Europe, Middle East and Africa in May 2021 starting at $899.99 and 949 euros; and in China in Feb 2021, starting at RMB 6,999. Go to Acer’s Newsroom for more information on these and other devices the company announced at CES 2021. [1] Listed battery life is based on MobileMark 2014 productivity mode testing with wireless on. Details of MobileMark 2014 testing are available at www.bapco.com. Battery life rating is for comparison purposes only. Actual battery life varies by model, configuration, application, power management settings, operating conditions and features used. Continue reading...

At CES 2021, Dell showed off new and refreshed Windows 10 PCs and monitors to help you work smarter. They do so by being more intelligent, secure and sustainable – whether you’re back at the office (or never left), home or in a hybrid environment. Among the products are 5G powered PCs and Microsoft Teams certified displays that help unlock enhanced connectivity and collaboration, commercial PCs built from bioplastics and built-in low blue light and security technology. View: https://www.youtube.com/embed/JlSu9lplQ9s The Latitude 9420 comes with a powerful built-in speakerphone and camera enhancements that provide automatic light correction and background blur so you can feel confident in any video call. Get to work faster with Intel Visual Sensing Technology for auto wake and lock, safely logging in via Windows Hello and stay connected with WiFi 6E or 5G LTE. Advanced thermals and the latest 11th Gen Intel Core i7 vPro processors with the Intel Evo platform provide increased performance and simplified manageability. It’s expected to be available this spring, starting at $1,049. [caption id=attachment_175272" align="aligncenter" width="1280]https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2021/01/Alienware-Aurora-Ryzen-Edition-R10.png Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10[/caption] Prefer to play on desktops? Check out the Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10, now featuring AMD’s latest Ryzen 5000 Series desktop processors with up to 16-core processors and your choice of new AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT series graphics or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics. Whether streaming, blasting through game levels, or tackling heavy-processing applications, this device can handle it all and stay cool with an innovative airflow design and vapor chamber technology that dissipates heat and gives players an extra boost when they need it most. Go to Dell to find out more about these and other devices announced at CES 2021. [1] Based on Dell analysis, Sept. 2020. [2] Estimates based on data derived from Life Cycle Assessments conducted in accordance to ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2006. The system boundary of the LCA is Cradle-to-Gate, with the Gate of the analysis being the production of the mechanical part. Included in the analysis were the polymer production, injection molding process, paint manufacturing and painting process. Sept. 2020. Continue reading...

At CES 2021, AMD announced its full portfolio of Ryzen 5000 Series Mobile Processors, which deliver the “Zen 3” core architecture to gamers and creators, with consumer laptops available from major PC manufacturers expected to launch throughout the year. The company also announced the AMD Ryzen PRO 5000 Series Mobile Processors for commercial laptops, with enterprise-level security features with layers of defense at the silicon, OS and platform levels, giving IT teams confidence their laptops will have protection wherever employees work. In all, more than 150 consumer and commercial systems will include these processors in 2021. At the top of the product stack, AMD Ryzen 5000 H-Series Mobile Processors feature up to eight cores and 16 threads. “Zen 3” architecture provides up to double-digit performance increases across multiple work streams, while the increased L3 cache allows for lower latency and faster speeds. For mainstream consumers looking for performance on the go, the AMD Ryzen 5000 U-Series Mobile Processors offer a significant upgrade over the previous generation. AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO Processors will now be directly available to consumers through participating global retailers, e-tailers and system integrators with on-shelf availability expected in March. Go to AMD for more information on these and other announcements at CES 2021. Continue reading...

