Microsoft DirectStorage API, a game-changing technology that seeks to lower game load times and improve performance, will not be a Windows 11 exclusive, but make it to Windows 10. Shortly following the Windows 11 announcement, it was learned that Microsoft might wall off DirectStorage to Windows 11, which no longer appears to be the case. The DirectStorage Developer Preview is now available, and it works on Windows 10 version 1909 (or later), letting game developers begin exploring the technology and consider integrating it with their current or ongoing game development.

DirectStorage lets a GPU directly stream compressed game assets from an NVMe SSD, where they are uncompressed using compute shaders; cutting out a significant amount of back-and-forth with the CPU, freeing up its hardware resources, resulting in a net gain from reduced game-loading times. This would give gamers on Windows 10 one more reason to remain on the OS until Windows 11 matures. The new OS, however, could have an advantage over Windows 10 on machines with hybrid CPU cores, such as the upcoming "Alder Lake" processors, as its scheduler purportedly has greater awareness of hybrid core topologies.

Microsoft today announced Windows 365, a cloud service that introduces a new way to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11 (when it becomes available) to businesses of all sizes. Windows 365 takes the operating system to the Microsoft cloud, streaming the full Windows experience — apps, data and settings — to personal or corporate devices. Secure by design and built with the principles of Zero Trust, Windows 365 secures and stores information in the cloud, not on the device, providing a secure, productive experience for workers from interns and contractors to software developers and industrial designers. Windows 365 also creates a new hybrid personal computing category called Cloud PC, which uses both the power of the cloud and the capabilities of the device to provide a full, personalized Windows experience. The announcement represents a groundbreaking development as organizations around the world grapple with the best ways to facilitate hybrid work models where employees are both on-site and distributed across the globe.

Leading gaming accessory maker Turtle Beach Corporation today announced its award-winning Recon Controller is now available for pre-order. Unveiled at E3 2021, the Designed for Xbox Recon Controller was proudly designated with "Best of E3" awards from CNN Underscored and Android Authority for blending game-changing controls with Turtle Beach's signature audio technologies. This first-to-market combination of powerful integrated audio and innovative controls elevates gamers' senses and gameplay experiences when playing on Xbox and Windows 10 PCs. Turtle Beach's Recon Controller comes in black or white for a MSRP of $59.95 and launches worldwide on August 1, 2021.

"The Recon Controller's unique features and powerful audio make it the perfect companion to the millions of Turtle Beach headsets gamers on Xbox are already using," said Juergen Stark, Chairman and CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. "The current global gamepad accessory market for third party controllers generates $600 million in annual sales and is growing rapidly. The Recon Controller's unmatched features and design gives Turtle Beach a powerful entrance into the gamepad market, bolstered by the same industry expertise that's made us the best-selling gaming headset maker for the past decade plus. The team has delivered an amazing product with the Recon Controller and I can't wait to get this in the hands of Xbox gamers."

Remember that hideous, remotely exploitable vulnerability on Windows' Print Spooler service, which would enable remote attackers to run code with administrator privileges on your machine? Well, Microsoft seems to be waking up from this particular instance of PrintNightmare, as the company has already issued critical, out-of-band security updates (meaning that they're outside Microsoft's cadenced patch rollout) for several versions of windows. Since the Print Spooler service runs by default and is an integral part of Windows releases (likely since the NT platform development), Microsoft has even pushed out patches to OSs that aren't currently supported.

Microsoft has issued correctives for Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, a variety of supported versions of Windows 10, and even Windows 7. As per Microsoft, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2016, and Windows 10 Version 1607 products are still missing the security patches, but they're being actively worked on and should be released sooner rather than later. The security patches include mitigations for both the PrintNightmare issue (CVE-2021-34527), as well as another Print Spooler vulnerability that's been previously reported (CVE-2021-1675). The mitigations are being distributed via Windows Update, as always, and the relevant packages are KB5004945 through KB5004959 (depending on your version of Windows).

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Microsoft, in a tweet late last week, announced that while Windows 11 launches later this year in 2021, the operating system won't be made available as a free upgrade to existing Windows 10 users before the first half of 2022. This would mean that existing Windows 10 users wanting to try Windows 11 out this year, might have to purchase a retail or OEM license to Windows 11. "Windows 11 is due out later in 2021 and will be delivered over several months. The rollout of the upgrade to Windows 10 devices already in use today will begin in 2022 through the first half of that year," tweeted the official Windows handle.

