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With this update, you get new experiences that help minimize distractions and make the most of every moment by saving you time – time that you can spend being more creative and doing the things you love. Here are a few of the devices that bring the update to life: 11 Windows 10 devices that light up the April 2018 Update: Acer Switch 3 Acer Nitro 5 Spin ASUS ROG G703 ASUS ZenBook 13 Dell Inspiron 15 5000 Dell XPS 13 HP Pavilion x360 convertible HP Omen X Laptop Lenovo Yoga 720 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th gen Samsung Notebook 9 Pen 2018 1. Acer Switch 3 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/8239c84d94a3e7bb95bca95d01bedff9-1024x592.jpg The Switch 3 is an innovative 2-in-1 detachable packed with multiple ports and great battery life. Its U-shaped kickstand lets the device sit open as far as 165 degrees and the detachable keyboard allows for seamless transition between laptop and tablet modes. This ultra-portable device weighs just under 3 pounds (tablet and keyboard) and is versatile for your everyday needs. Available from CDW.com starting at $405.99. 2. Acer Nitro 5 Spin https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/082cc048e072ff03d8b7e2096e6afda1.jpg Rule the game world with powerful processing power and tech features that put you in control of the action with the Acer Nitro 5 Spin. Game in every direction with its 360-degree hinge and experience true-to-life colors with full HD IPS display that bring your games to life. An embedded fingerprint reader with Windows Hello allows for seamless logins with simply your fingerprint. Available from Acer.com starting at $999.99. 3. ASUS ROG G703 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/558ddd589e5669c6fc1fe65bc710ce72-1024x1021.jpg The ASUS ROG G703 is the ultimate laptop for the hardcore gamer, with an ultra-responsive 17.3-inch IPS-level 144Hz display with NVIDIA G-SYNC technology. Powered by Windows 10 Pro and an 8th Gen Intel Coffee Lake processor, this device combines the best of laptop and console gaming with built-in Xbox Wireless technology that enables you to effortlessly connect up to eight wireless Xbox One controllers, eliminating the need for multiple adapters. The ROG G703 also meets the Windows Mixed Reality Ultra spec, which means it’s powerful enough to run even the most demanding Windows Mixed Reality experiences when combined with a compatible headset. Available from Amazon.com starting at $3,499. 4. ASUS ZenBook 13 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/f24e7d1dc9030792f05d91d94d66ae5f.jpg The ZenBook 13 is a laptop that’s ultralight, ultrathin and ultrapowerful. It’s built to give you the ultimate mobility, featuring a feather-light 985g all-metal chassis and all-day 15-hour battery life. Powered by Windows 10, it arrives with features like Windows Hello and your digital personal assistant Cortana* for more efficient and productive computing. Available from ASUS.com and starting at $999. 5. Dell Inspiron 15 5000 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/8121a8832344839c98a6eeb62e31452d-e1525106857918-1024x751.jpeg The Dell Inspiron 15 5000 laptop is powered by Intel Core processors and delivers an exceptional viewing experience. Enjoy an array of options designed to elevate your entertainment experience, such as a 15.6” FHD anti-glare non-touch display or a Truelife touch display. Choose between various storage options, including a 256GB SSD, and an optional optical drive. With a head-turning metallic finish, you’ll look great wherever you go. Available at Dell.com starting at $549.99. 6. Dell XPS 13 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/806b85690bf3a2a189624f2b7865c1a6-1024x602.jpg Powered by Windows 10 and with the latest Intel 8th Generation Quad Core processor, the XPS 13 delivers superior mobile performance with fast booting SSDs up to 1TB in a sleek form factor. Its stunning InfinityEdge display fits this 13-inch laptop in an 11-inch frame. It’s thinner and lighter, starting at just 2.67 pounds, with a higher resolution display that incorporates 2.5 million pixels with 4K Ultra HD. Available at Dell.com starting at $999.99. 7. HP Pavilion x360 convertible https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/e6d3f310a4e84f91146a2f061b16ed93.jpg Shift between a tablet and laptop seamlessly with the convertible HP Pavilion x360. Designed with a smaller hinge, the super thin Pavilion has a beautiful 13.3’’ diagonal HD touch display, up to 9 hours of battery life and weighs just under 3.7 pounds. Rethink the way you use your laptop with this great Windows 10 device that gives you the power to choose how to use it. Available from the Microsoft Store starting at $599.99. 8. HP Omen X Laptop https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/2209be1215ceee62e30230a192bc7a07.jpg Gamers are destined for glory with the Omen X Laptop, engineered for overclocking that lets you set your own limits. Superior graphics with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1070, G-Sync display, RGB lighting and a mechanical keyboard are packed into this laptop making it a monster on the battleground. Available from HP.com starting at $1,865. 9. Lenovo Yoga 720 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/f34865219566748921a5804bbf4378b4.jpg The Lenovo Yoga 720 brings portability and power – weighing at just 2.9 pounds (1.3kg) and packed with features that keep you productive all-day long. With multiple ports including lightning-fast Thunderbolt 3 ports, fingerprint login with Windows Hello, full HD display and up to 10.5 hours of battery life, you can make the most of your day. Enjoy browsing the web, streaming a movie or using the optional Lenovo Active Pen to sketch a portrait, this device lets you do it all. Available at Lenovo.com starting at $849.99. 10. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th gen https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/58c00711395a73f301882d7e8a128ee3-1024x577.jpg The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon combines beauty and durability to create a laptop packed with distinctive engineering. USB-C mechanical side docking make office connectivity a breeze and Glance eye tracking lets you navigate around your multi-monitor configuration, if you can tear your eyes away from the Dolby Vision HDR compatible display. Available from Lenovo.com starting at $1,519. 11. Samsung Notebook 9 Pen 2018 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/14ca79fc3d14c515438c5aa5d5a857a6-1024x683.jpg The Notebook 9 Pen brings a thoughtfully refined design to the 2-in-1 PC. The 360-degree hinge allows you to convert to a tablet from a laptop with ease by rotating the keyboard behind the screen for convenience. The Notebook 9 Pen provides ultimate convenience with a built-in S Pen that gives you the freedom to doodle, write, sketch, paint and more with Windows Ink. The S Pen is battery free and built into the device, designed for immediate use. Available from Samsung.com starting at $1,399. Now is a great time to take advantage of everything the April 2018 Update has to offer with a new Windows 10 device! You can also see even more options for a new Windows 10 device that best suits your needs with Windows Help Me Choose, an interactive tool on Windows.com that makes it easy to find the best PC that meets your needs. To check out even more great Windows 10 devices from our partners, and to discover what the April 2018 Update has to offer with free demos and workshops, visit your local Microsoft Store in person or online. You can also visit this blog post to learn more about what’s new in the April 2018 Update. You can even get a free consultation from our expert Service Advisors to determine if your device is eligible for the update, or help set up and customize a new device. *Cortana available in select markets. The post 11 devices that light up the Windows 10 April 2018 Update appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

With this update, available as a free download today, you get new experiences that help minimize distractions and make the most of every moment by saving you time. Our hope is that you’ll have more time to do what matters most to you whether that’s to create, play, work, or simply do what you love. You can get the April 2018 Update in a couple different ways. If you already have a Windows 10 PC and have automatic updates enabled, the update will be delivered to you when it’s ready for your machine. That roll-out begins on May 8. If you are an advanced user and would like to get the update today, visit this blog post to learn how. Here’s what’s new in the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Timeline We’ve all had the experience of digging through email or file folders for the document you know you wrote, but just can’t find. Or looking for photos and videos that you know you’ve seen and love, but can no longer locate. Timeline can help you get back this wasted time, by helping you easily find what matters to you across your devices. Timeline lets you go back in time to past activities you’ve worked on across your devices, so you can jump back into them like you never left. So, if you’re looking for a specific document, image, or video you worked on yesterday or a week ago, Timeline makes it even easier to find what you’re looking for. You can even pick up what you were doing on your iOS or Android device on your Windows 10 PC when you’re ready to get back to it. Here’s some more information on how Timeline works. Go back and forth in time. Easily scroll back in time to find things you were working on earlier today or a few weeks ago.1 Find activities easily. Click the new Task bar icon to see all your activities on a specific day grouped by hour, including all the things you did using Microsoft Edge and Office 365 on your tablet and mobile phone.2 If you don’t see what you need, you can easily search Timeline to find it. Remove activities whenever you want. Delete activities from a specific day or hour. To get started with using Timeline, click the new Task view icon in the taskbar to see all your activities on a specific day, grouped by hour, and easily search for something you’d like to go back to (you can also open Task view by pressing Windows logo key + Tab). Nearby Sharing https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/b2afbf70365952cd57353d5703587b01-1024x576.png Nearby Sharing lets you instantly share your videos, photos, documents, and websites with people and devices near you over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Say you’re in a meeting with your boss and need to quickly send them the report or PowerPoint presentation you’re looking at on your screen, Nearby Sharing helps you do this quickly and easily. Here’s what you can do with Nearby Sharing. Share quickly. Send any video, photo, document, or webpage viewed on Microsoft Edge to people nearby by clicking on the share charm in the app or right-clicking to get the share menu. You can share a report with a colleague in your meeting room or a vacation photo with your best friend in the library.3 Take the quickest path. Your computer automatically picks the fastest way to share your file or webpage, either over Bluetooth or Wifi. See who’s available. Bluetooth allows you to quickly discover potential devices with which you could share.4 Focus Assist As Yusuf mentioned last week, most of us spend between 3-6 hours – each day – on screens. Much of this time is spent on social media, where the constant stream of distractions across our myriad of devices makes it hard to focus. With this update, we’re introducing Focus Assist to help you stay in the zone. Focus Assist helps you get more done by easily blocking notifications, sounds, and alerts to create distraction-free work times. This is helpful if you’re giving a presentation or trying to focus on a paper, you can use Focus Assist to block interruptions or distractions. Here’s how it works. Work the way you want. Focus assist gives you the flexibility to choose when to block interruptions. Turn on Focus assist whenever you want to get things done without distractions, like notifications, sounds, and alerts. Or set Focus Assist to turn on automatically at certain times during the day. Stay connected when you need to. You can make sure your most important people breakthrough by creating a priority list of those you always want to reach you, even when you’re working. Or when you need complete concentration, block all notifications. Catch up quickly. Find out what you missed while you were heads down on a project. As soon as you finish working, a summary of notifications and alerts appears on your screen. You can quickly toggle Focus Assist on or off from a quick action button in the Action Center. Or, to set up your rules with Focus Assist, just go to display settings > Focus Assist to pick which scenarios will automatically turn on this feature. Microsoft Edge We’re also helping you focus on the web with updates to Microsoft Edge, from muting tabs to auto-filling cards on web forms. Here’s a look at what’s new in Microsoft Edge with this update. Mute-a-tab. Simply click the audio icon or right-click the tab to mute and unmute the tab that is playing sound. Autofill cards on web forms. Use Microsoft Edge to securely save your address, credit card, and other information on top retail sites so that you have the option of autofill on web payment forms.5 Clutter-free printing. Print web pages from Microsoft Edge without pop-ups and other unnecessary clutter. Enable the “Clutter-free printing” option in the print dialog and print only the content you want.6 Full-screen reading experience. Take Books, PDFs, and Reading view pages full-screen, for a distraction-free reading experience. To enable full-screen reading, you can click on the double-arrow icon on the reading bar, or in the more menu or hit F11 on your keyboard. More EPUB book options. Save EPUB books you’ve downloaded for free or bought at Microsoft Store, add bookmarks and manage them all at the Books tab on the Microsoft Edge hub. You’ll also find suggestions there, based on your reading habits, for new EPUB books, that you can find in Microsoft Store with one click. Grammar tools. Microsoft Edge has added Grammar tools support in reading mode for web pages and books to help improve reading comprehension to create a more inclusive reading experience. Fluent Design. Microsoft Edge now supports an updated Dark theme and much better contrast with all colors, text, and icons. Microsoft Edge on your phone and tablet. Get Microsoft Edge on your Android phone, tablet, iPhone, or iPad. Just go to the apps store on your device and download Microsoft Edge for free. Then use Microsoft Edge on your phone or tablet to read EPUB books you’ve saved, currently a preview feature. Or start reading a webpage on phone or tablet, send the page to your PC, and pick up reading right where you left off.7 Windows Ink Tap to ink and ink acceleration are new with this update. Here’s how they work: https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/5f313515e2999ff6e474b99e99d027d8-1024x576.png Tap to ink. Now you can choose to ink instead of type. Use your digital pen to write directly in text fields for a more natural experience. Just tap a space, like a search box, and it expands to give you a comfortable area in which to write. You can even edit what you’ve written with simple, intuitive gestures. Go to Settings > Devices > Pen & Windows Ink > select, “Write directly into text field”, then tap on a new text field to try the experience.8 Ink acceleration. Designed to reduce the delay and improve latency of your digital pen by up to 30-50%. With virtually no latency, using a pen is almost like drawing on paper. This is the fastest Windows Ink yet.9 Windows Mixed Reality https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/762ae9a55a732a371971887e70855163-1024x575.jpg In this update, we’re pleased to share that Windows Mixed Reality for Steam®VR is coming out of “early access,” and we have further improved our integration with haptic motion controller feedback. It’s also now easier to take photos of your mixed reality experiences (hold the Windows button and tap the trigger). Plus, it’s simpler to personalize and manipulate content inside of Cliff House or Skyloft. What’s Skyloft? A brand new virtual place for you to make your own and expand your mixed reality experience in addition to the Cliff House. Visit this link to learn more about Windows Mixed Reality.10 Windows Hello https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/afe727baf591049fa9f57380d76e6519.gif We’ve made it easier for Microsoft account users to set up Windows Hello on their compatible devices for faster and more secure sign-in. Previously, you 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. Microsoft Photos Here’s what’s new in the Microsoft Photos app: https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/243d793c02177cc1edc43e3dae66c721-1024x576.jpg Add 3D to your creation. Using the Photos built-in video editor, you can now add 3D effects right into your photo or video. Need some inspiration? The built-in 3D Library lets you choose a 3D model from one of your favorite artists in the Remix 3D community to add a whole new dimension to your creation. Search and find more quickly. The Photos app automatically groups pictures of people to help you organize your photos and videos and find exactly what you’re looking for more quickly. It even helps you combine multiple photos of the same person by merging them into one contact. 3D in Windows 10 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/b2da79cfb17b327b05491801d2d18d50-1024x576.png Animations in Mixed Reality Viewer. Record a video with animated 3D objects. Capture a flying saucer hovering over your friend’s shoulder or a dinosaur lurking around the corner. It’s easy. Just click the Remix 3D button to find animated objects you can drop into your video. Or from the bottom right of the app, you can find one click animations to make static 3D objects come to life. