Play Xbox games on the Mac with Parallels Desktop 15

Parallels, a global cross-platform solutions provider, has launched Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac. Parallels Desktop now supports the Apple Metal API for improved graphics. As part of the move to Metal, Parallels Desktop 15 supports DirectX 11, 10 and 9 on Metal, delivering improved performance to customers.

Parallels Desktop 15 box.

“Parallels made significant investments to support Apple Metal API, so today our customers can enjoy the fastest and most efficient version of Parallels Desktop to date,” said Nick Dobrovolskiy, Senior VP, Engineering and Support at Parallels.

“Now Parallels Desktop 15 users can experience demanding computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) applications and Windows PC games that were previously unavailable. In addition, there are planned integration features with macOS Catalina—including support for Sidecar and Apple Pencil—offering customers our most comprehensive merging of Mac and Windows ever.”

Parallels has made significant investments to ensure excellent DirectX 11 performance on Metal in macOS Mojave and macOS Catalina (10.15), an upcoming OS version for Mac hardware, in addition to DirectX 10 and 9*. Parallels Desktop 15 users can now run many Windows programs and PC games which didn’t run on prior versions, including the following titles:

CAD/CAM applications ArcGIS Pro 2.3 Autodesk 3ds Max 2020 Lumion MasterSeries

Games on macOS Mojave Age of Empires: Definitive Edition Anno 2205 Space Engineers The Turing Test

Games on macOS Catalina  Anno 1800  Fallout 4  FIFA 19  Madden NFL 19

Product highlights include:

Xbox gaming

Bluetooth Low Energy support in Parallels Desktop 15 enables Xbox Controller, Logitech Craft, IRISPen and some Internet of Things (IoT) devices (such as smart home appliances and smart bands) to be used with a Mac. The Logitech Craft keyboard comes with a creative input dial for added functionality. Supported platforms include Windows 10 and 8.1, Android and Linux with kernel 3.13 and newer. The shared Bluetooth driver is version 4.0.

MacOS Catalina (10.15) integration

Parallels Desktop 15 can currently utilise macOS Catalina as a virtual machine (VM), with support for Catalina as a host operating system (OS) following its public release (expected in Q3-Q4 2019). Planned integrations include improved Sidecar support as well as processing of the Apple Pencil tilt and double-tap features, which can be used in software such as CorelDRAW, Corel Painter and Microsoft SketchPad among others. The tilt feature enables the pencil tool to be used for shading, whereas a double-tap changes modes. Sidecar will allow an iPad to be used as a secondary Mac display.

In addition, users will be able to use Sign in with Apple as one of several sign-in options (implemented in Parallels services this Q3-Q4), providing a consistent sign-in experience they can trust and the convenience of not having to remember multiple accounts and passwords. New users can also use Sign in with Apple to register for the first time, which will automatically create a Parallels account and simplify the trial experience.

Parallels Desktop 15 also provides improved handling of macOS Catalina security and privacy dialogues, approving system extensions, and will feature refined work with iCloud in the update around macOS Catalina release.

Mac and Windows integration

Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac further blurs the lines between Mac and Windows for new levels of productivity. Parallels Desktop 15 users can now drag and drop images directly from macOS screenshot previews, Safari and Photos to Windows applications to create documents.

Watch the demo video

Users can also right-click a file in the macOS Finder, then select “Share” and “Send with Windows Email App” to send the file via the default Windows email, such as Outlook or Mail. Finder is the file management system on macOS.

Watch the demo video

VTPM and Physical Disk Support

Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition and Business Edition now feature a virtual platform trusted module (vTPM), a new virtual hardware-to-VM configuration required by Windows to enable additional security features. With a vTPM in highly secure corporate environments, users can enable BitLocker in accordance with corporate group policies, use virtual smart cards, or enable a more secure version of Windows Hello PIN for improved security. The Windows Hello PIN acts like a password, but is tied to a specific device.

BitLocker from Microsoft provides drive encryption. It is meant to address the threats of data theft or exposure from lost, stolen, or inappropriately-decommissioned computers.

Additionally, Parallels Desktop Pro Edition and Business Edition users can connect physical disks (both internal and external) to a VM as logical internal disks, which allows users to:

• Install Windows or another OS to that disk,
• Boot to an OS installed on that disk, and
• Use non-native Boot Camp installations. Apple's Boot Camp allows users to install Windows 10 on the Mac, then switch between macOS and Windows when restarting the Mac.

Enterprise users also benefit from an enhanced consistent user experience in Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac Business Edition. IT can now lock a VM in a desired mode—Window, Full Screen, or Coherence—so end users always get a familiar experience for increased productivity. According to Parallels, Coherence is a view mode that allows both Windows and Mac applications to be running at the same time without managing two separate desktops or rebooting.

Significant Parallels Desktop 15 performance improvements include:

• Up to 80% faster Microsoft Office application startup
• Up to 15% faster 3D graphics improvements
• A faster and more responsive Parallels Desktop user interface (UI)

The Installation Assistant in Parallels Desktop makes it simple to install Windows 10 on the Mac— and does not require users to purchase Windows beforehand. Windows installation scenarios for Parallels Desktop include:

- Parallels Desktop has just been installed on the Mac. The software will automatically detect that Windows is not present, and offer to install it.

- Moving Windows 10 and applications from a physical PC into a Parallels Desktop VM on the Mac.

- Adding a Windows 10 VM to Parallels Desktop.

- Upgrading an existing Windows VM to Windows 10.

- Adding preconfigured Windows VM test environments for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer. 

Explore:

Install Windows 10 in Parallels Desktop for Mac

Details:

Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac
Upgrade from any edition	US$49.99
New subscription	US$79.99 per year
Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac Pro Edition
Upgrade from any edition	US$49.99 per year
New subscription	US$99.99 per year
Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac Business Edition
New subscription	US$99.99 per year

All editions of Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac (Standard, Pro Edition and Business Edition) are available now for purchase either online which also offers free full-featured 14-day trials for new users—or from retail and online stores worldwide. Apple's App store will also carry the softwaree from October.

Parallels Desktop subscriptions include complimentary, concurrent three-month subscriptions to Parallels Toolbox for Mac and Windows as well as to Parallels Access, which are also separately available to all PC and Mac users as standalone products for free trials and subscription.

