This holiday season, there’s not one new Surface device to choose from, but three. You can either buy a Surface Laptop 3, Surface Pro X, or a Surface Pro 7. While I already reviewed the Surface Pro X, the second hottest device in Microsoft’s Surface lineup this year is the Surface Laptop 3.

The new Surface Laptop 3 is unlike any other Surface Laptop released before. Now coming in a 15-inch size, as well as in a “business” flavor with Intel 10th-gen processors inside, this device packs almost everything needed to be the ultimate productivity machine. Today we’ll be giving you a quick look at the new device, and sharing some initial impressions ahead of a full review in the coming weeks.

Build & design

A highlight feature of the Surface Laptop 3 is its all-aluminum casing. This is new for the lineup this year, as previously, the Surface Laptop only came in with options where the keyboard deck would have an Alcantara fabric finish. While you could still buy a 13-inch version with the Alcantara, the 15-inch model (and some of the 13-inch models too) which I purchased for review is only available in this new aluminum finish.

Anyway, thanks to that aluminum casing, the Surface Laptop 3 feels almost similar to a MacBook. It is stunning to look at, and there’s no bending in the chassis when typing, or when pressing on the areas above the vent under the display. Simply put, this thing is built like a brick.

It’s also important to note that unlike a MacBook, there’s no notch on the front section of the Surface Laptop 3. This not only makes the finish on the device look clean and complete but also helps make it easier to open with just one hand. Unlike the previous Surface Laptops, lifting the lid open doesn’t cause the device to rattle or move. It’s a small touch that I really love.

Specs & Processors

Another point of note here worth mentioning is that I’m reviewing the Surface Laptop 3 for Business. Unlike the consumer version, this model comes with options for Intel’s 10th generation processors inside and not AMD’s Ryzen processors. Many other reviewers have pointed out potential performance flaws with this consumer version of the Surface Laptop 3, and this is the main reason I opted for the Intel version. I didn’t want to deal with things like the poor battery life or bad gaming performance.

Anyway, I have a unit with the quad-core 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G7 Processor, and 8GB of RAM with a 128GB SSD. While I haven’t quite run any advanced testing software as of yet, the Surface Laptop 3 feels good enough for productivity. It’s buttery smooth for transferring photos, web browsing, and even some light gaming. I was even able to download Steam to play and enjoy Counterstrike: Global Offensive on low settings. Battery life is decent for a device of this size, lasting me around 7 or 8 hours so far.

Ports & Connectivity

Ports and connectivity are one of the most important aspects of any device, and the Surface Laptop 3 doesn’t fail in this department. It’s got a USB-A port, USB-C port, as well as a headphone jack and Surface Connect port. A change from last year, the Surface Connect port actually now supports fast-charging. You’ll now be able to get an 80% charge with just an hour.

The inclusion of USB-C is a first for the Surface Laptop family. However, it’s nice to see USB-A as well, as you won’t really need to use dongles with the Surface Laptop 3, unlike the all USB-C Surface Pro X. There’s still no Thunderbolt 3 support, though.

Also, there’s no MicroSD card slot on this device, but the SSD is upgradeable. You can do this by unscrewing some screws on the bottom of the device, and removing the keyboard deck. This isn’t exactly something that is user-friendly. Microsoft recommends that you do it through authorized service centers only, so, be sure to settle on a storage amount that you know will last.

Display

Another big feature on the Surface Laptop 3 is the new 15-inch display. It comes in with Microsoft’s signature 3:2 aspect ratio, and with a resolution of 2,256 x 1,504. The display also gets up to around 400 nits of brightness, and it’s especially vibrant when used in dim rooms. Oh, and, like all Surface devices, it’s touch screen too. This is pretty cool, as it’s really nice to just reach up and touch the screen when navigating the web.

For productivity, the display on the Surface Laptop 3 is great for multi-tasking. I could stack windows side by side, and get a lot of work done when compared to my Surface Pro. The display is very tall, and it allows you to pull up a lot of things on your screen when working.

Keyboard & Trackpad

Finally, there’s the need to address the keyboard and touchpad. This has always been an area where Microsoft excels at, and I’m glad. The keyboard on the Surface laptop is very comfortable, with lots of key spacing and nice feedback. I was easily able to jam my way through articles when working here at OnMSFT.

The glass trackpad too is great. It’s very large and has a nice smooth finish. It’s especially solid when clicked, unlike the hollow-felling trackpad on the Surface Pro X Type Cover. It’s something I found myself using all-day-long, without the need for an external mouse.

A Surface device that I’m definitely keeping

Unlike with the Surface Pro X, the Surface Laptop 3 is something I’m quite impressed with so far. I love the overall design quality, as well as its super-efficient display. The Intel processors inside the device are also great for me so far, and I’m looking forward to testing it more. This is a Surface that I think I’ll keep, and I look forward to finishing my full review in the coming weeks.

Microsoft news recap is a weekly feature highlighting the top Microsoft news stories of the past week. Sit back, grab some coffee, and enjoy the read!

Xbox One consoles get Google Assistant support, text filters and more with November 2019 system update

The November 2019 update for Xbox One consoles is bringing a host of new features. Of particular note is the addition of Google Assistant.

Yet another Twitch streamer makes the jump to Microsoft’s Mixer streaming service

Mixer continues to see streamers jump away from Twitch. Ewok, a 14-year-old Fortnite streamer, has moved over to Mixer.

pic.twitter.com/pGpElRpRj6

— FaZe Ewok (@Ewok) November 14, 2019

GitHub mobile app launches on iOS and Android in beta

Microsoft has begun work on a mobile app for GitHub. The app, for iOS and Android, is now in beta.

Introducing GitHub for mobile.

Review lines of code, chime in on a design discussion, merge changes, and more. GitHub for mobile gives you the flexibility to keep work moving and stay in touch with your team from wherever you are. https://t.co/vQBkyYXm39#GitHubUniverse pic.twitter.com/HsBKOpeKPr

— GitHub (@github) November 13, 2019

Minecraft Earth is now available in early access in the US

Microsoft’s AR version of MInecraft for mobile, Minecraft Earth, is now available for early access in the United States.

Hey ????????United States, we found your Minecraft Earth invite, it was behind the couch this whole time! Welcome to early access!

More information at:
↣ https://t.co/8qME5ZSuAE ↢ pic.twitter.com/KffqyP0Pv6

— Minecraft Earth (@minecraftearth) November 12, 2019

That’s it for this week. We’ll be back next week with more Microsoft news.

Microsoft has just announced the release of the 20H1 build 19025 for Windows Insiders in the Fast Ring, which is the second 20H1 build to be released this week. This build 19025 is another minor update with various bug fixes, though the Windows Insider team highlighted today their ongoing work on the Windows Search indexer.

As it turns out, Microsoft heard from Windows Insiders that they were not happy about the performance and efficiency of Windows Search when search Enhanced Search is turned on. For those unfamiliar, Enhanced search is a new 19H1 feature that will make Windows Search search your entire PC, including your libraries and desktop.

Microsoft wants to address these complaints in the 20H1 update, and that’s why the company introducing a new algorithm in the 20H1 build 18945 that should make Windows Search more solid. This is still a work in progress, as the Windows Insider team explained in a blog post (https://insider.windows.com/en-us/community-news/desktop-search/) earlier this week.

In addition to these Windows Search Updates, the 20H1 build 19025 addresses various issues related to fingerprint readers, VPN settings, the touch keyboard, and the Microsoft Store. You can learn more details below:

Improving Windows Search

As Insiders know, over the releases, we’ve been continuing to work on improving search results based on your feedback. Including adding Enhanced search mode (adding an easy option to expand search across all folders and drivers) in 19H1, as well integrating Windows Search into File Explorer, to ensure more consistent results regardless of where you start your search.

In 19H1, we asked Insiders why they were turning off the search indexer. Your feedback helped us make improvements then and helped us focus on three key areas of improvement in 20H1: excessive disk and CPU usage, general performance issues, and low perceived value of the indexer.

Based on this, we’re introducing an algorithm that detects high disk usage and activity, so it can better identify peak usage times and manage the indexer accordingly. We’re also making changes for developers to prevent searches of certain repositories and project folders to improve disk usage.

Learn more about these features that we’ve been working on throughout 20H1 and get helpful tips and troubleshooting info to help you make the most of Windows Search in our Supercharging Windows Search article.

General changes, improvements, and fixes for PC

• We fixed an issue from the previous flight preventing Sandbox and WDAG from working.
• We fixed an issue resulting in certain fingerprint readers no longer working as of Build 19013.
• We fixed an issue that could result in VPN Settings hanging after upgrade.
• We’ve done some work to help address an issue that could result in certain modern UI components (including notifications and the network flyout), scaling either too large or too small after attaching an external monitor or remoting into the machine from a monitor with a different DPI.
• We fixed an issue impacted login performance for some users in recent builds.
• We fixed an issue resulting in Windows Hello authentication not working with certain apps in recent builds.
• We fixed an issue that could result in the mouse pointer not displaying when logging in to a PC locally after remoting in.
• We fixed an issue where, when using the touch keyboard docked on a large screen, the keys would stretch out to span the width of the monitor, rather than staying an optimal width for touch interaction.
• We fixed an issue that could result in ctfmon.exe crashing when using reconversion with the Japanese IME in certain text fields.
• We fixed an issue that could result in web activities in Timeline not opening if you had new Edge installed.
• We fixed an issue where a high number of app deployment failures in a short period of time could result in an unexpectedly large volume of disk space being used by evtx files saved under %windir%\temp.
• We fixed an issue resulting in some apps failing to update with error 0x8007000A.
• We fixed an issue resulting in jitters when using Magnifier in certain multi-monitor configurations.
• We fixed an issue where the mouse pointer did not start from where the Magnifier viewport was if it had moved from typing.
• We fixed an issue impacting Narrator performance reading aloud in Outlook after switching focus from an email back to the list of emails in your inbox.
• We fixed a memory leak in EoAExperiences.exe after using the text cursor indicator for prolonged periods of time.

Knowns issues

• BattlEye and Microsoft have found incompatibility issues due to changes in the operating system between some Insider Preview builds and certain versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software. To safeguard Insiders who might have these versions installed on their PC, we have applied a compatibility hold on these devices from being offered affected builds of Windows Insider Preview. See this article for details.
• We’ve heard that Settings still isn’t available outside of launching via the URI (ms-settings:) for some Insiders and are investigating.
• Some Insiders are reporting that after successfully installing printer drivers from the Optional Updates section, the same driver is still showing as available for install. We’re looking into the issue.
• We’re looking into reports where, when certain external USB 3.0 drives are attached, they stop responding with Start Code 10 or 38.

According to a recent report, the Windows 10 20H1 update may go RTM as soon as next month, though Microsoft could continue to test it with Insiders for a couple of months before making it generally available. Slow Ring Insiders also received their first 20H1 build on Monday, and we don’t expect future flights to introduce major changes.

The original Xbox debuted 18 years ago today on November 15, 2001. Going up against the Sony Playstation 2, no one could have predicted that we would be on the 3rd/4th iteration of Xbox with Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X. Looking forward to Project Scarlett, we will have to wait and see if Xbox can once again be the king of consoles.

A Look Back…

Major Nelson celebrated the 18th birthday of Xbox, by tweeting out a video of that famous original Xbox One start screen on Twitter.

18! The original @Xbox turns eighteen years old today. ???????? Happy birthday you big black beautiful box. pic.twitter.com/X0faEGEjxq

— Larry Hryb ????????☁ (@majornelson) November 15, 2019

Xbox

Back then, Xbox gave you four menu options; Memory, Music, Xbox Live, and Settings. The one thing I remember being excited about with the original Xbox was the ability to play online and playing Halo. I also managed to copy 200+ CDs to my Xbox with no low memory warning. Before the days of streaming everything, the 8GB storage capacity of the original Xbox was the best way for me to store music.

On the original Xbox, the game lineup of Panzer Dragoon Orta and Ninja Gaiden really solidified my loyalty to the Xbox console and brand. In the beginning, it appeared that Microsoft had a way to compete with the sometimes dull Sony Playstation consoles.

Xbox 360

I thought the Xbox 360 was the turning point for Microsoft. The Xbox 360 beat out the Sony Playstation 3 and Xbox exploded into the place to play online with Xbox Live. Call of Duty Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2 provided more than enough reasons to play online with Xbox Live. More people communicated online than ever before. Microsoft started pushing unnecessary accessories with the Kinect, instead of focusing on the most important thing about Xbox; gaming. Microsoft tried to make Xbox 360 as a 360-degree experience for your home, handling all your multimedia, but Microsoft was trying to do too much, too soon.

Xbox One

The Xbox One was a highly-anticipated console. I thought Microsoft was going to really nail the delivery this time and outperform Sony and its Playstation consoles. Unfortunately, Microsoft blew it. The original Xbox One was a huge departure from what fans and people wanted and the Xbox One launch suffered as a result. Kinect was a mandatory accessory that you needed to buy with the Xbox One console. By the time Microsoft fixed the requirement of the Kinect, it was too late, Xbox fans went back to Sony and the more game-centric Playstation 4.

Xbox One S and Xbox One X

Microsoft fixed some of the mistakes of the original Xbox One with a more compact and improved version, introducing the Xbox One S and the “most powerful console on the planet,” Xbox One X. Both consoles are enticing, but with the next generation of consoles likely coming in 2020, There is no point for me to upgrade to a newer Xbox One if my OG Xbox One is still functioning.

A Look Ahead…

Project Scarlett may be the next generation for Xbox and may claim to be the best console experience ever, but there is plenty of competition. Google, Apple, Sony, and Nintendo all have their pros and cons, but Nintendo has been the one console maker that has continued to evolve with their console offerings with the Wii and Switch. Sony has stayed the course with just producing Playstation gaming consoles without much need to think “outside the box.” However, I am confident that Microsoft is finally making Xbox a better brand to compete in an increasingly saturated gaming market.

You can now play games using an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription on your Windows 10 PC and Xbox One console. Game streaming is currently only available on Android phones and tablets by using the Xbox Game Streaming app. Of course, you still need to be connected directly to your console via a local Wi-Fi connection. However, I imagine that Microsoft will continue to refine and improve game streaming on any device moving forward.

What’s your fondest Xbox memory? Where is Xbox lacking? Let us know in the comments!

One of the most highly-anticipated video games of 2019, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, is now live on Microsoft’s Xbox One consoles.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the first major single-player story-focused Star Wars title released in a long time and is also the first single-player video game set within the new Star Wars canon established by Disney.

The game takes place between the events of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope and follows the journey of a young Jedi who survived Order 66 which wiped out the majority of the Jedi around the galaxy. Players will get to explore new and classic locations within the Star Wars universe in addition to experimenting with a number of Force powers.

