Microsoft’s usual early Friday Dev Channel update to the new Chromium based Edge hit a bit of a snag this morning when some testers found that the browser wouldn’t launch. That build, 76.0.167.0, was quickly pulled, and the Edge team has rereleased the latest Dev Channel build with that issue now fixed.

In addition, this week’s Edge Dev build has a number of interesting new features, here’s the list:

• The built-in translator has now rolled out to everyone. We’d appreciate it if you’d let us know how it works on your sites in your language. Just use the send feedback smiley button.
• Dark mode, which many of you have enabled manually via a configuration flag, is now on by default for everyone. To see Microsoft Edge in dark mode, you will need to change your Windows or macOS system settings.
• Keyword search for the address bar is now enabled. When you begin to type the “keyword” for a search engine into the address bar, you will be reminded that you can press tab to search using that engine. You can also type the entire keyword and press space to enter keyword search mode. If you continue typing and press enter, you will navigate directly to search results for that search engine. You may also see search suggestions from that engine as you type. Keyword search is available for all search engines you install or which are automatically detected for you as you browse. To manage search engines, open Settings, then Privacy and services, then Address bar, then Manage search engines. Here you can add or delete search engines AND customize the keyword used for them.

Some other improvements:

• Added a “Close Microsoft Edge” option in the “Settings and more” menu
• Improved dark theme support in Browser Task Manager
• You can now tab to address bar icons which indicate blocked site permissions
• Apps now appear in the same order on the apps menu and the apps page
• Updated the keyboard focus rectangle so that it’s more clearly visible

Along with the new features, the team has been hard at work fixing bugs, here’s what’s fixed in this release:

• • Fixed an issue that was causing high CPU usage while the browser was idle.
  • Fixed an issue where extensions couldn’t alter video playback speed.
  • On the download page, individual download cards no longer change height as you tab through them.
  • Removed the “Unknown” option from the language dropdown menu in the translator
  • Fixed an issue where encrypted video only appears as a black screen.
  • Fixed an issue where clicking on menu items sometimes doesn’t do anything.
  • Fixed a crash when enabling sync.
  • Fixed a crash during the first run experience.

• Fixed an issue where the Settings page crashes due to a corrupted user profile.
• Fixed a crash when opening Settings while in a guest browsing session

As a reminder, you can download and install either the Edge Insider Dev Channel (weekly updates) or Canary Channel (daily updates), or even run them both at the same time.

Following the release of the Xbox One 1905 update last week, Microsoft is updating its Xbox apps for iOS and Android today. The updates keep up with the latest Xbox Live Messaging improvements now available on Xbox One on Windows 10. First of all, the new mobile apps now have the same “Message Requests” feature that puts Xbox Live messages from strangers in a separate section.

The messaging experience has also been updated with a new UI, improved group messaging functionality and faster performance. However, the Contacts section still doesn’t display if your online friends are on Xbox, PC or mobile, something that is now visible on Xbox One and the new Xbox Game Bar on Windows 10.

Here are the full release notes for iOS and Android:

This update kicks off a series of improvements that we’re making to messaging in the Xbox Mobile App!

In this update we’ve added:
-New messaging UI that’s faster and more performant
-Improved group messaging functionality
-Improved spam control in your inbox with the addition of ‘Message Requests’

We’ve also made numerous bug fixes and stability improvements based on your feedback. Please continue to send us feedback as we roll out these new changes over the coming months!

The Xbox mobile apps could soon play a bigger role as Microsoft prepares to launch public trials for its Project xCloud game streaming service. Microsoft never brought Xbox One game streaming to mobile devices (something that the Windows 10 Xbox app does support), but we expect Project xCloud to either leverage the existing Xbox mobile apps, or have its own dedicated apps on iOS and Android. We’ll hopefully learn more about Microsoft’s plans during the company’s E3 press briefing on June 9.

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As the US-based tech companies square off against Huawei, in large part to a tariff war between the United States and China, Microsoft has decided to figuratively remove its hat from the ring by pulling Huawei products from one of its Cloud Server Catalogs.

According to Bloomberg news, “Microsoft Corp. has removed Huawei Technologies Co. from one of its websites offering cloud gear, a week after the U.S. government blacklisted the Chinese company.”

This has been one of the most significant moves Microsoft has made in the wake of the new US regulated restrictions levied against Huawei, and could potentially trip up its momentum in the cloud with Huawei being one of Microsoft’s partners in its Azure Stack product program.

Interestingly enough, Microsoft has remained mum on whether or not it has officially pulled Huawei’s ability to license its Windows operating system for laptops and smart devices.