Parallels Toolbox is a suite of more than 30 tools to complete beneficial tasks in a click, including:

• Download Internet videos to watch offline.
• Reclaim gigabytes of disk space or RAM to improve Mac performance.
• Make a GIF to share.

Parallels Access makes it simple to securely access up to five computers (Mac or PC) from anywhere via an HTML5 web browser, and from an unlimited number of iPad, iPhone and Android devices.

Parallels Desktop for Mac customers (any edition) can get upgrade pricing for Parallels Desktop 15 online.

New customers can download free trials and purchase online.

*User experience will depend on the hardware, especially the CPU and graphics card utilised on the Mac.

Older PCs are more expensive to maintain than newer ones

• Techaisle research commissioned by Microsoft and Intel has revealed that the cost of upkeeping a PC older than four years can be used to purchase at least two new modern PCs

• Small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) running Windows 7 devices within the organisation should seek to make the shift before End of Support in January 2020

Source: Microsoft-Intel Make the Shift study. Comparisons for cost of maintaining a PC that is under four years old vs one which is four years or older. The newer PCs cost an estimated US$1,030 for repairs, whereas older PCs could cost as much as US$2,736. 

Microsoft and Intel have released research from Techaisle, a global SMB IT market research and analyst organisation, which highlights the opportunities that Asia Pacific’s SMBs have by upgrading to modern devices at work.

The study*, which surveyed 2,156 SMB organisations across Asia Pacific, found that the cost of keeping a PC more than four years old is US$2,736 per device - enough to replace the ageing hardware with two or more new PCs.

The study also revealed that a PC older than four years old is also 2.7 times more likely to undergo repairs, resulting in loss in productivity. 85% of larger SMBs, with more than 500 employees, have PCs that are older than four years, compared to 60% in smaller SMBs employing less than 100 employees. This underscores the widespread usage of older devices within SMBs in the region.

“PCs are the productive engines for most SMBs in the region, where organisations rely heavily on their devices for their day-to-day tasks. However, seven in 10 SMBs surveyed have PCs that are older than four years, which significantly increases maintenance costs,” said Bradley Hopkinson, VP, Consumer and Devices Sales, Asia, Microsoft. “With budget constraints being the No. 1 IT challenge among SMBs today, business leaders should seek to adopt a device modernisation strategy so that they can maintain costs, while safeguarding their organisation from newer digital risks.”

The new study revealed that in the last year alone, as many as two thirds (67%) of SMBs may have experienced PC security and data theft breaches, with only 15% of them actually reporting these attacks.

“With a modern PC powered by Windows 10, SMBs can be assured of up-to-date security updates, powered by cloud intelligence that proactively protects their businesses,” added Hopkinson. “By reducing the potential risk of cyberthreats with a modern PC, SMBs can definitely improve their productivity and avoid downtime.”

“SMBs constitute 98% of enterprises in the Asia Pacific region, and employ half of the workforce in the region yet many of them still have PCs older than four years old. We believe that by having them move to a modern PC powered by an Intel Core processor, they can unlock greater productivity for their business while reducing IT management time and costs,” said Santhosh Viswanathan, MD, Sales and Marketing Group, Asia Pacific Japan Territory, Intel.

Respondents in the study identified their top business priorities as increasing profitability, business growth and improving workforce productivity. The study highlighted that SMBs are looking at IT as a response to address their business issues. The top IT priorities included investing in PCs, cloud solutions and security solutions.

“We found that the key barriers in migrating to a newer device were concerns of legacy applications not being able to work on a newer operating system, along with the lack of budgets. However, the benefits of adopting a modern device strategy outweighs the concerns. Too often, SMB owners focus on short term costs and while in most cases this approach is absolutely valid, at times it can lead to situations that cost them more. 

"The choice between maintaining older PCs and replacing them with newer PCs is one such area. However, these SMBs should re-evaluate their decision given the higher cost of maintaining older PCs which has a larger cumulative effect on the budget than purchasing newer PCs with latest technology. SMBs in the region should seriously consider making the shift to a newer PC in the immediate future,” said Anurag Agrawal, CEO & Analyst, Techaisle.

SMBs have an opportunity to improve their overall operations with modern devices. For those who have already made the move to newer PCs, the study found that:

• Nearly seven in 10 (69%) felt that they were better able to secure and protect their business data on newer PCs; 

• About two thirds (65%) agreed that it has helped reduce overall maintenance costs; 

• Six in 10 (63%) saw improved efficiencies due to new experiences powered by cloud and mobility solutions, and 

• Six in 10 (62%) agreed that a newer PC has made their staff more productive.

More than 42% of PCs used in SMBs are still on older versions of Windows today, according to the study. A Windows 10 modern device is likely to offer them experiences that are still familiar, in addition to being safe, secure, and productive.

New in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update include Your Phone, an app which allows users to access photos and texts on Windows 10 devices, the new To-Do app that helps manage, prioritise and complete tasks, as well as enhancements across Outlook.com, Edge as well as Office apps. In addition, users can expect general Windows security improvements, including support for biometrics login via Windows Hello for Business for Azure Active Directory and Active Directory.

*The Microsoft-Intel Make the Shift study was conducted in August 2018, and involved 2,156 respondents from Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.

• Respondents were IT and business decision makers 

• The sample included SMBs across various sizes, which were classified as small (one-99 employees), medium (100-499 employees) and large (500-999 employees)

Parallels rolls out Parallels Desktop 14 for Mac

Parallels, a global cross-platform solutions provider and creator of bestselling software for running Windows applications on a Mac, has launched Parallels Desktop 14 for Mac, which supports macOS Mojave-readiness.

Upgrading to Parallels Desktop 14 offers significant storage savings, faster launch times, improved graphics and the latest versions of Parallels Toolbox for Windows or Mac.

“Millions of Parallels Desktop customers highly value performance and efficiency,” said Jack Zubarev, Parallels President.

“With Parallels Desktop 14, we’ve taken those to the next level by focusing on graphics and storage, allowing customers to save as much as 20 GB of disk space while enjoying the best-ever performance. Personal productivity enhancements include more Windows features available on Mac devices. Touch Bar support for Windows applications — such as OneNote or Quicken — enablesc ustomers to add their favourite applications to the Mac Touch Bar so their shortcuts are at their fingertips.”

