Tag: Recent News

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Computex 2019: Dell delivers more gaming power with Alienware, thinner and lighter devices for consumers and businesses

In Taipei, Taiwan, Dell announced several new and refreshed laptops and other devices at Computex 2019. Gaming enthusiasts of all levels can turn to Dell and Alienware for powerful laptops, as well as gaming headsets. Consumers and businesses will see lighter and thinner devices throughout the company’s XPS, Inspiron and Vostro lines. And everyone can benefit from home installation of their PCs.

Dell Alienware m15

For mobile gaming fans, Alienware m15 and m17 both weigh under six pounds. Not only do they introduce Alienware’s new Legend industrial design, first announced earlier this year at CES, but the new Alienware m17 introduces technologies culminating from everything the Alienware design team has learned over the years.

The Alienware m15 is the world’s first 15-inch laptop to feature Tobii eyetracking, and the Alienware m17 is the world’s first laptop to feature an Eyesafe certified display. Studies have shown that prolonged exposure to harmful blue light from digital displays can lead to dry irritated eyes, trouble sleeping, blurred vision, and reduced attention spans and concentration. Eyesafe display integration within Alienware m17, Alienware m15, Alienware Area -51m and G7 17 lowers blue light exposure while maintaining color performance.

Dell Alienware m17

Alienware m15, m17 and Dell G3 15 are among the first laptops to showcase brand-new processors that supercharge the PC gaming experience. The 9th Generation Intel Core CPUs offer the highest performance for gaming and creator laptops, delivering up to 5.0 GHz Turbo, eight cores and 16 threads, on a platform that handles everything from demanding AAA games to creative workloads like editing and rendering. NVIDIA’s latest graphic cards complement this, as a fast supercharger for popular games.

Additional design features include: an all-magnesium chassis; smooth-edge, Alienware’s narrowest bezels; a re-engineered keyboard; precision-point glass touchpad; SSD-only storage; and per key RGB LED AlienFX lighting.

Alienware m15 and m17 with 9th Generation Intel Core will be available in the U.S. beginning June 11, starting at $1,499.

Two Dell G3 15's, one black one silver, with the black one open facing the reader

Dell G3 15

Dell’s G3 15 comes to this year’s Computex with even more to offer to budget-conscious and entry-level players. A new Game Shift feature enables maximum fan speed for optimal processor performance during periods of intense gaming with the click of one button. The 15-inch G3 also shows outward innovations through a thin-and-sleek design, narrow borders, optional 144Hz gaming display, four-zone RGB backlit keyboard and an S-curve design to accommodate larger component ports near the back.

Dell G3 15 with optional 9th Generation Intel Core and NVIDIA 16 series chips will be available in the U.S. beginning May 28, starting at $799.

Alienware also debuted two accessories. The Alienware 7.1 Gaming Headset features hand-picked best-in-class custom-tuned 50mm drivers to deliver a wider, more dynamic, fully immersive surround sound to ensure gamers hear opponents coming from any direction. And for long hours of gaming, there’s a cushioned headband with a clamp to ensure no slippage, comfort-fit ear cups using deeper custom-designed acoustic chambers, along with plush memory foam and sports fabric for optimal cooling and comfort. A leatherette covering promotes noise isolation.

Alienware 7.1 Gaming Headset

Alienware 7.1 Gaming Headset

The Alienware Stereo Gaming Headset uses a combination of best-in-class custom-tuned drivers and custom-designed acoustic chambers and earcups to create a high-resolution audio experience. With audio clarity during even the most chaotic gameplay, this headset is engineered for maximum comfort and optimal cooling.

Both headsets feature the sleek Alienware Legend design, with non-exposed extenders and a retractable boom microphone, creating a seamless outline.

Cross-platform gamers will enjoy the compatibility these headsets provide via the detachable 3.5mm cable that makes it compatible with a variety of gaming platforms.

The headsets will be available in the U.S. beginning July 31, starting at $79.99 for Alienware Stereo Gaming Headset (AW310H) and $99.99 for Alienware 7.1 Gaming Headset (AW510H).

For consumers and businesses: XPS, Inspiron and Vostro improvements

XPS 13 2-in-1 in tablet mode with pen

XPS 13 2-in-1

The new XPS 13 2-in-1 packs more performance in a thinner design and larger display. Dell has elevated its display experience, refining the InfinityEdge display in a new 16:10 format.

The XPS 13 2-in-1 is Dell’s first laptop with Intel’s Ice Lake-U 10nm 10th gen processors and features adaptive performance based on the latest Intel Dynamic Tuning Technology, which proactively changes the power of the CPU according to the performance of the workload. It comes with a redesigned thermal system to cool the higher performing processor, while creating an overall 8% thinner 2-in-1 than the previous generation.

