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Technology has already transformed the world we live in. Computers are ubiquitous, from the machines on our desks to the devices in our pockets and in our homes. Now, breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning are helping scientists treat cancer more effectively, farmers figure out how to grow more food using fewer natural resources, and give people from different countries the ability to communicate across language barriers. In many ways though, we’re only just beginning to tap into the full potential AI can provide. This in large part is because AI development and building deep learning models are slow and complex processes even for experienced data scientists and developers. To date, many people have been at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing AI, and we’re committed to changing that. Over the last few months, we’ve made multiple investments in companies to further this goal. The acquisition of Semantic Machines in May brought in a revolutionary new approach to conversational AI, and the acquisition of Bonsai in July will help reduce the barriers to AI development through the Bonsai team’s unique work combining machine teaching, reinforcement learning and simulation. These are just two recent examples of investments we have made to help us accelerate the current state of AI development. https://blogs.microsoft.com/uploads/prod/2018/08/logo_9ed96b39-300x114.png Today, we’re excited to announce the acquisition of Lobe. Based in San Francisco, Lobe is working to make deep learning simple, understandable and accessible to everyone. Lobe’s simple visual interface empowers anyone to develop and apply deep learning and AI models quickly, without writing code. We look forward to continuing the great work by Lobe in putting AI development into the hands of non-engineers and non-experts. We’re thrilled to have Lobe join Microsoft and are excited about our future together to simplify AI development for everyone. The post Microsoft acquires Lobe to help bring AI development capability to everyone appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18237 (19H1) to Windows Insiders who have opted in to Skip Ahead. What’s new in Build 18237 Bringing acrylic to the Windows sign-in screen With today’s flight we’re adding acrylic, a type of brush from the Fluent Design System, to the sign-in screen background. The translucent texture of this transient surface helps you focus on the sign-in task by moving the actionable controls up in the visual hierarchy while maintaining their accessibility. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/09/8ee0a99a88529052e41b1e5a0ae8c7c2-1024x576.png Other Updates for Insiders Microsoft Apps on Android gets rebranded as Your Phone Companion app This week, we are bringing our apps closer together – Your Phone app on PC now links you to Your Phone Companion app on your Android phone. See the resemblance? Companions? Yea thought you’d like that! We heard your feedback on having both apps share a stronger name game. If you’ve previously installed Microsoft Apps on your Android phone, when the app auto-updates, you’ll see a fresh set of screens that maintain the mobile app’s visual connection to Your Phone app on PC. Loved the fact that the mobile app used to surface up other apps by the same maker, Microsoft? No fear, it’s still there. Tap on ‘Top Microsoft Apps’ to get 20 quick recommendations. Or click on the left menu button, and browse through mobile apps from Microsoft, organized by app categories. Not sure why you need this goodness on your Android phone? Check out Your Phone app on PC. Did we mention you can text from your PC? Try it out and let @VishnuNath know what you think. We can’t wait to hear from you. Love it, like it, or have feedback in any form – share it! Android 7.0+ are compatible with Your Phone app. For PCs tied to the China region, Your Phone app services will be enabled in the future. We are still finetuning the app, so if you are looking for support, check out workarounds in the FAQ. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/09/767d24e4097a1af057f9fe4c78c93d7f-1024x505.png General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC We fixed an issue where Task Manager couldn’t be resized in the previous flight. We fixed and issue resulting in Settings crashing when navigating to Accounts > Sign-in in the previous flight. We fixed an issue resulting in reduced Action Center reliability in recent flights. We fixed an issue where if you opened one of the taskbar flyouts (like network or volume), and then quickly tried to open another, it wouldn’t work. We fixed an issue for people with multiple monitors where if the Open or Save Dialog was moved between monitors some elements might become unexpectedly tiny. We fixed an issue resulting in certain apps crashing recently when setting focus to the in-app search box. We fixed an issue resulting in certain games, like League of Legends, not launching/connecting properly in recent flights. We fixed an issue where clicking on web links in PWAs such as Twitter didn’t open the browser. We fixed an issue resulting in certain PWAs not rendering correctly after the app had been suspended then resumed. We fixed an issue where pasting multi-line text into certain websites using Microsoft Edge might add unexpected empty lines between each line. We fixed a crash in recent flights when using the pen to ink in Microsoft Edge’s web notes. We fixed a high hitting Task Manager crash in recent flights. We fixed an issue resulting in Settings crashing for Insiders with multiple monitors when changing various options under Display Settings in the last few flights. We fixed a crash when clicking the Verify link on the Accounts Settings page in recent flights. We’ve added a new group policy for preventing the use of security questions for local accounts. This can be found under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Credential User Interface. We fixed an issue where the contents of the Apps & Features page wouldn’t load until the apps list was ready, resulting in the page appearing blank for a time. We fixed an issue where the list on Settings of built-in phrases for the Pinyin IME was blank. We fixed an issue in Narrator where activating Microsoft Edge history items would not work in Scan mode. We made some improvements in Narrator Selection when moving forward in Microsoft Edge. Please try this out and use the Feedback hub app to let us know any issues you encounter. We fixed an issue where Narrator would incorrectly report some standard combo boxes as “editable combo box” instead of “combo box”. Known issues Narrator sometimes does not read in the Settings app when you navigate using Tab and arrow keys. Try switching to Narrator Scan mode temporarily. And when you turn Scan mode off again, Narrator will now read when you navigate using Tab and arrows key. Alternatively, you can restart Narrator to work around this issue. You may notice the background of notifications and the Action Center lose color and become transparent (with an acrylic effect). We’re aware that for notifications this can make them difficult to read and appreciate your patience as we work on a fix. Known issues for Developers If you install any of the recent builds from the Fast ring and switch to the Slow ring – optional content such as enabling developer mode will fail. You will have to remain in the Fast ring to add/install/enable optional content. This is because optional content will only install on builds approved for specific rings. No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18237 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17758 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. What’s new in Storage Sense Starting with Windows 10, Storage Sense has embarked on a path to keep your storage optimized. We’re making continuous improvements in every feature update. From Build 17720 and later, we’re adding a new capability and making a few changes to Storage Sense’s behavior. Storage Sense now has the capability to automatically free up disk space by making older, unused, locally available files be available online-only. Learn more in the Storage Sense blog post here. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is no longer present in this build. This does not mean this is the final build as we are not done yet. We’re just now beginning the phase of checking in final code to prepare for the final release. We fixed an issue resulting in the back button in Settings and other apps becoming white text on a white background if you hovered over it. We fixed an issue resulting in Narrator not reading selected word choices when typing using an IME (for example, in Japanese). We fixed an issue resulting in certain apps crashing when you tried to save a file from the app. We fixed an issue resulting in explorer.exe crashing recently when clicking on the “Import photos and videos” option from an autoplay notification. We fixed an issue resulting in nearby sharing not working for local accounts where the account name contained certain Chinese, Japanese, or Korean characters. Known issues When you use the Ease of Access Make Text bigger setting, you might see text clipping issues, or find that text is not increasing in size everywhere. Community Updates Can modern IT help support police officers and community safety? Check out how Eric Wood, IT Pro and Windows Insider, is on a mission to do just that. And what do ten 200-ft high grain elevators have in common with Windows 10? They’re all helping a rural business tap into the power of productivity tools – thanks to the winner of our latest Insiders in Action Contest! Check out how. No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17758 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

When she’s not working, Marta Luis Burguete likes to hang out – upside down from the ceiling, as an aerial acrobat. In a new video tutorial, the Microsoft product specialist brings together her passion and her profession to show how to use a digital pen, a Surface Pro and Microsoft Office to edit a flyer, script and stage floor plan for an Aerial Circus School show. Check out the video tutorial below, in which she demonstrates how to use the digital pen to edit these plans and promotions for the show. She uses PowerPoint to edit the flyer with ink to text, ink to shape and ink replay, as well as to create the stage floor plan using the ruler, segment eraser and ink replay. In Word, she uses ink editor and highlighter for the script. The post Video: Acrobat soars to another level with digital pen appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

If you’re interested in setting up Windows Hello to sign in faster and more securely, you can do so, thanks to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. Previously Microsoft account users had to navigate deep into Settings to find Windows Hello. Now, you can set up Windows Hello Face, Fingerprint or PIN straight from your lock screen by clicking the Windows Hello tile under Sign-in options. Check it out in action: https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/09/8e8d813d28c1d99454a8ce22d2822313.gif This feature is only available for users who use their Microsoft Account to sign in to Windows. It is not available for work or school accounts, or local accounts. If you like this, check out more Windows 10 Tips. The post Windows 10 Tip: Set up Windows Hello from your lock screen appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Otto Knoke, who has been living with ALS for two decades, harnesses his data skills to help transform companies and modernize industries with the help of Eye Control, a feature in Windows 10 that allows him to type with his eyes. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/09/4dc780a0c11aa8346cc8ae120dec94f5-1024x576.jpg Otto Knoke and his friend and former colleague, Juan Alvarado, discuss a Power BI report Knoke created using eye-tracking software for Windows 10. The 60-year-old data analyst calls himself the “oldest nerd of Guatemala” and is well-known in the country’s business community, especially after he helped update the banking industry by bringing ATMs there 20 years ago. But even as his career was blossoming, his muscles were beginning to fail him. In 1998, Knoke was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, and was told he had two years to live. Though he’s now one of just 5 percent of ALS patients to survive for more than 20 years, he’d gradually had to pull back from his work. Trying to communicate had become a struggle. Then last year, his life took a new turn. Read more about Knoke at Microsoft Stories. The post Data analyst with ALS types with his eyes to help modernize companies appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/09/29ef1bb49d2fc1941c2a757adcad7eb5-1024x570.jpg Simone Biles made history in August by being the only woman to ever win five national all-around titles in the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. The Microsoft News team has a mission to keep the world informed, with nearly half a billion people coming to MSN and Microsoft Edge every month to find out what’s going on around the globe. Each day, Microsoft News editors work with more than 1,000 premium publishing partners (such as “The New York Times,” “Fox News,” “USA Today” and “Sports Illustrated”) to curate the best news and high-quality, credible journalism across a variety of topics so that readers get the latest news. Each month, MSN will publish a list of its most-read news stories “in order to share what our readers are drawn to and allow you to catch up on stories you may have missed.” Head over to The Microsoft News Blog to check out the five most-read stories for August. The post Check out the most-read stories on MSN in August appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17755 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. Text from your PC – stay connected with Your Phone app No need to dig for your phone to text. Leave it in your pocket, bag, or purse. Your Phone app now gives you instant access to your most recent photos and texts from your Android phone. Snap a pic on your Android, see it on your PC. It’s just easier. Text your friends, group message, and type with a keyboard—Your Phone app allows you to view, send, and receive the SMS from your Android, on your computer. