SanDisk announces faster, higher-capacity USB-C Dual Drive flash drive

SanDisk is one of the big names you expect to see at a show like Computex 2016, and this year it has a brand new version of its Dual Drive flash drive to show off. As we've seen in previous versions of the product, the Dual Drive is a dual-sided flash drive that gives you a full-sized USB-A plug for use with a computer on one side, and a USB-C plug on the opposite side from use with a smartphone, tablet or one of the handful of computers with the port.

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Microsoft and Xiaomi sign patent cross-licensing, app pre-install deal

Microsoft and Xiaomi have announced that the companies have reached an agreement that will see the companies cross-license patent portfolios, as well as pre-load Skype and Microsoft Office on future Xiaomi Android phones and tablets. Details on exactly which patents from each company are to be licensed were understandably not revealed, but we do know that apps will arrive on new phones sold starting in September 2016.

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$24.9 billion Dell buyout was underpriced, court rules

A U.S. court has now ruled that Dell's 2013 $24.9 billion buyout by founder Michael Dell and Silver Lake Partners was underpriced.

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Windows 10 Mobile build 10586.338 now hitting Insider Release Preview Ring

If you happen to be on the Insider Release Preview Ring for Windows 10 Mobile, you should now be able to pull down a fresh update.

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HoloLens - Hands-on with the Windows Holographic May 2016 Update

Earlier today, Microsoft pushed out the first update for their HoloLens Development Edition to all users lucky enough to own one. Since HoloLens runs a version of Windows 10, this update comes as a standard Windows Update found under Settings.

The actual changelog for the May 2016 update is massive with many small and useful additions added.

Since you can only record up to five minutes of video, this one is short, and maybe I'll follow up with another later on.

Disclaimer: HoloLens can only record video at 720P. However, I'm quite confident that this update also introduces some software video stabilization, which is why it now looks smoother. However, if you know anything about SW stabilization you will know it does this by cropping the video dynamically reducing the overall resolution. As a result, this video is not quite 720P. Please keep in mind that wearing the HoloLens is very different than what you see regarding the quality of the experience. It's a lot of processing to do holograms and record video at the same time, after all!

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Minecraft Story Mode and other Telltale games could be coming to Windows 10 Mobile

Microsoft has posted an article detailing how Telltale Games brought Minecraft: Story Mode to Windows 10 via the Windows Store. It also says Telltale is working on bringing the game's engine to Lumia phones running on Windows 10 Mobile.

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Mods are now available for Fallout 4 on Xbox One

Bethesda has added support for playing many of the mods created for its post-apocalyptic RPG Fallout 4 for players on Xbox One.

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Jawbone says it has no plans to exit the fitness wearables business

Jawbone has issued a statement claiming that recent reports stating it is exiting its fitness wearable business are "false".

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The Windows Central App grabs fixes, improvements and more with build 33 today

In the next few hours an update to the official app for Windows Central will be hitting your phones, PCs, and tablets.

The app was just submitted to the Store, and it can take a few hours before it is live, but for now we'll give you a sneak peek of what is new.

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Satya Nadella visits China to reportedly discuss anti-trust probe

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is making a visit to China today, reportedly to discuss the country's long-running anti-trust probe against the company with government officials.

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Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers are offering Xbox One price cuts to $299

Following the Microsoft Store's move to cut the price on its Xbox One console bundles to as low as $299, other retailers like Amazon and Best Buy are joining in with the same discounts.

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Windows Phones proving valuable for NYPD officers

It looks like the New York City Police Department's plan to deploy Windows Phones to all 36,000 officers has paid off. According to a new report, using the smartphones has helped the NYPD shave critical time off of its average response times.

From NYDailyNews:

"We're shaving over a minute off of these average response times. And, somewhat more impressively, for critical crimes in progress, we're also down nearly 12% — to 4 minutes and 26 seconds, from just over 5 minutes at the same time last year."

One of the NYPD's apps, for 911 calls, allows cops to get going to a crime scene even before being alerted by a dispatcher.

And the Windows Phones in use are seeing a lot of interaction from officers. For some perspective, the report notes that on one day alone, around 7,000 officers used their smartphones to click on more than 29,000 911 alerts and run 26,000 investigative queries.

