As the video games industry is currently gearing up for the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco next month (depending on flu virus concerns, that is), Xbox head Phil Spencer has just given us an update about the next-gen Xbox. As you may now, Spencer unveiled the Xbox Series X back at The Game Awards Ceremony in December, but at the time the exec chose not to go into details about the console’s specs.

Well, in a new post on Xbox Wire, Spencer pretty much confirmed the previous leaks about the Xbox Series X specs, and shared some interesting new details about the new console. “Compared to the previous generation, Xbox Series X represents a superior balance of power and speed in console design, advancing on all technological fronts to delivering amazing, dynamic, living worlds and minimize any aspects that can take you out of the experience,” explained Spencer.

Here’s what you can expect in the Xbox Series X:

• The console will deliver 12 teraflops of computing power (twice the power of the Xbox One X), thanks to AMD’s latest Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures.
• Xbox Series X will also support hardware-accelerated Raytracing, which will provide more photorealistic graphics in games.
• Microsoft has also developed a patented Variable Rate Shading (VRS) technology that will allow game devs to prioritize GPU usage for some game elements like characters or environmental objects.
• A next-gen SSD will also dramatically cut loading times, and a new Quick Resume feature will also let you pause multiple games in the background and then pick up where you left off almost instantly.
• Just like the Xbox One X, Xbox Series X will support Auto Low Latency Mode on TV that supports it, as well as Variable Refresh Rate on monitors that support AMD’s Freesync technology.
• Variable Refresh Rate is also coming soon to TVs with the new HDMI 2.1 norm that the Xbox One X already supports.
• Spencer also detailed for the first time a new “Dynamic Latency Input” (DLI) feature which will improve Microsoft’s proprietary Xbox Wireless protocol by synchronizing input immediately with what is displayed.

It’s worth noting that Spencer didn’t mention 8K today, though 8K support was mentioned for Xbox Series X last year. However, the Xbox head confirmed that Xbox Series X will support all four generations of games (via Backward Compatibility), and make games from previous generations play better than before with better framerates, graphics, and faster loading times.

Spencer also mentioned for the first time a new “Smart Delivery” technology which seems to be an evolution of Xbox Play Anywhere. With Smart Delivery, consumers will be able to play an Xbox game once and play it on either Xbox One or Xbox Series X at no additional cost.

This technology empowers you to buy a game once and know that – whether you are playing it on Xbox One or Xbox Series X – you are getting the right version of that game on whatever Xbox you’re playing on. We’re making the commitment to use Smart Delivery on all our exclusive Xbox Game Studios titles, including Halo Infinite, ensuring you only have to purchase a title once in order to play the best available version for whichever Xbox console they choose to play on. This technology is available for all developers and publishers, and they can choose to use it for titles that will be release on Xbox One first and come to the Xbox Series X later.

Microsoft is trying to end console generations with Smart Delivery, though it will be up to developers to support that vision. It’s also worth noting that Phil Spencer didn’t mention Windows 10, even though Microsoft’s latest Xbox exclusives all ship on Xbox One and Windows 10 at the same time with Xbox Play Anywhere support. Few developers actually embraced Xbox Play Anywhere during this console generation, and it remains to be seen if more of them will embrace Microsoft’s vision for cross-gen experiences with Smart Delivery.

“We can’t wait to share more details about the new Xbox with you in the coming months,” said Spencer at the end of his post. We may get more details about Xbox Series X next month at the Game Developers Conference, where Microsoft will be present, but the company may prefer to keep its remaining secrets under wraps for a couple more months.

On the sidelines of the Future Decoded summit, Microsoft India announced a collaboration with SBI Foundation to create opportunities for youth living with disabilities in the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sector.

Launched in 2015, SBI Foundation is the CSR arm of State Bank of India, India’s leading public sector bank.

Through this collaboration, Microsoft and the SBI Foundation will equip youth living with disabilities with the technology and training needed to better prepare them for integration into the BFSI workforce.

The program will be driven in collaboration with various government organizations, industry skilling bodies, and non-profits and aims to upskill 500 youth for BFSI jobs in its first year.

The three-year program was launched by Jean-Philippe Courtois, Executive Vice President and President, Global Sales, Marketing and Operations, Microsoft and Rajnish Kumar, Chairman, SBI at the event.