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/118d305c8344e185938f1659062a792a-1024x576.png 3D Animations in PowerPoint. With your Office 365 subscription, you can add 3D animation to static 3D models you’ve added to your PowerPoint. Just click on Animations and choose from an auto-rotating Turntable to Jump & Turn to give movement to your 3D models. Edit your snips directly in Paint 3D. With the new “edit in Paint 3D” button built into the Snipping Tool, you can take your snip to the next level via Paint 3D. Move (or remove) objects with Magic select, augment and annotate with realistic brushes, bring in 3D objects from Remix 3D, and more. Cortana Turn up the heat and the beat. Cortana now lets you manage your smart home and play your favorite music and playlists on Spotify from your PC using just your voice.11 Cortana has expanded home automation skills, making it even easier for you to control your smart home devices while you’re on the go. For example, want to come home to a warm house from a long day at work? Just tap Cortana on your PC and say “Hey Cortana, set the living room thermostat to 72 degrees” to control your ecobee3, ecobee3 lite, ecobee4, Honeywell Lyric, Honeywell Total Connect Comfort, Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Thermostat E and more. To set up your connected home with Cortana, open Cortana on Windows 10 or go to the Cortana app on your phone, click the Notebook icon, then click Connected Home. From there, you can connect your favorite smart home accounts and control your devices from anywhere you use Cortana.12 https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/b000335455a2617c48f8eeeb26c463e6-1024x683.jpg With Spotify now available with Cortana on PC, you can use the power of your voice to play your favorite music. For example, if you want to kick back and relax after a long day of work, simply tap on the microphone icon on your Windows 10 taskbar or say “Hey Cortana” then say “Play some chill music on Spotify” and she’s on it. To get started, simply try saying “Hey Cortana, play some chill music on Spotify” and Cortana will guide you through linking your Spotify account to Cortana. Or, open Cortana on Windows 10, click the Notebook icon, then click Music and link your favorite provider, like Spotify, TuneIn or iHeartRadio. PC Gaming https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/96685a7f8da8b5997f912829f778c34f-1024x576.png https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/e633f0cc72444e7582f4d99f36253d83-1024x576.png Improved Game bar. We’ve given Game bar a makeover so it’s even easier to find what you’re looking for. Go to your captures, toggle your microphone and camera, choose a theme, and edit the title of your Mixer stream—all from new buttons on Game bar. You can also and choose a theme (dark, light, or your current Windows theme), and quickly check the time using the new clock. And of course, start a Mixer stream from the Game bar without any extra hardware or software. Stay productive Dictation. Natural computing experiences enable us to speak directly to our devices to accomplish tasks, without typing. One way we’ve done this is with Dictation. It’s now easier than ever to take a note or write a paper, with just your voice using your device’s microphone13. With your cursor in any text field either in Windows 10 or in an app, simply press Win + H and start talking. The improved Dictation feature in Windows 10 will capture your thoughts quickly and accurately so that brilliant idea you just riffed on with your colleagues or the speech you’re practicing for your best friend’s wedding isn’t lost forever. My People Drag and drop. You can now drag and drop contacts to rearrange them in the taskbar. You decide how many contacts to show in the taskbar, up to ten. You can find People settings under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. Animations for people in overflow. To improve discoverability, you’ll now see an animation across the People icon to let you know when someone is pinned to the overflow list in the flyout. Improving app discoverability. As developers work to integrate My People support into their apps, we’ll now suggest apps that you might be interested in. There’s an option to turn this on or off in the People settings under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. [*]The Start menu is better than ever. We’ve made it even easier to find your stuff by default pinning documents and pictures and adding flexibility for you to pin your frequent destinations like downloads, music, and videos. [*]HDR Video on more Windows PCs with Windows HD Color. HDR video delivers an immersive, ultra-realistic viewing experience, with a stunning range of possible brightness and color. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/29b34146762d4b84683faf8855f66361-1024x576.png HDR Video https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/cb77ca0977533e142b8bfda118629b00-1024x576.png SDR Video Windows HD Color is all about bringing HDR content to your Windows devices. With our latest update, Windows HD Color is now bringing HDR video to more and more users. You can now enjoy HDR video on many new types of laptop or external displays, as long as it is a compatible Windows device. If you are enjoying your HDR video on your laptop display, you can also personalize that experience using our new calibration feature. [*]Touch Keyboard improvements The standard touch keyboard layout option comes to 190+ more keyboards. The touch keyboard now supports the standard keyboard layout. If you want to switch between wide, one-handed, and the standard touch keyboard layouts, just tap the button on the top left of the keyboard. This includes adding the standard keyboard layout to the following keyboards and more: English (United Kingdom), Irish, Czech, Danish, Greek, Canadian French, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Latvian, Dutch, and Polish. Shape-writing with wide touch keyboard. Shape-writing is now available when using the wide keyboard. Multilingual text support in Windows. If you type in more than one Latin script languages on Windows, you’re going to like this new feature. With the Touch Keyboard, you do not have to manually switch the language anymore. Simply continue typing in multiple languages and Windows will assist you by showing predictions from multiple languages to make you more productive. You can turn the feature off by going to Settings > Devices > Typing > Multilingual Text Prediction. Text Prediction support for more languages. If you’re using the touch keyboard in any of the following languages, you’ll now see words suggested as you type: Assamese, Bashkir, Belarusian, Greenlandic, Hawaiian, Icelandic, Igbo, Irish, Kyrgyz, Luxembourgish, Maltese, Maori, Mongolian, Nepali, Pashto, Sakha, Tajik, Tatar, Tswana, Turkmen, Urdu, Uyghur, Welsh, Xhosa, Yoruba, and Zulu. Emoji data overhaul for the touch keyboard. We’ve taken a look at the emoji data across all of the languages we support and have updated it so that more of the emoji you love will appear as you’re typing related words with the touch keyboard. We’ve also added support for a number of languages that didn’t previously support emoji candidates. This release includes new and updated emoji data for over 150 languages. Note: To see the emoji predictions as you type in a particular language, as well as typing predictions, you will need to have the optional typing feature applied for that language. It should download on its own as long as you have an internet connection when you add the language to your language list, or once you connect to the internet thereafter. If you’re not seeing predictions and have internet connectivity, try removing the language and then adding it back again. Now you can use Emoji Panel to insert multiple emoji at once. Based on feedback, we’re adjusting the design of the Emoji Panel so that after opening up the panel by pressing hotkey Windows logo key + “.” or “;”, you could browse, search and then select more than one emoji. The panel won’t go away until you click close button or press “Esc” key. Emoji search comes to more languages. You can find an emoji by keyword in more than 150 locales, including English (Great Britain), French (France), German (Germany), Spanish (Spain), and more. This will help you get the emoji you want easily and quickly. You can also use the Emoji Panel in more languages. We’ve added support for more languages and you can now use the emoji over 190 locals – 151 of which have tooltip support when you hover over each emoji. This includes English (Great Britain), French (France), German (Germany), Spanish (Spain), and more. [*]Handwriting improvements Split layout comes to the touch keyboard. As many of you know we redesigned the touch keyboard to be XAML-based for the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. We’ve been hard at work addressing feedback and are happy to share that the touch keyboard now supports the split layout – an ergonomic layout designed to be used with both hands, one on each side of your tablet. Personalize the handwriting panel. You can now change the font that your handwriting converts to in the handwriting panel. Go to Settings > Devices > Pen & Windows Ink > “Change the font of the handwriting experience”, select your preferred font from the drop-down, then write in the handwriting panel to see your chosen font. [*]Fluent Design. We’ve redesigned the Action Center, My People, Settings, Start, Taskbar, and the Touch Keyboard to leverage Fluent Design. [*]Save notification drafts in Action Center. Now, if you’re writing a response in a notification (such as one from Skype), and the notification gets dismissed with unsubmitted text, your draft will be saved; open the action center and your text will now be saved with the notification. Accessibility improvements The April 2018 Update is for each us, so it also includes enhanced and new accessibility features that let you be more creative, collaborative, and connected in a way that fits your individual needs and style. Many of the accessibility features can now be found in one place with related features organized under Vision, Hearing, and Interaction. Additionally, you can enable text suggestions to get help constructing sentences. As you type on a keyboard, you’ll see three suggested words and can pick one to insert. This is a great feature for English language learners or anyone who’d like a little help with their writing. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/5ac8f495f6500fe466e9dc6dec370815-1024x576.png Make your device fit your needs. Many of the accessibility features can now be found in one place, with related features organized under Vision, Hearing, Interaction. Get text suggestions as you type. You can enable text suggestions to get help constructing sentences. As you type on a keyboard, you’ll see three suggested words and can pick one to be inserted. This feature is great for English language learners – and anyone who’d like a little help with their writing. Available for EN-US in this release. Click with your eyes. Improvements in the eye control14 experience include easier navigation with the addition of scrolling and direct left and right click capabilities, acceleration to common tasks such as Windows Start and device calibration, and the flexibility to pause eye control. Eye control is still in preview, and we welcome your feedback to help improve the experience. Grammar Tools for EPUB books and Reading View. Make reading websites in Reading View and EPUB books with Microsoft Edge easier with Grammar Tools that break words into syllables and highlight parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Listen to books your way. Use Microsoft Edge to hear an EPUB book read aloud with custom narration and ambient sounds embedded in the book. See greater contrast. Microsoft Edge Dark theme has darker blacks and better contrast across all colors, text, and icons, making it easier for many people with accessibility contrast issues to navigate. It also can prevent eye strain, generally, especially when you’re working at night. Security Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) comes to Windows 10 Pro. Microsoft is bringing Windows Defender Application Guard to Windows 10 Professional in the next feature update of Windows 10. Now, like Windows 10 Enterprise users, Windows 10 Pro Users can navigate the Internet in Windows Defender Application Guard knowing their systems are protected from even the most sophisticated browser attacks. Windows Defender Security Center Improvements Quick access from the context menu. You can now right-click on the Windows Defender Security Center icon in the notification area and get an updated context menu that lets you quickly do a quick scan, update your Windows Defender Antivirus definitions, change the notifications and open Windows Defender Security Center. Account Protection Pillar in Windows Defender Security Center. We’ve made it easier for users to protect their identity when signing into Windows with the new Account protection pillar in Windows Defender Security Center. Account protection encourages local account users to connect a Microsoft Account (MSA), password users to set up Windows Hello Face, Fingerprint or PIN for faster and more secure sign in. Additionally, Dynamic lock leverages the alerting system in Windows Defender Security Center to notify users when Dynamic lock has stopped working because their phone or device Bluetooth is off. Device Security Pillar in Windows Defender Security Center. We’re giving you greater insight into the security features integrated in your Windows device. The Device security page provides you with status reporting and management of security features built into your devices – including toggling features on to provide enhanced protections. More options for how we notify you. You can now further customize what types of notifications you get from Windows Defender Security Center, including disabling or enabling notifications about recent, automatic scans that keep your PC safer or if there are threats or files that have been blocked. Windows 10 in S Mode Windows 10 in S mode now comes enabled on both Windows 10 Home and Pro PCs, and commercial customers will be able to deploy Windows 10 Enterprise with S mode enabled. Some additional information about Windows 10 in S Mode: Microsoft-verified. All of your applications are verified by Microsoft for security and performance. Performance that lasts. Start-ups are quick, and S mode is built to keep them that way. Choice and flexibility. Save your files to your favorite cloud, like OneDrive, and access them from any device you choose. Browse Microsoft Store for apps. S mode, on a range of modern devices. Enjoy all the great Windows multi-tasking features, like snapping windows, task view and virtual desktops on a range of S mode enabled devices. If you want to switch out of S mode, you will be able to do so at no charge, regardless of edition. Once you switch out of S mode, you cannot switch back. Microsoft Store Reimagined localization and Windows local experience. Now you can find your desired language (Local Experience Pack – or “Language Pack”) right in Microsoft Store or in the Settings menu. The Settings app has improved discoverability and usability of features supported for each language. Having the Local Experience Packs in the Microsoft Store allows us to take advantage of user feedback via Language Community App to release better translations more frequently. This will consistently improve the experience of our international customers with Windows. Font Settings and Fonts. Fonts are an important asset for your visual creativity. We’re introducing new experiences for managing your fonts in Settings, and for acquiring additional fonts from Microsoft Store. Along with the new Settings experience, we are introducing a curated set of fonts as a new content type in Microsoft Store. To find them easily, there is a link from the Fonts page in Settings directly to the Fonts collection in Microsoft Store. We will continue to add new fonts to the collection so keep checking. New experiences coming to Office on Windows OneDrive Files Restore integrated with Windows Defender for expanded ransomware protection https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/4490971656ce89f99328762041ec8036-1024x683.png Save your files in OneDrive for an additional layer of protection from ransomware. If a ransomware threat is found on a device, Windows Defender will notify you of the threat, help you remove the ransomware from your device, and give you the option to use OneDrive Files Restore so you can recover your OneDrive files to the state they were in before the attack occurred. The date and time that Windows Defender detected the attack will be pre-selected in Files Restore, making the process simple and easy to use. Files Restore is available for Office 365 Home subscribers, Office 365 Personal subscribers, and OneDrive for Business users. It can be used to restore your OneDrive to a previous point in time within the last 30 days. This integration is beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders today and will be available to all Windows 10 April 2018 Update customers in the coming weeks. Learn more about the protections from online threats available to Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal subscribers. Work smarter with AI-powered inking features in Office on Windows New inking innovations are coming to Office 36515 in the next few months. Here’s what you can expect: https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/776badfde207cab207c2f9c8137c9b01.gif Intelligent editing in Word. Use your digital pen to make editing Office docs easier than ever: Strikethrough words to make them disappear, make room to insert text, circle text to select, highlight with precision. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/a78c353dc2ae140c113a1eef63ef6e06.gif Power to your point. Use your digital pen to work on your PowerPoint presentations. You can easily convert handwritten headlines, text and hand-drawn shapes into a presentable format. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/b5149f466f2b66b6e17c4480599ad007.gif OneNote Math Assistant. Ink math assistant in OneNote for Windows 10 helps you solve handwritten equations, provides step-by-step instructions, and even graphs the results to enhance learning and problem-solving. Windows and Office are getting even better together Sign in to Office, Sign in to Microsoft. With the April 2018 Update, we’re launching a brand new, industry-leading Single Sign-On experience. Signing into one Microsoft app or service on a device signs you into them all. Using your personal Microsoft account, or the account given to you by your work or school, you will now be able to sign into Office 36516 and use that same account across a full range of Microsoft apps and services. And, just as you’d expect, it works both ways – by signing in to Windows you sign in to Office. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/4df4ddaf80aa548c5159af04138550f8.gif This experience is available to Office Insiders Fast today and will be available to all Office 365 subscribers by June. To get started you’ll need to have the April 2018 update installed, along with the latest version of Office. While all new accounts added will be able to opt into this by default, it can be extended to accounts you have already added as well. Just head to the Settings app, click “Accounts” followed by “Email & app accounts.” Choose the account you added previously and select “Microsoft apps can sign me in” from the drop-down. And don’t worry, if you’d rather be selective in which Microsoft apps you sign into we’ve got you covered – simply choose “Apps need to ask me to use this account” from the Settings app and things will work just as they have before. We hope you enjoy all the great new features included in the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, designed to help you make the most of your time. You can learn more about how to get the update in this blog post here. If you want to experience the Windows 10 April 2018 Update first hand, you can do so starting May 8 at your local Microsoft Store in person or online. You can even get a free consultation from our expert Answer Desk technicians to determine if your device is eligible for the update, or help you set up and customize a new device. What’s new in the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Tweet This 1 Timeline shows up to 30 days of past activities. 2 Timeline shows activities done on tablet and mobile phone when users are signed into their Microsoft accounts. Office 365 subscription sold separately. 3 Sharing is only available between Windows 10 PCs. Nearby sharing must be enabled on both devices. 4 Recipients can choose whether to accept the item a user wants to share. 5 Support may vary for certain type of websites and by region and CVV information is never saved. 6 This option will only be visible for certain types of web pages. 7 User must download Microsoft Edge on iOS and Android phones, follow setup prompts, and link the mobile phone to the PC in PC settings. 8 Touch-enabled device required; pen accessory may be sold separately. Tap to ink available in UWP and XAML fields. User must enable in pen settings. 9 Compatible on select devices with Intel 8th Generation chipsets. 10 PC requirements may vary for available apps and content. 11 Cortana available in select markets; experience may vary by region and device. Cortana Skills only available in the US and work with select home automation and music services (paid subscriptions may be required). Some experiences may require Spotify Premium, users must accept Spotify’s Privacy policy and Terms of Use. Spotify available in select markets only. A free Spotify account and Internet access is required to stream music. To stream music ad-free, Spotify Premium is required. Catalog size and service availability varies by market over time. 12 Additional requirements may apply per device. 13 Dictation available in select markets; experience may vary by region and device. 14 Eye control requires a compatible eye tracker (sold separately) and calibration software (included with eye tracker). 15 Office 365 sold separately. Inking requires touch-enabled device; pen accessory may be sold separately. 