Wayne Williams

Starting in Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14291, Microsoft has introduced a selection of extensions for its Edge browser.

While the software giant promises that popular add-ons like AdBlock, Adblock Plus, Amazon, LastPass, and Evernote are on their way, it’s launched the feature with three rather less-exciting offerings -- Mouse Gestures, Microsoft Translator and an early version of Reddit Enhancement Suite.

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Microsoft is having a very busy Thursday. As well as beginning the long-awaited rollout of Windows 10 Mobile, the software giant has also pushed the button on a new PC build for Insiders on the Fast ring.

Fast ring updates sometimes offer new features, but other times it’s just tweaks to the core and bug fixes. Windows 10 Insider Build 14291 is one the more noteworthy updates, finally delivering the long awaited extensions in Microsoft Edge, as well as pinned tabs and other Edge enhancements. There’s also an updated Maps app, and a wealth of other changes, including the introduction of a new Feedback Hub.

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After what seems like forever, Microsoft has finally started rolling out Windows 10 Mobile to select Windows Phone 8.1 devices. It’s been a long, long wait for Windows Phone users, and if you’re one of them you’ll understandably be keen to begin the upgrade process as soon as possible (provided your device is compatible of course).

But hold on a minute. Sure, the new mobile OS has a lot of welcome features, as well as access to Universal Windows Apps, but don't start that upgrade just yet because you might lose more than you've bargained for if you do.

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Windows 10 for PCs and tablets launched way back in July last year. The mobile version of the new OS was expected to arrive a few months after, but instead what we got were numerous delays. When Microsoft introduced the Lumia 950 and 950 XL in November, both running the new OS, it seemed as if the wait was nearly over, but that turned out not to be the case.

If you have been desperately awaiting the arrival of the mobile OS, the good news is the rumors were true, and today Microsoft officially begins the roll-out to select Windows Phone 8.1 devices.

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Anonymous recently declared total war on Donald Trump (again), and is encouraging people to join in the fight against the Republican front-runner it compares to Hitler.

#OpWhiteRose is a new operation named after the White Rose Society. This non-violent group was originally set up in Nazi Germany to actively oppose Adolf Hitler, but has now been resurrected to combat the "menace" of Trump and his "new era of Brownshirt terrorists".

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It’s Pi Day, so naturally the Raspberry Pi Foundation has a little gift for Raspberry Pi owners. No, it’s not new hardware, but rather news that you can now play some of the all-time best point and click adventure games on the diminutive board.

The popular adventure game emulator ScummVM has now been ported over to the Raspberry Pi, allowing users to enjoy some of the greatest games from the early 1990s.

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Running Windows 7 or 8.1? Microsoft wants you to upgrade to Windows 10. What’s that? You don’t want to? You want to keep the using the OS you like and paid for? Well, tough. You don’t have any choice in the matter.

Except, you do. While Microsoft’s nasty methods mean it’s getting harder to reject the new operating system, it can still be done. This is what you need to do.

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We all know that Microsoft is using increasingly aggressive -- and desperate -- tactics to get people to upgrade to its newest operating system. A month ago it switched the update status from 'optional' to 'recommended', and last week it snuck Windows 10 advertising into a security patch.

So what dirty trick is next? Well, according to Reddit, it’s installing the OS without user consent -- and without much warning --  and hiding the decline button to make it much harder to abort the process.

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Microsoft is definitely on the right track with Edge -- its new browser is a big improvement over Internet Explorer, but there’s still a long way to go until it’s good enough to challenge the likes of Firefox and Chrome. Extension support is still missing, although I hear from a Microsoft source that it will be coming to a Windows 10 Insider Preview very, very soon (and to the rest of us when the Redstone update for Windows 10 rolls out in June/July).

If you’re using the new browser and having problems, here are some solutions for the most common Edge issues.

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Microsoft is still working on polishing up the Mobile version of Windows 10, introducing new features and improvements, with no word yet on when it will actually be finished and released.

Today the software giant rolls out a new preview build to the Fast ring with some improvements and updates, as well as various fixes.

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Blocking adverts, both on the web and on smartphones, is becoming increasingly popular. Just today, Opera announced it would be introducing a native ad-blocker in its desktop browser.

Tomorrow, March 11, Samsung will start shipping its new Galaxy S7 and S7 edge smartphones to pre-orderers and they’ll be able to block ads while browsing the web immediately, thanks to Adblock Plus.

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It seems there are no depths that Microsoft will not sink to in its relentless quest to get the world using Windows 10. It’s already made the new OS a 'recommended' update for Windows 7 and 8.x, which will see the update download and install automatically on some systems.

But the company's latest sneaky trick is beyond the pale. According to Microsoft’s own documentation, a new security patch for Internet Explorer also "adds functionality to Internet Explorer 11 on some computers that lets users learn about Windows 10 or start an upgrade to Windows 10". In other words, as well as fixing vulnerabilities with Internet Explorer, the security patch will also advertise the new OS to customers. In what world is that acceptable?

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Lugging around a full-size laptop so you can do a spot of work from anywhere can be a pain. Even using a Windows 10 slate, like the Surface Pro 4, doesn’t really lessen the load as you’ll likely need to include a keyboard cover and maybe a mouse.

GPD Win is an interesting solution. It’s a 5.5 inch handheld PC/Gaming console running Windows 10 and it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into the design.

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Hacker collective Anonymous mostly gets press for its big campaigns, including fighting Islamic State, and tackling pedophiles and Scientologists, but it also has smaller campaigns that just exist for the greater good.

#OpSafeWinter was launched back in 2013 to help care for the invisible community, providing the homeless with clothing, blankets, food and clean water. Although a global campaign, it is most active in the UK, with teams in all of the major cities.

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Microsoft is currently working on the next version of Windows 10, codenamed Redstone, and we’ve been seeing the results of this labor in the form of new Insider Preview builds arriving on the Fast ring at a rate of around one a week now.

The updated OS will include new features, tweaks and general improvements and should, finally, introduce extension support to the Edge browser. It will also bring the different Windows 10 devices -- PC, Xbox, Mobile -- closer together.

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