Microsoft Monday: Xbox Live Avatars, New Minecraft Story Mode, Modern Keyboard With Fingerprint ID

Microsoft Monday is a weekly column that focuses on updates as it relates to the Redmond giant. Microsoft Monday includes details on the new Xbox Live avatars, Minecraft: Story Mode Season Two, Pix application update, Age of Empires remaster, new Microsoft Ventures investments, a modern keyboard and mouse and much more.

Microsoft updates Pix camera with Prisma-Like filters

Microsoft Pix is a sophisticated camera and photographic application that uses artificial intelligence to improve exposure, sharpness, lighting, etc. When you press the shutter button with the Pix application, a burst of photos is needed and the best is selected while the facial expressions are taken into account. For example, Pix will probably select the photo in the burst on which it is not blinking.

The Pix application was launched last year and has now been updated with Prisma-type filters. Pix's 11 new styles are called Glass, Petals, Bacau, Charcoal, Heart, Fire, Honolulu, Zing, Pop, Shine and Ripples. And sooner will be added.

"These are meant to be fun features," said Microsoft's main program director at computer photography group Josh Weisberg in a blog post. "In the past, a lot of our efforts focused on using AI and deep learning to capture better moments and a better quality of the picture.This is more fun.I want to do something fresh and artistic with my photos."

New Xbox Live Avatars

At the end of this year, Microsoft will renew its Xbox Live avatars. New Xbox Live avatars will allow you to "create a digital expression of yourself." You can customize Xbox Live avatars with various body types, skin tones, emotions, costumes and accessories.

"We have built these from the beginning, they are being built on Unity, which is a brand new engine," said Xbox product leader Bryan Saftler via The Verge. "Avatars are meant for whatever you want to represent your digital self. We do not want to put you in a box, there are no more check boxes, no matter what you think you look like or what you want to present online."

Microsoft researchers built AI that received a perfect score on 'Ms. Pac-Man ' 

In January 2017, Microsoft acquired a deep learning company called Maluuba. And recently, Maluuba researchers have developed an artificial intelligence system that became the first player to achieve a perfect score of 999,990 on Ms. Pac-Man according to Forbes Associate Editor Alex Knapp.

Knapp noted that Ms. Pac Man was not designed to be hit and the game was slated to be less predictable than the original Pac-Man. This makes it more difficult for players to beat the game and make them keep placing rooms in the arcade.

Minecraft: The second episode of Story Mode is coming this summer

The second season of Minecraft: Story Mode will arrive this summer and the first episode will be called "Hero in Residence". The first episode of the second season is expected to arrive on July 11. It is unknown how many total episodes will be released, but it is worth mentioning that the first season of Minecraft: Story Mode had eight episodes released between 2015 and 2016.

In Minecraft: Story Mode, the main character is called Jesse - whose genre and aspect is customizable by the player. The male version of Jesse is voiced by Patton Oswald and the female version is voiced by Catherine Taber. And the voices of Oswalt and Taber will return in the second season. Some of the options players made in the first season will continue through season two, but the second season will also be friendly to new Minecraft players.

The second season of Minecraft: Story Mode will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices. However, the game could be extended to other platforms as the release date approaches.

The original empire age is being traced back to 4K

Microsoft is preparing to remaster the original 4K Age of Empires. The remastered version of the original Age of Empires will be called Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.

"Completely remastered with perfectly enhanced graphics that support up to 4K resolution, fully re-orchestrated soundtrack, new narrative, game enhancements, Xbox Live support for multiplayer and achievements - Final Edition brings back the original Age of Empires and its Increased Rome's expansion with 16 civilizations to explore in periods of time ranging from the Stone Age all the way to the Roman Empire, "Microsoft said in a blog post.

This version of the game was developed by Forgotten Empires. And it will be exclusive to Windows 10 through the Windows Store. You can see the trailer here: