Items tagged with Microsoft
It’s no secret that the release of the Surface Go 2 (and its more expensive Surface Book 3 sibling) is imminent. A number of regulatory agencies around the world have put their hands on the device, and leaked specs have given us a clear idea of what kind of hardware will be inside the convertibles. With that being said, we’re now getting our first actual “look” at the Surface Go 2 in a series of leaked images. As we previously surmised, there doesn’t appear to be any major changes to the overall design. However, Microsoft has reportedly managed to stretch the display from 10 inches to 10.5 inches. With that comes a bump in resolution from 1800x1200 to 1920x1280....
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The coronavirus/COVID-19 is not just causing immense pain and suffering around the globe due to the heartbreaking loss of life. It has also stunted the development of many projects from well-known companies due to shelter-in-place orders that have been ordered in many states across the U.S. The latest [tech] victims include Microsoft’s highly anticipated Surface Neo and its complementing Windows 10X operating system. In a blog post today, Panos Panay, who now serves as the Chief Product Officer for Windows and Devices, in a roundabout way confirmed the news that we first heard early last month: Surface Neo has been delayed. Panay first revealed that Microsoft is shifting its focus...
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The release of Microsoft's Surface Go 2 and Surface Book 3 is imminent, as regulatory agencies have been dripping information on the upcoming Windows 10 devices. The latest leaks are coming courtesy of Energy Star certification for both devices. In the case of the Surface Go 2, the convertible is confirmed to come equipped with an Intel Core m3-8100Y processor, which should allow it to continue on with a fanless design. This particular model is also equipped with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. This appears to the top-end configuration, as we've seen previous leaks point to an entry-level Pentium Gold 4425Y equipped model paired with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. A previous leak from...
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For those eagerly awaiting the release of the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, we've got some good news for you. Microsoft is closing in on an official public release, and leading up to the launch, the company has released Build 19041.208 to the Release Preview ring. This updated build is most likely going to be what is pushed to the public [sometime] this month. Microsoft encountered a number of issues with the previous [expected] RTM build, which is why its plans have been altered slightly. "While we originally thought that Build 19041.207 would be the final build, we made the decision to take in one more fix we felt was important to have before making the May 2020 Update generally available,"...
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Let's start with the good news—Microsoft's Phil Spencer says the Xbox Series X is still on track to launch this holiday season, which means it will debut sometime in November or December, as originally planned. So, what's the bad news? Some next-generation games may lag a bit behind, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This does not come as a huge surprise. Efforts to contain the global virus pandemic have disrupted businesses far and wide, including game development. Major events have been cancelled, and the call for social distancing has seen more people than ever sent home to either take time off, or work remotely, both of which present certain challenges. Spencer acknowledged the reality...
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The Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 development team has offered the April 30 development update. The developers say the team is focused on the core deliverables to bring the next version of Microsoft Flight Simulator to market. However, the devs understand the importance of the other deliverables and updating the community on the status of these. The development roadmap update has been pushed to be released on May 7. The Partnership Series updates have been delayed due to the current health challenges brought on by COVID-19. However, the team is announcing that the next Partnership Series Spotlights will feature NAVBLUE, meteoblue, and FlightAware. NAVBLUE is software that pilots can use for...
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Microsoft's PowerToys utilities were oft-used by enthusiasts with Windows 9x operating systems on up through Window XP, but took a long hiatus starting with the release of Windows Vista. Around this time last year, Microsoft announced that PowerToys would be returning as a set of utilities for Windows 10, and we're now up to v.0.17.0. With this latest release, you'll no longer need to manually seek out and download a new update when Microsoft posts it to GitHub. Instead, PowerToys v.0.17.0 adds an automatic updating mechanism which makes this process a breeze. While the functionality is currently in place, you won't be able to actually take advantage of it until v.0.18.0 is released...
