Indie publisher Digerati has revealed that it’s bringing a relaxing puzzler to Switch in the form of Glass Masquerade, and it’ll be available as soon as next month.

The game features artistic, stained-glass puzzles inspired by Art Deco artisans of the 20th century, allowing players to unwind and complete each offering in their own time. You’ll be combining hidden glass pieces to unveil various pieces of art with absolutely no pressure – as you can see in the trailer, there are no time limits or restraints to speak of.

It’s an interesting concept, and one which certianly offers something a little different on Switch. Here’s a list of its key features:

Key features:
– 25 beautiful and intricately designed stained-glass jigsaw puzzles to complete
– Journey around the world – Each puzzle is inspired by a different country
– Art Deco mosaics and presentation give the game a distinct visual style
– Relaxing gameplay provides a calming experience – no time limits, no stress
– Soothing, atmospheric soundtrack by Russian composer Nikita Sevalnev
– Finish the game and replay the puzzles to improve your completion times
– Interface support for the following languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, – Japanese, Korean, Portuguese-Brazil, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese

The game launches on Nintendo Switch on 8th February and will be available to purchase directly from the Nintendo eShop.

Do you like the look of this one? Do you like your games to be more on the relaxing side of things? Let us know in the comments.

Another game-breaking glitch has recently been discovered in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, this time involving Duck Hunt Duo and a very specific setup for Mii Swordfighter.

Discovered by Reddit users FlamingOranges and VocalEcho, this glitch falls much more in the “oh, well that’s not good” category – like the Isabelle and Villager game breaker – rather than the “that’s actually quite amusing” category – like the infinite Waluigi and super-sized Pikmin glitches seen previously. You can see it take place in the video below

FlamingOranges says that any stage is fine, as long as you have those two fighters, but the Mii Swordfighter must have the specific moveset listed below. Despite this, all you have to do is use the Mii Swordfighter’s side special attack after Duck Hunt Duo’s Gunman has fired a shot. The uploader states that “it’s incredibly easy to pull off, and this was found through normal play”.

– Neutral Special: Shuriken
– Side Special: Gale stab
– Up Special: Stone Scabbard
– Down Special: Reversal slash

Usually, we’d suggest trying to recreate the glitch yourself at home for a laugh, although this one is probably more of a nuisance than a comical quirk. Perhaps it’s best to avoid playing with just these two characters unless a fix is patched in?

Are you still enjoying your time with Smash Ultimate? Remember to claim your free Piranha Plant DLC and save any replays stored on your system this week.

The Big Game is on the horizon and what better way to pre-game than to earn your bragging rights and take your fantasy team to Atlanta with Madden NFL 19? Starting today through February 12, one ultimate Madden fan will have the chance to win the official Xbox Madden NFL 19 G.O.A.T Prize Pack, valued at over $10,000. Click here for official details of how to enter (open to U.S. residents only).

You’ll be well on your way to building up your football team dynasty and becoming the “Greatest Of All Time” with the following:

• Xbox G.O.A.T ring that features 10 carat premium gold (plated black) and weighs over 1.5 ounces, with 188 black diamonds and 46 green tsavorite stones
• Custom G.O.A.T Xbox One X
• G.O.A.T merchandise pack
• Copy of Madden NFL 19 for Xbox One
• Football jersey autographed by Antonio Brown

Madden NFL 19 gives you game-changing control on and off the field and enhanced by Real Player Motion (RPM) by delivering gameplay control with precision and intent. Create and share custom draft classes, design your game strategy, progress your players, and execute your game plan with all new positional archetypes in franchise mode. Explore all-new ways to train your favorite players to fit your roster and lead your team to glory.

Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future news and details on Xbox sweepstakes.

This blog post was authored by Peter Cooper, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft IoT.

From smart factories and smart cities to virtual personal assistants and self-driving cars, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are transforming how people around the world live, work, and play.

But fundamentally changing the ways people, devices, and data interact is not simple or easy work. Microsoft’s AI & IoT Insider Labs was created to help all types of organizations accelerate their digital transformation. Member organizations around the world get access to support both technology development and product commercialization, for everything from hardware design to manufacturing to building applications and turning data into insights using machine learning.

Here’s how AI & IoT Insider Labs is helping one partner, SunCulture, leverage new technology to provide solar-powered water pumping and irrigation systems for smallholder farmers in Kenya.