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/09/c5ecba8e663e5be9e848f29e8c4286ad-1024x576.png There are a few ways you can text from your PC. We mentioned the ability to type with a keyboard, the obvious. But how about inking a reply? On pen-capable devices, use your digital pen to focus near the text field in Your Phone app’s messages. Ink a message and watch your fresh ink convert to text and send. Or try using just your voice to dictate a message (US English only at this time). Press the Windows logo key + H to start dictation. On a touch keyboard, select the microphone button. Use dictation to make your text entry easier. Try it out and let @VishnuNath know what you think. We can’t wait to hear from you. Love it, like it, or have feedback in any form – share it! Have you pinned Your Phone app to your taskbar yet? We are still finetuning the app, so if you are looking for support, check out workarounds in Your Phone app FAQ. Your Phone app is also live for Insiders who are in Skip Ahead running 19H1 builds. You must link your Android phone to your computer through Your Phone app. You will receive an app from Microsoft, which you must download to your mobile phone and follow the setup prompts. Android 7.0+ are compatible with Your Phone app. For PCs tied to the China region, Your Phone app services will be enabled in the future. For iPhone users, Your Phone app helps you to link your phone to your PC. Surf the web on your phone, then send the webpage instantly to your computer to pick up where you left off to continue what you’re doing–read, watch, or browse with all the benefits of a bigger screen. With a linked phone, continuing on your PC is one share away. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is no longer present in this build. This does not mean this is the final build as we are not done yet. We’re just now beginning the phase of checking in final code to prepare for the final release. We fixed an issue resulting in slower resume from hibernation on certain devices in the last few flights. We fixed an issue resulting in HDR video being unexpectedly clipped in certain situations. We fixed an issue resulting in Windows Hello spending more time in the “Getting Ready” state in recent builds. Known issues When you use the Ease of Access Make Text bigger setting, you might see text clipping issues, or find that text is not increasing in size everywhere. Narrator sometimes does not read in the Settings app when you navigate using Tab and arrow keys. Try switching to Narrator Scan mode temporarily. And when you turn Scan mode off again, Narrator will now read when you navigate using Tab and arrows key. Alternatively, you can restart Narrator to work around this issue. No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17755 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18234 (19H1) to Windows Insiders who have opted in to Skip Ahead. What’s new in Build 18234 Microsoft To-Do gets ink support! Capture and complete your tasks naturally with Ink! We’ve added support for handwritten input to allow you to capture your tasks seamlessly in Microsoft To-Do (Version 1.39.1808.31001 and higher). Ink support is now available to #WindowsInsiders! Become an Insider to try it out and let us know what you think! Redirecting... pic.twitter.com/8DERbhDJdN — Microsoft To-Do Help (@MicrosoftToDo) September 4, 2018 Please try it out and let us know what you think by tweeting at @MicrosoftToDo on Twitter! With Ink you now can: Capture your tasks naturally by writing directly on the list’s surface. Complete your tasks by striking through them. Use check-marks within the circle to the left of a task to complete it. Sticky Notes 3.0 Last week, we rolled out a major update to Sticky Notes for Windows Insiders who have opted into Skip Ahead. Read all about the awesomeness in Sticky Notes 3.0 in this article on our Insider website. Let us know what you think of the update! https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/09/786ec1eda2e7c6ac67532935c93f351b.gif Snip & Sketch gets better! We recently flighted version 10.1807.2286.0 of Snip & Sketch (née Screen Sketch) to Skip Ahead, which included the highly requested delay snip feature. There was a bug in Build 18219 blocking the New button from working, so please try it out today once you upgrade! Just click the chevron next to the New button in the app and you’ll now find options to “Snip now”, “Snip in 3 seconds”, and “Snip in 10 seconds”. If you have the app open or pinned to your taskbar, you can also just right click the icon in the taskbar to get these options, since we’ve added them to the jump list – let us know what you’d like to see next! https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/09/d5b424784965559087eab621e185a2a2-1024x701.png General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC The dark theme File Explorer payload mentioned here is included in this build! We fixed the issue where logging out of your user profile or shutting down your PC would cause the PC to bugcheck (GSOD). Thanks everyone for your feedback about the XAML shadows we added recently. We’re taking them offline for the moment while we work on addressing some of the things you shared with us. You will also notice that the acrylic has been removed from some popup controls. They will be back in a future flight. We fixed an issue resulting in the taskbar flyouts (network, volume, etc) no longer having an acrylic background. We fixed an issue resulting in hangs when using WSL in the previous flight. We’ve updated the Emoji Panel to now support search and tooltips for the Emoji 11 emoji that were added recently. These keywords will also populate text predictions when typing with the touch keyboard. We fixed an issue where explorer.exe would crash if you were in Tablet Mode and opened Task View while in portrait orientation. We fixed an issue where the app icons in Task View might appear slightly blurry on high DPI devices. We fixed an issue where on narrow devices activities in Timeline might slightly overlap the scrollbar. We fixed an issue where you might unexpectedly get an error saying no supported app is installed, after clicking certain activities in Timeline, even though a supported app was installed. We fixed issue where Taskbar background could become transparent when changing graphics device. We fixed an issue resulting in pinning to app icons to the taskbar taking longer than usual recently. We fixed an issue where after setting a pin and removing it, the option to setup a pin from the lock screen could get stuck as the default login method, rather than the login screen remembering your preferred login method. We’ve made some adjustments to improve the amount of CPU that cdpusersvc uses. We fixed an issue resulting in New button in Snip & Sketch not working. We fixed an issue resulting in Notepad’s “Search with Bing” feature searching for “10 10” instead of “10 + 10” if that was the search query. We also fixed an issue where accented characters would end up as question marks in the resulting search. We fixed an issue where Ctrl + 0 to reset the zoom level in Notepad wouldn’t work if the 0 was typed from a keypad. We fixed a recent issue resulting in an increase in the amount of time taken to open large files in Notepad when word wrap was enabled. Thanks for everyone that’s shared feedback about naming the tabs you’ve set aside in Microsoft Edge. We’re evaluating the right approach for this feature and in the meantime it has been removed. We fixed an issue where downloading a big file in Microsoft Edge would stop at the 4gb mark. We fixed an issue where clicking the “more” button in Microsoft Edge’s inline definition pop up when reading in recent flights would open a blank pane. We fixed an issue where items in Microsoft Edge’s Settings and More menu would become truncated when the option to increase text size was enabled in Settings. We fixed an issue where using Find on page in Microsoft Edge didn’t highlight/select the current instance of the result. We fixed an issue where after resetting Microsoft Edge saved favorites would get stuck showing a star next to the favorite name rather than populating the website’s favicon (if available). We fixed an issue where text copied from certain websites in Microsoft Edge couldn’t be pasted into other UWP apps. We fixed an issue that could result in the contents of the Microsoft Edge window becoming offset from its window frame. We fixed an issue resulting in the spellchecking menu appearing in the wrong place when you right-clicked on a misspelled word in Microsoft Edge. We fixed an issue for Insiders using Windows 10 in S Mode recently resulting opening Word from a Word Online document not working. We fixed an issue impacting Teams resulting all unsent typed text disappearing following the completion of an emoji composition (for example being turned into a smiley). We fixed an issue where nearby sharing would become blocked on the sender device after canceling share to three different devices. We fixed an issue resulting in the nearby sharing section of the Share UI not being visible for some users despite being enabled. We fixed an issue in recent flights where components of a notification with a progress bar (like the one when using nearby sharing) might flash every time the progress bar updated. We fixed an issue from recent builds resulting in share target windows (aka the app you select when prompted from the Share UI) not closing when you pressed Alt+F4 or the X. We fixed an issue resulting in a decrease in Start reliability over the last few flights. We fixed an impactful race condition in recent flights resulting in Cortana crashing when launching tips and doing web searches. We fixed an issue where right-clicking the desktop and expanding the New subsection of the context menu took longer than usual recently. We fixed the issue causing Office in the Store to fail to launch with an error about a .dll not being designed to run on Windows on PCs running in S Mode. We fixed an issue where, when installing a font for a single user (rather than installing as admin “for all users”), the install would fail with an unexpected error saying that the file was not a valid font file. We fixed an issue where non-admin local users would get an error saying that updating the security questions for their account required admin permissions. We fixed a recent issue where color and wallpaper settings weren’t correctly applied after a system upgrade when migration was done in offline mode. We fixed an issue resulting in the amount of time it took to launch Settings having noticeably increased recently. We fixed an issue where if Settings was open to “Bluetooth & Other Devices” and then minimized to the taskbar, when you tried to resume the app Settings would crash. We fixed an issue from recent builds where the first time you manually selected the date in Date & Time Settings, it would revert to Jan 1st. We’re updating the image size limit for clipboard history (WIN + V) from 1MB to 4MB to accommodate the potential size of full screen screenshots taken on a high-DPI devices. We fixed an issue where when using the Chinese (Simplified) IME it would leak memory on focus switch, adding up over time. We fixed an issue resulting in text prediction and shapewriting not working when typing in Russian using the touch keyboard. We fixed a recent issue that could result in some flakey network connectivity (including networks stuck “identifying”, and stale network flyout connectivity state). Note, there are a variety of factors that may impact your networking experience, so if you continue to experience flakiness after upgrading to this build, please log feedback. Thanks everyone who tried out and shared feedback about the performance visualizations we added to the game bar with Build 17692. We’re taking them offline for now to re-evaluate the best possible approach going forward and work on giving you a great gaming experience on your PC. We fixed an issue in Narrator so when toggling a checkbox with a braille display and Narrator, the displayed state is now updated and the control