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Hello Windows Insiders! Many of you discovered that earlier this afternoon, builds from some of our internal branches were accidentally released for PC and Mobile. This happened because an inadvertent deployment to the engineering system that controls which builds/which rings to push out to insiders. The team was quick to revert the deployment and put blocks in place to stop these builds from going out to more people. Our analysis shows only a small portion of folks got these builds. For those of you who received one of these builds on your devices – please read the following: If you received this build (from RS_EDGE_CASE) on your PC: Please be aware that this build was never intended to go out to Windows Insiders and may include issues that impact usability of your PC – more so than the normal builds we give you. You can either sit tight and wait for us to publish a newer build to you or you can roll-back to the previous build via Settings > Update & security > Recovery. And check your Windows Insider Program settings. NOTE: You have up to 10 days to roll-back and this will only work if you did not do Disk Cleanup to remove your previous Windows installation. If you received this build (from RS_IoT) on Mobile: This build will *not* install on your device. If you installed this build, your device will be stuck in a reboot loop and the only way to recover is to use the Windows Device Recovery Tool and re-flash. After re-flashing, you can join the Windows Insider Program again on your device and choose your ring and be back on the right update path. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/acbe28534a55a5f98836d55ee6e79ae3.png If your device has downloaded this build but has not installed the build (you see either a “Install”� or “Restart now”� button under Phone update) – you will have to do a device reset via Settings > System > About (Do a backup via Settings > Update & security > Backup FIRST) and then check your Windows Insider Program settings to ensure you’re on the right ring. If you are not a Windows Insider, your device may have seen one of these builds offered. However, these builds will not install on devices that are not joined to the Windows Insider Program (a.k.a. “retail”). We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for being a Windows Insider! We will keep you updated on when we plan to release new builds to you next week. We will not be releasing new builds to any of the rings this week. Dona The post A note about the unintentional release of builds today appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/e894fc34853efbe56b7531918ebb47aa.jpg This year’s Hack the Classroom event will be streaming live from the floor at ISTE, bringing thousands of educators from around the world the latest tips & tricks to empower students to create the world of tomorrow. Join us June 27, from 5:30 p.m. CDT to 7:30 p.m. CDT, for an exciting, online, live event to help ignite new ideas and show what’s possible when you bring technology into the classroom. Hack the Classroom is an event to empower educators to incorporate new ideas and tools into the classroom. Hack the Classroom will feature classroom hacks from educators, discussions from inspiring thought leaders, and resources to help you get started. The key is to start with just a few small steps! Click here to register and save your spot, and read more about Hack the Classroom over at the Microsoft Education blog! The post Join educators from around the world as we Hack the Classroom on June 27! appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

We hope you enjoyed today’s episode of This Week on Windows! Head over here to catch up on all the news out of Computex, check out our Windows 10 Tip on how to manage music playback on your favorite music apps with Cortana, learn more about the interactive live-streaming platform Mixer, or keep reading to catch up on this week’s news. In case you missed it: Here’s what’s new in the Windows Store this week: The 1.1 Discovery Update has arrived for Minecraft https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/645c9168a8559317a5368190debae204.png The 1.1 Discovery Update for “Minecraft” – the first big update of the year – has launched on Bedrock Engine platforms (Windows 10, the Pocket Edition and virtual reality). It includes the Minecraft Marketplace, which gives you access to a growing catalog of fun, community-made content safely and simply – while also providing Minecraft creators another way to make a living from the game.You’ll find six worlds, two survival spawns, two texture packs and four skin packs. Worlds often completely remake how Minecraft works, bringing in their own storylines, custom objectives, all-new textures, mini-games, re-designed mobs and more. Learn more over at the Minecraft blog! “Adventure Time” skin pack rolling out for Minecraft on Xbox, coming soon to Pocket Edition and Windows 10 Edition https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/20e4481a0fac56771f1ac50757b8be3a.png Finn, Jake, Ice King, Marceline, Princess Bubblegum and more of your favorite characters from the “Adventure Time” animated series are arriving on Minecraft for Xbox, and will soon be available for “Minecraft: Pocket Edition” and “Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition.” The entire land of Ooo takes over your Minecraft world. You can take Fionna and Cake on a tour of the Candy Kingdom, fight the Ice King in the Ice Kingdom, take a trip with Flame Princess to the Fire Kingdom, and much more. Head over to the Minecraft blog to learn more and read an interview with Pendleton Ward, the creator of “Adventure Time.” Autodesk Sketchbook https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/5f6345d9a127a3b954655da53a7716ac.jpg The drawing app made for people who sketch every day, Autodesk Sketchbook ($4.99 monthly by subscription, with one-week trial), now adds a very cool new feature called Radial Symmetry, which lets artists and designers create perfectly symmetrical designs with up to 16 sectors of radial symmetry. Whether you’re drawing wheels, watches, flowers, mandalas – anything round – you’re going to run circles around everyone else. Netflix – House of Cards, Season 5 https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/4f0adf1cd01d680c2f389336b068eaae.jpg Tensions rise and the drama increases in Washington DC with the return of Frank Underwood in House of Cards Season 5 on Netflix (Free, subscription required for content). It’s guaranteed to be the binge-watching pleasure of the coming weeks, so don’t miss out on a moment of this wildly popular series. $25 Gift from Groove Music https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/f5d74a65a4dd3ed22eca1db8630933af.jpg The weather is warm, the music is cool and it’s time to enjoy a season of songs with Groove Music. Now through June 30, buy a 1-year Groove Music Pass in the Windows Store and get $25 to spend on apps, games, music, TV and more. Stream millions of songs, ad-free, discover exclusive playlists for different moods and activities, and take your music anywhere. The Walking Dead: A New Frontier Episode 5 https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/c048c4729e4d22209a90dcd32a03acf0.jpg Have a great weekend!Walkers have flooded the New Frontier camp, and in The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, Episode 5 ($4.99; season pass, $19.99), Javier, Clementine and their allies are in a tight spot. This final chapter, titled “From the Gallows,” sees tensions within the Garcia family rising as past promises loom. How will you choose who is trustworthy…and who you should protect? Have a great weekend! The post This Week on Windows: Mixer, Computex, Minecraft and more appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Insiders are the millions who represent the billions – Dona Sarkar This is absolutely true. Each and every Windows Insider out there is an individual who represents not only themselves, but also – to varying degrees – countless others who don’t participate in this amazing program. One area where the Windows Insider Program excels is in gathering broad coverage on the holistic Windows experience. We receive feedback and insights on every aspect of the OS – from app usage and core OS functionality, to usability and accessibility, from each of the primary languages around the globe. Windows Insiders represent the world in a microcosm. One of the things we as a team have learned along the way is that at times the voice of one or two Insiders can be representative of hundreds of Windows users. Or thousands. Or even hundreds of thousands. Data from a handful of Insiders can truly be the “needle in a haystack” we’re often looking for while trying to squash bugs during a development cycle. The fun and challenging part of our work is when a small number of users – even just one or two – report an issue. Is this signal weak? Did so few people experience this issue that only one or two found a unique scenario (commonly referred to as a single-user or one-off issue), or is it because these users are a tiny number representing the proverbial tip of a “bug iceberg?” How do we tell the difference between these two categories? The Tale of a Blue Screen (Well, Two Actually) Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. It’s mid-December 2016. We’ve released Build 14986 for PC to Insiders in the Fast ring. Users are installing and giving feedback and all seems well as we head into the end of the year. Fast forward a few weeks into the beginning of January 2017. Build 15002 was released. The Engineering team is taking in Insider feedback, reviewing bugs, and as usual, we’re chatting with Insiders on Twitter. As part of these conversations, a tweet comes across like so many others. One user seems to be having an issue installing the new build: Can't install build 15002 keeps green screening on me after restart with SYSTEM PTE MISUSE error. @NorthFaceHiker @donasarkar @GabeAul — Tony (@win10fan) January 11, 2017 Together we go through various troubleshooting steps, we work with the user so that feedback gets filed, and we wait until the next build to see if it was an issue only for this user. About a week after 15002 was released, another build was shared out to the Fast ring for PC users, build 15007. Unfortunately for this user, it’s the same situation yet again: @donasarkar @NorthFaceHiker @brandonleblanc Can't upgrade to 15002+ using ISO either, GSODs, will try going back to 14393 and upgrading. — Tony (@win10fan) January 12, 2017 Same user, same problem, but still only one report that landed in front of us. A Blue Screen by Any Other Name Fast forward a bit to early February. We’re doing the second #WinBugBash for the Windows 10 Creators Update and a new error appears from another Insider who is frustrated with not being able to update and participate. 1st reboot get an error screen "failed during SAFE_BOOT" msg, then rolls back 14986 — Grimie Browneye (@GrimieBrowney) February 8, 2017 Well this is interesting. Another single-user issue of being stuck on 14986, but a very different error message. We work through all the usual troubleshooting steps, we ensure that feedback gets filed, and we test through a few more releases on the chance that any potential changes in the OS end up solving this issue. These steps didn’t resolve the issue. As we work on this issue over the course of a few weeks, the frustration begins to set in for these two users. On our side, we’re still pouring through the data. How do we fix this issue? Why is it so hard to diagnose? And why aren’t other users reporting this? If this was an OS issue, there should be more than one person hitting each of these errors. And if it was the same issue as the PTE_Misuse error from the first user, why aren’t both machines showing the same error? The one thing in common here is that both users are stuck on 14986 and haven’t been able to update to any new builds since then. Something is wrong and we need to tackle this from a different angle. It’s time to put a new strategy in place. Comparing Notes It’s March 1st, I have two unresolved issues, and I haven’t been able to make headway for these Insiders. Pulling out all the stops, I loop both users into a private conversation via Twitter DM. It’s time to crush these issues once and for all. I’ve talked extensively with the Deployment team here at Microsoft, but there’s no actionable data in the setup error logs. All that we know is there’s a failure and it’s early enough in the update process that no telemetry is being captured. All signs point to a kernel-level failure, but we don’t know exactly what is happening. Sometimes taking drastic actions can have surprising results. After starting the private conversation, both users share their system information data and immediately we see a connection: https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/9f9f60f5f3e46e4975de500e23779def.png Now we have something to work with! Deeper investigation and additional hardware comparison shows that both users are running the near-exact laptops, both laptops being from the same manufacturer, and both with the same processor. The only notable difference is the amount of RAM in each machine (8GB and 12GB). At last we have a link! But even with this commonality, we can’t resolve the issue without seeing what’s going on. It’s time for kernel debugging, but neither user has done this before, and neither have I. There’s always time to learn something new though, and that’s part of what makes the Windows Insider Program fun. Cracking the Issue I could spend pages of writing detailing what happened over the month of March and early April, but I’ll sum it up in a few bullets: I shared instructions with Tony and he set up a kernel debugger. We noticed that the failure happened before the debugger could grab anything during the boot process. The effort dead-ended on his machine. I did some research and found another laptop from a different manufacturer with the same processor. I set up a kernel debugger and tried to reproduce the issue. The issue didn’t appear. This points us to viewing this bug as being specific to the OEM (manufacturer) of the laptops these two users have. We engage with the OEM and kick off a full investigation. The OEM tested the failure scenario on a variety of laptops and could reproduce the issue. This was reassuring that we were on the right path, but we still had to root cause the bug. Several weeks of investigation and hypothesis testing ensued. Nearly 50 emails and countless investigation hours later between the OEM and Microsoft, our combined triage team found the issue. It turned out that a BIOS update released by the OEM in late November for this family of laptop models would fail to allow newer preview builds of Windows 10 to install. The failure was so early in the boot process that none of our log gathering tools would capture the failure, including a standard kernel debugger. Now that we knew the full scope of the problem, we could begin to work on a fix. Once the OEM had prepared an updated BIOS for these machines, it was time to test. The OEM completed a full range of testing and validation on their side. But what about the two Insiders who had helped tirelessly to help us troubleshoot? It was time to thank them. Once again partnering with this OEM, the updated BIOS that had been prepared was delivered securely to these two Insiders. Both users installed the new BIOS and then attempted to install build 15063. At last… success! The BIOS update solved the issue and had fully resolved the update issue for these two users. An Interesting Side-Note From of all of this, it’s funny to look back and realize that we had accidentally found the issue back at the beginning of March and not even realized it.While the noted timing of the BIOS update was slightly off (Brent had updated in December), this bit of conversation captured the problem: https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/6a74b757d929e44f7f2e6c452a3abff7.png Build 15002 hadn’t been released when each of these users had taken the BIOS update. Both users had installed build 14986 and then installed the BIOS that was now causing problems. Sometimes it’s best to trust your instincts, and it is always important to pay attention to all the details, but I digress from our story. Learning an Important Lesson or Two (Actually, Three) After fully detailing the scope of the issue and identifying all possible laptop models from this OEM that could be affected by the issue, we put a block in place to prevent affected retail users across the globe from attempting to install the Windows 10 Creators Update and hitting this upgrade failure. Months of hard work and investigation had helped protect users from a failed OS upgrade experience. The work of two dedicated Windows Insiders helped prevent potentially hundreds of thousands of failed OS upgrades and frustrated users. These two users and their feedback helped others from across the world to keep from using their internet bandwidth (which can be extremely expensive depending on locale) to download an upgrade they wouldn’t be able to install. We listened to Insider feedback and understood there was something bigger here, even if there were the only two people reporting the issue. Windows Insiders are an amazing bunch of people. They like to learn, they like to explore new features and functionality, and with just as much importance, they like to poke around and find bugs. It’s this nature of curiosity that helps us continually make Windows even better. Another important lesson we learned from this experience is in highlighting the various layers of software that are at play in making a PC work properly. The initial thoughts from the affected users was that we had regressed (broken) functionality at the OS-level. As it turned out in this scenario, it was the OEM firmware that was the culprit of the regression. The software creation process is complex and fraught with ways to create potentially unexpected results (a polite way of saying “bugs”�!). Anyone who writes software wants to create a good product and a positive end-user experience. To help with the troubleshooting process in the future, we’ll be creating an additional series of documentation; some will highlight the various layers of software and how they work, as other docs will lay out the foundation of engaging in troubleshooting and some of the related best practices. We’re committed to helping Insiders learn just as much as we’re committed to learning from Insiders. Lastly, this overall scenario was an important reminder to us on the Windows Insider Engineering Team. Seeking to increase the diversity of hardware and application usage will be an even-greater focal point of the Windows Insider Program as we move forward. Seeing two Insiders represent so many retail users was a profound moment. We’re already working through ways to identify additional scenarios such as this and working to give them the attention they so greatly deserve. It will be an ongoing effort, but we are committed to this program and to listening to our greatest fans who take the time to share their insights and feedback. Knowing how important it is for the millions (of Insiders) to represent the billions (of Windows users), we also know it is just as important for the two who represent the hundreds of thousands. You never know if you may be the one user, or one of a small handful of users, whose feedback and dedication ends up being responsible for helping so many others. This tale of two kernels is an expression of my unending gratitude to the dedication of every Windows Insider who helps make a difference every day. Without your efforts, this program would not be the success it is. – Jason The post A Tale of Two Kernels appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