Typically, virtual machines are large, taking anywhere from 15–100 GBs of space, or more. To manage two different storage mechanisms at work (Windows and Mac), newly-engineered storage optimisation takes both Windows and Mac mechanisms into account which can result in significant disk space savings.*

The new Free Up Disk Space dialogue that suggests storage-saving actions now handles multiple virtual machines better. Newly-created snapshots occupy up to 15% less disk space.

Parallels Desktop 14 now enables customers to use Microsoft Ink to edit Microsoft Office for Windows documents on a Mac, including pressure-sensitive support in applications such as PowerPoint, Microsoft Edge, CorelDRAW, Fresh Paint, Leonardo, openCanvas and Photoshop for Windows.**

Preconfigured Touch Bar sets have been added to Parallels Desktop 14 for Microsoft Visio and OneNote, SketchUp, AutoCAD, Revit, Quicken, QuickBooks and Visual Studio. They join current Parallels Desktop Touch Bar sets for Windows applications, including: Office 2016 (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook), Windows Start Menu and desktop (Cortana, Task View and Task Bar pinned elements), File Explorer (File Open and Save As settings), ArcGIS and web browsers (Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Vivaldi).

The Parallels Desktop Touch Bar Wizard makes it easy for users to customise the Touch Bar for Windows applications. Additionally, with the use of Touch Bar XML Authoring, users can further personalise the Touch Bar with their own function key shortcuts.

Parallels Desktop 14 supports Dark Mode, a Mojave feature. Quick Look issued on Windows files now shows quick actions. Support for additional Mojave features, which are currently in development, will be tested, finalised and introduced around the forthcoming public release of Mojave. The Parallels Desktop 14 for Mac installation image, which is notarised by Apple, will be seen by users when it is installed on Mojave.

Parallels Desktop 14 now features improved OpenGL support for enhanced graphics, with improvements in SketchUp 2017/2018, CTVox, DIALux 8 and OriginLab.

All view modes have been improved in terms of speed and memory usage, which is especially important when working on multiple high-resolution external displays, including those of 5K resolutions.

Unused virtual video memory is now effectively returned to Mac system memory. Auto mode for graphics allows Windows to use more than 2 GB of Mac system memory for video purposes, while allowing Windows applications to use that memory when possible.***

Additionally, users now get a better frame rate in videoconferencing and can use shared camera technology with cameras that support up to 4K resolutions.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition

The new Business Edition features enhanced management, plus security and licensing portals. Additional improvements include:

• Smart card readers which are now automatically available in both Mac and Windows for faster access (if enabled).

• The ability for administrators to invite users via email and assign separate administrators for sub-licences for improved efficiency.****

• The ability to replace existing virtual machines in Deployment Mode to streamline productivity.

• Applications deployed in Single Application mode which start faster, along with a new splash screen.

• The Parallels “My Account” portal has been redesigned to be optimised for popular use cases.****

New and popular Parallels Toolbox tools include:

• Screenshot Page – Capture and print lengthy webpages that do not fit onto your screen. Take and print screenshots of webpages in one click—even for pages longer than the browser screen.

• Free Memory – Reclaim RAM memory and optimise its consumption on your Mac. Add the Free Memory tool to the macOS menu bar to check how much RAM is available with just a click to reclaim available memory.

• Resize Images – Batch convert images to a desired file size and format. Drag the source images to the tool’s window, specify the desired dimensions/size and output location, and click.

Parallels Desktop 14 performance has improved significantly:

• Up to 200% performance improvement on the iMac Pro (audio and video encoding, AI, 3D modelling, cryptography and other complex math calculations workloads) thanks to AVX512 Intel Cannon Lake processor instructions set support

• Up to 80% faster application launch

• Up to 10% faster boot time

• Up to 30% faster suspend operation on the Apple File System (APFS) partition

• Up to 130% more frames per second in Shared Camera mode

• Up to 17% more frames per second in Coherence view mode

A CPU usage indicator has been added to the title bar to give a better understanding of high CPU usage in Windows. Resource Monitor is completely redesigned to show Mac resources along with the impact that multiple virtual machines have on them.

Parallels is a global cross-platform solutions provider that makes it possible for customers to use applications and files they need on any device or operating system.

Details:

Parallels Desktop 14 for Mac, Parallels Desktop 14 for Mac Pro Edition and Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition are available for subscribers and upgraders from Parallels Desktop 12 and 13 (parallels.com/upgradepd14), as well as new customers, online at parallels.com/desktop and at local
retail and online stores worldwide.

Free 14-day full-featured trials are also available for download.

The recommended retail price (RRP) of Parallels Desktop 14 for Mac is US$79.99 for an annual subscription or US$99.99 for a perpetual license.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition and Business Edition are each available to new customers for US$99.99 per year. Parallels Desktop 12 and 13 perpetual license customers can upgrade to Parallels Desktop 14 for US$49.99, or upgrade to a Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition subscription for US$49.99 per year. Parallels Desktop subscriptions include a complimentary concurrent subscription to Parallels Toolbox for Mac or Windows, as well as Parallels Access.

*Results in virtual disk optimisation will not be immediate after upgrade, as these optimisations happen in the background. Only Windows 8 and 10 are supported.

**Perpetual license.

***Auto mode is available only after the  Parallels Tools update in Windows 8 or Windows 10.

****New Parallels My Account features became available to users before the Parallels Desktop 14 release.

Your Windows device is going to help you get more creative really soon

Source: Microsoft. The possibilities of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, sketched on a Microsoft Surface by Michael Mindflyer.

Microsoft has announced that the free Windows 10 Fall Creators Update will start rolling out to Windows 10 users worldwide, starting today. The fourth major update to Windows 10 is all about creativity, and is engineered to bring mixed reality and 3D to Windows users, enhancing gaming, audiovisual content and mixed reality.

Some highlights include:

Windows Ink gets better

With the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, users can now ink directly onto PDFs. Smart Ink also allows users to make squares more easily, or automatically turn doodled boxes into a proper table.

Create in 3D

"3D will offer the next major boost to human productivity, enabling a next generation of computing that moves far beyond the 2D world we’ve been confined to. This is so powerful because 3D is truly representative of the world you live in – improving the way you comprehend, retain, and learn," said Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate VP, Windows and Devices Group, Microsoft in a blog post.

