Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17634 for Skip Ahead
The Redstone 4 branch of Windows 10 -- the Spring Creators Update -- has reached RTM, and will begin rolling out to non-Insiders around the April 10.
For those users already looking to the future, Microsoft is already pushing out builds for the following feature update, codenamed Redstone 5. Build 17634, for users on the Skip Ahead ring, adds search functionality to the calendar and a number of other improvements and fixes.
NirSoft launches a software Easter Egg challenge -- can you track down 10 new programs on the site?
Prolific software developer Nir Sofer has created 10 more new tools, but they aren’t currently linked to on his site, or anywhere else.
They are somewhere on the NirSoft site, but finding them won’t be easy. Do you have what it takes?
Windows boss Terry Myerson leaves Microsoft as part of a major shakeup
Terry Myerson, the executive vice president of Windows, is to leave Microsoft "in the coming months". Myerson has been at Microsoft for 21 years, and has been involved in Windows Phone, Windows 10, Xbox One, and Surface devices.
His departure is part of a large reorganization at Microsoft that sees Rajesh Jha, the executive VP of Microsoft Office products, expanding his responsibilities to take over Myerson's role, and Panos Panay serving as the company’s Chief Product Officer.
Google views Kodi as a piracy tool, makes it harder to search for
Kodi is a perfectly legal, open source media center. It can play any kind of audio and video, and is packed with features. However, its support for third-party add-ons, including those that allow for illegal streaming, means that it’s often viewed as being synonymous with piracy.
Google frequently tweaks its search algorithm to downgrade pirate related terms, and Kodi's reputation -- deserved or not -- means it has become a victim of this approach.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17133 to the Fast ring
We're edging ever closer to the release of the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update, due out next month. It's believed we're at the RTM phase now, but Microsoft will still be issuing updates to Insiders.
Today, Build 17133 arrives for those on the Fast ring, and just like in Build 17128, which came out late last week, it’s missing the watermark at the lower right-hand corner of the desktop. Always a sign that we’re nearly ready for the final release.
Apple unveils its most affordable iPad yet, with Pencil support
Apple has today been hosting an education-focused event at the Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago, and as expected it has taken the wraps off a brand new iPad. The new device is designed to take on Google’s Chromebooks in the classroom, but will no doubt find an appreciative audience outside of the education system.
The new 9.7in iPad, Apple’s most affordable, works with the Apple Pencil, the first non-Pro device to do so. Pages, Keynote, and Numbers have all been updated with Pencil support too.
Cortana Show Me app guides you through Windows 10's settings
If you’re not sure how to do something with Windows 10, there are plenty of guides to be found on the web.
Today, however, Microsoft is launching a new app called Cortana Show Me which is designed to guide you through Windows 10 settings.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17128 to the Fast ring, and the watermark has gone!
As we edge ever nearer to the final release of the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update, Microsoft is upping the rate that new builds arrive to Insiders on the Fast ring.
Three days ago saw the arrival of Build 17127, and today, hot on the heels of that, comes Build 17128.
Microsoft admits Windows 10 didn't overtake Windows 7 when it originally claimed
If you want to know how well Windows 10 is doing in terms of share, you have a number of choices. You can view the figures from StatCounter, which show Windows 10 now ahead of Windows 7, or you can view the figures from NetMarketShare, which show Windows 7 still comfortably in the lead.
You can also look at the figures from Steam, which show the gamer’s perspective, but recently that has been skewed with a large influx of Chinese gamers using Windows 7. Microsoft used to offer its own figures, but stopped updating those in February 2017. However, after a year, it has finally updated its Windows trends page once more, providing an up to date breakdown of Windows market share.
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Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17627 for Skip Ahead
Microsoft is busy putting the finishing touches to the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update, aka Redstone 4, but it’s already hard at work on the follow up. Redstone 5 will introduce a number of major features including Sets and Cloud Clipboard, but as we discovered a week ago, when Build 17623 rolled out, it could well contain a nasty surprise too.
Microsoft is currently forcing Windows Mail users on the Skip Ahead ring to open links in Edge, even if they prefer to use another browser. Predictably, this proved to be an unpopular move and it will be interesting to see if Microsoft really does listen to Insider feedback and kills this change in a future build.
Don't want to #DeleteFacebook? Opt out of Platform API sharing instead -- here's how
Following the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal, you can't have failed to notice there’s a backlash against Facebook at the moment, with the #DeleteFacebook movement gathering serious momentum. Even WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton, who sold his app to Facebook for $19 billion in 2014, appeared to back it with a tweet in which he declared "It is time. #deletefacebook".
Unless you don’t use it very often, deleting Facebook is a major step, and one that many people will think is taking things too far. But if you do want to take greater control over your privacy settings you might want to consider opting out of Facebook’s Platform API sharing to prevent future data harvesting.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17127 to the Fast ring
New builds for the Spring Creators Update are coming thick and fast now, as Microsoft edges ever nearer to the release date for the next version of Windows 10.
Today’s new release, Build 17127, fixes a number of issues, but also adds some improvements to Cortana, including a new profile page, and an updated Notebook design for all markets.
Microsoft has found a way to significantly speed up installation of the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update
Microsoft rolls out two big feature updates for Windows 10 a year -- one around April-time, and another around October. These introduce new features, a lot of big changes, and improvements across the board.
Due to the size of the updates, the upgrade process takes quite some time, but Microsoft is working to reduce how long you’re "offline" for.
Microsoft quickly rolls out Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17120 to the Slow ring
The next big feature update of Windows 10 -- widely expected to be called the Spring Creators Update -- is due out next month. Microsoft is hard at work putting the finishing touches to it -- another new build arrives today -- but still has time to introduce some new additions.
Microsoft Build 17120 arrived on the Fast ring three days ago, and Microsoft has already deemed it ready for the Slow ring too. This build adds some improvements to the Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG), its virtualization-based security technology which helps to protect enterprises from advanced attacks that can infiltrate networks and devices via the Internet.
Wayne's Bio
Wayne Williams has been writing about computers, technology, and the web for over 30 years now. He’s written for most of the UK’s PC magazines, and launched, edited and published a fair few of them in his time also. If you like what you read, you can Buy Me a Coffee!
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