To celebrate the launch of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a rather special launch trailer was released that shows a young girl connecting with her father (and his co-workers) by imaging herself as a Jedi. It’s really well done and is worth checking out below.

It’s a good time to be a Star Wars fan. In addition to the launch of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order on Xbox One, earlier this week saw the debut of the new Star Wars live-action TV series, The Mandalorian, on the new Disney+ streaming service.

While the official Disney+ app did launch on Xbox One consoles, there is yet to be one made for Windows 10 devices. Fortunately, there is a way to make a Disney+ PWA on Windows 10 which we explored here.

Have you been enjoying Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and The Mandalorian? Let us know in the comments below (no spoilers!) and then follow us on Pinterest for more geek content.

Download
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STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order™ Deluxe Edition

Developer:
Electronic Arts

Price:
$12.49

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STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order™

Developer:
Electronic Arts

Price:
Free

AVICII Invector, a rhythm-action title that originally launched on Sony’s PS4 console back in 2017, will finally arrive on Microsoft’s family of Xbox One consoles next month on December 10th. Gamers and music fans can pre-order it and pre-download it from today.

This Xbox One release won’t be just a copy-and-paste of the original PS4 version, though, and will have new music, new worlds, and a variety of unannounced UI and gameplay improvements. AVICII Invector was conceived and worked on by the late DJ himself before his passing and a portion of its profits will go to the Tim Bergling Foundation.

The Tim Bergling Foundation was established by Bergling’s family after his death and is dedicated to raising awareness about mental health issues and suicide prevention. You can read more about the foundation on its official website here.

Here’s the official game description and announcement trailer for AVICII Invector:

AVICII Then | AVICII Now | AVICII Forever

Belt up and blast into the rhythmic regions of unexplored space in AVICII Invector. Created in collaboration with the late superstar DJ, AVICII Invector is a pulse-pounding, frenetic rhythm-action experience. Soar through vocal melodies, sweep each fade and attack every beat in 25 of AVICII’s biggest hits, including global chart toppers: Without You, Wake Me Up and Lay Me Down. Fly solo or recreate the party feeling of an AVICII concert with heart-thumping, competitive gameplay. Each track is built to perfectly match the on-screen visuals taking you through a musical odyssey of serene exploration. Find your rhythm, feel the beat and keep the musical journey flowing.

• Master 25 hit anthems from the phenomenal talent of late superstar AVICII.
• Flow-through SIX mesmerising worlds wrapped in a magnificent musical experience.
• Turn up the volume and set yourself a challenge across THREE complexity levels.
• Play solo or with up to 4 friends in split-screen multiplayer action.
• Lay down your high score and rise up the Global Leaderboards.
• Explore a pure-hearted narrative journey set against the globally celebrated works of AVICII.

Are you a fan of AVICII and will you be picking up this game? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest for more Xbox gaming news.

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AVICII Invector

Developer:
Wired Productions

Price:
$19.99

Microsoft’s latest value adds to its Xbox Game Pass may be some of the best digital deals coming out ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Announced on the heels of its fan appreciation showcase X019, Microsoft seeded the news of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate getting some new perks that will now include 1 month of EA Access, 3 months of Discord Nitro and 6 months of Spotify.

The new additions help bring some 50 new games to the Game Pass vault thanks in part to access to EA’s library of titles.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is available for $1 for 3 months. Ultimate subscribers get 1 month of EA Access, 3 months Discord Nitro, and 6 months of Spotify.

Obviously Microsoft trying to make Game Pass the ideal digital gift. https://t.co/wnBDjZiBhS

— Jeff Grubb (@JeffGrubb) November 14, 2019

Game Pass Ultimate is normally $14.99 per month and traditionally includes access to Xbox Live Gold, exclusive member discounts, and Xbox Game Studio titles across PCs and consoles.

However, Microsoft is seemingly using today’s announcement to help push the subscription further by bundling all of the extra goodies for the low price of $1 for a 3 month trial period.

While much of the offering is spelled out on xbox.com in the bold text of plans section, it’s the fine print underneath users will need to reread to get the full benefit of the new deal which includes trial end dates, Russian exclusions, and redemption codes.

*Not valid for existing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members, other exclusions apply. Offer available in all Xbox markets excluding Russia. A credit card required. After the promotional period, subscription continues to be charged at the then-current regular price (subject to change), unless canceled. Plus applicable taxes. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Limit 1 offer per account. Game catalog varies over time and by country.

EA Access Disclaimer: $4.99/month or $29.99 per year after the trial, unless canceled. Conditions, limitations, and exclusions apply. See ea.com/eaaccess/terms and ea.com/eaaccess for details. Sign up for trial by Jan 6th, 2020. Not available for existing EA Access members. Not available in Russia.

Discord Nitro Disclaimer: Available in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, United Kingdom, and the United States $9.99/month USD or $99.99/year USD after trial unless canceled. Codes available while supplies last. Offer open to new Discord Nitro subscribers only. Offer ends Jan 6th, 2020 and must be redeemed by March 31st, 2020. Terms and conditions apply. Please visit https://discord.com/discord-xbox-offer-2019 for more details. Available platforms: PC, Mobile.

Spotify disclaimer: $9.99/month USD after trial. Codes available while supplies last. Open only to users in the United States and the United Kingdom who haven’t already tried Premium. Offer ends 4/1/2020, codes must be redeemed by 10/1/2020. Terms and conditions apply. Please visit https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/Spotify-6m-Xbox-offer for more details.

If you’re up and running with Microsoft’s new Edge Browser and are in the Dev channel, it’s time for an update. Microsoft just pushed out build 80.0.328.4 to you. This build doesn’t come with any new features, but there are lots of new reliability improvements.

Microsoft has fixed issues where the browser might crash on launch, and resolved is an issue where closing a tab might cause the browser to crash. Other issues fixed include an issue where installing extensions sometimes leads to a browser crash. The full list can be seen below.

• Fixed an issue where navigating to certain websites crashes the browser.
• Fixed an issue where Edge crashes on close, causing the Restore Tabs prompt to unexpectedly appear at startup.
• Fixed an issue where only the first Edge window opened in a session is all white with no UI.
• Fixed a hang on launch.
• Fixed an issue where Edge on Mac hangs when a user clicks the Restart button on the Settings page to install an update.
• Fixed an issue where favorites aren’t syncing properly between machines.
• Fixed some issues where videos protected by DRM, such as on Netflix, don’t play.
• Fixed an issue where the Share dialog doesn’t appear.
• Fixed an issue where pinning a website to the Taskbar fails.
• Reduced the number of times sync errors result in a prompt for user interaction.
• Improved the reliability of screenshots so they stop appearing all black when submitting feedback.

Now, there’s the changed behavior. Fixed is an issue where extensions that are installed from the Chrome Web Store are not getting automatically updated. Also resolved is an issue where the Taskbar icon for Edge isn’t updated to the new icon for some users. Have a look at the other changed behavior below, and check out the full list here.