Microsoft Paint users can now migrate to Paint 3D, where they can create and share 3D objects. 3D objects are supported by Microsoft Office - rotate and animate objects within documents and presentations.

Source: Microsoft blog. This is what Windows Mixed Reality can do.

See 3D creations in the real world

With Mixed Reality Viewer, users can view 3D objects in the real world and snap pictures of the virtual 3D objects using the world-facing camera on the PC. This is part of Microsoft's push to introduce the world of Windows Mixed Reality.

For accurate immersion in a virtual world, virtual reality technology often needs to track where a user is looking, for example by mounting cameras around a room. Acer, Dell, HP, and Lenovo are launching the first Windows Mixed Reality headsets, which come bundled with advanced motion controllers. "Windows Mixed Reality headsets are the only headsets that don’t require you to drill holes into your walls and you can take them on the go," said Mehdi.

Acer and HP will offer Windows Mixed Reality Headsets with motion controllers; the Lenovo Explorer headset is ergonomically designed; and the Dell Visor features 1,440 x 1,440 LCD panels for a sharp and smooth 360° panoramic experience. Samsung’s just-launched US$499 mixed reality headset, the Samsung HMD Odyssey, will be available November 6. The Samsung HMD Odyssey has dual AMOLED high-resolution displays, a 110-degree field of view, built-in premium AKG headphones, and integrated six degrees of freedom (DOF) inside-out position tracking.

The headsets will be supported by Windows Mixed Reality PCs and Windows Mixed Reality Ultra PCs. Windows Mixed Reality PCs refer to desktops and laptops with integrated graphics. When plugged into these devices, the new immersive headsets will run at 60 frames per second. 

Windows Mixed Reality Ultra PCs are desktops and laptops with discrete graphics. Discrete graphics is typically more powerful than integrated graphics. When plugged into these devices, the headsets will run at 90 frames per second, which would deliver a smoother experience.

Save disk space

All files in OneDrive can now be accessed On-Demand, whether they have been synched to the PC or not. In essence, the files will appear in the File Explorer window without taking up any storage space on the PC hard disk.

Explore:

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update can be experienced on a wide variety of Windows 10 PCs and on the new Windows Mixed Reality headsets. The headsets begin at US$399. 

A calendar created in partnership with Singapore-based illustrator Michael Mindflyer provides a painless way to adopt a creative mindset over 21 days while getting to know the Fall Creators Update better. Day 1: start a creative checklist in Microsoft OneNote, and start doodling with Windows Ink's SketchPad on day 2. Download a high-resolution version of the calendar (PDF).

Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac first to bring Windows apps to the Mac Touch Bar

Source: Parallels. The new Parallels Desktop
13 for Mac.

Parallels, a global player in cross-platform solutions and creator of software for running Windows applications on a Mac, has launched Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac.

Bringing together the best of both worlds, Parallels Desktop 13 makes it simple for MacBook Pro users to add Windows applications to the Touch Bar, and use Touch Bar within Windows applications. The software provides macOS High Sierra readiness and support for upcoming Windows 10 features. It is also the first solution to bring the upcoming Windows 10 People Bar feature to the Mac – including integration with the Mac Dock and Spotlight. The new version also features up to 100% performance improvements for completing certain tasks. 

“This year, for the first time ever, we are bringing the two hottest features from Mac and Windows into one place via Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac,” said Jack Zubarev, Parallels President. “This new release delivers our best-ever Windows on Mac performance, plus innovative and useful new features and tools to help users get more done quickly and efficiently.”

The Parallels Installation Assistant will automatically install Windows 10 into a virtual machine (VM), which can be purchased at a later date without losing data or installed applications. It can also detect first-time users and ask if they would like a VM installed with a single click. Users can purchase and automatically install Windows 10 from Microsoft, add an existing copy of Windows, and simply move their PC to their Mac. "You can buy any flavour of product key to purchase that VM," said Kurt Schmucker, Senior Product Manager, Cross Platform Application, Parallels, pointing out that Windows product keys can come with different terms and conditions.

Highlights of the new features in Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac.

Users can choose to make Windows look like a PC (full screen) or make Windows invisible (coherence mode), while launching Windows apps from the Mac Dock, Launch Pad or Windows Start Menu.

Parallels Desktop 13 provides Mac Touch Bar integration for Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as browsers including Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera. Additionally, when using the Windows Start Menu or Desktop, Parallels Desktop 13 features Taskbar pinned elements, along with Cortana, Task View and settings in the Touch Bar. Thousands of other Windows applications that run in Parallels Desktop can quickly be customised with popular Touch Bar actions, if the default set of functional keys is inadequate for users.

Parallels Desktop can also build on Windows tools as well. Parallels Desktop 13 integrates People Bar (from Windows 10 Insider Preview build 16232), a forthcoming Windows 10 feature that lets users pin contacts to the Taskbar. Although Windows limits People Bar contacts to three, the Mac Dock does not limit favourite contacts and enables their photos to be larger for easy viewing.

New Parallels Desktop 13 innovations include picture-in-picture (PiP) view, a feature which creates windows of other active VMs - as many as the RAM will support, says Schmucker. The PiPs are always visible on top, even when a Mac app is in full screen mode. This allows users to monitor and work in multiple operating systems (OS) and their applications simultaneously on one screen, or watch a video while switching between macOS Spaces and applications. PiP view joins popular Parallels Desktop customisation settings such as coherence (Windows is invisible while using Windows apps on a Mac), full screen mode, and Window mode (Windows in a window in macOS).

The latest version of Parallel Desktop provides a number of visual and display improvements for improved transitions and better scaling resolution. Owners of high-resolution Retina displays enjoy greatly improved sharpness of text and graphics in scaled mode.