At the event, Courtois said that with over 26 million people living with disabilities in India, it’s essential that we find new ways to use technology to enable everyone to fully participate in the 21st-century economy.

The goal is also to advance cross-industry advocacy efforts to drive inclusion for and hiring of people living with disabilities. As part of this partnership, Microsoft and the SBI Foundation will also develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered marketplace that will enable the BFSI industry to more easily connect to people living with disabilities for upskilling and employment opportunities.

Microsoft recently gave the Windows 10 icons a new look, but one Windows 10 fan is taking it to the next level. In a new concept, Twitter user @vastglad recently showcased their own vision for Windows 10 with a new look inspired by Fluent Design and Windows 10X. The concept reimagines the Start Menu, app loading screens, and much more (via Tom Warren).

Seen above, the most interesting area of the concept gives the Windows 10 Start Menu an amazing new look. In @vastglad’s vision, we can see a more rounded Start Menu, with various sections for search, tasks, pins, and recent files. A bit similar to Windows 10X, there also appears to be a hub on the top of the Start Menu with the weather and a greeting for the user and a link to the settings. Overall, the Start Menu also has more touches of Fluent Design’s Acrylic effects, which really bring out the new-style Windows 10 icons Microsoft recently revealed.

Other areas of this concept highlight new splash screens for apps. Oddly enough, we see one for the Windows 10 Weather app. In this splash screen, the new icon for the Weather app appears on top of an acrylic window that features the Microsoft logo. Even the Weather app itself looks a bit different, in this concept, as it has a lighter look and touch, blending nicely with the rest of Windows 10. You’ll also likely notice the taskbar looks a bit different, with no search box or task view button. There are also more traditional icons for the network status, inking, sound, and the touch keyboard.

Concepts like these are not new and are quite fun. We’ve seen concepts for a new Windows 10 Task Manager, the battery meter, and even Windows 10 20H1. It obviously might not ever come to life, but they’re really cool to look at. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

Welcome back to our Windows 10 news recap, where we go over the top stories of the past week in the world of Microsoft’s flagship operating system.

Microsoft apparently removing ‘Offline Accounts’ settings for international Windows 10 users

It looks as though Microsoft may be continuing with its push to force Microsoft Accounts on Windows 10 users, as it furthers its removal of Offline Accounts, moving to international Windows 10 users.

New colorful icons for Microsoft’s Windows 10 apps start rolling out to Windows Insiders

Microsoft’s own apps on Windows 10 are receiving a colour-filled refresh, currently rolling out to Windows Insiders.

Microsoft is now investigating cases of cracked Surface Laptop 3 screens

Following reports of Surface Laptop 3 screens spontaneously cracking, Microsoft has now said that it is investigating the reports, but it has not admitted that there is a fault in the production at this time.

That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Windows 10 news!

What was once thought of as the impenetrable giant in Amazon’s AWS market share seemed to be a bit under fire in 2019 by the continued enterprise adoption of Azure.

According to a market analysis report from Canalys, Microsoft’s Azure cloud business encroached on AWS’s market share growth in 2019.

Canalys reports that AWS went from 33.4% of the global market share in Q4 2018 down to 32.4% during the same timeframe in 2019 while Microsoft increased from 14.5% in Q4 2018 to 17.6% in 2019. Over the entirety of 2019, AWS sat at 32% while Microsoft grew from 14.2% to 16.9%.

Despite the seeming back and forth between AWS and Azure during 2019, the year turned out to be a relatively positive one for all cloud service providers, proving that there continues to be a high ceiling on revenue and profits for businesses in the near future.

“Competition among the leading cloud service providers continued to intensify. AWS still outpaced its competitors in real US dollar terms. Its business was US$2.4 billion bigger in Q4 than in the same period in 2018. Its investment in new enterprise sales and marketing resources combined with the general availability of AWS Outposts and the launch of AWS Local Zones will drive further growth.

Microsoft Azure’s growth rate was higher in the quarter, as it gained traction in enterprise accounts and benefited from its extensive channel reach. Microsoft stepped up its messaging to partners to drive Windows Server 2008 workloads to Azure as support comes to an end.

Google Cloud continued to make progress in penetrating new enterprise customers and developing its network of channel partners. It has substantially grown its internal enterprise salesforce over the last year and brought partners under its field organization for closer alignment.