Computex, Asia’s largest IT trade show, is always an exciting event for Microsoft. We see the OEM and ODM ecosystem come together with over 40,000 visitors and 1,600 exhibitors on new technologies and business relationships. This year, it is inspiring to launch partners’ innovative devices with Windows 10. Beyond the PC market, these partners are also driving emerging categories like the Internet of things and mixed reality. The Microsoft booth at Computex displays the latest in device and solution innovation and gives people hands-on time with the latest technologies. This year I had the pleasure of taking the keynote stage with Nick Parker, CVP, consumer and device sales and Matt Barlow, CVP, Windows marketing to talk about how Microsoft is ‘Building the Possible’ with our partners. Our announcements included: Debut of numerous modern devices from top partners, OEM and Operator commitments to deliver Always Connected PCs, Windows Mixed Reality progress on the road to launch later this year Windows and Azure IoT solutions in key verticals like manufacturing and utilities. We talked about our efforts to inspire customers with new Windows experiences and devices, to help grow the ecosystem, and to bring new categories to life. Diverse Windows Mixed Reality Headset designs Last year at Computex, Terry Myerson and Alex Kipman invited partners to join us in building devices that merge physical and virtual realities. Since then we have seen Windows Mixed Reality Headsets from partners like Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. At the show this year, we are able to show off the great new designs from these partners making mixed reality available for everyone later this year. These headsets, coming to market this holiday, use Microsoft’s platform to enable a single and consistent user interface, standardized inputs, and a universal app platform for developers. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/60c67f529713863d7afee83fa4634ae7.jpg Acer Windows Mixed Reality headset https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/d390bb23f5fb6a03afe3b51e0801d83d.jpg HP Windows Mixed Reality headset During Alex Kipman’s Build keynote, we announced that Windows Mixed Reality dev kits from Acer and HP are now available for pre-order through the Microsoft Store for developers in the US (Acer, HP) and Canada (Acer, HP). The response to these dev kits has been positive and we look forward to seeing all the great content that our development ecosystem will create. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/ddd3f216f6c9995f803b2a1fb2d5f3d8.jpg ASUS Windows Mixed Reality headset As a leading gaming and innovation partner, ASUS is expanding on its prowess into the fast emerging mixed reality category. In addition to its Oculus-Ready ROG gaming desktops and VR-Ready VivoPC X, ASUS will be adding a futuristic head-mount device with a unique polygonal 3D cover panel, designed with comfortable ergonomically adjustable strap, enabling an easy one-hand setup. ASUS is engaged with Microsoft to make this HMD fast, powerful, and ultra-light with a six degrees of freedom (DOF) tracked motion controller, for an incredible, immersive MR experience. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/cd245f90da2aba9448cf89d2f6ec0187.jpg Dell Windows Mixed Reality headset Dell is building on their Virtual Reality (VR) leadership in premium gaming and professional creation by partnering with Microsoft to deliver an affordable consumer headset, which will bring mixed reality experiences to a broad audience. Dell’s stylish white headset is uniquely focused on user comfort, designed by the same team that crafts their premium XPS and Alienware PCs. The Dell headset, which will be available by holiday, is thoughtfully designed for comfort and convenience with innovations such as comfortable cushions that can be replaced for a personalized experience, weight balanced headband centered on the user’s head for long-term comfort, cable routing to free the user from dangling wires and, a flip-up visor for easy wearing and removing. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/a8e3926ba45d8bb900aa14e2d2641fac.jpg Lenovo Windows Mixed Reality headset Lenovo is partnering with Microsoft to bring this amazing technology to everyone through an incredibly affordable mixed reality headset for truly immersive, beyond-the-screen mixed reality experiences. Coming later this year, Lenovo’s mixed reality headset will contain built-in sensors to enable inside-out tracking and simplified set-up to let users move around more easily as they experience virtual worlds. Internet of things solutions are coming in key verticals Businesses, governments, and academic institutions are harnessing the internet of things (IoT) to drive business forward. With Windows 10 IoT core on devices, Azure IoT, Cortana analytics, and business intelligence, Microsoft is providing a consistent, end-to-end platform that enables partners to build enterprise-grade, IoT solutions for customers. IoT is about more than a device connected to the cloud, it is really about a multitude of devices, connected together, to deliver insights. In the Microsoft booth, my colleague Mike Quinn showed journalists “a Day in the Life with IoT,” and how these devices work together. For example, the Airbox device collects and reports data on air quality metrics like temperature and humidity and displays the analytics on a dashboard. While in the restaurant scenario there is digital signage, a digital price board, a kiosk for self-ordering, and a robot which makes product recommendations based on historic order information. New “Always Connected PCs” allow constant connectivity There is a new generation of users that need to be connected to the cloud at all times. They are students, creators, freelancers, small businesses, and enterprises. This means sharing experiences across screens and leveraging the latest network technology like gigabit LTE and eSIM. We are collaborating with our ecosystem on a shared vision. This starts with a close partnership at the silicon layer, with Intel and Qualcomm and with our mobile operator partners to provide seamless eSIM connectivity. Microsoft device partners ASUS, HP, Huawei, Lenovo, VAIO, and Xiaomi, are committed to this new category of Always Connected PCs using eSIM technology. In addition, Microsoft announced Always Connected devices will be coming from ASUS, HP, and Lenovo on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. These new devices will feature Windows 10, always-on LTE connectivity and great battery life. New, innovative Windows 10 PCs By far, my favorite part of the show every year is seeing the latest devices from our partners come to market. Partners like Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba, Huawei have all brought beautiful new thin and slim laptops, ruggedized tablets, 2-in-1’s and gaming PCs to market in recent weeks. Here are a few announced here at Computex: Acer’s new Nitro 5 series and its latest Spin 1 convertible notebook With Acer’s new Nitro 5 series, gamers can choose from a variety of configurations that feature popular graphics and processors to meet different budgets and needs. Dual fans with Acer Coolboost™ technology deliver heightened fan speeds and cooling ability, and allows users to manually control the cooling process when heavy use requires an added boost. This year, more than ever, we’re seeing new devices in emerging categories truly changing the market. From mixed reality headsets coming at highly affordable price points and connected IoT-enabled devices enabling consumers and businesses to achieve more to new “Always Connected PC’s” powered by eSIM technology, the opportunities for partners to bring new types of devices to life has never been greater. A thriving ecosystem All of these devices and new categories create business opportunities for our partners. From new business models like dynamic store bundling and cloud to expanding the ecosystem into new areas like head-mounted displays and motion controllers for mixed reality, our platforms are creating new opportunities for partners. Our partners push the envelope in gaming experiences. They deliver affordable devices for education. They bring to market devices that light up Windows 10 experiences. Through this thriving ecosystem of partners, new categories come to life. I’m very excited for the year ahead and for how this ecosystem works together to build the possible. The post Microsoft shows partner innovation with Always-Connected PCs, MR and IoT at Computex 2017 appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

