Windows Archives | Windows Experience Blog https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/tag/windows/ Thu, 02 Oct 2025 16:30:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.4 https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/cropped-browser-icon-logo-32x32.jpg Windows Archives | Windows Experience Blog https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/tag/windows/ 32 32 NPU paves the way toward a more intelligent Windows https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2025/10/02/npu-paves-the-way-toward-a-more-intelligent-windows/ Thu, 02 Oct 2025 16:30:58 +0000 https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/?p=179960 Inside Copilot+ PCs is a tiny but powerful AI engine, an innovation originally used in smartphones and now applied to Windows PCs: a neural processing unit Microsoft developed with silicon partners for its latest line of personal computers.

These NP

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]]> Microsoft Source.]]> Weather from Microsoft Start: AI-powered precision in forecasting https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2024/05/28/weather-from-microsoft-start-ai-powered-precision-in-forecasting/ Tue, 28 May 2024 16:01:03 +0000 https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/?p=178860 In weather forecasting, accuracy reigns supreme. An inaccurate forecast can ruin a barbecue, shorten an outdoor walk or change your weekend plans, but in many cases, the stakes are much higher, and AI can help. With AI technology, the Weather team ha

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]]> 2023 report* reaffirms the industry-leading position. This independent study of 22 weather services for the entire year of 2023 evaluated 13 different metrics. Weather from Microsoft Start had the top scores for multiple metrics including high and low temperature predictions and cloud cover forecasts. This included forecasts for 1-5 days out. In fact, Weather from Microsoft Start’s total first place percentages were 11% higher than last year and the lead from the nearest competitor grew by 4%. So how did this happen? AI technology ushers in a new era of weather forecasting  Weather forecasting has traditionally used supercomputers and large-scale physics simulations. Weather from Microsoft Start reimagined weather forecasting using AI, bringing together massive weather datasets, large scale computation models, mapping and topography data plus real-time reports from users. This comprehensive, data-driven approach makes it possible to offer a complete range of solutions to users, from up-to-the-minute rain and snow “nowcast” predictions, cloud cover forecasting and modeling, and even new 30-day forecasts, all with better accuracy than was previously possible. We are very proud of our Weather Team’s innovative spirit, applying the power of AI to weather models. This gives great user benefit today, with a clear trajectory to even greater achievements. Improving weather preparedness on a global scale  Extreme weather impacts to people and property are becoming increasingly common, but better forecast data can help. In March 2024, over 150 billion weather notifications were sent to Microsoft users, including 9 billion severe weather alerts. Weather from Microsoft Start is a proud ambassador of NOAA’s Weather Ready Nation, an initiative committed to informing and preparing citizens of weather dangers, and is also a strong part of the UN's Early Warnings for All initiative focused on providing weather warnings for every global citizen. This makes sense when you remember that Weather from Microsoft Start is integrated natively into Windows. Taskbar alerts combined with detailed, interactive maps, charts and even AI-powered insights make this a powerful and comprehensive tool. In addition to Windows, the most accurate weather forecaster provider globally is integrated into Edge, MSN, Bing, the Microsoft Start mobile app and more. Weather from Microsoft Start delivers accurate information and insights, helping people make more informed decisions to keep them and their loved ones safe. By improving weather forecast accuracy and availability in partnership with government agencies, this is another way Microsoft delivers on its mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. *ForecastWatch, Weather from Microsoft Start ForecastWatch Report January–December 2023 - Microsoft Start Blog (msn.com) ]]> Lenovo updates smart solutions with Microsoft Teams display and Windows-based collaboration bar https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2023/01/31/lenovo-updates-smart-solutions-with-microsoft-teams-display-and-windows-based-collaboration-bar/ Tue, 31 Jan 2023 17:00:17 +0000 https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/?p=178080 At Information Systems Europe 2023 in Barcelona, Lenovo revealed a new solution aimed at helping people collaborate better at home and in the office: Lenovo updates smart solutions with Microsoft Teams display and Windows-based collaboration bar appeared first on Windows Experience Blog.

]]> ThinkSmart View Plus. Powered by the Qualcomm QCS8265 chipset, this integrated device runs Microsoft Teams as a standalone 27-inch multi-touch display with premium video, audio and whiteboarding features. Three people in an office having a meeting with others shown on a display With Microsoft Teams Display, users can access a secure and flexible Microsoft Teams experience, which provides access to Teams chat, calendar and files. With this feature, they can join meetings through the device and screenshare between their PC and the ThinkSmart View Plus to simultaneously look at content and presenters. With ThinkSmart View Plus, employees can smoothly transition from their home office to their work office with a customized Teams experience via hybrid work solution called hotdesking – allowing IT admins to manage their workspaces. Hotdesking allows them to quickly reserve flexible workspaces to touch down and make calls, sign into their personal Teams account, and access their meetings, chats and more. After users sign out, their personal information is removed from the device to minimize security risks. Woman in a mini-office conducting a video meeting Explore big ideas together on this device with a stylus pen and a whiteboarding application. Users can also hear and be heard more clearly with a premium soundbar with two 5w speakers and four-mic array, while the 4K IRGB camera with auto framing and AI security delivers crisp, clear images. Another announcement Lenovo made was the availability (in select markets worldwide) of the ThinkSmart One, the world’s first Windows-based collaboration bar. Unveiled in 2022, the integrated collaboration solution, which can be used freestanding or mounted to monitors or a wall, was designed for small to medium meeting rooms or dedicated home office spaces. Powered by an embedded 11th Gen Intel Core processor with vPro technology, it supports video conferencing applications such as Microsoft Teams Rooms, and includes eight microphone arrays with echo and noise cancellation, 15-Watt stereo speakers and an integrated high-resolution camera with wide field of view. Find out more about these and other Lenovo ThinkSmart solutions that work with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Teams Rooms.]]> Reallusion’s real-time animation and creation tools empower creators to achieve their dreams https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2021/06/21/reallusions-real-time-animation-and-creation-tools-empower-creators-to-achieve-their-dreams/ Mon, 21 Jun 2021 16:17:03 +0000 https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/?p=175852 In more than a decade working at Reallusion – a 3D and 2D software and content developer that specializes in Windows-based real-time animation and creation tools – Enoc Burgos has seen a lot of changes in

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]]> Reallusion – a 3D and 2D software and content developer that specializes in Windows-based real-time animation and creation tools – Enoc Burgos has seen a lot of changes in the industry, but one thing is consistent in his role as director of partnership marketing: being able to support and empower up-and-coming creators who lack skills and/or resources to develop their vision. Authors use Reallusion software to make trailers for their books, students and professors tap into the technology to create more realistic training sessions and movie studios find the company’s iClone -- an animated storyboard that helps preview scenes that need to be filmed -- to be the right tool for pre-visualization purposes. With Reallusion tools, creators don't have to start from scratch. They’re able to create something based off of already existing assets. They can grab a base character, modify it with a photograph and then stack layers for the skin textures to create something that's very high quality, without having to be an expert in the entire process of 3D modeling. https://youtu.be/oCD4VsrUvKg iClone, launched in the early 2000s, is one of Reallusion’s most popular tools, incorporating real-time computer graphics engines to create cinematic production. Anyone can use it with pre-made assets, such as characters and built-in motions. Users can also apply their own voices and use their mouse to animate characters. This gives creators the freedom to come up with their own animations – and own them. “The moment I felt that the industry really started to shift is when we launched iClone 5 (about 10 years ago),” says Burgos, who adds that was the first time the company offered motion capture, something previously reserved for high-end studios equipped with $100,000 computer rigs with dozens of cameras. What made that iteration of iClone stand out was its pairing with Microsoft Kinect, using that product’s infrared sensor to generate basic body animation. This device, which cost $79, opened the doors for an entire ecosystem of future developments with other partners and other tools. [caption id="attachment_175855" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Man in a mocap headgear next to a large display screen with an animated version Animating digital humans with Reallusion's Motion LIVE mocap system at SIGGRAPH 2019. Renowned mocap artist Pasha Sol wears an Xsens MVN suit connected to iClone 7.[/caption] “That was the moment to me that we really started seeing the evolution of the indie developers. And I'm really proud that Reallusion was part of this,” Burgos says. “We were right in the midst of providing the tools and the accessibility for anybody to be able to create their own animations, customize it and use their own body movements to generate these motions. And that was one of the biggest jumps that I witnessed in the industry during that time.” Reallusion’s iClone 3D animation software is designed for Windows, primarily because of the flexibility and the customization that the operating system can offer, Burgos says. Mocap (motion capture) hardware partners may have their own drivers and software, but Windows allows Reallusion to be adaptable and flexible to work with different devices for maximum efficiency. At the same time, Windows can also help customize rigs for a variety of projects – crucial especially for indie developers who sometimes require tailored systems to meet specific needs. They're able to upgrade their systems and swap out different components. [caption id="attachment_175856" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Animated rendering of a Black man with a think beard Creating digital humans with Reallusion's Character Creator 3 software is fast, thanks to plugins like their AI-based plugin Headshot, and their skin generator plugin SkinGen.[/caption] As part of Reallusion’s dedication to the Windows ecosystem, they transitioned from desktop towers to Razer Blade laptops in 2020, mostly due to what could’ve been a catastrophic situation at a Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, in which they discovered a last-minute malfunction in one of their rigs. Resolved to never have that happen again, they turned to Razer after seeing one of their #MadewithBlade creator videos. “We just had to contact Razer. We wanted to test one of these rigs out and sure enough, they sent us one,” Burgos says. “Actually, everyone was very surprised because we finally had this compact laptop that could run two real-time systems at the same time, while streaming motion capture data. To us, it was like this dream tool that somebody conjured up.” As both a console and PC gamer, Burgos has a pretty good sense of the durability of hardware, especially because gaming hardware goes through so much wear and tear. And he says, “Razer systems were always the pinnacle for gamers. So when we found out that Razer was creating a studio line that was used by designers and creators, we knew this was something special. This was something that would be easily adopted by the community, who often asks us, what do we recommend? What kind of system would work with this? What are the requirements for that?” [caption id="attachment_175857" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Motion capture station Animating digital doubles with iClone 7's facial motion capturing iPhone profile on Razer's Blade Studio laptop for creatives.[/caption] Burgos frequently connects with an ever-growing network of power users. That’s how he learns about their struggles and what they need for their projects. He’s then able to provide them with the software to make it happen, as well as shine a light on their work through feature stories on the Reallusion site. Sometimes, that exposure leads to indies collaborating with bigger studios and companies. A few years ago, he found an Australian 2D animator on YouTube who was using an older Reallusion 2D animation tool: the CrazyTalk Animator software. Burgos had been a trainer for CrazyTalk, recording tutorials, so he was able to recognize the software right away. He and the Australian animator became friends. During that time Reallusion opened its online marketplace. This virtual platform gave content developers like Burgos’ friend the opportunity to create their own content and monetize it, so they could sell characters and props to a world of CrazyTalk animators around the globe. “He was blown away because all his life he was a cartoonist, he was an illustrator, and he would do this as a hobby,” Burgos says. “To him, it was amazing he could finally profit from his art.” Fast forward five years later, and now that friend is one of the most successful content developers in the Reallusion marketplace, and the company has hired him as a 2D community manager for Reallusion. “We're sending messages back and forth on a weekend through Facebook and he tells me, ‘Thank you Enoc. You changed my life.’ Now, I feel humbled about that. I don't take any credit, I was just doing my job,” Burgos says. “But we’re able to help so many people along the way, people who had a story to tell, but they neither had the skills nor the budgets to do that. And I think that's one of our proudest achievements, being able to give the little guy a chance, and we've seen a lot of success from these indie developers around the world.” [caption id="attachment_175858" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Enoc Burgos walking out of an office building with his portable Razer workstation Combining Reallusion's real-time animation software, with Xsens mocap suits and Razer's Blade Studio laptops allow artists and studios to motion capture in any location, as Enoc Burgos shows walking out of an office.[/caption] Burgos, who has been with Reallusion for almost 12 years, traveled his own circuitous route to get into this industry. Growing up with Saturday morning cartoons in the ’80s, he always dreamed about being involved with content media and music, but he studied industrial engineering at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. Soon after he graduated, he landed a job with a machinery company – in Taiwan. While there, he also pursued a master’s degree in business administration. After that, he worked in different industries: as a sales specialist with a PC distributor and a purchaser for a large food company. “I loved video games and I wanted to get closer to the industry, but no one would really hire me because I didn't have any programming experience or I didn't have any background in the arts,” Burgos says. He eventually worked for a mechanical keyboard manufacturer that had a small software development team. He took that opportunity to change industries, and then made his big move when he received an email through his MBA alumni association about a job at Reallusion. “I really wanted to be part of Reallusion. I poured my heart out in the interview. They liked what they saw, and I slowly started learning everything about the industry,” he says. “Now, you need to remember that one of the things that really makes Reallusion accessible to everyone, is that our tools are easy to learn. Anybody without prior knowledge can grab our tools with no experience and start creating something. I am living proof of that concept of being able to jump in with no experience and start creating something, thanks to these real-time tools that Reallusion developed. And that was my entry into 2D and 3D animation.” [caption id="attachment_175859" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Closeup on the Razer screen composing a light-skinned Black woman Character Creator's skin layering mechanism allows artists to easily create intricate skin details through multiple material channels like diffuse, roughness, specular, normal maps and more.[/caption] Recently, Reallusion has been working with NVIDIA to build a Connector to the Omniverse platform, which enables virtual collaboration and real-time simulation for 3D workflows. With the Omniverse Character Creator Connector, Reallusion brings the power of a full character generation system, complete with motions and unlimited creative variations, to the Omniverse platform. Artists and designers can now easily design and transfer characters and motions directly into Omniverse and its connected ecosystem. This is done through the Universal Scene Description framework (an open standard originally developed by Pixar). “The idea behind this is that you could have a collaborative effort from artists and studios from around the world, each jumping into this virtual platform, creating and iterating in real time,” he says. “You could have someone in Japan using Unreal Engine to create the layout of your scene with the props and the vehicles. Then you can have someone in France using Character Creator to create a character in real time, dropping the character into the Omniverse, into that Unreal Engine scene. At the same time, someone in India could use a motion capture suit, or a motion capture system, to animate that same character that is being plugged into Omniverse.” In 2020, which Burgos notes was “an extremely challenging year for everyone around the globe, "Reallusion saw a spike in the influx of users who were starting to use more of their tools. People from different communities – Blender and Unreal, for instance – were starting to connect with Reallusion applications, connecting all these different tool sets together. Reallusion received a grant from Epic Games and decided to use it to give back to the community, in the form of the Pitch & Produce Program. Reallusion helps identify projects and provide creators with software, technical assistance, financial and promotional support. “This has given us an insight into how many people in the world have this amazing vision for a project. And with a little bit of help, they're able to achieve that,” Burgos says. “And of course, it's so gratifying to see that we were able to be part of that, to give back to the community and see the community flourish on those efforts.” Lead photo: Reallusion's Director of Partnership Marketing Enoc Burgos, with Character Creator on Razer's Blade Studio laptops with Nvidia RTX cards.  All photos courtesy of Reallusion.]]> Now you can download Forza Street onto your mobile devices https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2020/05/05/now-you-can-download-forza-street-onto-your-mobile-devices/ Tue, 05 May 2020 17:02:47 +0000 https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/?p=173962 Forza Street is now available all over the world to download on iOS and Android devices. You can play across multiple devices thanks to Xbox Live. Players will be able to unlock Xbox Achievements and transfer game progress across Windows, iOS and Android devices. In this new free-to-play experience, players jump into the game for […]

