Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 4 Build 17093 to the Fast ring
When Microsoft was working on what became the Fall Creators Update, we typically saw weekly builds rolling out to Insiders on the Fast ring. With the Redstone 4 branch -- rumored to be called the Spring Creators Update -- new builds are coming out at a much slower rate.
Two weeks after Build 17083 arrived, Microsoft has rolled out new Build 17093 to Insiders on the Fast ring and Skip Ahead.
Cortana comes to iPad with faster loading than iPhone version
After something of a delay -- two years, no less -- Microsoft has finally ported Cortana from the iPhone to the iPad.
The company has not made a great deal of noise about the updated app, but its digital assistant has now been optimized for use on Apple devices with larger screens. The restrictions of iOS still mean that Cortana cannot compete directly with Siri, as it is only possible to access the assistant's tools once it has been launched.
Microsoft unveils Xbox One S PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Bundle
The video game "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" (better known as "PUBG") is wildly popular. With all of the buzz around this title, I decided to buy the PC version last year. You know what? I think the game sucks. Maybe I am just bad at it, but here's my impression of the game -- you parachute into a war zone, and after about 30 seconds, you die. The end. I find it frustratingly short, and quite frankly, the fun just isn't there. Maybe it is because of cheating, but I seem to just instantly die. I'll stick to Mario on Switch...
But OK, if you actually enjoy PUBG like most people seemingly do, Microsoft has a new Xbox One S bundle that might excite you -- if you don't already own the console, that is. The Xbox One S PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Bundle comes with the 1TB "S" game system, the full PUBG game, and more.
Microsoft's aggressive Get Windows 10 (GWX) app slapped by Finnish authorities
The hostile Get Windows 10 -- often referred to as simply GWX -- push by Microsoft proved controversial around the world. Now the Finnish Consumer Authority has reached an agreement with the company that means the Windows-maker will no longer force apps onto users.
The authority was unhappy with Microsoft not only for pushing the GWX app to computers without consent, but also for changing the design language used in the UI. In the GWX app, clicking the X button did not close the notification window as users would have expected, but instead started the installation of Windows 10.
Microsoft is dropping Windows 10 S as a standalone product in favor of S Mode
The arrival of Windows 10 S was greeted with a degree of scepticism. The cutdown version of Windows 10 is only capable of running apps from the Microsoft Store for a focus on security, and is optimized for cheaper computers.
There has always been the option of unlocking Windows 10 Professional but now it has emerged that Microsoft is going to kill off Windows 10 S as a standalone product. That's not to say that the S variant is being killed off entirely however. Microsoft is bringing a new "S Mode" to Windows 10 Home, Enterprise, and Pro.
Microsoft's Core m3 Surface Laptop costs just $799
Microsoft has unveiled a cheap on-ramp for people looking to get involved in its Surface range. There's now a version of the Surface Laptop available for just $799 -- you might even be able to get it for less.
Of course, this low price tag means cutting a few corners, but the specs are still the same as the entry-level Surface Pro -- more than enough for everyday tasks. So what does a buck short of $800 buy you? Well, provided the idea of an Intel Core m3 doesn't put you off, you might not be disappointed.
Microsoft extends Windows 10 support and makes Office 2019 a Windows 10 exclusive
If you're thinking about upgrading to Office 2019 when it is released in the second half of 2018, you'll have to make sure that you have upgraded to Windows 10 first. Microsoft has revealed that Office 2019 will only run on Windows 10 (and the next LTSC release of Windows Server), dropping support for Windows 8.x and earlier.
In the same announcement, Microsoft also revealed that it is extending the support period for Windows 10, following the news that the operating system has finally overtaken Windows 7.
Microsoft releases Skype as a Snap for Linux
While Microsoft has long been viewed as an enemy of the Linux community -- and it still is by some -- the company has actually transformed into an open source champion. Not only does Microsoft release software for Linux, such as PowerShell Core 6.0, but it is even serving distros in its software store for Windows. Let's not forget that Microsoft even offers Linux virtual machines in Azure.
