Skype is saying "goodbye" to its Snapchat clone, Highlights, as Microsoft shifts towards a "simplicity and familiarity" in its design.
To say Microsoft took some heat for its Skype redesign, which first landed last summer, would be an understatement.
Sony won't allow cross-play anytime soon.
Fortnite is a free-to-play third-person shooter which features building mechanics and even a PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds-like battle royale mode. The title has garnered incredible popularity over the past few months due to the developer's continued support and its addictive nature.
Agent 47 is headed to the rainforests of South America.
Warner Bros. is continuing its bombardment of teasers for Hitman 2 ahead of its expected November 13 release.
They're definitely listening to players.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) is a battle royale game focused on scavenging weapons and using stealth or other tactics to be the last person alive. The title has see unprecedented popularity on Steam and other platforms like the Xbox One over the past several months.
It's quite large.
The Just Cause series consists of over-the-top third-person action games which revolve around destroying everything in your path. While the titles may not have the best stories, they're a lot of fun to play because the goal is to constantly blow up buildings and vehicles. Just Cause 4 continues this tradition on an even larger scale.
Adobe Premiere Pro is a powerful suite of tools. Video editing itself is an intense process that requires vast amounts of computing power and Premiere Pro isn't shy about using any resources you throw at it. There's a simple way to check if your PC meets the system requirements before purchasing the subscription.
Right-click on This PC in the sidebar.
A new window will open, which you can use to check your PC specifications to the requirements Adobe has published.
You want your specifications to match or exceed those that are published by Adobe. The full specification requirements of Adobe Premiere Pro are as follows:
We need all the cores!
Welp, it's time to upgrade your PC because AMD's newest processor, the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X, is now available on Amazon and Newegg for $899. It's a powerful 16-core processor that runs between 3.5 and 4.4 GHz.
If $899 seems like a lot, remember the Threadripper 1950X, the previous generation, released at $1,100. This is already $200 cheaper and will get less expensive over time, despite being one of the most powerful processors AMD has ever made.
The 2950X's big sister, the Threadripper 2990WX, has been out there since early August, but that one is designed for the extreme workstation and it's priced to match starting at $1,799. AMD already stunned PC enthusiasts when they released the original 16-core Threadrippers in 2017, but these new processors use AMD's Zen+ micro-architecture and up the ante all the way to 24 and 32 cores. You'd basically need to be in charge of your own $3k+ server farm to get that many cores from Intel.
The "ultimate way to own a Surface" is shutting its doors starting today.
Microsoft today ended its Surface Plus financing program for consumers, shuttering the service for new enrollees just a year after it first launched.
Best answer: The Surface Go is completely compatible with the latest Surface Pen, offering 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt support for a smooth inking experience.
Compared to the well-aged Surface 3 — to which the Surface Go is often compared — and its 256 levels of pressure sensitivity, the latest Surface Pen and Surface Go together offer 4,096 levels of sensitivity. That's a big leap, and it's immediately noticeable when drawing or writing on your Go.
There's also tilt support here that allows for better control while drawing and sketching (think shading), which is usually considered a premium feature. There might not be the same inking co-processor for lower latency like the Surface Pro has, but overall you should be satisfied with what the Surface Go can offer.
Adding to the combination is the physical size of the Go, which is about that of a notebook or sketchpad. It can be easily held in one hand while you draw or write with the other.
Keep this stashed in your glove box for safe keeping.
The Choetech 30W Dual USB Car Charger is available at Amazon for just $5.99 when you enter promo code QMX7USG8 during checkout. That'll save you $9 off its average price.
This car charger features a Quick Charge 3.0 port which is capable of charging compatible devices four times faster than regular chargers can. It sounds like marketing nonsense, but it actually works really well. A USB-C cable is included with its purchase too, which is awesome because a USB-C cable would normally cost you at least $5 by itself anyway. There are safeguards to protect your devices from over-current, over-charging, and more.
Choetech includes an 18-month warranty with this charger's purchase as well. At Amazon, over 1,500 customers reviewed it resulting in a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Don't scratch that beautiful finish!
Your Surface Laptop's fine finish deserves to be kept scratch-free. The best solution, in this case, is a sleeve. Whether you'd like a sleeve that doubles as a briefcase, a sleeve that's slim and light, or a sleeve that simply gets the job done for a low price, we've rounded up some of the best options so far that will fit your Surface Laptop.
Kick off your September with a little taste of Battlefield V.
Outside of debuting its new RTX 20 series of graphics cards at Gamescom 2018, NVIDIA also had a special announcement for Battlefield fans.
The latest major update to Rainbow Six Siege will pack new operators, a reworked map, and much more.
Following its initial reveal earlier this month, Ubisoft has finally given its next major update to Rainbow Six Siege a release date.
Another week, another Insider Preview build for those in the Fast ring. Today's build is 17751 and features one noteworthy change.
Microsoft is super close to finalizing Windows 10 Redstone 5, now officially known as the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, as it has today released a new build that's closer than ever to the final thing. Today's build is 17751, and removes the preview watermark found on the desktop. This is definitely not the final build, we're expecting that to drop into the Fast ring in a few weeks time.
RAGE 2 is an upcoming dream collaboration between id Software and Avalanche. The result is a circus of mayhem fans of DOOM or Just Cause can't afford to miss.
RAGE 2 is the unexpected sequel to 2010's post-apocalyptic shooter from id Software. RAGE 2 takes place decades after its predecessor, following a global catastrophe. An asteroid impact has wiped out virtually all civilization, leaving earth in a dilapidated state. Many of the survivors banded together to form enclaves, some passive, others violent, as lawlessness and chaos grip the land.