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]]> Illustrations of several sports cars Forza Street is now available all over the world to download on iOS and Android devices. You can play across multiple devices thanks to Xbox Live. Players will be able to unlock Xbox Achievements and transfer game progress across Windows, iOS and Android devices. In this new free-to-play experience, players jump into the game for quick, under-a-minute races where they compete to unlock new cars and upgrade parts to grow their car collection. As a special gift to everyone who plays Forza Street on mobile and Windows 10 between now and June 5, players will receive a rare supercar: a 2017 Ford GT, added in-game credits and gold. Find out more on Xbox Wire.Forza Street is now available all over the world to download on iOS and Android devices. You can play across multiple devices thanks to Xbox Live. Players will be able to unlock Xbox Achievements and transfer game progress across Windows, iOS and Android devices. Illustrations of several sports cars In this new free-to-play experience, players jump into the game for quick, under-a-minute races where they compete to unlock new cars and upgrade parts to grow their car collection. As a special gift to everyone who plays Forza Street on mobile and Windows 10 between now and June 5, players will receive a rare supercar: a 2017 Ford GT, added in-game credits and gold. Find out more on Xbox Wire.]]> ADLaM: Find out how a new alphabet is helping an ancient people write its own future https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2019/07/29/adlam-find-out-how-a-new-alphabet-is-helping-an-ancient-people-write-its-own-future/ Mon, 29 Jul 2019 13:01:04 +0000 https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/?p=172646 When they were 10 and 14, brothers Ibrahima and Abdoulaye Barry set out to invent an alphabet for their native language, Fulfulde, which had been spoken by millions of people for centuries but never had its own writing system. While their friends were out playing in the neighborhood, Ibrahima, the older brother, and Abdoulaye would […]