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Yesterday, we reported the launch of Microsoft's next-generation Windows 11 operating system. Featuring a broad range of improvements that include the new and redesigned UI elements, 40% smaller updates, layouts, widgets, and a bunch of other stuff, existing Windows 10 users are wondering how and when they will be able to experience the new OS. The OS is coming later this year, with some preview beta builds supposed to arrive in the coming weeks. That means that a large portion of people is interested in trying out even the beta version. However, there is an important note about the new OS. When it officially comes out, all of the existing Windows 10 users can upgrade to Windows 11 for free, by just performing the software update.

To run the new OS, Microsoft lists a few new requirements like 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, 1+ GHz dual-core processor, and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0. The TPM 2.0 needs to be physically present, however, it is often turned off in BIOS, so future users need to enable it in BIOS as well. For more details, please head over to Microsoft website to find greater details on the upgrade.

Windows 11 Home setup will require you to have a Microsoft account and a working Internet connection handy. "Windows 11 Home edition requires internet connectivity and a Microsoft Account to complete device setup on first use," lists Microsoft as part of the operating system's requirements. In addition, all editions of Windows 11 will require Internet connection to receive updates, and a Microsoft Account for some tasks. "For all Windows 11 editions, internet access is required to perform updates and to download and take advantage of some features. A Microsoft account is required for some features," it adds. The requirement for Internet makes sense as Microsoft will be using Windows Update as the main medium of distributing Windows 11. It will be offered as a free upgrade for existing Windows 10 users.

Microsoft is today holding a virtual Windows Event to showcase what is next for Windows. As we have made reports earlier in the past few weeks, the Redmond giant has shown-off the next-generation Windows 11 operating system, which will make a major improvement compared to Windows 10 both internally and as far as looks are concerned. We were live-blogging all of that, and at exactly, 11 am Eastern Time. You can find the whole live blog below, and check out the new Windows 11 OS features.

14:43 UTC: The event is about to start...

Today, Lenovo announced the latest additions to its ThinkPad and ThinkVision portfolios. The redesigned and re-engineered ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 delivers more power, better connectivity and rich configuration options in response to customer demand. Powered by up to the latest 11th Gen Intel Core i9 H-Series vPro processors and available with the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX Laptop GPUs, up to 64 GB DDR4 memory and dual Solid-State Drive (SSD) support, the X1 Extreme Gen 4 is also offered with optional 5G Wireless WAN for high-speed access to cloud data.

With 74 percent of companies planning to permanently shift to more remote working, users need an exceptional collaboration experience. X1 Extreme Gen 4 delivers in spades, thanks to edge-to-edge 16-inch display options up to 4K along with Dolby Vision support, a new FHD webcam, dual noise-cancelling microphones and a user-facing Dolby Atmos Speaker System that is 20 percent larger than previous generation. All this performance wrapped in a legendary ThinkPad durable package that weighs less the 1.81 kg (four pounds).

Microsoft has revealed the date when support for Windows 10 is going to end - effectively confirming that their original vision of Windows 10 being "the last Windows OS ever" is now dead. The information comes from Microsoft's own update to Windows 10's support life cycle page, which the company has amended with the final resting date set for October 14th 2025 for both Home and Pro versions of the operating system. Previously, the support life cycle page listed end of support dates for various release versions of Windows 10 - not the entire OS.

Adding this to the announcement that Windows would get a new, "next-gen" update; the related teaser art which omits the shadow of the window crossbar, making the cast shadow look either basically unrealistic (some Raytracing seems to be needed by Microsoft's art personnel) or, infinitely more likely, the omitted shadow serves to approximate the cast shadows as much as possible to 11. No official announcement by Microsoft, but usually 1 + 1 = 2.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today unveiled the Galaxy Book Go and Galaxy Book Go 5G, new additions to the Galaxy Book lineup, powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon compute platforms. The Galaxy Book Go series provides more choices at accessible prices to consumers looking to achieve more anytime, anywhere.

"PCs continue to enable our digital lives, helping us connect to our friends and family, work remotely, and find outlets for creativity and relaxation," said Woncheol Chai, SVP and Head of Experience Planning Team, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. "The Galaxy Book Go series is built for today's mobile-first users, who expect seamless communication, sustained productivity, and immersive entertainment—all in one device. With the new addition to the Galaxy Book, Samsung offers wider options to our consumers to choose a device that best fits their needs."