The new XPS 15 combines OLED and 9th Generation Intel Core processors in a powerhouse laptop. It’s got up to eight core i9 and up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics, enabling creators to experience faster speeds across video editing, graphic design and photography. The addition of Killer AX1650 built on Intel Wi-Fi 6 Chipset delivers nearly three times faster throughput than the previous generation in crowded environments [1].

The XPS 13 2-in-1 will be available in July starting at $999.99. The XPS 15 will be available in the coming weeks starting at $999.99.

The new Inspiron 15 7000 is an ultralight laptop prioritizing performance, equipped with 9th generation Intel Core H-class processors that offer up to eight cores, up to 16GB of DDR4 memory and dual NVMe SSD options, along with latest NVIDIA GTX 1650 graphics to deliver a high-performance laptop for everyday use and creative side-projects.

Design choices make a big difference with this laptop. Magnesium alloy keeps the laptop light while maintaining the rigidity and stability of traditional aluminum. The power button is incorporated within the keyboard and fingerprint reader for a cleaner look, allowing room for a full number pad on the narrow-border display. The new Adaptive Thermals of the system detects if the laptop is on a lap or desk, and changes the thermal profiles accordingly. Along with dual heat pipes, fans and a drop-hinge, the components work together to keep the system cool by exhausting heat out of hidden vents in the hinge.

The Inspiron 15 7000 is available now starting at $579.99.

Following in its big brother’s footprint, the new Inspiron 13 5000 laptop combines a 13-inch display with aluminum pieces, narrow borders and diamond-cut edges around the touchpad.

Consumers who care about connectivity will appreciate the optional mobile broadband [2] connection with a Micro SIM card slot, enabling them to get things done without a Wi-Fi connection (available on select configurations in select regions).

The Inspiron 13 5000 is available now starting at $579.99.

Previously announced at CES 2019, the Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 is now available in both 13 and 15-inch displays, equipped with the world’s first pen garage hinge [3].

Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series (Model 3195) 2-in-1 touch notebook

Rounding out the lineup, the Inspiron 11 3000 2-in-1 is an entry-level convertible with plenty of computing power for everyday needs: an HD touchscreen, 7th Generation AMD processors, plentiful ports and eMMC storage. It will be available on June 10 starting at $349.99.

Two new completely redesigned All-in-Ones bring a clean and renewed focus back towards the screen to minimize outside distractions. The Inspiron 24 5000 AIO and Inspiron 27 7000 AIO feature InfinityEdge and a vivid and clear 23.8-inch or 27-inch FHD 1080p display with pop-up webcam.

Inspiron 24 5000 AIO

Both contain a forward-firing speaker bar beneath the display to direct the speakers’ acoustic energy towards the listener, and with the addition of Dell Cinema, the AIOs provide an immersive experience.

The Inspiron 24 5000 AIO and Inspiron 27 7000 AIO are available now starting at $699.99 and $949.99, respectively.

The two additions to the Vostro line cater to the needs of small businesses.  The new Vostro 13 5000 is only 14.9 thin, 2.59 lb. light and comes equipped with advanced video-conferencing technology, making it the perfect notebook for mobile professionals and road warriors who need to attend meetings from anywhere.The new Vostro 15 7000 offers the latest H Series Intel 6-core processors for performance-demanding applications, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics and triple-drive expandability storage options for small businesses that demand a high performance system to get the job done.

The Vostro 13 5000 and Vostro 15 7000 are available now starting at $849 and $1,149, respectively.

The new Dell Home Installation Services provide a super simple, fast and convenient way to setup a PC at home. A technician unpacks and installs the PC, performs the system start up and connects it to your network and peripherals. Optional add-on services are available for an additional cost, including migrating your data or personalized settings from the previous PC, and installing additional components like memory, sound cards, video card, a secondary hard drive, optical drive and multiple monitors.

These services are available now available in 13 countries for new Inspiron, XPS or Alienware PCs.

[1] 802.11ax 2×2 160MHz enables 2402Mbps maximum theoretical data rates approximately three times faster than standard 802.11ac 2×2 (867Mbps) Wi-Fi as documented in IEEE 802.11 wireless standard specifications, and requires the use of similarly configured 802.11ax wireless network routers.

[2] Subject to service provider’s broadband subscription and coverage area; speeds may vary. Additional charges will apply. Contact your service provider for details.

[3] Based on Dell internal analysis, November 2018.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

AI Business School launches curriculum for government agencies

More than 140,000 business leaders have immersed themselves in AI Business School since Microsoft introduced the online leadership series two months ago. Now, the school is adding materials designed specifically for government agencies.

The goal: To help government leaders, policy makers and administrators learn more about how technologies infused with artificial intelligence can help their constituents, particularly when it comes to the delivery of important services ranging from applying for a construction permit to getting access to health assistance.

On May 28, AI Business School will launch a new learning path that describes important considerations and potential opportunities for government organizations as they evaluate how AI can help governments become more agile, consistent and efficient, and also better deliver services to their citizens.