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Intel's Broadwell-E processors headed to the Alienware Area 51 this month

Dell subsidiary Alienware has announced that customers will soon be able to add Intel's new Broadwell-E processors with six, eight, or ten cores to their configurations of the company's Area 51 gaming desktop PC. Specifically, you'll be able to add the Core i7-6800K, 6850K, 6900K, and 6950K processors to your setup, with shipping of those configurations beginning June 14.

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Microsoft delays launching new Windows 10 Mobile preview build [Update]

Microsoft won't release a new Windows 10 Mobile preview build for Fast ring Insider members today, contrary to what a Windows team member stated a few days ago.

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SiriusXM inviting users to beta test upcoming Windows 10 app

It looks like SiriusXM subscribers will soon have a way to check out their favorite satellite radio stations on Windows 10.

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Windows 10 Insider build 14342 ISO files now available for download

The official ISO files for Windows 10 PC Insider build 14342 are now available for download.

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Windows 10 Mobile preview build 14342.1004 released for Insiders in Slow ring

Microsoft has released the Windows 10 Mobile preview build 14342.1004 for members of the Insider program who are in the Slow ring.

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Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 6 will feature YouTube community members

Telltale Games will release Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 6 on June 7. This next chapter is called A Portal to Mystery and features Minecraft versions of several popular YouTube community members.

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Hitman hits the streets of Marrakesh in episode 3, available now

Hitman episode 3: Marrakesh is now available, allowing gamers to take on yet more contracts in the Moroccan city on both PC and Xbox One.

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Full Mojo Rampage will bring voodoo-fueled action to Xbox One on June 28

Full Mojo Rampage, the voodoo-infused roguelike from Binding of Isaac publisher Nicalis, is headed to the Xbox One on June 28.

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Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition gets its first major software update

The first major software update for the $3,000 Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition is now rolling out. It includes a number of new features and improvements for the augmented reality device, including a way to run up to three flat HoloLens apps at the same time.

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Just Cause 3 will let you pilot and destroy giant mechs starting June 3

Avalanche Studios and Square Enix will release Mech Land Assault, the second of three planned DLC packs for its open world action game Just Cause 3. It will be available for the games's Expansion Pass Holders on June 3 for the Xbox One, PC and PlayStation 4, and all of the game's other owners on June 10.

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Hacked? app for Windows 10 lets you know if your email has been breached

The recently launched Hacked? app for Windows 10 on PC and Mobile allows users to be informed if their email address is part of a data breach.

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Say "Cheese" with PhotoSmile, today's myAppFree Deal

PhotoSmile is a Windows 10 photography app that hopes to eliminate frowns and sad faces from your photos by only allowing you to snap a picture when the app detects a smiling face.

Available for both Windows 10 PC and Mobile, as well as Windows Phone 8.1, the app has a user-friendly design and does a decent job of picking up smiles. The ad-free version of PhotoSmile normally runs $4.99 and for the next twenty-four hours through the myAppFree promotion, you can pick the app up free.

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Eve's 'Project Pyramid Flipper' will pack Intel's upcoming Kaby Lake CPUs

Eve, a small Finnish startup, has revealed that its upcoming crowd-developed 2-in-1 tablet hybrid, Pyramid Flipper, will pack one of Intel's upcoming seventh generation Kaby Lake CPUs.

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Microsoft holding HoloLens-focused WinHec event this fall

Microsoft is said to be planning a new WinHec event for this fall, centered around the HoloLens headset, along with the Windows Holographic platform. The event, apparently called WinHec Mixed, would allow Microsoft to discuss holographic and mixed reality applications with its various hardware partners.

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Battleborn and GTA V get discounted in this week's Xbox Deals with Gold

Microsoft has revealed the discounts that Xbox Live Gold members can get for digital Xbox One and Xbox 360 games in this week's latest Deals with Gold promotion. They include price cuts on games like Battleborn and Grand Theft Auto V.

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Add some style to your Surface Book with a new dbrand skin

If you're looking for a way to customize your Surface Book, you may want to check out a skin from dBrand. The company has made excellent fitting skins to make your phone stand out for years, and they have since branched out to other electronics as well. With dbrand you are able to select from a ton of different colors and patterns to make your Surface Book stand out even more.

