microsoft news

Reviewed on PCBalancing the tones of cutesy papercraft aesthetics and horrifying demonic imagery can hardly be a simple task. Witnessing iocent humans being boiled alive in a cooking pot in a virtua...

Jagged Alliance is a well-known series for those who are deeply in love with the tu-based tactics genre. It’s a franchise, like many, that peaked in the late 90s and has seen its fair share of turmo...

Today, Microsoft is releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17723 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring and Build 18204 (19H1) to Windows Insiders who have opted in to Skip Ahead.Going forward...

Flying over Hope County on my way to arrest the game’s main antagonist with a U.S. Marshal wasn’t how I expected Far Cry 5 to begin. It sure did lead to a hectic opening mission. Walking into his compound, realizing this was exactly what he had wanted, and seeing the tides tu within a moment was both exhilarating and frightening as I realized just how much...

The new build Windows 10 Preview Insider Build v17112 has been released by Microsoft to the Fast Ring.Rather than new features, the update appears to be bringinga number of fixes, but also known issues, which are enumerated as below:We fixed an issue where selecting a notification after taking a screenshot or game clip opened the Xbox app’s home screen ins...

Microsoft today released Windows 10 SDK Preview Build 17095 to developers. This SDK can be used with Windows 10 Insider Build 17093 or later.And this release includes bug fixes and under development changes to the API surface area. The SDK is supported byVisual Studio 2017 and can work side-by-side with older SDKs.As you might have noticed in the recent SDK preview releases, this release also includes the C++/WinRT headers and cppwinrt compiler (cppwinrt.exe). This compiler comes in handy if you need to consume a third-party WinRT component or if you need to author your own WinRT components with C++/WinRT.The updated Preview SDK can be downloaded here. You can find the list of new API additi...

We first saw evidence of Microsoft’s app-specific preview program with the Photos app, and now it appears Microsoft is rolling out the feature to other core applications, such as the Camera,Alarm and Clock and other apps.The feature means individual Windows 10 Insiders will be invited to test updated versions of the apps and provide feedback, without a wide semi-public rollout program.“You’ll be one of the first to try out new features in the preview version of Camera, and your feedback will shape the future of the app,” the invitation to the Camera Preview reads.The new phase of the program could mean Microsoft can iterateon applications more rapidly and separate from new builds of Windows,...

Microsoft has pushed out a new build of Windows 10 to PC users on the Insider Fast Ring.Build17093 brings the following improvements:Game bar ImprovementsMicrosft has given Game bar a makeover so it’s even easier to find what you’re looking for.Go to your captures, toggle your microphone and camera, and edit the title of your Mixer stream—all from new buttons on Game bar.Quickly check the time using the new clock.Choose a theme—Dark, Light, or your current Windows theme.Game bar settings are easier to use.Diagnostic Data ImprovementsLast week, Microsoftaounced some new privacy tools as part of Data Privacy Daywhich included the Diagnostic Data Viewer that showed up for Windows Insiders inBui...

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has received its 8th patch in Xbox Game Preview today. While it’s not large and just addresses some minor issues, it’s a step towards further improving and balancing different elements of its gameplay.The last patch issued for PUBG in Xbox Game Preview increased damage done to vehicles, and this latest update tweaks that element a bit more. Over on PUBG’s forums, the patch was detailed and states that the developer has revertedback to increased damage if a player is struck by a vehicle. Full patch notes can be read below.GameplayWe received a lot of great feedback following the changes made to vehicle/player damage. We continue to tune and balance this element o...

Microsoft today released Windows 10 SDK Preview Build 17083 to developers. This SDK can be used with Windows 10 Insider Build 17083 or later.And this release includes bug fixes and under development changes to the API surface area. There’s new TreeView control, new printing APIs, HDR, screen capture APIs and more. The SDK is supported byVisual Studio 2017 and can work side-by-side with older SDKs.As you might have noticed in the recent SDK preview releases, this release also includes the C++/WinRT headers and cppwinrt compiler (cppwinrt.exe). This compiler comes in handy if you need to consume a third-party WinRT component or if you need to author your own WinRT components with C++/WinRT.The...

The Monster Hunter series began its life on PlayStation, but part of what makes Monster Hunter: World special is that it’s the first main game in the franchise to also release on Xbox. Its title is as straight forward as it gets as the series tasks you with hunting monsters, literally. Because the Xbox One seems to be notorious for lacking Easte RPGs, many players may not be familiar with the series and its quirks. This does hurt its accessibility, however Monster Hunter: World’s strength lies in its depth and gameplay, for better or worse.If you’re new to the series, Monster Hunter: World may feature a steep leaing curve. At first all of its menus and loadouts can be intimidating, and it ta...

