Microsoft has just released the Windows 10 19H1 preview build 18282 for Windows Insiders in the Fast Ring. The new build brings a host of new features and improvements, perhaps one of the biggest changes most users will notice is the introduction of a revamped Windows Light Theme. Starting with this build, Light theme will now apply to all system UI including the taskbar, Start Menu, Action Center, touch keyboard and more.

The Snip & Sketch app is also getting some love with this update, as the latest version now features window snip. The window snip option should appear at the top of the app when you start your snip, though Microsoft notes that it the windows snipping experience is currently only available for 50% of Insiders.

The new build also brings several improvements to the printing app, which now additionally supports light theme. New icons have been added to the printing screen to help users quickly identify options, and the app will also automatically text-wrap long printer names as opposed to cutting them off entirely.

Additionally, the long awaited the option to pause Windows updates has been added to this build, and to make things better Microsoft has also added made Active Hours more intelligent by automatically changing the update schedule depending on when the PC is used most often.

Lastly, this new build brings several Narrator improvements including Read by Sentence Braille support, and Microsoft has also changed the display brightness behavior after listening to user feedback. Going forward, Windows will now remember your preferred brightness whether you are on battery or connected to a charger, avoiding sudden brightness changes when charging your laptop.

These new changes bring us even closer to the next major release of Windows 10, which is expected to be released in the Spring of 2018. Which new feature do you find most useful? Your thoughts and ideas are welcome in the comment area down below.

As we previously announced, 15 games will be getting keyboard and mouse support for the Xbox One, with support starting to roll out today for all Xbox One users. With the increase in support for the second type of gaming input method, it seems another company Corsair wants to be one of the first manufactures to specifically support the Xbox One. The company says that it has partnered with Microsoft to license its products for use on the Xbox One. The K63 Wireless Keyboard and Lapboard combo also has a built-in mouse pad for gaming on the sofa in the living room, which could make it work great with the Xbox One.

Of course, Corsair isn’t the first company to announced certified keyboard and mice for the Xbox One. Razer, too, has a product of their own coming soon. And the latter company’s keyboard will include a dedicated Xbox key for quick access to recent games and apps, Xbox Live, quick toggles and the home screen.

Those running preview firmware from the Xbox Insider program can test keyboard and mouse input early, and Microsoft says that most keyboard and mice will work out of the box with its latest console. We have the full list of the 15 titles that are getting support in our other post that you can check out here.

Do you find keyboard and mouse input to be more effective than traditional controller input? Your thoughts are welcome below.

PlayFab, a provider of backend services for cloud-connected games, was one of the first Microsoft acquisitions of 2018. At the time, the Seattle-based company said Microsoft’s Azure infrastructure would be the perfect complement for Playfab’s technology, making the company uniquely positioned to help game developers “focus on building great games instead of back end technology.”

Playfab has continued to expand its platform of features since the Microsoft acquisition, and today the company announced the public preview of PlayFab Multiplayer Servers. This new offering combines the cloud expertise of PlayFab and Microsoft so that game developers building multiplayer experience are free to focus on core gameplay mechanics.

“Our re-engineered multiplayer server solution simplifies cloud resource management to enable dynamic, scale-based game servers on-demand,” explained PlayFab. “We operate the service and servers, so you don’t have to manage dedicated, on-premises server hardware.”

With PlayFab Multiplayer Servers, game developers have access to the same global Azure infrastructure that powers multiplayer in AAA games like Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 4. or Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. “We are hard at work building additional features for you to leverage in the coming months, including a Unity sample, portal experiences for Linux virtual machines, and more analytical tools,” the company said today.

Microsoft appears to be going “All-In” this holiday season with the amount of console bundles, exclusive console designs, new Game Pass game additions, and discounts on accessories and recently released top tier games.

Continuing that trend, Microsoft has licensed its Xbox console for one of its more bizarre partnerships this year, with Burger King adding its iconic branding stamp on its ‘custom built’ Xbox One S.

Any gamers out there would love to get their hands on our custom built Xbox One? ???????? #XboxGamePass pic.twitter.com/HXpoPLtSBB

— Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) November 11, 2018

Despite its arguably gaudy product placement, one lucky fan, frequent eater of Burger King or a collector of pop culture art may appreciate the rather subtle application of Burger King’s artwork.

For the lucky person who ends up with this console and stashes their Xbox vertically in a open face drawer or cabinet will only see the simple Burger King logo near the power button and a rather stylish crown on the controller.