“Leaders in the public sector are often faced with unique challenges when considering how to apply AI to improve the speed and quality of the government services they offer their citizens,” says Mitra Azizirad, corporate vice president for Microsoft AI marketing. “The opportunities and scenarios for AI in the public sector are ever increasing, which can make deciding where and how to apply it quite daunting. This is precisely why we expanded Microsoft’s AI Business School to now include a specifically tailored and targeted public sector curriculum to help these leaders address their citizens’ unique needs.”

Anthony Salcito, Microsoft’s vice president for government, said the new government learning path is a win for both government agencies and the constituents they serve.

“Helping governments reach and serve people through cloud services is a key priority for us,” Salcito said. “Citizens want to be able to interact with governments in real time and from any device. AI enables a two-way conversation where citizens can contribute information and receive insights in return.”

“It’s really thinking about 21st century workforce skills,” he added. “The fact is that government workers across the board – and especially decision makers – don’t necessarily have that familiarity or depth on AI. This new learning path is a way to get them introduced to the concept and to understand why it’s important in the context of government work.”

The new content for government leaders will include:

  • A video lecture from Peter Zemsky, Eli Lilly chaired professor of innovation and strategy at INSEAD graduate business school, on why and how governments can identify the right opportunity to use AI.
  • A case study illustrating how the city of Espoo, Finland, is working to modernize life for its residents.
  • A demo showcasing how governments can use intelligent bots to help citizens access resources.

With the assistance of AI, experts say governments can do things like find ways to reduce the time people spend waiting in line for services or find ways to improve public safety.

AI tools also can help government organizations analyze data to find better ways of helping constituents. They also can be used to create intelligent assistants that get people answers to simple questions faster, freeing up government employees to handle more complex requests.

For example, the city of Espoo has been using AI to analyze how its citizens access services, with the goal of figuring out how to serve people more efficiently and effectively. Päivi Sutinen, Espoo’s director of city-as-a-service development, said the experimentation revealed that by using AI and customer data more effectively, they were able to allocate resources more efficiently. That’s helping put the city on a path towards a more sustainable future.

“We launched our experiment because we wanted to find out whether AI can help us target our services proactively,” Sutinen said. “The answer is a strong yes.”

Microsoft says governments of all sizes can benefit from the AI Business School’s new learning path.

“We believe this course is valuable for government decision makers at all levels — from small municipalities to large cities,” said Salcito. “The beauty of artificial intelligence technologies is their scalability.”

Jaime Pereña is a director of AI marketing at Microsoft.

Related:

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Computex 2019: HP reinvents PC experiences with HP Elite line, ZBook and more

At Computex in Taipei, Taiwan, HP introduced new additions to its Personal Systems portfolio targeted at enabling more intuitive experiences across work and life.

HP Elite x2 G4

The Elite x2 G4 is the world’s first business detachable with a leather keyboard folio [1], integrated dual-camera privacy shutters and privacy screen [2]. Along with the EliteBook x360 1030 G4, and EliteBook x360 1040 G6, it redefines mobility with best-in-class battery life. In fact, the HP EliteBook x360 1030 G4 is the world’s smallest and lightest business convertible [3]. It also makes sure you stay connected with Gigabit Class 4G LTE [4], Wi-Fi 6 [5] and Bluetooth 5 and up to 24 hours of battery life.

HP Zbooks and HP VR Backpack

The ZBook 15 G6, ZBook 17 G6 and VR Backpack give creators and designers powerful options. For architects, product developers and creative professionals who require high-performance computing and expandability, HP introduces powerful entry workstations – HP Z1 Entry Tower G5, HP Z2 Mini G4, HP Z2 Small Form Factor G4 and HP Z2 Tower G4.

The new HP Z2 Tower has been redesigned to provide two times the graphics power and 41 percent more processing power over the previous generation. This enables creators to confidently tackle complex workloads like rendering photo-realistic 3D models and scenes with full performance and whisper-quiet acoustics.

HP ENVY 13

HP also brings some new designs with the world’s first convertible PCs made with authentic wood [6]: the HP ENVY 13, HP ENVY x360 13, HP ENVY x360 15 and the HP ENVY 17 Wood Series. They come with a choice of new, next-gen Intel Core processors or 2nd Generation AMD Ryzen Mobile Processors with Radeon Vega Graphics [7].

Engineering the lowest starting pressure ever in a PC active pen makes it possible for natural handwriting on both the HP Elite x2 and full line of HP Elite convertibles with the optional HP Rechargeable Active Pen G3 to be the world’s most precise writing experience [8].

HP Mini-in-One 24 Display

Looking for a desktop? The Mini-In-One 24 boasts the world’s most secure modular All in One with a display that fully encloses, secures and powers a 65W ultra-small form factor PC [9]. The Mini-In-One display pairs seamlessly with the new HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Desktop Mini PC to enable clean desk aesthetics and the security of an all-in-one experience.