information is maintained on the display. Known issues When you use the Ease of Access Make Text bigger setting, you might see text clipping issues, or find that text is not increasing in size everywhere. When using Narrator Scan mode Shift + Selection commands in Edge, the text does not get selected properly. Narrator sometimes does not read in the Settings app when you navigate using Tab and arrow keys. Try switching to Narrator Scan mode temporarily. And when you turn Scan mode off again, Narrator will now read when you navigate using Tab and arrows key. Alternatively, you can restart Narrator to work around this issue. This build fixes a general issue resulting in links that launched one app from another app not working in the last flights for some Insiders, however there’s one specific variant of this that will still not work in today’s build: Clicking on web links in PWAs such as Twitter doesn’t open the browser. We’re working on a fix. You may notice the background of notifications and the Action Center lose color and become transparent (with an acrylic effect). We’re aware that for notifications this can make them difficult to read and appreciate your patience as we work on a fix. Known issues for Developers If you install any of the recent builds from the Fast ring and switch to the Slow ring – optional content such as enabling developer mode will fail. You will have to remain in the Fast ring to add/install/enable optional content. This is because optional content will only install on builds approved for specific rings. No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18234 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/09/f01527afe6bbe9584a7d30ac66a3a5b5-1024x683.jpg Xbox Wire takes a look at some of the hottest Windows gaming hardware announcements across various events—bringing them all into one, easy place for you to see and read about. The last few weeks have seen a handful of new gaming laptops, GPUs, monitors and more announced at gamescom and IFA for PC gamers of all varieties. Check out Xbox Wire to see this new hardware. The post Looking for new PC gaming hardware? Check out this roundup appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17754 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is no longer present in this build. This does not mean this is the final build as we are not done yet. We’re just now beginning the phase of checking in final code to prepare for the final release. We fixed an issue resulting in reduced Action Center reliability in recent flights. We fixed an issue where if you opened one of the taskbar flyouts (like network or volume), and then quickly tried to open another, it wouldn’t work. We fixed an issue for people with multiple monitors where if the Open or Save Dialog was moved between monitors some elements might become unexpectedly tiny. We fixed an issue resulting in certain apps crashing recently when setting focus to the in-app search box. We fixed an issue resulting in certain games, like League of Legends, not launching/connecting properly in recent flights. We fixed an issue where clicking on web links in PWAs such as Twitter didn’t open the browser. We fixed an issue resulting in certain PWAs not rendering correctly after the app had been suspended then resumed. We fixed an issue where pasting multi-line text into certain websites using Microsoft Edge might add unexpected empty lines between each line. We fixed a crash in recent flights when using the pen to ink in Microsoft Edge’s web notes. We fixed a high hitting Task Manager crash in recent flights. We fixed an issue resulting in Settings crashing for Insiders with multiple monitors when changing various options under Display Settings in the last few flights. We fixed a crash when clicking the Verify link on the Accounts Settings page in recent flights. We fixed an issue where the contents of the Apps & Features page wouldn’t load until the apps list was ready, resulting in the page appearing blank for a time. We fixed an issue where the list on Settings of built-in phrases for the Pinyin IME was blank. We fixed an issue in Narrator where activating Microsoft Edge history items would not work in Scan mode. We made some improvements in Narrator Selection when moving forward in Microsoft Edge. Please try this out and use the Feedback hub app to let us know any issues you encounter. Known issues When you use the Ease of Access Make Text bigger setting, you might see text clipping issues, or find that text is not increasing in size everywhere. Narrator sometimes does not read in the Settings app when you navigate using Tab and arrow keys. Try switching to Narrator Scan mode temporarily. And when you turn Scan mode off again, Narrator will now read when you navigate using Tab and arrows key. Alternatively, you can restart Narrator to work around this issue. No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17754 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly changing the world around us and transforming business for the better. Here at Microsoft we’re all in, committing $5 billion to IoT over the next four years. Windows is an essential part of this movement having powered both connected and non-connected devices for years – and it will be part of the new generation of intelligent devices that leverage the power of the cloud and comprise IoT. As we will discuss throughout this year’s IoT in Action event series, companies need secure devices that can be quickly provisioned, easily managed and seamlessly connected to the cloud to support their overall business strategies. Let’s talk about some essential aspects to consider when developing and deploying your IoT solution.https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/09/1b3949e15702ad6b0520c56dbbb66fbd-1024x536.jpg Embrace the intelligent edge Companies can build more productive IoT solutions with secure, intelligent devices at the edge. Our IoT offerings include what businesses need to get started, from operating systems to cloud services to advanced analytics to business applications. We’ve seen that connecting devices to the cloud has enabled a whole new world of scenarios, including making processes more efficient, reducing costs and enabling new business models to enhance your company’s competitiveness. Using Windows IoT, customers find they can learn more and do more with smarter devices. Windows 10 IoT is integrated by design with Azure IoT so you can quickly harness the power of the intelligent edge. With integrated cloud connectivity, Azure IoT can provision and manage Windows 10 IoT Enterprise devices and provide advanced edge capabilities like containers, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and computer vision. Build in intelligent security As IoT-enabled devices become more sophisticated, so do the corresponding threats, which is why companies need to ensure they are incorporating the proper management and security into their IoT solutions. Data should be protected throughout the entire process: when it’s at rest, in motion and during execution. To accomplish this, Windows 10 IoT provides the best endpoint security, building on the strengths of Windows Embedded while also offering new cloud and security enhancements that protect your IoT solutions from device to cloud. Windows 10 security is built-in and always up-to-date for the supported lifetime of the device. But we’re not stopping there. To ensure devices everywhere – large and small – are secure, Microsoft has taken the 7 Properties of Highly Secured Devices and created the Azure Sphere solution. As the industry’s first holistic platform to provide security for microcontroller (MCU) devices, Azure Sphere combines cloud security, a secured OS, and a secured MCU to protect and power devices at the intelligent edge. Partner to create and deploy solutions – faster It takes months to build and deploy IoT solutions. With Windows 10 IoT, you can create solutions faster with a familiar app environment, tools and framework. Yet getting to market quickly also takes collaboration. Here at Microsoft, finding the right partners to swiftly build and scale solutions is a top priority. 8 West and Testify, for instance, are companies that have built IoT devices to save lives and help us get to our destinations faster and more comfortably. They serve as key examples of how Microsoft encourages partnerships and helps companies build and get repeatable IoT solutions to market faster. Leverage Microsoft’s extensive partner ecosystem of device makers, developers, consultants and integrators to create the best IoT solution for your business need. The IoT in Action events will feature a digital matchmaking tool designed to help attendees identify and meet the partner or customer most suited to their immediate business need or opportunity. Build IoT solutions with endless possibilities IoT in Action is a one-day event designed to give you the chance to meet and collaborate with Microsoft’s customer and partner ecosystem to build and deploy new IoT solutions that can be used to change the world. At this year’s event, we’re providing an increased number of hands-on technical sessions and in-depth learning around IoT security and the IoT opportunity. You’ll gain actionable insights, deepen partnerships and unlock the transformative potential of the intelligent edge and intelligent cloud. Register today to reserve your seat Register to learn more about the modalities and economics of transforming business through IoT. This event is ideal for anyone interested in learning more about transforming business through IoT and for technical leaders looking for practical guidance. Register for an event near you: Barcelona – Oct. 15 Santa Clara – Oct. 25 Taipei – Dec. 12-13 Shenzhen – Dec. 18 More locations and dates coming soon! Stay tuned for additional event dates and locations, and be sure to augment your IoT learnings with the IoT in Action webinar series. The post IoT in Action: Developing intelligent solutions that change the world appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

For gamers around the world with accessibility needs, the Xbox Adaptive Controller is now available at Microsoft Stores and GameStop Online for $99.99. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/09/d5c39381b91980ec88810590609c43aa.jpg Xbox Adaptive Controller “The Xbox Adaptive Controller is a product that was ideated and pioneered with inclusivity at its heart,” writes Gabi Michel, Xbox Adaptive Controller program manager. “We iterated on and refined it through close partnership with gamers with limited mobility and fan feedback, as well as guidance and creativity from accessibility experts, advocates and partners such as The AbleGamers Charity, The Cerebral Palsy Foundation, Craig Hospital, Special Effect and Warfighter Engaged. Even the accessible packaging the Xbox Adaptive Controller arrives in was an entirely new approach to redefining success in product packaging — directly informed and guided by gamers with limited mobility.” Find out more on Xbox Wire. The post With the launch of the Xbox Adaptive Controller, gaming gets more inclusive appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Windows HD Color is all about bringing HDR and wide color gamut (WCG) content to your Windows devices. You might already be enjoying HDR video on your Xbox One S and Xbox One X. Now let’s talk about how we’re starting to bring HDR video to your PCs with our most recent updates to Windows 10. For more background on HDR, see our previous blog post. What’s new with the latest Windows 10 Update? We’ve made some improvements to your HDR video experience on current generation internal displays. With Windows 10 April 2018 Update, we’ve focused on expanding access to more laptop devices as well as providing more out-of-the-box HDR video experiences: 1. Expanding access to more and more laptop devices: Many newer laptop devices are capable of HDR video. However, up until now, they needed to be calibrated in the factory to show HDR. Now, we are expanding HDR video access to more people with new functionality in Settings > Apps > Video playback. If you can turn on “Stream HDR video,” you can calibrate your device for HDR video. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/0a852625b9699fedbf6b19d705500cd4-1024x765.jpg Video playback settings page To approximate the calibration that device manufacturers would do in the factory, we’ve also created an experimental calibration tool. To try it out, click the link “Change calibration settings for HDR video on my built-in display.” This changes the way HDR video appears on your device, allowing you to find a preferred balance between details in dark scenes and bright scenes. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/ac36df778a77bc23b23df4c9de924761-990x1024.jpg New HDR video calibration tool We’ll continue to refine this feature moving forward, so please provide any feedback in the Feedback Hub. For more detailed info, check out “Calibrate your built-in display for HDR content in Windows 10” on the Windows website. 