Microsoft's Handoff-like feature makes an appearance in Windows 10 Build 14328
Apple users will be familiar with Handoff. This feature lets you start working on one Apple device -- be it a Mac, iPad or iPhone -- and then pick up where you left off on another, provided the devices are within Bluetooth range of each other.
At Build 2016, Microsoft talked about its plans to introduce a Handoff-style feature to Windows 10, codename Project Rome, and the first glimpse of this has appeared in the latest build for Windows Insiders.
Free Microsoft OneDrive storage will be slashed to just 5GB in July -- here's what you need to know
In November last year, Microsoft announced that it would be cutting back on the amount of free storage offered to OneDrive users, taking the base storage figure from 15GB to 5GB, and discontinuing the 15GB camera roll storage bonus. Office 365 Home, Personal, and University users were also informed that they would no longer get unlimited storage, and some paid tiers were to be removed too.
After an outcry from outraged OneDrive users, Microsoft backtracked and permitted users with 15GB of OneDrive space to keep their base storage quota and camera roll bonus, even after the changes rolled out, but only provided they acted before January 31 2016. If you didn’t take action before then, you’ve probably been wondering exactly when you were going to lose your storage. Well, now we know.
Raspberry Pi camera gets an 8-megapixel Sony upgrade
The Raspberry Pi itself has been refreshed several times since it first launched in 2012, but the 5-megapixel camera module has remained unchanged since it was introduced three years ago.
That changes today however, as everyone’s favorite Pi add-on finally gets a long overdue update.
New Windows 10 updates causing massive problems for some users
One of the big changes Microsoft introduced in Windows 10 was mandatory updates. It’s easy to see why the software giant believed this was a good idea -- reducing the number of unpatched systems is great news for everyone -- but it does mean when a bad update is released by Microsoft, everyone installs it.
Case in point is two new updates released this month that have created problems for some users.
Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14328 introduces an improved Start menu, and loads of exciting new features
It’s been a couple of weeks since Windows Insiders on the Fast ring got a new build of Windows 10 for PC. A PCI bug prevented a promising build from being released sooner, but the problem has been fixed, and so today Build 14328 arrives for both PC and Mobile.
The past few Windows 10 Fast ring releases have debuted some great new features, and Build 14328 is no different, introducing, among other features, Windows Ink, a wealth of Cortana improvements, and a new Start experience.
Pre-installed Windows 10 apps begging for ratings is wrong
I don’t use the Windows Calculator very often, but occasionally I need to work something out and so fire it up. Today, upon opening the calculator, I was presented with a message asking me to rate the app in the Windows Store. If I was enjoying it. Which of course I wasn’t. It is a calculator after all, and the only time I’ve ever enjoyed using one of those was as a teenager when I typed in "5318008" and turned it upside down. Even the enjoyment of doing that was very short lived.
Now, the Windows 10 calculator begging for user ratings in the Windows Store isn’t a new phenomenon. A thread on Reddit discussed this some months ago, but this is the first time I’ve experienced it for myself, and obviously three months after it was first flagged as a nuisance, it’s still going on. Seriously who at Microsoft thought this was a good idea?
Text an emoji, get free porn
Want to watch some pornography on your phone but can’t be bothered to actually search for it? From today you can receive links to free adult content just by texting an emoji.
Pornhub’s new "Emoji 4 Porn" service offers a selection of 30 public emoji (plus an unspecified number of secret unlisted ones to find) that you can use to request whatever sort of pornography you’re into. Send them a taco emoji, for example, and you’ll receive Latina videos. A camcorder emoji will give you links to amateur content. You can probably work out what sort of videos you’ll get if you send them a melon.
New Windows 10 Mobile Preview Build 14327 lets you send and receive texts from a Windows PC
Microsoft released Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 14322 less than a week ago, introducing numerous improvements and changes to Action Center, notifications, Cortana, Settings, emoji, Microsoft Edge, lockscreen, and more.
Today, the software giant rolls out another new build to the Fast ring, Build 14327, which, as well as fixing various known issues, also introduces a couple of noteworthy additions, including a Messaging Everywhere preview which lets users send and receive text messages from a Windows 10 PC.
Bioo charges your phone from a potted plant
You probably know that you can use a potato as a battery and power clocks and small light bulbs from it. You don’t have to use a potato either -- certain other vegetables and fruits work just as well.
Arkyne Technologies claims that plants can also be used as a power source, and has produced a product called Bioo Lite which is able to use leafy green flora to charge devices, like smartphones and tablets. The company is currently seeking finance for its invention on Indiegogo where it has already hit 112 percent of its funding goal with a month to go.
How to say goodbye to Windows 10 and revert to your previous operating system
Personally I think Windows 10 is a great operating system. It’s a bit unfinished still, but the Anniversary Update coming in July will fix a lot of the problems, and also introduce additional features. That said, I can fully understand why some people might decide Windows 10 is not for them and opt to roll back to a previous OS.
Microsoft allows users to 'undo' an installation directly from within Windows 10, but there is a catch -- you only get 30 days in which you can do this. That’s not the only method of rolling back Windows 10 though, there are other tools which you can use for the task beyond that time limit.
The Commodore 64 returns in computer and handheld versions
Old computer favorites never die, they just fade away for a bit and then reappear in a new form looking for funding on Indiegogo.
The ZX Spectrum was previously resurrected as Vega, and the handheld Vega+, and now there’s a new version of the Commodore 64 looking for funding. Called simply THE 64, this too will be available in desktop and handheld versions.
If you have QuickTime for Windows you need to uninstall it NOW
Apple’s QuickTime was popular years ago, particularly for anyone wanting to watch movie trailers on the web, but its time has long since passed. There’s really very little need to have it installed on your system these days.
Because you no longer need it isn’t the only reason to uninstall it though. Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative has released two advisories (ZDI-16-241 and ZDI-16-242) which detail new, critical vulnerabilities affecting QuickTime for Windows, and these won’t be patched as Apple has reportedly deprecated the software.
Raspberry Pi Zero gains a mysterious new feature, and improved availability
It’s no surprise that the Raspberry Pi Zero was such a hit. Priced at just $5, the tiny uncased device sold out immediately, and despite occasional reappearances at retailers like The Pi Hut, it’s remained ever-elusive.
If you haven’t yet managed to get your hands on the Pi Zero, the good news is it will soon be back in stock, and in much greater numbers than before. And that’s not the only welcome news. The restocked device will be packing a much requested new feature.
Can Microsoft's online demo persuade you to upgrade to Windows 10?
Microsoft is doing its best to persuade users of Windows 7 and 8.1 to upgrade to Windows 10. Having seen reasonable -- but not outstanding -- upgrade numbers as a result of aggressively ramming the new OS down users’ throats, the software giant is now trying to sell the benefits of Windows 10 to those customers still on the fence.
An online Windows 10 demo covering PC, Tablet and Phone lets users see the new OS in action, and gives them the opportunity to upgrade if they like what's on offer.
Kindle Oasis is Amazon's lightest and brightest e-reader yet
Tablet manufacturers are forever trying to deliver the lightest and thinnest products, and today Amazon introduces a new Kindle which is designed to feel almost weightless.
The Kindle Oasis isn’t simply light, weighing in at just 131 grams, it’s also very thin, at just 3.4 mm at its slimmest point. That makes it 30 percent thinner on average than any other Kindle. It also offers an ergonomic grip to shift the center of gravity to your palm, making it perfect for reading one handed. The built-in accelerometer automatically detects whether you are reading left or right handed, and rotates the page and page turn buttons accordingly.
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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