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]]> ADLaM creators Ibrahima and Abdoulaye Barry in Portland, Oregon.[/caption] When they were 10 and 14, brothers Ibrahima and Abdoulaye Barry set out to invent an alphabet for their native language, Fulfulde, which had been spoken by millions of people for centuries but never had its own writing system. While their friends were out playing in the neighborhood, Ibrahima, the older brother, and Abdoulaye would shut themselves in their room in the family’s house in Nzérékoré, Guinea, close their eyes and draw shapes on paper. When one of them called stop they’d open their eyes, choose the shapes they liked and decide what sound of the language they matched best. Before long, they’d created a writing system that eventually became known as ADLaM. The brothers couldn’t have known the challenges that lay ahead. They couldn’t have imagined the decades-long journey to bring their writing system into widespread use, one that would eventually lead them to Microsoft, which has now made their alphabet available in Windows and Office. They wouldn’t have dreamed that the script they invented would change lives and open the door to literacy for millions of people around the world. Read the entire story by Deborah Bach on Microsoft Story Labs and listen to the brothers talk about their experience through audio clips produced by Sara Lerner. [caption id="attachment_172666" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] ADLaM creators Ibrahima and Abdoulaye Barry in Portland, Oregon.[/caption] When they were 10 and 14, brothers Ibrahima and Abdoulaye Barry set out to invent an alphabet for their native language, Fulfulde, which had been spoken by millions of people for centuries but never had its own writing system. While their friends were out playing in the neighborhood, Ibrahima, the older brother, and Abdoulaye would shut themselves in their room in the family’s house in Nzérékoré, Guinea, close their eyes and draw shapes on paper. When one of them called stop they’d open their eyes, choose the shapes they liked and decide what sound of the language they matched best. Before long, they’d created a writing system that eventually became known as ADLaM. The brothers couldn’t have known the challenges that lay ahead. They couldn’t have imagined the decades-long journey to bring their writing system into widespread use, one that would eventually lead them to Microsoft, which has now made their alphabet available in Windows and Office. They wouldn’t have dreamed that the script they invented would change lives and open the door to literacy for millions of people around the world. Read the entire story by Deborah Bach on Microsoft Story Labs and listen to the brothers talk about their experience through audio clips produced by Sara Lerner.]]> 5 ways PC gamers can save big during the Xbox Super Game Sale https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2019/07/19/5-ways-pc-gamers-can-save-big-during-the-xbox-super-game-sale/ Fri, 19 Jul 2019 17:17:29 +0000 https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/?p=172621 During E3 in June, Xbox announced their commitment to bring more choice to the PC gaming community with the launch of Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta). The commitment to PC gaming doesn’t stop there, especially now that the Xbox Super Game Sale has kicked off at Microsoft Store. The Xbox Super Game Sale is […]