As of now, it seems the offer is coming Burger King UK and there are no real details available on when and where contestants can go to enter for a chance to win this piece of fast food history. We’ll update when more information is available.

Last month, Microsoft shared some new details about its upcoming game streaming service named Project xCloud. Xbox head Phil Spencer first announced the service back in June at E3 2018. That was a couple of weeks before we learned that the next generation of Xbox consoles could include a new “cloud console” designed for game streaming.

From what Microsoft said about Project xCloud last month, the service will be available on consoles and PCs, as well as mobile devices like phones and tablets. Microsoft made it clear at the time that “scaling and building out Project xCloud is a multi-year journey for us,” and even though the project will go in public testing next year, game streaming networks are not expected to go mainstream anytime soon.

That’s what head of Xbox Phil Spencer reiterated in a recent interview with Level Up (via Wccftech). According to the exec, standard gaming consoles are clearly not going away, and they will remain the best way to play games from the couch for quite a long time (You can hear the full segment starting around 6 minutes in the video below):

There are certain scenarios where streaming a game is the best answer. On a console, the best scenario for you is to download that game and play. If you are on a PC that’s capable of downloading and playing that game, download and play that game. Not all devices are capable of playing the most great fidelity games that we see here on the show, so streaming is an option in those scenarios, and there are some scenarios of like instant start and trials where maybe streaming on a device could be interesting, but I think for years and years the best way to play a game on a console will be to download that game and play it. The same thing on PC.

I think streaming is something that’s further out in terms of it becoming a really mass market where everybody is doing it, and even way further out before it’s the best way to play that game, if it ever is. I just think it’s about giving you a choice as a player, not about replacing what you do. We love people who play on PC, we love people who play native games on console, and we’re investing in making that even better.

Phil Spencer also discussed the success of Xbox Game Pass in the same interview, saying that the service already has “millions of suscribers” a little more than a year after its launch. “I love the fact that something like Game Pass brings more people in, playing more games, and that those games see the uplift in players,” said Spencer.

While the other tech companies Apple, Google, and even Dropbox already have storage plans that exceed the former 1 TB limit, Microsoft’s OneDrive still doesn’t have a plan that goes higher than 1 TB. As phones get better and their cameras get upgraded, more people than ever have devices that take high-resolution photos and 4K video. This means cloud storage is also getting filled a lot more quickly, and a single terabyte no longer works for everyone.

Luckily it seems Microsoft is working on offering the option for more storage, according to Omar Shahine, who is the Microsoft’s Director of Program Management for OneDrive. While Shahine’s tweet does shed some light on increased storage limits, it’s still not clear if the current plan will be upgraded or if the upgraded storage will be a separate plan of its own.

Stay faithful. I know it’s hard but we are working on this.

— Omar Shahine ???? (@OmarShahine) November 14, 2018

Microsoft’s OneDrive used to have an unlimited storage option at one time, but the abuse that many user put the service though caused the company to put a 1 TB quota on all Office 365 consumer accounts. Perhaps an upgrade to the storage plans is just what the service needs to compete with the likes of iCloud and Google Drive.

Is the current 1 TB storage enough for you, or do you think Microsoft needs to upgrade the current storage plans? Feel free to tell us what you think about this in the comment section below.

The highly-anticipated online multiplayer title, Fallout 76, is now live and ready to play on Xbox One. The game is similar to previous Fallout video games but features a significantly larger world to explore and is entirely online with a focus on encounters with other players.

Here’s the official game description for Fallout 76:

Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4, welcome you to Fallout 76, the online prequel where every surviving human is a real person. Work together, or not, to survive. Under the threat of nuclear annihilation, you’ll experience the largest, most dynamic world ever created in the legendary Fallout universe.

Reclamation Day, 2102. Twenty-five years after the bombs fall, you and your fellow Vault Dwellers—chosen from the nation’s best and brightest – emerge into post-nuclear America. Play solo or join together as you explore, quest, build, scavenge and triumph against the wasteland’s greatest threats.

Fallout 76 is available on Xbox One in a basic version for a special Tricentennial Edition. The Fallout 76 Tricentennial Edition contains the main game but also comes with the Tricentennial Pack, a collection of in-game digital items such as Tricentennial Power Armors and Weapons Customization, Spectacularly Handsome Vault Boy Mascot Head, Patriotic Uncle Sam Outfit, Celebratory Vault Boy Saluting Emote, First-Class Tricentennial Workshop Posters, and Tricentennial Commemorative Photo Frame. Buying either version of the game on Xbox One unlocks 500 bonus Atoms.