One of Microsoft's biggest Linux contributions, however, is Skype -- the wildly popular communication software. By offering that program to desktop Linux users, Microsoft enables them to easily communicate with friends and family that aren't on Linux, thanks to its cross-platform support. Today, Microsoft further embraces Linux by releasing Skype as a Snap. This comes after two other very popular apps became available in Snap form -- Spotify and Slack. Wait a minute -- Slack, Spotify, and now Skype? It's a mighty strange coincidence that popular apps that start with "S" are being made available as Snaps -- yet another "S" word!
NetMarketShare: Windows 10 still some way behind Windows 7
If you believe StatCounter’s numbers, Windows 10 finally overtook Windows 7 in January. However, if you tend to trust NetMarketShare’s monthly desktop operating system figures more, well, then it didn’t.
According to the analyst firm’s numbers, in January Windows 10 narrowed the gap by a fair margin, but Windows 7 is still some way in the lead.
StatCounter: Windows 10 finally overtakes Windows 7
Every month, StatCounter reports on the state of the desktop operating system market. Since October last year, the analyst company’s figures have shown the gap between Windows 10 and Windows 7 narrowing. It looked as if the newer OS would overtake the older one in November, but that didn’t happen, and it didn’t happen in December either.
However, in January, according to StatCounter, Windows 10 finally claimed the top spot.
Windows Defender to root out dodgy registry cleaners and system optimization tools
Microsoft is taking a firmer line with misleading system utilities and tools that try to scare users into paying for software. An update to Windows Defender means that software found to be "coercive" could be ripe for automatic removal.
New policies come into play in March as Microsoft tries to banish software that makes misleading claims or adversely affects system performance. Tools that exaggerate problems or resort to scare tactics are among those in the firing line.
Microsoft issues emergency Windows update to disable Intel's shoddy Spectre variant 2 mitigation
The computer industry is in utter chaos right now. Despite a slight increase in PC sales for Q4 2018, the market is still extremely unhealthy. Not to mention, pretty much all existing hardware is fundamentally flawed thanks to both Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities. At least major companies such as Intel, AMD, and Microsoft are working together to mitigate these risks, right? Wrong. These patches have proven to be problematic -- for instance, some AMD computers were rendered unbootable. Ugh, what a failure.
To make matters even worse, Intel's Spectre variant 2 mitigation is causing instability (random reboots) on some Windows computers. Microsoft has apparently had enough of Intel's shoddy patches, and as a result, it has issued an emergency update to disable the Spectre variant 2 mitigation on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.
Fall Creators Update on nearly 75 percent of all Windows 10 PCs
The Windows 10 Creators Update rollout was a bit of a mess. Shortly after it launched, Microsoft warned people not to install it, and a quarter of Windows 10 users still didn’t have it by the time its successor, the Fall Creators Update, arrived last October.
Microsoft has definitely learned its lessons this time around however, as the Fall Creators Update is being installed at a much faster rate. According to AdDuplex, last month (a mere two months after it launched), the Fall Creators Update was already on half of all Windows 10 PCs in use, and in January, that figure has increased to nearly three quarters.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 4 Build 17083 with Timeline improvements and privacy enhancements
Windows Insiders have got used to Fast ring releases arriving at a slower pace lately, but it looks as if Microsoft might be stepping on the gas once more, as Build 17083 arrives a mere fortnight after 17074.
The latest build comes with lots of new features and improvements, including the additional privacy options announced earlier.
Microsoft announces additional improvements to Windows 10 privacy
When Microsoft first launched Windows 10 back in 2015, one of the big complaints people had about the new operating system was that it spied on users. Really spied on them.
Following the inevitable backlash, the software giant has reigned in this snooping with each new feature update, and the next big release -- codenamed Redstone 4 -- will take things further when it arrives in a few months' time.
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