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]]> Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta). The commitment to PC gaming doesn’t stop there, especially now that the Xbox Super Game Sale has kicked off at Microsoft Store. The Xbox Super Game Sale is the time to save big and stock up on top-rated PC games, find a great deal online or at your local Microsoft Store on a new gaming PC, or pick up cool new gaming accessories like monitors, keyboards, mice and headsets. You’ll need to hurry and jump all over these deals because the Xbox Super Game Sale ends July 29. 1. Save up to 50% on popular PC games for Windows 10 Box shots of Sea of Thieves Anniversary Edition, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, and Astroneer Save up to 50% on popular PC games for Windows 10 like “Sea of Thieves Anniversary Edition,” “Age of Empires: Definitive Edition,” “Astroneer” and more. There’s over 70 deals on popular PC games during the Xbox Super Game Sale and many support Xbox Play Anywhere, meaning one purchase gets you the game on Xbox One and Windows 10 with cross save capability (PC hardware requirements may vary for games on Windows 10). 2. Save big on select gaming PCs and accessories Laptop running Sea of Thieves Thinking about upgrading your gaming rig? Take advantage of savings up to $300 on select gaming PCs from Razer, Dell, Lenovo, MSI and CyberPower ($400 off in Canada). There’s also deals on cool gaming accessories including monitors, keyboards, mice, headsets and more. Offers available now through July 29 unless otherwise noted. 3. Take advantage of great in-game deals in free-to-play game favorites Logos of Roblox, Asphalt 9: Legends and World of Tanks Blitz Level up with great deals on add-ons in free-to-play games like “Roblox,” “Asphalt 9: Legends,” “World of Tanks Blitz“ and many more favorites. There are great deals that will help you unlock bonus content, add power-ups and special features, and load up on loot. 4. Save $200 on the Samsung HMD Odyssey+ Gamer using Samsung HMD Odyssey+ device Immerse yourself in the virtual world and save $200 on the Samsung HMD Odyssey+ Windows Mixed Reality headset with controllers, now just $299 ($250 off in Canada, now $399). Immersive gaming adventures await with the Samsung HMD Odyssey+. This Windows Mixed Reality headset combines cutting-edge technology with thoughtful design for a premium virtual experience. 5. Save on Xbox digital games, Xbox One S consoles and accessories Logos of products featured in Xbox Super Game Sale Just because you prefer PC gaming, it doesn’t mean that you can’t also enjoy console gaming, too. The Xbox Super Game Sale has a ton of great deals on Xbox games, consoles and more. It’s worth checking out before the Xbox Super Game Sale ends on July 29. Xbox Super Game Sale deals are available online or at your local Microsoft Store, so take advantage of these great deals before they end on July 29, 2019 (or as otherwise noted above). Availability and pricing varies by location. May not be combinable with other offers. Other limitations may apply. Not valid on prior orders or purchases. See webpage for each offer’s specific details. *Three Months for $14.99: Not valid for existing subscribers. Limit: one offer per account; credit card required.  Offer valid from July 16, 2019 9:00 a.m. PDT though July 29, 2019 11:59 p.m. PDT and only through link in this offer, in all Xbox Game Pass markets excluding Quebec and Russia.  Offer cannot be combined with any other offer. After promotional period, subscription continues to be charged at the then-current regular quarterly price (subject to change), unless cancelled. Plus applicable taxes. Credit card required. Game catalog varies over time. During E3 in June, Xbox announced their commitment to bring more choice to the PC gaming community with the launch of Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta). The commitment to PC gaming doesn’t stop there, especially now that the Xbox Super Game Sale has kicked off at Microsoft Store. The Xbox Super Game Sale is the time to save big and stock up on top-rated PC games, find a great deal online or at your local Microsoft Store on a new gaming PC, or pick up cool new gaming accessories like monitors, keyboards, mice and headsets. You’ll need to hurry and jump all over these deals because the Xbox Super Game Sale ends July 29. 1. Save up to 50% on popular PC games for Windows 10 Box shots of Sea of Thieves Anniversary Edition, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, and Astroneer Save up to 50% on popular PC games for Windows 10 like “Sea of Thieves Anniversary Edition,” “Age of Empires: Definitive Edition,” “Astroneer” and more. There’s over 70 deals on popular PC games during the Xbox Super Game Sale and many support Xbox Play Anywhere, meaning one purchase gets you the game on Xbox One and Windows 10 with cross save capability (PC hardware requirements may vary for games on Windows 10). 2. Save big on select gaming PCs and accessories Laptop running Sea of Thieves Thinking about upgrading your gaming rig? Take advantage of savings up to $300 on select gaming PCs from Razer, Dell, Lenovo, MSI and CyberPower ($400 off in Canada). There’s also deals on cool gaming accessories including monitors, keyboards, mice, headsets and more. Offers available now through July 29 unless otherwise noted. 3. Take advantage of great in-game deals in free-to-play game favorites Logos of Roblox, Asphalt 9: Legends and World of Tanks Blitz Level up with great deals on add-ons in free-to-play games like “Roblox,” “Asphalt 9: Legends,” “World of Tanks Blitz“ and many more favorites. There are great deals that will help you unlock bonus content, add power-ups and special features, and load up on loot. 4. Save $200 on the Samsung HMD Odyssey+ Gamer using Samsung HMD Odyssey+ device Immerse yourself in the virtual world and save $200 on the Samsung HMD Odyssey+ Windows Mixed Reality headset with controllers, now just $299 ($250 off in Canada, now $399). Immersive gaming adventures await with the Samsung HMD Odyssey+. This Windows Mixed Reality headset combines cutting-edge technology with thoughtful design for a premium virtual experience. 5. Save on Xbox digital games, Xbox One S consoles and accessories Logos of products featured in Xbox Super Game Sale Just because you prefer PC gaming, it doesn’t mean that you can’t also enjoy console gaming, too. The Xbox Super Game Sale has a ton of great deals on Xbox games, consoles and more. It’s worth checking out before the Xbox Super Game Sale ends on July 29. Xbox Super Game Sale deals are available online or at your local Microsoft Store, so take advantage of these great deals before they end on July 29, 2019 (or as otherwise noted above). Availability and pricing varies by location. May not be combinable with other offers. Other limitations may apply. Not valid on prior orders or purchases. See webpage for each offer’s specific details. *Three Months for $14.99: Not valid for existing subscribers. Limit: one offer per account; credit card required.  Offer valid from July 16, 2019 9:00 a.m. PDT though July 29, 2019 11:59 p.m. PDT and only through link in this offer, in all Xbox Game Pass markets excluding Quebec and Russia.  Offer cannot be combined with any other offer. After promotional period, subscription continues to be charged at the then-current regular quarterly price (subject to change), unless cancelled. Plus applicable taxes. Credit card required. Game catalog varies over time.]]> Computex 2019: Keynote showcases how Microsoft enables innovation and opportunity on the intelligent edge https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2019/05/28/computex-2019-keynote-showcases-how-microsoft-enables-innovation-and-opportunity-on-the-intelligent-edge/ Wed, 29 May 2019 06:02:06 +0000 https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/?p=172446 At Computex in Taipei, Microsoft executives Roanne Sones, corporate vice president of OS Platforms and Rodney Clark, vice president of IoT Sales, joined Nick Parker, corporate vice president of Consumer and Device Sales, in the keynote address to showcase Microsoft 365, Windows platform and Azure IoT technologies and services that device partners can use to deliver innovative modern PC experiences and build a new generation of connected devices and IoT solutions. In addition, they provided perspective as to how intelligent […]