It has been a very long road to release since we started development on Everspace more than two years ago, and it’s hard to believe the day is finally upon us. Truly an exciting time for everyone here at Rockfish Games and for space game enthusiasts. The greatest addition coming with the full release is the long-awaited campaign, including missions, cinematic flashbacks, and fully-voiced cutscenes (in English and German) with text localization available for more than 10 languages including French, Chinese, and Spanish. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/48f7e1b1722f98dc7bd4072e0783fdbf.png As all players who have played Everspace in Game Preview have already experienced, the hero finds himself clueless in the cockpit of a space fighter at the beginning of the game. After completing basic pilot training, the peculiar onboard AI provides sometimes useful contextual information about the game world and its lore. Now in the full version, you’ll gradually unveil the mystery behind the hero’s existence and your mission through character encounters and cinematic memory flashbacks. In the completely revamped final sector, you must survive an all-new boss fight that will provide the last piece of the campaign puzzle. But this will not be the end of the game. There’s still an important objective to accomplish to reach the final destination of your journey — no more spoilers beyond this point! For the full release, you can also look forward to a great set of Achievements and some further surprises that we got up our sleeves. So look for Everspace if you’re up for a narrative-driven roguelike space shooter in a procedurally-generated universe full of surprises, and head over to Xbox Wire to learn more! The post Everspace 1.0 now available on Windows 10 and Xbox One appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

With Cortana, it’s easier to stay on top of your schedule, your commitments, and all the important things you need to remember to keep your day running smoothly. And now, with the Windows 10 Creators Update, you can use Cortana to control music playback on more of your favorite music apps.* Here’s how to get started: First, make sure Groove is enabled by going to the Music tab in the Cortana Notebook. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/5f9daa990b89334a2ce13ba559abef8e.gif Groove now supports the ability to play music by mood, category or activity so you can say, “Hey Cortana, play me some workout music.”** https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/2d0b2ba8bea0cfb85d43f4e928fff026.gif We’ve also enabled natural language compatibility for the iHeartRadio and TuneIn Radio apps. This will work both above the lock screen (when your PC is locked) as well as below!** Try saying things like: Play Drake on iHeartRadio Play Top 40 on iHeartRadio Play NPR Hourly News on TuneIn Play jazz music on TuneIn Play Z100 on iHeartRadio Play KUOW on TuneIn And, if you are wondering about what song is playing, just say “Hey Cortana, what’s playing?” and Cortana will find the answer for you. Have a great week! *Cortana available in select markets; this feature available in US only **Requires Groove subscription The post Windows 10 Tip: Manage music playback on your favorite music apps with Cortana appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

At any point in time on any day of the week, Microsoft’s cloud computing operations are under attack: The company detects a whopping 1.5 million attempts a day to compromise its systems. Microsoft isn’t just fending off those attacks. It’s also learning from them. All those foiled attacks, along with data about the hundreds of billions of emails and other pieces of information that flow to and from Microsoft’s cloud computing data centers, are constantly being fed into the company’s intelligent security graph. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/81dba282605e7ca0262d75575c951bee.jpg Microsoft invests about $1 billion in cloud security each year. It’s a massive web of data that can be used to connect the dots between an email phishing scam out of Nigeria and a denial-of-service attack out of Eastern Europe, thwarting one attack for one customer and applying that knowledge to every customer using products including the company’s Azure computing platform, Windows 10 operating system or Office 365 productivity service. Those security threats have heightened substantially in recent years, as criminals have built lucrative businesses from stealing data and nation states have come to see cybercrime as an opportunity to gain information, influence and advantage over their rivals. That’s led to potentially catastrophic attacks such as the WannaCrypt ransomware campaign that’s made headlines in the past few weeks. This evolving threat landscape has begun to change the way customers view the cloud. “It was only a few years ago when most of my customer conversations started with, ‘I can’t go to the cloud because of security. It’s not possible,’” said Julia White, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Azure and security. “And now I have people, more often than not, saying, ‘I need to go to the cloud because of security.’” Read the full story. The post Inside the high-tech, high-stakes race to keep the cloud secure appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Despite the short week after Memorial Day, there was no shortage of inspiring news around Microsoft. We checked out new Windows 10 devices unveiled at Computex 2017 and learned about Microsoft facial recognition technology that’s helping to find missing children in China. We talked with two entrepreneurs who are reinventing wallpaper and learned how a nonprofit organization is using Microsoft’s Power BI service to bring aid to people in developing countries. And we met two amazing young women — one the 12-year-old CEO of her own company, the other an 8th-grade Amish student whose use of Skype in the Classroom prompted her to launch a book drive for children in Kenya. Join us as we recap some of this week’s notable happenings around Microsoft. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/6cfe03ecf28213a4fba92da3962113af.jpgWindows 10 was center stage at Computex 2017 in Taipei, Taiwan. During the annual trade show, which focuses heavily on PCs and peripherals, Microsoft partners unveiled a range of innovative devices using Windows 10 — from mixed-reality headsets to always-connected PCs. They included Samsung’s Notebook 9 Pro laptop; the ROG Zephyrus gaming device from ASUS ROG, which comes equipped with the Xbox app, Direct X12 and Cortana; and ASUS’ new lineup of ZenBook and VivoBook laptops, built for productivity and powerful computing. It was “inspiring to launch partners’ innovative devices with Windows 10,” writes Peter Han, Microsoft Partner Devices and Solutions vice president. “This year, more than ever, we’re seeing new devices in emerging categories truly changing the market.” https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/9c0bcd7f87d172753e7da8372f15676c.jpgOn a hot morning in June 2012, Junxiu Wang and his son awoke in the city of Guangzhou, northwest of Hong Kong, and started their day. Wang was working a short-term job in Guangzhou and had taken his 14-year-old son, Yesong, with him. The pair ate breakfast, then Wang went to use the bathroom. When he came out, Yesong was gone. The father was immediately worried. Yesong, his middle child, had Down syndrome and was unable to speak. It would be almost four agonizing years until Wang found out what happened to his son. The answer would involve an exhaustive search, a dedicated nonprofit director, a popular Chinese reality show, Microsoft facial recognition technology and a father who never gave up hope. And their story, it turned out, was just the beginning. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/bbdba5d418478b2effe8809343b0ebba.jpgWater, food, medicine and shelter are tangible — and obvious — ways that aid organizations worldwide are helping people in disadvantaged areas to survive. Data is also becoming an increasingly important part of that work. It can not only help women feed their families, help foresters collaborate for healthy trees and enable miners to advocate for their rights. It could also help nonprofit groups themselves survive amid funding cutbacks. Pact, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that empowers local groups in developing countries, is changing the way data plays into its efforts, in large part through data visualization reports with Microsoft’s Power BI service. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/eba250761a770d082a2ed28589111449.jpgThe path to CEO started in a most unlikely way for Mikaila Ulmer, after she was stung by a bee twice in a week at age 4. Mikaila’s parents suggested she channel her newfound fear into a research project, so the Austin, Texas girl started reading about bees and was soon fascinated by them — and concerned about their dwindling numbers. Mikaila began making lemonade, selling it at events and her own lemonade stand. With the help of her parents, she started her own lemonade company at the age of 4. She’s spoken onstage with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella before 15,000 people, introduced President Barack Obama at an event and been invited to the White House — twice. And all this before her 13th birthday. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/9f45cb98d56fb4b211afc54eb02e1fac.jpgAs a member of an Amish community, Regina Schwartz doesn’t use electricity or technology at home. But as an 8th grader at NorthWood Middle School in Wakarusa, Indiana, she uses Skype in the Classroom to learn about the world. It was a Skype call with a refugee camp in Kenya that inspired Regina to start a book drive for schools in the camp. She loves Skype in the Classroom for its ability to transport her to different places and learn about new things, from shark adaptations to Civil War artifacts. “Skype has taken me places that I could only dream of visiting,” writes Regina, who also did a fundraiser to help girls in Nepal. “Through these Skype connections, I’ve discovered that there are many global problems, and I realized that I want to help make a difference.” https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/4491855627009c40f6e33bb4dcf5f8e0.jpgThe wait is over to find out what’s next for Machiavellian couple Frank and Claire Underwood. “House of Cards” is back for its fifth season, ready for your bingeing pleasure — just download Netflix for free from the Windows store and settle in for some skullduggery. If a zombie apocalypse is more your speed, the fifth and final chapter of “The Walking Dead: A New Frontier” game series — titled “From the Gallows” — follows Javier, Clementine and their allies as tensions within the García family rise. Buy episodes separately from the Windows store or get all of them through a season pass. Fans of Tom Clancy games can save on titles for Xbox One and Xbox 360, including several modern classics discounter up to 67 percent. And favorite characters from the “Adventure Time” animated series are arriving on Minecraft for Xbox and will soon be available for “Minecraft: Pocket Edition” and “Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition.” Keep up with other trending items in the Windows Store. To ensure you have the right soundtrack for your weekend, Cortana can now manage music and radio playback on more of your favorite music apps. Groove can now play music by mood, category and activity — so you can say, for example, “Hey, Cortana, play me some tunes for my run!” https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/f7abde3e4c203e34cf60b9247feefa60.jpgThis week on the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, we featured Andi Kubacki and Josh Young, the two co-founders of The Detroit Wallpaper Company. When the duo hit a professional wall, they embraced personalization, tech savvy and bold design to create customizable wallpaper. Microsoft tech helps them translate each stroke of creative genius into real, tangible wallcoverings that can be found in homes, businesses and even the Smithsonian. That’s it for this week. Have a terrific weekend, and come back next Friday for another edition of Weekend Reading! Posted by Deborah Bach Microsoft News Center Staff The post New devices at Computex 2017, a 12-year-old CEO and bee ambassador, and how two entrepreneurs made wallpaper cool again — Weekend Reading: June 2 edition appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