16 Office 365 sold separately. The post What’s new in the Windows 10 April 2018 Update appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Last week, Yusuf Mehdi announced the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, our latest feature update for Windows 10. Today, we’re excited to share that the update is available to customers. This post will provide details on the April 2018 Update rollout plan, including information on our new machine-learning approach. We’ll also detail how you can get the update today. As with prior rollouts, our goal is to deliver the April 2018 Update as quickly and as broadly possible, while maintaining the best possible update experience for our customers. Here’s how to get the Windows 10 April 2018 Update The April 2018 Update is available today if you go to Windows Update and manually check for updates. We will begin the global rollout out via Windows Update on May 8. As with previous rollouts, we will use real-time quality feedback to smartly update your device when we have data that shows your device is ready and will have a great experience. You don’t have to do anything to get the update; it will roll out automatically to you through Windows Update if you’ve chosen to have updates installed automatically on your device. Once the download is complete and the update is ready to install, we’ll notify you, so you can pick the right time to finish the installation and reboot, so the update does not disrupt you. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/bdcf53c40abefb7b764f9a5f985da287.jpg The adoption rate of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update was the fastest of any version of Windows 10, making it the most widely used version of Windows 10. During the Fall Creators Update roll out we pilot tested machine learning (ML) to intelligently select devices that our feedback data indicated would have a great update experience. The results from the pilot were promising, and we consistently saw a higher rate of positive update experiences for devices identified using ML. For the April 2018 Update rollout, we will expand our use of ML to identify the devices ready to update, incorporating things like additional compatibility data. This will allow us to deliver updates to devices as fast as possible while providing even better customer experiences. With the April 2018 Update, we have also further shortened the amount of time your device is offline during updates up to 63% compared to the Windows 10 Creators Update. The April 2018 Update will follow the same phased rollout approach of proactively monitoring all available feedback and update experience data and making the appropriate product updates during the rollout. Want the Windows 10 April 2018 Update now? Start by manually checking for updates While we encourage you to wait until the update is offered to your device, if you’re an advanced user on an actively serviced version of Windows 10 and would like to install the Windows 10 April 2018 update now, you can do so by manually checking for updates. In the Search tab, type “Settings”. On the Settings page, navigate to Update & security > Windows Update. Once there, simply click “Check for updates” to begin the download and installation process. You can also watch this video that outlines how to get the April 2018 Update. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/a49bf076ddeeffff32f2282ad1ea6227.jpg If you’re using a Windows 10 PC at work, you will need to check with your IT administrator for details on your organization’s specific plans to update. Semi-Annual Channel released For our commercial customers, the release of the Windows 10, version 1803 on April 30, 2018 marks the start of the Semi-Annual Channel and begins the 18-month servicing timeline. Just as we’re rolling out the April 2018 Update in phases to consumers, we recommend IT administrators do the same within their organizations. Start with targeted deployments to validate that apps, devices, and infrastructure used by your organization work well with the new release. Then continue your deployment to more and more devices based on the results from your initial targeted deployments. Just as we use data to guide our consumer rollout, commercial customers are encouraged to use our Windows Analytics offering to improve and facilitate their own rollout. Devices configured to take advantage of Windows Update for Business (WUfB) will be automatically migrated to this Semi-Annual Channel feature update based on your WUfB configurations, starting today. The update is now available through both Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and WUfB. The April 2018 Update provides the latest features, security protections, and comes with updated controls for privacy settings Being on the latest version of Windows 10, the April 2018 Update, provides you with the latest features and provides the latest security protections to help keep you safer. As I’ve noted before, we continue to improve Windows 10 mitigations to protect against unwanted threats and vulnerabilities. To know which version of Windows your device is running, check here. The April 2018 Update also includes changes to the set-up experience for privacy settings. This new design conveys focused information to help our customers make informed choices about their privacy and offers two new settings for Inking & Typing and Find my device. Not everyone will experience the same set up, however. For example, some will review their settings through a single screen set up and others will review their settings via a multiple screen set up where required by law. Some users may be required to review and choose their privacy settings before they can finish installing the April 2018 Update. All customers can review and update their privacy settings at any time in Start > Settings > Privacy. You can find out more about the new Privacy settings experience in this March blog. We hope you enjoy the April 2018 Update and encourage you to tell us about your experience by providing comments or suggestions via the Feedback Hub app. How to get the Windows 10 April 2018 Update Tweet This The post How to get the Windows 10 April 2018 Update appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

We all get the same 24 hours. And now, more than ever, it seems like it’s never enough. People feel more overwhelmed than ever before and pretty much all of us would love more time – not necessarily time to do more, but time to do what we love. At Microsoft, we want to help you do just that. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/f5c917be976d2efdc6abf039ca68def6-1024x498.jpg With Windows 10, we’ve focused on delivering the most modern and most secure operating system. Since its initial launch, we delivered two updates with features designed to enable the creator in each of us. With our latest major release – the Windows 10 April 2018 Update – we want to give you back some of your greatest currency, your time. Our hope is that you’ll have more time to do what matters most to you – create, play, work or simply do what you love. Timeline helps you easily find what matters to you across your devices The proliferation of devices, combined with the explosion of information, has led to an influx of screen time. In fact, today, practically all free time goes toward screens. Your information is spread across multiple devices – making it increasingly harder to find your stuff. We’ve all had the experience of digging through your email or file folders for the document you know you wrote, but can’t find. Or looking for photos and videos that you know you’ve seen and love, but can no longer locate. Timeline can help you get back this wasted time. With Timeline, your Windows 10 PC lets you go back in time up to 30 days to find your stuff, whether you were working on it earlier today, last week, or a few weeks ago. Because much of our activity is on the go, you can even pick up what you were doing if signed into your Microsoft account while using Microsoft Edge or Office 365 on your iOS or Android device when you return to your Windows 10 PC. Imagine looking at bathroom vanity options for that home remodel when you’re out and about on your phone, and then finishing that purchase when you’re back at your PC. Or working on a document on the bus during your commute and seamlessly picking it back up when you’re at your desk. Focus Assist returns your focus Today, most of us spend between 3-6 hours – each day – on screens. Much of this time is spent on social media, where the constant stream of distractions across our myriad of devices makes it hard to focus. In many ways, our attention is being hacked, pulling us into continuous scrolls of information, but distracting us from what matters most. This war on attention is real – in the workplace, the average amount of time people spend on any single event before being interrupted or switching tasks is about three minutes (outside of meetings). Since the average person needs about 23 minutes to regroup after being interrupted, we see our productivity and creativity diminished. With the April 2018 Update we’re introducing Focus Assist to help you stay in the zone. Turn on Focus Assist whenever you want to get things done without distractions, like social media or other notifications. Or set it to turn on automatically at certain times during the day when you want focused time. When you finish, you receive a summary of what came through, whether notifications, emails or updates, while you were heads down. If you’re waiting on a specific call or email, choose people who you want to break through. We’re also helping you focus while on the web with updates to Microsoft Edge. You can now click the audio icon to mute and unmute a tab that is playing sound. Books, PDFs and Reading View pages can go full-screen for a distraction-free reading experience. Shopping gets easier as your address, payment and other information can be securely saved with the option to autofill on web payment forms1. You can now clear out clutter from your printouts by printing web pages in a cleaner format with the new clutter-free printing option2. Finally, anyone needing a little help with reading can use the new Grammar Tools button to enable comprehension aids. Grammar Tools can break the words on the page into syllables, as well as highlight different parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Voice as a natural input Natural computing experiences enable us to speak directly to our devices to accomplish tasks, without typing. We see potential for voice input to dramatically change how people interact with their devices, far beyond novelty experiences or entertainment. One way we’ve done this in the April 2018 Update is with Dictation. It’s now easier than ever to take a note or write a paper, with just your voice. With your cursor in any text field either in Windows 10 or in an app, simply press Win+H and start talking. The improved Dictation feature in Windows 10 will capture your thoughts quickly and accurately so that brilliant idea you just riffed on with your colleagues or the speech you’re practicing for your best friend’s wedding isn’t lost forever. With the April 2018 Update and Cortana enabled on your Windows 10 PC, you can manage your smart home right from your PC using just your voice3. For example, want to come home to a warm house from a long day at work? Just tap Cortana on your PC and say “Hey Cortana, set the living room thermostat to 72 degrees” to control your ecobee, Honeywell, Nest Learning thermostat and more4. Of course, there are many more great new features in the April 2018 Update including simplified IT management tools for our enterprise customers, new ways to create with Photos, 3D and Windows Mixed Reality, new ways to keep you safer online and enhancements to your PC gaming experience. The April 2018 Update will be available as a free download beginning Monday, April 30. With all the time you’ll save, how will you use your precious time? Yusuf Twitter | LinkedIn Make the most of your time with the new Windows 10 update Tweet This 1 Microsoft Edge does not save Card Verification Value (CVV) information. 2 This option available for only certain types of web pages. 3 Cortana available in select markets; experience may vary by region and device. Cortana Skills only available in the US and work with select home automation services (paid subscriptions may be required). 4 Additional requirements may apply per device. The post Make the most of your time with the new Windows 10 update appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/e8f83e9f293d84bd837a1cb7a14f9eac-1024x576.jpg Now you can download iTunes from Microsoft Store and easily play your favorite music, movies, and more—right from your Windows 10 PC. iTunes is also home to Apple Music, where you can listen ad-free to over 45 million songs and download your favorites to enjoy without using WiFi. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/ecccfb5c5b06f79f1575e89447e35c10-1024x736.png iTunes is free to download, and you can try Apple Music free for three months. There’s no commitment, and you can cancel anytime. Play your favorite music, movies, and more with iTunes: now available in Microsoft Store Tweet This The post Play your favorite music, movies, and more with iTunes: now available in Microsoft Store appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Today, Microsoft announced its third-quarter earnings, including commercial cloud revenue of $6 billion, up 58 percent from last year. As always, this growth is fueled by the innovation and success of our customers and partners. Today, almost every company is a tech company, and below are a few examples of companies working closely with Microsoft to advance their digital business strategies. Driving efficiencies with applications and infrastructure Companies across all industries need a trusted cloud infrastructure, a powerful data estate and accessible AI technologies to grow and transform. Toyota Material Handling Europe is using Azure, AI and HoloLens to help drive its vision for the factory of the future. By distributing intelligent logic across the factory and its robotic systems, the company can train “pallet drones” to recognize patterns, automate processes and learn the flow of a manufacturing factory floor. Bühler AG, a leader in food processing manufacturing, has developed a revolutionary optical sorting system called LumoVision to significantly improve food safety practices. Using the power of the Microsoft cloud, this new system creates a faster and more precise grain-sorting solution, eliminating 85 to 90 percent of contaminated and toxic grain, compared to 50 percent for conventional sorting machines. Enabling better customer engagement with data and AI Financial services is another space where companies are moving quickly to seize the digital dividend using data and AI. Today, more than 80 percent of the world’s largest banks are Azure customers. Saxo Bank, a fintech leader, provides “banking as a service” and access to 35,000 financial instruments to banking and brokerage clients in 170 countries. To grow the power and scale of its services, Saxo Bank is moving nearly all its technology stack to Azure. We are also working with Eagle Investment Systems LLC, a BNY Mellon company and financial services tech leader with $21 trillion in managed assets. In partnership with Microsoft, the firm has created a new cloud-based data management platform on Azure to help investment managers capture data, ensure its validity, manage assets and “seek alpha.” UPS, the world’s largest package delivery company, is enhancing its customer service with AI, using Azure Bot Service and Cognitive Services for the UPS Bot, which converses in text and voice with customers about their shipments. UPS developers are also using .NET and Visual Studio to extend its mobile app to more platforms faster, with less code. Empowering employees in the modern workplace Helping companies provide a modern workplace to their employees is core to our mission and business. For example, Jaguar Land Rover, the U.K.’s largest automotive manufacturer, sells its iconic vehicles in 130 countries, employs more than 43,000 workers globally and supports around 240,000 more through dealerships, suppliers and local businesses. Jaguar Land Rover has selected Office 365 as part of its effort to foster a creative and modern workplace culture that lets employees communicate and collaborate from the U.K. to the U.S., China, Brazil, Slovakia and Ireland — all while equipping the company with the security features needed to protect its business. In the consumer space, the Coca-Cola Co. has made digital leadership part of its growth strategy. The company is digitizing its enterprise — from the supply chain and employee collaboration to consumer engagement — and has placed trust and security at the heart of the entire experience. Specifically, Coca-Cola is using Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure to simplify its architecture, drive automation, deliver technology updates with less disruption, improve employee experiences and deliver proactive threat-protection. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Goldcorp is focused on responsible mining practices throughout the Americas. The mining industry is very dynamic, and Goldcorp needed to manage and harness data from its highly technical mining operations to inform real-time decision making. In addition to Power BI and Microsoft 365, Goldcorp selected Surface Pro for miners to use in the mines because the devices are fan-less. The company also deployed Surface Studio, Surface Book and Surface Pro throughout headquarters. By standardizing on Microsoft hardware and our modern workplace solutions, Goldcorp is gaining performance insights, improving security and building a foundation for the future of technology-enabled mines. Simplifying processes with business applications Another focus area for Microsoft and where we see customer innovation is in business applications and the digital simplification of business processes. 24 Hour Fitness, one of the U.S.’s largest privately owned and operated fitness chains, is deploying Dynamics 365 and Adobe Experience Cloud across its network of more than 420 clubs. This deployment will enable 24 Hour Fitness to dramatically enhance its ability to offer more personalized and unified digital experiences for members throughout every touch point in their fitness journey. With native technology integrations across Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Adobe Experience Cloud, 24 Hour Fitness is investing in a combined cloud platform to engage its members and guests with highly personalized experiences, including health and fitness guidance they truly want and need. Marc Jacobs International, the global fashion house with more than 200 retail stores across 80 countries, is another great retail example. The company uses Dynamics and a partner solution, MediusFlow, on Azure to streamline and automate a key part of its supply chain: Paying the enormous, continuously changing network of special vendors and suppliers it counts on to create and deliver its new collections each season. As these customer examples highlight, virtually every company, irrespective of the industry in which it competes, is thinking big about data — how to harness it for growth, for efficiency, for greater employee collaboration and for differentiation. Taken together, these ambitions are the very definition of digital innovation and transformation, and here at Microsoft we are proud to serve as a trusted partner committed to helping organizations realize these ambitions. The post The story behind Microsoft earnings: Our customers’ digital innovation appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17655 (RS5) to Windows Insiders who opted in to Skip Ahead. What’s new in Build 17655 Mobile Broadband (LTE) connectivity on Windows gets a makeover Windows is transforming the networking stack after 20 years through the Net Adapter framework. This framework introduces a new, more reliable, network driver model that inherits the goodness of the Windows driver framework while bringing an accelerated data path. In this build, we are introducing a new and improved Mobile Broadband (MBB) USB class driver based on this Net Adapter framework. We can’t wait for you to try out our new driver in the latest RS5 Insider Preview builds. If your PC supports Mobile Broadband, i.e., your PC relies on cellular network for connectivity, and you want to help out? Here is what you need to do: Step 1: Ensure your PC can support SIM cards and USB modems (either over the internal USB bus or using a USB dongle for cellular connectivity). Step 2: Install this build (Build 17655 and higher) and setup cellular connectivity. Step 3: Choose the Net Adapter based MBB USB class driver as default driver. Navigate to Device Manager. (You can right-click on the Start button to get there.)Go to Network Adapters -> Generic Mobile Broadband Adapter or xxxxx Mobile Broadband Adapter Right-click and choose update driver -> Browse my computer for driver software -> Click on Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer -> Choose Generic Mobile Broadband Cx Net Adapter -> Click Next. Once installed reboot for the new driver to take effect. Ensure the status of the connection remains “Connected”. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/d06632f09de7b5eda61759cfb9dc04c0.png https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/934b61293fdb9d64165f55c43c0bd9f1-1024x774.png https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/79eaa4dd78709a05904347a8eb91f91d.jpg Note: Follow the instructions in Step 5 to revert to the default driver(xxxxx Mobile Broadband Adapter), in case of issues with Net Adapter driver(Generic Mobile Broadband Cx Net Adapter). You are all set. We are excited for you to try our driver! Final Step: For Internet access, try using cellular network primarily by turning off Wi-Fi To report issues and give feedback, use Feedback Hub on your PC and set Category and subcategory as Network and Internet -> Connecting to a cellular network. Use [cxwmbclass] in the summary. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC In this build, the brightness toggle from the Battery flyout in the Notification Area on the taskbar has been removed for an improved user experience. We fixed an issue in Microsoft Edge where dragging a favorite from one folder in the favorites bar to another didn’t work. Known issues We’re investigating an issue where the mouse cursor may disappear when hovering over certain UI elements and text fields. On resuming from sleep, the desktop may be momentarily visible before the Lock screen displays as expected. When Movies & TV user denies access to its videos library (through the “Let Movies & TV access your videos library?” popup window or through Windows privacy settings), Movies & TV crashes when the user navigates to the “Personal” tab. We’re aware of an issue that causes Narrator to read extra text when invoking Alt + Tab, and we’re working on a fix. Using arrow and Page Up / Page Down keys doesn’t work to scroll webpages in Microsoft Edge. You’ll need to use another input method (mouse, touch, or touchpad). If you complete the setup for a Windows Mixed Reality headset on this build, the headset will remain black until it is unplugged and reconnected to the PC. Known issues for Sets & Office Sets UX for Office Win32 desktop apps is not final. The experience will be refined over time based on feedback. The top of some Win32 desktop app windows may appear slightly underneath the tab bar when created maximized. To work around the issue, restore and re-maximize the window. Closing one tab may sometimes minimize the entire set. Tiling and cascading windows, including features like “View Side by Side” in Word, will not work for inactive tabs. The Office Visual Basic Editor window will currently be tabbed but is not intended to be in the future. Opening an Office document while the same app has an existing document open may cause an unintended switch to the last active document. This will also happen when closing a sheet in Excel while other sheets remain open. Right-clicking a tab in Sets will not bring up a context menu in this build. Local files or non-Microsoft cloud files will not be automatically restored, and no error message will be provided to alert the user to that fact. No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17655 for Skip Ahead 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 as well as Server Core in all 18 server languages, as well as a new build of the next Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel release. Please also refer to this recent blog announcement about updates to the Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel. There are two major areas that we would like you to try out in each preview release and report back any issues: In-place OS Upgrade (from Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016) Application compatibility – please let us know if any server roles or applications stops working or fails to function as it used to What’s New in the Latest Build Click here to see the full list of new features introduced in earlier builds. Failover Clustering: File Share Witness One of the witness options available for failover clustering, File Share Witness, has two new enhancements. The first enhancement blocks the use of a Distributed File System (DFS) share as a location. Adding a File Share Witness (FSW) to a DFS share can cause stability issues for your cluster, and this configuration has never been supported. So, we added logic to detect if a share uses DFS, and if DFS is detected, Failover Cluster Manager blocks the creation of the witness and displays an error message about not being supported. The second enhancement enables the use of an FSW for several scenarios that were previously not supported: Absent or extremely poor Internet access because of a remote location, preventing the use of a cloud witness. Lack of shared drives for a disk witness. This could be a Storage Spaces Direct hyperconverged configuration, a SQL Server Always On Availability Groups (AG), or an Exchange Database Availability Group (DAG), none of which use shared disks. Lack of a domain controller connection due to the cluster being behind a DMZ. A workgroup or cross-domain cluster for which there is no Active Directory cluster name object (CNO). Find out more about these enhancements in the following posts in Server & Management Blogs: Failover Cluster File Share Witness and DFS New File Share Witness Feature in Windows Server 2019 Failover clustering: Moving Clusters between domains Moving a cluster from one domain to another has always been a daunting task because you must destroy the cluster to move it. Depending on the roles in the cluster, that role must also be removed and recreated. The following are two common scenarios: Company A purchases Company B and must move all servers to Company A’s domain Main office builds a cluster and ships it to another location We have added two new PowerShell commandlets to quickly take you from one domain to another without the need to destroy it. For more information about this new capability, see How to Switch a Failover Cluster to a New Domain in Server & Management blogs. Storage Replica Storage Replica (SR) was first released as a technology for Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Edition. SR enables synchronous and asynchronous block replication of volumes between servers or clusters for disaster recovery. SR also enables you to create stretch failover clusters that span two sites, with all nodes staying in sync. Beginning with Windows Server 2019, responding to customer requests, we’ve added the following improvement to SR: Storage Replica Standard. SR is available on Windows Server 2019 Standard Edition, not just on Datacenter Edition. When installed on servers running Standard Edition, SR has the following limitations: – SR replicates a single volume instead of an unlimited number of volumes. – Volumes can have one partnership instead of an unlimited number of partners. – Volumes can have a size of up to 2 TB instead of an unlimited size. We will continue to listen to your feedback and evaluate these settings through our telemetry during Insider previews of Windows Server 2019. These limitations may change several times during the preview phase and at RTM. For more information about new features for Storage Replica, visit Storage Replica Overview. Available Content The Windows Server 2019 Insider Preview is available in ISO format in 18 languages. This build and all future pre-release builds will require the 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. This build will expire July 2nd, 2018. Symbols are available on the public symbol server – see Update on Microsoft’s Symbol Server blog post and Using the Microsoft Symbol Server. As before, matching Windows Server container images will be available via Docker Hub. For more information about Windows Server containers and Insider builds, click here. How to Download To obtain the Insider software downloads, registered Insiders may navigate directly 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 Server category and then the appropriate subcategory for your feedback. Please indicate what build number you are providing feedback on. 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 In‑place OS upgrade: Domain Controllers. During an in-place OS upgrade, Active Directory (AD) Domain Controllers (DC) might not be upgraded correctly. So, back up any AD DCs before performing an in-place OS upgrade. Editing or creating policies for AppLocker can cause the MMC snap-in to crash when generated rules for a packaged app. After upgrading the operating system, the AppX database may have corrupted entries, which causes problems for components that use those entries. Terms of Use All pre-release software made available to you via the Windows Server Insider program are governed by the Insider Terms of Use, which takes precedence over any license agreement that may be in the product. No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows Server 2019 Insider Preview Build 17650 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

We’ve showed you 10 things you can do in Windows Mixed Reality right now and how to clear your workspace in two simple steps – today, we’re going to show you five keyboard shortcuts you may not know about! 1. Hold down Windows logo key + comma to take a quick look at the desktop https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/sites/2/2018/04/6c3e0de53c1c7c14b59a1bf81be74a25.gif 2. Lock your PC or switch accounts with Windows logo key + L https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/sites/2/2018/04/e56634e9339324c655b78beddbc74cf0.gif 3. Press Alt + Tab to switch between all your open apps https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/sites/2/2018/04/2cc444ad62c15d265de50c7177606505.gif 4. Minimize all your open windows at once with Windows logo key + M https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/sites/2/2018/04/62adf92850cad141eaf4cdff1a09fc50.gif 5. And use Windows logo key + Shift + M to restore all minimized windows https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/sites/2/2018/04/8ceda96595d28782802b3abaffbc4790.gif In case you missed it, check out five things you might not know you can do right now with your Windows 10 PC! The post Windows 10 Tip: Five keyboard shortcuts you may not know about appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/be7afa0852891d5fcc17f4abe6620825-1024x683.jpg Microsoft Store locations will offer YouthSpark Summer Camp curriculums this year, all developed by education experts in the field and with input from our local store associates to provide students with tools that matter most and emphasize real-world relevance in a fun and interactive environment. The first-ever philanthropy camp, Create A Difference In Your World, pairs technology with philanthropy, teaching students how to assemble an actionable plan to drive fundraising, volunteering and awareness for a humanitarian goal close to their hearts and community. In addition, students who attend Microsoft Store YouthSpark Summer Camps can program an expressive robot, make movies with 3D and Mixed Reality, and get an early grasp on coding with Minecraft. Camps, which consist of either one, two or four two-hour sessions, begin in May and run through to the end of August. They are designed for students ages 8 and up, but parents, teachers and siblings are also welcomed to participate. To join, register for summer camps today online or in person at your local Microsoft Store. To learn more, head over at the Education Blog or visit the Microsoft Store events page! The post Announcing new Microsoft Store Summer Camps to provide students with real-world digital skills appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Innovations showcasing Industrial IoT, AI, cobotics, digital twins and mixed reality will be on display at Microsoft’s booth at the annual Hannover Messe industrial fair. This week at the world’s largest industrial fair, I am honored to once again host nearly 30 customers and partners in Microsoft’s booth at the Digital Factory Hall at Hannover Messe. The progress manufacturers have made this past year is tremendous. Smart factories have already seen an average of 17 to 20 percent increased overall productivity. They have created higher-quality products at lower costs. They are building entirely new business models and service offerings. But our customers’ aspirations are bigger and bolder. For example, by the year 2050, the demand for food is expected to outpace production by more than 70 percent. Agricultural stability is being threatened by receding levels of fresh water, decreasing availability of arable land and global warming, causing issues like toxins in our food supply. The workforce will continue to modernize and shift. The next step is to use our Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled levels of intelligence to optimize the entire manufacturing process and solve for these challenges. There are three distinct themes that stand out at this year’s event: Increased productivity and safety What we have built with customers is driving tangible results. Today’s new data-driven manufacturing capabilities are not only lowering costs and reducing waste, but they are also keeping people safer and mitigating our impact on the planet. For example, Swiss technology firm Bühler AG, a leader in food processing systems, has worked closely with Microsoft to develop LumoVision, a revolutionary optical sorting system that not only significantly improves current food cleaning practices, but can eliminate nearly 90 percent of contaminated grain compared to 50 percent for conventional sorting machines. Empowered by the Microsoft cloud and IoT technology, this solution builds on Bühler’s advanced process expertise, and as a result, LumoVision is faster and more precise than other grain-sorting technologies. https://blogs.microsoft.com/uploads/prod/2018/04/Buhler-LumoVision-683x1024.jpg Bühler’s LumoVision food processing machine We will also demonstrate how Microsoft HoloLens has become an invaluable tool in taking digital twin technology to the next level. Thanks to the explosive expansion of Industrial IoT, digital twins have become cost-effective to implement and are helping companies head off problems before they even occur. Our customers are using digital twins to prevent downtime, improve equipment performance, develop new service opportunities and even plan for the future by generating simulations and visualizing their processes in mixed reality. For instance, Schneider Electric, whose industrial software business has recently combined with AVEVA, is leading the evolution of what the industry refers to as a “process digital twin.” Schneider and AVEVA are leveraging HoloLens to optimize ItalPresse’s entire manufacturing process by creating virtual prototypes even before a plant or manufacturing asset is built, which can provide significant cost and efficiency savings. Schneider will also showcase its recently announced traceability tool for the food and beverage industry, combining its knowledge of the food and beverage industry with Microsoft’s expertise in blockchain, given the growing complexities with tracing food products. Additionally, one of our leading robotics automation partners, ICONICS, will demonstrate how a technician wearing a HoloLens can work alongside a factory robot while receiving instructions and key factory performance indicators displayed over his field of vision via HoloLens. Increased monetization Microsoft’s customers and partners are creating new value chains and services that simply did not exist five years ago. Tech innovations have allowed them to establish digital SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) teams, open new “one-size-fits-one” plants, and monetize things like predictive maintenance, 3D modeling and smart operations. For example, just last week thyssenkrupp announced it is expanding MAX, the company’s IoT-based predictive service solution for elevators, to Latin America. thyssenkrupp is confident that MAX can reduce elevator downtime by up to 50 percent, making its predictive models second to none in the global elevator industry. , a global leader in industrial technology, is leveraging Microsoft’s Azure cloud technologies for its ABB AbilityTM platform, one of the largest Industrial IoT platforms in the industry. ABB will showcase its ABB Ability Ellipse TM platform. Leveraging AI from Microsoft, it can empower organizations to optimize Enterprise Asset Management and automatically detect anomalies to minimize maintenance costs across its customers’ install base. Bayer’s Environmental Science Business Unit is digitally transforming a decades-old pest control practice for trapping rodents with a smarter digital mousetrap that provides remote monitoring built on top of the Azure IoT platform. The solution collects information from sensors installed within each trap and immediately alerts pest management professionals when rodents are present, so they can head off infestations and increase the effectiveness of pest control programs. https://blogs.microsoft.com/uploads/prod/2018/04/smart-mousetrap.jpg Bayer’s connected pest-management system Increased collaboration By 2020, IDC predicts that 60 percent of plant floor workers will work alongside assistance technologies that enable automation, such as robotics, 3D printing, AI and mixed reality. Several leading manufacturing and robotics companies have already created new and evolved “lean” processes that leverage these capabilities to help service technicians optimize tasks and lower waste and inefficiencies, while providing better customer service. For example, Toyota Material Handling Europe is planning its 10-year vision for the factory of the future by evolving its traditional lean processes. Its goal is to find more efficient ways to distribute intelligent logic across the factory and its robotic systems. Using AI capabilities like Microsoft AirSim and mixed reality, the company can train autonomous pallet drones to recognize patterns, automate processes and learn the flow on the plant floor safely alongside humans. This innovative solution would drastically reduce disruptions to warehouse operations, one of the key roadblocks to deploying autonomous systems. Toyota Material Handling Europe has also worked with Microsoft to develop T-Stream, a brand new, all-in-one solution. Built on Microsoft’s Azure cloud, it runs on Windows and utilizes Bing Maps and GPS systems to provide technicians with improved, proactive services that can carry out maintenance for customers before breakdowns occur. https://blogs.microsoft.com/uploads/prod/2018/04/Toyota-Materials-Handling-Europe-Smart-Pallet-Drone-.jpg Toyota Material Handling Europe’s smart pallet drone Investing in Industrial IoT As we partner with our manufacturing customers to empower their digital transformations, we continue to invest specifically in security and Industrial IoT innovations that meet their needs, where they need them most. This year we have a new set of robust Azure IoT features we will demonstrate at our booth, including: Automatic Discovery Service for Connected Factory: We’ve simplified how manufacturers can onboard and secure industrial assets, which significantly reduces administration costs. It also includes an OPC (Open Platform Communications) UA (Unified Architecture) Global Discovery Server (GDS) interface for compatibility with existing clients and servers. Azure IoT Hub and Device Management on Azure Stack: We are bringing Azure IoT Hub to Azure Stack, empowering customers and partners to build Industrial IoT solutions which run entirely on-premises or off, as well as collect and analyze near real-time data within their facility. Azure Sphere: We’ve made an even stronger commitment to securing ‘edge’ devices by announcing a preview of Azure Sphere, the first holistic platform to provide industrial-grade security for connected microcontroller units (MCU) devices, 9 billion of which are expected to ship this year in machines ranging from home appliances to industrial equipment in factories. Azure Time Series Insights: In response to manufacturers’ requests, Microsoft is planning a new update to Times Series Insights (TSI), a service that that adds massively scalable storage and data archiving capabilities and reduces storage costs. Why customers and partners bet on Microsoft Our cloud platform is now available in more than 42 regions across the globe and meets a broad set of international standards and compliance, including European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and intellectual property (IP) requirements, which are critical as the May 25 GDPR deadline looms. Additionally, we have one of the largest, if not the largest, partner ecosystems co-selling solutions with us at Hannover Messe. Partners are not only an important part of a complex Industrial IoT ecosystem, they are critical to how we do business. Today, Siemens announced its IoT ecosystem Mindsphere is now available on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, giving our joint customers the ability to make their IoT applications available on our cloud. More than 90 percent of our revenues come through our 8,500 trusted partners across the globe. Every major Industrial IoT provider, including ABB, Accenture/Avanade, COPA-DATA, EY, GE, ICONICS, Kapsch, OSIsoft, PTC, Rockwell Automation and Schneider Electric, have joined forces with Microsoft to integrate and offer their manufacturing services and solutions on top of our global Azure cloud. There are many more reasons the industry is choosing to partner with Microsoft, but I invite you to come see the innovations first-hand in our booth in the Digital Factory: Hall 7, Stand C40 this week in Hannover. Visit the the Digital Difference site for more information about Microsoft and its customers’ and partners’ presence at Hannover Messe 2018. The post Industrial customers and partners bet on Microsoft, from cloud to edge devices appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