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]]> Nick Parker, Roanne Sones and Rodney Clark standing on a stage at Computex 2019 next to a table of PC laptops Nick Parker, CVP of Consumer and Device Sales, Roanne Sones, CVP of OS Platforms and Rodney Clark, VP of IoT Sales, on stage at Computex 2019 in Taipei, “Enabling Innovation and Opportunity on the Intelligent Edge”[/caption] At Computex in Taipei, Microsoft executives Roanne Sones, corporate vice president of OS Platforms and Rodney Clark, vice president of IoT Sales, joined Nick Parker, corporate vice president of Consumer and Device Sales, in the keynote address to showcase Microsoft 365, Windows platform and Azure IoT technologies and services that device partners can use to deliver innovative modern PC experiences and build a new generation of connected devices and IoT solutions. In addition, they provided perspective as to how intelligent edge ecosystem partners can fuel business transformation by working together to build edge to cloud IoT solutions. This ecosystem requires an operating system that enables the foundational experiences customers expect from their devices, such as seamless updates, default security that protects users and the OS from malicious attacks, connectivity anywhere with 5G, LTE and Wi-Fi and performance that is consistent and reliable over time.  Microsoft is investing to enable these modern OS experiences, and to deliver new experiences that take advantage of silicon advancements, powerful PCs, the cloud and power of AI. To find out more, read Parker’s post about Computex on the Official Microsoft Blog. [caption id="attachment_172448" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Nick Parker, Roanne Sones and Rodney Clark standing on a stage at Computex 2019 next to a table of PC laptops Nick Parker, CVP of Consumer and Device Sales, Roanne Sones, CVP of OS Platforms and Rodney Clark, VP of IoT Sales, on stage at Computex 2019 in Taipei, “Enabling Innovation and Opportunity on the Intelligent Edge”[/caption] At Computex in Taipei, Microsoft executives Roanne Sones, corporate vice president of OS Platforms and Rodney Clark, vice president of IoT Sales, joined Nick Parker, corporate vice president of Consumer and Device Sales, in the keynote address to showcase Microsoft 365, Windows platform and Azure IoT technologies and services that device partners can use to deliver innovative modern PC experiences and build a new generation of connected devices and IoT solutions. In addition, they provided perspective as to how intelligent edge ecosystem partners can fuel business transformation by working together to build edge to cloud IoT solutions. This ecosystem requires an operating system that enables the foundational experiences customers expect from their devices, such as seamless updates, default security that protects users and the OS from malicious attacks, connectivity anywhere with 5G, LTE and Wi-Fi and performance that is consistent and reliable over time.  Microsoft is investing to enable these modern OS experiences, and to deliver new experiences that take advantage of silicon advancements, powerful PCs, the cloud and power of AI. To find out more, read Parker’s post about Computex on the Official Microsoft Blog.]]> Windows Store Weekly: 5 new titles to check out this weekend https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/02/12/windows-store-weekly-5-new-titles-to-check-out-this-weekend-2/ Fri, 12 Feb 2016 21:13:41 +0000 https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/?p=107943 The Windows Store is full of new things to check out this weekend, from an entire Valentine’s Day collection to help you plan the perfect romantic day, to music apps and playlists to prepare you for the Grammys on Monday. Apps Valentine’s Day Collections With Valentine’s Day coming this weekend, the Windows Store has got […]

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]]> Windows Store is full of new things to check out this weekend, from an entire Valentine’s Day collection to help you plan the perfect romantic day, to music apps and playlists to prepare you for the Grammys on Monday.