Affordable irrigation for all

Kenyan smallholdings face some of the most challenging growing conditions in the world. 97 percent rely on natural rainfall to support their crops and livestock—and the families that depend on them. But just 17 percent of the country’s farmland is suitable for rainfed agriculture. Electricity is unavailable in most places and diesel power is often financially out of reach, so farmers spend hours every day pumping and transporting water. This limits them to low-value crops like maize and small yields, all because they lack the resources to irrigate their crops. Additionally, irrigation technologies have an important role to play in reducing the impact agriculture has on the earth’s freshwater resources, especially in Africa.

SunCulture, a 2017 Airband Grant Fund winner, believed sustainable technology could make irrigation affordable enough that even the poorest farmers could use it without further aggravating water shortages. The company set out to build an IoT platform to support a pay-as-you-grow payment model that would make solar-powered precision irrigation financially accessible for smallholders across Kenya.

How SunCulture’s solution works

SunCulture’s RainMaker2 pump combines the energy efficiency of solar power with the effectiveness of precision irrigation, making it cheaper and easier for farmers to grow high-quality fruits and vegetables. Using the energy of the sun, the SunCulture system pulls water from any source—lake, stream, well, etc.—and pumps it directly to the farm with sprinklers and drip irrigation.

This cutting-edge solution combines ClimateSmart™ solar and lithium-ion energy storage technology with cloud-based remote monitoring and optimization software developed with support from AI & IoT Insider Labs. It’s a powerful platform that makes it simple and cheap to deploy off-grid energy and connected solutions.

Farmers get the information they need to make good irrigation decisions at scale, without the costs involved in sending agronomy experts into the field. How? SunCulture processes a steady flow of sensor data, like soil moisture, pump efficiency, solar battery storage, and other factors, that is analyzed within Microsoft Azure’s cloud environment. This sensor data is combined with data from SunCulture’s network of 2,000 hyperlocal weather stations to leverage Azure machine learning tools and provide simple, real-time, precision irrigation recommendations directly to the farmer via text messaging (SMS).

 

The platform also enables real-time locking and unlocking of devices that makes the pay-as-you-grow model feasible. The platform is smart enough to shut off pumps automatically when power levels are getting low on a cloudy day, or when optimal irrigation thresholds are reached.

How farmers are benefiting from SunCulture

SunCulture’s pay-as-you-grow revenue model allows farmers to make small, monthly payments until they own their precision sensor-based irrigation system outright, empowering even the region’s poorest smallholder farmers to take control of their environment.

On average, SunCulture customers enjoy a 300 percent increase in crop yields and a 10x increase in annual income. Farmers with livestock double their milk yield, earning an extra $3.50/day in income from milk alone. The 17 hours per week they used to spend moving water manually is now directed to better tending their crops and livestock. At a price point of $1.25/day for the RainMaker2 with ClimateSmart™, a farmer’s investment is recouped quickly, and profit starts flowing from increased agricultural productivity.

Download SunCulture’s case study to learn more.

Introducing seven new affordable Windows 10 devices for education and new tools for simplifying device management to make the most of classroom time.

In our last Bett 2019 episode of What’s New in EDU, we recap the week’s exciting news with Anthony Salcito, VP of education, and share some exciting news around more affordable devices and how they work in partnership with tools that simplify device management for IT.

Jump to section:

Introducing seven new affordable Windows 10 devices for education

Earlier this week, together with our partners at Acer, Dell and Lenovo, we announced seven affordable new Windows 10 devices for the upcoming school year, adding to our expansive portfolio. These new devices include two new 2-in-1 devices from Acer and Lenovo that start under $300 USD and give students the versatility to convert from tablet to laptop mode.

One of the most unique devices being added to our portfolio is the Lenovo 300e. Not only is it a convertible 2-in-1, but it also includes a garaged stylus. And if the stylus gets lost, students can write on the screen with a regular No. 2 graphite pencil!

In today’s episode, you’ll get a closer look at our newest devices, including the latest refresh of the HP Stream 11 EE and HP ProBook x360 11 EE, which now boast faster processors and improved battery life.

Microsoft Classroom Pen, available exclusively to education institutions

Earlier this week we also introduced Microsoft Classroom Pen, an all-new pen designed specifically with K-8 students and schools in mind and optimized for use with Surface Go. A portable size and perfect fit for students at just over 4 inches long and weighing less than one pound, Microsoft Classroom Pen makes it easy to sketch, color and take notes in the classroom and at home. And, when you pair it with Surface Go’s tablet-to-laptop flexibility and fold the signature built-in Kickstand down to a full 165 degrees in Studio Mode, students can really immerse themselves in the writing and drawing experience.