“Wallpaper, huh?” That’s the question many people asked Andi Kubacki and Josh Young at their first design trade show, in the spring of 2013. The reaction was understandable. Maligned for its frumpy patterns and agonizing adhesives, wallpaper was long relegated to the décor dustbin. But a new generation is discovering wallpaper, and Kubacki and Young are at the vanguard of its revival. The Detroit Wallpaper Company, which they co-founded, specializes in customizable wallpaper in a broad range of modern patterns and colors that are, as its former tagline attests, “not your mother’s wallpaper.” The company offers more than a dozen collections with designs ranging from bold geometric shapes to botanical imagery and patterns informed by everything from Moroccan architecture to electronic circuit boards, reflecting Kubacki and Young’s wide-ranging interests and intellectual curiosity. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/e95d7dc4d221df272119512c58c3b5e6.jpg A new generation is discovering wallpaper, and Detroit Wallpaper Company is at the vanguard of its revival. “Psych,” inspired by the Rorschach inkblot test and Young’s college studies in psychology, was created from dozens of ink blots made by Kubacki and an intern that were digitally scanned and assembled into an elegant, abstract pattern. “Record Shelf” at first looks like simple rows of lines, but on closer inspection turns out to be a pattern depicting vertical stacks of records — a nod to the business partners’ love of music. Launched in 2012, The Detroit Wallpaper Company pioneered the concept of wallpaper customization. Each design is available in different paper types, from an eco-friendly material to a metallic grass cloth, that are easy to install and remove. Customers can choose from several color schemes or create their own for a combination no one else might have. “We have a culture of customer service,” said Young, 39. “You can have wallpaper your way, from the color to the type of material.” Read the full story. The post Motor City style meets Microsoft tech at Detroit Wallpaper Company appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

A major Microsoft event in Shanghai on Tuesday revealed the results of a joint venture between CETC and Microsoft: the development of Windows 10 China Government Edition, which Lenovo will be one of the first OEM partners to preinstall for China government customers. The new Surface Pro and the new Surface Pen also made their debuts at the event. Microsoft also announced improved inking capabilities in Office apps that will be brought to life on its new Surface devices, making digital pen use faster, more fluid and more personalized. Microsoft HoloLens also launched in China this week, and an announcement was made that Project Scorpio will launch in China later this year. Find out more about the event at the Microsoft News Center. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/5fd3e6b1864575a9d4bff7b44278d1a8.png A big evolution of Microsoft’s interactive livestreaming platform is at hand, including a new name for the service: Mixer. (Formerly, Beam.) Users will also see several features they’ve been asking for that unlock a whole new world of possibilities for social streaming, and help viewers find the content they’re looking for across the service. “We chose Mixer as our new name because it represents what we love most about the service….how it brings people together,” writes Matt Salsamendi, co-founder and engineering lead of the platform at Microsoft. “It brings people together through the core experience and ‘special sauce’ that our fans already know and love: the ability to not just watch streams, but to also interact with streamers and play together in near real-time. In other words, Mixer is livestreaming that’s actually LIVE, compared to the 10 – 20 second latency you typically get on other platforms. What’s more, viewers can actively participate in what’s happening on screen instead of just watching from the sidelines.” https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/b29c3bd6a7a5ab558f66fc00665e4f4a.jpg The European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) takes effect a year from tomorrow. While some companies have already started working toward GDPR compliance, Gartner believes that less than 50 percent of all organizations will fully comply with the GDPR when it goes into effect on May 25, 2018, writes Julia White, Microsoft corporate vice president of Azure, Hybrid Cloud, Enterprise Security and Management. Read her post to find out about resources Microsoft provides to give customers “an expedited journey to GDPR compliance.” https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/a35a40657ccdc12d4c5ca7b4e8b46bf3.jpg When Keith Stuart, the games editor at The Guardian, first played “Minecraft” five years ago, little did he realize that it would become a valuable way to communicate with his son, Zac, diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Based on his experiences, Stuart has written a novel, “A Boy Made of Blocks,” that portrays the struggle of a father to break through the barriers and strains that his son’s autism has created in his family’s life. Read about his journey. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/5a59f2770bd45d2527b44436043b7a83.jpg Books from Microsoft is a new digital category in the Windows Store that makes it easy to search for, browse and download books. Books is currently featuring Bill Gates’ newest summer reading list, which includes Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime” and Jimmy Carter’s “A Full Life.” You’ll also find the Memorial Day collection of films in the Windows Store, as well as several sales. Buy Adobe Photoshop Elements 15 at a 30 percent discount through June 5; now through June 30, buy a one-year Groove Music Pass in the Windows Store and get $25 to spend on apps, games, music, TV and more. And get discounts on Microsoft Studios games through May 29. Turn your inspirations into reality with the Windows Store’s collection of creative apps – now with up to 75 percent off premium in-app features for a limited time. In console news, all Xbox Live Gold members now have exclusive access to Xbox Game Pass, a new digital gaming subscription service that delivers unlimited access to more than 100 Xbox One and Backward Compatible Xbox 360 games for $9.99 each month. These members can start their 14-day free trial before anyone else. On June 1, Xbox Game Pass will be available for all users. Also that day, the latest batch of Games with Gold titles starts rolling out. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/0edf810ef4490516074710838981410a.jpg Maureen Chiquet speaks at Microsoft on May 3, 2017. (Photography by Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures) This week on Microsoft’s Facebook and Twitter channels, you’ll see an interview with Maureen Chiquet, former global CEO of Chanel. She spoke at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, campus as part of the “Outside In” series and touched on a wide array of topics such as nontraditional careers, motherhood, mentorship and how to define your own success. That’s it for our round-up. See you next Friday for another Weekend Reading! Posted by Athima Chansanchai Microsoft News Center Staff The post Introducing Windows 10 China Government Edition, the new Surface Pro and livestreaming platform Mixer — Weekend Reading: May 26 edition appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

A big evolution of Microsoft’s interactive livestreaming platform was announced Thursday, including a new name for the service: Mixer (formerly Beam). Users will also see several features they’ve been asking for that unlock a whole new world of possibilities for social streaming, and help viewers find the content they’re looking for across the service. “We chose Mixer as our new name because it represents what we love most about the service …. how it brings people together,” writes Matt Salsamendi, co-founder and engineering lead of the platform at Microsoft. Mixer brings people together “through the core experience and ‘special sauce’ that our fans already know and love: the ability to not just watch streams, but to also interact with streamers and play together in near real-time,” Salsamendi writes. “In other words, Mixer is livestreaming that’s actually LIVE, compared to the 10- 20-second latency you typically get on other platforms. What’s more, viewers can actively participate in what’s happening on screen instead of just watching from the sidelines.” Read more from Salsamendi about Mixer. The post Meet Mixer, formerly Beam, Microsoft’s interactive livestreaming platform appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