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Microsoft has been pretty forthcoming about its next-generation Xbox Series X game console, and has revealed many details about its hardware and software features. Not only have we seen what the console looks like (something that Sony isn't yet prepared to do with its PlayStation 5), but we also know about the innermost workings of the console including its AMD Zen 2-based Ryzen processor, RDNA 2 GPU and speedy PCIe 3.0 SSD. What we haven't seen much of so far is actual gameplay footage from the console. That all changes next week, as Microsoft will hold an Inside Xbox event on May 7th at 11am EST, during which it will show actual gameplay from upcoming native Xbox Series...
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Microsoft has offered the Xbox Game Pass service since June 2017, and it's been growing rapidly in popularity ever since. Microsoft's Phil Spencer says that over the last two months, he has seen just how important gaming can be to the community. People around the world have been stuck inside due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, and many have turned to gaming to pass the time and keep in touch with friends and family. Spencer said that after Xbox gamers join Xbox Game Pass, statistics show that they play 40% more games, and more than 90% of Game Pass members have played a game they wouldn't have tried without the service. He also notes that gamers often discover new genres they haven't previously...
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Microsoft's communications lead, Frank. X. Shaw, provided some rare insight into the subscriber numbers for Xbox Game Pass, the nifty game subscription service for Xbox One consoles and Windows 10 PCs. Bolstered by "record engagement" this quarter, Xbox Game Pass hurdled over the 10 million user mark, Shaw stated in a Twitter post. That's a big number and certainly a brag worthy achievement. Of course, we can't overlook that a deadly pandemic contributed to record engagement this past quarter. But if looking at the glass half full, this shows that gaming is providing refuge from going stir crazy amid the call for social distancing to stop the spread of the virus. This is also an impressive milestone...
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We have only scratched the surface of what might be possible in the realms of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. Developer creativity will ultimatel dictate where these technologies go, and the folks at Microsoft have an interesting concept in mind—a virtual multi-monitor setup so users can experience the benefits of using more than one monitor without the clutter and cost. Well, sort of. Called "Mirage" (or maybe "HoloScreens"), this appears to be a concept project for the HoloLens. It was spotted by Twitter user WalkingCat (a prominent Microsoft leaker), who posted a bunch of screenshots from the app. The idea is simple, and novel—you install the app, then add...
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A video has surfaced claimed to be from Microsoft talking about why the Surface line of computers lack some of the features that many customers simply expect these days. Specifically, the video talks about why the Surface line lacks upgradeable RAM and Thunderbolt 3 ports. The video claims that the Surface line lacks removable RAM because if removed from the device, it would pose a security risk. According to the person on the video, removable RAM could be frozen in liquid nitrogen, placed into a cheap reader, and data inside the memory could be read, including BitLocker recovery keys. The person on the video says that Microsoft has seen that done before. However, having our RAM frozen in liquid...
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Microsoft has patched a vulnerability in its Teams software that could have allowed an attacker to infiltrate compromised systems, steal data, and even take control of an entire organization's accounts. What makes the security flaw somewhat unique is that all of the dastardly deeds could have been accomplished with a just an animated GIF. Users within the organization wouldn't even need to share the infected GIF—just viewing it would be enough for it to work its malicious mojo. The attack itself was leveraged in a subdomain takeover vulnerability in Teams, and prior to being patched, would have affected every user who users the Teams desktop or web browser version. "Without getting into...
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Microsoft has issued a new update for Flight Simulator 2020, noting that players wanting to get in on the Alpha action can register for the insider program/pre-release build testing and update their DX Diag file until Sunday. The developers are issuing an update on the deliverables that were postponed several weeks ago due to the coronavirus pandemic. In May, the Partnership series update will be released, and Episode 8 (IFR) will be released. Developers are wrapping up final testing on the coming Alpha 1.3.x.x build, and among the many content updates and bug fixes that will land in that build will be the Boeing 747 jumbo jet for community testing. Recently, the Airbus A320 was launched, and...
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