• Fixed an issue where Application Guard windows re-open when the browser is started even when the startup settings aren’t set to restore the previous session.
• Fixed an issue where two Edge icons sometimes appear on the Taskbar after an Edge update.
• Fixed an issue where some UI images on Mac have black backgrounds.
• Fixed an issue where the first run experience appears on every new tab for some users.
• Fixed an issue where users in certain countries who are not signed into Windows with a work or school account still are not able to remove “Work” profiles that were automatically added to Edge even after a previous fix for this issue was shipped.
• Fixed an issue where the password save prompt unexpectedly appears when filling out credit card info on certain websites.
• Fixed an issue where the … menu appears truncated.
• Fixed an issue where Edge doesn’t interact properly with other applications that try to show dialogs in the foreground.
• Fixed an issue where using the Mac Touch Bar to switch tabs sometimes doesn’t work properly if the tabs are playing video.
• Fixed an issue where zoom is triggering in Reading View on Mac when it shouldn’t be.

There are still a few known issues still persisting from the last Dev release. This includes where users with multiple audio output devices sometimes don’t get any sound from Edge. We invite you to check out the full details here.

Microsoft showed today the first trailer for Age of Empires IV, the latest installment in the popular RTS franchise. The game was first announced back at E3 2017, and it’s being developed Relic Entertainment with some additional work from World’s Edge, a new internal studio at Microsoft taking care of the Age of Empires franchise.

The game’s first trailer isn’t a gameplay trailer, but we can see some nice 3D graphics, with beautiful landscapes giving enough room for a massive amount of units. Microsoft promises that the game will let us “experience the epic, historical battles that shaped the modern world,” and we hope Age of Empires IV will truly push the decades-old franchise to the next level.

The game still doesn’t have a release date yet, but we hope to learn more details about it soon. Sound off in the comments if you’re excited about Age of Empires IV.

If you’re looking to buy an Xbox this holiday, Microsoft has you covered. During its X02019 show in London, the company announced some great deals on Xbox and Xbox gear and games which will start November 24th through December 2 at participating retailers while supplies last.

First of all, you can get up to $150 off select Xbox One Consoles, including bundles with Gears 5, NBA 2K20 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. That brings the price of the Xbox One S All Digital Edition down to only $150. This console comes with all digital editions of Minecraft, and Fortnite.

Other console deals are below.

• $150 off the world’s most powerful console, Xbox One X, available at $349.99.
• Xbox One S starts at $199.99

Microsoft will also discount some controllers. You’ll be able to get $20 off some controllers, including some special limited edition controllers. You’ll even be able to save $10 on Xbox Design Lab controllers.

Now, for the games. You can get 67% off games like Gears 5, NBA 2K20 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. You also can save up to 70% right now too with the X019 Xbox Flash Sale, which ends midnight tonight. Titles included in this range from Gears 5 Ultimate, Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint Gold Edition and Destiny 2: Shadowkeep Deluxe. A full list is available here.  Finally, you’ll also be able to grab three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for only $1.

While not themed towards Xbox, PC gamers also will be covered in these deals. Microsoft is cutting $400 off the price of gaming machines like the Lenovo Legion Y540 15, Asus ROG Strix G GL531GT, and Acer Predator Triton 500.

Today is a big day for Halo fans: The much-anticipated remaster of Halo: Reach, Bungie’s latest Halo game for the Xbox 360 is coming to Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One and PC on December 3. The Xbox team announced the big news during the special Inside Xbox episode live from Microsoft’s X019 event in London.

Let’s take it back to 2552. Halo: Reach is coming this holiday. pic.twitter.com/XFpylxSQyO

— Xbox Game Pass For PC (@XboxGamePassPC) November 14, 2019

Halo: Reach will be the first Halo game coming to Halo: MCC on PC, and it should be the best way to play the game with support for 4K graphics and mouse and keyboard input. The PC version of Halo Reach will be available on the Microsoft Store and Steam, and both versions will support crossplay through Xbox Live. Microsoft’s isn’t supporting crossplay with the Xbox One yet, but the PC version will share cloud saves with the Xbox One version.

Halo: Reach in MCC will be available with Xbox Game Pass for PC and console, but the game will also be available for purchase separately for $9.99. You can already pre-order it for Xbox One and Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store, as well as Steam.

Today during X019 in London, Microsoft revealed two new IPs from Xbox Game Studios, Everwild and Grounded. The first one is from Rare, the UK-based developer of the popular pirate game Sea of Thieves. According to Rare, this is a new experience that will allow players to experience new ways to play in a natural and magical world. The game is still in early development, but a trailer for the game makes it look truly beautiful. “Everwild will give you memorable, engaging, and meaningful experiences for players everywhere to share,” explained Craig Duncan, Studio Head at Rare.

Next up, there is Grounded. This game is from Obsidian Entertainment, a studio that Microsoft purchased last year and which recently released the critically-acclaimed RPG The Outer Worlds. It’s a new first-person survival game, where the player is shrunk down to the size of an ant. It will be coming in Spring 2020, and will be an Xbox Game Preview title build with community feedback. Just like other first-party games, Everwild will also be premiering on Xbox Game Pass for console and PC.

Inside Xbox is still ongoing on mixer.com/xbox, so stay tuned to OnMSFT as we’ll be covering the rest of news as it happens.

The biggest Inside Xbox episode of the year will be streamed live from Microsoft’s X019 event in London today, and as usual you’ll be able to watch it live on your platform of choice. The event will kick off at 12PM PT / 3PM ET, and we’ve embedded the Mixer livestream below:

If you want to earn some free “Mixpot” goodies while watching the show, we invite you to watch this episode on mixer.com while being logged in with your Microsoft account. Today’s MixPot includes an Obsidian Wheel for Sea of Thieves, a $5 X019 promotional pack for the Gears Pop! Mobile game, as well as a chance to win one year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Microsoft has cooked up an exciting program today with news about Halo: Reach in Halo: MCC, the new Flight Simulator game, Project xCloud, new Xbox Game Pass games, and much more. We’ll be covering the event live, so stay tuned to OnMSFT for more gaming news!

In a surprising turn of events today, bitter Customer Relationship Management software rivals Microsoft and Salesforce have teamed up recently to combine strengths and provide better cloud scalability to customers.

More specifically, the Salesforce CEO and outspoken Microsoft critic wants the two companies to deliver new cloud experiences by integrating its noteworthy CRM technologies with Microsoft’s expansive Azure software and communications tool, Teams.

The plan is for Salesforce to build a new integration layer that gives “sales and service users the ability to search, view, and share Salesforce records directly” within Microsoft Teams.

“At Salesforce, we’re relentlessly focused on driving trust and success for our customers,” said Marc Benioff and Keith Block, co-CEOs, Salesforce. “We’re excited to expand our partnership with Microsoft and bring together the leading CRM with Azure and Teams to deliver incredible customer experiences.”

Furthermore, the partnership will see Salesforce move its Marketing Cloud to Azure allowing the company to focus on performance optimizations rather than trying to scale while also reducing onboarding times for their customers.

More importantly, Salesforce’s integration benefits from Azure’s global footprint and helps the CRM giant “address local data security, privacy and compliance requirements,” Microsoft’s cloud has already met in various international regions.

The move obviously was driven more by demand than an altruistic intent as a well-known customer of both companies responded to the integration news with the overwhelming approval of the merging.

“Marriott has more than 7,200 properties spanning 134 countries and territories, so driving efficiency and collaboration is critical,” said Brian King, global officer, Digital, Distribution, Revenue Strategy, and Global Sales, Marriott International. “The combination of Salesforce and Microsoft enables our teams to work better together to enhance the guest experience at every touchpoint.”

Much of this proposed integration is road mapped for 2020 with specific Microsoft Teams integration slated for late 2020.