Pricing and Availability [10]

  • The HP Elite x2 G4 is expected to be available in August for a starting price of $1,499.
  • The HP EliteBook x360 1030 G4 is expected to be available in July for a starting price of $1,449.
  • The HP EliteBook x360 1040 G6 is expected to be available in July for a starting price of $1,499.
  • The HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Desktop Mini is expected to be available in July for a starting price of $924.
  • The HP Active Pen G3 is expected to be available later this summer for a starting price of $99.
  • The HP VR Backpack is expected to be available this summer for a starting price of $3,299.
  • The HP Z1 Desktop Entry Tower is expected to be available in July. Pricing will be shared closer to availability.
  • The HP Z2 Desktop portfolio is expected to be available in August. Pricing will be shared closer to availability.
  • The HP ENVY Wood Series portfolio is expected to be available fall 2019. Pricing will be shared closer to availability.

[1 Based on HP’s internal analysis of business detachable with the latest 8th Gen Intel Core i U series processor, Windows Pro OS, vPro with optional integrated leather clad keyboard as of May 2019.

[2] Based on HP’s internal analysis of business detachables with Windows Pro OS, Intel Core i U series processor, vPro with detachable keyboard. Most private based on webcam privacy shutter and optional physically embedded, hardware-based privacy screen as of May 2019. 

[3] Based on 8th Generation Intel based 13-inch business convertibles with Intel Core i U series processor, Windows Pro OS, vPro and a convertible nondetachable design as of May 2019. Thinnest at the hinge and smallest based on volume. Lightest based on weight.

[4] Gigabit class Category 16 4G LTE module is optional and must be configured at the factory. Module designed for up to 1 Gbps download speeds as carriers deploy 5 carrier aggregation and 100Mhz channel bandwidth, requires activation and separately purchased service contract. Backwards compatible to HSPA 3G technologies. Check with service provider for coverage and availability in your area. Connection, upload and download speeds will vary due to network, location, environment, network conditions and other factors. 4G LTE not available on all products, in all regions.

[5] Wireless access point and internet service required and sold separately. Availability of public wireless access points limited. Wi-Fi 6 is backwards compatible with prior 802.11 specs. The specifications for Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) are draft and are not final. If the final specifications differ from the draft specifications, it may affect the ability of the notebook to communicate with other 802.11ax devices. Only available in countries where 802.11ax is supported.

[6] Compared to all convertible PCs in the market as of May 28, 2019.

[7] AMD processor only available on the HP ENVY x360 13.

[8] Based on rechargeable active pens with the lowest starting pressure and are sold with PCs with preinstalled encryption, authentication, malware protection and BIOS-level protection, passing MIL-STD 810G tests with optional docking incorporating power delivery as of May 2018.

 [9] Based on displays that can attach and enclose a separately-purchased Ultra-Small Form Factor PC as of May 2019. Most secure requires separately-purchased HP EliteDesk 800 G5 Desktop Mini with 7th Generation and higher Intel Core processors, Intel integrated graphics and Intel WLAN, and is based on HP’s unique and comprehensive security capabilities included at no additional cost, among vendors with more than one million units annual sale.

[10] Not available in all countries, pricing from HP.com, subject to change without notice. See Best Buy for pricing details.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Computex 2019: MSI pushes gaming boundaries with new GT76 Titan and latest GE65 Raider

MSI shows off its latest gear for extreme gamers at Computex 2019: the new GT76 Titan and GE65 Raider.

MSI MSI GE65 Raider

The GT76 Titan proves it can deliver powerful desktop-level performance in a laptop, with a design inspired by exotic cars. Under the hood, it pairs an Intel Core i9 desktop processor, overclocked to 5.0GHz across all eight cores, and top-of-the-line RTX 2080 graphics. Because so much power can overheat a machine, MSI’s exclusive Cooler Boost Titan keeps it cool by generating 2.25 times the airflow.

To enhance gamers’ visual experience with a panoramic view, the GT76 provides a 17.3-inch, 144Hz thin bezel display. The flagship also features upgraded wired-and-wireless networking, with Killer DoubleShot Pro now supporting 2.5 Gbps LAN and Wi-Fi 6.

This gaming flagship not only comes with the robust hardware but also gives gamers complete freedom to upgrade the internals with more storage and memory capacity, just like a desktop.

MSI GE65 Raider

The latest GE65 Raider continues its predecessor’s powerful performance. Forged with latest RTX graphics and 9th Generation Intel Core i9 processor, the GE65 can easily handle demanding AAA games titles. It also has the latest Killer Wi-Fi 6.

Its ultra-fast 240Hz IPS-level thin bezel display ensures sharp and clear images in a compact form factor. The new two-toned mesh design at the underside of the unit, inspired by a dragon theme, provides better ventilation and prevents hot air recirculation.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Computex 2019: ASUS celebrates 30th anniversary with new ScreenPad 2.0, Screenpad Plus and more

At Computex 2019 in Taipei, Taiwan, ASUS unveiled a lineup of ZenBooks with new versions of its ScreenPad and a refreshed lineup of laptops from its Republic of Gamers. The company also celebrated its 30th anniversary with an exclusive limited-edition ZenBook Edition 30 (UX334FL), a Pearl White model with a hand-crafted genuine Italian leather lid cover.