Even as the US eases its initial restrictive stance against Huawei’s business operations, major industry players remain strident in their positions on Huawei with companies such as Intel, Qualcomm, and Google informing employees that they will not supply the China-based manufacturer “until further notice.”

A newly uncovered patent (see above image) filed by Microsoft offers a glimpse at a potential future iteration of the Type Cover detachable keyboards that are used with the company’s line of Surface devices.

Discovered by WU, this new patent shows a new type of Type Cover that would feature built-in magnets designed to stick the keyboard to the back of a Surface device when flipped around, something that’s occasionally done when using the Windows 10 Tablet Mode.

Surface owners who frequently use Tablet Mode will be well-aware that the Type Cover can also be completely removed from the Windows 10 device for a less-cluttered tablet experience but if the idea presented this new patent works well, it may encourage more people to keep their Type Covers attached at all times.

Is this a feature that you would like to see come to future iterations of the Type Cover? Would you pay to upgrade to one that has it? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Twitter for more Surface news.

Some Xbox One owners over on Reddit have begun to notice that the order of the Dashboard tabs on their consoles have started to change.

Reddit user, sakattack360, was the first to make a post about his console’s new menu order which now displays Home, Game Pass, Mixer, and then Community followed by Store. He had assumed that this change was due to being an Xbox Insider but other users soon commented that their Dashboards had also changed and they weren’t part of the Xbox Insider program.

This change hasn’t rolled out to everyone though (As of the time of this writing, my own Xbox One still uses the original Home, Mixer, Community, Game Pass, Store order) so the odds are that this is simply Microsoft doing some sort of testing to see which menu order gets the most engagement from users.

Do you have a preferred order for the tabs on your Xbox One Dashboard? Let the community know where you’d want each tab in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox gaming content.

Microsoft has created a new browser extension for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox users who care about security. The new Windows Defender Application Guard extensions for the two browsers provide the same hardware-based isolation technology found on Microsoft Edge on Windows 10, and they will automatically redirect users to an isolated Microsoft Edge session when they’re visiting untrusted websites.

Once the extension is installed, users will be able to open an Application Guard session anytime by just clicking the extension icon in the browser. “In the isolated Microsoft Edge session, the user can freely navigate to any site that has not been explicitly defined as enterprise-trusted by their organization without any risk to the rest of system. With our upcoming dynamic switching capability, if the user tries to go to an enterprise site while in an isolated Microsoft Edge session, the user is taken back to the default browser,” the company explained.

The new extensions for Chrome and Firefox require the configuration of Windows Defender Application Guard on Windows 10 PCs, plus the definition of network isolation settings by IT admins, as well as the installation of a new Windows Defender Application Guard companion app from the Microsoft Store. This app is the component that will allow Chrome and Firefox users to browse untrusted sites in the isolated Microsoft Edge environment.

Last year, Microosft previously released a Windows Defender Application for Google Chrome, but this one only provides a real-time indicator of harmful sites and website status to the browser. It can be used by all Windows 10 users, unlike these new Windows Defender Application Guard extensions which are designed first and foremost for the enterprise world. “We know that many of our customers depend on multi-browser environments to allow enterprise apps to meet various compatibility requirements and enable productivity,” the company explained today.

Microsoft has signed an agreement with Netherlands-based wind farm development company Eneco to purchase ninety megawatts of energy from its massive 731.5 MW offshore wind project, the Borssele III/IV. As part of the agreement, Microsoft will receive renewable energy from Eneco for 15 years starting in 2022, which will be used to power the company’s datacenters that reside in the country. Brian Janous, general manager of Energy and Sustainability at Microsoft, explains:

“Our purchasing of renewable energy helps improve the sustainability of our operations and local grids. This agreement is our 14th renewable energy power purchase agreement and brings our total clean energy portfolio to more than 1.5 GW. The electricity generated will help support the continued long-term growth of Microsoft cloud services delivered from the Netherlands, which is one of 54 Azure regions announced and part of one of the largest and most innovative cloud infrastructures in the world.”

This is Microsoft’s second significant wind energy purchase in the Netherlands, having previously signed an agreement with Vattenfall to purchase 100 percent of the energy generated by a repowered farm that was conveniently located near its datacenters. The company has also made numerous other investments in both wind and solar energy throughout the world, bringing its entire portfolio to 1.5 GW according to Janous.

It’s definitely clear that Microsoft doesn’t want its customers to have to worry about the sustainability of its services. Renewable energy choices are definitely important decisions for any company, something we should all consider for the near future.