Yesterday might have been the last day for Xbox Live Gold members to play Elder Scrolls Online for free, but it seems Microsoft isn’t ready to end the free gaming fun just yet. The company has just announced that two other games will be available for free this weekend starting today, until Sunday, November 17.

Perhaps the game most people will be excited for is the new NASCAR Heat 4 game. The successor to the NASCAR Heat 3 from 704Games last year, the new game comes with improved graphics and overhauled audio to make the game look and sound even better, plus new features including a deeper career mode and more driving control options.

If you enjoy your experience during the free-to-play weekend, you can also purchase it 20% off right now, which puts the base game at $39.99 and the Gold Edition for $55.99. If you opt for the latter, you’ll get the 2019 Season Pass bundled in, which includes Jeff Gordon as a playable character in Quick Race and Online Multiplayer, as well as future expansion packs included until December.

Download
QR-Code

NASCAR Heat 4 – Gold Edition

Developer:
704Games Company

Price:
$19.99

If racing isn’t your style or you’re looking for something different, Contra: Rogue Wars is also free to play. During the free run, you’ll have access to local and online 4-player co-op multiplayer, more than 100 buildable weapons, and character progression. The game is taking a $10 discount right now as well, so you’ll only have to pay $29.99 if you decide you want to keep the game after the trial period.

Download
QR-Code

CONTRA: ROGUE CORPS

Developer:
Konami Digital Entertainment

Price:
$3.99

What makes this Free Play Days weekend so exciting is that both of these are new game titles, each having been released only a couple months ago. Which game are you most excited for?

Every time Microsoft releases a new Windows 10 update, the company shares a list of features that have been removed or that are no longer in development. The just-released November 2019 update is no exception, despite being a fairly minor release compared to the May 2019 Update.

If you check the Windows 10 features lifecycle page today, you’ll see that only two features have been removed in the November 2019 Update, Roaming of taskbar settings and support for the Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) cloud service. The list of deprecated features is slightly longer with 5 items, and there’s just one really important thing to note: the My People feature that made its debut with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709) is no longer being developed, and Microsoft notes that it “may be removed in a future update.”

With My People, Microsoft allowed Windows 10 users to ping their favorite contacts to the taskbar, making it easier to send them emails or Skype contacts. Unfortunately, Microsoft never managed Facebook, WhatsApp, or other apps to integrate their Windows 10 apps with My People, and the feature still remains in a sorry state after all this time.

Once again, My People started from a good idea, but it was really up to app developers to make it really useful. Unfortunately, Windows 10 apps seem to a very low priority for app developers, as we’ve seen again this week with the Disney+ app launching on Xbox One, but not on Windows The same can probably be said about Timeline, which still very few Windows apps currently support.

Windows 8 and its new Start Menu showed that Windows users are pretty reluctant to change, and Microsoft should keep this in mind when trying to improve the Windows Shell. My People, Timeline, or Cortana probably aren’t the most beloved features on Windows 10, and we have yet to hear about the return of Windows Sets, an experiment that allowed Windows 10 users to open multiple apps in the same window.

With Windows 10X launching next year, Microsoft is probably more focused on this new version of Windows these days. As we’ve seen on the first demos of the dual-screen Surface Neo last month, Windows 10X will be a brand new Windows that will get rid of legacy components, including Live Tiles on the Start Menu. The OS should be a great opportunity for Microsoft to experiment with new UI and UX elements, something that’s not really possible to do on a desktop OS that millions of people mostly use for work-related tasks.

On the heels of its ARM64 browser availability comes news that Microsoft has an update for its Windows Community Toolkit for developers.

The latest update marked version 6.0, is bringing support for ARM64 as well as XAML Island for .NET Core 3 and new features that include EyeDropper control, Win32 helper notifications on the dashboard and a preview of the highly touted Microsoft Graph with XAML enabled controls.

XAML Islands

XAML Islands enables a developer to enhance the look, feel, and functionality of an existing WPF, Windows Forms, or C++ Win32 application and make use of the latest Windows 10 UI features that are only available via UWP controls like inking. This release improves tooling support for .NET Core 3 and makes it even easier to get started.

ARM64 Support

The Windows Community Toolkit now supports applications that are targeting ARM64. This allows developer’s apps to take advantage of increased performance and battery life by running on the native architecture for devices like the Surface Pro X. We also worked closely with the Win2D team to ensure it also now supports ARM64. This was important for Lottie and other toolkit features that rely on Win2D.

Lottie Improvements

This update brings more Adobe After Effects features to Lottie-Windows, including Linear and Radial Gradients, Masks, Track Mattes, and codegen support for Image Layers. We hope that these additions will allow motion designers and application developers to create even more visually compelling user experiences on Windows 10. Since some of these features rely on newer SDKs, Lottie-Windows now also offers adaptive versioning. We rely on the community to prioritize feature work so please do keep providing your valuable feedback and suggestions for Lottie-Windows here!

XAML Graph Controls Preview

This new addition to the Windows Community Toolkit allows developers to easily authenticate and access Microsoft Graph in Windows 10 apps to create rich data and user connected experiences. These controls are available as a preview of our 6.1 release today and will work with UWP apps and in WPF/WinForms for Win32 apps via XAML Islands on .NET Core 3. In addition, with the help of Xamarin and the Uno Platform, you will also soon be able to use them on Android and iOS.

To read about or get started with the new developer tools, head over to the Windows Blog post here, and Microsoft reminds developers that our docs.Microsoft.com tutorials are also another great source for development references.

I won’t lie. The Surface Pro X is an excellently designed device, but that will probably be the only good thing about it for most people. The reason why? The Microsoft SQ1 processor on the inside of the Surface Pro X, and the limits of Windows 10 on ARM cripple this device. I’ve spent years with all kinds of laptops, and this new Surface feels more of an iPad or Chromebook.

Despite Microsoft beta testing an ARM64 version of the modern Edge browser, as well as planning 64 bit app emulation for Windows 10 on ARM, the damage is done. The Surface Pro X is a device out in the wild but with poor app support and compatibility.

It might be running Windows 10 Pro, but the $1,200 (with keyboard/pen) Surface Pro X only works with 32-bit apps. Microsoft is also depending on developers to recompile their existing 64-bit x86 apps to the ARM64 format, and there doesn’t seem to be a rush, based on this community document.

There’s nothing “Pro” at all with this device. That’s why, in just one week of use, I decided to return the Surface Pro X for a full refund from Microsoft. This simply is a Surface device that I tried to love but ended up hating.

TL;DR

If you’re a first-line worker or someone who is always connected and just using a device for casual web browsing or spreadsheets and office documents, then don’t worry. The Surface Pro X is something you might want. It will able to keep you connected. You can also put it to sleep and wake it up and jump back to where you were before, right when you need it, with no cost to battery life, just like a smartphone.

However, if you’re looking for a serious computer, this isn’t the device for you. You might want to look elsewhere in the ever-diversifying Surface lineup, and perhaps buy a Surface Pro 7. As my job as a reviewer, I’ll tell you that, and some more.

Editors Note: This Surface Pro X was not provided to us for review by Microsoft. Arif purchased it on his own and had planned to keep the device. The opinions are his own and are not influenced by Microsoft.

Very good design

As I covered in both my hands-on and unboxing, the hardware and design of the Surface Pro X are excellent. From the big screen, slim bezels, and overall build quality, it is one of the best-designed Surface devices yet.

On the technical side, the Surface Pro X sports a spacious 13-inch (2,880 x 1,920) resolution touch-screen display with support for 10 points of touch. That is a big improvement over the 12.3-inch (2,736 x 1,824) panel on the Surface Pro 7. It is very vibrant and gets up to 450 nits of brightness, according to Microsoft.