Apps

Valentine’s Day Collections Valentine's Day Collection Windows Store With Valentine’s Day coming this weekend, the Windows Store has got you covered with apps, movies, music, and gift ideas to celebrate the holiday. Our Happy Valentine’s Day collection features apps like OpenTable to help you plan a candlelit dinner, 1-800-Flowers so you can send flowers to your special someone, and even some romantically-themed games. There’s also a collection of 30 romantic movies to watch with your Valentine and a special Groove playlist, Music for Lovers, featuring 30 songs to relax, inspire, and uplift. And if you need a last minute gift idea, you can purchase and send digital gift cards for Xbox and Windows to your Valentine’s email. Apps to Prepare for The 58th Annual Grammy Awards CBS app in the Windows Store This weekend, get ready to watch the 58th annual Grammy Awards with great apps and content in the Windows Store. The Groove Music app is featuring a Grammys playlist with music from all the nominees and there is also a nominees album collection in the Windows Store, which will be updated on Tuesday morning to feature the winning artists. iHeartRadio is featuring a station dedicated to the Grammys, and they’ll set up a special station featuring music from the winners the day after the awards. Finally, stream the event live on Monday to your Windows devices with the CBS All Access Win 10 app. DailyMail Online and The Guardian — both free [caption id="attachment_108093" align="alignnone" width="580"]Daily Mail Online app Windows Store Daily Mail Online[/caption] Get the latest U.S. and world news from the British perspective with the Daily Mail Online and The Guardian apps, two British journalism powerhouses now available on all your Windows 10 devices. With Cortana integration, you can browse the news with commands like, “Guardian, show me the business news.” Download Daily Mail Online and The Guardian for free today. [caption id="attachment_108103" align="alignnone" width="580"]The Guardian app Windows Store The Guardian[/caption]

Games

Plague Inc. featuring the Simian Flu Expansion Pack — $0.99 Plague Inc Simian Flu Windows Store Plague Inc. is spreading a new kind of terror with the Simian Flu Expansion Pack. Tied into the action from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the Simian Flu update challenges you to handle a global pandemic in the midst of a growing nation of intelligent, genetically evolved apes. Click here to download the Plague Inc. Simian Flu Expansion Pack.

Movies

The Peanuts Movie — buy the movie for $14.99 The Peanuts Movie (Bonus Version) Windows Store Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the lovable Peanuts gang are back in an all-new animated adventure the whole family will love. Click here to watch The Peanuts Movie, now available in the Movies & TV section of the Windows Store.   The Windows Store is full of new things to check out this weekend, from an entire Valentine’s Day collection to help you plan the perfect romantic day, to music apps and playlists to prepare you for the Grammys on Monday.

Apps

Valentine’s Day Collections Valentine's Day Collection Windows Store With Valentine’s Day coming this weekend, the Windows Store has got you covered with apps, movies, music, and gift ideas to celebrate the holiday. Our Happy Valentine’s Day collection features apps like OpenTable to help you plan a candlelit dinner, 1-800-Flowers so you can send flowers to your special someone, and even some romantically-themed games. There’s also a collection of 30 romantic movies to watch with your Valentine and a special Groove playlist, Music for Lovers, featuring 30 songs to relax, inspire, and uplift. And if you need a last minute gift idea, you can purchase and send digital gift cards for Xbox and Windows to your Valentine’s email. Apps to Prepare for The 58th Annual Grammy Awards CBS app in the Windows Store This weekend, get ready to watch the 58th annual Grammy Awards with great apps and content in the Windows Store. The Groove Music app is featuring a Grammys playlist with music from all the nominees and there is also a nominees album collection in the Windows Store, which will be updated on Tuesday morning to feature the winning artists. iHeartRadio is featuring a station dedicated to the Grammys, and they’ll set up a special station featuring music from the winners the day after the awards. Finally, stream the event live on Monday to your Windows devices with the CBS All Access Win 10 app. DailyMail Online and The Guardian — both free [caption id="attachment_108093" align="alignnone" width="580"]Daily Mail Online app Windows Store Daily Mail Online[/caption] Get the latest U.S. and world news from the British perspective with the Daily Mail Online and The Guardian apps, two British journalism powerhouses now available on all your Windows 10 devices. With Cortana integration, you can browse the news with commands like, “Guardian, show me the business news.” Download Daily Mail Online and The Guardian for free today. [caption id="attachment_108103" align="alignnone" width="580"]The Guardian app Windows Store The Guardian[/caption]

Games

Plague Inc. featuring the Simian Flu Expansion Pack — $0.99 Plague Inc Simian Flu Windows Store Plague Inc. is spreading a new kind of terror with the Simian Flu Expansion Pack. Tied into the action from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the Simian Flu update challenges you to handle a global pandemic in the midst of a growing nation of intelligent, genetically evolved apes. Click here to download the Plague Inc. Simian Flu Expansion Pack.

Movies

The Peanuts Movie — buy the movie for $14.99 The Peanuts Movie (Bonus Version) Windows Store Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the lovable Peanuts gang are back in an all-new animated adventure the whole family will love. Click here to watch The Peanuts Movie, now available in the Movies & TV section of the Windows Store.  ]]> Relaxed summer fun starts today with these casual games for your collection https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2015/05/29/relaxed-summer-fun-starts-today-with-these-casual-games-for-your-collection/ https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2015/05/29/relaxed-summer-fun-starts-today-with-these-casual-games-for-your-collection/#comments Fri, 29 May 2015 19:44:35 +0000 http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/?p=80823 With summer just around the corner it’s the perfect time for some casual gaming fun! Here are a few suggestions for relaxed entertainment in the season ahead. Bloons Tower Defense 5 (Windows $9.99, Windows Phone $2.99) The Bloons are back, and they’re as relentless as ever. Build awesome towers, choose favorite upgrades and even hire cool new Special Agents as […]

