The next update for Windows 10 is nearly here. Once known as the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update, Microsoft has now decided to call this the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. After being delayed beyond its originally intended release date, Microsoft will soon be ready to make it available to the masses, and that's good news for anyone who might be in need of a productivity boost.
Has hell frozen over? We've lost count of how many times. We are, after all, in an age of frenemies, so it shouldn't be surprising to see bitter rivals on the same bed from time to time. And Microsoft did promise that Apple's iTunes will be on its Microsoft, formerly Windows, Store, which should have happened last year. Better late than never and now Apple fans forced to use Windows 10 will have one less thing to miss from their favorite Apple operating system.
If you thought Microsoft's change in tone over Windows 10 S, now Windows 10 with S Mode, marks the end of its obsession over software editions, then you don't the company that well. Popping up out of nowhere, yet another Windows 10 SKU seems ready to make OEMs, consumers, and fans alike scratch their heads in bewilderment. That's Windows 10 Lean and it's leaner than Windows 10 in just one aspect: installer size.
Oculus users were sent an update sheet today for the near-future of the VR platform owned by Facebook. In preparation for the European Union's upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules in-effect date, Oculus is taking action. This May, new tools will be launched for Oculus users, including a new Privacy Center, Updated Terms of Service, Updated Privacy Policy, and a new Code of Conduct added to the Oculus official Terms of Service. Also you'll be able to download all your data - so that's neat.
Today we're having a peek at some leaked images and video of the next Xbox Avatar Editor. This is the place where users are able to roll with whatever human body, body parts, clothing, and accessories they wish. The differences between the avatar editors of olde and this next-gen editor are few, but important. This is very similar to what we saw back at E3 2017, but it's also evolved just a bit.
Passwords have become practically useless, even dangerous, thanks to human frailty. That is why tech companies keep on trying to kill the password with two-factor authentication, fingerprints, faces, and even security keys. Working with the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) alliance, Microsoft is updating its Windows Hello security framework to work with the newly ratified FIDO2 security keys. This means that, in the future, Windows computers can be unlocked with a fingerprint tapped on a removable USB key.
Another major Windows 10 update, another potential privacy lapse. Although it does seem to respond to criticisms about privacy policies and options, Microsoft can’t seem to avoid making blunders in the first place. More often than not, its policies are clearly made to turn or force users to its services. In the case of the latest Windows 10 update, that has come to mean being forced to always have web search enabled even when the switch says they’re not. And web searches are, of course, powered by Microsoft Bing.
Depending on who you ask, Microsoft’s and Qualcomm’s Windows 10 on ARM, specifically on Snapdragon, is either a dream come true or a deja vu. The first compatible devices have almost delivered on the core promises but falls flat on its face in terms of performance and software selection. The latter, however, might soon finally have a solution in the next few months. Windows 10 on ARM will finally be gaining support for 64-bit apps, which could at least increase the number of compatible apps you can use.
I couldn't help but make a comparison to a MacBook right out the box when I first opened the Huawei MateBook X Pro. This is a device that's taken some definite design cues from the MacBook Pro - the latest round of MacBook Pros, at least. It runs Windows 10, though, and it has some unique features that Apple's notebook doesn't. This Huawei MateBook X Pro isn't just a notebook made by a smartphone company - it's a smart piece of hardware in its own right.
Today a big announcement was made by the CEO of Microsoft to all employees. In this message, several of the highest-ranking and most publicly visible leaders at the company are switching roles. Not so much switching as being re-assigned, or re-titled. Assignments are being traded up - it's a whole new world, all aimed at a "Microsoft 365 experience."
The first reviews of the first Windows 10 on Qualcomm Snapdragon devices are out and they are anything but flattering. Microsoft and Qualcomm nearly promised the moon and more, which made not a few rather dubious if they could pull it off. And it seems those doubts were well-founded. Perhaps trying to do some damage control, Qualcomm has released three new ads that showcase the advantages of software and hardware combination, without actually addressing reviewers’ biggest complaints.
Razer has launched a trio of gaming laptops, first among them being the Razer Blade. The laptop is dark, adorned with colorful lights, sporting a design that makes it identifiable as not just any ole laptop, but a gaming laptop. Relative to other models, I wouldn't hesitate to call the Razer Blade an ultraportable offering, but what compromises were made to get this level of portability?