With a tall 3:2 aspect ratio and slim bezels along the side, this all means that I was able to stack my windows side by side. I barely noticed the bigger top bezels, and I was easily able to multi-task and get more things done with this Surface. The display is just so much less-cramped than it is compared to another Surface Pro device and it’s great for productivity.

Elsewhere, the Surface Pro X is outfitted in its classic signature anodized aluminum finish. The color of the finish is Matte Black, which means that it is a fingerprint magnet. This really bothered me in my time with the device, and I found myself constantly wiping it to make sure it was clean.

Moving on, the Surface Pro X has more rounded corners and is thinner than other Surface Pro devices. This makes it easier to hold in the hands. It weighs in at around 1.7 pounds, which is about the same as the other Surface Pro devices. The thickness comes in at around 7.3 mm, which is a bit less than 8.5mm on the Surface Pro 7.

Overall, I’ve never quite felt a Surface device like this before. It’s just so well-balanced and very nice to hold in my hands. For movie watching, and for other multimedia, I often held it in my hand or propped out the signature in-built kickstand and used it more like a tablet. That’s something that I would never do with my Surface Pro 5. It’s what I really loved about the device, and the main reason I was quite hesitant in sending it back.

But, anyway, for all this great design, there is no expandable storage on the Surface Pro X. The SSD is technically upgradable via a slot under the kickstand, but Microsoft suggests that you do it through authorized retailers only. That still doesn’t make up for the fact that the Surface Pro X is missing the MicroSD card slot feature present on almost every Surface Pro device since the original.

USB-C is great (depending on how you look at it)

Before heading into discussing the Microsoft SQ1 processor, another element on the Surface Pro X that I’d like to touch on is its overall connectivity. Depending on how you look at it, this is one of the biggest strengths of the Surface Pro X.

Thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE Modem inside, the Surface Pro X is an Always-Connected PC. This means you’ll be able to live a life free of WiFi. For some, this might be a high-point of the device, but for most (like me) that would just be an added cost having to buy a data plan.

All around, the Surface Pro X only features USB-C ports, as well as Surface Connect for charging. USB-C is now the future of connectivity, and it’s the one port that does it all, so I’m glad to see Microsoft finally come on board with the technology.

You’ll also be able to use USB-C for charging if needed. Microsoft says that the Surface Pro X supports fast charge. However, this is now a feature across all of the new Surface lineup. It’s not something to make the Surface Pro X special.

But there is one big glaring omission here. The USB-C port is not Thunderbolt 3 compatible, so you won’t be able to connect an external GPU to the Surface Pro X. Dell’s XPS 13, and other Windows laptops in this same $1,000 price range already take advantage of Thunderbolt 3, so for Microsoft, the omission is an embarrassment.

Oh, and there’s no headphone jack on the Surface Pro X too. There is a dongle available for this to solve that problem, if it worries you, however. But, coming from a Surface Pro 5, I was initially upset that my new $1,200 PC couldn’t even connect to my $5 headphones.

The Microsoft SQ1 Processor powering the Surface Pro X isn’t what Microsoft says it is

Now, for the SoC powering the device. As I’ve touched on, the Surface Pro X isn’t powered by an Intel processor like most Surface devices. Instead, you’ll find a custom-designed Microsoft SQ1 SoC under the hood. That’s paired with a Microsoft SQ1 Adreno 685 GPU, and, on our unit, a total of 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. This is also a fanless processor too, and there are no ventilation holes in the device.

Technically, this Microsoft SQ1 SoC is based on the Snapdragon 8cX which can be found in other Always Connected PCs like the Samsung Galaxy Book S. Microsoft said that the SoC has three times more performance per watt than the 8th-generation CPUs in older Surface devices. It also mentioned that the Adreno 685 GPU graphics processor is powerful enough to perform two teraflops of graphical computations.

But, for real world-usage, it’s important to note that the Surface Pro X is only compatible with 32-bit Windows 10 apps. 64-bit apps won’t work unless a developer has recompiled it for the ARM64 format. However, Microsoft is said to be working on a 64-bit x86 app emulation for Windows 10 on ARM for some time in the future.

As for the 32-bit apps, the Surface Pro X runs these apps through emulation, which comes at a huge performance cost. That also means that some devices (like my older HP printer) also won’t work on the Surface Pro X, unless there are ARM64 drivers available. Microsoft Store apps, though, work just fine.

Anyway, these bold numbers and claims make the SQ1 seem awesome but trust me when I say it, it simply isn’t true. The SQ1 is really behind any recent processor from Intel, and its overall performance can be really slow due to app-emulation if you’re using 32-bit apps like Google Chrome. Of course this can change as more developers come on board with ARM64, but for now, it really sucks.

I’ll start the technical side of things by first by mentioning some of the Geekbench testing. I  tested the Surface Pro X against my Surface Pro 2017, which is powered by the Seventh Gen Intel Core i5-7300U processor. That’s one full generation behind what Microsoft has tested, but I’ve also linked to other reviewers’ Surface Pro 6 and Surface Pro 7 benchmarks too. Typically, I also try to test my laptops with 3D Mark to test the GPU performance, but that benchmark failed to run on the Surface Pro X.

• Surface Pro X (Microsoft SQ1): 3,524 Single Core/ 11,440 Multi-Core Score
• Surface Pro 7 (Core i5-1035G4): 5,342 Single Core/ /16,859 Multi-Core Score
• Surface Pro 6 (Core i5-8250U): 4,074 Single Core/ 13,567 Multi-Core Score
• Surface Pro 5 (Core i5-7300U): 4,242 Single Core/   8,298 Multi-Core Score

Anyway, as you can see above, the Surface Pro X is really lagging behind all older and newer Surface devices in Single-Core performance. It’s also behind in Multi-Core too but edges out the older Surface Pro 5. This makes it clear that Microsoft isn’t giving the full scope here with its claims.

But these numbers don’t mean much without a story behind it. I’m about to explain, one, on one, why this all is a massive failure for me, and perhaps what might become even one for you too.

The best case of all this is how I used my Surface Pro X in my daily life. I typically use both the Chromium-Edge browser (I call it Credge) as well as the 32-bit versions of Slack, and Microsoft Teams. Again, I’m not a graphic designer or engineer. I’m using some very basic lightweight programs.

So, much to my disappointment, opening a few tabs on the 32-bit version of Credge, and running the emulated version of the 32-bit Teams app, the Surface Pro X felt a bit slow. Slack was also slow to update when I clicked to it. Much to my sadness, Teams was constantly reloading when I clicked it to the foreground in front of Credge.

Typing in WordPress was also slow at times, although closing out tabs sometimes speeded it up. There even was a situation where the Surface Pro X froze on me in the middle of typing an article. But, if you have a look at the task manager image below, you can see the victims here. All these 32-bit apps were eating up 34% of the SQ1 processor and nearly 70% of the RAM.

To be fair, I tried switching out and avoiding all these 32-bit apps altogether. I opted to just use the old version of Microsoft Edge, as well as the web versions of Slack and Teams. The experience was a lot less laggy, and more at home to the way I felt with my Surface Pro 5.

