Wayne Williams

Microsoft has just released another huge update to Windows 10. The April 2018 Update introduces lots of new features and general improvements, including Timeline, and Focus Assist, as well as some lesser known improvements.

Of course, a big update like this requires a big download, and the files that Microsoft places on your system don’t get removed afterwards. In other words, the April 2018 Update could be responsible for taking a massive bite out of your free hard drive space -- tens of gigabytes in fact. Fortunately it’s easy enough to reclaim this.

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Microsoft has introduced a number of big new features in Windows 10 1803, the April 2018 Update, including Timeline, Focus Assist, and more.

With each new OS update, however, some existing features get dropped, or stop being actively developed. Here are all the features that have been removed or deprecated in this latest release.

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Windows 10 April 2018 Update is slowly rolling out to users with compatible systems, but don’t expect to be offered it any time soon.

If you can’t wait to try the new features, the good news is Microsoft has updated its Media Creation tool to include the update and you can use this to download Windows 10 now and create your own installation media on either a USB flash drive or DVD. This is particularly handy if you want to perform a clean install, or update multiple computers in quick succession.

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The latest feature update for Windows 10 is available to users now. But while Microsoft might have started the process today, it will likely be quite a while before you’ll be offered it. Only newer PCs will get it at first, and it might take weeks, or months, before it reaches your system.

The good news is, if you’re willing to take a bit of risk, you can start the upgrade immediately.

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After months of testing, and a bit of a delay due to the last minute discovery of a blocking bug, the Windows 10 April 2018 Update is now available to install. Microsoft is taking things slowly, with the global rollout out via Windows Update beginning on May 8.

There’s a good chance you won’t be offered the download immediately, but you will be able to manually update your system from now if you want.

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The Windows 10 April 2018 Update, which begins its rollout today, has a number of big new features, most notably Timeline, Focus Assist, and numerous Edge improvements.

But some of the lesser known features and changes found in the new feature update are arguably even more welcome. Here are six improvements you should know about.

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The latest feature update for Windows 10 is about to start rolling out, although it may be months before it comes to your device.

While you might be keen to update your installation, the truth is it’s often best to wait. Big updates like this usually introduce bugs and problems alongside new features, and unless you’re desperate to screw up your copy of Windows 10, I’d recommend holding off for a while. If you’re not in a hurry to get the April 2018 Update you can delay it.

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Having finally named the next big feature update for Windows 10, and come up with a release date for it too, Microsoft now has to actually get it ready for non-Insiders.

The RTM build, Build 17134, has already made its way through the Fast, Slow and Release Preview rings, and Microsoft has today pushed out an update which will tidy things up a little.

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For a long time, it was believed that the next big feature update for Windows 10 would be called the Spring Creators Update, following in the footsteps of the Fall Creators Update, and the Creators Update.

Then it was discovered that Microsoft was intending to call it the April Update, even though it looked increasingly like the new release wouldn’t arrive this month. Finally though, we have an official name, and a release date.

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By now, most Windows 10 users would have been expecting to either be running the Spring Creators Update/April Update (take your pick of the name), or be waiting to be offered it. However, that’s not the case.

With no word from Microsoft on exactly when the new feature update will arrive, the Fall Creators Update remains the latest (non-Insider) version of Windows 10. And it also has the greatest usage share of any Windows 10 update, ever.

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While we’re still waiting for a release date for the next feature update of Windows 10 -- the April Update expected in May -- Microsoft has rolled out another Redstone 5 build for Insiders who have opted to Skip Ahead.

Build 17655 introduces a makeover for mobile broadband (LTE) connectivity and there’s a number of other changes and fixes to be aware of.

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While the likes of Google and Apple are making some headway in the home voice assistant market, Amazon remains king. Part of the reason for its success (beyond simply being the first to market) is the retail giant offers a range of Alexa compatible devices to suit every need and budget.

Today, it adds another device to its range, targeting a different, but inevitable demographic -- Echo Dot Kids Edition.

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I recently spent an amazing fortnight in South Korea. For a tech enthusiast such as myself, it was a no brainer that at some point I would visit Samsung d’light, a three storied exhibition space in the lower portion of one of the company’s massive buildings in Seocho-Gu, Seoul.

Here you can try out different products, including VR, and see what Samsung is working on. It's a glimpse of the future.

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Microsoft is busy trying to kill the last remaining -- but problematic -- bugs in the Spring Creators Update (or whatever it ends up being called) but work is still continuing apace on its successor.

Build 17650 for the Redstone 5 branch introduces a number of changes and fixes, including a Fluent Design refresh for the Windows Defender Security Center.

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I have some friends who own, and regularly use, a 1920s wind up gramophone. It’s a great piece of audio equipment and there’s something very satisfying about lifting the arm and dropping the needle down on a 78 record and enjoying the tinny sound it produces.

Getting use out of a similar-era radio isn’t as easy, which is why Derek Traxler, the owner of a computer store and repair shop in Uptown Minneapolis, decided to go to rather extreme measures to breathe new life into his 1920’s battery-powered Claratone tube radio.

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