I hope this month’s mixed reality blog post finds you well! For this entry, I am going to focus on some of the amazing work we are seeing from customers and partners this week at the Hannover Messe (HM) show in Germany. Last year, we highlighted some exciting customer stories, including how thyssenkrupp is transforming the delivery of home mobility solutions using Microsoft HoloLens. This year, we are demonstrating how HoloLens and Windows Mixed Reality are helping companies reimagine processes, data, and people to accelerate business impact and create value for customers. The manufacturing industry has been aggressively adopting new technologies that empower Firstline Workers to solve problems, achieve efficiencies, and better serve customers. Mixed reality is bringing these benefits to life, and today, manufacturers around the world are realizing cost savings and efficiency gains as a result. Here is a view into some of the mixed reality solutions on display at the Microsoft booth this week at Hannover Messe BAE Systems and PTC BAE Systems makes the electric propulsion Systems for HybriDrive® buses. BAE is working with PTC, a Microsoft Mixed Reality Partner, utilizing their ThingWorx Studio to create mixed reality solutions that dramatically improve the efficiency of Firstline Workers. BAE and PTC used ThingWorx Studio to easily create a guided step-by-step training solution for HoloLens to teach workers how to assemble a green energy bus battery. Using these tools, BAE can now create these guides for firstline workers in just a few hours at a tenth of the cost, training new people 30-40% more efficiently. Here is a look at how BAE Systems and PTC are using HoloLens: Honeywell https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/4d9108bfd1b547c03ceeeff42578da88-1024x590.png Honeywell Maintenance Training Simulator In February, our friends at Honeywell introduced the Honeywell Maintenance Training Simulator. This work empowers system maintenance personnel to be prepared for a variety of critical situations and to address them faster with reduced risk. It enables their employees to test and enhance their knowledge in a safe and simulated immersive environment prior to managing critical infrastructure. Mercedes-Benz Global Training https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/12f9c82596fcdeb25a60602b89ace51b-1024x603.png Mercedes-Benz Microsoft HoloLens brake assembly Mercedes-Benz Global Training is showing off how HoloLens can be used to improve the efficiency of brake assembly and engine manufacturing. In addition, they are demonstrating how customers can load a roof box with their virtual bags or sports items, such as skis and equipment in a real roof box mounted on an E-Class sedan. Autodesk https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/1b3a7501bc75499b68026aee195c26d2-1024x540.png Autodesk Project Sugarhill Autodesk is demonstrating Project Sugarhill, a technical preview of immersive conceptual design tools that empower artists and designers to start their creative process directly in 3D. Using simple curve and surfacing tools, users can explore form and shape while being fully immersed alongside their design. 3D sketches and models can be easily exported to other screen-based applications such as Alias or Maya for final realization. Deutsche Bahn https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/3831c4dd8ab90fa49812c41bec272570.png Deutsche Bahn railway training in mixed reality Deutsche Bahn has worked with the Microsoft Mixed Reality Partner Program to build an app that will enable the German railway company to more efficiently and safely train engineers on railway parts and maintenance. Really cool to see them bring this to life on the show floor! Microsoft Visio This week, we’re delighted to demonstrate Microsoft Visio updates designed to address intelligent manufacturing scenarios, including facility layout. As part of our work at HM, we will be showcasing Intelligent Manufacturing scenarios supported by Microsoft customer Dürr AG and incorporating Microsoft Visio Partners FaciWare GmbH (facility management solutions) and X-Visual Technologies GmbH (PnID solutions). It’s been exciting to watch mixed reality solutions for the manufacturing industry transition from proof-of-concept to production deployments that deliver tangible benefits to manufacturers. We remain inspired by the ways our customers and partners are using mixed reality and HoloLens to do things that were previously impractical or impossible. I can’t wait to share more in the weeks and months ahead! As always, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @lorrainebardeen to share what you are doing with mixed reality. Talk soon! Lorraine https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/3e98118db5a1ad5194dd1750d88c92b0-1024x576.jpg Mixed reality in manufacturing comes to life at Hannover Messe Tweet This The post Mixed reality in manufacturing comes to life at Hannover Messe appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17650 (RS5) to Windows Insiders who opted in to Skip Ahead. What’s new in Build 17650 Windows Defender Security Center gets a Fluent Design refresh We’ve heard your feedback and when you install this build you’ll find we’ve updated Windows Defender Security Center (WDSC) to include the Fluent Design elements you know and love. You’ll also notice we’ve adjusted the spacing and padding around the app and will now dynamically size the categories on the main page if more room is needed for extra info. Last but not least, we’ve also updated the title bar of the app so that it will now use your accent color if you’ve enabled that option in Color Settings – with Sets enabled, you will see this color in the WDSC tab. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/prod/sites/2/2018/04/20f8497edbde6d4ecaa9a90741192348-1024x803.png Windows Defender Firewall now supports Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) processes You can add specific rules for a WSL process in Windows Defender Firewall, just as you would for any Windows process. Also, Windows Defender Firewall now supports notifications for WSL processes. For example, when a Linux tool wants to allow access to a port from the outside (like SSH or a web server like nginx), the Windows Defender Firewall will prompt to allow access just like it would for a Windows process when the port starts accepting connections. This was first introduced in Build 17627. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC We fixed an issue where File Explorer would always open with the ribbon minimized, rather than remembering how you’d left it. We fixed an issue where elements on the main page of the Windows Defender Security Center app would slightly change size on mouse hover. We fixed an issue where non-default languages might unexpectedly have the option to remove in Settings greyed out. We fixed an issue where the Color Filters and High Contrast icons were switched in Settings. We fixed an issue where clicking links in Settings that launched other apps would result in Settings crashing and nothing else happening. We fixed an issue resulting in some people experiencing a Settings crash when navigating to Apps > Default Apps > Set defaults by App. Known issues On resuming from sleep, the desktop may be momentarily visible before the Lock screen displays as expected. When Movies & TV user denies access to its videos library (through the “Let Movies & TV access your videos library?” popup window or through Windows privacy settings), Movies & TV crashes when the user navigates to the “Personal” tab. Tiling and cascading windows, including features like “View Side by Side” in Word, will not work for inactive tabs. The Office Visual Basic Editor window will currently be tabbed but is not intended to be in the future. Opening an Office document while the same app has an existing document open may cause an unintended switch to the last active document. This will also happen when closing a sheet in Excel while other sheets remain open. Local files or non-Microsoft cloud files will not be automatically restored and no error message will be provided to alert the user to that fact. Sets UX for Office Win32 desktop apps is not final. The experience will be refined over time based on feedback. The top of some Win32 desktop app windows may appear slightly underneath the tab bar when created maximized. To work around the issue, restore and re-maximize the window. Closing one tab may sometimes minimize the entire set. We’re aware of an issue that causes Narrator to read extra text when invoking Alt + Tab, and we’re working on a fix. Using arrow and Page Up / Page Down keys doesn’t work to scroll webpages in Microsoft Edge. You’ll need to use another input method (mouse, touch, or touchpad). If you complete the setup for a Windows Mixed Reality headset on this build, the headset will remain black until it is unplugged and reconnected to the PC. No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17650 for Skip Ahead appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/prod/sites/2/2018/04/618956cf94aeba8a46fa618c09dadc57.jpg How to watch the annual Xbox E3 2018 Briefing Watch live beginning on Sunday, June 10, at 1 p.m. PDT on the official Xbox Mixer Channel or on the Mixer app for Windows 10 or Xbox One. You’ll also be able to catch a live stream of the briefing on other streaming services, which we’ll be announcing soon, as well as on the big screen at your local Microsoft Stores. The briefing is when you’ll have a chance to check out everything from in-depth looks at previously-announced games to trailers for our unannounced titles coming in 2018 and beyond. How to watch Inside Xbox: Live @ E3 This year will mark the first year that our hot new show, Inside Xbox, will be airing during E3. Inside Xbox: Live @ E3 will air Monday, June 11, at 3 p.m. PDT and will feature a livestream full of exclusive announcements, game demos, interviews, giveaways and more. We’ll also be streaming live on Mixer every day throughout E3 2018 starting from Tuesday, June 12, through Thursday, June 14, so keep an eye out for our full schedule coming soon. For more about Xbox at E3, including how to win a ticket to Xbox FanFest: E3 2018, head over to Xbox Wire! The post Two things you need to know about Xbox at E3 2018 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Next Monday, Microsoft will once again have a major presence at the Digital Factory Hall at Hannover Messe, the world’s largest annual manufacturing exhibition in Hannover, Germany. As we started planning, it struck me that the reason our booth is one of the largest in the Digital Factory Hall is because our most important manufacturing partners will join us and our customers to showcase innovations that are transforming decades-old businesses and opening doors to revenue streams, new business models and service offerings that didn’t exist five years ago. Partners are not only an important part of a complex Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) ecosystem, they are critical to how we do business. More than 90 percent of our revenues come through our trusted partners. Every major IIoT provider, including ABB, Accenture/Avanade, COPA-DATA, EY, GE, ICONICS, Kapsch, GE, OSIsoft, PTC, Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric and Siemens are joining forces with Microsoft to integrate and offer their manufacturing services and solutions on top of our global Azure cloud. Among the reasons partners choose to run IIoT services on Microsoft’s cloud are its scale — more than 42 regions across the globe — and the investments we’ve made in supporting open-source software and compatibility, which take our support of OPC UA standards to the next level, as well as our commitment to security and trust. Our cloud meets a broad set of international standards, compliance and IP requirements so partners don’t have to build their own cloud infrastructure. For example, ABB has placed a tremendous bet on our Azure cloud. Its intelligent factory in Heidelberg, Germany, has integrated artificial intelligence (AI) and IIoT technology into its robots to self-learn and self-correct. For instance, the various stations in the factory can autonomously adjust their actions as the cameras visually compare each component. If something is off, it will trigger a response and self-correct the process. As a result, ABB can produce three times as many products and handle more than 8,000 variants of product components. Outlined below are three key IIoT priorities we will drive with partners over the coming months. Helping partners secure the factory of the future By 2021, edge computing is expected to be an $80 billion market, presenting tremendous opportunities for partners to build innovative solutions for intelligent transportation networks, integrated energy systems and, on display this week: even smarter factories. The importance of building holistic security solutions that can handle the complexity of IoT systems — from cloud to edge — cannot be understated. Earlier this week at the RSA security conference, we announced a preview of Azure Sphere, the first holistic platform to provide industrial-grade security for connected microcontroller (MCU) devices, 9 billion of which will ship this year in devices ranging from home appliances to industrial equipment in factories. We’ve made strong progress as an industry securing IoT devices, but as an industry we can do more as they only represent a small fraction of the 20 billion devices expected to be connected by 2020. Investing in partners Earlier this month, Microsoft committed to investing $5 billion in IoT over the next four years. While the investments will be used for IoT and edge computing research and development, they will also be used to expand our partners’ efforts. With our IoT platform spanning cloud, OS and devices, we are uniquely positioned to simplify the IoT journey so any customer regardless of size, technical expertise, budget, industry or other factors can create trusted, connected solutions. Driving down IIoT costs for partners Manufacturers already rely on the Azure IoT Hub for connecting billions of IoT devices and powering production IoT solutions across factories and industrial plants. Our goal is to drive down the cost of IIoT for the entire industry as partners continue to build and develop IIoT solutions. With Azure IoT Edge as the foundation between cloud and edge, partners can build higher up the value chain. Eventually, partners will develop an entire ecosystem of edge offerings ranging from simple services to sophisticated solutions for customers around the globe. Leading in the intelligent edge for partners Manufacturers want the freedom to deploy their Industrial IoT solutions where they want, whether in the cloud, on-premesis or a hybrid of both. Microsoft is leading the industry by providing the most comprehensive and open on-premesis and hybrid support for Industrial IoT solutions. We have introduced the most open edge platform in the industry with Azure IoT Edge. It enables any customer workload to be deployed, activated and monitored using Docker containers, which creates open portability not present in other edge platforms. We’re thrilled to announce that Azure IoT Edge will be open source as well. Finally, we are taking on-premesis Industrial IoT solutions to a new level by bringing Azure IoT Hub to Azure Stack. This is currently in development, and we will have future announcements on preview and general availability timing. Come see our partners if you’re in Germany Check back on Monday, April 23, when I share our Azure IoT announcements that we’ll demonstrate with 20 partners in the Microsoft booth in the Digital Factory, Hall 7, booth C40. Innovations spanning AI, IoT, machine learning and mixed reality will all be on display, showcasing how cloud technology has become mainstream in factories and industrial equipment has become predictive, self-adjusting and self-healing. The post Partners make industrial IoT factories more capable than ever at Hannover Messe 2018 appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

1. Choose your performance and battery balance https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2017/11/c04acbd909985442d8b4bad76d8cf06b.gif The new Performance/Power slider lets you set the right balance between battery-life longevity and system performance and responsiveness.* Optimize for battery life on a long flight; go with performance when you’re gaming or photo editing at home.** Simply click on the battery icon in the taskbar and use the slider to choose your performance and battery balance. 2. Travel easier with the built-in currency converter https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2017/12/600fff8883181d51f0c2b936cf7e0346.gif Just open Calculator, click on the menu button on the left, and select what you’d like to convert.* It also includes converters for things like time, power and temperature – so you can easily, quickly convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius and back again. If you’re browsing in Microsoft Edge, you can also simply type the currency you want to convert into the address bar and it will convert it for you. 3. Annotate your books in Microsoft Edge https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/01/10a91e10dfa08dd529221d267a066277-1024x601.jpg Easily personalize your books when you’re reading in Microsoft Edge* by adding highlights in four colors, underlining, adding comments or copying text. To see the menu with these options, simply highlight the preferred word or sentence with your mouse or finger. You can also select the Cortana icon from the same menu to find more information about the content you are reading without leaving the reading experience. Get started by downloading a book to personalize from the Books section in the Microsoft Store! 4. Lower the blue light emitted from your PC with Night light https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2017/05/TWOW_DidYouKnow_NightSetting_blog.gif By reducing the blue light emitted by your screen, the Night light feature helps you sleep better.*** To get started, head to the search box on your taskbar and search for “Night light” – or, go to Settings (Windows key + I), click on System, and, under Display, click to turn Night light on or off. You can also customize the color temperature or schedule by clicking “Night light settings.” 5. Pin your favorite websites to the taskbar https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2017/10/af2c08cd63992317a0c6b141fb7162c7.gif You can pin your favorite websites to the taskbar and have the icon show up in the taskbar for instant access when you browse in Microsoft Edge – just head to the menu, select “Pin this page to the taskbar,” and watch the site icon appear on your Windows taskbar!* *Requires the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update or higher. **Available on most Intel and AMD devices with battery. ***Available on select Windows 10 PCs running the Windows 10 Creators Update or higher. The post Windows 10 Tip: Five things you might not know you can do right now with your Windows 10 PC appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17134 (RS4) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. This build has no new features and includes the fixes from KB4100375 as well as some fixes for general reliability of the OS. As Build 17133 progressed through the rings, we discovered some reliability issues we wanted to fix. In certain cases, these reliability issues could have led to a higher percentage of (BSOD) on PCs for example. Instead of creating a Cumulative Update package to service these issues, we decided to create a new build with the fixes included. This just reinforces that Windows Insiders are critical to helping us find and fix issues before releasing feature updates to all our customers so thank you! No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17134 for Fast appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