RAGE owes a little more to Mad Max than some of the other post-apocalyptic titles out there, due to its focus on wasteland vehicular combat. To continue that tradition, id Software enlisted the aid of Avalanche Studios, known for its chaotic sandboxes like Just Cause and the criminally underrated take on the Mad Max universe, which in my opinion, has the best vehicular combat in an open world game, maybe ever.
We went hands-on with RAGE 2 at Gamescom 2018, and we talked to id Software Studio Director Tim Willits and Senior Game Designer Loke Wallmo from Avalanche Studios.
Windows 10 devices in S Mode may soon have a way to access Amazon's digital assistant, Alexa.
Microsoft and Amazon have been cozying up quite a bit lately, most recently by integrating their two digital assistants, Cortana and Alexa.
Treat your kids to a new tablet.
Amazon's Fire Tablets are super popular because of their affordable prices, so when you can save even more on them you shouldn't miss out. The Fire 7 Kids Edition is currently down to just $79.99 from its regular price of $99.99 in your choice of blue, pink, or yellow. If you want something a little bigger, you can grab the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition for $99.99, which is $30 lower than it normally sells for.
Both options come with a year of Amazon's FreeTime Unlimited, which is a $119 value. Amazon offers a two-year worry-free guarantee on the tablets, so if your kids happen to break the tablet Amazon will exchange it with no questions asked.
The tablets have access to tons of kid-friendly content and media. Unfortunately, they don't have much internal storage, so you'll want to add a microSD card to your purchase so that your kids don't run out of space.
This is your chance to win the ultimate gaming and streaming PC, in partnership with Mixer, AMD, Corsair, and Elgato Gaming.
Bringing together top-tier components and crazy customization, "Power Builds" is the Mixer show for avid PC gamers. Featuring Justin Robey and Brenna Duffitt from the Xbox team at Microsoft, the show has created some truly ambitious gaming PCs – even previously including a custom Windows Central-branded rig.
We're now teaming up with Power Builds once again, this time in celebration of Mixer's PAX West presence in Seattle, WA. We're giving away the ultimate gaming and streaming PC, backed by Mixer, AMD, Corsair, and Elgato Gaming. Valued at over $3,500, this bundle is tailored for today's top titles, while doubling as the perfect streaming machine.
Highlights include an AMD Ryzen 7 2700x CPU, Radeon RX Vega 56 GPU, and 16GB of DDR4 memory, paired with Corsair's leading PC accessories. Elgato Gaming is also providing some great streaming companions, like the HD60 Pro, Stream Deck, and Cam Link. For a full breakdown of the system, be sure to check out the complete specs sheet.
U.S. Microsoft suppliers with more than 50 employees will now be required to provide a minimum of 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
Microsoft announced this week that it will now require its U.S. suppliers to provide a minimum of 12 weeks of parental leave for their employees.
Every day, companies are moving to the cloud, and Google Cloud Projects are just about everywhere you look. Experts are needed in order to navigate these waters, so those knowledgeable and certified are in high demand.
Get lifetime access to this Google Cloud Mastery Bundle for just $39! Learn more
The training required to become certified with integral tools, like DialogFlow, TensorFlow, Hadoop and more, can be quite expensive, but not if you take advantage of this deal from Windows Central Digital Offers. Right now, instead of paying $396 for the set of four courses, you'll pay just $39. That's 90 percent off the regular price.
Microsoft says Surface Go is for everyone. And this mini "Surface Pro" may be all the Surface many businesses need.
Surface Go is making headlines for what seems to be Microsoft's first real consumer-focused Surface push. Web-surfing, watching videos and listening to music lead the marketing of this affordable premium 2-in-1.
Microsoft complements these promoted scenarios with images of children using Surface Go, a mom using it while cooking, a woman using it for selfies, and people lounging with it at home. Still, Microsoft asserts Surface Go is for everyone, including schools and businesses. Though perfect for leisure, Surface Go is also a relatively powerful mini 2-in-1 capable of handling most productivity tasks the Surface Pro can.
Thus, businesses that would bust budgets investing in Surface Pros may find that Surface Go meets their business needs without breaking the bank.
The "world's thinnest gaming laptop" is now available to preorder, albeit with a pretty steep price tag.
Earlier this month, ASUS upped the ante on portable gaming power with the reveal of its new ROG Zephyrus S and ROG Strix II, and now both are available for preorder.
Windows 10 Redstone 5 finally has an official name; the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.
Microsoft today announced that the name of its next Windows 10 feature update will be the "October 2018 Update," following the format set earlier this year with the April 2018 Update. It appears Microsoft isn't trying to name updates after themes anymore, which is great news as the theme-based names for updates used in the past never really made much sense.
From Microsoft Corporate Vice President Roanne Sones:
I'm pleased to announce that our next feature update to Windows will be called the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. With this update, we'll be bringing new features and enhancements to the nearly 700 million devices running Windows 10 that help people make the most of their time. We'll share more details about the update over the coming weeks.
The Windows 10 October 2018 Update will launch as version 1809, and I'm hearing from my sources that Microsoft is planning to internally sign-off on this release on September 25, with plans to begin rolling it out to the public in the first half of October. Assuming all goes according to plan, Microsoft will compile the build it intends to rollout to the public on September 14, and will test that with Insiders before signing off on the 25.