Alibaba Cloud remained the leader in China as its growth re-accelerated. It aims to expand its enterprise customer base across the rest of Asia Pacific and Europe, where it is using two-tier distribution.”

The increased demand is evident by the Canalys’ summary of capital expenditures businesses reported in 2019 that include Alibaba, Amazon, Baidu, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Tencent-collectively spending upwards of $60 billion in data center infrastructure for the year.

Interestingly enough, Canalys’ principal analyst Matthew Ball notes that despite the increasing market share of competitors in the industry, the biggest buyers in the sectors remain providers such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and others. With an 8% increase in spending, up from 2018, “cloud service providers will remain the largest buyers of servers and related components over the next five years.”

Once again, Microsoft is fiddling with the local accounts settings in Windows 10 and this new iteration is the company’s most flagrant attempt.

Back in late 2019, Microsoft began testing a Windows 10 startup process that would forego the tradition of offering an alternative to establishing a Microsoft Account during setup that involved users simply signing in with a Local/”Offline” account.

Instead of offering the option during the initial setup process, users would essentially be forced to create an MSA and the could retroactively disable their MSA and revert to a local account by going back into Account Settings once the OS was up and running. Another workaround to the MSA pandering is to simply boot the system up when offline or disable Wifi connectivity.

There is recent evidence that Microsoft may be doubling down on this new approach and exporting the new tactic to regions outside of North America.

According to the German tech blog, Dr. Windows, Microsoft is rolling out, or at least A/B testing its Local/Offline startup omission to users in Germany.

Similar to its implementation in the US, Dr.Windows notes that users are given a reprieve on the MSA sign up after the initial boot-up of Windows, or by using the WiFi/Internet connectivity workaround.

Microsoft seems to be constantly trying to get Windows users comfortable with the idea of syncing their system settings with a Microsoft account by continuously tweaking the setup model in newer versions of its operating system, similar in fashion with Google and Chrome or Chromebooks and Apple with iOS and MacBook devices.

Push back on the idea of requiring a Microsoft ID/account to access Windows features typically has been vocal and swift with each subtle encroachment that Microsoft introduces getting roundly panned by its community.

In the lead up to Surface Neo and Duo devices that will presumably follow a similar linked ID or Account device setup, it’ll be interesting to see if Microsoft continues to push forward the requirement of an MSA to fully take advantage of the integrated hardware and software experiences.

Microsoft is continuing its efforts to promote social good (and to promote the use of Microsoft technologies in those efforts), announcing today a new program aimed at startups focused on social projects like a smartphone-based cholera detection system, devices to skim trash from our oceans, and competitions that yield valuable artificial intelligence solutions from participating data scientists.

The new program, launching in 140 countries, will “actively seek to support underrepresented founders with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. The criteria to qualify for the program include a business metric that measures impact on an important social or environmental challenge; an established product or service that will benefit from access to enterprise customers; and a commitment to the ethical and responsible use of AI.”

Microsoft is offering social enterprises that join the program up to $120,000 in Azure credits, as well as technical support and guidance, including a dedicated program manager to help startups market and sell solutions, and to connect with potential customers. The Social Entrepreneurship program will also offer grants to participants focused on sustainability, accessibility, and skills and employability.

You can learn more about the program, and if you’re eligible, apply, at Startups.Microsoft.com/en-us/socialentrepreneurship

Microsoft announced today that Mexico will get its first cloud datacenter region as part of the company’s ambitious “Innovate for Mexico” plan. Over the next five years, the software giant plans to invest $1.1 billion in the country, with an education and skilling program to complement the new cloud infrastructure.

“Microsoft’s new cloud datacenter region in Mexico will provide highly available, scalable and secure cloud services across Mexico with the option of data residency in country,” the company explained today. “This local datacenter infrastructure benefits small, medium and large business and the startups ecosystem and stimulates economic development for both customers and partners alike, enabling companies, governments, and regulated industries to realize the benefits of the cloud for innovation and new projects, as well as bolstering the technology ecosystem that supports these projects.”

In addition to this new local datacenter, which will bring Microsoft’s global cloud infrastructure to 57 cloud regions in 22 countries, Microsoft also plans to support AI projects that can benefit the Mexican population. The company highlighted today the project “Artificial Intelligence to Monitor Pelagic Sharks in the Mexican Pacific Ocean” that aims to protect Mako shark species. Lastly, the company will also ask CEOs of local innovative companies to join a new Advisory Board that will focus on new opportunities for digital transformation in the country.