Have you played Fallout 76 yet on your Xbox One console? Share your impressions of it with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox gaming content.

Download
QR-Code

Fallout 76 Standard Edition

Developer:
Bethesda Softworks

Price:
Free

Download
QR-Code

Fallout 76 Tricentennial Edition

Developer:
Bethesda Softworks

Price:
Free

The PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) video game is now available to play for free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Microsoft’s Xbox One consoles.

PUBG has been available to play on the Xbox One as a traditional digital and physical game purchase since late-2017 but making it also available on Xbox Game Pass could encourage even more fans to give it a go on console, in particular the Xbox One.

In a rather strategic move, Sony chose today to announce the PlayStation 4 release date for PUBG, December 7th, with a special announcement teaser video. In addition to the launch date, the video also revealed that the PS4 version of PUBG would boast exclusive items based on Uncharted’s Nathan Drake desert outfit and The Last of Us’ Ellie’s backpack.

It should be interesting to see which platform gamers choose to play PUBG on but with many having already put in almost a year worth of playtime and grinding on Xbox One, it may prove difficult for Sony to convince them to throw away all of that progress and start again on PS4.

What do you think? Are you tempted to switch to PS4 for PUBG or will you be sticking with Xbox One? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more gaming content.

Download
QR-Code

PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS

Developer:
KRAFTON, Inc.

Price:
Free

For the average observer, Lenovo has become synonyms as the ThinkPad laptop company that occasionally release a weird flippy laptop for consumers.

However, the notebook maker has developed quite a brand in the Artificial Intelligence and Digital Fabrication arena over the past decade and today, the company has released some news about upcoming projects and solutions that will further solidify its brand in those sectors.

According to a new press release, Lenovo has partnered with NVIDIA to use the latest GPUs from the company to help businesses develop the most cutting-edge tools for creating and working in the AI and digital fabrication worlds.

To date, Levono has been able to produce some machines that have helped power projects such as the MX3D project in Amsterdam. The MX3D represents the first-ever 3D printed steel bridge that’s making use of AI and a new IoT framework called “nervous system” to help “monitor the bridge’s health over its lifespan.”

“The opportunity to examine real-time data from these sensors will provide insight to inform designs for future 3Dprinted metallic structures. For something like this to succeed, you need partners who are going to help you reimagine the way things are designed and help you stay ahead,” said Gijs van der Velden, CEO of MX3D. “Lenovo workstations have been key in providing the computing power we need to run these complex AI workflows to help our team revolutionize how bridges are built.”

On the world saving front, Lenovo ThinkStations are being used at North Carolina State University to further study the effects of climate change. Using AI, researchers are able to “optimize agricultural irrigation routines and predict the performance of crops in drought-prone regions.” In real-world applications, the use of Lenovo’s ThinkStations allows researchers to plot out the health of crop before issues arise by making use of deep learning algorithms and complex spatial and temporal data.

Lenovo also partnered with Texas-based Mark III Systems to inject more AI use into manufacturing. This time around, Mark III is making use of Lenovo’s Data Center funneling AI recognition through a ThinkStation P330 Tiny to power factory verification systems. The updated validation process has helped Mark III by quickly identifying defective products prior to shipping and delivery, presumably saving the company on fuel and packaging of redelivered goods.

As 3D printing becomes more ubiquitous and digital fabrication converges manufacturing and construction sectors, Lenovo is helping companies look beyond figurines and bridges to more self-sustaining projects such as its partnership with Dutch design firm DUS. Lenovo, alongside DUS and its affiliate company Aectual, are both looking into imbuing professionals with the power to build their own 3D printed homes.

From initial design to final production, Lenovo workstations ensure DUS and Aectual never have to slow down – by powering the development of advanced 3D software and 3D printing technologies as well as the gigantic, on-site robotic printers that are creating these groundbreaking structures and floors.

As mentioned earlier, Lenovo and NVIDIA are partnering to power ThinkStation P330 and P920 Towers with Quadro RTX GPUs for next level visualizations. The new GPU card will offer “real-time ray tracing and AI-enhanced workflows” while also handling some of the most demanding rendering workloads.