At CES 2021, Lenovo introduced an array of powerful Windows 10 devices for families, professionals and gamers that include Windows Hello, 5G, bigger screens and blue light reduction to reduce eye strain as more and more people spend time in video conferences. With so many families working and learning from home, sharing Wi-Fi, it’s more important than ever to have a reliable 4G/LTE or 5G cellular connection to enable lightning-fast speeds during many, many video conference calls and classes. With this in mind, the new ultra-portable Lenovo IdeaPad 5G is ready to work and explore when you are, with Instant on with Modern Standby. Where 5G is unavailable, you’ll enjoy more security and dependability via 4G LTE connectivity [1], which is the default on this 2.6 pound laptop. This makes it easier for you to stay connected at home or on the go by combining what you love about your smartphone with the efficiency of a thin and light fan-less laptop with Windows 10. [caption id=attachment_175264" align="aligncenter" width="1500]https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2021/01/14_Thinkbook_16p_Hero_Birdeye_B_C_Cover.jpg Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 2[/caption] Lenovo also introduced the ThinkBook 14p Gen 2 and ThinkBook 16p Gen 2, Windows 10 devices with Windows Hello built specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. The latest ThinkBook laptops are designed from foundational customer experience insights to focus on the all-important end user experience. ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 has been enhanced in almost every area. Highlights include a better refresh rate and new 16:10 low blue light displays for a virtually edge-to-edge screen experience and improved touch interaction. A new garaged pen will automatically launch select applications for greater usability and the e-Ink display has increased from 48% screen-to-body (STB) ratio to 68%, offering a larger 12-inch usable area. The introduction of the latest generation NVIDIA GeForce graphics on the ThinkBook 16p opens up a world of content creation, editing and entertainment. The ThinkBook 14p will be available in the first quarter of 2021, starting at $849. The ThinkBook 16p will also be available in the first quarter, starting at $1,299. Go to Lenovo to find out more about these and other devices in the company’s CES portfolio. [1] Enabled 5G, 4G and/or LTE service is optional and available in select markets. Connectivity requires separately purchased cellular data plan that may vary by location. Additional terms, conditions and/or charges apply. Connection speeds will vary due to location, environment, network conditions and other factors. See carrier for details. [2] Based on 5G sub-6 GHz technology, providing 10 Mbps download speeds to the average user. Download speeds vary by region and service provider. Network strength also varies by 5G service provider. [3] Hinge design patent currently pending. [4] Compatible with Motorola smartphones using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series processor or better, and DisplayPort capability. [5] Source: Intel. As measured by industry benchmark and Representative Usage Guides testing and unique features of 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processors that power designs, which are co-engineered as part of Intel's comprehensive laptop innovation program Project Athena, then tested, measured and verified against a premium specification and key experience indicators to ensure unparalleled user experiences. For more complete information about performance and benchmark results, visit www.intel.com/Evo. Battery life will vary and depend on numerous factors including product configuration and usage, software, operating conditions, wireless functionality, power management settings, screen brightness and other factors. [6] For Intelligent Mode, total possible thermal design power (TDP) is up to 170W shared between the CPU and GPU. [7] A TÜV Rheinland certification mark signifies that a product has been examined according to strict safety requirements by an accredited third-party and is supported by regular factory inspections. Continue reading...

The post CES 2021 is here: Catch our partner highlights appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

At CES 2021, Intel introduced the 11th Gen Intel vPro platform, a business platform delivering high performance and comprehensive hardware-based security. This platform aims to deliver a better experience for anyone working anywhere. Intel found that productivity was 23% faster when using Office 365 [1] and 52% faster productivity during a conference, compared to a competitive device [2]. View: https://www.youtube.com/embed/JlSu9lplQ9s Initially featuring four new 11th Gen Intel Core vPro processors for thin-and-light Windows 10 laptops, the new platform includes Intel’s SuperFin technology, Intel Iris Xe graphics and integrated Intel Wi-Fi 6/6E (Gig+) that provides nearly six times faster uploads and downloads in the office and nearly three times faster speeds at home. Intel also claimed a better AI performance to keep pace with the fast-changing software ecosystem, and up to 1.8 times faster creation and video editing compared to a competitive device [3]. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2021/01/Intel-man-lifestyle.jpg Intel also launched the Intel Evo vPro platform for highly mobile business users. It brings together business-class performance, hardware-enhanced security features, superior remote manageability and PC fleet stability. Laptops designed on this platform are thin and light with immersive displays. More than 60 new high-performance vPro and Evo vPro laptops will be available this year, combining the security and manageability of vPro and the on-the-go experiences of Intel Evo. Head over to Intel for more information on these and other announcements at CES 2021. [1] Source: Intel. As measured by Microsoft Office 365 workflow. 11th Gen Intel CorevPro i7-1185G7 Processor vs. MD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U. [2] Source: Intel. As measured by Productivity and Collaboration Workflow. 11th Gen Intel Core vPro i7-1185G7 Processor vs. AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U. [3] As measured by Video Editing workflow. 11th Gen Intel Core vPro i7-1185G7 Processor vs. MD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U. For workloads and configurations visit www.Intel.com/PerformanceIndex. Results may vary. Intel technologies may require enabled hardware, software or service activation. No product or component can be absolutely secure. Your costs and results may vary. Continue reading...

COVID-19 has changed the way people live and work this past year, so much so that HP research has shown people in the U.S., U.K. and Japan using their personal PCs an additional seven hours a week. Photography, writing stories/articles and live streaming emerged as the top three activities. View: https://www.youtube.com/embed/ux6Chbu9NnE HP has unveiled a lineup of Windows 10 devices at CES 2021 to help those spending more time on their devices pursuing creative and professional goals. With fingerprint readers and IR cameras, you can login via Windows Hello for increased security. [caption id=attachment_175250" align="aligncenter" width="2736]https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2021/01/HP-EliteBook-840-Aero-G8_A-Left-Facing-scaled.jpg HP EliteBook 840 G8 Aero[/caption] Go to HP for more information on these and other devices announced at CES. [1] Battery life tested by HP using continuous FHD video playback, 1080p (1920x1080) resolution, 150 nits brightness, system audio level at 17%, player audio level at 100%, played full-screen from local storage, headphone attached, wireless on but not connected. Actual battery life will vary depending on configuration, and maximum capacity will naturally decrease with time and usage. [2] Multi-core is designed to improve performance of certain software products. Not all customers or software applications will necessarily benefit from use of this technology. Performance and clock frequency will vary depending on application workload and your hardware and software configurations. Intel’s numbering, branding and/or naming is not a measurement of higher performance. [3] Weight will vary by configuration. UHD panel or HP Sure View Reflect, 32GB memory base units, WWAN, 4-cell battery and 512GB SSD or higher not available on configurations starting at less than 1kg. Laptop speaker enclosure and display bezel components made with 5% ocean-bound plastic. [4] 100% outer box packaging made from sustainably sourced certified and recycled fibers. Fiber cushions made from 100% recycled wood fiber and organic material. Any plastic cushions are made from >90% recycled plastic. Continue reading...

Dig through the soil, discover new mysterious plants and take naps in the woods with the latest Bedrock map, Bloom, now available for free in the Minecraft Marketplace as part of Minecraft’s continuing Community Celebration. “Bloom is a world full of flowers and plants that you have complete control of. We were really inspired by the existing plants in Minecraft, the idea of growing, and we wanted to expand on that and see where we can take it,” says John Newell, whose studio, Gamemode One, makes DLC games, experiences, mods and add-ons for Minecraft. Another bonus, from now until Jan. 13, everybody gets a complimentary week when they subscribe to Java Realms. Get all the details on Bloom and more on Minecraft.net. Continue reading...

Got some downtime on your hands during the holidays? If you’re a young map maker in search of new challenges in Minecraft, check out the continuation of the Community Celebration with this new downloadable content: Terra Swoop Force, which you’ll find for free in Minecraft Marketplace. In this DLC, you’re flying to the center of the earth to find out what happened to a two-person team that disappeared there 30 years ago. Get all the details on Minecraft.net. Continue reading...