“Few places in the world today are as dynamic and diverse as Mexico. In this landscape, we see enormous opportunity for the cloud to accelerate innovation, support people across the country working to transform their businesses, explore new entrepreneurship opportunities and help solve some of the country’s most difficult challenges,” Microsoft said today.

There is another trio of Xbox One game titles coming this weekend as part of Xbox Free Play Days. Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, Shining Resonance Refrain, and Valkyria Chronicles 4 are being offered free to play this weekend on Xbox One for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.

Xbox Free Play Days are regularly offered to Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass subscribers as a “try-before-you-buy” experience. You have the whole weekend to play the game and at the end of the weekend, if you want to keep the Xbox One game, you can buy it from Microsoft at a reduced price point. Any progress you made in-game when you played during the Xbox Free Play Days will be carried over when you buy the Xbox one game.

The biggest Xbox One game discount available is for Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, being offered for 85% off the purchase price for $8.99. The other two are being offered at 50% off, at $14.99 apiece. Oddly enough, Naruto to Baruto: Shinobi Striker is already offered for free to Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Although, it seems like a good game deal for Xbox Live Gold members.

Check out all three games in the Microsoft Store in the links below.

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NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER

Developer:
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment

Price:
$9.99

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Shining Resonance Refrain

Developer:
SEGA

Price:
$5.99

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Valkyria Chronicles 4

Developer:
SEGA

Price:
$5.99

which Xbox One game are you going to playing this weekend as part of Xbox Free Play Days? Let us know in the comments section.

Earlier this week, the UK-based company Emperion announced they were working on a Windows 10 on ARM smartphone with the additional capability of running Android apps. Although the company didn’t have a website running at the time, it pointed out that one was on the way.

Richard Hay of Windows Observer was able to get an early glimpse of the website before it was pulled, and provided some interesting screenshots on Twitter. Interestingly, the device features a nearly identical taskbar to Windows 10X, an unreleased version of the desktop OS for foldables like the Surface Neo.

I found their website for the Nebulus ARM based device. It appears to be a merging of Live Tiles (which Windows 10X does not have) and the Windows 10X Taskbar. #ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmmm pic.twitter.com/orHoOvjhmQ

— Richard Hay (@WinObs) February 18, 2020

As Hay pointed out, the company explained that the brief access of the site to the public was the result of an “internal error.” While available, the site included a functioning order system, including order forms and option to pay with PayPal, although the company denied that any GDPR rules were broken “because the site was not live” and that the data collected has been purged.

That said, the company told Hay that it is continuing to work on its device. Interestingly, the company noted that its phone was initially going to be built with an Intel-based CPU, but cited “partner supply issues and cost effectiveness” as the reason to go with ARM:

“Yes, it is Windows 10 on ARM, it was initially designed to be x86 using an Intel based SoC but due to partner supply issues and cost effectiveness, we were forced to change course.”

The company also provided two of its partners that helped them with the project—Amzetta and Wingtech—although it wasn’t able to talk about its other partners due to nondisclosure agreements.

In any case, it’ll be interesting to see if the device does make its way to the market. What do you think?

On March 19, 2020, GTA IV: Complete Edition is coming to Steam as a free upgrade for those who already own the game. It will also launch for the first time on Rockstar Games’ new launcher for Windows. As noted in a post on Eurogamer, Rockstar Games decided to release GTA IV Complete Edition as a free upgrade due to issues experienced on Steam with the deprecated Games for Windows Live infrastructure from Microsoft.

Rockstar removed GTA IV from Steam while the game developer tried to figure out how to get around generating “additional keys needed to continue selling the current version of the game.” Microsoft ended support for Games for Windows Live some time ago, but GTA IV was one of the last few games that still use it, along with the PC version of Fallout 3.

In order to work around this issue, Rockstar has decided to replace all versions of GTA IV and GTA: Episodes from Liberty City with GTA IV: Complete Edition on Steam. In order to work around issues with Games for Windows Live, multiplayer mode and leaderboards will not be available in GTA IV: Complete Edition, at least for the time being. In addition, gamers will lose access to some GTA IV radio stations in Episodes from Liberty City, including RamJam FM, Self-Actualization FM, and Vice City FM.