We are living in a world where almost everything is becoming connected, whether it’s the electrical grid, phone system, our cars, or the appliances that heat our home or chill our food. As this Internet of Things (IoT) continues to proliferate, so does the threat of debilitating cyber-attacks, like last year’s devastating ransomware attacks that damaged, destroyed and disrupted systems around the world. And these attacks are only growing more sophisticated – and commonplace. We recognize that we and others in the tech sector have the first responsibility to address these issues. After all, we build the products. We operate the platform. We unfortunately are the battlefield in many ways. We are the first responders. At Microsoft and at many of our peers, our security professionals are the ones that answer the call, scramble onto airplanes, and stay by our customer’s side until their issues are resolved. Trust is the underpinning of our relationship with our customers, and we recognize that we must earn and maintain that trust every single day. That’s why this year at RSA in San Francisco, Microsoft is announcing new offerings to take security more squarely to where it needs to go and where it has not effectively gone before – the edge. Today we’re unveiling a series of new services and features that will better harden not only our intelligent cloud but also the billions of connected devices that live on its edge. And we’re supporting these advances with new offerings that will making security easier for our customers to manage. Azure Sphere: Extending security to the Internet of Things Over the past 15 years, we’ve repeatedly taken steps to strengthen security protection not only for Windows and Office software, but also to harden our Xbox chipsets. We’re now combining this expertise and these advances to secure at the silicon level the billions of connected devices that will sit on the edge of the world’s computing network. Applying new advances by our security researchers, we are introducing security protection for the next generation of cloud and edge devices powered by microcontroller units (MCUs). This growing class of cloud-connected devices – 9 billion of which ship every year – run tiny MCU chips that will power everything from kitchen appliances and toys to industrial equipment on factory floors. This next wave of connected devices is increasingly intelligent and connected. They will improve daily life in countless ways, but if they’re not secure, they will make people, communities and countries vulnerable to attack in more ways than ever before. Today we’re announcing Azure Sphere, the industry’s first holistic solution for securing MCU-based devices from the silicon to the cloud. This solution brings together three critical pieces and advances: First, Azure Sphere is based on Microsoft’s development of an entirely new class of MCUs with more than five times the power of legacy MCUs. We’ll license the IP for these new MCUs royalty free to silicon manufacturers, removing barriers for silicon partners who want to develop and manufacture Azure Sphere chips. Already MediaTek is producing Azure Sphere-certified silicon, with more partners to follow.  Second, Azure Sphere will bring to these new chips a new customized operating system built for IoT security. This OS incorporates a custom Linux kernel that has been optimized for an IoT environment and reworked with security innovations pioneered in Windows to create a highly secured software environment. Finally, Azure Sphere will feature a turnkey cloud security service that guards every Azure Sphere device, including the ability to update and upgrade this security protection for a 10-year lifetime of the device. Importantly, Azure Sphere will work alongside any cloud – private or proprietary – so that customers can continue to use their existing data infrastructure while adopting Azure Sphere’s groundbreaking security for their devices. This combined approach to Azure Sphere brings together the best of hardware, software and services innovation. It is open to any MCU chip manufacturer, open to additional software innovation by the open source community and open to work with any cloud. In short, it represents a critical new step for Microsoft by integrating innovation across every aspect of technology and by working with every part of the technology ecosystem, including our competitors. We believe this holistic solution will bring to IoT devices better security, resilience and developer agility than anything on the market today. Simplifying security through new cloud offerings In the past, some enterprises were hesitant to move to the cloud because of perceived security risks. Today, customers appreciate that the cloud is almost certainly more secure than on-premise environments. The result is that customers trust the security of their enterprise to us, so they can focus on their core business. Over the past year we’ve focused on strengthening Microsoft 365 so it not only helps our customers be more collaborative and productive, but also makes it easier to secure IT infrastructure against a growing range of threats. Because Microsoft 365 is a cloud service, we’re able to rapidly develop and deploy new security innovations based on learnings and insights coming from our Microsoft Intelligent Security Graph. Today we’re announcing four cloud-based advances that will enable customers to use Microsoft 365 to strengthen further their security protection: The most time consuming and challenging work in security operations today is identifying and fixing threats before they spread. That’s why we’re announcing new automated threat detection and remediation tools to help simplify and streamline this process. With Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) automated investigation and remediation capabilities, in the upcoming Windows 10 update, systems can automatically go from alert to investigation to remediation in a fraction of the time it used to take. Another important aspect of responding to security threats involves controlling access to sensitive data without impacting productivity. We’re announcing a new step today to help ensure that compromised devices can’t access sensitive data on a customer’s network, by connecting a feature called Conditional Access to Windows Defender ATP for an added layer of device risk-level assessment. It means that customers can now limit access to mission-critical information if risks such as malware are detected at the individual device level, while automatic remediation tools address the problem. We’re complementing these advances with a new and advanced security tool to help customers manage their overall security environment. Microsoft Secure Score provides a single dashboard and summary score that makes it easier for organizations to quickly determine which controls to enable to help protect users, data and devices, as well as compare their results with other organizations with similar profiles using machine learning.  Security increasingly is a team sport not only within an enterprise but across the customer network. Intelligence data, in particular, gets better with additional signals coming in, and so we’re increasing the ability for customers and partners to collaborate with us, with one another and with their own customers. Today we’re announcing the preview of a new Microsoft Graph security API for connecting to Microsoft products powered by the Microsoft Intelligent Security Graph. The new security API provides an integration point that allows technology partners and customers to greatly enhance the intelligence of their products to speed up threat investigation and remediation. Already, leading companies like Palo Alto Networks, PwC and Anomali are exploring the security API for their own solutions. And because we’re committed to collaborating with customers and partners to enable integration between Microsoft’s security technology and the broader ecosystem, we are also announcing the new Microsoft Intelligent Security Association. This new program streamlines our engagement on all things security and allows technology partners to benefit from, and contribute to, the Intelligent Security Graph and Microsoft security products. Security is a shared responsibility All of the advances we’re announcing today reflect another essential fact of life. Security has become a shared responsibility. We believe that Microsoft has an important responsibility and is in a unique position to help address the world’s security issues and contribute to long-term solutions. But no one has anything close to a monopoly on good security ideas or expertise. More than ever, the continuing rise in security threats requires that we work together in new ways across the tech sector and with customers and governments. That’s why we’re committed not only to greater security collaboration at the technology level, but also to advancing the public security policies the world needs. RSA offers the entire industry an important opportunity each year to talk about the challenges of cybersecurity. We need more of these conversations. Even more, we need action. That’s why we continue to advocate around the world to interpret and build on existing international laws and ultimately establish a Digital Geneva Convention to protect civilians against cyber-attacks. And it’s why just last week we launched Microsoft’s Defending Democracy Program, based on a new team at Microsoft dedicated to working with governments, technology companies, academia and civil society to address cyber-related threats and interference in democratic processes. Today’s big security challenges require bold ideas. Whether it’s strengthening our products, using data to better identify and disrupt threats, or working with customers on their own cyber-resilience, we are committed to delivering world-class security to customers and partners. And we are committed to working across the tech industry and public sector to improve our shared defense of the technology infrastructure on which the world depends. The post Using intelligence to advance security from the edge to the cloud appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17643 (RS5) to Windows Insiders who opted in to Skip Ahead. What’s new in Build 17643 Sets + Office = Awesome Sets with Office 365 makes it easy to group, recall, and refresh data sources for all your projects. Whether updating your Excel budget each month with stock prices and credit card expenses, incorporating data from multiple reports and websites into a PowerPoint, or managing citations for your book report in Word, Sets with Office 365 helps you get more done, faster. https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/a6a51150a267043a0a5cbf786db5203c-1024x478.png With today’s build – Windows Insiders who are also Office Insiders can try out Sets with Office. You must be an Office 365 subscriber running the latest version of the Office 365 desktop apps for the Sets experience to light up. If you’re not already an Office Insider, you can sign-up here. Additionally, if you’re not an Office 365 subscriber, you can sign-up for a trial here. Sets Improvements Sets is now enabled for most desktop (Win32) apps that use a default and non-customized title bar. Apps that customize their title bar will not have Sets (e.g. Paint.exe). If you’ve opened a Microsoft Edge window within Sets, you can now drag that tab around within the set, as well as drop it in another Sets window. Dragging between a Sets window and a standalone Microsoft Edge window does not yet work. NOTE: Some Insiders may see Sets disappear temporarily after installing this build. Sets should return in 1-2 days or upon the next reboot of your PC. Microsoft Edge Improvements Microsoft WebDriver is now a Feature on Demand: We’ve made Microsoft WebDriver a Feature on Demand (FoD) Feature-on-Demand) to make it easier to get the right version for your device. You can install WebDriver by turning on Developer Mode, or by going to Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Manage optional features and installing it standalone. This should address one of the biggest pain points we see from customers around binary mismatches, as FoD’s match the build/branch/flavor automatically. This also means that the standalone download will no longer be made available for insiders or future stable versions of Windows, as installation is now built into Windows. Microsoft WebDriver now gets installed to C:\Windows\System32\ and will automatically be on the PATH for the machine once installed. We are now shipping 64-bit Microsoft WebDriver to x64 machines. Note, there is a known issue for x64 machines building in Visual Studio with Selenium, where by default Visual Studio builds 32bit and will only check the C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ folder for PATH variables. To work around this issue, target and build 64bit from Visual Studio. In a future build, we plan to publish both 32bit and 64bit binaries in our FoD for 64bit machines, which should address this issue. Data Sense Improvements Roaming Usage: Does your device have a SIM? We’ve updated Data Usage Settings to let you know how much data you are using while roaming! The roaming usage info will appear once you start using roaming data. As a reminder, if you’d like to enable or disable roaming altogether, you can find the option under Cellular Settings. https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/b2b369caa89b236f9c1d7fde9eaf93a3-1024x644.png Magnifier Improvements Choose where to keep the mouse cursor: We’ve heard your feedback asking us for a way to keep your mouse centered on the screen in Full-Screen mode, and with this build, we’re making it happen! This new option under Settings > Ease of Access > Magnifier > “Keep your mouse…” > “centered on the screen” enables easier tracking and use of the mouse, especially helpful at higher magnification levels. https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/c51b31c7a608a624cb30e30bb177a2fd-1024x722.png More options for increments: You’ve also been asking for even more control of your zoom level increments, so we’ve taken a moment to add two new increments to the list: 5% and 10%. We love feedback! In case you haven’t noticed it already, we have a new Magnifier node in the Feedback Hub under Ease of Access > Magnifier. We’re looking forward to hearing your thoughts about using Magnifier – click this link to open our section in the Feedback Hub. General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC We fixed an issue where Reveal would sometimes not appear if you moved your mouse over and off an element repeatedly. We fixed an issue resulting in a noticeable screen flicker when the screen adjusts after rotating your device. We fixed an issue where the spellchecking menu would always appear on the primary monitor on PCs with multiple monitors, rather than the monitor with the red squiggled word. Known issues If you open Settings and clicking on any links to the Microsoft Store or links in tips, Settings will crash. This includes the links to get themes and fonts from the Microsoft Store, as well as the link to Windows Defender. On resuming from sleep, the desktop may be momentarily visible before the Lock screen displays as expected. When Movies & TV user denies access to its videos library (through the “Let Movies & TV access your videos library?” popup window or through Windows privacy settings), Movies & TV crashes when the user navigates to the “Personal” tab. Tiling and cascading windows, including features like “View Side by Side” in Word, will not work for inactive tabs. The Office Visual Basic Editor window will currently be tabbed but is not intended to be in the future. Opening an Office document while the same app has an existing document open may cause an unintended switch to the last active document. This will also happen when closing a sheet in Excel while other sheets remain open. Local files or non-Microsoft cloud files will not be automatically restored and no error message will be provided to alert the user to that fact. Sets UX for Office Win32 desktop apps is not final. The experience will be refined over time based on feedback. The top of some Win32 desktop app windows may appear slightly underneath the tab bar when created maximized. To work around the issue, restore and re-maximize the window. Closing one tab may sometimes minimize the entire set. File Explorer ribbon doesn’t stay pinned open across restart. We’re aware of an issue that causes Narrator to read extra text when invoking Alt + Tab, and we’re working on a fix. Using arrow and Page Up / Page Down keys doesn’t work to scroll webpages in Microsoft Edge. You’ll need to use another input method (mouse, touch, or touchpad). No downtime for Hustle-As-A-Service, Dona <3 The post Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17643 for Skip Ahead appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