Installing skins is generally a pretty straightforward process, but the folks at dbrand like to make it more visual. They have released a hilarious installation video, with some goodies in it. If you are interested in making your Surface Book even more unique, be sure to hit the link below and start designing.

See at dbrand

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DOOM review: id Software reclaims its heritage as FPS royalty

DOOM not only puts id Software back in the master's chair of first person shooting, but it is also one of the best games we've seen on Xbox One so far.

When a franchise is as revered as DOOM, expectations for a reboot were always going to be on the low end. DOOM has been incubating for the best part of a decade, announced initially for the Xbox 360 and PC back in 2008. The legendary id Software has seen significant changes over the course of the game's development: the departure of co-founder John Carmack, and the studio's acquisition under Bethesda Softworks, the company behind Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. DOOM's development certainly had its troubles as a result.

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AppRaisin adds way for users to select their favorite Windows 10 apps

AppRaisin for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, which helps to locate new apps for the OS, has been updated with a number of new features, including one that allows users to select their favorite apps so they can see notifications and news on them directly.

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Last chance to grab a Ninja Cat Emoji T-Shirt to support Windows Central!

Update: The end is in sight. If you are interested in picking one of these shirts up, you will want to do so before the campaign ends on June 1. {.update)

Every few months we like to do something for the community to help show their support for Microsoft and our site. While ad blockers are making headlines we are always looking for ways to help keep our site going – and make it better.

That is where you come in, but don't worry you get something cool out of it too!

For the next two weeks, you can order yourself up a limited Ninja Cat Emoji T-Shirt.

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Minecraft worlds can't be used by companies to sell their products

Mojang has announced new guidelines for its sandbox game Minecraft, banning the use of the game by outside companies, non-profits and politicians to help promote or sell their products or services in playable form.

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Fable Fortune game developers launch its Kickstarter fund raising campaign

As promised, developers Flaming Fowl Studios, made up of ex-Lionhead team members, has launched its Kickstarter fund raising campaign for Fable Fortune, a free-to-play digital card game set in Microsoft's Fable universe. It will be released for the Xbox One and PC in early 2017.

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MSI announces new Windows 10 gaming laptops at Computex 2016

MSI used the Computex 2016 trade show to announce a new lineup of Windows 10 gaming laptops that will all be released in August.

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T-Mobile offers visitors to the U.S. a new $30 calling and data plan

T-Mobile will launch its new Tourist Plan on June 12 for people who are visiting the United States. It will give them unlimited data and 1,000 minutes of calls inside the U.S for three weeks for $30.

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Microsoft revamps its start-up investment division to help fund more tech companies

Microsoft has announced it will be revamping its start-up investments with a new division called Microsoft Ventures. Its goal is to find and invest in companies that can take full advantage of Microsoft's own technology and products.

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OneLocker, the feature-rich password vault, receives a Windows 10 tune-up

OneLocker is a Windows 10 app designed to help you manage the dozens of passwords that fill your daily life. The app isn't a stranger to the Windows Store, first being released as a Windows Phone 8.1 app, and was recently updated as a Windows 10 app.

Available for both Windows 10 PC and Mobile, OneLocker is packed full of features such as 256-bit AES encryption, support for multiple accounts, OneDrive backup and more. You can store website credentials, financial information, contacts, audio notes and more in a secure environment.

While OneLocker is still available for Windows Phone 8.1 (including low-memory devices), the Windows 10 version continues the appeal of the app and it is nice to see it available for tablets or personal computers.

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EA is giving away Battlefield Hardline DLC Getaway this week on Xbox One

EA is giving away the Battlefield Hardline DLC Getaway for free this week to Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox One. Should you be interested in the optional extra content, you'll be able to add the pack to your console for free for this week only. The promotion is part of EA's Battlefield festivities, which sees the publisher offer bundles of content for free each week.

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BBC's £13 Micro:bit computer is now available for everyone

The BBC has made its Micro:bit computer available for everyone and anyone to purchase. The corporation was previously only working with schools to have year 7 students use the device to help understand programming. Now anyone can pre-order the Micro:bit from element14, the company that manufacturers the small device.

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