2. Giving you more out-of-the-box HDR video experiences on your HDR-capable laptops: On your HDR-capable Windows 10 laptops, you’ll now get more HDR video experiences right out of the box. First, many more devices will now have HDR video turned on by default. This means that when HDR video is available, you’ll get the full HDR video experience. If you don’t like the way your video looks, you can use our calibration tool to adjust it. Or you can always opt-out of HDR video by turning off “Stream HDR video” on the Settings page described above. By default, HDR video uses the full brightness of your screen, so it uses a little more battery. But to protect your device’s battery life, we have disabled HDR video when you’re using your battery by default. You can change this with the check box “Don’t increase display brightness when watching HDR video on battery” under “Battery Options” in Settings > Apps > Video playback. With this, you can choose between getting the highest HDR video quality and maximizing your battery life when enjoying HDR video. We are also partnering with content providers to ensure that the HDR video they provide works on Windows. We’re happy to announce that Netflix HDR content is available with the Windows 10 Creators Update, and YouTube support is enabled with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. For future releases, we are already working closely with our partners to ensure that once 10-bit, full HDR-capable laptops come to market, Windows can power HDR video on these displays as well. As displays get better and better, our goal is to leverage their new capabilities to give you the best possible image quality. If you like this, check out more Windows 10 Tips. The post Windows 10 Tip: Improvements to the HDR video experience appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Today’s creators are often on the move and need desktop-grade power in a machine they can easily carry around. With its potent processor and dedicated graphics, the P65 gives users more than enough power to edit raw HD or 4K video, create motion graphics and navigate complicated spreadsheets on the go. The P65 also features a full suite of ports including an SD card reader, USB Type-C, USB Type-A, HDMI, micro-DisplayPort and an ethernet jack. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/ed39b004bb920a9c432e021cd2708717-1024x683.jpg MSI P65 Creator The notebook’s 15-inch screen features MSI’s exclusive True Color 2.0 technology. Each panel undergoes extensive factory calibration so each color displays with absolute precision. This results in a near-perfect presentation, with close to 100 percent coverage of the sRGB color spectrum. The IPS-level, 4.9mm thin-bezel panel is ideal for those who need extreme color accuracy when editing photos or videos. The P65’s high-performance specifications are comparable to MSI’s top-of-the-line gaming offerings. It features Intel’s latest 8th Generation Core i7 processor and up to a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU, allowing for fast rendering times and multitasking. The P65 has up to almost three times more graphical performance than leading competitor in its category. And it uses MSI’s Cooler Boost Trinity, the same system found in the company’s gaming laptops, to keep the notebook cool even during intense workloads. “For a long time, MSI has just been recognized as a leader in PC gaming hardware,” says Sam Chern, MSI assistant vice president of Global Marketing. “With the P65, we’re investing deeply in professionals and content creators, bringing them high performance for all of their everyday tasks. We have taken the lessons we’ve learned from our years of experience in making gaming hardware and used it to create a beautiful, professional notebook that is more powerful than any laptop in its class.” https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/946f3c12c66e7f99f2d0d46b4c6922fc-1024x683.jpg With its ultra-light aluminum chassis, the P65 weighs just 4.14 pounds and measures 0.69 inches thick. At the same time, the slim design does not sacrifice battery life. The P65 has an 82Whr battery for up to more than 9 hours of regular use. In addition to the productivity features, the P65 uses a Windows Hello Certified fingerprint sensor for high-privacy business security, and supports Microsoft Cortana voice assistant. At launch, the P65 will be available in both silver and a limited-edition white. The White Limited Edition shares many of the same specifications as the Silver Edition, but comes with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU, Hi-Res Audio and Thunderbolt 3. At launch, the Silver Edition will be available with either a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q or GTX 1050 Ti. The White Limited Edition also includes an extended one-year warranty and protective laptop sleeve. Learn more about P65 Creator. The post MSI announces P65 Creator – a new premium notebook for content creators appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17751 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. In a blog post earlier today about all the great things being shown at IFA, we announced that RS5 will officially be called the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC The build watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop is no longer present in this build. This does not mean this is the final build as we are not done yet. We’re just now beginning the phase of checking in final code to prepare for the final release. We fixed the issue where logging out of your user profile or shutting down your PC would cause the PC to bugcheck (GSOD). We fixed a recent issue where color and wallpaper settings weren’t correctly applied after a system upgrade when migration was done in offline mode. We fixed an issue where, when installing a font for a single user (rather than installing as admin “for all users”), the install would fail with an unexpected error saying that the file was not a valid font file. We fixed an issue where explorer.exe would crash if you were in Tablet Mode and opened Task View while in portrait orientation. We fixed an issue where you might unexpectedly get an error saying no supported app is installed, after clicking certain activities in Timeline, even though a supported app was installed. We fixed an issue resulting in the amount of time it took to launch Settings having noticeably increased recently. We fixed an issue where if your PC transitioned from battery power to being plugged in while Windows Update Settings was open and downloading an update, you might unexpectedly see it switch to “You’re up to date” immediately afterwards instead of continuing to show the downloading update. We fixed an issue where the “Logged” drop down box was unexpectedly large in Event Viewer’s filter dialog at high DPI. We fixed an issue resulting in some people unexpectedly seeing an “Ask for permission” message from Microsoft family features for Windows Shell Experience. We fixed an issue where in high contrast the icons for items in Windows Security’s navigation pane wouldn’t change color with the rest of the item when mouse hovering over the item, making them difficult to see. We fixed an issue where when using the Chinese (Simplified) IME it would leak memory on focus switch, adding up over time. We fixed a recent issue that could result in some flakey network connectivity (including networks stuck “identifying”, and stale network flyout connectivity state). Note, there are a variety of factors that may impact your networking experience, so if you continue to experience flakiness after upgrading to this build, please log feedback. Thanks everyone who tried out and shared feedback about the performance visualizations we added to the game bar with Build 17692. We’re taking them offline for now to re-evaluate the best possible approach going forward and work on giving you a great gaming experience on your PC. We’ve updated the messaging in Snipping Tool to more closely align with the commitment we made here. You’ll also notice in the message that we’re exploring renaming our updated snipping experience – bringing together the old and new. The app update with this change hasn’t flighted yet to Fast, but if you have any feedback on the subject we’re open to hearing it. Known issues When you use the Ease of Access Make Text bigger setting, you might see text clipping issues, or find that text is not increasing in size everywhere. Narrator sometimes does not read in the Settings app when you navigate using Tab and arrow keys. Try switching to Narrator Scan mode temporarily. And when you turn Scan mode off again, Narrator will now read when you navigate using Tab and arrows key. Alternatively, you can restart Narrator to work around this issue. Clicking on web links in PWAs such as Twitter doesn’t open the browser in this build. We’re working on a fix. No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17751 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/87c3f11a7a066da2e7fdf4ded848fc3b-1024x683.jpg Erin Chapple, corporate vice president, Microsoft, speaking at the IFA 2018 keynote in Berlin As part of this commitment, I’m pleased to announce that our next feature update to Windows will be called the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. With this update, we’ll be bringing new features and enhancements to the nearly 700 million devices running Windows 10 that help people make the most of their time. We’ll share more details about the update over the coming weeks. We’re excited to continue to innovate with our partners and to bring new and meaningful technology to this ever-changing world. Today at IFA, Nick Parker, corporate vice president, Consumer and Device Sales, and Erin Chapple will be showcasing a number of these great new Windows PCs as part of our keynote presentation. For those of you that can’t be at IFA, not to worry. Here’s Erin to tell you more about the exciting innovation she’ll be showing in Berlin. New PCs, new opportunities (Erin Chapple, corporate vice president, Microsoft) I’m so excited to be here in Berlin to share new Windows experiences that help people achieve more – all come to life by new modern PCs announced this week. One of the areas that remains a top commitment for us is the connected computing space. Earlier this week, we took another step forward in our focus on connected PC experiences with the announcement of the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 powered Always Connected PC: the Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS (Windows on Snapdragon). Lean, light and crafted from premium aluminum, the Yoga C630 WOS offers LTE connectivity and, as noted by Lenovo, an incredible up to 25+ hours of battery life. Combined with powerful entertainment features and an optional Lenovo pen, the Yoga C630 WOS is designed for wherever the day takes you. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/347ccc4e6696fd6059a36f29634b4973-1024x577.jpg Lenovo Yoga Book C630 Beautiful devices like the Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS are pairing the functionality of Windows 10 with portable, lightweight devices that keep our users connected to the things that are important to them, while on the go. We believe that the mobile, cellular-connected PC experience is going to continue to grow in popularity, and devices like the Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS, as well as connected PCs from ASUS and HP that went on sale earlier this year, are ensuring that we have a robust and diverse portfolio of products to keep users connected and happy. Lenovo also announced the Lenovo Yoga Book C930 – a multi-year, multi-release investment by Lenovo focusing on creativity and productivity for the mobile user, using new paradigms of input and content consumption built on the Windows 10 platform, combined with optional Office productivity tools. At the press of a button, the Yoga Book C930’s E Ink display appears and serves as a keyboard, notepad and eReader. Ultra-thin and light, the device is packed with Windows hero features like Cortana, Windows Ink and Windows Hello, along with optional 4G connectivity to keep you productive all-day long. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/83a6766d2524ff5afbaa739b0352ce2e-1024x577.jpg Lenovo Yoga Book C930 Another great productivity PC is the Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1. It brings beauty from every angle with a 3-sided narrow border that focuses on the IPS and Active Pen compatible touch screen. The Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 brings a ‘Modern Standby’ feature for instant-on performance and the ability to log in with just one touch using the Windows Hello fingerprint reader, while a miniature 4-element lens webcam offers temporal noise reduction and increases image quality in low-light settings. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/90295fcf60141698b1f00faa721fa8d9-1024x815.jpg Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 One of the devices that really turned heads in the booth this week was the new Surface Go. It offers all the comforts of a laptop, with the convenience of a 10’’ tablet. Sometimes, a little can go a long way, and the Surface Go offers a small, 1.15 pound portable 2-in-1 form factor that adapts to the way you want to work. Whether at work or home, travelling, or just for everyday tasks, it runs Office365 with a touchscreen, has built-in Windows Hello for a more secure sign-in and offers note taking, drawing and more with the Surface Pen. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/17af9d47b45638620d3a27e8ac237673-1024x1024.jpg Surface Go And, of course, we have to have something for our gaming fans! The newly refreshed Acer Predator Triton 900 gaming rig sports the latest 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor for ultimate power and speed, while the laptop’s hinge pivots the screen to fit whatever angle you’d like to game at. With the garage door, you can insert an Xbox controller dongle to play Xbox games seamlessly, and a custom-engineered dual-fan keeps things cool while the RGB backlit keyboard and overclocking capabilities customize your gaming experience. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/c07cccd8694f84bdee7aa86ec9b8a3ec-1024x613.jpg Acer Predator Triton 900 As you can imagine, this is only a small snapshot of the great innovation that is coming from our partners this week here in Berlin. Whether it’s gaming, productivity or creativity that drives you, there’s truly a modern Windows 10 PC that will help you achieve more. And, as Roanne mentioned, we’re excited to bring even more experiences and innovation to our customers with the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. To learn more about the other devices announced this week at IFA, check out posts about Dell, Acer and Lenovo. The post Showcasing new computing possibilities at IFA appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