I’ll also go back and mention the ARM64 version of the Credge browser, which came out after my Surface Pro X purchase. I switched and tried it out, and the performance differences were significant. It was much less laggy compared to old Edge, as well as the 32-bit version. I felt right at home when multitasking and the system were able to keep up with my web browsing needs. but it’s important to note it still is in beta. Some things like scrolling were especially buggy and some pages occasionally reloaded without warning. While it might seem like the right fit, this isn’t a piece of software I would recommend for you to install.

Alright. I'll give Microsoft a pass. Looks like the ARM64 version of Credge is now live. Not sending it back just yet. One more day of testing. https://t.co/FFXqdlJzvx https://t.co/EmH7PG3GfZ

— Arif Bacchus (@abacjourn) November 13, 2019

With that in mind, I think that makes the Surface Pro X a great machine for web browsing, keen to an iPad or Chromebook. It definitely isn’t a machine for someone looking to get into graphic design or engineering, or anything that is processing-intensive. Instead, if you’re hoping to do these things, go buy a Surface Pro 7 instead. The 32-bit app emulation on the Surface Pro X will just eat up all the RAM and the SQ1 processor.

But there is one key advantage to this SQ1 processor. Since the Surface Pro X is an always-connected PC, it’s able to go to sleep and wake up instantly, just like a smartphone. I put my Surface Pro X to sleep after writing an article in the morning with battery life at 74%. I then went out and spent a good 4 or 5 hours away from home. I came back and pulled down the Type Cover on my Surface Pro X. Within one second, everything I was doing a short 5 hours ago was right there in front of me, and the battery was still at 74%.

At the end of the day, that’s amazing for some, but as I wrote this section of this review, I really just asked myself one question: I just purchased a $1,200 Surface, and should I really be changing up the workflow or apps I use just for fancy hardware or design? Definitely not, and I really think you shouldn’t either.

The battery life is just alright

Battery life is something that is always quite controversial. With the promise that Always Connected PCs have better battery life than devices with Intel processors, I was a bit curious to see how the Surface Pro X stands up. Sadly, it didn’t do so well and put up similar numbers to an Intel-based PC.

To test the battery, I turned the screen brightness down to around 15% and looped the trailer for Olympus Has Fallen overnight with the Surface in “Recommended” settings. Measuring against the in-built batterycfg report, the Surface Pro X lasted around 9.5 or 10 hours in this basic test. That’s about close to the 8.45 hours you’ll get with the Surface Pro 6.

That 40% lasted me for two hours of web browsing image and video playback, and writing my hands on in WordPress. I ended with 12% and a total battery life of around 9 hours. Definitely not the 13 hrs. But still great for me. pic.twitter.com/A9CVq3e4r2

— Arif Bacchus (@abacjourn) November 8, 2019

I also tested web browsing and battery life by running it through my everyday workflow. Running a 32-bit version of Chredge, and Teams and Slack, the device lasted us for about 5 hours of web browsing. Switching that up to just using Old Edge, or the ARM64 version of Chredge, and non-32 bit apps improved it to about close to 7 or 8.5 hours. The screen was around 20% brightness at all times, and Bluetooth and the Cellular network were disabled.

Overall, though, these numbers are still well short of the 13.5 hours quoted by Microsoft. It was still good enough to get me through my 8:30 AM-3:30 PM workday on a single charge.

This isn’t a Surface for gaming

Now, Microsoft mentioned during its October 2 event that the Surface Pro X processor is powerful enough to perform two teraflops of graphical computations. I’m not much of a PC gamer, but I will tell you that is nonsense. The Surface Pro X isn’t for gaming or any graphical intense tasks.

It again goes back to my original point: This is a device that is more for first-line workers if you’re looking to game on your Surface, buy a Surface Book 2 instead.

Anyway, some on Reddit have pointed out that the Surface Pro X can run games like Counterstrike: Global Offensive, but I haven’t had any luck with that at all. I installed Steam, and tried playing Rocket League, BroForce, as well as Castaway Paradise, and all three failed. The games would load but freeze at the title screen. It was a huge letdown for me, as these aren’t even intense games that work perfectly fine on my older Surface Pro 5.

Yeah, um, the Surface Pro X isn't a gaming machine. You'll be able to play Minecraft and some lighter Windows Store games… But I tried to install Steam and some games. But nope. It crashed. pic.twitter.com/INGPHpMhXd

— Arif Bacchus (@abacjourn) November 9, 2019

However, all hope is not lost. Microsoft Store games work just fine on the Surface Pro X. Minecraft runs perfectly smooth without zero lag. A more graphically intense game like Asphalt 9: Legends works just fine too, with the occasional dropped frame.

The Type Cover is decent, at the right angle

Moving forward to the Type Cover, I want to mention the typing experience is just as good as anything I experienced with my Surface Pro 5. The keys on the type cover deck have a nice feeling, and I was easily able to jam my way though articles. The trackpad, however, is my least favorite part of the experience. It’s very loud, and hollow, and I often found myself using an external mouse with the Surface Pro X instead.

In addition, since there is now room for the Surface Slim Pen in the middle part of the Type Cover keyboard, it no longer securely attaches to the screen. Only the left and right sides of the keyboard have magnets that touch the screen, and this makes the keyboard very wobbly. It’s noticeable when I used the Surface Pro X in my lap, as I needed to adjust the kickstand to a precise angle, so the Type Cover wasn’t moving left and right when I was typing.

The Surface Slim Pen is amazing

Finally, there is the new Surface Pen. Along with the design of the Surface Pro X, this new Surface Slim pen is downright amazing. I’m not much of an artist or a designer, but I do often find myself taking notes and journaling in OneNote, and the pen is great for that.

Compared to previous generation Surface Pens, it is more flat and ergonomic. This means it fits in my hands more easily. There’s also the added benefit of it being rechargeable, as I don’t need to worry about swapping batteries when it dies out. However, I did find it quite annoying to have to “pull” down the Type Cover to get the pen out of its housing and built in recharging station. Most times, I just kept it attached to the side of the Surface as I did with my Surface Pro.

As for the performance of the pen itself, I find that its tip is harder when compared to the original Surface Pen. This makes it glide across the screen more easily. This also assists in the new “Tilt” support which Microsoft played up. I actually was able to turn the pen on its side and write on the screen, which fairly amazed me.

A return made easy, and I’m glad I did

At the end of the day, I found out that the Surface Pro X is something that might not be for everyone. I really loved its new design, and that is something that I think people will like. However, the overall performance of the Microsoft SQ1 processor and the 32-bit app-emulation wasn’t for me and might pose problems for others too.

I ended up having to change up the apps I use, just to get an optimal experience on this device. So, I walked into a Microsoft Store and returned it. I’ll be buying either a Surface Laptop 3, or a Surface Book 2 in its place, as these devices might actually work better for what I need it for.

Have you ever wanted to become a princess and ride your very own rainbow unicorn while exploring the countryside and a mystical dream world? Well, The Unicorn Princess might just be the game for you and it’s now playable on Microsoft’s Xbox One family of consoles.

The game is all about the horse riding experience and allows players to ride up to six different horses, which can all be customized to suit personal tastes, and offers up to 15 different missions for players to complete. The Unicorn Princess will also play in 4K UHD when played on an Xbox One X console.

Here’s the full game description:

From your village, the Dream World is just a step away!

Befriend Unica the unicorn while exploring the real world and the world of dreams.

You’re the only one who can help Unica save her world!

• 15 different missions between two worlds
• Many options to customise your character and horse
• An open world to explore on the back of one of six horses available

While this game does clearly have a very niche audience, it could make for a fun Christmas present next month for any children in your life or any adult friends who probably watch way too much My Little Pony.