When Microsoft announced its Windows 10 operating system, the company set it to be a platform that would last for many years. Instead of the regular releases like we have seen in the past years with Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 8, Windows 10 is a bit different. Microsoft designed the OS to be a product that receives plenty of updates over the years, however, it is still the same project. We are, of course, wondering if we are going to get something different and will Microsoft develop a new OS that is a successor to the 10. It seems like we are about to find out what the Redmond company plans to do with its OS offerings in the upcoming Microsoft Event scheduled for June 24th.

Starting at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, you can tune in to watch the event and find out what the company plans to do. The event website says "Join us to see what's next for Windows". By saying this, we are sure to see some advancements coming to the OS, however, we are still guessing what that may be. You can watch the live stream on Microsoft's website on June 24th, which you can check out here.

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Acer today announced a refresh to its gaming desktop portfolio that brings updates and enhancements to the series of Predator Orion 3000 and Nitro 50 gaming desktops. Both ranges have been updated to include the latest 11th Gen Intel Core or AMD Ryzen 5000 Series desktop processors, as well as NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs, plus a range of improvements across the board.

The Predator Orion 3000 (P03-630) is designed for gamers who are seeking the best-in-class hardware experience that a mid-tower rig can deliver. With an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 Processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 GPU and up to 64 GB of 3200 Hz DDR4 memory, users can do it all—game, stream and edit. This performance is further enhanced by the new Intel Core i7 processor core architecture which transforms hardware and software efficiency, delivers smooth game play, high frame rates, and immersive realism.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced the Qualcomm Snapdragon Developer Kit, which is designed to enable extended support for independent software vendors and application developers to test and optimize their applications for the growing ecosystem of devices powered by Snapdragon compute platforms. Built in collaboration with Microsoft, this Windows 10 on Arm-based developer kit is a cost-effective resource for developers to verify and validate their solutions to help ensure great user experiences for working, learning, and collaborating on Snapdragon-enabled Windows 10 PCs.

This is the latest collaboration between Qualcomm Technologies and Microsoft to strengthen resources for developers who are recompiling, optimizing, and testing applications for Windows 10 devices powered by Snapdragon compute platforms. In September 2020, Microsoft announced the expansion of its App Assure Program to Windows 10 on Arm PCs powered by Snapdragon compute platforms, as well as the optimization of Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Teams, and Visual Studio Code. The latest advancement in the coordinated support of independent software vendors and application developers was the December 2020 introduction of x64 emulation preview for Windows 10 PCs, to the Windows Insider Program.

Lenovo believes powerful and immersive gaming experiences exist at the intersection of hardware, software, and support services. For nearly six years, Lenovo Legion has delivered savage performance and sleek yet sophisticated design to a growing audience of avid gamers.

Optimized performance is at the heart of every Lenovo Legion product, and it's especially true of the new lineup of portable gaming PCs featuring Intel's and NVIDIA's latest technologies and Windows 10. Introducing the new 16-inch flagship Lenovo Legion 7i, the powerful new 16-inch Lenovo Legion 5i Pro, and the new 15-inch and 17-inch, Lenovo Legion 5i, which is easily customizable. Players can complete their setup and optimize esport experiences with the suite of innovative technologies offered on the new Lenovo Legion Y25g-30 IPS gaming monitor with lightning-fast 360 Hz refresh rate for the total package in fast-paced, tear-free gameplay.

Samsung is readying a powerful Arm-based SoC rivaling Apple's groundbreaking M1 silicon, under its Exynos brand. This chip is being designed for thin-and-light notebooks, as well as premium tablets, essentially letting Samsung target Apple's MacBook (M1) and iPad Pro form-factors. Unlike Apple, Samsung won't be burdened with having to rally its ISV partners to develop specifically for its hardware; the company is preparing to launch notebooks in the second half of 2021 that are powered by a Windows 10 on Arm derivative. This would give the notebook access to all of the applications already developed for the OS, including Office and certain Adobe Creativity Suite apps. The M1-rivaling Exynos chip will pack the latest-generation 64-bit Arm CPU cores, as well as an integrated GPU designed by AMD.