At IFA, Lenovo unveiled more of its most premium Yoga laptops, including the world’s thinnest and lightest dual screen device and the world’s first dual display laptop with E Ink [1], one that has integrated 4.5G LTE Advanced Pro [2] connectivity and the flagship Yoga laptop with a never-before-seen Rotating Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos Speaker System [1]. Lenovo also announced the latest addition to the premium ThinkPad X1 laptop portfolio and upgraded GPUs on the re-designed Lenovo Legion gaming PCs introduced at E3. Lenovo Yoga Book C930 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/22969522f0fc6353ed6a6bc5fb0f7dcc-1024x358.jpg Lenovo Yoga Book C930 The Lenovo Yoga Book C930 rewrites the rules of productivity as a device that comes with two displays, including one built with E Ink. The versatile E Ink screen morphs itself to become your keyboard, notepad and reader. Typing out an email or report? The E Ink screen turns into a dynamic, customizable keyboard with multi-language support. Capturing ideas for a big project? Turn your E Ink screen into digital paper and capture it all with the latest Bluetooth active pen with Wacom technology. Reviewing documents for an extended amount of time? Flip them into E Ink format, saving strain on your eyes. At just 9.9 mm thin when closed, you’ll have no problem taking the Yoga Book C930 with you anywhere. And with up to 10 hours of battery life (general usage), it’s designed for you to get through a work day while you’re on-the-go without worrying about charging. Lenovo Yoga C930 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/b3dd57443b4a0a94485d149a5aa57d69-1024x577.jpg Lenovo Yoga C930 Crafted from premium aluminum and packed with innovative features built directly into a sleekly redesigned lightweight chassis, every component of the Yoga C930 2-in-1 convertible is engineered for an amazing user experience. Enjoy immersive entertainment via the first-of-its-kind Rotating Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos Speaker System [1] and Dolby Vision in up to 4K, the innovative Garaged Pen that charges in its built-in compartment in the Yoga C930, and get things done fast with 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processing, Intel’s fastest 15W mobile processor engineered for powerful responsiveness and speed. Keeping track of a digital pen can be challenging, but with the Yoga C930, its Garaged Pen is designed so you always know where it is in the chassis. Better yet, it charges in its compartment. Choose from Mica, Iron Gray, or a limited edition glass cover design. Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/4e133bfcb4937939b36d3686dbbcdb2d-1024x577.jpg Lenovo Yoga C630 Lean, light and crafted from premium aluminum, the Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS (Windows on Snapdragon) 2-in-1 convertible offers smartphone-like integrated 4.5G LTE Advanced Pro [2] connectivity and up to 25+ hours of local video playback on a single charge [3], thanks to the power-efficient architecture of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 Mobile Compute Platform. For times when you’re away from Wi-Fi, the Yoga C630 WOS receives updates and emails just like your smartphone, even in sleep mode. And you won’t be more than a moment from use. But it’s not just all work and no play. Beneath the eye-catching polished metal exterior, the Yoga C630 WOS boasts a 13.3-inch FHD touchscreen display, which combined with powerful stereo speakers for enhanced sound, produces a portable entertainment hub. One that you can flip into a position that’s best for you, whether in laptop or tablet mode. And if you’d rather be more active, get creative with an optional Lenovo Pen, whenever and wherever the mood strikes. Using the Yoga C630 WOS as your canvas or notepad, you can mark up a document, draw on your photos or unleash your imagination with Windows Ink. Lenovo Yoga S730 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/86cf4c9d496586b1a207932f2e36c4ac-1024x577.jpg Lenovo Yoga S730 Polished in premium aluminum and sleeker than ever, the Lenovo Yoga S730 is the thinnest consumer clamshell laptop yet at 11.9 mm. But it still packs a lot in such a slim form factor: the latest Intel processing, FHD clarity and the immersive sound of the Dolby Atmos Speaker System. Multitasking is easy [4], thanks to the latest generation of Intel Core i7 processing, which represents an enormous increase in performance from previous generations. While you enjoy FHD clarity on a 13.3-inch wide-angle display with razor-thin bezels, keep moving for up to 10 hours [5] with the Yoga S730’s long-lasting battery. And if you need an extra boost, an hour plugged-in will provide up to 80 percent battery life [6]. [1] Based on research conducted by Lenovo August 23, 2018 of laptops sold by major PC manufacturers shipping > 1 million units worldwide annually. [2] 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. [3] Up to 25+ hours based on local video playback requires unit configured with Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 Mobile Compute Platform. Actual battery performance 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. The maximum capacity of the battery will naturally decrease with time and usage. [4] Software and workloads used in performance tests may have been optimized for performance only on Intel microprocessors. Performance tests are measured using specific computer systems, components, software, operations and functions. Any change to any of those factors may cause the results to vary. [5] All battery life claims are approximate and based on test results using the MobileMark 2014 ver 1.5 battery life benchmark test. Actual results 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. The maximum capacity of the battery will naturally decrease with time and usage. See MobileMark 2014 ver 1.5 – BAPCo for additional details. [6] Power-off mode; requires 65W power supply. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/d267a610466cd12bec3b26408f8677f3-1024x544.png Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Lenovo also announced the latest addition to the premium ThinkPad X1 laptop portfolio, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme. This device introduces a 15-inch form factor to the X1 series and is the first to include NVIDIA discrete graphics. The X1 Extreme is designed for advanced users and prosumers who seek a thin and light laptop that reflects their personality as well as high performance computing needs. It is ideal for data intensive workloads; video and photo editing; graphics rendering; and virtual and mixed reality applications. With NVIDIA GeForce 1050Ti graphics, you can also sneak in time with your favorite games. Work spaces can be anywhere from home to office, coffee shop to airplane. Weight is a critical consideration when moving between environments. Starting at just 3.76 pounds, the X1 Extreme is 12 percent lighter than its popular cousin, the ThinkPad T580. The combination of 8th generation Intel Core processors, including the six-core Intel Core i9 coming soon [1], up to 64GB of memory and dual PCIe SSD storage option with Raid 0/1 capability brings the highest performance ever seen on a X1 Series. Far field microphones and Dolby Audio Premium enhance productivity and collaboration for the best conferencing experiences and up to 15 hours of battery life mean users can work – and play – for longer. Rapid Charge will then fuel the X1 Extreme up to 80 percent in just 60 minutes. The ThinkPad X1 Extreme will be available from September starting at $1,859. For professional users who require a workstation with key ISV application certification within the same thin and light chassis, check out the ThinkPad P1. [1] ThinkPad X1 Extreme with Intel Core i9 processor will be available starting December 2018. Lenovo Legion gaming devices get upgraded GPUs https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/f8f9e96489e8a95bde2d2c347fa7ca86-1024x576.jpg Lenovo Legion Y530 Lenovo has refreshed three gaming devices announced at E3 with upgraded GPUs: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 on the Lenovo Legion Y530 Laptop, and the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 and RTX 2080 on the Lenovo Legion T730 tower and Lenovo Legion C730 cube. A testament to Lenovo engineering and innovation, the Lenovo Legion Y530 15.6-inch FHD display gaming laptop is thermally optimized to run cooler and quieter with a full-sized white backlit keyboard. At 24 mm thin and 2.3 kg light, it’s been redesigned to deliver the ideal balance between epic gaming performance and practical portability. It also comes with powerful NVIDIA graphics, DDR4 memory and more, all optimally cooled via a reengineered dual-channel cooling system. The Lenovo Legion T730 is a 28-liter desktop that gives you the style and power you demand in a gaming tower, thanks to customizable RGB LED system lighting, a transparent side panel, optional liquid cooling, and extreme processing and graphics power with overclocking options to completely immerse you in your favorite titles. The space-saving Lenovo Legion C730 is a striking 19L cube with fully loaded overclocked components – boosted by the GeForce RTX 2070 and RTX 2080 GPU upgrades. For more information, check out the Lenovo IFA 2018 press kit. The post Lenovo introduces new premium Yoga laptops and ThinkPad X1 Extreme, delivers upgraded GPUs to Lenovo Legion gaming PCs appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Acer OJO 500 Windows Mixed Reality Headset https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/5ab54e74e744c18a52242a7d0d2faff1-1024x959.jpg Acer OJO 500 Windows Mixed Reality Headset The Acer OJO 500 is the first Windows Mixed Reality headset to include a detachable design in which the lens and head strap can be individually removed, making it easy to store and clean. For businesses that want to provide customers with clean headwear for each use, and when you need to take a quick call or talk to others in the room, you can flip the mask up, instead of removing the entire headset. “The Acer OJO 500 brings several significant new features to this class of Windows Mixed Reality headsets,” says Andrew Chuang, general manager, Presence Computing, IT Products Business, Acer Inc. “We’ve improved the user experience with innovative visual and audio technologies and made the headset more comfortable and easier than ever to use.” In another first for VR headsets, the patented integrated audio system directs sound from the built-in speakers toward your ears for a truly immersive experience. But you also have the option to leave them open to external sounds if you want to stay aware of your surroundings. There are currently more than 2,500 games and applications available for the Acer OJO 500 between the Steam VR and the Microsoft Store platforms. It requires a compatible Windows-based PC and other conditions. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/e1c5021d2d246b05de2b1d166eeabf76.jpg The Acer OJO 500 Other details about the Acer OJO 500 headset: For maximum clarity, the Acer OJO 500 includes a built-in interpupillary distance (IPD) wheel and a patented smart phone app to measure IPD distance (the gap between the eye’s pupil and the display). The software-assisted IPD measurement app, Acer IPD Meter, along with Acer IPD Indicator software, lets the wearer modify this distance for sharper, clearer images and a more enjoyable experience. Two front-hinged 2.89-inch high-resolution liquid crystal displays provide a wide 100 degree field of view and deliver a 2880 x 1440 resolution. A fast refresh rate of up to 90Hz delivers clear and realistic images for an immersive mixed reality experience. The 6-degrees of freedom positional tracking includes forward/back, up/down, left/right as well as pitch, yaw and roll. The headset comes with a 13-foot cable allowing a wide range of movement and connects to a PC via HDMI 2.0, while a USB 3.0 connector downloads data. Featuring inside-out tracking, the camera is on the headset so there is no need to drill holes in a wall or set up extraneous hardware. As soon as the headset connects to a Windows Mixed Reality-ready PC, it installs the required software. Setup takes about 10 minutes. The Acer OJO 500 comes in an optional configuration that includes two Bluetooth-enabled motion controllers that sync with the headset; and a Windows 10 button, touchpad and grab button so users can interact with digital objects in mixed reality. Swift 5 notebook (SF515-51T) https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/3f010ba84bc36fef2370c91bfed02727-1024x745.jpg Acer Swift 5 notebook Acer also presented the world’s lightest notebook PC with a 15-inch display [1], the Swift 5 (SF515-51T) notebook, weighing less than 2.2 pounds. Powered by the latest 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8565U and Core i5-8265U processors to deliver responsive performance and running Windows 10, the Swift 5 also has up to 10 hours [2] of battery life and a LED backlit keyboard for day-to-night productivity. “Acer is consistently developing new ways to engineer thin-and-light chassis designs that house the latest technology with stellar features,” says Jerry Hou, general manager for Consumer Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer Inc. “The industry-leading sub-1 kg weight on the new Swift 5 delivers all that’s best in an ultra-portable notebook: a sleek chassis, stylish design and slim bezels with superb performance and battery life.” The Swift 5’s ground-breaking design features top and bottom covers that are constructed from magnesium-lithium alloy for a thinner design, ensuring durability without bending or twisting. The magnesium-aluminum alloy palm rest provides an extra sturdy base when using the keyboard and trackpad. The slim chassis is 0.63-inch thin, yet makes room for a fingerprint reader that supports Windows Hello so customers can log in to their accounts faster and keep their device more secure. The Swift 5 also includes: Up to 16GB of DDR4 SDRAM and up to a 1TB NVMe PCIe SSD for speedy boot times and file accessing Full HD 1920×1080 IPS [3] touchscreen Ultra-narrow bezels measuring 0.23 inches, giving it an 87.6 percent screen-to-body ratio to create an immersive viewing experience Acer BluelightShield to reduce blue-light emissions for nighttime viewing, while Acer Color Intelligence technology dynamically adjusts gamma and saturation in real-time for optimum screen-color and brightness Acer TrueHarmony technology and optimized Dolby Audio to deliver high-quality sound via the dual stereo speakers Fast and reliable WiFi connection with 2×2 802.11ac wireless Gigabit performance USB 3.1 Type-C Gen-2 port delivering high-speed 10 Gbps data transfers, supporting power delivery and display output, two USB 3.1 Type-A ports (one with power-off charging functionality) and an HDMI port [1] Based on Acer’s internal survey as of August 27, 2018 of competing clamshell laptop designs available on the market, running Windows OS or OSX [2] 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. A battery’s maximum capacity decreases with time and use. [3] All brands and product names mentioned herein include trademarks of their respective companies and are used solely to describe or identify the products. Acer updates 14-inch Swift 5 and Swift 3 lines https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/e987069cd1bb4c864908c71f064222ea-1024x630.jpg 14-inch Acer Swift 5 SF514-52T Acer has updated its ultra-portable 14-inch Swift 5 (SF514-53T) with the latest Intel Core processors to deliver a boost in performance and battery life. Now using new Intel Core i7-8565U and Intel Core i5-8265U processors, the 14-inch Swift 5 offers an exceptionally fast and responsive experience to up to 8-hours [1] of battery life to keep customers productive. Acer has also updated the Swift 3 line to include new models with 13.3-inch and 14-inch displays surrounded by slimmer bezels, sleek aluminum designs that open 180 degrees to lay-flat, and the latest technologies for performance and connectivity. The Swift 3 (SF313-51) now has an option for integrated 4G LTE packed into a 2.86-pound design that is only 0.63-inch thick. 4G LTE provides an always-available connection even when no WiFi network is available. You can also connect via fast and reliable 2×2 802.11ac WiFi. Powered by Intel Core processors, the Swift 3 provides solid performance and up to 13 hours [2] of battery life. Plus, the notebook offers up to 8GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 512GB NVMe PCIe SSDs, further accelerating response times. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/e817dca7fe07fb9a45bc66bda055accf-1024x604.jpg Acer Swift 3 (SF314-56G) Acer will also offer the Swift 3 in two models with 14-inch displays for those who want a larger display. The Swift 3 (SF314-55/SF314-55G) packs a full HD 14-inch display into a 3.08-pound design that measures only 0.59 inches and has 6.1mm side bezels. The Swift 3 (SF314-56/SF-314-56G) offers the same full HD 14-inch display, processor and graphics options as the Swift 3 (SF314-55) in a slightly larger design that makes room for a hard disk drive for mobile users who require plentiful data storage on-the-go. Pricing and Availability The Acer Swift 5 with 15-inch display (SF515-51T) will be available in North America in January, 2019, starting at $1,099; in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in November, starting at €1,099; and in China, in November, starting at ¥7,499. The Acer Swift 5 with 14-inch display (SF514-53T) will be available in EMEA in September, starting at $999; and in China, in November, starting at ¥7,499. The Acer Swift 3 with 13-inch display (SF313-51) will be available in EMEA in October starting at €799. The Acer Swift 3 with 14-inch displays (SF314-55 and SF314-56) will be available in EMEA in November, starting at $799.99 and in EMEA in January, 2019, starting at €799. Exact specifications, prices and availability vary by region. To learn more about availability, product specifications and prices in specific markets, please contact your nearest Acer office. [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. A battery’s maximum capacity decreases with time and use [2] 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. A battery’s maximum capacity decreases with time and use Acer refreshes Aspire line https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/7df1a9403671562b3796684f0c3a4609.jpg Acer Z24 Acer has also refreshed its Aspire Z 24 all-in-one PC and introduced brand-new additions to the Aspire 7, Aspire 5 and Aspire 3 notebooks series. All powered by Windows 10, the Aspire series PCs cater to the needs of a wide range of users, spanning from the Aspire Z 24 all-in-one home PC for families, the multipurpose and student-friendly Aspire 3 notebook, the practical Aspire 5 notebook for work and play, and the top-of-the-line Aspire 7 notebook for creators, designers and prosumers. Powered by the latest 8th Gen Intel Core i7+ processors [1], with support for up to 32GB of Intel Optane Memory and NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics, the Acer Aspire Z24 is designed for connectivity and casual applications (such as web browsing, social media, watching movies and casual gaming). Designed to blend in next to living room décor, it is extremely thin at 0.4 inches, with an ultra-narrow bezel for maximum screen real-estate for its 23.8-inch Full HD IPS screen. A glossy V-shaped metal stand supports it. The Z 24 also comes with a far-field microphone array made up of four digital microphones so you can use Alexa or Cortana to get weather reports, play music or manage everyday tasks using your voice from up to 13.12 feet away. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/d4bd5ba92c6d2b7aef6a1fb90c04ec14-906x1024.jpg Acer Aspire 7 Aimed at prosumers, designers, content creators, or those who want a PC with more bite, the Aspire 7 features up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8705G processor with Radeon RX Vega M GL graphics encased in a slim 16.9 mm, all-metal body, weighing less than 1.6 kg. It has up to 16 GB DDR4 memory, 16 GB, a Dual PCIe with up to 512 GB, NVMe, RAID 0 SSD and a backlit keyboard. Featuring a 4K display with Acer ColorBlast technology and Acer Color Intelligence, and speakers featuring Dolby Atmos sound and Acer TrueHarmony technology, the Aspire 7 speeds through rich content creation, video and photo editing, or viewing 4K content, while also providing a high-powered multimedia experience. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/0202c43ad2a9ef73c1ca0dff58253f30-1024x656.jpg Acer Aspire 5 The Aspire 5 gives bloggers, photographers and creators exceptional CPU and graphics performance with up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce MX150 GPU. With a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display and Acer Color Intelligence, crisp, true-to-life colors come alive. Users can adjust gamma and saturation in real-time, optimizing screen color and brightness without clipping. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/67ead7f9647689812991e4d49935285c-1024x764.jpg Acer Aspire 3 The Acer Aspire 3 is a stylish 14-inch full HD display laptop built for everyday tasks at home, work or school, and includes a built-in optical disk drive [2] and features such as up to 8GB of DDR4 2666 MHz memory, a Precision Touchpad, Acer BluelightShield, an HDMI port and three USB ports. There’s also a lot of room to grow, with upgradeable storage options and plenty of space for media, personal photos and documents, as well as an optional built-in DVD drive. The Aspire Z 24 all-in-one PC, Aspire 7 and Aspire 5 notebooks will support Alexa for PC, joining Acer’s industry-leading portfolio of Alexa for PC-compatible devices. Pricing & Availability The Acer Aspire Z 24 series will be available in North America in October, starting at $899; and in EMEA in October, starting at €899.99. The Acer Aspire 5 series will be available in EMEA in December, starting at €549. The Acer Aspire 3 series will be available in EMEA in December, starting at €399. Exact specifications, prices, and availability will vary by region. To find out about availability, product specifications and prices in specific markets, please contact your nearest Acer office or retailer via www.acer.com. [1] Configurations for i7+, i7, i5+, i5 and i3 [2] Configuration optional The post Acer introduces Windows MR headset and world’s lightest 15-inch PC laptop, refreshes Aspire line appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

It also refreshed its XPS line with updates, including Intel 8th generation processors with the XPS 13 2-in-1 and a new XPS 13 i3 configuration. Select XPS and Inspiron products provide a Cinematic experience at your fingertips with incredible color, streaming and sound. All of the models use Modern Standby for instant-on performance, which means you can resume and log in with just one touch using Windows Hello and the optional SSO fingerprint reader on the power button. With far-field Cortana functionality, on select XPS and Inspiron 2-in-1s, you can work with your digital assistant from across the room. Dell Inspiron 14 5000 2-in-1 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/7d56e7559329f544a0965319f1e9787a-1024x580.jpg Dell Inspiron 14 5000 Series (Model 5482) 2-in-1 touch notebook computer The new Inspiron 14 5000 2-in-1 (5482) is ready for anything, with 8th generation Intel Core processors, up to 16GB of DDR4 memory and high-end storage options such as PCIe NVMe SSDs, dual drive configurations and/or Intel Optane Memory. A USB Type-C port supports DisplayPort and Power Delivery, meaning that the port can be used to hook up to external monitors, charge the laptop, and transfer data – all through the same port. It’s also got a smaller footprint and sleek look thanks to a narrow border that keeps the focus on the IPS, Active Pen compatible touch screen. A redesigned thermal flow moves hot air out through hidden vents in the hinges and away from you and the system. You’ll also find the palm rest is made of cool aluminum, with an available upgraded brushed finish with diamond cut edges. Available starting at $599.99. The 13, 15 and 17 7000 2-in-1s https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/cda40b277357831984a05f38dffe269e-1024x813.jpg Dell 17 7000 2-in-1 You’ll find many of the same features with the 13, 15 and 17 7000 2-in-1s, but you’ll also find that the Black Edition comes with a UHD screen that has 72 percent color coverage and 300 nit typical brightness for a beautiful, premium image. A new, miniaturized, four-element lens webcam offers improved performance and utilizes Temporal Noise Reduction that greatly increases image quality in low light. These also have 8th generation Intel Core processors and up to 16GB of DDR4 memory, but they come standard with PCIe NVMe SSDs. The 17 7000 2-in-1, which has a 17.3-inch FHD IPS touch screen, also comes standard with the NVIDIA GeForce MX150 for an added boost in graphical performance and a numerical pad for easy number crunching. Combined with the large screen and the fully functional USB Type-C port for docking/multiple monitors, this device is a prime candidate for replacing your old desktop. Available in Platinum Silver with FHD screen as Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1, $879.99 Available in Platinum Silver with FHD screen as Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1, $849.99 Available in Abyss Black with UHD screen as Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition, $1,249.99 17 7000 2-in-1 starting at $1,099.99 Vostro 14 and 15 5000 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/204d9e96d68037f7f4cf7c529a42d4fd-1024x723.png Dell Vostro 14 5000 If you own or run a small or medium-sized business, the new Vostro laptops can help tackle daily challenges with the latest technology – up to 8th Gen Intel Core processors, USB Type-C port that provides power delivery and display support, optional Single-Sign-On fingerprint reader and two-sided narrow border that helps focus on the screen and therefore the task at hand.. Also safeguard your business with hardware TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0, which provides commercial-grade protection and storage for encryption keys to verify your device. Together with BitLocker, you can configure your security settings. These laptops also reduce power consumption by automatically switching the system to battery power during certain times of the day, even if the system is plugged into a direct power source, through Peak Shift. Choose from a smoldering Urban Gray or gleaming Ice Gray for either model, starting at $499.99 (varies per region). 