The European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) takes effect one year from tomorrow. While some companies have started working towards GDPR compliance, Gartner believes that less than 50 percent of all organizations will fully comply with the GDPR when it goes into effect on May 25, 2018.* We know that the cloud can help dramatically increase that compliance rate, and we are dedicated to helping our customers on this journey. With roughly 160 GDPR requirements ranging from how you collect, store and use personal information, to mandating a 72-hour notification for personal data breaches, it’s clear that using cloud technology can help accelerate the path to compliance for most organizations. Nearly a decade ago, Microsoft established our Trusted Cloud Principles to guide our Microsoft cloud technology. These principles include security, privacy, compliance and transparency. These investments align closely with the intentions of the GDPR, and because of this, the Microsoft Cloud can uniquely provide an expedited journey to GDPR compliance. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/20eaf451d406fd3e16e3336cd1715394.png Complying with the GDPR to help customers succeed In February of this year, we announced that Microsoft cloud services will comply with GDPR by May 25, 2018, across Office 365, Dynamics 365, Azure, including Azure data services, Enterprise Mobility + Security, and Windows 10. We’ve backed this up with our contractual commitments to customers. The Microsoft Cloud also has a range of compliance controls, audited by third parties. Through these investments, we will also help you validate that when you are using the Microsoft Cloud, you are using services compliant with the GDPR. Cloud for compliance Beyond making our cloud services compliant, the Microsoft Cloud provides sophisticated, built-in controls that can help you meet GDPR requirements. We have a range of capabilities available today that can help. To point out just a few, I’ll start with Azure Information Protection. Azure Information Protection provides document tracking and revocation capabilities, so you can monitor the flow of sensitive data and revoke access to this data at any time. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/553901d0cf0334c5bfc3ff9ca3f31c4e.png Using Azure Information Protection to tag GDPR-related data. Beyond information protection, you can also use the Microsoft Cloud to discover, manage, protect and report on GDPR-related data. And, powerful intelligence capabilities can be applied to the GDPR requirements when using the Microsoft Cloud. For example, using Office 365 Advanced Data Governance, you can intelligently manage your organization’s data with classifications. This capability automatically labels sensitive data, so that policies for protection, retention or deletion can be applied. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/da9c6eadf9ebcdb3138ce640c3f9d34c.png Using Office 365 Advanced Data Governance to automatically detect personally identifiable information (PII) in support of GDPR. This is just one of several capabilities within Microsoft’s Secure Productive Enterprise offering to help you with GDPR today. We continue to innovate in order to make GDPR compliance easier for you to achieve. For example, later this year we plan to release a new dashboard that provides a quantitative assessment to help identify where you are in your journey to GDPR compliance. This upcoming release builds on the foundation of Office 365 Secure Score, launched earlier this year, to provide you greater clarity on your path toward GDPR compliance. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/b1f0e555866baecff7ec479015a8c438.png Risk and Compliance dashboard that helps to track GDPR compliance. A community of experts to guide your journey We recognize that GDPR spans technology and business policy. To this end, we’ve brought the Microsoft ecosystem together to help you. In the Microsoft Tech Community privacy forum you can discuss GDPR issues and learn from experts. We’ve collaborated with consulting firms with deep policy knowledge of privacy and the GDPR, who can help you plan and implement process and technology to be GDPR compliant. And finally, we’re sharing best practices from our own privacy experts. As the GDPR deadline draws closer, we are here to partner with you. Meeting GDPR doesn’t have to be a difficult path and Microsoft is here to help. Visit www.microsoft.com/gdpr to view our GDPR webcast, download GDPR whitepapers and register for upcoming news related to what Microsoft is doing for GDPR. * From Gartner research note Adapt Your Cloud Hosting Proposition Now for Imminent GDPR European Privacy Regulations, Gregor Petri, Bart Willemsen, Tiny Haynes, 29 March 2017 The post Accelerate your GDPR compliance with the Microsoft Cloud appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