What’s new in HP’s Pavilion portfolio: These devices arrive built-in with your digital personal assistant Cortana* and comprehensive protection with Windows Defender, and, with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you have options to save files in OneDrive and access them like any other file on your PC without filling up disk space, download files on-demand, or select files to always be available offline. Some also include fingerprint readers that light up Windows Hello for fast and secure login. The new HP Pavilion x360s 14 and 15 convertibles are infused with premium features and design elements empowering you to tackle any task. https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/5c6176a96b7fc5ac2d83f80a7ce77806-1024x576.jpg Specific features include: Windows Hello with a fingerprint reader on select models for a safe, secure, and quick logon experience Chrome-plated hinge allows you to switch your device into four different modes, while simultaneous pen and touch functionality with Windows Ink allow you to turn the convertible into a canvas for drawing on photos or marking up webpages in Microsoft Edge 8th Gen Intel Core i5 and i7 dual and quad processors with discrete graphics options A NVIDIA MX130 Graphics option on select 14-inch models and an AMD Radeon 530 Graphics option on select 15-inch models Narrow bezel design allows a 14 and 15-inch diagonal HD or FHD IPS display to fit in 13-inch and 14-inch chassis, respectively Pricing and availability: HP Pavilion x360 14-inch starting price is $499 and planned to be available via HP.com May 9, 2018 and BestBuy on June 10, 2018. HP Pavilion x360 15-inch starting price is $579 and planned to be available via HP.com and other retailers on May 9, 2018. HP’s new line-up of Pavilion 14 and 15-inch notebooks offer power and quality in stylish, ultra-portable designs. https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/752119490f946cdbfb5ae1382ceeccd8-1024x870.jpg Specific features include: A rainbow of rich, new colors and options for HD and FHD IPS displays with micro-edge bezels The lift hinge supports a more comfortable typing experience and improve airflow to keep the device running cool Up to 11.75 hours of battery life depending on the model, and 8th Gen Intel Core processors or the latest AMD Ryzen Mobile Processor with Radeon Vega Graphics on select models Up to 512 GB of SSD or up to 2 TB HDDs on the 15-inch device. Dual storage options are available providing plenty of hard drive capacity with the added speed and responsiveness of an SSD. In addition, Intel Optane memory for storage acceleration is offered on select models Dual speakers custom tuned by B&O Play with HP Audio Boost for rich, authentic audio Fingerprint reader option on the 14-inch Pavilion model facilitates safe, secure, and quick login with Windows Hello Pricing and Availability: HP Pavilion Notebook 14-inch starting price is $369 and planned to be available via retailers on June 3, 2018. HP Pavilion Notebook 15-inch starting price is $629 and planned to be available via HP.com and other retailers on May 30, 2018. The 2018 HP Pavilion Desktop portfolio offers big performance and a sleek, space-saving design. https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/4efc129c80744472184176aee75464d4-1024x870.jpg Specific features include: Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i+ processors or the new 2nd generation AMD Ryzen processors and discrete graphic options up to NVIDIA GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580 cards. Up to 512 GB SSDs, up to 3 TB HDDs, optional dual storage, and optional Intel Optane memory Surround Sound 5.1 offers a great audio experience and HP Audio Stream from streaming music from the phone to your PC speakers. HP Pavilion Gaming lineup provides mainstream gamers with dynamic performance, bold design, and everyday versatility This lineup, powered by Windows 10, comes with simple, built-in Mixer streaming for low-latency, interactive moments for viewers and streamers to engage with other gamers, while Xbox Play Anywhere enables you to buy a game once and play it on both your Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Game and create on-the-go with the HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop 15 https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/52dac80667ba07da28f455cb87457234-1024x466.jpg Specific features include: Experience outstanding computing power with up to high performance 6 core mobile 8th Gen Intel Core i7+ H-series processors or up to mainstream, quad core mobile 8th Gen Intel Core i7 U-series processors to help get through a variety of tasks before jumping into a favorite game. Select storage options for HDD-only up to 2 TB, up to 256 GB PCIe NVMe SSD, dual storage option up to 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD with 1 TB HDD or 128 GB PCIe NVMe SSD with 2 TB HDD, or configurations with a HDD up to 1 TB paired with 16 GB of Intel Optane memory for storage acceleration Graphics cards up to AMD Radeon RX 560X card or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with MAX-Q Design Narrow bezels allow for immersive visuals on the 15.6-inch diagonal display offered in 144Hz 1080p, 60Hz 1080p, and 60Hz 4K display options Audio custom-tuned by B&O Play with HP Audio Boost technology supporting dual speakers, all mounted at the top of the keyboard deck for an immersive audio experience Fast Wi-Fi with a 2×2 antenna on all configurations and an option supporting Gigabit speeds Pricing and availability: The HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop starting price is $799.00 and planned to be available via HP.com and other retailers on May 27, 2018. HP Pavilion Gaming Desktops 690 and 790 power the latest games while maintaining reliable performance at a great price. https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/cf05fe4e730528a346a06137389678a3-1024x576.jpg Features of the HP Pavilion Gaming 690 Desktop include: Up to 6 core 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processors or up to 2nd Generation AMD Ryzen processors, while support for up to 16 GB of DDR4 RAM for multi-tasking while gaming. Game on: Jump into the newest titles at recommended settings tailored for great experiences with GPUs up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580 cards. Supports upgrading needs: Capable of holding half-length graphics cards and up to three storage devices with two DIMM. Pricing and availability: HP Pavilion Gaming 690 starting price is $549.00 and planned to be available via HP.com and other retailers on April 15, 2018. Features of the HP Pavilion Gaming 790 Desktop include: Up to 6 core 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processors and up to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM Graphics cards up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 or AMD Radeon RX 580 GPUs Outfit it with full-length graphics cards, up to four storage devices, and four DIMM support for greater upgrade capabilities. Pricing and availability: HP Pavilion Gaming 790 starting price is $649 and planned to be available via HP.com on April 30, 2018 and other retailers on June 3, 2018. For more information on all the devices announced today, head over to HP.com. *Cortana available in select markets. The post HP’s new Windows 10 devices include convertibles, notebooks, desktops, gaming laptops, and more 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 as well as Server Core in all 18 server languages, as well as a new build of the next Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel release. Please also refer to this recent blog announcement about updates to the Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel. There are two major areas that we would like you to try out in each preview release and report back any issues: In-place OS Upgrade (from Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016) Application compatibility – please let us know if any server roles or applications stops working or fails to function as it used to What’s New in the Latest Build Click here to see the full list of new features introduced in earlier builds. In-place upgrades In-place upgrade allows an administrator to upgrade an existing installation of Windows Server to a newer version, retaining settings and installed features. The LTSC versions and editions of Windows Server that are supported for in-place upgrade are shown in the following table. CURRENTLY INSTALLED OPERATING SYSTEM AVAILABLE UPGRADE VERSION & EDITION Windows Server 2016 Standard Windows Server 2019 Standard or Datacenter Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard Windows Server 2019 R2 Standard or Datacenter Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter Windows Server 2019 R2 Datacenter Storage Migration Service A common issue around Windows Server is a lack of data migration options from older operating systems and storage platforms. Simply because in-place upgrades were impossible, and because manual migrations are slow and likely to cause significant interruptions to service or loss of access for users and applications, many customers are still using Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2, and even Windows Server 2003. Addressing this challenge, Windows Server 2019 introduces the Storage Migration Service (SMS), a new role included in Windows Server Standard and Datacenter editions. SMS is a job-based orchestration and proxy that: Allows administrators to inventory existing servers for their data, security, and network settings. Migrates that data, security, and network settings to a new, modern target by using the SMB protocol. Takes over the identity of the old server completely, while decommissioning the original source, in such a way that users and applications are unaffected and unaware that migration has taken place. SMS provides orchestrated workflow with a Honolulu-based graphical management system, allowing scalable migrations of many servers simultaneously to new targets running on premises or in Azure. https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/030d964a6411c2b4996355e8daf91bb3.png SMS handles common problems and subtleties of a migration, including in-use files, share settings, security settings, network addresses and names, local security principals, encrypted data, and more. All of this is available from an intuitive graphical interface, which is backed by robust PowerShell automation. SMS is under active development, and you will see many changes and improvements with each preview. Furthermore, the use of the Honolulu management system enables out-of-band changes through its extension manager system, allowing us to act on your feedback more frequently than the Windows Server preview mechanism allows. For more information about deploying and using the Storage Migration Service, visit Storage at Microsoft | The official blog of the Windows and Windows Server storage engineering teams Storage Replica Storage Replica (SR) was first released as a technology for Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Edition. SR enables synchronous and asynchronous block replication of volumes between servers or clusters for disaster recovery. SR also enables you to create stretch failover clusters that span two sites, with all nodes staying in sync. Beginning with Windows Server 2019, responding to customer requests, we’ve added the following improvements to SR: Log v1.1. Performance improvements to the SR log system lead to far better replication throughput and latency, especially on all-flash arrays and Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) clusters that replicate between each other. To take advantage of this update, you must upgrade all servers participating in replication to Windows Server 2019. Test Failover. It is now possible to mount a writable snapshot of replicated destination storage. To do so, your server must have an unused volume that is not currently replicating on the destination; on the unused volume, temporarily mount a snapshot of the replicated storage for testing or backup purposes. Replication of the original source continues unabated while you perform your tests; your data is never unprotected and your snapshot changes will not overwrite it. When you are done, discard the snapshot. (Note: We first released this feature in the Windows Server version 1709 channel). Storage Replica Standard. SR will soon be available on Windows Server 2019 Standard Edition, not just on Datacenter Edition. When installed on servers running Standard Edition, SR has the following limitations: SR replicates a single volume (instead of an unlimited number of volumes). Volumes can have one partnership (instead of an unlimited number of partners). Volumes can have a size of up to 2 TB (instead of an unlimited size). We will continue to listen to your feedback and evaluate these settings through our telemetry during Insider previews of Windows Server 2019. These limitations may change several times during the preview phase and at RTM. This change is coming in a preview soon after Windows Server 2019, build 17639. We’re announcing these changes to seek your initial feedback. For more information about new features for Storage Replica, visit Storage Replica Overview. Available Content Windows Server 2019 Preview is available in ISO format in 18 languages. 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. These builds will expire July 2nd, 2018 Symbols are available on the public symbol server – see Update on Microsoft’s Symbol Server blog post and Using the Microsoft Symbol Server. As before, matching Windows Server container images will be available via Docker Hub. For more information about Windows Server containers and Insider builds, click here. How to Download To obtain the Insider software downloads, registered Insiders may navigate directly 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 Server category and then the appropriate subcategory for your feedback. Please indicate what build number you are providing feedback on. 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 In‑place OS upgrade: Domain Controllers. During an in-place OS upgrade, Active Directory (AD) Domain Controllers (DC) might not be upgraded correctly. So, back up any AD DCs before performing an in-place OS upgrade. Editing or creating policies for AppLocker can cause the MMC snap-in to crash when generated rules for a packaged app. After upgrading the operating system, the AppX database may have corrupted entries, which causes problems for components that use those entries. Terms of Use All pre-release software made available to you via the Windows Server Insider program are governed by the Insider Terms of Use, which takes precedence over any license agreement that may be in the product. The post Announcing Windows Server 2019 Insider Preview Build 17639 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

These devices, powered by Windows 10, come with simple, built-in Mixer streaming for low-latency, interactive moments for viewers and streamers to engage with other gamers, while Xbox Play Anywhere enables you to buy a game once and play it on both your Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. The MSI GS65 Stealth Thin Click to view slideshow. The GS65 Stealth Thin features a 144 Hz display with 4.9mm thin bezel design, achieving a stunning 82% screen-to-body ratio. Packing advanced features in to the smallest dimension possible, with outstanding golden diamond-cutting design, the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin brings gaming laptops into a new, stylish gaming era. It arrives equipped with the 8th Gen. Intel Core i7 processor, GEFORCE GTX 10 series graphics and MSI Cooler Boost Trinity cooling design to provide uncompromised gameplay for all gaming perfectionists. 144Hz thin bezel gaming laptop with minimized dimension: Maximizing the vision with 4.9mm ultra-thin bezel and an 82% screen-to-body ratio, it provides a magnificent visual gaming experience. The 15.6-inch display features a 144Hz refresh rate and only 7ms response time to elevate the gaming and entertaining experience with clear and vibrant visuals. Premium Aesthetics: Weighing a mere 1.8 kg and just 17.7mm in height, the GS65 Stealth Thin packs 8+ hours battery life into the incredibly slim chassis. Gaming experience optimized Per-Key RGB Keyboard by SteelSeries and Dragon Center 2.0: You can customize each key and receive real-time game status through keyboard lighting. The various animated effects come in 16.8 million colors, offering not only personized gaming aesthetics but also practical benefits like lighting only the frequently used keys. The flagship GT series gaming laptops featuring intel core i9 processors MSI’s latest generation of its flagship GT lineup powered by Windows 10 arrive with latest 8th Gen Intel processors and up to Core i9 overclocked processors. Together with NVIDIA SLI graphics cards and rapid mechanical RGB keyboards, the new GT series pushes performance beyond the limit and offers uncompromising desktop gaming experience for the pro gamers. MSI GT series now also uses SAMUNG DDR4-2666 ultra-speed memory module, offering even higher gaming performance. With the latest SAMSUNG M.2 NVMe PCI-E Gen.3 SSD at up to 5x faster speed of SATA SSD, the new GT series brings ultimate data access performance. Let’s take a look at the lineup: GT75 Titan Click to view slideshow. The GT75 Titan features Intel Core i9 processors with fully unlocked hexa-core performance. With the MSI exclusive Cooler Boost Titan cooling design, the fully unlocked 6-core 12-thread configuration releases its full potential with extreme overclock performance. In addition to the 10Gbps Killer Ethernet, the GT75 also features an upgraded wireless connection to the latest Killer Wireless-AC 1550. With up to double the speed of the standard 802.11ac Wi-Fi, gamers can enjoy smooth and lag-free gaming experience with or without plugging into Ethernet. GT83 Titan The GT83 Titan is been designed to pack full desktop gaming experience in a mobile powerhouse and integrates a full Cherry MX Speed Silver switch keyboard. The new 8th gen Intel processor comes with 6 cores under the hood, along with GeForce GTX 1080 SLI graphics and exceptional cooling. GT63 Titan Built upon the popular GT62 series, the new GT63 has evolved in both aesthetic and performance and now features the latest 8th gen Intel processor and up to GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card. The GT63 now also features per-key RGB SteelSeries gaming keyboard. It comes with everything gamers know and love, but takes lighting to a new level by granting gamers the ability to customize every single key to their own liking. From built-in lighting presets to personalization in 16.8 million colors, every GT63 can be unique and like no other. Head over here to learn more about everything MSI announced! The post A closer look at MSI’s new gaming laptops powered by Windows 10 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

To experience Windows Mixed Reality, you’ll need a few things: a compatible Windows 10 PC, a Windows Mixed Reality headset, and the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update for your PC. For the best experience, you’ll also want a pair of Windows Mixed Reality motion controllers. Now, all set up but not sure where to begin? Here’s a list of ten things for you to try in Windows Mixed Reality right now. Personalize your display https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/f697cee3ef88392b844d171749a99a8e.jpg Before you start playing in mixed reality, you’ll want to adjust your headset display for your interpupillary distance (IPD). Since everyone has a different distance between their eyes, it’s important to change your headset’s software settings to match your own IPD for the best image quality and depth accuracy when you play. You can set your custom IPD via Settings > Mixed Reality > Headset display > Calibration.[1] Customize your mixed reality home https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/d23f34fc03bf64ab2792b5a11281f200-1024x575.jpg The first thing you’ll see when you launch Windows Mixed Reality and put on your headset is your mixed reality home, your home base for discovering specific apps or experiences. Here, you can customize each room to your liking. Open the Start menu to pin your favorite apps to the walls and go to Start > Holograms to add furniture, people, and other holograms to your space. Navigate in mixed reality https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/50726e003d6fc1522261ff51cedcd10b-1024x575.jpg There are several ways to get around in mixed reality with your motion controllers. To teleport, point your controller to where you want to go, press either thumbstick forward, and release to instantly land there. To rotate, press your thumbstick left or right, and to back up, press it back. To walk continuously, press either thumbstick straight down and move it in the direction you want to go. Use Cortana in mixed reality https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/9ef6c456fb4760d9ab4e5161d0fc43aa-1024x603.jpg Did you know you can use Cortana while in Windows Mixed Reality? Cortana can help you get around faster with your voice. For example, you can have Cortana adjust the volume in a game, open an app, and even teleport without a controller. Simply start with “Hey Cortana,” to try it now.