With new RT and Tensor cores, Quadro RTX takes rendering from simulated to real-time. Now, instead of waiting several minutes or even hours for the creation of photoreal renders, instant viewing means designers in both the AEC and manufacturing industries can remain immersed in the creative flow and iterate faster to explore more design innovations.

Perhaps, most grateful for the NVIDIA news is none other than Epic Games and its Unreal Engine team. The new workstations powered by the latest and greatest from NVIDIA will now be able to further push the boundaries of game simulation, visualization, and photo-realism.

Microsoft has used this month’s Patch Tuesday to re-release the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, ending a long period of silence since the company had to pause the rollout in October. John Cable, Director of Program Management, Windows Servicing and Delivery penned a new blog post today to explain that even though the company fixed the data loss issues in the October 2018 update, the major release will roll out gradually at a slower pace compared to previous Windows 10 versions.

“While the April Update had the fastest Windows 10 update rollout velocity, we are taking a more measured approach with the October Update, slowing our rollout to more carefully study device health data,” explained Cable. If Microsoft will still allow “seekers” to get the October 2018 update by checking Windows Update manually, it looks like this method won’t push the update to all users. “For those advanced users seeking to install the update early by manually using “Check for updates” in settings, know that we are slowly throttling up this availability, while we carefully monitor data and feedback,” said Cable.

It’s nice to see the company promising to be more careful about this rollout, but we’re still confused about why the company released the October 2018 update so early in the first place, entirely skipping testing with Release Preview Insiders along the way. Now that Cable finally spoke up, the company probably wants to forget this sad episode as soon as possible. Thankfully, the upcoming “19H1” update will help to do just that.

Microsoft is now allowing all Xbox Game Pass subscribers pre-download Crackdown 3 for both the Xbox One and Windows 10 (as spotted by Windows Central). This will allow gamers to install the game, so that it can be almost immediately playable when it officially launches.

The company also listed the game last week on the Microsoft Store, so anyone who has the $59.99 on hand to buy the game can pre-order it for when it officially launches. However, subscribers of Xbox Game Pass get the advantage of being able to pin the game to the home screen of either their Xbox One or Windows 10 for quick access as soon as its official release on February 15. It’ll also be an Xbox Play Anywhere title, meaning a single purchase will allow the game to be downloaded on both systems.

To pre-download the game, make sure to use the link we included below this post. You can also share your thoughts about this and the game down below in the comment box.

Download
QR-Code

Crackdown 3

Developer:
Xbox Game Studios

Price:
Free

The highly-anticipated, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, is now available to play on Microsoft’s family of Xbox One consoles.

This bundle is a re-release of the original three Spyro video games which have all been remastered with a new, higher, HD resolution upgrade and a fresh revamp of all of the graphics.

Here’s the official game description and trailer:

The original roast master is back! Same sick burns, same smoldering attitude, now all scaled up in stunning HD. Spyro is bringing the heat like never before in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy game collection. Rekindle the fire with the original three games, Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. Explore the expansive realms, re-encounter the fiery personalities and relive the adventure in fully remastered glory. Because when there’s a realm that needs saving, there’s only one dragon to call.

While Spyro has been pretty quiet in recent years, the character is incredibly recognizable for an entire generation of gamers who grew up playing his games. The character was also the springboard for the immensely successful, though now dead, Skylanders toys-to-life games.

Have you played Spyro Reignited Trilogy yet on your Xbox One console? Let us know if you’re enjoying it (or not) in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox gaming content.

Download
QR-Code

Spyro™ Reignited Trilogy

Developer:
Activision

Price:
$13.99

Download
QR-Code

Spyro™ + Crash Remastered Game Bundle

Developer:
Activision

Price:
$29.99

The battle for productivity software supremacy is heating up as both Microsoft and Google converge on overlapping audiences.

For sometime now, small to medium sized business and start ups relied on the flexible pricing of Google’s G suite to power their offices and boost their employee productivity. Aiming for the smaller fish allowed Microsoft to keep entrenched larger businesses while simultaneously serving the needs of individual consumers who might be in education. The entire pool was a seemingly copesetic relationship for both Google and Microsoft.

However, there are rumblings as of last week that point to Microsoft coming up with a new “migration experience” for Google G suite customers.

ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley recently wrote about an internal roadmap that points to a Q2 release of a new Office 365 migration experience for former Google G suite customers.