For those that activated GTA IV through Games for Windows Live, it gets complicated. GTA IV activated through Games for Windows Live will require you to create and/or link to their GTA Social Club accounts to replace the Games for Windows Live account connection to update to GTA IV: Complete Edition.

More details are available on the GTA IV Steam Page. What do you think about Rockstar’s choice to re-release GTA IV with this new Complete Edition? Let us know in the comments!

Microsoft is once again having to deal with a buggy “Patch Tuesday” update after Windows 10 users started complaining about missing desktop files. The first bug reports started to surface last week, with users reporting that their desktop files had disappeared, or that the Start Menu layout and desktop wallpaper had been reset to default after installing this month’s Patch Tuesday for Windows 10 version 1909 or 1903.

The bug is apparently caused by a bug during the update process, which creates a temporary profile on Windows 10 PCs that don’t come with personal desktop files or shortcuts on the Start Menu. Microsoft’s support team has now confirmed to Windows Latest that the issue is now being investigated and a fix:

“Microsoft is aware of this known issue and our engineers are working diligently to find a solution for it,” a staff stated.

Microsoft’s support team says they were able to resolve the problem on affected PCs by creating a new user account and manually transferring the data from the temporary user profile to a new one.

“[We] create a new local account user then transfer the personal files from the temporary account to the new account. After that, we can just delete the temporary account,” Microsoft employee said.

It’s still unclear if this bug is currently affecting many Windows 10 users who installed this month’s Patch Tuesday, but it’s really unfortunate to see Microsoft landing once again in hot waters because of problematic Windows 10 patches. The company may be able to avoid these snafus by making better use of Windows Insiders on the Release Preview ring, which previously contributed to reporting serious bugs in Windows 10 updates.

Have you been affected by this bug, and if so will you be more cautious going forward regarding monthly Patch Tuesday updates. Sound off in the comments below.

Myntra, India’s leading online fashion and lifestyle store has partnered with Microsoft to accelerate its digital transformation journey. The company aims to reimagine online shopping experience for customers by leveraging Microsoft Azure.

Myntra has a portfolio of 7,00,000 styles from more than 3,000 international and domestic brands available on its store. Indian e-commerce major, Flipkart (owned by Walmart) is the parent company of Myntra.

Myntra has worked closely with Microsoft to migrate its platform – from supply chain management to inventory to site capabilities – to Azure. The elasticity of Azure is helping Myntra scale rapidly for big spikes that occur routinely during festive seasons. Since the deployment of Azure, Myntra has recorded a 50 percent rise in orders in the latest edition of its biennial End of Reason Sale.

“The Microsoft Azure platform provides our teams the ability to deliver innovative and personalized capabilities for our customers with speed supported by a strong depth of technology expertise from the Microsoft team.”

– Amar Nagaram, CEO, Myntra

By building and centralizing its data platform on Azure, Myntra is also applying advanced analytics and machine learning to gain a comprehensive understanding of customers and deliver highly personalized products, marketing, and service for them. The company is using Microsoft Power BI to empower its employees to visualize and act on real-time feedback.

This first-of-its-kind partnership with Myntra in the company’s digital transformation is a pretty good showcase for Microsoft in the e-commerce space in India.

Microsoft’s specialized voting software is making its stateside debut ahead of the February 18, 2020, Supreme Court elections for the state of Wisconsin.

Residents of Fulton, Wisconsin will be electing new representatives to the Wisconsin Supreme Court using voting machines powered by Microsoft’s open-sourced ElectionGuard security software.

Back in May of 2019, Microsoft announced ElectionGuard alongside a list of partnerships that included DARPA and Columbia University that were all working together to enable end-to-end verifiable components as well pilot testing leading to an eventual real-world application.

In a relatively quick amount of time, Microsoft and voting machine vendors have worked to implement ElectionGuard in real-world testing that will consist of few hundred votes using a pretty seamless process.

First, ElectionGuard provides each voter a tracker with a unique code that can be used to follow an encrypted version of the vote through the entire election process via a web portal provided by election authorities. During the process of vote-casting, voters have an optional step that allows them to confirm that their trackers and encrypted votes accurately reflect their selections. But once a vote is cast, neither the tracker nor any data provided through the web portal can be used to reveal the contents of the vote. After the election is complete, the tracker codes can be used by voters to confirm that their votes were not altered or tampered with and that they were properly counted.