Significant performance improvements include:

• Up to 100% performance improvement for external Thunderbolt SSD drives (near native performance)
• Up to 50% faster Snapshot creation for VMs with a large amount of memory
• Up to 47% faster working in Windows files in Windows on rotational discs
• Up to 47% faster working with Windows files on a Mac 
• Up to 40% faster USB device performance in most scenarios
• OpenGL 3 support added for DIALux evo professional lighting design software and the strategy game Northgard 

In addition to the overall improvements to Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac, Parallels has upgraded Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro and Business Edition. Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition and Business Edition include a complimentary concurrent subscription to both Parallels Toolbox for Mac and Parallels Toolbox for Windows as well as Parallels Access. Version 2.0 of the Toolbox features 32 tools, up from 20 previously. Toolbox utilities for Windows and Mac include:

• Clean Drive – easily free up disk space 
• Presentation Mode – Prevent embarrassing notifications, desktop reveals of personal files, and screen saver lockout delays during the presentation – in just one click. (Mac only) 
• Download Video – Download video from YouTube, Facebook and other websites for watching later
• Find Duplicates – Search any drive or folder to quickly find identical files (even with different names), and free up disc space
• Record Screen – Capture video of the entire screen, a window or select area – which can include audio from the integrated computer microphone – in one click.

"(Each tool does) one thing really well: just use it and get on with the work, that's the philosophy of the tools," said Schmucker. He shared that the Download Video and Record Screen tools are the most popular.

Interested?

Parallels Desktop, the standard edition, is targeted at homes and students whereas the Pro Edition is for professionals, developers and small teams. The Parallels Desktop Business Edition is for enterprise use and offers centralised administration and management, unified volume licence keys for mass deployment, and advanced security features. View the comparison chart

Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac, Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition and Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition are available for subscribers and upgraders from Parallels Desktop 11 and 12, as well as new customers, online and at local retail and online stores worldwide. Free 14-day full-featured trials of Parallels Desktop are also available for download.

The recommended retail price (RRP) of Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac is US$79.99. Upgrades for existing Parallels Desktop 11 and 12 for Mac perpetual license customers are US$49.99, with an introductory offer to upgrade to a Parallels Desktop Pro Edition subscription for US$49.99 per year for life. Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition and Business Edition are each available to new customers for US$99.99 per year.

Watch the Instavideo of the PIP view feature in action. Schmucker shows Windows XP and Windows 10 VMs running simultaneously with a Mac OS in the demo

Parallels' Windows enhancement tools save time, effort

Source: Parallels. Parallels Toolbox for Windows is a great sidekick for Windows users.

Parallels, a global leader in cross-platform solutions and creator of software for running Windows applications on a Mac, has launched Parallels Toolbox for Windows to streamline common computing tasks.

“Parallels Toolbox for Mac received an outstanding response after its initial launch last August, so we decided to bring these time-saving benefits to Windows users,” said Jack Zubarev, Parallels President. “Now, whether you use a PC or Mac, you can simply and quickly get tasks done on either platform.”

Parallels Toolbox for Windows is a go-to resource for accomplishing daily tasks, at a lower price than a single utility from competitors. Tools that save time and effort include the ability to easily download and convert YouTube videos, take specialised screenshots, block the computer’s built-in camera and record a video of your screen.

Some of these functionalities may be available in Windows but relatively inaccessible, or they may not be available at all. Users would typically have to buy a third party app to provide a single function, whereas Parallels Toolbox for Windows includes a wide range of utilities for an affordable yearly subscription.

Capabilities in Parallels Toolbox for Windows include:

• Archive: Create compressed archives from your files to save space or easily share files

• Block camera: Block the built-in camera so applications will no longer have access to it

• Capture area: Take a screenshot of a part of the screen

• Capture screen: Take a screenshot of the entire screen and save in different formats (PNG, JPEG, TIFF, PDF and GIF)

• Capture window: Take a screenshot of a single window

• Convert video: Convert many video types to MP4 so they can be played on phones and tablets

• Do not disturb: Disable notifications and animations that would interrupt your work or presentation

• Do not sleep: Prevent the computer from going to sleep

• Download video: Download video from the Internet to the computer

• Eject volumes: Eject all external hard drives, memory cards, network volumes and mounted disk images with one click

• Hide desktop: Hide icons on the desktop for clutter-free presentations

• Lock screen: Lock the screen to prevent unauthorised access

• Launch: Open several items—such as applications, folders, links or other files—all at once with just one click

• Mute microphone: Mute the computer’s microphone

• Record area: Record video from a selected area on the screen

• Record audio: Record audio from the microphone

• Record screen: Record video of the entire screen

• Record window: Record video from a single window

• Take photo: Take photos immediately using the PC’s camera

• Take video: Immediately use the computer camera to take video with the click of a button

• Unarchive: Unpack various file compression formats—such as RAR, RPM, XAR, and Z—to obtain usable files

Interested?

Free trials of Parallels Toolbox for Windows 1.0, as well as Parallels Toolbox for Mac 1.7, are available online. Each version is available for US$9.99 per year, and includes free future updates with additional tools as they are added.

Global ransomware attacks include Asia

• WannaCrypt, also known as WannaCry and WCry, encrypts data files and ask users to pay a US$300 ransom in Bitcoin. The ransom note indicates that the payment amount will be doubled after three days. If payment is not made after seven days, the encrypted files will be deleted.
• WannaCrypt has the ability to spread itself within corporate networks, without user interaction, by exploiting a known vulnerability in Microsoft Windows.

Microsoft discovered the WannaCrypt (also called WannaCry or WCry) ransomware attack fairly early on May 12, 2017 (US time), according to a blog post. As of the time of writing, the ransomware, a new variant of the Ransom.CryptXXX family, has been detected in over 100 countries including Singapore, Indonesia and India.

"We detected a new ransomware that spreads like a worm by leveraging vulnerabilities that have been previously fixed. While security updates are automatically applied in most computers, some users and enterprises may delay deployment of patches. Unfortunately, the malware, known as WannaCrypt, appears to have affected computers that have not applied the patch for these vulnerabilities. While the attack is unfolding, we remind users to install MS17-010 if they have not already done so," the blog post states.

The company has also taken the unprecedented step of issuing a patch for unsupported versions of Windows, as detailed in another blog post.

"Seeing businesses and individuals affected by cyberattacks, such as the ones reported today, was painful. Microsoft worked throughout the day to ensure we understood the attack and were taking all possible actions to protect our customers. This blog spells out the steps every individual and business should take to stay protected. Additionally, we are taking the highly unusual step of providing a security update for all customers to protect Windows platforms that are in custom support only, including Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2003. Customers running Windows 10 were not targeted by the attack today," stated the post.