“We’ve heard the feedback and we’re excited to announce the new G Suite migration experience which will allow you to directly migrate email, calendar and contacts from Google G Suite to Office 365! Our highly secure solution ensures your data is directly migrated to Office 365, with no resting points along the way. We’re also adding support for migrating mailbox in batches.”

As of now, it seems Google is drawing first blood with its own Exchange migration tool and has been for some time, however, based on this leak it seems Microsoft is aware that its own limited IMAP mailbox transfer solution is in need of some bolstering to regain lost productivity marketshare.

Microsoft has yet to confirm the leak and may never publically announce it, as it servers as more of a tool for its sales team and partner solutions.

Microsoft keeps iterating fast on its new cross-platform To-Do app, and the team has recently released a new version of the app for Windows Insiders which brings some improvements to Smart Lists (via Aggiornamenti Lumia). First of all, you can now customise your Planned Smart List with a selection of themes, like you can already do in your different lists and “My Day” section. For now, the “Important” Smart List still doesn’t support Themes, but this may well be coming in a future update

Next, there is a new option in Settings for automatically hiding the “Planned” and “Important” Smart Lists in the left panel when they’re empty. You could already disable these two Smart Lists in settings if you have no use for these features.

Lastly, this update brings the usual performance and sync improvements, which are always welcome. We now have the version 1.43.1811.9001 on our Insider machine, which should be coming to non-Insiders in the coming weeks.

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

Some new Windows devices are shipping with unsupported software

PC manufacturers are apparently feeling nervous over the pulled and delayed Windows 10 October 2018 update. The update has experienced numerous issues, leading Microsoft to pull it. However, for PC manufacturers, they are now having to release hardware on an operating system that the hardware has not been tested with, potentially causing compatibility issues.

Microsoft might be separating Windows Search from Cortana in Windows 10 19H1

In Windows 10 19H1, it appears that Microsoft is working on, or at the very least testing, separating Cortana from Windows Search. A new “Conversation Canvas” could house Cortana, similar to how other assistants work, like Google Assistant.

In 19H1, Microsoft is planning to separate Windows Search from Cortana, a smart decision in my opinion. Here's a small preview: pic.twitter.com/1TZvQFNInV

— Albacore (@thebookisclosed) November 10, 2018

The Alexa for PC app is now generally available on the Microsoft Store

Users who have opted for Alexa as their virtual assistant of choice will be happy to hear that the Alexa app is now available in the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft brings dark theme support to the OneDrive Windows 10 desktop client

The trend of adding a dark theme to everything continues to expand. Microsoft has now added a dark theme option to the OneDrive desktop client on Windows 10.

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

Ori fans will be delighted to hear that the next game in the Ori series, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, is coming to Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service. In addition, Ori and the Blind Forest is also on the way.

Ori and the Blind Forest will be available to Xbox Game Pass members on December 20.

Likewise, for those wanting the next instalment to the series, Ori and the Will of the Wisps will be available on launch day to Xbox Game Pass members. The expected release date is sometime in 2019.

Are you excited to delve into the new Ori game through Xbox Game Pass? Let us know in the comments!

At its XO18 event, Microsoft is bolstering its Xbox Game Pass library, adding titles such as PUBG, to entice more users to subscribe to the service.

Another big @XboxGamePass announcement – Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice from @NinjaTheory is coming soon. If you have Game Pass and haven't played this game, move it to the top of your list. It's spectacular! https://t.co/fXLvVCzmGI pic.twitter.com/YA2eA6P2fY

— Larry Hryb ????????☁ (@majornelson) November 10, 2018

Yet another new addition to the library is Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice from Ninja Theory. Normally available for $29.99 from the Xbox Store, the game will be available to all Xbox Game Pass subscribers for free.

From the developers of well-known games such as Devil May Cry, Hellblade will take you back into the Viking age. Here’s an excerpt from the official game description:

Set in the Viking age, a broken Celtic warrior embarks on a haunting vision quest into Viking Hell to fight for the soul of her dead lover.

Created in collaboration with neuroscientists and people who experience psychosis, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will pull you deep into Senua’s mind.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will be available to Xbox Game Pass members on December 17.