In Shanghai on Tuesday we announced that with strong support of CETC and Microsoft, CMIT, our joint venture has now developed Windows 10 China Government Edition for China government customers and Lenovo will be one of the first OEM partners to preinstall Windows 10 China Government Edition; introduced the most versatile laptop — the new Surface Pro — with up to 13.5 hours of battery life; revealed the new Surface Pen, twice as accurate as the previous version with more fluid writing, drawing and tilt; celebrated the launch of Microsoft HoloLens in China; and shared that Project Scorpio will launch in China later this year. To learn more, visit our event site on Microsoft News Center. The post Announcing Windows 10 China Government Edition and the new Surface Pro appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Yesterday, Microsoft received the 2016 Extraordinary Employer Support Award from the U.S. Department of Defense in recognition of its sustained support of National Guard and Reserve military members. It was an honor to attend an on-campus ceremony where Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood accepted the award on behalf of the company. Amy’s presence is testament to the fact that Microsoft’s support of the military extends up and down our chain of command. Amy puts it this way: “At Microsoft, we go to great lengths to recognize the contributions of the citizen soldiers in our midst. Rather than merely complying with the regulations, we go above and beyond as we strive to create a culture of inclusion that allows us to employ the very best talent the world has to offer.� Such support is crucial, we believe, because although the military has created an extensive network of resources to support active duty personnel in their transition to civilian life, National Guard and Reserve members don’t have access to the same resources. When they return from a tour of duty, many of these men and women have been gone for several months, serving in all sorts of demanding conditions wherever our country needs them. And rather than being met by fellow service members, they are met by managers and colleagues who often expect them to be fully engaged and effective in their civilian jobs right out of the gate. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/f8d1bd5c9bfd84ce163866c0ba7a3bd1.jpg The Extraordinary Employer Support Award recognizes employers that provide sustained support to National Guard and Reserve members. In 1972, the DoD founded the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program to help address this inequity and promote supportive work environments. That was followed by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), which Congress passed in 1994. Both efforts were aimed at addressing some uncomfortable realities: Civilians who have not served have a difficult time understanding the challenges of military life. Many civilians feel ill-equipped to provide the kind of support and comfort that members of the military need when returning from active duty. In the corporate world, where the bottom line reigns supreme, we have a very low tolerance for anything that impedes productivity. Let’s acknowledge there are many ways of measuring contributions. As a Marine Corps veteran who works alongside members of the National Guard and Reserve at Microsoft, I’ve come to realize that what is lost in productivity while they are away on duty is more than made up by their level of drive, conscientiousness, leadership and professionalism, which is second to none. For example, when employees are away on duty, we supplement their military pay to match what they make at Microsoft to ensure they are not losing income. And their benefits continue accruing at the same rate, just if they had never left. On a more personal level, we try to foster a work environment that views our National Guard and Reserve employees as valuable members of the Microsoft team. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/9c00acbc3d5e78a6b7764d1607e4f12d.jpg Microsoft CFO Amy Hood, Microsoft Vice President of Military Affairs Chris Cortez, Washington State Vice Chair of ESGR Phil Sanders and members of Microsoft’s National Guard and Reservists community pose with the 2016 Extraordinary Employer Support Award. Microsoft has created a culture without stigma or bias that encourages service members to succeed even when they are pulled away from their civilian careers. “When I go away for a few weeks at a time, it’s never an issue with my boss or my team. The team adapts while I’m gone, and I dive straight back in when I return,”� says Brent Huntington, a construction manager in our Cloud Infrastructure and Operations organization, who is also a gunnery sergeant in the Marine Corps Reserves. “I have a commitment to my country to honor, and Microsoft 100 percent gets that.”� Brent has had to pick up and go many times as a reservist and combat veteran with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He currently serves as a logistics chief at U.S. Central Command, a prime strategic component in the global war on terrorism, and his efforts directly impact national security. He says, “It’s hard to put my family and employer on hold, but knowing I’m supported by Microsoft — not just because it’s the law, but because it’s the right thing to do — really sets things at ease when it’s time to serve. With all the things I’m juggling, knowing Microsoft has my back really helps.� It’s our firm belief that while National Guard and Reserve military members like Brent are out on training missions or actively protecting others, private industry must continue to step up and protect their careers and provide their families with the peace of mind that all is well on the home front. The post Microsoft earns award for its sustained support of Reservist and National Guard members appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Welcome back for another edition of Weekend Reading. There is always a fair amount of news pouring out of Microsoft. This week, we’ve upped the game with a number of high-level stories that touch on big issues of our time, including accessibility, human rights, teaching technology in underserved schools, modernizing electrical grids and battling online scammers. Join us and get up to speed with what’s happening in the Microsoft universe. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/13589516b03e3fdab4ad0821ad450579.jpg In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Microsoft chief accessibility officer, highlighted the company’s commitment to building products and awareness for a more accessible, inclusive world. New technologies include real-time captions and language translation of spoken PowerPoint presentations. They also include a Narrator developer mode and Project Emma, research on a prototype watch that’s helping a woman with Parkinson’s disease to write again. Read Lay-Flurrie’s post on Microsoft on the Issues. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/8762b8740538b1fb88a8eef9ad30bc6b.png Microsoft will provide a $5 million grant to support work of the UN Human Rights Office as part of a new partnership announced Tuesday by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The five-year agreement will include development and use of advanced technology to better predict, analyze and respond to complex human rights situations worldwide. It also builds on a long relationship between Microsoft and the UN Human Rights Office and highlights their commitment to making sure technology plays a positive role in protecting and promoting human rights. Microsoft Philanthropies announced a major expansion of the Technology Education and Literacy in Schools (TEALS ) program, which pairs tech professionals with teachers to co-teach computer science in high schools around the country. The expansion will add almost 100 schools to the program for the coming school year and will recruit 1,100 volunteers from companies ranging from small startups to large corporations. TEALS volunteers teach introduction to computer science and AP computer science classes, and help prepare teachers to gradually take over teaching the courses. The program depends on volunteers from local companies, and anyone with a computer programming background, and a desire to contribute to their community, is encouraged to apply. Microsoft is betting on transformation in the electricity industry, with the belief that data-driven insights and technology can help build more efficient, reliable and autonomous grids. A project with Norwegian power company Agder Energi and Powel, a supplier of software solutions to the energy, public and contracting sectors, demonstrates how autonomous grids can create a virtuous feedback loop for both utilities and customers as demand is matched with supply. The project is powered by Azure, PowerBi and Azure IoT Hub. Using these Microsoft technologies, operators can now better predict demand and engage distributed resources like rooftop solar panels, electric vehicles and smart homes as needed. Microsoft is also working with several other companies and utilities to help build more resilient and flexible grids, says Brian Janous, Microsoft director of energy strategy. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/bea17d77befb79f07a08d18afd69622e.png Cybercriminals use a variety of tactics to defraud consumers, including cold-calling them and creating pop-up windows on their computers that falsely claim the existence of technical problems that doesn’t really exist. Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) is combatting these kinds of tech support scams by using a data-driven approach to investigate and refer them to law enforcement agencies as appropriate, strengthening the company’s technology against fraudulent tactics and educating consumers about how to stay safe online. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/3aa9467ca3af4fb269037db0345cb9fb.gif Microsoft announced numerous innovations for SharePoint and OneDrive during the SharePoint Virtual Summit, including powerful integrations across Office 365, Windows and Azure. Changes coming this summer include the ability to share Office 365 files directly from File Explorer on Windows and Finder on Mac, new SharePoint communication sites that allow groups to share broadly across their organizations, and the ability to use Microsoft PowerApps to easily create custom forms that surface in the context of a SharePoint list or library. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/1975d7c8f3b4842689bd7bf4e6089997.png It’s that time of year when your social media feeds become inundated with caps and gowns, proud parents and friends, and graduates grinning, diplomas in hand. Congratulations! Welcome to the next chapter in your lives. To help make the most of your big event and the months (and years) ahead, check out the Windows Store’s “Set yourself up for success” collection of apps. If you want to stock up on your favorite TV shows, you can now save up to 65 percent on current and past seasons of “Supergirl,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “This is Us” and much more. Buy and binge-watch these hits in the TV Season Pass Sale, which runs through May 22 on Microsoft Movies & TV in the Windows Store. The Greek Mythology Mash-Up Pack is now available for every version of “Minecraft.” The pack includes a custom texture set, a new UI, an original score by Gareth Coker and 39 unique character skins, including the mighty Zeus, the mighty Prometheus and Apollo. Get more details on the Minecraft blog. We know you have a lot of things you could do with your time, and we appreciate that you spent a bit of it with us. Come back next week. We promise to have a whole new serving of interesting updates. Thomas Kohnstamm Microsoft News Center Staff The post Celebrating advances in accessibility, partnering with UN Human Rights Office and making power grids autonomous – Weekend Reading: May 19 edition appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Few places in the world are as dynamic and diverse as Africa today. In this landscape, we see enormous opportunity for the cloud to accelerate innovation, support people across the continent who are working to transform their businesses, explore new entrepreneurship opportunities and help solve some of the world’s hardest problems. For these reasons, I’m very excited to share our plans to deliver the Microsoft Cloud from datacenters in Africa. We plan to deliver the Microsoft Cloud — including Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics 365 — from datacenters located in Johannesburg and Cape Town, with initial availability in 2018. These new Microsoft Cloud regions will offer enterprise-grade reliability and performance combined with data residency. Customers across Africa, including local startups and NGOs, will be able to use the cloud services delivered from these new regions to power innovation and opportunity for Africa and the world. For example: M-KOPA Solar has used mobile and cloud technology to develop an affordable pay-as-you-go solar energy solution to provide electricity to more than 500,000 homes. AGIN has leveraged the cloud to enable an app to connect 140,000 smallholder farmers to key services, enabling them to share data and facilitate $1.3 million per month in finance, insurance and other services. This announcement brings us to 40 cloud regions around the world — more than any other cloud provider — and will help organizations and people from Cairo to Cape Town accelerate their journey to cloud computing. This new investment is also major milestone in our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, part of our ongoing effort to create a Cloud for Global Good and an extension of the efforts we have put in place to invest in Africa, including: Helping to transform and modernize 728,000 small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) by bringing their companies online, with more than 17,000 continuing to use the 4Afrika hub to promote and grow their businesses. Using the Microsoft Cloud to bring access to training and education, building job skills for more than 775,000 people in Africa on subjects ranging from digital literacy to software development. You can read additional details at the Microsoft MEA News Center and stay tuned for more news about cloud-enabled innovation in Africa. The post Microsoft to deliver Microsoft Cloud from datacenters in Africa appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Early Friday morning the world experienced the year’s latest cyberattack. Starting first in the United Kingdom and Spain, the malicious “WannaCrypt” software quickly spread globally, blocking customers from their data unless they paid a ransom using Bitcoin. The WannaCrypt exploits used in the attack were drawn from the exploits stolen from the National Security Agency, or NSA, in the United States. That theft was publicly reported earlier this year. A month prior, on March 14, Microsoft had released a security update to patch this vulnerability and protect our customers. While this protected newer Windows systems and computers that had enabled Windows Update to apply this latest update, many computers remained unpatched globally. As a result, hospitals, businesses, governments, and computers at homes were affected. To read the whole post, visit Microsoft on the Issues. The post The need for urgent collective action to keep people safe online: Lessons from last week’s cyberattack appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Developers were in focus this week, as Microsoft welcomed thousands of them to Seattle for Build 2017, the company’s annual developer conference. “In a world of near infinite compute power and an exponential growth in data, we are focused on empowering every developer to build applications for this new era of intelligent cloud and intelligent edge,” said Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella, highlighting examples of innovations happening today. Harry Shum, executive vice president of Microsoft’s AI and Research group, expanded on that mission and shared the company’s vision to make the power of artificial intelligence available to everyone, “from developers and data scientists to tech enthusiasts and students.” To that end, there’s a new, comprehensive platform of tools and services to help developers with AI. Microsoft draws inspiration from developers and their innovative passion, Nadella said. One such developer is Haiyan Zhang, innovation director at Microsoft Research Cambridge in England. Zhang’s ingenuity, curiosity and perseverance led her to create a prototype watch that enabled Emma Lawton, a graphic designer diagnosed at 29 with Parkinson’s disease, to draw a straight line — and write her name — for the first time in years. Lawton now uses the tool for sketch projects, and Zhang is collaborating on a new initiative to explore the use of sensors and AI to detect and monitor the complex symptoms associated with Parkinson’s – from body rigidity and gait slowness to falling and tremors. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/bee2e082a608e3c6c377a65cff938767.jpg Speaking of Microsoft Research Cambridge, the European arm of Microsoft’s research organization where Zhang works, its director Chris Bishop has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence. Bishop is a world-renowned expert in AI and machine learning. He’s among 50 other scientists from across the United Kingdom and Commonwealth and 10 Foreign Members elected to the Royal Society, including pioneers in understanding the chemical origins of life and discovering how humans operate on a 24-hour cycle. “Science is a great triumph of human achievement and has contributed hugely to the prosperity and health of our world,” said Venki Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society. “In the coming decades it will play an increasingly crucial role in tackling the great challenges of our time including food, energy, health and the environment.” Adding an expert in artificial intelligence to the society’s ranks “reflects the emergence of machine learning as the most transformational technology in computing,” said Bishop. “Machine learning underpins the current excitement around artificial intelligence.” https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/c0c921bd8d2246f900d19d04bcd038ba.jpg Researchers at Microsoft have been exploring ways computers and people, including health care providers and patients, can work together in complementary ways to build a healthier future. An example of the groundbreaking papers presented at this year’s ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems is one on the Assess MS system. It uses the computer vision functionality of Microsoft’s Kinect to aid medical professionals in assessing the disease progression in multiple sclerosis. Other work includes technologies that gather and track personal health care data, digital solutions to help those in mental distress and advancements in human eye-gaze tracking. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/5b80d28dec8017178ab6d51d888ab582.jpg Harman Kardon has unveiled a new Invoke speaker that brings Cortana, Microsoft’s personal digital assistant, into the home with a beautiful design and rich sound. Cortana can play music for you, manage your calendar, check traffic, make Skype calls, control smart home devices and more. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/9ccc7de9985291472dd1aad8e65187e6.jpg If you’re looking for ideas to treat Mom this weekend, you’ll find plenty of free apps in the Mother’s Day collection in the Windows Store that will make it a special day for her. Be sure to take advantage of the four-month free trial of Groove Music to play her favorite tunes – ad-free and with no Wi-Fi required. On the games front, the Hot Wheels expansion for “Forza Horizon 3” is now available, ready to transport racers to a new Australian locale, where orange tracks spiral and loop into the air and iconic Hot Wheels cars come to life. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/5f5a81aa2154b577d236116c59327b4c.png Have a terrific weekend celebrating the mothers in your life – and all of your loved ones, for that matter! – and we’ll see you next Friday for another edition of Weekend Reading. Posted by Susanna Ray Microsoft News Center Staff The post Empowering developers, controlling Parkinson’s tremors and offering free apps for Mom – Weekend Reading: May 12 edition appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