We listened closely to feedback from our education customers and designed Microsoft Classroom Pen for students who put their learning tools through heavy wear and tear. It comes with a durable, hardened pen tip and a replacement tip for each pen included in the box. And, to prevent students from losing the pen, there is a built-in slot at the end that makes for easy tethering to students’ device cases.

We also incorporated education customer feedback by making Microsoft Classroom Pen affordable and easy to deploy with reduced unpacking time and waste. It will be available exclusively to education institutions and sold in bulk packs of 20 for $799.80 (approximately $39.99 per pen). It will ship in all 36 Surface Go markets around the world, with the first wave of availability beginning next month so schools may begin placing orders for the upcoming school year.

In addition to Microsoft Classroom Pen, eligible Microsoft 365 Education customers can now get up to $50 off Surface devices. Visit here for more information on how to qualify.

A new, more affordable wireless whiteboard that gives teachers more control

Bett attendees will get to test out a new Windows wireless whiteboard which allows the teacher to project what is being shown on his or her PC with compete control of usage rights. Teachers can also see a view of student PC screens on their device and select a student’s screen to project during a lesson, all without additional cables or log-in needed.

Streamlined device provisioning and management with Intune for Education updates

Windows Autopilot provides a zero touch for IT experience with auto device provisioning from Intune direct to the end user. With Windows Autopilot, device vendors can upload device information to the Autopilot service when an order is placed. When devices arrive at school, they automatically join the domain and start getting apps and settings as soon as users sign in. This makes device deployment at-scale easier than ever.

Now available, Windows Autopilot Reset will allow admins to easily reset and wipe existing devices, while maintaining MDM enrollment status. With just a few clicks in Intune for Education, admins can remotely reset devices and get them ready for the next school year. This capability alleviates the need for the user or admin to re-image and re-enroll devices every time they need to be prepared for the next year. The reset and wipe functionality can also be applied to groups of devices e.g. a whole classroom.

In preview today: Autopilot self-deploying mode means schools gain an easier setup process without the need to log into devices to complete enrollment. With Autopilot self-deploying mode, students and teachers simply connect their devices to the network when they open them for the first time. This kicks off provisioning and enrolling the device, saving time and effort.

Detailed device status

Admins can view detailed status of app and settings installation for your devices and users in Intune for Education. Added based on customer feedback, this capability gives admins a granular view into the apps and settings they have targeted to a given device or user. This gives admins insight into what is going on with individual devices and users while helping with troubleshooting issues.

Improvements to support for iOS device management

Building on the recently announced support for managing iOS devices within Intune for Education, we are extending these capabilities to include the configuration of Shared iPad. Configuring Shared iPad allows students and teachers to log in to iPads using their Managed Apple IDs. User data follows users as they log in to different iOS devices. This improvement ensures schools that want to utilize Shared iPad features have a quick and easy way to configure iOS devices up to take advantage of them.

Additionally, school IT admins will now be able to use Intune for Education to customize wallpaper images for iOS devices, creating a unique and look and feel specific to the school.

Based on customer feedback, we have made improvements to the manageability of Apple’s Device Enrolment Program (DEP) and Volume Purchase Program (VPP) from the Intune for Education console, including better access to VPP tokens. Location information is now displayed in Intune for Education for VPP tokens configured in Apple School Manager. You can also set your own nickname for tokens as an additional way of organizing them.

Enhanced administration settings

With the release of Windows 10, version 1809, new Intune for Education settings are available including new Edge browser settings and the ability to configure devices with domain hints for signing in. With this configured, students and teachers get a simpler login experience for young students where they only need to type their user name instead of their full domain email address.

When devices are re-provisioned, such as at the beginning of a school year, administrators will now be able to delete old device records from Intune for Education as required, cleaning up the management experience. Additionally, the admin will be able to rename the device or machine in the case it is reissued to a different student or classroom.

Free (and fun!) materials to help you plan a face-to-face training with other educators

Want to get started learning on your own?  Check out our Microsoft Educator Community with over 70 courses and dozens of resources to help you get started on how to integrate tools into your teaching. Some great collections to get you started are:

• Microsoft in Education – Get started using Microsoft Teams, OneNote, Forms and Sway
• Office 365 Teacher Academy – Take a deep dive into using Office 365 to effectively manage your classroom, provide flipped lessons, and to build a blended learning environment that supports student success.
• OneNote Teacher Academy –Learn to navigate within the OneNote Windows 10 app structure, use OneNote tools effectively, create lesson plans, assessments, and learning activities using various tools in OneNote, create notebooks for student and teacher collaboration using OneNote Class Notebook, create notebooks for collaboration between the staff members using OneNote Staff Notebook.