ZenBook 15 (UX534)

The latest ZenBook 13 (UX334), ZenBook 14 (UX434) and ZenBook 15 (UX534) models now include the ASUS ScreenPad 2.0, an interactive secondary touchscreen with an intuitive new smartphone-like interface, which could go a long way toward easy task management and multitasking workflows.

All models in the series have a four-sided frameless NanoEdge display, with up to a 95% screen-to-body ratio that gives them the world’s most compact footprint in their respective classes.

ZenBooks are known for their combination of performance and mobility and these are no different. They feature a full complement of high-performance components including up to 8th Generation Intel Core i7 quad-core CPUs, up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics, 16GB RAM, ultrafast PCIe SSDs and gigabit-class Wi-Fi.

ZenBook Pro Duo

Also making its debut at Computex: the ZenBook Pro Duo (UX581), an ultraportable laptop that includes a 4K OLED UHD ASUS ScreenPad Plus (3840 x 2160), a full-width secondary touchscreen (3840 x 1100) that expands and enhances the interactive capabilities of the original ASUS ScreenPad. The display is a frameless four-sided ASUS NanoEdge design, with ultraslim bezels for immersive visuals and an ultra-compact form factor. It also features 100,000:1 HDR contrast and DCI-P3 100% for vivid color.

The ScreenPad Plus gives users the ability to enjoy the productivity and efficiency benefits of dual-screen computing on a single portable device. The full-width, high-resolution 32:9 aspect-ratio touchscreen sits directly above the laptop’s keyboard, providing a greatly enlarged visual workspace while preserving the standard laptop form factor.

You can use ScreenPad Plus just like any standard second display in Windows to display visual content, or take advantage of many time-saving features and functions built into the ScreenXpert control software to simplify multiscreen window and app management.

You can also drag discrete apps, toolbars or menus onto ScreenPad Plus to reduce clutter on the main screen and enhance work efficiency. Creators can dock their tools such as video previews, timeline controls, code windows or audio mixer panels onto ScreenPad Plus to optimize workflow. Social communications apps placed on ScreenPad Plus while working can help reduce distractions from notifications.

Adaptive functions, pioneered in the original ScreenPad, also offer enhanced workflow in apps such as Microsoft Office.

ZenBook Pro Duo features the latest version of the ASUS NumberPad, an LED-illuminated numeric keypad integrated into the touchpad. There’s also Amazon Alexa voice support.

Underneath, performance comes through up to 9th Generation Intel Core processors, combined with up to 32GB RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (UX581) or GeForce MX250 (UX481) GPU, with ultrafast storage provided by up to a 1TB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD.

The full set of I/O ports includes a Thunderbolt 3-enabled USB Type-C port. The latest Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) provides next-level wireless speeds for connections to the world.

There’s also a dedicated Turbo Fan button to boost cooling at any time, and the ErgoLift hinge improves airflow under the laptop for better thermal performance.

ASUS Republic of Gamers also announced a top-to-bottom update of its gaming laptop family that features faster displays, best-in-class cooling, NVIDIA Turing graphics, 9th Generation Intel Core processors and AMD Ryzen APU.

Find out more at ASUS.

Updated May 27, 2019 5:59 am

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Why a national land cover map matters, and how processing 200M images in 10 minutes will help

When we started AI for Earth, we had one simple but huge ambition – to fundamentally transform the way we, as a society, monitor, model and manage Earth’s natural resources.

That transformation will ultimately require collecting and processing exceptionally large datasets – an endeavor that can take a lot of time and money, even with advanced cloud computing and AI tools like deep learning. In part, these barriers have curtailed progress on important tools for conservation, like up to date land cover maps.

I’m excited to share that we’ve made a computing breakthrough that moves the needle towards real-time analysis of land cover data. We first shared the news at Build—Microsoft’s annual developer conference—and on Thursday and Friday of this week AI for Earth’s principal engineer Jennifer Marsman will be discussing our results in detail at an AI event in Paris.

Why does land cover mapping matter? There are three big reasons.

  1. Land cover mapping is the foundation of effective conservation and sustainable growth. Data is the lifeblood of conservation efforts; and to protect complex ecosystems, such as watersheds, conservationists need accurate and precise spatial data. Real-time, high resolution land cover maps can guide conservation efforts, but creating these maps using available imagery—and tracking changes over time—requires complex algorithms and computing resources.
  2. This foundation has been in shambles. The best available land cover map in the United States is at 30-meter resolution and eight years out of date. That’s because processing the explosion of satellite, sensor and aerial images is tedious and time-consuming.
  3. This situation is only going to deteriorate. We are now collecting geospatial data at an incredible rate. We need algorithms, and the hardware they run on, to be able to keep pace with the increasing speed of data collection.