"Given the potential impact to customers and their businesses, we made the decision to make the Security Update for platforms in custom support only, Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2003, broadly available for download."

Security firm Acronis has noted that many organisations are waking up to the fact that ransomware isn’t something that just happens to “other people”.

The threat, as demonstrated by this weekend’s attacks, prove that businesses worldwide needs to be protected against ransomware, the company said.

Acronis' VP of Engineering, Nikolay Grebennikov said, “People, and businesses hear ‘ransomware’ and think such an attack can’t happen to them. The fact is that it can...47% of businesses were under ransomware attacks last year and that’s growing."

Grebennikov noted that the real question businesses, hospitals and telcos should be asking is how they can protect themselves from a ransomware attack that is seemingly inevitable. "The answer – a reliable backup solution that includes active protection against ransomware attacks.

He also said that shutting down computers is a short-term solution that will not help. "Only an integrated solution, combining of backup (passive) and proactive security (active) technologies, working together in one product, provides data recovery in any situation. With such sophisticated ransomware, you can’t have limitations on size of the files, number of files.

Source: Symantec blog post. The Wcry display screen.

Symantec has reassured customers that Symantec and Norton customers are protected from the WannaCrypt malware. "Customers should run LiveUpdate and verify that they have the following definition versions or later installed in order to ensure they have the most up-to-date protection - 20170512.009", the company shared in a blog post.

Nick Savvides, Security Advocate, Symantec Asia Pacific and Japan, has the following advice for users:

Once the encryption process starts, there is little the user can do, as it happens very quickly

"It is unlikely that the user will notice the ransomware is encrypting until it’s too late. If the user realises in the seconds after running the malware, they may attempt to power off the machine, then use an external boot disk to boot the machine and run a cleaner tool like Norton Power Eraser. This may prevent the ransomware from encrypting all the files," Savvides said.  

Any computer that has been infected should not be trusted

Security tools like Norton Power Eraser, or Norton Internet Security may be able to remove the infection but the files will still be encrypted. "It is always best to restore the computer either from a backup, or reset to factory using a recovery disk and then immediately update and apply all patches," Savvides advised.

"These are important steps, as we have seen ransomware, that not just ransoms the users’ files, but also installs banking Trojans to clean out the users’ bank accounts, typically capturing the users’ banking details when they log into their bank to pay the ransom. If the backups were not encrypted by the ransomware, it is unlikely that the files were infected."

Symantec recommends affected users not pay any ransom

"Paying criminals is never recommended, as it feeds them and rewards them for their crimes. There is also no guarantee that your files will be released back to you," Savvides said.

Other best practices for protecting against ransomware include: 

• Always keeping security software up to date
• Keeping the operating system and other software updated. Software updates will frequently include patches for newly discovered security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by ransomware attackers.
• Be wary of unexpected emails especially if they contain links and/or attachments.
• Be extremely wary of any Microsoft Office email attachment that advises you to enable macros to view its content. Unless you are absolutely sure that this is a genuine email from a trusted source, do not enable macros and instead immediately delete the email.
• Backing up important data is the single most effective way of combating ransomware infection. Organisations have to ensure that backups are appropriately protected or stored off-line so that attackers cannot delete them.
• Using cloud services could help mitigate ransomware infection, since many retain previous versions of files, allowing subscribers to “roll back” their operations to the unencrypted form of their files.

In 2016, Singapore ranked 8th regionally for ransomware, the same position as in 2015. It is the 24th-most targeted country globally for ransomware in 2016, up from 42nd in 2015, accounting for 0.5% of ransomware infections on unique machines. According to the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 22:

• The average ransom per victim grew to US$1,077 in 2016, up from US$294 in 2015, a 266% increase.
• Ransomware attacks grew to 463,841 in 2016, up from 340,665 attacks in 2015 (a 36% increase).
• One in 131 emails contained a malicious link or attachment in 2016, the highest rate in five years.
• There was a twofold increase in attempted attacks against IoT devices over the course of 2016 and, at times of peak activity, the average device was attacked once every two minutes.

Interested?

Download the patch for Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2003

Read the Microsoft blog post about how the ransomware spread

Read the MalwareTech blog post on how registering a command and control domain name stopped the ransomware in its tracks. Editor's note: While this was a very happy accident, there is no guarantee that future ransomware attacks can be stopped the same way. 

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about Kaspersky Lab naming ransomware its security story of the year for 2016

The next major update to Microsoft Windows 10 will be here soon

Source: Microsoft blog post. Windows 10 will enable mixed realities.

Microsoft is announcing that the next major update to Windows 10, the Creators Update, will begin rolling out on April 11 to more than 400 million devices running Windows 10 in homes, businesses, and schools.

"We designed Windows 10 to empower the creator in all of us. To us, that means that everyone has the power to dream big, whether that involves starting a company, developing a lesson plan, inventing a product, developing or broadcasting games, or imagining a whole new world in Minecraft or mixed reality. And we want Windows to be the place you love to create and play, with the tools to help you make your mark on the world," said Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate VP, Microsoft’s Windows and Devices Group in a blog post.

New capabilities coming with the Windows 10 Creators Update include:

• 3D for everyone - Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo will ship the world’s first Windows Mixed Reality-enabled headsets with the Creators Update, starting at just US$299 later this year. These headsets will contain built-in sensors to enable six degrees of freedom, allowing for easy setup and free movement without the need for external markers or sensors in the wall.  

"With 3D, we can communicate ideas and express ourselves better, and learn faster because it’s much more representative of the world we live in. The 3D industry is estimated to grow by over 62% by 2020, and we want to empower everyone to experience, create and share in 3D with the Creators Update," said Mehdi.

• A faster, safer Microsoft Edge browser - in tests, Microsoft Edge blocked 9% more phishing sites and 13% more malware than Chrome*. According to Google’s benchmarks, Microsoft Edge is now faster than Chrome**. Other enhancements include advanced tab management, e-book support, as well as 4K Ultra HD video playback.