27 USB-C Ultrathin monitor and entry-level SE monitors https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/7d6d9740f931e8f74c13aeb0cc9f8085-1024x1024.jpg Dell 27 USB-C Ultrathin monitor Dell’s 27 USB-C Ultrathin monitor (S2719DC) adds brilliance to any space with revolutionary glass LGP technology. At 27 inches and a 5.5 millimeter profile at its thinnest, it’s a perfect fit for various workspaces. And when you’re not working, Dell’s InfinityEdge display delivers an expansive entertainment experience without borders, along with a wide viewing angle enabled by In-Plane Switching technology. Quad HD resolution (2560×1440) makes the most of CinemaColor for this VESA-certified DisplayHDR 600 monitor. Colors shine in any environment thanks to a peak brightness of 600 nits for the ultimate in contrast and clarity. And with more than 99 percent sRGB and 90 percent DCI-P3 color coverage, you see vibrant visuals no matter where you sit. Other perks of the 27 USB-C Ultrathin monitor: Connect your laptop to the monitor and charge up to 45W from a single source. Quickly power up your devices with one of the USB downstream ports. And plug in to all your accessories on the other. This TUV Certified monitor has a flicker-free screen with ComfortView, a feature that filters out harmful blue light emissions. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/f9f7e95afd9d2911190f1bf18897e57d-1024x784.jpg Dell SE2719H 27-inch monitor If you’re looking for entry-level monitors, then check out the SE line: the SE2219H (21.5 inches), the SE2419H (23.8 inches) and SE2719H (27 inches). On all three, view images, videos and files clearly with thin bezels atop a compact, space-saving base. On the first two models, the stands are now 30 percent smaller, freeing up desk space without compromising sturdiness. On the Dell 27 monitor, the stand is 10 percent smaller. A built-in power supply unit further reduces desk clutter. No matter where you sit, colors stay accurate and consistent across the wide 178°/178° viewing angles thanks to In-plane switching technology. Easily tilt the monitor to get the ideal viewing angle. Updates to the XPS line https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/44674e2c93854651c60ecd80e4c877f4-1024x731.png Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 The smallest 13-inch 2-in-1 on the planet, the XPS 13 2-in-1 has been updated with up to 8th Gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, delivering performance and responsiveness at lower power. When you need a burst of performance, use Dynamic Power Mode. Dell’s flagship XPS 13, the smallest 13-inch laptop and the most powerful in its class, now offers the new Intel 8th Gen i3 processor, delivering a more affordable option for consumers. *For more details, visit www.tuv.com. The post Dell introduces new laptops, all-in-ones and monitors, updates others appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today we are pleased to release a new build of the Windows Server vNext Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release that contains both the Desktop Experience and Server Core, as well as a new build of the next Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel release and Microsoft Hyper-V Server. What’s New To see the full list of new functionality introduced in earlier builds of Windows Server, see aka.ms/ServerInsider-WhatsNew. Microsoft Hyper-V Server: Improvements For Windows Server 2019, Microsoft Hyper-V Server provides a robust, optimized enterprise-class virtualization platform that enables improved server utilization and reduced costs. This preview release of Microsoft Hyper-V Server includes various updates and fixes including: Installation no longer prompts for a product key. Microsoft Hyper-V Server is an enterprise hypervisor that is provided at no additional cost. Administrators are now properly prompted to change their passwords when initially signing in. Updated installation branding. Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2019 also includes additional features such as: Failover Clustering hardening. Failover Clustering no longer requires the use of NTLM. Server Message Block (SMB) hardening. SMB 1.0 is disabled by default. Windows Subsystem for Linux is built in. Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection is built in. .NET Framework 4.7 is built-in. (Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016 included .NET Framework 4.6). Finally, Microsoft Hyper-V Server can be fully managed by Windows Admin Center to provide a modern, remote management solution that integrates with Azure Backup, disaster recovery, and more. Available Content Windows Server 2019 Preview is available in ISO format in 18 languages, and in VHDX format in English only. This build and all future pre-release builds will require use of activation keys during setup. The following keys allow for unlimited activations: Datacenter Edition 6XBNX-4JQGW-QX6QG-74P76-72V67 Standard Edition MFY9F-XBN2F-TYFMP-CCV49-RMYVH Windows Server vNext Semi-Annual Preview – The Server Core Edition is available in English only, in ISO or VHDX format. The images are pre-keyed – no need to enter a key during setup. Microsoft Hyper-V Server Server Core App Compatibility FoD Preview Windows Admin Center Preview 1808 – see http://aka.ms/WACPreview1808-InsiderBlog for full details. Symbols are available on the public symbol server – see Update on Microsoft’s Symbol Server blog post and Using the Microsoft Symbol Server. Matching Windows Server container images will be available via Docker Hub. For more information about Windows Server containers and Insider builds, click here. This build will expire December 14th, 2018. How to Download To obtain the Insider software downloads, registered Insiders may navigate to the Windows Server Insider Preview download page. If you have not yet registered as an Insider, see GETTING STARTED WITH SERVER on the Windows Insiders for Business portal. We value your feedback! Use your registered Windows 10 Insider device and use the Feedback Hub application. In the app, choose the Windows Server category and then the appropriate subcategory for your feedback. In the title of the Feedback, please indicate the build number you are providing feedback on in this format: [server #####] Title of my feedback We also encourage you to visit the Windows Server Insiders space on the Microsoft Tech Communities forum to collaborate, share and learn from experts. Known Issues [NEW] After a system running Server Core is transitioned (transmogrified) to Server Datacenter–for example, by running the command dism /online /setedition:ServerDatacenterCor /ProductKey:product-key/AcceptEula–the operating system is not licensed. On an affected system, the administrator is not instructed to restart the system, and the operating system indicates that it is a retail channel version rather than a Generic Volume License Key (GVLK) version, even when the product key is a GVLK key. To make an affected system licensed, run the following command: cscript c:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs /ipkproduct-key. [NEW] The Italian language (it-IT) text of the End-User License Agreement (EULA) for Hyper-V Server is formatted incorrectly. The operating system has an unnecessary utility account for Windows Defender Application Guard. Authentication that uses Public Key Cryptography User-to-User (PKU2U) to access an SMB volume can result in an error, STATUS_LOGON_FAILURE, due to an invalid private key in the certificate for a cluster-created user account (CSUSR) on each cluster node. This issue can cause cross-cluster migration in cluster sets to fail, as well as possibly cause global namespace mappings to fail, leading to virtual machines being unable to access storage. The Base Filtering Engine service may consume an inordinate amount of memory after starting and stopping thousands of containers. The Virtual Hard Disk Miniport Driver (Vhdmp.sys) may experience a bug check, SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (7e). When a Windows Defender Application Guard container crashes, the resulting type of dump may be unexpected. On recent preview builds, database applications might not be able to initialize a database and fail with a stack overflow or insufficient privileges when the database is located on an SMB volume. Shielded VMs running Linux do not boot. The loader (LSVMLoad) waits for a passphrase for the boot partition. Creating or modifying environment variables by using setx fails on a system running in a Nano Container (that is, Nano Server as a container image). On an affected system, setx requires a specific path in the registry, HKCU\Environment\, to exist by default. You can work around this issue by changing where the variable is stored in the registry, or you can add the expected registry path before executing setx commands. To specify that the variable be set for system-wide use in HKLM rather than in HKCU, the default, add the /M switch to a setx command. To instead add the expected registry path, run reg add HKCU\Environment before executing setx commands. Terms of Use This is pre-release software – it is provided for use “as-is” and is not supported in production environments. Users are responsible for installing any updates made available from Windows Update. All pre-release software made available to you via the Windows Server Insider program are governed by the Insider Terms of Use. No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows Server 2019 Insider Preview Build 17744 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

You might never have thought about the sounds your computer emits when an email arrives, your battery runs low or a meeting reminder pops up on your screen. Matthew Bennett has. A lot. Bennett personally composed, performed and digitally manipulated more than 900 versions of the Windows 10 calendar alert sound before choosing the perfect one. As audio creative director for a large portfolio of Microsoft software and devices, Bennett has played a key role in the company’s sound design for 15 years. He has strong opinions and well-developed philosophies about sound, as well as a highly specialized vocabulary to discuss it. “Our responsibility to our customers is, first of all, do no harm. Design sounds that don’t hurt or annoy,” he says. “Second, make it functional, and third, make it beautiful. Beauty and function go hand in hand. The more beautiful it is, the better it will flow into the experience we want people to have.” Read more about Bennett at Microsoft Story Labs. The post Story Labs: How Microsoft’s Matthew Bennett cuts through noise to create a ‘sound world’ appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