Download
QR-Code

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Developer:
Ninja Theory Ltd

Price:
Free

There are several new game releases coming to Xbox One next week. As noted in a post on Xbox Wire, Xbox fans will see a few big-name titles, along with some old favorites coming, including four Xbox One X Enhanced game titles. Here’s a list of all the Xbox One game titles coming next week:

• Spyro Reignited Trilogy – November 13, 2018
• Hitman 2 – November 13, 2018
• Fallout 76 – November 14, 2018
• Battlefield V Deluxe Edition – November 15, 2018

These two games are not available for purchase yet through the Microsoft Store, but should be released on Xbox One on their designated release dates:

• The Long Journey Home – November 14, 2018
• Youtubers Life: OMG Edition – November 14, 2018

Next week will certainly be an exciting week with blockbuster titles like Fallout 76 and Battlefield V coming to Xbox One. Fallout 76 will bring online multiplayer to the newest Fallout installment, using the same game mechanics seen in previous Fallout games. Fallout 76 B.E.T.A didn’t give fans enough time to experience the game, so it will be interesting to see if Bethesda was able to fix any game issues. We will have to wait and see if any serious game bugs will plague Fallout 76 at launch.

Battlefield V will leave World War I behind and we will see if EA will see the same game success the company had with Battlefield 1. Either way, it is sure to be a fun and exciting week for Xbox One fans everywhere.

We recently reported that Sunset Overdrive was coming to Windows 10, and now the game’s Xbox achievements list published by TrueAchievements confirms this to be true. According to the source, there are a total of 80 achievements that can be earned throughout the game, allowing the player to earn Gamerscore points on Xbox Live. And in addition to its Windows 10 release, the game is also reportedly coming to Steam as well (via Wccftech), which could potentially bring the game to Windows 7 and 8 gamers.

Sunset Overdrive is a first person shooter game developed by Insomniac Games. The game has been praised for its artistic design and humor, and is currently only available for those with an Xbox One console. Its release on Windows would greatly expand the available audience, and bringing it to one of the biggest gaming platforms out there only sounds logical for the company. Unfortunately, the Windows 10 version is unlikely to be an Xbox Play Anywhere title considering its achievement list is short of the 88 total available in the Xbox One version.

The title is currently available for $19.99 on the Xbox Store, but it’s currently free with Xbox Game Pass. We’re looking forward to seeing if the PC port will be as affordable as the Xbox One version.

Download
QR-Code

Sunset Overdrive

Developer:
Microsoft Studios

Price:
Free

Microsoft is adding to its partner’s list with a new collaboration between the company and Native Network, a telecommunications company focusing on providing solutions to the underserved rural Indian Country that resides in the United States.

As part of a joint announcement, Microsoft and Native Network revealed that the two companies are poised to deliver internet access to approximately 73,500 people in local trials communities.

“Broadband is the electricity of the 21st century and is critical for farmers, small-business owners, health-care practitioners, educators and students to thrive in today’s digital economy,” said Microsoft President Brad Smith. “The partnership with Native Network will help close the digital divide in rural Montana and Washington, bringing access to approximately 73,500 people within and around the tribal communities.”

Beyond its immediate goal of internet access to 73,500 people in rural native counties in the northwest, the Microsoft and Native Network partnership looks to extend its ultimate reach to over 2 million people in unserved portions of rural America by July 4, 2020.

To do so, Native Network is taking the utmost advantage of Microsoft’s Airband Initiative which takes investment in not only its goal of providing broadband to rural America but also digital skills training for newly connected areas.

Furthermore, according to Microsoft, proceeds from Airband connectivity projects gets funneled back into the program for even more expanded broadband to rural areas.

Using a combination of Microsoft’s Airband Initiative and Native Network technologies, the two companies will provide “hybrid, fixed wireless broadband internet access, including TV White Spaces to Tribes within the Flathead Reservation in Montana as well as the Lummi Nation and Swinomish Tribe in Washington, according to Smith.

In addition to Samsung using Microsoft cloud services, Gap Inc. is another company that will start using Azure to help increase the company’s technology capabilities. Gap  intends to incorporate Microsoft Azure across all of its brands, including Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, Hill City, and Intermix. As noted in a post on Microsoft Stories, the company  hopes its new partnership with Microsoft will allow it  to greatly improve customer experiences with the help of Azure and Microsoft 365.

Sally Gilligan, chief information officer at Gap Inc, sees the new Microsoft partnership will help her company do more to engage Gap customers.

“As we grow our value and active business and accelerate online and mobile, the ability to scale our technology in a secure environment to accommodate this growth is critical. The Microsoft Azure platform provides our teams the ability to deliver innovative and personalized capabilities for our customers with speed supported by a strong depth of technology expertise from the Microsoft team.”