• Additional security and privacy protections - "With the Creators Update, we offer a new service to help you monitor your security, the Windows Defender Security Center. It offers a single dashboard display so you can control your security options from one place – everything from antivirus, network and firewall protection; to assessing your device performance and health; to security controls for your apps and browser; to family safety options. And there’s more: The Device Health Advisor gives you information on the vital signs of your device, and new settings give you more control over app installation. For our business customers, the Creators Update will continue to bring new tools and capabilities that help simplify IT – making it easier to better deploy, manage and support Windows 10 devices – and to help stomp security threats," shared Mehdi.

Additionally, Microsoft announced that Surface Hub customers worldwide will receive the Windows 10 Creators Update for Surface Hub. The update delivers an improved start screen as well as new manageability tools.

Surface Book with the Performance base is now available for pre-order starting in the following Asia markets: mainland China, Hong Kong, and Japan. It will be available for purchase on 20 April.

Surface Studio and Surface Dial will also be available for pre-order in Australia and New Zealand, and will be available for purchase on 27 April.

Interested?

Watch the Windows 10 Creators Update Coming April 11 video

*Based on a NSS Labs report.

**More information on benchmark here.

Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac does more, faster

Source: Parallels. A new virtual machine offered in Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac.

Parallels, a global player in cross-platform solutions and creator of software for running Windows applications on a Mac, today launched Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac. Parallels Desktop 12 is macOS Sierra ready, includes up-to 25% performance improvements, and features more than 20 simple single-function tools and utilities which are also available as a standalone Parallels Toolbox for Mac app. In addition, all Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac customers will receive a one-year subscription to backup solution Acronis True Image, which includes a fast incremental backup feature that reduces the time and size of subsequent backups ups and provides up to 500 GB of free online storage.

New utilities featured in all editions of Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac make it easy to perform common tasks with simple single-function tools for both the Mac and Windows virtual machines (VMs). Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro and Business Edition subscribers, and Parallels Toolbox for Mac subscribers, also receive free updates of additional tools which will be made available every quarter. Initial tools include:

· Distraction-free presentation modes for both Mac and Windows VMs, including:

o Hide Desktop Files
o Do Not Disturb
o Keep Mac Awake.

· Archive, encrypt and password protect all of your files.

· Capture screen shots or record video of a screen, window or area.

· Download videos from YouTube, Facebook and other websites with a single click.

· Time management tools—an alarm, timer, date countdown and stopwatch.

· Unpack files from ZIP, RAR and many other formats.

“Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac joins our long history of innovations in ease of use and personalization,” said Jack Zubarev, Parallels president. “In addition to delivering our best Windows-on-Mac performance and experience, Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac simplifies a number of everyday tasks for millions of our customers in all walks of life.”

Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac also adds the ability to purchase Windows 10 and simply install it via the Parallels Desktop Wizard, and a Scheduled Windows Maintenance option so Windows Updates and maintenance can take place overnight or at times when it is not disruptive to a user’s workflow.

PC and Xbox game players will get increased support in Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac. Parallels engineers worked with Blizzard Entertainment and optimised Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac to support Overwatch, a 2016 PC and Xbox game that has sold more than 15 million copies in just over two months. Parallels Desktop also supports the Windows 10 Xbox app, enabling people to stream and play Xbox games on their Mac devices.

Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac feature highlights include:

· Parallels Toolbox for Mac: 20 tools that simplify everyday tasks on your Mac

· Simplified backup: One year of Acronis True Image 500 GB cloud backup storage, which can backup new incremental changes to a virtual machine (VM), instead of having to save an entire VM every time changes are made.

· Support for Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch PC game.

· Support for the Windows 10 Xbox app, for streaming and playing all Xbox games on a Mac

· Schedule Windows updates for an appropriate time at night to avoid time-consuming disruptions during the day.

· Control storage space used by VMs directly from the Optimized Storage feature in macOS Sierra.

· Store Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer passwords in Mac Keychain.

· Assign special behaviours to Windows apps, such as 'Always Open Full Screen' or 'Always Hide Other Apps,' so they play even better on the Mac.

· Cancel time-consuming VM actions.

· Open documents from SharePoint and Office 365 in Microsoft Office for Windows desktop applications directly from a favourite Mac browser.

· Keep Windows ready in the background, instead of suspending the VM, to instantly open Windows applications and documents.

· Outlook for Windows now features your recently accessed documents, both Mac and Windows, so they are conveniently available to select when you add attachments to your emails.

· Improved Retina support for resizing Windows VMs.

· Archive VMs to save space in the Pro Edition.

· Set resource usage limits for VMs in the Pro Edition.

· Network Conditioner in the Pro Edition now features preconfigured network profiles (including Edge, 100% loss, 3G, DSL, 'very bad network' and Wi-Fi) to make testing a breeze, as well as customisable settings.

Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac performance improvements include: *

· Up to 90% faster Snapshot creation.

· Up to 60% faster suspend of VMs.

· Up to 25% faster Shared Folders performance.

· Compile Visual Studio projects on shared folders up to 25% faster.

· Up to 10% battery life improvement.**

· Enjoy improved VM responsiveness when your Mac is low on free memory.

Interested?

Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac, Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition and Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition are available today for subscribers and upgraders from Parallels Desktop 10 and 11. General availability is August 23 online and at local retail and online stores worldwide.

The recommended retail price (RRP) of Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac is S$108. Upgrades for existing Parallels Desktop 10 and 11 for Mac perpetual license customers are S$68, with an introductory offer to upgrade to a Parallels Desktop Pro Edition subscription for S$68 per year for life.

Parallels Desktop Pro Edition and Parallels Desktop Business Edition are available to new customers for US$99.99 per year. Parallels Desktop Pro Edition and Business Edition include a complimentary Parallels Access subscription to remotely access up to five Mac or Windows PCs from any device.

Parallels Toolbox for Mac is a feature of all versions of Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac which will also be available as a standalone subscription product for US$9.99 per year, including all new tools and updates planned for release every few months. Starting August 23, download a full-featured trial for 14 days for free, or purchase a subscription

Switch easily between Mac and Windows apps with Parallels Access 3.1

Parallels today announced the availability of Parallels Access 3.1, bringing seamless support for remote PC or Mac access to the iPad Pro and Windows 10.

Parallels Access offers users an easy and natural way to control PC or Mac applications from their iOS or Android tablet, as well as from any computer with an HTML5 web browser, without installing any plugins.