For two weeks, until Jan. 4, you can find major discounts on creator content at the Minecraft Marketplace, including 28 doorbusters at 75% off (two per day) and up to 100 regular sale items at 33% off. Find out more at Minecraft.net. Continue reading...

If you’ve got the Minecraft for Windows 10 Starter Collection and want to get some virtual dirt under your very real fingernails, check out the new free content waiting for you from the Pixel Heads team. Farm Life, this week’s Bedrock Community Celebration gift, is now available in the Minecraft Marketplace. Head over to Minecraft.net to check it out. Continue reading...

Want to find out how much more time you’d have for the things you want to do if you were more organized? A good way to find out is with three tech tips from the Windows team. For instance if you’re a Microsoft 365 subscriber, you can use Money in Excel to track your spending. If you’re not a subscriber, you can use free templates to do much the same thing. If you want to make sure all your computer files are backed up for protection and available wherever you want to access them, try OneDrive. And if you want to organize your thoughts while online – so you can easily follow up on them later – check out the Collections feature in Microsoft Edge, which uses pictures so you can easily find what you saw before. For details on these and more, head on over to the Windows Resource Center. Continue reading...

It’s that time of year when 4 p.m. starts to feel like midnight. The days of being able to go outside and exercise or play are waning as it gets colder, wetter and darker. But families looking for ways to find some relief indoors can turn to video games as a way to take a communal break, creating new memories and developing some surprising skills. The Entertainment Software Association, which conducted research in the U.S., shows “Parents are using video games to connect with their kids…In fact, more than half of parents (55%) say they play games with their children at least once a week, and 92% pay attention to the games their child plays.” “We advocate gaming as part of a balanced lifestyle,” says Dave McCarthy, corporate vice president for Xbox Product Services. “What we find universally true about gaming is it has some great qualities that really help people through this time, like problem solving and conflict resolution. There's also a degree of escapism that I think people find a lot of solace in right now, the ability to just shut off all the chaos that's going around us and step into the shoes of a character that you really relate with and go on an adventure with them.” Read the rest at Microsoft Stories. Continue reading...

Loneliness among the older generation is a growing problem world-wide. Gaming in virtual worlds can provide a vital connection between older and younger family members. "Xbox: Beyond Generations" aims to bridge that generational divide in families. The initiative launches with a short documentary film, which follows the story of a family on their journey towards re-connecting with each other via gaming. Howard and his grandson Dhillon, who live nearly three hours’ driving distance apart, used to have a close relationship. But they drifted apart. Over four weeks, the filmed experiment documents their rekindled relationship. Their ability to go on virtual road trips in Forza or sail on virtual ships together in Sea of Thieves—shared activities that are no longer possible for them to do in real life—becomes the catalyst for opening up to each other about their lives and forming a deeper bond. Find out more on Xbox Wire. Continue reading...