[2] Play games in Steam®VR https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/6f82fee34a2c402ac46eaa98720df7c8-1024x575.png Did you know that in addition to your favorite apps from the Microsoft Store, you can access more than 2,500 amazing games and VR experiences through Steam®VR for Windows Mixed Reality? [3] To get set up, go to aka.ms/steamvr on your PC. Once you’ve launched Steam®VR from your headset, use your motion controllers and press straight down on the left or right thumbstick to open the dashboard and start exploring. Watch immersive videos on the web https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/7098a03cfff25af92b58efa52f2f4279-1024x706.jpg Immerse yourself in 360° videos and photos on the web. Get the 360 Viewer extension for Microsoft Edge and put on your headset to browse immersive content from YouTube, Facebook, NYTimes.com, and more. Take a closer look in mixed reality https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/5e1fed540600783ff78900bbeb1ec912-1024x575.jpg For a closer look at any open app, you can zoom with your motion controllers. To zoom in, point at an app window with both controllers, pull both triggers, and move your hands apart. To zoom back out, bring your hands together. View apps from the best angle https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/ae16acec413b5902e184d1a79db10ef8-1024x575.jpg To perfectly center yourself in front of an app, bounce your teleport off the open app window. To do this, press your thumbstick forward, aim the controller at the app you want to use, and release the thumbstick to land exactly in front of the app window. Adjust the floor of your mixed reality home https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/511f8ea73a3f1b48c66d72193ce8e30c-1024x575.jpg Sometimes, the floor of your Windows Mixed Reality home may feel slanted or at the wrong height. If it doesn’t feel comfortable to you, you can change the floor height via Start > Room Adjustment. Just follow the instructions and use the touch pad on your motion controller to get your floor feeling right in no time. Share your experience with others https://mswb.blob.core.windows.net/prod/sites/2/2018/04/e46fcc2b7faf94be38a98df5318b4c44-1024x534.jpg Use the Mixed Reality Portal to share the fun with friends. From your compatible PC, select the Play button to show the view from your headset on your computer screen.3 These are just a few of the many things you can do in Windows Mixed Reality. To learn more, check out Windows Mixed Reality Support and the mixed reality tips page for even more inspiration. [1] In addition, the Samsung HMD Odyssey headset has a mechanical IPD adjuster. [2] To experience sound, Cortana and voice dictation, compatible mic-enabled headphones with 3.5mm jack (USB won’t be able to connect to headset) have to be attached, plugged in to the audio jack on the HMD. Consumers may find compatible headphones by looking for the Cortana badge or Circle icon on product packaging and websites. [3] PC hardware requirements may vary for available apps, features and content. The post Windows 10 Tip: 10 things you can do in Windows Mixed Reality right now appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Every company today is becoming in part a software company – we see this every day at Microsoft. Whether it’s auto manufacturers, retailers, health care providers or financial services firms, our customers are not only transforming their own business operations with our software but collaborating with our consultants and engineers to create new digital products and services that run on our platform. As we look to the future, advancements and the adoption of cloud services, data analytics and artificial intelligence will only accelerate this phenomenon. That’s why today we are announcing Microsoft’s Shared Innovation Initiative. It is based on a set of principles designed to address co-created technology and intellectual property (IP) issues that give customers clarity and confidence regarding their work with Microsoft. The initiative is designed to strike a healthy balance that will both help our customers grow their business through technology and enable Microsoft to continue to improve its platform products. A good example of the digital transformation we’re witnessing is the 365mc Hospital in South Korea, which is improving the precision and safety of surgeries through a motion-tracking artificial intelligence (AI) application that it co-created with Microsoft. The hospital used sensors to collect data on more than 2 billion movements of surgeons’ hands during operations and used machine learning to identify patterns that can serve as a “GPS for surgeons.” This AI-powered system guides surgeons during operations and sends warnings and proposes countermeasures when it anticipates possible missteps, helping surgeons master skills while reducing patient risk. In addition to applying this technology to its own business, the hospital plans to now sell software and a training program to other hospitals, creating a new line of business and revenue stream. As collaboration like this between tech companies and their customers increases, so will the questions regarding who owns the patents and resulting intellectual property. There is growing concern that without an approach that ensures customers’ own key patents to their new solutions, tech companies will use the knowledge to enter their customers’ market and compete against them – perhaps even using the IP that customers helped create. https://msblogs.blob.core.windows.net/prod/2018/04/Shared-Innovation-illustration.png When we’ve encountered important questions or concerns in the past, we’ve found it helpful to formulate and publish principles to help guide and explain how we’ll conduct our business. We did this with our Windows Principles over a decade ago, and in the years since we’ve followed this with Interoperability Principles, Privacy Principles and most recently, our Cloud Trust Principles. Our newly published Shared Innovation Principles will cover seven areas: Respect for ownership of existing technology Assuring customer ownership of new patents and design rights Support for open source Licensing new IP rights back to Microsoft Software portability Transparency and clarity Learning and improvement We’ve listed and provided more details on each of these principles below. 1. Respect for ownership of existing technology. We each own the existing technology and IP that we bring to the table when we partner together. As we work with customers, we’ll ensure that we similarly will each own the improvements made to our respective technologies that result from our collaboration. More details: The co-creation of new technology in the world today seldom starts from scratch. At Microsoft we bring our existing products, IP and expertise, and our customers do the same thing, often reflecting their world-leading expertise in their particular field. Our ability to co-create relies on both companies respecting each other’s IP. 2. Assuring customer ownership of new patents and design rights. As we work together to create new technology, our customers, rather than Microsoft, will own any patents and industrial design rights that result from our shared innovation work. More details: Among other things, this means that Microsoft will cooperate in the filing of any patent applications resulting from the new invention work. This also means that Microsoft will assign to the customer all of the rights, titles and interest in the patents we create together. 3. Support for open source. If our shared innovation results in the creation of source code and our customers so choose, Microsoft will work with them to contribute to an open source project any code the customer is licensed to use. More details: Microsoft is an active contributor to open source development, and we welcome the opportunity to work with our customers to contribute work that we co-create if our customers so choose. At Microsoft we’ve contributed code to the Linux kernel and we’ve helped advance R, the statistical programming language used by data science experts around the world. Over 40 percent of the virtual machines running on Azure today use Linux. Some of our existing platform technology is produced in part with open source code, and Microsoft is bringing many of its flagship technologies to Linux, including .NET, Visual Studio and SQL Server. We’re finding that our customers often want to release deliverables under an open source license on GitHub as part of our engagements, and we frequently work with them to do so. 4. Licensing back to Microsoft. Microsoft will receive a license back to any patents and design rights in the new technology that results from the shared innovation, but the license will be limited to improving our platform technologies. More details: For this purpose our own platforms include existing and future versions of Azure, Azure Services (e.g., Cognitive Services), Office 365, Windows, Dynamics, Enterprise Mobility and Management, Cortana, Bing, Xbox, Xbox Live, HoloLens, Systems of Intelligence (e.g., Customer Care Intelligence, Market Intelligence, Sales Intelligence), and code and tools developed by or on behalf of Microsoft that are intended to provide technical assistance to customers in their respective businesses. 5. Portability. We won’t impose contractual restrictions that prevent customers from porting to other platforms the new, shared innovations they own. More details: In the world today, customers want to retain the contractual freedom to move the work they co-create to an alternative platform in the future if they so choose. We respect their right to do so. We’re committed to retaining our customers’ business by offering better performance and value than anyone else, not by locking customers in to something they no longer want to use. 6. Transparency and clarity. We will work with customers to ensure transparency and clarity on all IP issues as the shared innovation project moves forward. More details: IP issues can get complicated, and shared innovation works well only if there is transparency and clarity for customers throughout the process. We’re committed to well-organized and defined processes that ensure that our customers always have clear and complete information. We’ll also each appoint executive sponsors to help address quickly any questions or issues that may arise during shared innovation work. 7. Learning and improvement. We’ll continue to learn from this work and use this learning to improve further our shared innovation work. More details: In important ways, shared innovation projects represent the next frontier in developing cutting-edge technology. While we’re confident that these principles represent an important step forward, it’s hard to believe that they represent the last step we’ll ever need to take. We look forward to listening to and learning with our customers as we do more of this important work. We look forward to using what we learn to make future improvements to these principles. Microsoft believes that our customers should chart their digital transformation with confidence. We first demonstrated this commitment when we announced the Azure IP Advantage program last year. Now, our Shared Innovation Initiative continues to build on that foundation. We believe this initiative and these principles offer a path that will ensure that the co-creation of digital technologies creates new economic value to companies throughout the economy and around the world, rather than for just a few select companies in the tech sector. And of course, it’s a path that we believe will enable Microsoft to continue to grow as well. In short, it strikes a balance where we and our customers can each focus on what we do best, working together with trust and confidence that we will help each other become more successful. The post A new IP strategy for a new era of shared innovation appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

https://winblogs.azureedge.net/win/2018/04/775992cfcf09db1cc8a12fea8a93236e-1024x576.jpg Powered by Windows 10, these devices arrive built-in with your digital personal assistant Cortana* and optional cameras and fingerprint readers that light up Windows Hello for fast and secure login. With the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you can also save files in OneDrive, and access them like any other file on your PC without filling up disk space; download files on-demand; or select files to always be available offline – or, tell your story easily in the reimagined Photos app with a soundtrack, transitions, 3D effects, and more. Your gaming device with Windows 10 comes with simple, built-in Mixer streaming for low-latency, interactive moments for viewers and streamers to engage with other gamers, while Xbox Play Anywhere enables you to buy a game once and play it on both your Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Let’s take a closer look at these devices. Dell is making the XPS 15 even more powerful with the latest 6-core 8th Generation Intel Core processors and up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti graphics. https://winblogs.azureedge.net/win/2018/04/49d8e445ab8447202335ad08a5b8cccc-e1522783251381-1024x660.png Wrapped in a refreshed platinum silver exterior with premium materials and finishes, Dell’s most powerful XPS laptop also includes a stunning UltraSharp 4K Ultra HD InfinityEdge touch display with 100% Adobe RGB color for lifelike images for creation or entertainment. The 15.6-inch performance laptop is also only 4lbs, and includes Windows Hello log in with an optional fingerprint reader in the power button, and the ultimate connectivity with Thunderbolt 3 with four lanes of PCI Express and HDMI 2.0. Everything you need, all in one device: Inspiron New AIO Series https://winblogs.azureedge.net/win/2018/04/1c1b77a9d683c5d416f40f2993df8225-1024x1024.jpg With the Inspiron 22 and 24 3000 series, Dell delivers an affordable AIO available in both glossy black and white with all the right features for basic computing and entertainment. Includes a 5” or 23.8” FHD IPS wide-viewing angle monitor, built-in stereo speakers and pop-up webcam all in one slim panel Up to 7th Gen Intel Core processors, up to 16GB of storage, DDR4 memory and optional NVIDA GeForce MX110 discrete graphics, combined with a stylish design. It includes a keyboard and mouse. https://winblogs.azureedge.net/win/2018/04/c56992761a87172dae2155a2c6c7981c-1024x769.jpg The new Inspiron 24 5000 AIO delivers powerful performance, rich feature options and superior connectivity optimized for multi-media entertainment, perfect for families who want solid performance and storage at a reasonable price. Features include: Up to Intel 8th Gen Core processors, optional NVIDIA GTX 1050 gaming quality graphics, and Intel Optane Memory to help reduce buffering time and enables a more fluid and enjoyable video streaming experience. 8-inch InfinityEdge IPS display with antiglare and FHD resolution, and up to 32GB DDR4 memory Conveniently log in with one look with Windows Hello and the optional IR-camera https://winblogs.azureedge.net/win/2018/04/968f06f2a057a79781ee526deb8ef1e4-e1522783313372-1024x852.jpg Lastly, the new Inspiron 27 7000 AIO introduces enhanced Inspiron AIO experience and powerful performance. Features include: Up to Intel 8th Gen Core processors and optional NVIDIA GTX 1050 Graphics Card Beautiful, sweeping, nearly borderless 27-inch InfinityEdge display with up to 4K UHD resolution Next-generation technologies such as HDR and virtual reality to provide immersive eye-popping visuals for entertainment enthusiasts and gadget lovers Multi-taskers will love the speed DDR4 memory offers Get the best of both worlds of capacity and speed with a dual hard drive option, with up to 1TB HDD and 256GB PCle NVMe SSD https://winblogs.azureedge.net/win/2018/04/c4258c9b0d14696d79f237caf3368c49-e1522778516591-1024x687.jpg Dell is also announcing a new version of the Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 with an Abyss Black finish and top of the line features including Intel Core i7 processors, premium 4k UHD touch screen, higher capacity SSDs, 16GB of DDR4 memory, NVIDIA MX130 discrete graphics and included Dell Active Pen. Dell and Alienware debut new portfolio of gaming laptops Alienware and Dell are launching six new high-performance gaming laptops based on the new Intel 8th Gen H-Series processors, as well as the Dell G-series, a suite of PCs designed and engineered for the gamer who prioritizes performance and excellent gameplay, starting at $749. Native Mixer streaming provides low-latency, interactive moments for viewers and streamers to engage with other gamers–no extra hardware or software required, while Xbox Play Anywhere enables you to buy a game once and play it on both your Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Stay connected with your gaming community through the Xbox app and the power of Xbox Live. Alienware 15 and 17 boost performance with Intel 8th Gen H-Series CPUs https://winblogs.azureedge.net/win/2018/04/dea6cbeed3acc0f9b89a6200d03933fc-e1522783350551-1024x680.jpeg Alienware 15 and 17 gaming laptops will offer: New Intel 8th Gen i5, i7, and i9 H-Series CPUs with up to 6-cores, enabling overclocking up to 5.0GHZ Alienware’s mechanically engineered improved cooling technology, Alienware Cryo-Tech v2.0, with 50% thinner fan blades and a vapor chamber on the CPU to cool down the higher number of cores more efficiently. The next generation of Alienware Command Center, which introduces a simple yet elegant new interface to help novice and experienced gamers optimize, overclock, and tune Alienware PCs and peripherals to their unique gaming needs. Joining the Alienware 15 and 17’s iconic space grey aesthetic, Alienware welcomes a sleek new Epic Black color option in both sizes.** Introducing Dell G-series, a robust new portfolio of four new affordable game-ready PCs starting at $749 https://winblogs.azureedge.net/win/2018/04/45066d81d014d819a2baa2feafa6e5dd-1024x455.png The new game-ready laptops include powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10-Series graphics, 8th Gen Intel H-Series CPUs, thermal management solutions, intelligent content prioritization software, anti-glare IPS panels, and other complimentary game-ready features. Dell G3 15 and 17 Coming in 15 and 17-inch sizes, Dell G3 15 and 17 laptops are powered by NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 up to 1060 Max-Q discrete graphics, 8th Gen Intel quad-core H-Series CPUs up to i7, dual fans and dual drives with SSD options The laptops 2×2 WiFi antenna design provides great wireless performance, while the SmartByte software prioritizes gaming and video content to keep games and videos smooth, even during large file downloads All encased in a refined performance inspired design and a silky matte exterior finish, the laptops boast a sleek 22.7mm (15) / 25mm (17) profile encouraging gaming-on-the-go Dell G3 15 will offer three color options (Black, Recon Blue, Alpine White) and Dell G3 17 will offer two color options (Black, Recon Blue).** Dell G5 and G7 15 For those seeking a step-up in performance from the G3 systems, the Dell G5 and G7 15 come in a sleek 25mm thin 15-inch chassis, with powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q graphics The systems feature 6GB GDDR5 dedicated memory, 8th Gen Intel 4- and 6-core H-Series CPUs (up to i7 in G5 and i9 in G7), dual fans and dual drives with SSD options G7 15 will offer optional i9 CPU and UHD display (3840×2160) configurations, available in late April Killer 1×1(supporting up to 2×2) Networking optimization and SmartByte software responsively prioritize content downloads for liquid smooth gaming and streaming Designed to push heat and noise away from the user, Dell equipped a front air intake and rear exhaust vent to the laptops’ frames to keep players cool, and able to game longer Immersing players deeper into the game, Dell G5 and G7 15 will also offer an optional IPS UHD 4k panel to summon a premium on-screen experience Dell G5 15 is available in either Standard Black or Beijing Red flavors, and Dell G7 15 is available in either Standard Black or Alpine White.** Pricing and availability Available now in US, China and Europe and shipping later in April: Alienware 15 and 17 available on Dell.com starting today at $2,399.99 and $3,699.99 with additional configurations starting at $1,449.99 and $1,599.99 coming April 10. Dell G7 15 is available on Dell.com starting today at $1,099.99 with additional configurations starting at $849.99 on April 10. Available April 16: Dell G3 15 and 17 will be available April 16 globally on Dell.com starting today at $749.99 and $1,099.99 with additional configurations starting at $799.99 (Dell G3 17) soon. Dell G5 15 will be available April 16 globally today on Dell.com starting at $949.99 with additional configurations starting at $849.99 soon. Head over here to read more about everything Dell announced this week! *Cortana available in select markets. **Colors and sizes will vary by region. The post All the new laptops, All-in-Ones, and game-ready PCs Dell announced this week appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...