New features in the latest version of Parallels Access include:

· Full support for the 9.7" and 12.9" iPad Pro, so that applications and desktops look just as if they are running naturally and natively on the tablet.

· 3D Touch is now enabled on iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

· Support for Apple Pencil, as well as other common styluses such as Samsung’s S Pen.

· Full compatibility with Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Parallels Access 3.1 also features support for the new Tablet Mode in Windows 10 in both its iOS and Android versions, which makes Windows 10 easier to interact with when without a mouse or keyboard.

Interested?

Parallels Access 3.1 is a free update to anyone with a current Parallels Access subscription, which costs US$19.99 per year. Register for the seven-day trial

posted from Bloggeroid

Parallels has Labour Day offer on Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac

Parallels is offering a 20% discount on Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac from Labour Day, May 1. The software allows Windows applications to be run side-by-side with Mac apps without having to reboot.

The integration between Windows 10 and Mac OS X enables:

· Using the Mac Quick Look feature on files on the Windows desktop;

· Accessing the Windows 10 Action Center from the Mac desktop;

· Dragging and dropping of files across desktops;

· Copying and pasting text and formatting from Windows to Mac, and vice versa

Interested?

The deal will take effect from 1 May 2016 and is available while stocks last in Singapore at Best Denki, Challenger, EpiCentre, iStudio, nübox and other Apple Authorised Resellers.

Dell introduces midmarket backup appliances, free Windows data recovery software

· New data deduplication appliance models are built for midmarket, deliver higher capacity, speed and performance

· Free set-and-forget recovery solution protects Windows clients

Dell has announced data protection solutions to help small and midmarket organisations better protect business-critical systems, applications, and data – either on premises or in the cloud. Offerings include data deduplication appliances models; and the new Dell Data Protection | Endpoint Recovery – Free Edition.

Back up more and store less 

New releases to the Dell DR series of deduplication appliances include the new Dell DR4300e, DR4300 and DR6300. Dell DR appliances relieve network bandwidth congestion and boost ingest performance, ensuring that backups get completed on time, every time. Ingestion refers to the reformatting of captured data into a form suitable for storage.

· The DR4300 delivers up to 108TB of usable capacity while ingesting up to 23TB of data per hour. The entry-level DR4300e is a smaller scale, low-cost appliance that can scale up to 27TB. With these offerings, small and midmarket organisations can now easily adopt enterprise-grade data deduplication capabilities that have traditionally been out of reach.

· The DR63000 is a larger midmarket and small enterprise solution that delivers up to 360TB of usable capacity while ingesting up to 29TB of data per hour.

Freemium protection and recovery for Windows clients

To help companies protect the growing volumes of data created by endpoint devices, Dell Data Protection | Endpoint Recovery – Free Edition will be available as lightweight, easy-to-use software for Windows clients. A no-cost, set-and-forget client protection solution designed for a single user, the freemium offering provides file deduplication and compression to reduce storage costs and enables fast recovery of lost data.

Interested?

Dell Data Protection | Endpoint Recovery – Free Edition will be available in the Singapore beginning in early March, while all other solutions are already available in Singapore.

First major update available for Windows 10

Source: Microsoft.

Microsoft has made the first major update to Windows 10 available for PCs and tablets. The update offers improvements in all aspects of the platform and experience, said the company in a blog post. Windows 10 also starts rolling out to Xbox One and is to come for selected mobile phones soon'.

".. With this free update we have reached the point in the platform’s maturity where we can confidently recommend Windows 10 deployment to whole organisations," said Terry Myerson, Executive VP of the Windows and Devices Group, Microsoft.

Improvements include:

Performance in everyday tasks, such as boot time now nearly 30% faster than Windows 7 on the same device.

Cortana to be available in Japan, Australia, and India (in English) with features and experiences customised for each market, Myerson said.

Microsoft Edge, the Windows 10 browser, offers improved performance and security, along with tab preview, which allows you to hover over your open tabs and get a preview of what’s on those websites without leaving the page you’re on.

Microsoft Edge now syncs your Favourites and Reading list items across devices.

The update to Windows 10 will also enable management of both corporate owned and BYOD devices. Windows 10 is already actively running on more than 110 million devices including 12 million business PCs, Myerson said.

Two free services have been introduced:

Windows Update for Business provides IT teams with controls over the deployment of updates within organisations, while ensuring devices are kept current and their security needs are met, at reduced management cost. Features include setting up device groups with staggered deployments and scaling deployments with network optimisations.

Windows Store for Business provides IT teams with a flexible way to find, acquire, manage and distribute apps to Windows 10 devices – both Windows Store apps and custom line of business apps. Organisations can choose their preferred distribution method by directly assigning apps, publishing apps to a private store, or connecting with management.

The update introduces two capabilities designed for IT teams to empower people to securely use multiple devices for work:

Mobile Device Management empowers IT teams to use the full power of Enterprise Mobility Management to manage the entire family of Windows devices, including PCs, tablets, phones, and devices in the Internet of Things.

Azure Active Directory (AAD) Join empowers IT to maintain one directory, enabling people to have one login and securely roam their Windows settings and data across all of their Windows 10 devices. AAD Join also enables any machine to become enterprise-ready with a few simple clicks.

Microsoft continues to strengthen Windows 10 as the most trusted platform ever with features like:

Credential Guard, which safeguards credentials inside a hardware-based virtualised environment and breaks the popular “pass the hash” method used in many major breaches.

Device Guard uses Trusted Boot to prevent intruders from installing malware, helping to keep company devices secure.

Windows Hello** enables people to say goodbye to passwords with enterprise-grade biometrics including fingerprint and facial recognition.

Microsoft is also working on 'enterprise data protection' designed to help protect corporate data by separating and containing corporate data from consumer data. "Currently in testing with a number of enterprise customers today, enterprise data protection becomes available to Windows Insiders soon," Myerson said. 

The update will also enable enterprise customers to turn off all telemetry data if they choose. "We strongly recommend against this, as this data helps us deliver a secure, reliable, and more delightful personalised experience. We’ll continue to work with third-party experts and incorporate your feedback on this important topic," Myerson added.

*Those already running Windows 10 will receive the November update according to your Windows Update settings. Those running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, can take advantage of the free upgrade offer and receive the November update as part of the Windows 10 upgrade.

**Hardware dependent

posted from Bloggeroid