This week, I was thrilled to take part in Envision, our brand-new digital series for senior business leaders, which we’re co-producing with our close partners Accenture and Avanade. Hosted by Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company magazine, our first episode featured dynamic speakers and a conversation that centered on thought leadership topics such as digital resilience, the future of work, and how individuals and organizations alike can find purpose and drive momentum. We also aired localized versions of the program, which allowed leaders to discuss business news and topics relevant to their region, such as the impact of COVID-19 on local industries. To kick things off, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talked with Stephanie about the evolution of the workplace, what it takes to create a resilient and agile business culture, and Microsoft’s embrace of “stakeholder capitalism” to serve not just shareholders but a broad community of stakeholders. Satya was followed by Accenture CEO Julie Sweet and Microsoft Executive Vice President Judson Althoff, who shared the five questions that organizations need to think carefully about to transform in a post-pandemic world. I had the privilege of interviewing Christophe Beck, President and Chief Operating Officer of Ecolab, to learn how his company is bringing together technology and people to address the world’s biggest sustainability challenges. In addition, Mitra Azizirad, Corporate Vice President of AI and Innovation Marketing at Microsoft, described why successful organizations make innovation a top priority and how to treat innovation as a platform. Finally, Avanade CEO Pamela Maynard spoke with psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais and Microsoft Chief Diversity Officer Lindsay-Rae McIntyre about the mindset required to succeed and how to use purpose to change things for the better. Visit the Envision website to see our highlight video or register for the series to watch the complete episode or individual segments. I hope you’ll join us for Episode 2 on Feb. 16, when we’ll look at five areas in which global challenges are driving exciting innovation. Speakers will include Microsoft Executive Vice President Jean-Philippe Courtois; Caroline Fanning, Chief Human Resources Officer of Avanade; our Chief Environmental Officer Lucas Joppa; Accenture Chief Leadership and Human Resources Officer Ellyn Shook; and Julia White, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Azure. The post Finding purpose and unlocking potential at Envision appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Gears 5 PC gaming fans, you can now enjoy the Hivebusters DLC, available through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. This DLC focuses on the origin of Scorpio Squad, who were first introduced in Gears 5’s Escape mode and whose story was expanded in the Hivebusters comic book series. This ragtag group of soldiers has been recruited for an unorthodox mission to take out the Swarm and maybe even change the war forever. Find out more at Gears5.com. Continue reading...

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There are few slam dunks in life, but it seems like a good bet when you pair a global icon like LeBron James with a campaign to inspire more interest in computer science. Video games are enormously popular all over the world, as is basketball. While it may take a lot to become a star in the latter, people may not always realize the work that goes on behind-the-scenes to make video games – or that there are several paths to turning something they love (the former) into a career. Microsoft Stores trainer-led workshops, as well as Microsoft MakeCode and Microsoft Learn on-demand lessons, present new and free opportunities in which learners of all ages in the U.S. and abroad can learn basic and advanced coding, create their own games and find out how to incorporate problem solving, perseverance and other skills into their lives – using basketball as the common element in drawing in new coders. Read the rest at Microsoft Stories. Continue reading...