Because this problem of up-to-date land cover mapping is so basic and so important, it was one of the very first projects we took on with AI for Earth, in partnership with Esri and the Chesapeake Conservancy. Using algorithms on Microsoft’s Azure platform and integrating with Esri’s ArcGIS spatial mapping software, the Chesapeake Conservancy and its collaborators in the Chesapeake Bay Partnership created an accurate, current land cover map of the Chesapeake Bay watershed at one-meter resolution—giving conservationists access to data with 900 times the information that was available before.

That’s great for the Chesapeake, but it still left the rest of the country to be mapped, a task that would require processing over 10 trillion pixels of imagery into categories like forests, fields, water, and urban areas. Until today, this would take a huge amount of time and manual resources.

Now, through Project Brainwave, we are capable of processing more than 20 terabytes of aerial imagery into land cover data for the entire United States in much less time, and for much less money, than existing solutions. We are using a new FPGA (field programmable gate array) chip solution in Azure, which can plow through nearly 200 million images in just over 10 minutes for a cost of $42. These results pave the way for organizations to produce new, high resolution land cover maps on infrastructure that can scale up or down for all sorts of problems around the world.

To be clear, algorithms need to be both fast and accurate, and there’s still a lot of work and testing to do on that front. Nonetheless, these speedy results are a good first step in empowering people to apply AI at earth scale. And, of course, land cover mapping is just one of over 100 projects in which we have invested – please check out our website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/aiforearth  for the latest updates on our grantees, projects and progress.


To learn more:

Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Project xCloud continues to evolve to provide more for gamers and developers

Last fall, we pulled back the curtain on Project xCloud – our game-streaming technology. Our vision for Xbox is that you can play the games you want, with the people you want, on the devices you want. Project xCloud brings us closer to fully realizing that vision. Our teams around the globe have been hard at work, building out and testing the system. We recently rolled out an alpha version to Microsoft employees through our take home program and are using the feedback to make improvements, ensuring Project xCloud offers customers a great experience.

The driving purpose behind Project xCloud has been to enable playing great games anywhere, anytime. From the beginning, our aim has been seamless compatibility. We want to make it as easy as possible for developers to make their games available to all gamers with support for existing games, those currently in development, and future games.

The power of Project xCloud – the seamless compatibility for developers and the new places to play for gamers – comes from Azure datacenters spanning the globe, with hardware that shares a common set of components with our Xbox consoles. We’ve already deployed our custom Project xCloud blades to datacenters across 13 Azure regions with an initial emphasis on proximity to key game development centers in North America, Asia and Europe. Leading global development teams such as Capcom and Paradox Interactive now have the ability to easily test their games directly from Project xCloud without having to port to a new platform. This is just the beginning of our buildout, with our ultimate goal of supporting gamers in Azure regions around the world.

Today you can play three generations of amazing games on Xbox One. That means that Project xCloud has the technical capability to stream more than 3,500 games, without any changes or modifications required by a developer. In other words, developers will be able to dramatically scale their existing games across devices, with no additional development, no additional code base maintenance and no separate updates. When a developer updates the Xbox One version of their title, those updates will also apply to all versions available on Project xCloud without any additional work.

There are currently more than 1,900 games in development for Xbox One, all of which could run on Project xCloud. Developers creating those games continue working normally – building with the tools they have – while we do the work to make their games accessible to the broadest set of players possible.

We also recently added enhancements to our standard Xbox Developer Kit (XDK) to add support for streaming. One API we’re excited about is the new “IsStreaming” API which allows any game to know if it’s streaming from the cloud. Games can then cue features and functionality to enhance the streaming experience; for instance, adjusting font sizes for smaller displays or hosting multiplayer matches on a single server to reduce latency. We’ll continue to look for ways to empower developers to tailor their games for the many ways their customers play.

Project xCloud is an exciting journey that we are all on together. We can’t wait to invite the community to provide feedback, help us shape it and participate in development in a very open and transparent way. Stay tuned…

Thanx,

Kareem

Posted on by — Leave a comment

All US Azure regions now approved for FedRAMP High impact level

Today, I’m excited to share our ability to provide Azure public services that meet US Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) High impact level and extend FedRAMP High Provisional Authorization to Operate (P-ATO) to all of our Azure public regions in the United States. In October, we told customers of our plan to expand public cloud services and regions from FedRAMP Moderate to FedRAMP High impact level. FedRAMP High was previously available only to customers using Azure Government. Additionally, we’ve increased the number of services available at High impact level to 90, including powerful services like Azure Policy and Azure Security Center, as we continue to drive to 100 percent FedRAMP compliance for all Azure services per our published listings and roadmap. Azure continues to support more services at FedRAMP High impact levels than any other cloud provider.