Gap Inc. and Microsoft are working to move hundreds of applications to Azure. The company wants to focus on providing a seamless and personalized experience for their customers, both online and in-store. In the beginning stages, Gap looks to move to Azure to cut costs on the company’s on-premises data storage and services. Additionally, Gap is  also deploying Microsoft 365 solutions to help support its employees too. Microsoft 365 will help Gap Inc. employees better communicate and collaborate with each other company-wide.

Currently, stores operate in more than 90 countries with over of them 3,100 company-owned. By using Microsoft Azure, Gap Inc. can cut the time it takes to market new customer experiences and provide its customers easier ways to shop. They can utilize some of Azure’s most powerful tools, including advanced analytics and machine learning to get a better understanding of how its customers shop. Gap can then leverage that information to make more personalized shopping experiences for its customers.

The October 2018 update, which Microsoft has yet to re-release for all Windows 10 users will bring some improvements to the dark mode in Windows 10. The legacy File Explorer now supports dark mode, though we previously noted that the implementation was still quite inconsistent across the board.

The truth is, even with dark mode on on Windows 10, you’ll still encounter many Windows 10 components, legacy apps or UWP apps that will remain untouched. That was also the case for the OneDrive sync client on Windows 10, but Microsoft has quietly added dark mode support to this app in recent Insider builds.

Onedrive just went dark on the latest insider build ? #Windowsinsiders @JenMsft pic.twitter.com/wYPmDaphYT

— Florian B (@flobo09) November 9, 2018

We saw the sync client turn dark today on an Insider PC running the preview build 18272, so you apparently don’t need to have the latest 19H1 build to get it. The build number for the app is 18.212.1021.0007, which is as of this writing is more advanced than the latest OneDrive Insider build that Microsoft indicates on this support page.

The OneDrive sync client ships with Windows 10, but Microsoft uses three different rings of validation (Insiders, Production, and Enterprise) to push new updates. Like many other Windows 10 apps in dark mode these days, the OneDrive sync client uses different shades of dark grey, and it looks pretty good next to the dark File Explorer. It’s one of the thing that Microsoft can now remove from its Dark Mode checklist, but there is definitely still some room for more improvements in File Explorer and other parts of the OS.

The delay of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update has apparently resulted in some unexpected frustrations for certain OEMs according to a report by Petri’s Brad Sams who has spoken to several company employees off the record.

The problems come as a result of hardware manufacturers building PCs on pre-release builds of 1809, the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, but are now being forced to release them with 1803, the current build of Windows 10, installed after that update was postponed.

Releasing hardware with a version of an operating system that it wasn’t tested on has the potential to cause some compatibility issues, particularly with those devices using a SnapDragon 850 processor such as Lenovo.

“The [SnapDragon] 850 is only designed to run on 1809 which is, right now, the Schrodinger’s version of Windows,” Sams states. “Which means that the devices that are being sold today, with a Snapdragon 850, are shipping with an untested iteration of Windows.”

It’s unclear how big of an issue this will be going forward but, since companies are going ahead and shipping their hardware anyway, it seems unlikely that this incompatibility will cause too many major problems for the average consumer. It will definitely be interesting to watch though.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments below.

The original Xbox 360 Crackdown video is currently being given away for free in the Microsoft Store. The game can be played on both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles, due to having backwards compatibility support, and is also Xbox One X Enhanced with some improved loading times and graphics when played on the Xbox One X.

No official reason has been given yet for Crackdown going free but it’s likely part of a push to promote the franchise and build hype for Crackdown 3 which is due out on the Xbox One in February 2019 and whose game page just went live on Xbox One and Windows 10 earlier today.

Crackdown 3 is expected to have a large presence at Microsoft’s XO18 Xbox event in Mexico this weekend.

Have you played the original Crackdown or will this be your first time? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest for more Xbox content.

Download
QR-Code

Crackdown

Developer:
Microsoft

Price:
Free

The official Twitter app for Windows 10 PCs updated this week with some new features to improve direct messages and content discovery.

When viewing a Twitter user’s profile, the app will now display other accounts that you follow who also follow it. DMs have also been improved with drag-and-drop functionality added for media when composing a message and a new DM option for when sharing a tweet.

Here’s the full release notes for this latest update which should be live for most people already given the Progressive Web App (PWA) format of the app.