Digital skilling has taken center stage in 2020 – and as the importance of well-rounded, at-home learning has grown, this will continue to shape culture and education in the year ahead. The World Economic Forum predicts 77 percent of jobs in the next decade will be in technology, with creativity among the top skills sought by employers. As a company, we are committed to bringing these new skills to the workforce through our Global Skilling Initiative, announced earlier this year with the goal of helping 25 million people worldwide acquire these new digital skills. To help bridge the digital skills gap and inspire the next generation of developers, Microsoft and Warner Bros. are partnering together to create new education opportunities themed around the upcoming animated/live-action movie, “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” In this film, basketball champion and global icon LeBron James goes on an epic adventure alongside timeless Tune Bugs Bunny. When James and his young son Dom – who dreams of being a video game developer – are trapped in a digital space by a rogue AI, James must get them home safe by leading Bugs, Lola Bunny and the whole gang of notoriously undisciplined Looney Tunes to victory over the AI’s digitized champions on the court: a powered-up roster of basketball stars as you’ve never seen them before. Ahead of the film’s highly anticipated release in 2021, we are inviting fans to help us create an arcade-style Xbox video game inspired by the movie. We’re also launching two new learning paths and hosting themed virtual workshops to help learners of all ages explore science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) careers and discover the wonders of computer science. YouTube Video Click here to load media When it comes to empowering the next generation of developers, inspiration is equally as important as access to education. As part of this new partnership, basketball champion and global icon LeBron James has joined the team to encourage budding developers to participate in our all-star contest and get kids, especially underserved youth, excited about developing these sought-after skills. Participate in the Xbox ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ arcade-style video game contest On our quest for a truly fan-inspired gaming experience, we’ll bring two lucky winners’ ideas into reality as the official “Space Jam: A New Legacy” arcade-style video game, available as the newest Perk for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in 2021. Since Xbox Game Pass was built on fan feedback, it’s only fitting that fan-inspired ideas will create this once-in-a-generation experience. Now through Dec. 30, fans aged 14 and older can submit game ideas at the official contest website. Winners will also receive a virtual Microsoft coding workshop for their local community; their names featured in the game credits, an exclusive winner’s bundle with signed and authenticated LeBron James memorabilia; “Space Jam: A New Legacy” merchandise and Nike VIP packs; a personalized Xbox Series S console; and a private friends and family screening of the film. Learn to code with a new series of Microsoft Store workshops featuring ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ To help coders of all ages jump-start their creativity, Microsoft Stores are hosting free “Space Jam: A New Legacy”-themed virtual workshops on video game creation. Sign-up is available now. The Stores’ online workshops are aimed at children as young as 8. Via a 90-minute Microsoft Teams Live lesson, students will make a playable prototype of a video game using our simple-to-navigate experience on our MakeCode Arcade platform, while learning about the professional skills and STEAM careers that are involved in game design including coding concepts, programming tools and the importance of building skills around problem solving, creativity and perseverance. The cast of “Space Jam: A New Legacy” realizes how critical it is for aspiring coders and technologists to be inspired by the promise of technology. That’s why LeBron James created short video to help us introduce the power of data science and coding. We’ve also created an educator version of these trainings that makes it easier for teachers to incorporate STEAM lessons in their curricula in the hope of amplifying opportunities for learning. Find out more about this on our Microsoft in Education blog. Develop the job skills of tomorrow on Microsoft Learn inspired by the Tune Squad We also built two new lessons for Microsoft Learn, themed to “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” Microsoft Learn is a free online technical training platform to teach data science and coding using popular, easy-to-get-started tools like Visual Studio Code, GitHub and Azure. Through the Microsoft Learn catalog of more than 1,000 videos, labs, articles and curated content, learners can explore their passions and pursue certification opportunities for popular job roles in data science and cloud development. Start learning here: Predict basketball player efficiency ratings by using machine learning and Visual Studio Code Use JavaScript, Azure, GitHub, and Visual Studio Code to write a web app that helps the Tune Squad For more details on why we created the “Space Jam: A New Legacy” learning path, try our Microsoft Learn blog. Inspiring upskilling professionals and the next-generation of learners alike We’re inspired by “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and LeBron James’s commitment to I Promise School. With compelling new learning opportunities, we believe we can also inspire others to discover data science and coding much in the way many of us were inspired through gaming. This new contest, along with the workshops and lessons we’ve created, presents an unmissable opportunity: Future innovators and technologists gain critical job skills for the future – all while solving real-world scenarios they love (like in basketball). The post Microsoft teams up with Warner Bros., LeBron James and Bugs Bunny to empower a new generation of developers appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Among us, one of the biggest gaming hits of 2020 with more than half a billion players, is coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC. In this online, multiplayer game, you and your friends attempt to prepare a spaceship for departure. Work together and complete your tasks quickly – but beware of impostors aboard. Find out more on Xbox Wire. Continue reading...

