windows10
Latest
Windows 10 may soon tell you which apps are using your microphone
Microsoft is testing some privacy and notification features in its latest Windows 10 Insider preview for Fast Ring users. A previous build added an icon to the notification area that tells you when your microphone is in use, and the newest update will let you see which app is using it when you mouse over the icon. If more than one app is using your mic, the icon will tell you how many. It's a useful privacy enhancement, especially if you're concerned about eavesdropping.
The best gear for photo and video editing
If you do a lot of video or photo editing, the one thing you want to avoid when buying equipment is nasty surprises. A slow or badly equipped PC, laptop or tablet will be a drag on your creative process. Meanwhile, a subpar monitor or laptop display could yield videos that look shockingly different than what you saw during production. And you may miss a deadline if your machine can't render the final product quickly enough. This doesn't just apply to PCs. Adobe is planning a full version of Photoshop for the iPad, and it's developing an all-in-one video tool, Project Rush, that will work across platforms. Whichever app you choose, it's crucial to do some hardware research to ensure that your equipment will work with the app rather than against it. Luckily, we've already done a good chunk of the homework for you. Here's how to pick gear for photo and video creation, whether you've got $500 or $5,000.
You can sign into your Microsoft account without a password
Now that the Windows 10 October update (aka 1809) is back, Microsoft is taking advantage of it to continue its fight against passwords. You now have the option of signing into your personal Microsoft account using the Edge browser and either Windows Hello or a FIDO2-based security device like Yubico's YubiKey 5. You won't have to remember your password every time you want to check mail in Outlook or buy a game for your Xbox.
Apple and Microsoft are fixing a serious iCloud bug in Windows 10
The return of Windows 10's October update wasn't welcome news for everyone. Microsoft says it's "working with Apple" to solve an iCloud for Windows bug that creates problems updating or syncing shared photo albums when using the latest Windows release. Suffice it to say that's a serious problem if you're interested in seamless access to your photos across your devices.
Microsoft opens the door to native ARM apps on Windows 10
ARM-based Windows 10 devices have improved in performance, but the software is another story -- without official tools to write native 64-bit ARM apps, it's been difficult to help these machines reach their potential. That shouldn't be an issue after this week. Microsoft has released Visual Studio 15.9, which gives developers the tools they need to craft native ARM64 apps. They can submit those apps to the Microsoft Store, too, although they can also release ARM apps elsewhere (or bundle them into releases for other chip architectures) if they'd prefer.
Microsoft briefly tested ads in the Windows 10 mail app
It's bad enough when your email inbox gets inundated with subscriptions and promotions you forgot you ever signed up for, but now Microsoft is thinking about injecting advertisements right into your inbox. According to Windows news site Aggiornamenti Lumia, the beta version of the company's Mail client for Windows 10 has been placing ads right at the top of the inbox -- though the company has since turned off the feature and claims that it was just an experiment.
Windows 10 preview adds smarter active hours and a true light theme
Microsoft only just resumed rolling out its problematic Windows 10 October update, but it's already looking toward the future. The company has released a Windows 10 Insider Preview to Fast ring users with some big updates in tow, both conspicuous and otherwise. We'll address the elephant in the room right away: there's a true light theme that changes the entire interface, including the taskbar, Start menu and keyboard. If you think Windows is too dour (or just miss the old days of light-colored Microsoft UIs), you just have to make a quick settings change.
'Astroneer' brings space exploration to Xbox and PC on February 6th
Space exploration game Astroneer has racked up a major following in its Early Access stage. After hinting at it, the game finally has an official release date. The title from System Era Softworks will be available for Xbox One and Windows 10 starting on February 6th, 2019. It will run you $29.99 at launch.
Microsoft resumes Windows 10 update after fixing data loss bug
At last, Microsoft has resumed delivering its Windows 10 October update after pulling it over a data loss bug. The company is confident it has fixed the flaw and has seen "no further evidence" of data loss. With that said, it's being particularly cautious this time around. It's "slowing" the deployment to watch device data and will only give you the device update when it thinks there won't be a problem, such as an incompatible app.
Microsoft vows to improve Windows app store with gamers in mind
Many PC gamers shy away from the Microsoft Store (aka Windows Store), and for good reasons: it frequently doesn't support overlays and other commonly used features, and it's buggy compared to a platform like Steam. Thankfully, Microsoft might just feel their pain. In a talk at X018, Xbox lead Phil Spencer said he had "heard the feedback" about the store and vowed to make it "tailored to the gamers that we know want to see the best" from the company. He didn't outline what those changes were, but he promised to take a "bigger leadership role" on the store.