Second, ElectionGuard also includes an open specification – or a road map – which allows anyone to write an election verifier. Voters, candidates, news media and any observers can run verifiers of their own or downloaded from sources of their choosing to confirm tabulations are as reported. The combination of the tracker – which allows individual voters to verify that their votes have been accurately recorded – and the verifier – which allows anyone to verify that the recorded votes have been accurately counted – enables full “end-to-end verification” of the correctness of election results. It will not be possible to “hack” the vote without detection.

Microsoft’s VP of Customer Security & Trust Tom Bur sums up the process rather succinctly,

“First, a voter will select candidates on a touchscreen and verify their choices. Second, the voter will print and review for accuracy a paper ballot and simultaneously receive a separate tracking code. Third, the voter will deposit their ballot into a ballot box for counting.”

Following the events of the 2020 Iowa caucuses, the infusion of new technology into the American voting system is under additional scrutiny this year. Microsoft’s ElectionGuard will not only need to make sure it’s safeguarding selections from being electronically altered but also doing an impeccable job of simply tallying votes correctly.

Fortunately, Microsoft’s open-sourced software leverages Homomorphic encryption which specializes in counting votes as well as simultaneously encrypting them. Burt sees the Fulton, Wisconsin Supreme Court votes as yet another test pilot for the ElectionGuard program as it presumably prepares for participation in the 2020 presidential election later this year.

There have been many battles in Microsoft’s history. Windows vs MacOS, iPad vs Surface, but now there is Teams vs Slack. This is a topic we’ve covered extensively, but recently, a tweet from Microsoft Cloud Advocate Sonia Cuff has set off a new Teams vs Slack debate: What does Team lack that Slack offers?

Going to open the floodgates here: give me your one feature request or annoyance that bugs you about Microsoft Teams but is amazing in Slack. *braces*
No debates – pure feature feedback.

— Sonia Cuff (@SoniaCuff) February 18, 2020

In the reply to the tweet, many people who use both Teams and Slack, including our own Abhishek Baxi, give their take on the controversial question. At the heart of the debate for many, it would appear, is Teams’ lack of support for multiple identities and switching between them. This is something Teams does not yet support, and users who need to switch between multiple Teams accounts and workspaces have to run the desktop app and the web version at the same time. This feature has actually been requested since 2017, but it has yet to be implemented.

Other users also point out some minor user interface imperfections, like the “Start a new thread” box being too close to the one which lets you reply to an existing thread. Some have also had issues with the white space in conversation view, and find it way too irritating, along with buggy scrolling. Christina Warren, a senior cloud advocate at Microsoft, was also quick to point out that Teams’ notifications system is a bit flawed, and had her own suggestions on how to make them more granular.

Sonia’s Twitter thread is full of lots of thoughtful responses as to what Teams slacks that Slack offers, which we can’t possibly cover in just this one post. These include more than 6 emoji responses, custom emojis, the “bananas” business of hiding and unhiding channels, and the way search works. Oh, and we’d also like to mention our personal favorite, native ARM support on Windows, native notifications on Windows and Mac, and a store version of the app.

Microsoft is always looking for Feedback on Teams, and as it becomes just as popular as Slack, for many, there’s still a bit more that it has to go before becoming truly perfect. There are many features planned for Teams in the months ahead, which we’ve previously talked about here, so there could be hope for those who hold Slack close to their hearts.

For the first time in a while, Microsoft has given the Windows 10 Calendar App a new look, and Windows Insiders are invited to test it out by toggling a “Try the Preview” switch at the top of the app. The new and improved Calendar app in Windows 10 is different from before and is much cleaner, easier to use, and so much more efficient. We spent some time with it over the past week, and here’s a hands-on look at the experience.

Choose your theme

One of the first things you’ll experience when opting into the Calendar beta is the ability to switch between themes. In the beta version of the Calendar app, selecting one of the preset themes will change the image you see in the background of your calendar. You’ll get a default image with some mountains, but there are many others to choose from. There are 34 total images, and the positioning of these images is much different from before. Now, the image you choose will show up in top left corner of the screen and will appear in the background, with an acrylic effect inspired by Fluent Design. There’s even an option to switch to a dark theme if need be.