• We added support for events that are happening on Twitter! Check this out by clicking or tapping on the search icon.
• Direct message (DM) improvements: (1) you can now drag and drop 1 video or photo in a DM. (2) We improved the users recommended when you click on “Share via Direct Message” from the share menu on a Tweet.
• We’ve added followers you know when you visit a profile or hover over a user’s handle or name. This gives you more context on who you might know from their followers.

Do you use the official Twitter app or do you prefer a third-party solution? Let us know in the comments below and then follow us on Twitter for more Windows app news.

Download
QR-Code

Twitter

Developer:
Twitter Inc.

Price:
Free

This year is the 50th anniversary of Hot Wheels, and to celebrate, Mattel and Microsoft are partnering to bring Hot Wheels themed cars to Forza Motorsport 7. Forza Horizon 3 also received a Hot Wheels expansion pack of its own, so it’s nice to see something similar come to Motorsport 7.

In addition to the new Hot Wheels Anniversary Pack DLC that is available now to owners of the game, players will also get seven additional free cars including older models like the ’69 Chevrolet Camaro as well as newer ones like the ’17 Rip Rod, all coming to Forza Motorsport 7. Additionally, five Hot Wheels driver suits are coming, and can be earned by completing various challenges throughout the game.

Microsoft says more cars based on the toys are coming to the game over the coming weeks, and a few are also coming to the latest Forza Horizon 4 series as well. Both games are also Xbox Play Anywhere titles, meaning the can be played on both Windows 10 or Xbox One as long the title is purchased digitally. What’s more is that Horizon 4 was the best selling game on Xbox last month.

Which Hot Wheels car is your favorite? And childhood favorite models you’d like to see added? Let us know in the comments down below.

Download
QR-Code

Forza Motorsport 7

Developer:
Microsoft Studios

Price:
Free

Download
QR-Code

Forza Horizon 4 Standard Edition

Developer:
Microsoft Studios

Price:
Free

If you’ve been having issues with your Windows 10 Pro license not being recognized today, you’re not alone. A temporary issue with Microsoft’s activation server seems to be causing various problems with Windows 10 licenses today, and many users have been complaining that their Windows 10 Pro license has suddenly been downgraded to Windows 10 Home (via The Register).

The issue seems to be affecting Windows Insiders who have recently installed new builds, as well as non-Insiders running Windows 10 Pro. We saw this issue this morning on a Windows 10 Pro laptop showing an invalid license. Clicking the “Troubleshoot” button didn’t solve the problem, telling us instead that a Windows 10 Home license is associated to the laptop running on Windows 10 Pro.

After updating to Insider Build 18277 my Windows 10 digital license became invalid. I don't understand! I've always installed Insider builds and retail builds on this machine and never had an activation problems. No hardware changes, nothing has changed. I don't know what to do. pic.twitter.com/CtAowTLDTr

— Matt ???????????????? (@Matthew_Wadley) November 8, 2018

One of our three-year-old Lenovo Yogas just decided to throw 0xC004C003 Windows activation error. Windows diagnostic tool says the machine has Windows 10 Home license, but why did they put "8 Pro" sticker under the computer then…? Dumbasses. ????

— Pena Sarajärvi (@penasarajarvi) November 8, 2018

While Microsoft has yet to comment on the issue, one user who contacted Microsoft’s tech support was told that the company is aware of the issue, and that it should be fixed “within one or two business days.” Here’s the full message:

Thank you for sharing, Daniel. Microsoft has just released an Emerging issue announcement about current activation issue related to Pro edition recently. This happens in Japan, Korea, American and many other countries. I am very sorry to inform you that there is a temporary issue with Microsoft’s activation server at the moment and some customers might experience this issue where Windows is displayed as not activated.
Our engineers are working tirelessly to resolve this issue and it is expected to be corrected within one to two business days, Daniel.

It’s still not clear if this activation issue is affecting a lot of Windows 10 Pro users, but it’s good to know that Microsoft is already working on a fix. Let us know in the comments if your Windows 10 Pro PCs have been hit by this activation bug today.

Update 11/9: Mary Jo Foley from ZDNet received yesterday the following statement from Jeff Jones, Senior Director, Microsoft, saying that the issue should be resolved for all affected users over the next 24 hours:

“A limited number of customers experienced an activation issue that our engineers have now addressed. Affected customers will see resolution over the next 24 hours as the solution is applied automatically. In the meantime, they can continue to use Windows 10 Pro as usual.”