To see how HDR video compares to traditional content (SDR), look at the images below. The SDR version, in general, is more flat and washed out. With an actual video on an HDR-capable PC, the difference is like night and day – literally. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/ba29c3ea4f783b4c1d42ca76ed4046c2-300x169.jpg HDR video still https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/1cf0eb4a6a62019744e13243dba5de21-300x169.jpg SDR video still Simulation of HDR content vs. SDR content Windows HD Color is a set of features bringing HDR content to Windows PCs. Our team works hard to improve the quality of every pixel on your display, including better colors and more vivid scenes. The goal is to help you get ultra-realistic movie, gaming and creative experiences in Windows 10. To enjoy HDR video, you need the right content, hardware and software. As more HDR hardware and content come to market, we’re committed to giving you the best HDR experiences. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/dbbd0b0dd26b9db8855b1a265ff94267.gif In settings, you’ll be able to choose “Stream HDR Video” in the Video Playback if your display supports HDR video HDR is a dramatic improvement over traditional SDR (standard dynamic range) content in two ways: light and color. When it comes to light, HDR video takes advantage of new hardware that can show much higher contrast between the brightest whites and the darkest blacks on your screen. HDR video encodes additional information into your content (and allows for a much higher peak brightness) so you can see much more detail across the entire spectrum of display capabilities. For example, in a single frame of HDR video, the sun will appear distinctly brighter, details on the brightest surfaces will be sharper, and the darkest shadows will appear with terrific detail. With respect to color, HDR video also improves over traditional content in two ways. First, it typically uses wider color gamut (WCG) when encoding information, meaning that it shows a wider range of colors compared to traditional SDR content. This results in, for example, increasingly saturated hues of color. Second, color is more precise with HDR. This is because it can represent many more unique shades even within the same range of color. On new HDR-capable hardware, these two color-related improvements result in much deeper and more vivid reds, greens, and blues, and allows for more gradations of color in-between. How can I get HDR video? With Windows HD Color, our goal is to make HDR video look as good as possible using the fullest extent of your PC’s capabilities. Since fully HDR-capable, built-in displays aren’t on laptops today, our efforts are focused on: 1. Playing HDR video on external HDR10 displays In the Windows 10 Fall Creators update, Windows supports external HDR TVs and monitors. Among other features, this allows Windows to consume HDR video and show full HDR quality (i.e., HDR features described above like higher peak brightness, wider color gamut, and more accurate color). You will also need a modern graphics card and updated drivers. To get HDR, go to Settings > System > Display, and turn on “HDR and WCG.” https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/08/74f8ff6a861f36b7e0bcf0c852824f0c-1024x715.jpg Display settings for HDR-capable external monitor For more info on HDR on external monitors, see Display requirements for HDR video in Windows 10. 2. Improving video on current generation built-in displays (i.e., laptops) Currently, most laptop displays don’t truly support HDR content, particularly when it comes to color (they do not have wider color gamuts nor higher color precision). Nevertheless, medium- to high-end models tend to have bright screens. We can combine these bright screens with the expanded range of brightness information available in HDR video formats so that Windows plays HDR video at its best for that display. Playback quality of HDR content on these devices is noticeably better than the SDR version of the same content. This is particularly apparent in scenes where movie creators have mastered their content to fully exploit new HDR technologies. While this update for built-in displays focused on the better brightness of HDR content, in the future we are working on bringing you better color. Only devices that meet certain hardware requirements will be capable of playing HDR video. FAQ Does my Windows device support HDR? See our help articles Display requirements for HDR video in Windows 10 and Stream HDR video on Windows 10 How can I set up my laptop display for HDR video? See our help article Calibrate your built-in display for HDR content in Windows 10 What HDR content can I watch? There is a lot of free HDR content available online. You can find some good examples if you open Microsoft Edge on your Windows 10 PC, go to YouTube, and then search for “HDR.” Netflix has HDR content as well, but you need to be on the “Premium” tier plan to have access. If you are on this plan, either download the Netflix app from the Store or go to Netflix.com in Microsoft Edge and search for “HDR.” Check out “Chef’s Table: France.” (Side effects of this last show in HDR include uncontrollable hunger and impulse-purchase plane tickets to Paris.) We are working with other content providers to expand the scope of HDR content on Windows. The post Windows 10 Tip: Find out how to get HDR video on your PC appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17746 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC We fixed an issue where Narrator would incorrectly report some standard combo boxes as “editable combo box” instead of “combo box”. We fixed an issue in Windows Mixed Reality causing motion controllers to need to be re-paired after initial setup before appearing in the headset. If you still experience this, please file feedback in Feedback Hub. We fixed an issue for Japanese and German where when you reset your PC (from Settings > Update & Security > Recovery) the progress percent would be written in the middle of the string rather than at the end. We fixed an issue when using Italian as your display language where the Yes button to confirm file deletion would sometimes disappear when trying to delete a OneDrive file via File Explorer. Thanks for everyone that’s shared feedback about naming the tabs you’ve set aside in Microsoft Edge. We’re evaluating the right approach for this feature and in the meantime, it has been removed from RS5 builds. Known issues You may experience a bugcheck (GSOD) when logging out of your user profile or shutting down your PC. When you use the Ease of Access Make Text bigger setting, you might see text clipping issues, or find that text is not increasing in size everywhere. Narrator sometimes does not read in the Settings app when you navigate using Tab and arrow keys. Try switching to Narrator Scan mode temporarily. And when you turn Scan mode off again, Narrator will now read when you navigate using Tab and arrows key. Alternatively, you can restart Narrator to work around this issue. Notable app updates We’re shipping Your Phone app to Insiders in the Release Preview ring, specific to PCs running Windows 10 April 2018 Update (Version 1803, Build 17134). Check it out! If you’re in Skip Ahead we recently flighted version 10.1807.2286.0 of Screen Sketch to you! As mentioned, we’re exploring a new name, so let us know what you think! We’ve also added a delay snip feature, which was one of the top features requests we heard from you. Just click the chevron next to the New button in the app and you’ll now find options to “Snip now”, “Snip in 3 seconds”, and “Snip in 10 seconds”. Oh, and if you have the app open or pinned to your taskbar, you can just right click the icon in the taskbar to get these options, since we’ve added them to the jump list – let us know what you’d like to see next! No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17746 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today we are pleased to release a new build of the Windows Server vNext Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release that contains both the Desktop Experience and Server Core, as well as a new build of the next Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel release, Microsoft Hyper-V Server and Windows Admin Center 1808. What’s New To see the full list of new functionality introduced in earlier builds of Windows Server, plus updated installation instructions for the Server Core App Compatibility FoD Preview that includes support for Internet Explorer 11, see aka.ms/ServerInsider-WhatsNew. Host Device Access for Containers We’re adding the capability to assign simple buses to process-isolated Windows Server containers. Applications running in containers that need to talk over SPI, I2C, GPIO, and UART/COM will now be able to do so. To learn more, and to see how to leverage the feature, see Bringing Device Support to Windows Server Containers in the Virtualization Blog. SDN High Performance Gateways Organizations today deploy their applications across multiple clouds including on-premises private clouds, service provider clouds, and public clouds such as Azure. In such scenarios, enabling secure, high-performance connectivity across workloads in different clouds is essential. Windows Server 2019 brings huge SDN gateway performance improvements for these hybrid connectivity scenarios, with network throughput multiplying by up to 6x!!! For more details about these improvements, please see our blog entry: Top 10 Networking Features in Windows Server 2019: #6 High Performance SDN Gateways Available Content Windows Server 2019 Preview is available in ISO format in 18 languages, and in VHDX format in English only. This build and all future pre-release builds will require use of activation keys during setup. The following keys allow for unlimited activations: Datacenter Edition 6XBNX-4JQGW-QX6QG-74P76-72V67 Standard Edition MFY9F-XBN2F-TYFMP-CCV49-RMYVH Windows Server vNext Semi-Annual Preview – The Server Core Edition is available in English only, in ISO or VHDX format. The images are pre-keyed – no need to enter a key during setup. Microsoft Hyper-V Server Windows Admin Center Preview 1808 – see http://aka.ms/WACPreview1808-InsiderBlog for full details. Symbols are available on the public symbol server – see Update on Microsoft’s Symbol Server blog post and Using the Microsoft Symbol Server. Matching Windows Server container images will be available via Docker Hub. For more information about Windows Server containers and Insider builds, click here. This build will expire December 14th, 2018. How to Download To obtain the Insider software downloads, registered Insiders may navigate to the Windows Server Insider Preview download page. If you have not yet registered as an Insider, see GETTING STARTED WITH SERVER on the Windows Insiders for Business portal. We value your feedback! Use your registered Windows 10 Insider device and use the Feedback Hub application. In the app, choose the Windows Server category and then the appropriate subcategory for your feedback. In the title of the Feedback, please indicate the build number you are providing feedback on in this format: [server #####] Title of my feedback We also encourage you to visit the Windows Server Insiders space on the Microsoft Tech Communities forum to collaborate, share and learn from experts. Known Issues [NEW] Notepad may crash or display an empty pane when a user selects File > Open. [NEW] Authentication that uses Public Key Cryptography User-to-User (PKU2U) to access an SMB volume can result in an error, STATUS_LOGON_FAILURE, due to an invalid private key in the certificate for a cluster-created user account (CSUSR) on each cluster node. This issue can cause cross-cluster migration in cluster sets to fail, as well as possibly cause global namespace mappings to fail, leading to virtual machines being unable to access storage. [NEW] The Base Filtering Engine service may consume an inordinate amount of memory after starting and stopping thousands of containers. [NEW] The operating system has an unnecessary utility account for Windows Defender Application Guard. The Virtual Hard Disk Miniport Driver (Vhdmp.sys) may experience a bug check, SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (7e). When a Windows Defender Application Guard container crashes, the resulting type of dump may be unexpected. On a preview build of the operating system, Narrator is not available by default after installation. On an affected system, the audio service is disabled by default. On recent preview builds, database applications might not be able to initialize a database and fail with a stack overflow or insufficient privileges when the database is located on an SMB volume. Shielded VMs running Linux do not boot. The loader (LSVMLoad) waits for a passphrase for the boot partition. Creating or modifying environment variables by using setx fails on a system running in a Nano Container (that is, Nano Server as a container image). On an affected system, setx requires a specific path in the registry, HKCU\Environment\, to exist by default. You can work around this issue by changing where the variable is stored in the registry, or you can add the expected registry path before executing setx commands. To specify that the variable be set for system-wide use in HKLM rather than in HKCU, the default, add the /M switch to a setx command. To instead add the expected registry path, run reg add HKCU\Environment before executing setx commands. Terms of Use This is pre-release software – it is provided for use “as-is” and is not supported in production environments. Users are responsible for installing any updates made available from Windows Update. All pre-release software made available to you via the Windows Server Insider program are governed by the Insider Terms of Use. No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows Server 2019 Insider Preview Build 17738 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...