A clean user interface

Another thing you’ll notice with the new Calendar beta is the cleaner user interface. The sidebar, which has previews of your calendars, now features more touches of Fluent Design, and you’re able to see more of your background image behind it. Microsoft also introduced a new option in the sidebar for you to add more accounts and switch between them with the click of a button. Before, this ability was hidden beneath a settings menu.

The top of the calendar app has also changed, as the buttons for Today, Day, Week, Month, and Year views are now gone. Instead, Microsoft has replaced it with a drop-down menu, leaving more room for you to see the imagery in the background. There’s even a clean “New Event” button right above the calendar, helping you create meetings more quickly.

Finally, the search box has disappeared, slimming up the top of the app a bit. Search functions have apparently been removed in this early beta. Instead, you’ll find a new agenda view, which can be summoned from the sidebar on the right side of the app. This agenda view will show you some of the items on your list for the day, including meetings and reminders.

A cleaner pop-out menu for creating meetings and events

The final aspect to note in this version of the Calendar app is the pop-out menu for creating events. Much like the rest of the calendar, Microsoft has given it a redesign. When creating events directly from the calendar by right-clicking in an open space, you now can add more information. You’ll be able to choose which calendar you want it on or have it repeat.

Additionally, clicking the “More Details” link at the bottom of the create event space no longer opens up a full-screen view. Instead, you’ll now get a slimmer pop-out menu, still showing your calendar underneath. This, too, has changed, as it now offers you a slice of time from your day on the right side, showing you when the event or meeting will take place. It’s so much cleaner and concise when compared to previous versions of the Calendar app on Windows 10.

A change for the good

It is important to note that this beta version of the Windows 10 Calendar App is still a work in progress. Microsoft will continue to add more features to it over time, and it is much appreciated. Overall, it now fits in well with the rest of Windows 10, and we really do hope the mail app and other inbox Windows apps can get a similar redesign as well. From the clean and concise look, to new personalization options, this is how the calendar app should have always been.

Microsoft has just announced the next wave of games coming soon to Xbox Game Pass for console. The Xbox 360 title Ninja Gaiden II will be the first new addition on Thursday, February 20, but things are going to be much more interesting in the following week.

Indeed, three more games will be added on February 25 with the Xbox Play Anywhere title Wasteland Remastered, the business simulation game Two Points Hospital (coming to Xbox Game Pass on its release day), and the action-RPG title Kingdom Hearts III. The latter was the first game in the popular series that mixes various Disney characters to be released on Xbox One, until the release of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 today.

Yakuza 0 will follow on February 26, and Jackbox Party Pack 3 will be the last game to join Xbox Game Pass this month on February 27. This is a pretty great selection of games overall, especially with Rise of the Tomb Raider, Just Cause 4 and more about to leave Xbox Game Pass very soon.

In a recent conversation with Windows Central, Rainbow Six Siege’s director, Leroy Athanassof, revealed that a new version of the popular game would be made for Microsoft’s next gen console, the Xbox Series X.

“We are going to be on [the consoles] from launch,” Athanassof says. “When they will release the consoles; but it’s up to them to agree that. For Siege, our target is to be available right at launch.”

While the Xbox Series X will likely support Xbox One video games such as the current gen version of Rainbow Six Siege, it appears as if a separate version of the game, designed for the Xbox Series X gen of Xbox consoles, is planned. Luckily, crossplay with those playing the Xbox One version is incredibly likely. “We don’t want to break our community,” he reassures. “So, we want people who buy the new system right away to play it with their friends.”

A next gen version for Sony’s PlayStation 5 is also planned.

Cross-platform progression is being worked on though isn’t a guarantee just yet. Also, while many would like PlayStation and PC crossplay, players shouldn’t hold their breath just yet.

“This is more a discussion between Microsoft and Sony. We would love to be fully cross-play — have Xbox players matchmaking against the PlayStation players. We are ready to support that. And hopefully, this will happen because as I said, it’s a general move in the industry, and there is nothing that can prevent that. It’s just a matter of time before it happens,” Athanassof explains before adding that “I don’t think there will ever be console cross-play with PC.”

Are you excited for an Xbox Series X version of Rainbow Six Siege or are you happy with the Xbox One version? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest and Facebook for more Xbox news.

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Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Ultimate Edition

Developer:
Ubisoft

Price:
Free