Are you planning to pick up The Unicorn Princess? Let us know in the comments below and the follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox gaming news.

The app was not found in the store. ?

Go to store
9n2qb8qrpc5h+windowsstore”>Google websearch

Shortly after winning the highly publicized Department of Defense JEDI contract, Microsoft is now sending representatives to meet with the Pentagon officials, according to reports from Bloomberg.

Specifically, Microsoft representatives started meeting with Pentagon officials as early as today, November 13, 2019, and plan to continue a series of assemblies to discuss how the two can collaborate on artificial intelligence contributions to the U.S. military.

In addition to winning the JEDI contract and attending this third annual AI Industry Day, Microsoft had already snuggled close to the DoD by winning a previous $480 million contract to construct a combat-ready version of its HoloLens technology, much to the chagrin of many employees of Microsoft.

While it may seem like Microsoft is consolidating its JEDI contract communications, the truth of the matter is that the company’s appearance today at the Pentagon’s third annual “AI Industry Day” will be among 140 other organizations that include Lockheed Martin, IBM, Boeing, and a dozen or so lesser-known startups as well.

Back on October 15, 2019, it was first announced that the DoD would host the AI Industry Day centered around the Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team or “Project Maven” and the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) to work on software that can help in training data, data and inference platforms, new frameworks, User Interface and experiences, testing and Integration at the Edge for military technologies.

Microsoft just released its latest foray into Windows 10 on ARM devices with the Surface Pro X to mixed reviews, especially regarding performance of current browsers. Perhaps mindful of that, the Edge team has just released a Canary channel update for Microsoft Edge for ARM:

We're pleased to announce that Microsoft Edge for ARM is now available in the Canary channel! Canary is now built natively for the ARM64 architecture that powers some Windows 10 devices, including the new Surface Pro X. It will soon come to the Dev and Beta channels as well. pic.twitter.com/cKg1H3Utfd

— Microsoft Edge Dev (@MSEdgeDev) November 13, 2019

The new Chromium powered Edge built just for ARM is coming soon to the Dev and Beta channels, according to the tweet by the Microsoft Edge Dev team. Apparently, however, this latest update is not without its own problems:

oh no today's Canary build has arm64 (yay!) but scrolling bugs (boo!)

— Kyle Pflug (@kylealden) November 13, 2019

Our own Arif Bacchus has been preparing his review of the Surface Pro X, a venture that has been frustrating for him, to say the least. Can Edge for ARM save the day?

Alright. I'll give Microsoft a pass. Looks like the ARM64 version of Credge is now live. Not sending it back just yet. One more day of testing. https://t.co/FFXqdlJzvx https://t.co/EmH7PG3GfZ

— Arif Bacchus (@abacjourn) November 13, 2019

Stay tuned to OnMSFT to find out if the latest update to Edge can convince Arif to keep his beloved Surface Pro X!

When the head of the Windows Insider program, Dona Sarkar, moved on to work on Microsoft’s Power Platform a few weeks ago, Microsoft’s CVP of Windows and Education Eran Megiddo announced that the company was conducting a search for a new leader of the program. In a bit of under-the-radar news, in a session titled Exploring the Future of Windows with the Insider Program, Sarkar announced that Ian Todd, a Partner Group Program Manager for Windows User Experience, “is currently managing the humans.”

Todd was on the stage in the breakout panel discussion, and while we’re not really sure if this assignment is long term, it sure sounded like he’s taking the reins. During the presentation, Sarkar re-introduced him as being in his “first month of managing the Insider program, like full-on managing the squad” Todd goes on to say that he’s been getting to know the team and the program at “a much deeper level,” and that he’s loving what he’s seeing. Todd promises to continue with the community aspects of the program that were developed by Dona Sarkar (and before that by Gabe Aul, who’s now a VP of VR engineering at Facebook).

Update: While it wasn’t stated in the session, Brandon LeBlanc has clarified on Twitter that the position is temporary until a permanent replacement is found:

This is *temporarily*. Ian was Dona's manager/our skip manager. As is normal when someone leading a team moves on, Ian has stepped in to drive things until Dona's replacement is determined. The process of filling Dona's position as the lead of our team continues. https://t.co/GMsoaxlMjI

— Brandon LeBlanc (@brandonleblanc) November 13, 2019

The session itself is interesting on a number of levels, and features John Cable from Windows Servicing, David Weston from Windows Security, Todd, Amanda Langowski from Windows Flighting, and Jason Grieves from Accessibility. You can watch the embedded session here, and remember that almost all Ignite sessions are now available for viewing.

With the launch of the Windows Insider Program back in 2014, led by Aul, and then the transition from Aul to Dona Sarkar, much was made of the introduction of the new leader of the program. This time, not so much, but as the Insider program has matured, maybe that’s to be expected. We’ll be interested to see if there’s a more formal introduction, or if Todd is only temporarily taking on the duties while a search is completed.

For now, as Dona Sarkar said in the session, direct your complaints to Todd!

As Microsoft is getting ready to kick off its X019 event in London tomorrow, you may not want to miss the upcoming Inside Xbox Live stream at 12PM PT tomorrow. Microsoft teased on Twitter that tomorrow’s live stream will be “our biggest episode ever,”and there’s a custom Twitter events page for following all the X019 action.

When we say our #X019 Inside Xbox is our biggest episode ever, we mean Biggest. Episode. Ever.

Tune in this Thursday on @WatchMixer: https://t.co/DCF9Suhl4b pic.twitter.com/oCBlxuWFt6

— Xbox (@Xbox) November 12, 2019

Once again, Microsoft will also offer free “MixPot” digital rewards to those of you who will watch Inside Xbox on Mixer tomorrow. This time, you’ll be able to earn an Obsidian Wheel for Sea of Thieves, a $5 X019 promotional pack for the Gears Pop! Mobile game, as well as a chance to win one year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

We’re bringing you an exclusive MixPot fit for our biggest #InsideXbox ever!

• Obsidian Wheel for Sea of Thieves
• $5 Gears POP! X019 Promotional Pack
• A chance to win One-year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Only on @WatchMixer: https://t.co/LTMyBe6o6g pic.twitter.com/qsbec39q34

— Xbox (@Xbox) November 13, 2019

Microsoft already revealed that this upcoming Inside Xbox episode will bring news from over 10 Xbox Game Studios titles, new game reveals, big news about Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud, and much more. We’ll be covering the event live on Thursday, so stay tuned to OnMSFT for everything related to X019.

The Bee Simulator video game is now live on Microsoft’s family of Xbox One consoles. The game is one of very few titles that allow the player to experience the world from the perspective of a bee. Players can fly around and explore a park, collect pollen, avoid wasps, and play with up to three other players in local split-screen co-op and PVP matches.

Here’s the official game description:

See the world through the eyes of a bee! Explore a world inspired by Central Park where you can take part in bee races, collect pollen from rare flowers and defy dangerous wasps.

Play with friends or family in three game modes, including co-op and PvP on split screen.

The hive awakens as the sun’s first rays warm the horizon. It’s time to test your wings, receive orders from the Queen and begin your first mission. And that’s just the start of your adventures. Humans want to cut down the tree that holds your hive, so your fate – and that of the whole swarm – rests on your tiny shoulders!

Bee Simulator is currently selling on Xbox One with a 10% discount and the game will play in 4K when played on an Xbox One X console.
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Bee Simulator

Developer:
Bigben Interactive

Price:
$19.99