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]]> Bloons Tower Defense 5 (Windows $9.99, Windows Phone $2.99) [caption id="attachment_80873" align="alignnone" width="640"]Bloons Five-star tower defense with unrivaled depth and replayability[/caption] The Bloons are back, and they’re as relentless as ever. Build awesome towers, choose favorite upgrades and even hire cool new Special Agents as you aim to pop every invading Bloon in this latest update to the most popular tower defense series in history. Play on more than 50 tracks and enjoy more than 250 random missions, battling Bloon enemies along the way – tougher Camos, Regrower Bloons, and the fearsome ZOMG. Pop, pop and away! Beardify, Fatify and Oldify (Windows Phone, Free to $1.99) [caption id="attachment_80923" align="alignnone" width="329"]Beardify Beardify[/caption] What would you look like with a beard… or when you’re 90…or with another hundred pounds? Just turn to these playful apps for the answers. From a five-o’clock shadow to a face thick with whiskers, Beardify gives you a fun, realistic look at a hyper-masculine you. For a peek into the future, whether you’re 5 or 75, Oldify turns the clock ahead and previews what you might look like with gray hair and wrinkles. And for those with a good sense of humor, check out a chunkier you in Fatify, which plumps up and animates your face in 3D, complete with jiggles, burping, smacking and more. Jewel Tree (Windows $4.99, Windows Phone $1.99) [caption id="attachment_80883" align="alignnone" width="640"]Thrilling combos and boosters! Thrilling combos and boosters![/caption] This all-ages, all-fun matching game keeps you on your toes as you string together chains of chips vertically, horizontally or diagonally. Going for an even bigger score? Cross over linked chips, then backtrack. With more than 90 levels, numerous modes and challenges, and cool boosters and charms, nothing can match this game! Jungle Heat (Windows Phone Free) Jungle Heat The tropics full of oil and gold are languishing under the onslaught of General Blood. Your task is to free the native riches and claim them for yourself! Fortify the walls, hire troops, and onward to battle in this free cross-platform war game which you can play on any device or social network. Plague Inc. (Windows $1.99, Windows Phone $.99) Plague Looking for something a little less casual? Well, can you infect the world? That’s the tantalizing, horrifying question posed by this game that mixes high strategy and terrifyingly realistic simulation. Evolve a pathogen to move it beyond Patient Zero, even as you are making sure it adapts to the ways humanity defends itself. Innovative play makes this you-against-the-world drama a thrilling adventure – and puts you in a nightmare where only the strongest can survive! Download these great games today, then relax with them all summer long! With summer just around the corner it's the perfect time for some casual gaming fun! Here are a few suggestions for relaxed entertainment in the season ahead. Bloons Tower Defense 5 (Windows $9.99, Windows Phone $2.99) [caption id="attachment_80873" align="alignnone" width="640"]Bloons Five-star tower defense with unrivaled depth and replayability[/caption] The Bloons are back, and they’re as relentless as ever. Build awesome towers, choose favorite upgrades and even hire cool new Special Agents as you aim to pop every invading Bloon in this latest update to the most popular tower defense series in history. Play on more than 50 tracks and enjoy more than 250 random missions, battling Bloon enemies along the way – tougher Camos, Regrower Bloons, and the fearsome ZOMG. Pop, pop and away! Beardify, Fatify and Oldify (Windows Phone, Free to $1.99) [caption id="attachment_80923" align="alignnone" width="329"]Beardify Beardify[/caption] What would you look like with a beard… or when you’re 90…or with another hundred pounds? Just turn to these playful apps for the answers. From a five-o’clock shadow to a face thick with whiskers, Beardify gives you a fun, realistic look at a hyper-masculine you. For a peek into the future, whether you’re 5 or 75, Oldify turns the clock ahead and previews what you might look like with gray hair and wrinkles. And for those with a good sense of humor, check out a chunkier you in Fatify, which plumps up and animates your face in 3D, complete with jiggles, burping, smacking and more. Jewel Tree (Windows $4.99, Windows Phone $1.99) [caption id="attachment_80883" align="alignnone" width="640"]Thrilling combos and boosters! Thrilling combos and boosters![/caption] This all-ages, all-fun matching game keeps you on your toes as you string together chains of chips vertically, horizontally or diagonally. Going for an even bigger score? Cross over linked chips, then backtrack. With more than 90 levels, numerous modes and challenges, and cool boosters and charms, nothing can match this game! Jungle Heat (Windows Phone Free) Jungle Heat The tropics full of oil and gold are languishing under the onslaught of General Blood. Your task is to free the native riches and claim them for yourself! Fortify the walls, hire troops, and onward to battle in this free cross-platform war game which you can play on any device or social network. Plague Inc. (Windows $1.99, Windows Phone $.99) Plague Looking for something a little less casual? Well, can you infect the world? That’s the tantalizing, horrifying question posed by this game that mixes high strategy and terrifyingly realistic simulation. Evolve a pathogen to move it beyond Patient Zero, even as you are making sure it adapts to the ways humanity defends itself. Innovative play makes this you-against-the-world drama a thrilling adventure – and puts you in a nightmare where only the strongest can survive! Download these great games today, then relax with them all summer long!]]> https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2015/05/29/relaxed-summer-fun-starts-today-with-these-casual-games-for-your-collection/feed/ 2