The Banner Saga and Metal Gear Survive are both now playable for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Both titles were announced to be coming to the subscription service this morning and will be followed by six other video games over the coming weeks.

Here’s the official game description and trailer for The Banner Saga:

Live through an epic role-playing Viking saga where your strategic choices directly affect your personal journey. Make allies as you travel with your caravan across this stunning yet harsh landscape. Carefully choose those who will help fight a new threat that jeopardizes an entire civilization. Every decision you make in travel, conversation and combat has a meaningful effect on the outcome as your story unfolds. Not everyone will survive, but they will be remembered.

Here’s the official game description and trailer for Metal Gear Survive:

METAL GEAR SURVIVE builds upon METAL GEAR SOLID V’S enduring stealth action gameplay while introducing the new elements of exploration and survival to create a bold new experience. METAL GEAR SURVIVE is a spin off from the main METAL GEAR SOLID V story that takes place in a strange alternative universe. Create your own character and learn to survive. Scavenge resources, craft weapons, build a base camp and explore the unknown while developing the survival skills necessary in this hostile environment. In CO-OP mode, assemble a team of four players to infiltrate and defend areas from hordes of creatures. Place fortifications and defensive weapons strategically to give you an advantage against ever intensifying enemies. Team work and resourcefulness are key in these fast paced co-op missions.

Xbox Game Pass is a Microsoft-run subscription service that’s kind of like the video game equivalent of Netflix. For a recurring monthly fee, members are given full access to around 100 Xbox video games with new titles being added every month and others removed.

Do you use Xbox Game Pass? Are you happy with these two games coming to the service? Let us know why or why not in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox gaming content.

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When you’re just learning to code, sometimes just getting started is the hardest part. Most tutorials you’ll find online assume you know how to do the basic stuff, and move right in to managing your server farms or whatever. This is true across a lot of technical learning, but especially so for learning Python, an easy to use and easy to read coding language that is still powerful enough to do real coding, but it doesn’t come built-in to Windows. Up until now, getting Python installed on Windows is just the kind of frustrating experience that can slow down or stop aspiring programmers, but that hasn’t gone unnoticed at Microsoft, and the Python team has made some changes to make it much easier to install Python on the Windows 10 May 2019 update, and get to coding without tearing your hair out.

The first thing the Python team did was to help the open source community develop a Microsoft Store installation of Python. With the Store app, rather than hunting around for instructions on how to get the programming language working on Windows, you just install the app and you’re up and running. A Windows Dev blog post explains:

It’s been widely known for many years that Windows is the only mainstream operating system that does not include a Python interpreter out of the box. For many users who are never going to need it, this helps reduce the size and improve the security of the operating system. But for those of us who do need it, Python’s absence has been keenly felt.

Once you discover that you need to get Python, you are quickly faced with many choices. Will you download an installer from python.org? Or perhaps a distribution such as Anaconda? The Visual Studio installer is also an option. And which version? How will you access it after it’s been installed? You quickly find more answers than you need, and depending on your situation, any of them might be correct.

We spent time figuring out why someone would hit the error above and what help they need. If you’re already a Python expert with complex needs, you probably know how to install and use it. It’s much more likely that someone will hit this problem the first time they are trying to use Python. Many of the teachers we spoke to confirmed this hypothesis – students encounter this far more often than experienced developers.

So we made things easier.

But that still wasn’t easy enough, and users expecting Python to just be there may still not know to go to the Store, so Microsoft took it one step further. Now, if you type in “python” or “python3” in the Windows 10 May 2019 Update search box, you’ll be taken directly to the Microsoft Store app if Python isn’t yet installed (once Python is installed, typing “python” opens a command prompt running Python:

As someone who’s spent hours trying to get past a seemingly easy hurdle, so easy in fact that no one bothers to write it up as a blog post or a how-to, this kind of shortcut, making it easier to get started is a welcome addition indeed, and hopefully students and others learning to code won’t feel quite so intimidated when doing a simple task like installing Python is actually indeed simple.

Are you trying to learn to code? What are your pain points?

Microsoft has already flipped the switch and has begun rolling out the Windows 10 May 2019 Update to the general public. While it definitely has its share of useful new features, it also has its fair share of known issues that need to be sorted out, which can be seen in the new Windows Health Dashboard.