One you have earned 1,000 points, you will receive your certified Microsoft Innovative Educator badge!

Looking for ways to train your staff or fellow educators on Office 365 Education tools?

Look no further! We know that teachers crave collaborative training experiences, but don’t always have time to plan them. That’s why we worked with teachers and experienced teacher trainers to create modules covering multiple Office 365 apps and project-based learning scenarios. Courses range from 1-6 hours and each one comes wrapped up with everything you need, including a slide deck, checklists, and materials for teachers to use in their classrooms directly after the training. Plus, they’re free. ? Browse the trainings to learn more: aka.ms/teachertrainingpacks

Catch up on every episode of What’s New in EDU for Bett 2019:

Apple’s AirPods are a highly popular accessory, but with the possibility of a second-generation on the way that could include health tracking-related features, the next version is likely to be both more useful and even more desirable. AppleInsider looks at the rumors surrounding the upcoming earwear.

Familiar yet new

A recent report from Digitimes claimed Apple is set to release AirPods 2 sometime in the first half of 2019, packing some new health monitoring features and other upgrades, like wireless charging and Hey Siri support. The upgrades sound great and we’re all excited to see what’s in store for the next-generation of AirPods.

Wireless charging is coming to the AirPods, and we know that for a fact as Phil Schiller announced the optional AirPods wireless charging case alongside the AirPower charging mat at Apple’s 2017 September event. If the wireless charging case will still be an optional purchase for either the original or next-gen AirPods, then the new version of AirPods will surely maintain the same form factor as before.

In February of 2018, rumors came out of a new pair of AirPods featuring Hey Siri support, improved water resistance and an upgrade to the W2 chip. A few months later at Apple’s September Event, we were shown a short clip of one of Apple’s staff using the Hey Siri feature with AirPods and running through a shallow pool of water at Apple’s new headquarters, hinting at better water resistance.

An Apple illustration of a wireless charging AirPods case on the unreleased AirPower charging mat

We can surely expect those features to come, and I personally believe the new AirPods will feature Bluetooth 5 and the W3 chip instead of W2, since the Apple Watch Series 4 already packs the W3 chip.

On Thursday, a “Hey Siri” configuration tool was discovered in the first iOS 12.2 beta, seemingly confirming the addition of the function for AirPods, though not necessarily advising if it would work with the current generation or that a new iteration is required.

There have also been rumors concerning future AirPods gaining active noise-cancellation, but we haven’t heard much about that beyond whispers.

Healthy improvements

A big expected change for the next generation is the inclusion of health monitoring features.

Almost two years ago, Apple filed for three patents titled “Earbuds with biometric sensing.” A more recent revelation is a patent that describes ways to allow an earbud to fit more securely within the ear canal, allowing it to have better contact with the skin.

Considering their content, these patents are more than likely meant for the AirPods.

An image from an Apple patent showing how an earbud could be made to contact the ear, making it more useful for PPG measurements

Given the existing patents, we can expect the integration of a photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor, the same used in the Apple Watch to measure a user’s heart rate.

Interestingly, the patents talked about a temperature sensor which can possibly detect both the core temperature of the user and ambient temperature as well. The patents also mentioned a sensor to measure blood oxygen levels, which can be useful for things such as keeping track of your aerobic endurance.

Also alluded to was the use of electrodes that can cooperatively measure a number of different biometric parameters, like galvanic skin response or electrical activity of the heart, which is a different implementation of the same core technology that’s used in the Apple Watch Series 4 to perform an electrocardiogram (ECG).

An ECG test using AirPods would simply measure the impulses going to each ear and make sure they’re no irregularities.

But of course, there’s no guarantee that we’ll see this feature in the next-gen AirPods. Knowing Apple, better sound quality is likely as well.

The past is too good

Now, with all of those exciting features and updates coming to the new AirPods, what could possibly be the biggest threat to their sales? Well, none other than Apple’s current AirPods themselves.

If you think about, many people are extremely happy with their AirPods, and if they’re already satisfying your wireless earphone needs, why should you spend at least another $160 for an updated set?

Apple’s current version of the AirPods.

There is always something new coming. You can always wait for the next version of something —but that’s a harder wait if you don’t have a set, and don’t know exactly when the next version is arriving.

There is excitement surrounding the possibility of updated AirPods.However, when reality strikes and Apple announces the price of these new AirPods, a lot of current AirPods owners are going to have to decide if those new features will add enough value to their lives to make them worth spending the cash all over again.

It will probably come down to an individual judgement if the health monitoring features are worth it.