Achieving FedRAMP High means that both Azure public and Azure Government data centers and services meet the demanding requirements of FedRAMP High, making it easier for more federal agencies to benefit from the cost savings and rigorous security of the Microsoft Commercial Cloud.

While FedRAMP High in the Azure public cloud will meet the needs of many US government customers, certain agencies with more stringent requirements will continue to rely on Azure Government, which provides additional safeguards such as the heightened screening of personnel. We announced earlier the availability of new FedRAMP High services available for Azure Government.

FedRAMP was established to provide a standardized approach for assessing, monitoring, and authorizing cloud computing products and services to federal agencies, and to accelerate the adoption of secure cloud solutions by federal agencies. The Office of Management and Budget now requires all executive federal agencies to use FedRAMP to validate the security of cloud services. Cloud service providers demonstrate FedRAMP compliance through an Authority to Operate (ATO) or a Provisional Authority to Operate (P-ATO) from the Joint Authorization Board (JAB). FedRAMP authorizations are granted at three impact levels based on NIST guideline slow, medium, and high.

Microsoft is working closely with our stakeholders to simplify our approach to regulatory compliance for federal agencies, so that our government customers can gain access to innovation more rapidly by reducing the time required to take a service from available to certified. Our published FedRAMP services roadmap lists all services currently available in Azure Government to our FedRAMP High boundary, as well as services planned for the current year. We are committed to ensuring that Azure services to government provides the best the cloud has to offer and that all Azure offerings are certified at the highest level of FedRAMP compliance.

New FedRAMP High Azure Government Services include:

  • Azure DB for MySQL
  • Azure DB for PostgreSQL
  • Azure DDoS Protection
  • Azure File Sync
  • Azure Lab Services
  • Azure Migrate
  • Azure Policy
  • Azure Security Center
  • Microsoft Flow
  • Microsoft PowerApps

We will continue our commitment to provide our customers the broadest compliance in the industry, as Azure now supports 91 compliance offerings, more than any other cloud service provider. For a full listing of our compliance offerings, visit the Microsoft Trust Center.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Microsoft, Brilliant team up to offer quantum curriculum

With the Microsoft Quantum Development Kit, getting started with quantum development is easy. Now we’re helping to make it even easier: we’ve partnered with the team of educators at Brilliant.org to teach you about quantum computing in a new way.

Brilliant has more than 8 million students and professionals worldwide learning subjects from algebra to special relativity through guided problem-solving. In partnership with Microsoft’s quantum team, Brilliant has launched an interactive course called “Quantum Computing,” for learning quantum computing and programming in Q#, Microsoft’s new quantum-tuned programming language. The course features Q# programming exercises with Python as the host language (one of our new features!). Brilliant and Microsoft are excited to empower the next generation of quantum computer scientists and engineers and start growing a quantum workforce today.

Starting from scratch

Because quantum computing bridges the fields of information theory, physics, mathematics, and computer science, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Brilliant’s course, integrated with some of Microsoft’s leading quantum development tools, provides self-learners with the tools they need to master quantum computing.

The new quantum computing course starts from scratch and brings students along in a way that suits their schedule and skills. Students can build and simulate simple quantum algorithms on the go or implement advanced quantum algorithms in Q# on the web, without ever downloading a development environment.

Basic q sharp courseBasic q sharp course

From quantum Plinko to teleportation and algorithms

Quantum Computing covers quantum information, quantum operations, and introductory algorithm design in an intuitive way. Quantum Computing, the fundamental concepts of quantum information are built up from first principles, and then by finding and addressing the points where classical intuition falls apart. The course aims to present the deep mysteries of quantum phenomena in an approachable way. For example, the course begins with a ball bouncing down The Price is Right®’s Plinko board and then—with a few added lasers—reveals an example of boson sampling, a simple problem that is likely to be impossible to solve efficiently with a classical computer.

Q# for developing quantum solutions

To teach basic quantum operations, the course features a drag-and-drop simulator that follows the student throughout the course and offloads mathematical heavy lifting so it’s easier to focus on the quantum learnings. Brilliant’s circuit simulator allows self-learners to solve quantum circuit puzzles, peek inside the quantum state at any point along the simulation, and get a feel for the operations that a quantum computer may be able to perform. Such experimentation with full knowledge of a quantum state is a great way to learn the tools of the trade, but to really program a quantum computer, you need to follow quantum rules where observing the quantum state can destroy it. That’s where Microsoft’s Q# programming language comes in. Brilliant incorporates the Q# language into Quantum Computing so that programmers can modify and construct quantum algorithms.

Q# also provides a powerful way to quickly prototype quantum programs in tandem with a classical programming environment. Using Q#’s new Python integration within the Brilliant course, students call Python to implement the classical side of an algorithm and call Q# to run the quantum side—all in a single coding environment in their browser. Q#’s integration with Python provides a glimpse into the future of quantum computing: a classical computer that can leverage quantum hardware for particular problems, in much the same way that we currently use GPUs to speed up the solutions of ray tracing or machine learning problems.