AMD has today updated its Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition version 21.5.1 drivers, bringing many features on board as well as fixing a lot of issues that have appeared in the past. Starting with support for the Resident Evil Village PC game, AMD promises to deliver up to 13% better frame rate at 4K maximum settings, while using the Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics card. The comparison was conducted with a reference to the previous driver, 21.4.1, which didn't allow the card to reach as high FPS as it is now possible with the proper support for the game. Another game that is added to the support list is Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition. Some fixes have been implemented, as the incorrect performance metrics that may have incorrectly reported temperatures on Ryzen 5 1600 series processors. For a detailed list of bug fixes, please take a look at the list below.DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition 21.5.1

Last year UL Benchmarks released 3DMark Wild Life, a cross-platform benchmark for Android, iOS and Windows. Today we are releasing 3DMark Wild Life Extreme, a more demanding cross-platform benchmark for comparing the graphics performance of mobile computing devices such as Windows notebooks, Always Connected PCs powered by Windows 10 on Arm, Apple Mac computers powered by the M1 chip, and the next generation of smartphones and tablets.

3DMark Wild Life Extreme is a new cross-platform benchmark for Apple, Android and Windows devices. Run Wild Life Extreme to test and compare the graphics performance of the latest Windows notebooks, Always Connected PCs powered by Windows 10 on Arm, Apple Mac computers powered by the M1 chip, and the next generation of smartphones and tablets.

DOWNLOAD: 3DMark for Windows v2.18.7181

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NVIDIA today released the latest version of its GeForce Game Ready drivers. Version 466.27 WHQL adds optimization for Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition. This includes additional raytraced effects, and support for DLSS 2.1. Optimization is also added for Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Resident Evil Village. The drivers also add support for the DirectX 12 Agility SDK, and Shader Model 6.6.

The drivers also confirm the existence of a new hardware revision of the GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB graphics card, which will be generally available from mid-May, 2021. These cards will require at least GeForce 466.24. The revision will likely come with a different device ID from the original RTX 3060 12 GB, and will re-engage the hash-rate limiter. Read more about this card in our article from earlier this week, here. A handful bugs were also fixed. These include performance issues related to NVIDIA Reflex and Rainbow Six Siege; an artificial FPS cap when V-Sync is off on displays connected via HDMI 2.1; and an application crash with RigidGems Prepar3D. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 466.27 WHQL

In response to the growing need for data protection, ATP Electronics, the global leader in specialized storage and memory solutions, has launched the SecurStor microSD cards - the latest in its line of secure NAND flash storage products for the Internet of Things (IoT), education, automotive, defense, aerospace and other applications requiring confidentiality and reliability.

"Removable storage media such as microSD cards provide great convenience and versatility for storing and transporting data. However, such convenience also exposes them to risks of unauthorized access," said Chris Lien, ATP Embedded Memory Business Unit Head. "In many instances, the boot image may be compromised, corrupting the operating system or rendering the system unusable. Malware may be introduced, or private information may be disclosed and used for damaging intents. Amidst such dangerous scenarios, we have made security a key priority for all ATP products."

Editor's note: This is not a part of April Fools.

NVIDIA has separated professional users and regular gamers with the company's graphics card offering. There is a GeForce lineup of GPUs, which represents a gaming-oriented version and its main task is to simply play games, display graphics, and run some basic CUDA accelerated software. However, what would happen if you were to start experimenting with your GPU? For example, if you are running Linux, and you want to spin a virtual machine with Windows on it for gaming, you could just use your integrated GPU as the GeForce card doesn't allow for virtual GPU passthrough. For these purposes, NVIDIA has its professional graphics card lineup like Quadro and Tesla.

However, this specific feature is about to arrive in even the GeForce lineup offerings. NVIDIA has announced that the company is finally bringing the basic virtual machine passthrough functions to the gaming GPUs. While the feature is representing a step in the right direction, it is still limited. For example, the GeForce GPU passthrough supports only one virtual machine and SR-IOV feature is still not supported on GeForce. "If you want to enable multiple virtual machines to have direct access to a single GPU or want the GPU to be able to assign virtual functions to multiple virtual machines, you will need to use NVIDIA Tesla, Quadro, or RTX enterprise GPUs.", says the NVIDIA FAQ. GeForce virtualization, which is now still in beta, is supported on R465 or higher drivers.The full content from NVIDIA's website is written below.