'Crackdown 3' launches February 15th, 2019 on Xbox One and PC
Yes, Microsoft really has been hinting at some big Crackdown 3 news by giving away the original game. The company has confirmed that the repeatedly delayed open-world game will be available on Xbox One (including Game Pass) and Windows 10 PCs on February 15th, 2019. It also premiered its talked-about competitive multiplayer mode, Wrecking Zone, that has two five-player teams fighting each other in "fully destructible" venues.
ASUS ZenBook S review: Just a decent laptop
ASUS has cranked out so many laptop variations over the years that it's a little hard to be surprised by a new traditional clamshell notebook. But the ZenBook S represents an intriguing combination of portability, power and design. It's extremely thin and light, offers some solid specs, and features an odd hinge design that props the keyboard up at a slight angle. Oh, and it comes in a shiny, attention-grabbing maroon color. Of course, there are dozens of Windows laptops on the market at any given time, and many of them have more modern and, let's face it, exciting hardware designs. But if you don't care about getting a laptop with a detachable keyboard or a 360-degree hinge, the ASUS ZenBook S delivers almost everything we could ask for from an ultraportable.
Amazon releases Alexa app for Windows 10
Amazon has released its Alexa app for Windows 10, which is now available from the Microsoft Store. Alexa was already on some Windows 10 machines, but now all users in the US, UK and Germany can grab the app, with availability expanding next year.
Windows' built-in antivirus tool can run in a secure sandbox
Antivirus programs, by their nature, introduce a degree of risk. Since they have to scan malicious data to stop attacks (and thus need extensive permissions), a piece of malware that exploits antivirus flaws can typically run with impunity. That could be much more difficult if you're using Windows 10's built-in safeguards, though. Microsoft is gradually rolling out a Windows Insider preview where Defender Antivirus has the option of running in a sandbox -- the first "complete" solution to do this, the company said. Should the worst happen and malware targets Defender Antivirus, any hostile actions will be limited to the antivirus tool's environment instead of running amok on your PC.
Future Windows 10 update will soften the blow of Spectre patches
Like with other companies, Microsoft's Spectre and Meltdown security fixes introduced a performance hit -- it mostly affected servers, but it was there. Thankfully, that blow shouldn't be quite so severe in the next several months. The company's Mehmet Iyigun has confirmed that a major Windows 10 update in the first half of 2019 will use Google's Retpoline solution to mitigate Spectre version 2 attacks without the usual slowdown. The improvement should be such that the impact will be "noise-level" in most situations. You may not even notice, then.
Microsoft says it fixed a Windows 10 update bug that deleted folders
Last week the October 2018 update for Windows 10 had barely arrived before Microsoft was forced to pause its rollout, as a few users complained of missing files. Now Microsoft says it has identified and fixed the problem, which was related to a feature called "Known Folder Redirection (KFR)" and an attempt to remove extra duplicate folders that could cause lost files in three specific scenarios.
Microsoft promises to recover files deleted by Windows 10 update bug
Microsoft has pledged to rescue those all-important personal files that its most recent Windows 10 update contrived to consume. The company was forced to halt the rollout of its October 2018 upgrades when users started complaining that their documents, music and images were disappearing.
Microsoft pulled the Windows 10 update that has been deleting files
Over the last couple of days, some users who went ahead and installed the Windows 10 October Update have complained that it deleted personal files in their documents folders. Microsoft hadn't started pushing the update automatically via Windows Update yet, and it looks like that may be delayed since, as noticed by Techdows, it has removed the update from its download site. Currently the newest version available to download is the old October update, and there's the following message on its support page. Microsoft: We have paused the rollout of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809) for all users as we investigate isolated reports of users missing some files after updating. Over on Reddit, posters have found that you can still download 1809 if you absolutely must have it for testing or just curiosity (make sure your backups are current first -- you are making regular backups, right?) from this link. This is a troubling trend for Microsoft, after it also experienced issues with the Spring update earlier this year.
Microsoft's latest Windows 10 update is reportedly wiping user data
Microsoft's latest Windows 10 update — referred to as the October Update or 1809 — may come with quite a few exciting new features, but could also wipe profiles with all the associated documents, music, pictures and other data. A number of reports detailing the issue have appeared on Reddit and Microsoft's support forums. Many of them apparently haven't been able to recover the deleted files.
Windows 10 and Android are now the perfect match
Microsoft's new approach to mobile is pure pragmatism: Play nice with everyone, and get their users hooked on Microsoft apps. With the demise of Windows Phone -- a noble effort, especially after the 2011 Nokia partnership -- the company really has no choice. But now Microsoft is moving beyond merely getting its apps onto other platforms: It's integrating Android in Windows 10 with the "Your Phone" app, which gives you instant access to your mobile photos and text messages on the desktop. During its Surface launch event this week, Microsoft gave us a peek at something even more impressive: the ability to completely mirror your Android phone on Windows 10. All of a sudden, there's a much bigger reason for Windows users to avoid the iPhone.