Microsoft is currently investigating three of these issues, including one that involves a compatibility issue that prevents the display brightness from responding to user adjustments. Some users are also experiencing audio loss when using Dolby Atmos headphones or home theater. Additionally, another issue causes some known folders—such as Documents, Pictures, or Downloads—to be incorrectly redirected to a newly created folder of the same name. Here’s the issues that are being “investigated”:

• Display brightness may not respond to adjustments
  Microsoft and Intel have identified a driver compatibility issue on devices configured with certain Intel display drivers.
• Audio not working with Dolby Atmos headphones and home theater 
  Users may experience audio loss with Dolby Atmos headphones or Dolby Atmos home theater.
• Duplicate folders and documents showing in user profile directory
  If known folders (e.g. Desktop, Documents, or Pictures folders) are redirected, an empty folder with that same name may be created.

Microsoft has also listed nine other issues marked as “mitigated,” including issues with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Intel Audio, the Camera app, among others. Here’s the list.

• Error attempting to update with external USB device or memory card attached 
  PCs with an external USB device or SD memory card attached may get error: “This PC can’t be upgraded to Windows 10.”
• Unable to discover or connect to Bluetooth devices
  Microsoft has identified compatibility issues with some versions of Realtek and Qualcomm Bluetooth radio drivers.
• Night light settings do not apply in some cases
  Microsoft has identified some scenarios where night light settings may stop working.
• Intel Audio displays an intcdaud.sys notification
  Microsoft and Intel have identified an issue with a range of Intel Display Audio device drivers that may result in battery drain.
• Cannot launch Camera app 
  Microsoft and Intel have identified an issue affecting Intel RealSense SR300 or Intel RealSense S200 camera apps.
• Intermittent loss of Wi-Fi connectivity
  Some older devices may experience loss of Wi-Fi connectivity due to an outdated Qualcomm driver.
• AMD RAID driver incompatibility 
  Installation process may stop when trying to install Windows 10, version 1903 update on computers that run certain versions of AMD RAID drivers.
• D3D applications and games may fail to enter full-screen mode on rotated displays
  Some Direct3D (D3D) applications and games may fail to enter full-screen mode on rotated displays.
• Older versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software incompatible
  Microsoft and BattlEye have identified a compatibility issue with some games that use older versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software.

Microsoft has placed safeguards that prevent certain PCs with incompatibility issues from downloading the update until the issue is resolved. The company is currently studying device health and implementing fixes for a small subset of users that have the May 2019 Update, which is being gradually rolled out to the public. This way, it can minimize potentially major issues should they arise.

Microsoft has mentioned on his release blog post that it is committed to increasing transparency by releasing the new Windows Health Dashboard, which allows users to keep track of known issues much more effectively than keeping tabs on KB numbers. It works not just for the May 2019 update, but also the older versions of Windows as well, including all Windows 10 versions from 1507 on, Windows 7 and 8.1, and Windows Server versions beginning with Windows Server 2008 SP2.

The Windows team has been on a relative tear lately with the release of several updates to users systems that include the official May 2019 Update as well as several rounds of supportive cumulative rollouts.

Adding to its docket of Windows-related releases for the month of May is Windows Server version 1903.

According to the Microsoft Server blog, the sneak peek window for select IT managers and developers is over and the updated version 1903 will be given to all. New features for 1903 include Windows Server Containers that support Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and GPU Acceleration.

The Windows Admin Center Storage experience is also getting some needed attention that now addresses Windows Server 2008 migrations with updated Azure File Sync integration.

Server Core received two new additions in Task Scheduler and Hyper-V manager tools to help improve application compatibility with the Feature on Demand (FOD) augmented server sessions of Server Core.

To see the full list of features and details coming with Windows Server 1903’s rollout, visit here.

Following the release of the Xbox One 1905 Update last week, Microsoft has started notifying users of the Windows 10 Xbox app that the Xbox Live Messaging experience will soon be revamped. According to the message shared by Windows Central, the Xbox app will get the same Message Request feature that Microsoft is bringing to Xbox One consoles and the new Xbox Game Bar on Windows 10, as well as support for GIFs.

However, Microsoft is also warning users that the Windows 10 Xbox app will also lose its group messaging functionality, adding that “a desktop solution for group messaging is coming soon” (Group messaging is already supported in the new Xbox Game Bar). These changes to the Xbox app are apparently coming tomorrow, May 23, and you can read the full message below:

We will be upgrading our messaging services to introduce improved chat features (secondary inbox for non-friends, GIFs, and more). Sadly, your old group messages will be lost during the upgrade, so copy any old chats that you want to keep on Xbox.com.

After the transition, we will be removing group messaging from this app to focus on console settings and simplify our apps. But rest assured a desktop solution for group messaging is coming soon so be sure to update Windows to get the newst Xbox apps and experiences when they become available.

In the meantime, please use the Xbox app on iOS/Android for the upgraded group messages experience. The upgraded group messages will be available on your Xbox console on 23 May.

Thanks for understanding. We continue to look to you and your feedback to help us build the best Xbox apps so please let us know how we’re doing as we transition!

The part where Microsoft says that it will “focus on console settings and simplify our apps” is quite interesting. The new Xbox Game Bar, which has dedicated widgets for Xbox Live Messages and the Looking for Groups social feature, is already much faster than the Xbox UWP app, which has become quite bloated over the years. Perhaps it’s time for Microsoft to trim it a bit and refocus it on some of its killer features, such as Xbox game streaming to Windows 10 PCs.

Microsoft is expected to kick off public trials for its Project xCloud game streaming service later this year, and we’re wondering if the Xbox app could also be used to handle xCloud streaming on Windows 10 PCs. It would make sense if the Xbox app could finally be used to play actual Xbox games, even though those are streamed from the cloud. Otherwise, Microsoft could well launch a separate xCloud UWP app that would do the heavy lifting, similar to what the company did with its Windows Mixed Reality Portal for VR headsets.

This is all speculation for now, but with the Xbox Game Bar becoming really good for everything related to Xbox Live social features, maybe it’s time for the Windows 10 Xbox app to get a bigger gaming role. “I know we’ve talked quite a bit over time about what we want to deliver for the player on PC, but at E3 this year, and throughout 2019, you’ll begin to see where we’ve been investing to deliver across Store, services, in Windows and in great games. It’s just the beginning,” said Xbox head Phil Spencer back in February in an interview with PC Gamer. We’re hoping to hear more during Microsoft’s E3 press briefing on June 9.

The Xbox team is doing it once again, there is a second wave of new Xbox Game Pass games this month. Overall, eight new games will join the catalog between May 23 and June 6, starting with Metal Gear Survive and The Banner Saga tomorrow.

Three other games will join Xbox Game Pass next week, with Void Bastard coming on May 29 and Dead by Daylight and Outer Wilds following on May 30. The later will actually be available on Game Pass the same day as its launches worldwide on Xbox One, Windows and PlayStation 4.

Lastly, The Banner Saga 2, Superhot (a previous Games with Gold title) and Full Metal Furies will be added to Game Pass on June 6. It’s worth noting that the latter also supports Xbox Play Anywhere and cross-platform multiplayer between Xbox One and Windows 10.

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service will likely be a big topic at Microsoft’s E3 press conference on June 9, and we’re looking forward to seeing what Xbox head Phil Spencer will announce during the event. If you have yet to try the game subscription service, we remind you that you can currently get three months of Game Pass for just $1 (instead of $29.97) for a limited time.

The Star Wars Battlefront II video game is receiving a rather significant update on Xbox One consoles right now that has the potential to both please players and cause some controversy.

The biggest change with this update is the increase of level caps. While the player level is still stuck at the same limit it had at launch, all player/character classes can now level up to Level 1,000. This is pretty substantial as previously Troopers would be maxed out at 70, Heroes at 40, ships at 40, Reinforcements at 30, and vehicles at 30.

While players will continue to unlock Star Cards and earn Credits for reaching each level before the previous limits, no rewards will be granted for levelling up to one of the newly available levels. This level increase is very much being done to give players bragging rights and to continue working towards something.

The latter had become almost impossible for many long-time players who had been playing since launch and had already maxed out all of their classes.

In addition to the level increase, today’s update also completely revamps the popular Heroes Versus Villains mode, changing it from the previous targeting system to a new free-for-all model. Once the update is installed, players will no longer be tasked with attacking one specific target on the opponent’s team and will be granted team points for every kill they make.

Other changes include the addition of Kamino to the new Capital Supremacy game mode, the introduction of a dialogue wheel that works like the current emote wheel, appearance bundles being made purchasable with Crystals only, new victory poses for Iden and Rey, an increase to the number of Heroes using voice lines at once, and a variety of character adjustments.

Star Wars Battlefront II has been receiving a lot of updates these past few months and there’s been hints that something major could be announced regarding future updates next month. With the EA earnings call now out of the way and EA Play just two weeks away, it makes perfect sense that any Battlefront II announcements would be coming in June.

Whether that’s the addition of the rumored Padme and Ahsoka Heroes or content to tie into The Mandalorian and The Rise of Skywalker remains to be seen.

Do you play Star Wars Battlefront II on your Xbox One? Let us know what you think of these changes in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox gaming content.

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