A few years ago, it was hard to think of a commonly used technology tool that used AI. In a few years, it will be hard to imagine any technology that doesn’t tap into the power of AI. Thanks to the convergence of three major forces — increased computing power in the cloud, powerful algorithms that run on deep neural networks and access to massive amounts of data — we’re finally able to realize the dream of AI. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/e45d5eba87072568788c735d46438879.jpg Harry Shum AI now has the potential to disrupt every single vertical industry, like banking or retail, and every single business process, from sales and marketing to HR and recruiting. Along the way, AI also promises to amplify our endless reserves of human ingenuity — to augment our capabilities as people and help us be more productive. The mainstream popularity of AI is new, but Microsoft’s investment in AI isn’t. We’ve been creating the building blocks for the current wave of AI breakthroughs for more than two decades, through groundbreaking research in areas such as machine learning, speech recognition, and computer vision and image recognition. Now, we’re in the unique position of being able to use those decades of research breakthroughs, along with access to data through the Microsoft Graph and the computing power of our Azure cloud, as the basis for a new generation of tools and products from which developers and customers can benefit. At Microsoft Build 2017 today in Seattle, we shared our vision to make the power of AI available to everyone, from developers and data scientists to tech enthusiasts and students. As part of that vision, we are committed to providing developers with a comprehensive platform of tools and services, anchored in principles of trust that put people in control. Bringing AI to every developer With Microsoft Cognitive Services, developers can build apps that recognize gestures, translate text in multiple languages, deconstruct video for quicker search, editing and real-time captioning, and even customize data to recognize images in categories most important to customers. At Build, we announced that we now offer 29 Cognitive Services, giving developers a wealth of options for incorporating off-the-shelf and custom AI capabilities with just a few lines of code. We also showed how developers can custom train this set of services without needing to design their own deep learning models. The new services include Bing Custom Search, Custom Vision Service, Custom Decision Service and Video Indexer. We also launched Microsoft’s Cognitive Services Labs, which allow developers to take part in the research community’s quest to better understand the future of AI. One of the first AI services available via our Cognitive Services Labs is a gesture API that creates more intuitive and natural experiences by allowing users to control and interact through gestures. Microsoft Cognitive Services is the industry’s broadest offering of AI services, and the company is the only major provider to offer customization across all the key cognitive areas. Since launching at Build in 2015, more than 568,000 developers from more than 60 countries have signed up to use our services. The improvements we are making in understanding speech and language are driving a paradigm shift — moving away from a world where we’ve had to understand computers to one where computers understand humans. We call this conversational AI. Tools such as Microsoft Bot Framework are helping people interact in a more natural way with the technology. Since its release last year, more than 130,000 developers have registered to build with the Bot Framework. At Build, we showed how we are making it easier for developers to use Bot Framework with offerings such as the new Adaptive Cards, which let developers create cards that work across multiple apps and platforms. Developers also can now publish to new channels including Skype for Business, Bing and Cortana, and implement Microsoft’s payment request API for fast and easy checkout with their bots. For those developers who want to train their own deep neural networks, at Build we also announced a private preview of a new offering, Azure Batch AI Training. Developers can use this new service to train their models using any framework they choose, including Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit, TensorFlow and Caffe. At Build, we also showed how developers can take these deep learning models to where the data is, by using the analytics integration provided by Azure Data Lake, Azure Cosmos DB or SQL Server. Taken together, AI + Azure provides the most comprehensive AI platform for developers. Redefining Microsoft with AI We are infusing AI into every product and service we offer, from Xbox to Windows, from Bing to Office. In Microsoft Office, AI is making it easier for people to create and enrich content. Users can find this in everything from Office Researcher, which helps users research and outline documents in seconds, to PowerPoint Designer, which interprets language and suggests visual design elements. We’re constantly investigating new ways to use AI to improve the Office experience. The Presentation Translator announced today uses our Translation APIs for real-time translation in multiple languages during any PowerPoint presentation. Once launched, Presentation Translator embeds live transcriptions of the presenter into a specific language and even generates a unique link that attendees can use to get translations in their own language in real time. The ultimate AI we’ve been dreaming about and working on is Cortana, your personal intelligent assistant. With more than 145 million people using Cortana in many different countries, and our rapid expansion across devices and platforms, we want to make it easier for every developer to reach this growing audience. In addition to Harman Kardon’s Invoke intelligent speaker with Cortana, partnerships also were signed with HP on devices and Intel on reference platforms to deliver Cortana-enabled devices. The Power of Data There’s another secret ingredient for AI success: data. For AI tools to be successful, they need data to train on and learn from. At Build, we offered developers more details about the Microsoft Graph, which allows customers to use unique data from their organizations to drive AI transformation. Microsoft brings work data and world data together with Office 365, Bing and LinkedIn — in addition to the data coming from any other business process or application. The power of the Microsoft Graph comes together with business and customer data through a new partnership with Tact, the sales experience platform. At Build, we demonstrated how multiple Microsoft products and services, including Dynamics 365, Office 365, Microsoft Teams, Cortana Skills, Microsoft Graph and Sentiment Analysis, will be integrated into Tact’s conversational AI-powered virtual sales assistant later this year. At Microsoft, we want to bring AI to every developer so we can help you create the next generation of AI-powered applications with the Microsoft Cloud, with Microsoft AI innovations and with the Microsoft Graph. As the computer scientist Alan Kay said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” The post Microsoft Build 2017: Microsoft AI – Amplify human ingenuity appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

The ability of Microsoft technology to empower students, teachers, cities, industries and even safety-minded snake robots was on great display this week. Here are the highlights. Microsoft announced new innovations in education, including a Windows experience called Windows 10 S, modern classroom collaboration in Microsoft Teams, creativity features in “Minecraft” and mixed reality, and the Surface Laptop, a perfect Windows 10 S device for college students. “We believe technology can inspire creativity in today’s classrooms, where the makers of tomorrow reside,” wrote Terry Myerson, Microsoft executive vice president, Windows and Devices Group. Myerson introduced the new educational products and services at the #MicrosoftEDU Event in New York City, where Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also spoke. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/086afae1df10241ca3a75553fc0dc8c2.jpg From left, Rangan Majumder, Yi‐Min Wang and Jianfeng Gao in Redmond, Washington, are among people at Microsoft working on machine reading. Photo by Dan DeLong. Microsoft’s leading AI experts are working on machine reading systems that can read passages of text and answer questions about them. The complex technology has the potential to advance search engines and help many people, including doctors, lawyers and other experts, by saving time on searches of documents for very specific items. “We’re trying to develop what we call a literate machine: A machine that can read text, understand text and then learn how to communicate, whether it’s written or orally,” said Kaheer Suleman, co-founder of Maluuba, a Quebec-based deep learning startup that Microsoft acquired this year. The team is one of several groups at Microsoft tackling the challenge of machine reading. The topic of artificial intelligence kicked off the new “Explanimators” series from Microsoft Story Labs with an easy-to-understand guide on the world of AI. The animated video series will dive into important, cutting-edge areas of technology and help people without engineering or computer science backgrounds understand them. Snakes saving humans? Sure, if they’re the Guardian S snake bots from Sarcos Robotics. The cloud-connected, camera-equipped and sensor-packed devices can crawl into such dangerous places as ship cargo holds, haz-mat spills and police standoffs — so human operators can see images, video and data on heat, leaks, structural damage and toxic fumes from a safe distance away. Embedded with Windows 10 and integrated with the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite, the Guardian S will eventually be able to examine large amounts of data and predict structural problems, thanks to machine learning. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/fd4221334264e33062fa1454778868bd.png Toni Townes-Whitley, Microsoft corporate vice president of Worldwide Public Sector and Industry, spoke at Smart Cities NYC ’17, an event that explored technology and urban life. In her keynote about digital leadership and “empowerment by design,” Townes-Whitley announced the new Smart Cities for All Toolkit, a cross-industry effort to help city leaders create more inclusive communities and close the digital divide for people with disabilities and older people. “Through digital leadership, we have the opportunity and obligation to create empowered cities with technology solutions that are trusted, responsible, innovative and inclusive,” Townes-Whitley wrote. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/090a0679b04c5583c925301da3d39a12.jpg Aphalina Designer In app news, in-app purchases for vector drawing tool Aphalina Designer are on sale in the Windows Store through Friday, May 5. And “Resident Evil 7 biohazard” is on sale in the Windows Store through May 9 for your dose of creepy thrills. That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading and see you next week! Vanessa Ho Microsoft News Center Staff The post Empowering education, teaching systems to read and saving lives with snake bots — Weekend Reading: May 5 edition appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

There is more. We will share what’s next on May 23 from Shanghai. Please check back here for more details as the date approaches. See you soon. #MicrosoftEvent The post Save the date to learn what’s next: May 23 in Shanghai appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

Microsoft announced new innovations on Tuesday to empower students and teachers worldwide, including Windows 10 S, the new Surface Laptop and Microsoft Teams for modern classroom collaboration. Introduced at the #MicrosoftEDU Event in New York City, the new educational products and services also include Code Builder for “Minecraft: Education Edition” to teach and inspire students and new experiences in 3D and Windows Mixed Reality to spark creativity. Get details on all of Tuesday’s announcements on the #MicrosoftEDU Event site. Vanessa Ho Microsoft News Center Staff The post Microsoft introduces new technologies for education, including Windows 10 S, new Surface Laptop and Microsoft Teams for classrooms appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog. Continue reading...