[embedded content]Microsoft Garage today aounced a new project called “Ink to Code” which will help developers to easily move from prototyping to real development. With Ink to Code, developers can draw wire frame sketches and export them into source code on Visual Studio. It currently supports prototyping for UWP and Android user interfaces. Ink to Code uses artificial intelligence and automation to develop code from wire frame sketches. For now, Ink to Code will only support basic app visual elements including labels, text fields, text paragraphs, images, and buttons.Ink to Code not only offers time-saving benefits but also fosters the collaborative and prototyping process key for designers...

While macOS features a built-in previewer app, users of the more popular Windows OS often have to rely on third-party applications to preview their files in Explorer. I stumbled on QuickLook last week in the Microsoft Store and it’s exactly what the doctor ordered in that regard. Installing QuickLook, the app has no interface to speak of. It works primarily as an extension to File Explorer. If you select a file and press spacebar, you can see a quick preview of what the file is, with the option of opening it in an actionable app. For example, previewing a PDF file will give you the option of opening Microsoft Edge as well. The app features: A fast spacebar-to-preview solution Tons of suppor...

While Spotify is best known for streaming all you can hear music, the firm has had higher aspirations, offering video and podcast content in the app. Now, Spotify wants to improve the usability if its platform as a storytelling platform. With Spotify Spotlight, it adds visual content to the listening experience, offering “contextual visual elements” that match with the audio on screen. It sounds very much like Spotify branded slideshow, and it’ll be interesting to see how it is in actual use. “We are excited to launch Spotlight, a new format that merges great storytelling, news, information and opinion with visual elements all delivered in playlist form across a number of content categories...

Microsoft today released Windows 10 SDK Preview Build 17069 to developers. This SDK can be used with Windows 10 Insider Build 17074or later. At this stage, it, unfortunately, comes without a changelog, but likely includessupport for C++/WinRT compilers in the Windows SDK as its headline feature. The SDK is supported byVisual Studio 2017 and can work side-by-side with older SDKs. The updated Preview SDK can be downloaded here. Via Neowin ...

A new Preview Alpha build that released for Xbox One Insiders today has added the ability to schedule your themes. This comes shortly after another Alpha build earlier in the week that allowed Insiders to test a Do Not Disturb feature. Preview Alpha build1802.180109-1916 going out today contains both new features and bug fixes, the biggest of which may be the addition of Scheduled Themes, letting people put their light/dark themes on a schedule for them to automatically switch. The changelog from Xbox’s official forums can be read below. NEW FEATURES: • Scheduled Themes You asked—we listened! We’re excited to aounce that we’ve added the ability to put your themes on a schedule. In addition ...

New games release on Xbox One every week and it can be difficult keeping track of them all, especially during the fall when so many blockbuster titles are taking up people’s attention with their expansive marketing campaigns. Some of the games reviewed this week you may not have even heard of. This time, we are taking a look at Brawlout, Heroes of the Monkey Tave, and Slain: Back from Hell. Brawlout Brawlout is similar fighting game to Super Smash Bros. as it’s incredibly fast paced and features a plethora of interesting characters. The gameplay is exactly the same as well because you have to fight other players and knock them off the platforms. Each fighter is unique in appearance and abi...

Microsoft today aounced a partnership with Seattle-based Adaptive Biotechnologies to decode human immune system using AI and machine leaing with recent breakthroughs in biotechnology. Their goal of the project is to create a universal blood test that reads a person’s immune system to detect a wide variety of diseases including infections, cancers and autoimmune disorders in their earliest stage so that they can be effectively diagnosed and treated. In addition to this partnership, Microsoft has also made asubstantial financial investment in the company. Imagine a world with an “X-ray of the immune system.” This would open new doors to predictive medicine, as a person’s immunological histor...

Newgames release on Xbox One every week and it can be difficult keeping track of them all, especially during the fall when so many blockbuster AAA titles are taking up people’s attention with their heavy-hitting marketing campaigns. Some of the games reviewed this week you may not have even heard of. This time, we are taking a look at Okami HD, Bride Constructor Portal, and Life is Strange: Before the Storm – Episode 3.Okami HDIf you never got a chance to play Okami when it released because it wasn’t developed for Xbox consoles, you need to pick up Okami HD for Xbox One. It beautifully weaves its narrative steeped in Japanese folklore with its gameplay. Most titles don’t seem to take the tim...

Microsoft today released the Windows Template Studio 1.6 with a number of improvements including new support for Web to App links, which prompts users to open your website in its associated app, rather than the actual website itself.Windows Template Studio is an evolution of Windows App Studio which was an online app creation tool that allowed anyone to quickly build Windows Universal Apps. Windows Template Studio in Visual Studio will make it easier for developers to create new projects that target the Universal Windows Platform.New inWindows Template Studio version 1.6 is:New Pages:Image GalleryNew Features:Drag and drop sourceWeb to App LinkTemplate improvements:Minor tweaks for FluentDis...