As a society, we continue through the journey of this global pandemic, but there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. There are currently two COVID-19 vaccines under accelerated review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European regulatory authorities that have reported safety and efficacy data in phase three clinical trials.¹ Unlike the common flu vaccine, each of these COVID-19 vaccines poses similar and unique challenges in terms of procurement, distribution, administration and management. At Microsoft, we have been working with public- and private-sector organizations around the world to help support this monumental task of delivering vaccines as quickly as possible, but also in a secure and equitable manner. Technology plays an essential role in the secure, safe and equitable distribution of the vaccine and strategic partnerships will enable us to achieve our goals and meet the challenges ahead. In this blog, we will go into more detail on some strategic partnerships that are enabling the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine. Partnering towards better outcomes With COVID-19 vaccines soon to be available, Microsoft and its partners are actively working with customers to deploy vaccine management solutions that enable registration capabilities for patients and providers, phased scheduling for vaccinations, streamlined reporting, and management dashboarding with analytics and forecasting. These offerings are helping public health agencies and healthcare providers to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals in an efficient, equitable and safe manner. The underlying technologies and approach have been tested and deployed with prior COVID-19 use cases, including contact tracing, COVID-19 testing, and return to work and return to school programs. Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) has deployed over 230 emergency COVID-19 response missions globally since the pandemic began in March, including recent engagements to ensure the equitable, secure and efficient distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. MCS has developed an offering, the Vaccination Registration and Administration Solution (VRAS), which advances the capabilities of their COVID-19 solution portfolio and enables compliant administration of resident assessment, registration and phased scheduling for vaccine distribution. It enables the tracking and reporting of immunization progress through secure data exchange that utilizes industry standards, such as Health Level Seven (HL7), Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) and open APIs. Health providers and pharmacies can monitor and report on the effectiveness of specific vaccine batches, and health administrators can easily summarize the achievement of vaccine deployment goals in large population groups. Additionally, several of our partners have leveraged the Microsoft cloud to provide customers with additional offerings to support vaccine management. These offerings also apply APIs, HL7 and FHIR to enable interoperability and integration with existing systems of record, artificial intelligence to generate accurate and geo-specific predictive analytics, and secure communications using Microsoft Teams. Meeting the needs of a global population for fair and equitable vaccine distribution, administration and monitoring calls upon the very best that the Accenture, Avanade and Microsoft partnership has to offer. Using our strategic consulting, industry and implementation expertise, coupled with Microsoft’s cutting-edge data, cloud and technology capabilities, means we are building robust, scalable and dependable solutions for vaccination authorities around the world. EY has partnered with Microsoft to provide a comprehensive, end-to-end solution that helps manage the manufacture and distribution process of the vaccine. The EY Vaccine Management Solution is built on multiple Microsoft technologies: Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365, Power BI and Power Platform to enable patient-provider engagement, supply chain visibility, and Internet of Things (IoT) real-time monitoring of the vaccines. Additionally, the EY Vaccine Analytics Solution is an integrated COVID-19 data and analytics tool supporting stakeholders in understanding population and geography-specific vaccine uptake. Mazik Global has leveraged its expertise in the healthcare industry and technology solutions to create MazikCare Vaccine Flow. Vaccine Flow is built on Power Apps and utilizes pre-built templates to implement scalable solutions to accelerate the mass distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. Providers will be able to seek out specific populations based on at-risk criteria to prioritize distribution. Patients can self-monitor and have peace of mind to head-off adverse reactions. Most importantly, the ability to monitor inventory levels as well as the temperature of the vials will enable providers to help get the vaccine to patients quickly. MazikCare Vaccine Flow is available in Microsoft AppSource. Microsoft and its partners utilize robust capabilities of Microsoft’s highly secure cloud-based technologies to deliver solutions that address the most urgent challenges the healthcare industry is facing today. Learn more about Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare and the breadth of our partner capabilities. Collaborating toward a successful outcome To achieve the goal of an efficient, equitable and safe delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine, close collaboration across agencies and partners will be the key to success. It is imperative that implementations be delivered on time and customized to meet the needs of every government and healthcare customer. As much as possible, newly introduced technologies should integrate with existing systems of record to keep workflow changes and costs to a minimum. Microsoft and its partners are committed to doing our part to help the global community address this historic challenge. Together, we look forward to helping our customers embrace the power of digital, and the power of human innovation to deliver a safe and effective vaccine in a prioritized manner. Learn more about Microsoft’s response to COVID-19 on a global level and Crisis Response and Recovery Resources for state and local governments. ¹ Vaccine candidates produced by (1) Pfizer and BioNTech, and (2) Moderna are currently in regulatory review for Emergency Use Authorization (as of Dec. 2, 2020). The post Successful COVID-19 vaccine delivery requires strong tech partnerships appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...