If you are from the camp who thinks Windows 10's next version is long due, there is an exciting development in the Microsoft quarters. The Silicon Valley giant is working on the next major update after Windows 10 which debuted way back in 2015.
Microsoft already confirmed that there will be no Windows 10X this year or in the near future, even for single-screen devices that we call laptops and desktops, adding to the disappointment of those still waiting for the company to make good on its dual-screen promises. The Windows 10 21H1 release was also a pretty minor one designed more like a service update with bug fixes and little new features. Microsoft knows it can't keep a low profile for too long, especially these days, so it seems to be turning the marketing up to 11 for Windows 11.
Cloud-based game streaming hasn't been making headlines of late unless you count the negative press that Google Stadia has been getting. In fact, the latest game streaming news once again puts Stadia at a disadvantage, even if it isn't about Google's service at all. Microsoft let it be known almost in passing that its Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming will be rolling out to web browsers in the next few weeks. That includes Safari, which will become Xbox Cloud Gaming's gate pass into iPhones and iPads, something Stadia has yet to achieve.
You've probably already noticed this, but Microsoft has been on something of a buying spree in recent years. It seems like every few months Microsoft was announcing some big new acquisition, culminating with the purchase of ZeniMax Media and its subsidiaries - which include big-name developers and publishers like Bethesda, id Software, MachineGames, and Arkane Studios, among others - for $7.5 billion earlier this year.
There's a new notebook on the market from Samsung called the Samsung Galaxy Book Go. This device has a 14-inch TFT FHD display (1920 x 1080 pixels), Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 compute platform (CPU), and Qualcomm Adreno GPU. The most enticing bit about this piece of hardware is the prospect of using it as an entertainment machine, given its relatively low price ($349) and Dolby Atmos speakers.
The Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase is undoubtedly one of the biggest shows happening at E3 this year, but before that goes down on Sunday, Microsoft has given us an update on all things Xbox Game Pass. Xbox Game Pass was a major focus for Microsoft in the latter half of the previous generation and continues to be a big focus as we head deeper into the new generation. It seems that it's about to come to a lot more devices and screens as well.
Microsoft's cloud gaming system is about to get a lot faster, with Xbox Cloud getting upgraded around the world with Xbox Series X consoles. The refresh comes ahead of cloud gaming support being baked directly into the Xbox app on PC, Microsoft says, and will also power a number of other features.
Samsung and some manufacturers, including Google, seem to be heading towards a foldable phone future. Microsoft is, as well, but it has a very different definition of foldable. It describes its Surface Duo as a "dual-screen foldable" and admittedly made quite a good case for it nearly two years ago. Its delivery, however, was anything but convincing and it was pretty dated even before it went out the door. For those still holding a torch for the device, the Surface Duo 2 could prove to be what Microsoft's first dual-screen foldable should have been, and, based on the latest leak, it should be arriving soon.
Microsoft revealed today that they are pausing all updates to Windows for the next several weeks. This pause isn't the sort of announcement Microsoft makes often. It is here, on the lead-up to the next major Microsoft event, that Microsoft makes clear that this update will be so major, they can't possibly risk revealing what's inside by pushing updates with code that could spill all the beans.
In addition to games, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate periodically offers a number of perks to its subscribers. One such perk Microsoft launched last year served up a free trial to Disney+, and now the company has announced that it's bringing that trial back. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can get a one-month trial to Disney+, but as always, there are some conditions that Ultimate users should be aware of before signing up.
Today we're taking a peek at the Minecraft Caves & Cliffs update: Part I, and the several new ways you can now emit light. There's a new Cave Vine, for example, grown by Glow Berries. They're not as bright as torches and grow downward, from the bottom of a block.
Today Minecraft version 1.17.0 was released for most platforms, bringing the entire game to a new universe with a few key feature upgrades. This includes a new Axolotl creature, Glow Squid, powder snow, glow ink, amethyst geodes, tinted glass, copper, and a new lightning rod. There's also a new Spyglass item, raw ore, deepslate, "tuff", dripstone block, pointed dripstone, dripleaf, moss block, moss carpet, azalea, and more. Now - how to get it!