We believe technology can inspire creativity in today’s classrooms, where the makers of tomorrow reside. This next generation of creators embrace technology as their first language; learn by collaborating and communicating with anyone in the world; and create with touch, command with voice, and conceptualize in 3D. Preparing each of these creators for the jobs of tomorrow is one of our biggest societal challenges and greatest opportunities. Today, only 3% of college degrees in the US are in computer science and 65% of today’s students will have jobs that do not yet exist. At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. As part of that mission, we believe technology can be used as a tool to empower students and teachers to create the world of tomorrow. Introducing Windows 10 S – a new Windows experience inspired by teachers and students Our mission with Windows is to build a platform that inspires creativity in each of us. In the classroom, Windows is the leading education platform worldwide, as teachers choose it for rich creativity inspiring applications, like Autodesk SketchBook, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Minecraft, and the rich Office 365 (not the mobile experience), which is coming soon to the Windows Store. Teachers also choose Windows for rich peripheral support, including amazing new STEM lesson plans with Lego and Arduino boards, tools to enable accessibility, virtual reality headsets, interactive whiteboards, and more. To understand how we could do more, our teams traveled the world to talk with school administrators, teachers, and students using Windows in the classroom. Teachers were consistent—kids can get distracted easily and don’t always follow direction. They asked for their Windows to be more resilient to hundreds of different youthful kids interacting with each device during the school year, maintaining the same great battery life and fast login time on the first day of school as the last. On the administrator front, I recall how Ricardo Garmendia from the Renton School District described how his department supports 850 classrooms with 11,000 Windows devices—he was overwhelmed with the ongoing setup of new devices, and management of the current devices in the classroom. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/e4d01a232afe9a5eb57368955560aa49.png Windows 10 S is inspired by students and teachers, streamlined for simplicity, security and superior performance. I believe it best reflects the soul of Windows. With Windows 10 S, all the applications which teachers and students download come from the Windows Store where they are first verified for security, and then locally they each run in a safe “container”, ensuring consistent performance of the system. In the classroom, this ensures fast login times and consistent performance, enabling everyone in the classroom to start learning quickly, and stay focused without distraction. Windows 10 S can run any browser in the Windows Store. And we have been focused on making Microsoft Edge great for the classroom, ensuring compatibility with the sites educators use, like Google Docs. New features in Microsoft Edge like the new Tab Preview Bar make it easy for students to research and manage school projects. With Windows Ink in Microsoft Edge, students can easily make notes directly on a web page and share them with a classmate. For Ricardo, and other school IT admins around the world, we also now have the Set Up School PC app in the Windows Store, enabling set up of entire classrooms of devices with customized experiences using a USB stick, in as little as 30 seconds per device. And with Microsoft Intune for Education – available today – we now have a complete end-to-end solution for teachers and schools to configure and manage all their student’s PCs. With Windows 10 S, we’ve ensured that a teacher or administrator who understands the risks of downloading any app from the Internet, can do so. At any time, they can go to the Windows Store and switch to Windows 10 Pro. This is a one-way switch, as when a user is running Windows 10 Pro they can install anything—but this is the magic of the open Windows platform, which we plan to always continue to make available alongside Windows 10 S. Inspired by teachers and students, Windows 10 S is a new Windows experience. I believe at its core, Windows 10 S is the soul of today’s Windows. Windows 10 PCs for Education starting at $189 Our goal with Windows 10 S is to develop the open vibrant partner-centric ecosystem we have today. Our partners, including Acer, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Samsung, and Toshiba offer a range of new Windows 10 PCs for Education today – starting at $189. In the coming months, these partners will offer a range of Windows 10 S devices—from powerful and affordable Windows Ink and touch PCs to beautiful premium devices. Click to view slideshow. I look forward to students all around the planet learning on these partner devices with Windows 10 S. Microsoft Teams comes to the classroom https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/f3103fdf2955a83d7e6bb2cdcd3fc0cd.png New classroom experiences in Microsoft Teams take collaboration to a whole new level – and make Teams the digital hub for teachers and students. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Online already allow students to co-author documents in real time. And new classroom experiences in Microsoft Teams take collaboration to a whole new level – and make Teams the digital hub for teachers and students. Together with OneNote Class Notebooks and new assignment and quiz experiences, teachers can easily distribute content, grade work, personalize learning, and communicate with students, parents, and staff. Teams also enables teachers to bring in rich and engaging content from the web, guest speakers, and solutions from education partners like busuu, Canvas, Flipgrid, and Kahoot!. And most importantly, Teams helps students develop the communication and collaboration skills they’ll need to be successful in the future. To learn more about the new classroom experiences in Teams, visit the Office Blog. Introducing Code Builder for Minecraft: Education Edition https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/a89e751e3d5f35f87ed9451f95926223.png What continues to amaze me about Minecraft is that a game that strikes such a deep connection with children has become such an important learning tool to teach teamwork, logical thinking, and problem-solving. Minecraft is not just one of the most popular video games in history — it is also revolutionizing education, with schools in more than 100 countries using Minecraft: Education Edition to promote creativity and collaboration in the classroom. Today, we announced Code Builder for Minecraft: Education Edition, designed to inspire students to learn the basics and the power of coding by combining the open worlds of Minecraft with popular learn-to-code platforms such as Tynker, ScratchX and a new open source platform from Microsoft called MakeCode. Players can move around, build and create in Minecraft by writing code. To learn more about Code Builder for Minecraft: Education Edition visit, the Minecraft Education Blog. Free offers for teachers and students To make it easy and affordable to bring Windows 10, Office 365 for Education with Microsoft Teams, and Minecraft to the classroom, we are offering teachers and students: New Windows 10 education PCs starting at $189 Free one-year subscription to Minecraft: Education Edition for new Windows 10 education PCs Free Windows 10 S for all schools on their current Windows Pro PC Free Microsoft Office 365 for Education with Microsoft Teams Free trial of Microsoft Intune for Education https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/393f46903aee4070f1635b70a867521e.jpg Windows 10 S, Office 365 for Education with Microsoft Teams, Minecraft: Education Edition, and Microsoft Intune for Education offer a complete solution for teachers and students—with none of the compromises of Chromebooks and G Suite. Introducing Surface Laptop powered by Windows 10 S When we built Windows 10 S, we saw an opportunity to not only bring streamlined performance, simplicity, and security to students and teachers in a K-12 environment but to scale to meet the needs of college students and beyond. So today, we’re also excited to announce the newest member of our Surface family – Surface Laptop. Surface Laptop is the perfect balance of portability, performance, and elegance. Powered by Windows 10 S, Surface Laptop has up to 14.5 hours of battery life* to take students through their day and is built to give students the same great performance through four years of college and beyond. We believe ideas will come to life on a 13.5” PixelSense screen with the power of 7th generation Intel core processors. The signature keyboard is covered in Alcantara® material and features a responsive keyset, large trackpad, and soft palm rest for a new level of typing comfort. Surface Laptop is available in four rich, tone-on-tone colors: Platinum, Burgundy, Cobalt Blue and Graphite Gold. To learn more about the new Surface Laptop visit, the Devices Blog. Surface Laptop starts at $999 USD and will be available beginning on June 15. Bringing 3D and Windows Mixed Reality experiences to the classroom to spark creativity Mixed Reality can bring a whole new dimension to teaching and learning in the classroom. If anything makes me wish to be a student again, it’s mixed reality. With 3D and Windows Mixed Reality, we’re empowering educators with a whole new set of tools to create curriculums for their students and peers. Today, we announced a new strategic partnership with Pearson, one of the largest education companies in the world, who is working to integrate 3D and mixed reality into their secondary and university level curriculum. By the school year 2018, Pearson will offer curriculum in health, commerce, history, and STEM, on all Windows Mixed Reality devices. In addition, we announced a new feature coming to Windows 10 this fall, called View Mixed Reality. This feature allows you to see 3D content through your screen into the real world as mixed reality, using a simple RGB camera. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/51672de469b95d8995e64d7c6df132a6.jpg A new feature coming to Windows 10 this fall, called View Mixed Reality. This feature allows you to see 3D content through your screen into the real world as mixed reality, using a simple RGB camera. STEM Saturdays at Microsoft Store We want all students and teachers to experience education experiences from Microsoft. Beginning this Saturday, May 6, Microsoft Store locations across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Australia will host STEM Saturdays throughout May in all full-line locations in addition to the range of free programs year-round that empower students and educators. STEM Saturdays bring pop-up classrooms to Microsoft Store and offer hands-on experiences like building a sensor that measures the flexion and extension of a finger to learn about the anatomy of a human hand. We believe technology can be used as a tool to empower students and teachers to create the world of tomorrow. We can’t wait for tomorrow. Terry *Testing conducted by Microsoft in April 2017 using pre-production Intel Core i5, 256GB, 8 GB RAM device. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during video playback. All settings were default except: Wi-Fi was associated with a network and Auto-Brightness disabled. Battery life varies with settings, usage, and other factors. The post Microsoft Education: Empowering students and teachers of today to create the world of tomorrow appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...

With the Windows 10 Creators Update, we’re introducing a new feature called Game Mode. Game Mode provides a better and more consistent gaming experience on Windows 10, by dedicating more system resources to your game. Game Mode’s performance gain is found in providing, on average, more sustainable framerates for gamers, particularly when your hardware is experiencing resource contention. Game Mode can be activated from the Game bar. To use Game Mode, make sure it’s turned on for each game you play. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/0bb45390cd9c668f7cb39058fbfcc049.gif To turn on Game Mode: Press Windows + G to pull up the Game bar Click Settings The new Game Mode option will appear, to enable the feature on a per-title basis Check the box to enable Game Mode for the specific title; once checked, Windows 10 will save this enablement setting for future use. Important note: if at any time you wish to disable Game Mode, you will need to reverse this step (un-check the per-title enablement within the Game bar) in order to deactivate it. Some games may have Game Mode turned on automatically. If the game is already running Game Mode, the check box will already be selected. https://extremetechsupport.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/dac80f01283392a6551807e0f441935b.gif With the Creators Update, Game Mode is enabled system-wide by default. To view or change this setting at any time: Go to Start, and click on “Settings” Select “Gaming” from the settings menu (the Xbox logo) Select “Game Mode” from the left-hand menu. Have a great week! The post Windows 10 Tip: Get the most power out of your Windows 10 PC with Game Mode appeared first on Windows Experience Blog. Continue reading...