Advanced topics of quantum computing

Even before quantum systems will be sufficient to implement the most well-known algorithms at a useful scale, there may be algorithms that can take advantage of mixed classical and quantum computing. By the end of this course, students will appreciate how a difficult classical problem can be translated into a quantum representation, and experiment with the reality of quantum computation. Quantum Computing also illustrates how quantum hardware may enable large-scale quantum chemistry simulation, by taking learners through the efficient preparation and manipulation of highly-entangled states which are prohibitively costly with classical computers.

Hydrogen q sharp courseHydrogen q sharp course

To learn more

Access Brilliant’s course here. For a limited time following the release of this blog post, the first two chapters of Quantum Computing, including an interactive introduction to coding in Q# will be available to all registered Brilliant users for free.

To learn more about Q# and the Quantum Development Kit:

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Microsoft releases new book: ‘The Future Computed: AI and Manufacturing’

Today, Microsoft is releasing The Future Computed: AI and Manufacturing. This new book provides an in-depth look at how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the manufacturing sector by optimizing digital operations and driving efficiencies, enabling new products and services, and allowing for safer work environments. The book also offers a timely look at how society can respond to some of the challenges AI creates, and the need to develop new laws and regulations to address workforce disruption and develop AI in an ethical and responsible manner.

Written by Greg Shaw – co-author of Hit Refresh with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and The Ability Hacks about technology for people with disabilities – this book is the second in a series that began with the release last year of The Future Computed: Artificial Intelligence and its role in society.

In an era when digital technology is changing almost every aspect about how people live, work, play, and learn, we believe it is important to think carefully about the complex questions that AI raises. Through our Future Computed series, we hope to encourage a broad set of conversations about how AI can empower people in a trusted and respectful environment that benefits everyone.

We decided to focus the second Future Computed book on manufacturing because the industry plays such a central role in the global economy, and because, as in previous industrial revolutions, it is once again at the forefront of adopting new transformational technologies.

This means manufacturing is one of the industries that is leading the way in exploring the full potential of AI. It also means manufacturers already find themselves responding to some of the challenges of AI — challenges like how to optimize processes to keep up with the new speed of business, how to ensure their existing and incoming workforce has the right skills to build and leverage AI, and how to create the right organizational culture to realize the benefits of data-driven decision making.

In the book, you’ll hear from a range of customers including ABB, Colfax, Jabil, Tetra Pak, Toyota Materials Handling and ZF about the progress they are making on their AI journey. You’ll meet Patrick Bass, CEO of thyssenkrupp North America, who led the effort to implement a real-time cloud-based predictive maintenance solution that is maximizing uptime for 12 million elevators that move 1 billion people every day. And hear from Manuel Torres, a self-taught engineer who has used AI to transform his paper company into a leading supplier of composite material for airplane manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus.

The Future Computed and Manufacturing book

The book also looks at how manufacturers will need to engage with governments and civil society to help craft new regulatory frameworks, guiding the use of this new technology as the industry transforms. These frameworks should address key societal challenges, including the need to retrain workers to take on new roles and be part of a talent supply chain capable of realizing the potential of AI in manufacturing. They should also address how to store the data generated from connected supply chains and digital factories safely, securely, and in ways that respect privacy and ensure that AI is used ethically. Drawing on insights from customers and policymakers from around the world The Future Computed: AI and Manufacturing offers Microsoft’s perspective on how we might move forward on these important issues.

The Future Computed: AI and Manufacturing does not pretend to have all the answers. But we hope it will play a role in furthering discussions about how to deliver this new technology responsibly and help manufacturers better understand the steps they need to take in their AI journey.

In writing the book, Greg conducted interviews with Microsoft manufacturing customers who are at the forefront of figuring out how AI can drive success for their companies. He also interviewed workforce experts, union leaders, and policymakers from around the world and identified some common themes across these conversations.

The Future Computed: AI and Manufacturing points out the critical importance of cultural change as part of the digital transformation and the need for strong senior leadership in overseeing this shift. It also highlights the way in which the managers inside manufacturing operations who are closest to the workforce are often the most sensitive to AI’s impact on employees and are focused on improving worker safety and job satisfaction. And, while there is notable positivity from leaders in manufacturers around the impact of AI on jobs, there is also an understanding that a lot of work is needed to reinvent how we prepare people for the workforce.

The advent of AI makes this an exciting time to be in manufacturing. But it is also a time filled with great uncertainty. For anyone interested in learning more about why AI is so important to the future of manufacturing, I hope The Future Computed: AI and Manufacturing offers a useful guide. I also love the final remark that suggests leaders of today should lead with optimism.

I encourage you to download a copy here. You can also find out more about the people and companies profiled in the book and access additional information by visiting Microsoft’s AI and Manufacturing website. Additional resources can also be found in the Microsoft AI Business School.

Tags: , ,