Halo Infinite to receive ray tracing with Season 3 in March
Campaign co-op arrives next week, but 343 cancelled split-screen
October survey puts Windows 11 adoption at just 15 percent worldwide
The big picture: Over a year after its launch, Windows 11 is still nowhere near establishing dominance over Windows 10 among PC users. Various surveys show differing adoption rates for Windows 11, but all of them say most users haven't upgraded from 10.
Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition faces closer examination from the EU
Even if Microsoft gets Call of Duty, it might not appear on Game Pass for years
Microsoft says Call of Duty will stay on PlayStation "as long as there's a PlayStation out there"
Call of Duty won't become an Xbox/PC exclusive, says Phil Spencer
Reflection DDoS attacks are on the rise again
Why it matters: A resurgence in vulnerable CLDAP servers is making DDoS attacks more powerful and dangerous. Windows network administrators should adopt strict security practices or take the server off the internet if there is no practical need for using the CLDAP protocol.
Xbox price increases incoming even as GamePass subscriptions grow by 159 percent
Phil Spencer was vague on which products would cost more and when to expect the hikes
More Android connectivity features headed to Windows 11
Microsoft is working on file transfer, picture-in-picture, Android 13 support, and more
Project Volterra, Microsoft's Arm system for developers, is now Windows Dev Kit 2023
Redmond's latest effort in the Arm ecosystem comes full of ports and RAM
TL;DR: The Windows Dev Kit 2023 is a new Mac Mini-like mini PC aimed at developers who code Windows on Arm applications. Decent specs and a lot of RAM should please app developers while Microsoft is pursuing its world conquest through AI and cloud VMs.
Google announces official end-of-support date for Chrome on Windows 7
Around 10% of Windows systems still use Win 7
Microsoft is testing its own CCleaner alternative
New PC Manager app helps clean up files, but also pushes Edge
Microsoft reportedly planning Xbox mobile game store
The big picture: As UK regulators continue scrutinizing Microsoft's historic acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft revealed plans to build a mobile game store with Activision's franchises as flagships. Even with those iconic IPs, taking on Google and Apple is a herculean task.
Microsoft lays off under 1,000 employees across multiple divisions
The faltering economy prompted Microsoft's "structural adjustments"
Microsoft Defender is lacking in offline detection capabilities, says AV-Comparatives
Windows' built-in antivirus shines when using the cloud, doesn't without it
Microsoft extends brute-force attack protections to local Windows accounts
All Windows versions will be better protected against recurring login attempts
DirectStorage 1.1 uses GPUs to optimize decompression performance and lower game load times
Freeing up CPU cycles for other jobs
0patch offers two more years of updates for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
Forward-looking: Windows 7 will exit extended support very soon, but "micropatches" offered by 0patch are ready to take Microsoft's place in keeping the old operating systems safe and sound against Internet threats. At least for the most dangerous flaws discovered in modern Windows versions.
Microsoft is rebranding Office, rolling apps into Microsoft 365
A major brand overhaul after more than 30 years
Army tester warns that Microsoft Hololens-based AR goggles could get soldiers killed
More controversy for the $22 billion deal
A hot potato: The Hololens-based AR goggles Microsoft provides to the US Army as part of a contract worth up to $22 billion have come in for more criticism after a user said they could endanger soldiers. "The devices would have gotten us killed," said the tester.
Microsoft's adaptive accessories arrive on October 25
Prices range from $40 to $60
Microsoft unveils updated Surface Studio 2+ with RTX 3060 graphics
Starting at $4,299
In context: Microsoft Surface Studio lineup of all-in-one PCs is likely aimed at enterprise customers, where the high price point and relative lack of upgradability aren't such sore points. Even so, it would've been nice to see a current-gen CPU in a machine that costs this much.
Microsoft fixes two zero-day flaws in October 2022 Patch Tuesday
TL;DR: Microsoft released a new series of patches designed to fix bugs in Windows and other popular software products. The most significant updates remedy a couple of zero-day flaws, but the two Exchange bugs discovered in recent weeks are still a danger for mail servers worldwide.
Microsoft debuts Surface Laptop 5 in 13.5-inch and 15-inch sizes
A modest update for the Surface Laptop
Report claims almost half of systems are ineligible for Windows 11 upgrades
CPU requirements are holding many systems back