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With Cortana on Windows 10, Microsoft's bringing its virtual assistant full circle
After watching early footage of Microsoft's virtual assistant Cortana in Windows 10 (below), its impending takeover of the Microsoft Borg seems inevitable. There's a lot riding on Cortana, after all. After being released in the U.S. earlier this year, it's now slowly rolling out across the globe. While an obvious response to Apple's Siri, Microsoft's devotion to Cortana is also a reminder of just how important these virtual assistants are becoming. It's as if Siri, Google Now, and Cortana will end up personifying the operating system wars.
Windows 10's app store will be workplace-friendly
If you use a Windows 8 PC, you've probably noticed that the Windows Store is built for home use; you'll find serious tools like Office, but it's not really meant for work. That's going to change in a big, big way with Windows 10. Microsoft has revealed that its future software will let your workplace offer a customized version of the Windows Store that includes both in-house apps and approved public apps. Your IT managers will have a much easier time behind the scenes, too -- they'll have a web-based tool that lets them easily assign apps and manage updates. No, you probably won't get to install games on your office PC, but this means that your company is less likely to cling to an ancient version of Windows just because it wants more control over the tools you use. If nothing else, it'll make the daily grind a little more bearable.
Windows 10 has new ways to protect you against internet data breaches
There are plenty of online services that use two-factor authentication to reduce the chances of someone hijacking your account after a data breach, but what about the operating system on your PC or phone? You'll get that safeguard if you use Windows 10, according to a Microsoft security brief. The new OS will optionally treat a device (including something nearby, like your phone) as one authentication factor when signing into a local or internet account, and a PIN code or biometric reader as the second. If hackers find your login data sitting on a server, they won't get to use it unless they also have your gear -- and in some cases, they may need a fake fingerprint as well.
Windows 10 brings Windows Phone's notification center to the desktop
If Windows 10 is going to unify your experiences on devices ranging from smartphones to PCs, it only makes sense that key mobile features would reach the desktop, right? Microsoft certainly thinks so. The team in Redmond has released an updated version of the Windows 10 Technical Preview that brings Windows Phone's Action Center (that is, a notification area) to PCs. Whether there's an app update or an important meeting coming up, you can now find about it all in a single place; you won't have to check Live Tiles or jump into the apps themselves. No, it's probably not worth installing Microsoft's pre-pre-pre-release operating system just to try this out, but it's definitely worth an update if you're already living on the bleeding edge.
More than a million people have signed up to test Windows 10
Thinking about giving the Windows 10 preview build a shot? You aren't the only one -- according to Microsoft, its Windows Insider Program hit one million registrants over the weekend, giving a lot of potential users access to the latest build of its next-gen operating system. Joining the Windows Insider Program doesn't necessarily translate to an installed preview, but it is the only way to get access to Windows 10 currently. While it's not clear how many of those millions have installed the OS, Microsoft says it has received over 200,000 pieces of feedback through Windows' native feedback application.
Windows 10, the GoPro Hero4 and other stories you might've missed
The weekend is here, and you know what that means? It's time to catch up on all the best tech news from the last seven days -- we went hands-on with Windows 10, explored the world of vape modding, launched our own web series, and more. Oh, and be sure to subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Engadget Daily: Windows 10 preview, the deal with vape modding and more!
Wondering what all the e-cig hullabaloo is about? Today, we take an in-depth look at the birth of vaporized nicotine and its growing, mod-addicted community. That's not all we have on deck though -- read on for our news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Rumor calls out Windows 95 as the reason Microsoft skipped version 9
Still confused about why the new version of Windows is 10, instead of 9? Beyond the loosely defined numbering schemes that are all too common in tech (how many iPhones did it take to get to 6?), a note posted to Reddit could provide an answer. Reddit user cranbourne claims to be a Microsoft developer, and cites rumors that early testing with the name "Windows 9" ran into problems with code some third-party developers used as a shortcut to detect when apps are running on Windows 95 or Windows 98. The problem, is that it wasn't written to actually check for the extra character. Whatever the real reason is Microsoft isn't saying, and it gave Gizmodo a vague non-answer about the new name so your conspiracy theory is as good as ours (we think they were avoiding a Tolkien nine rings of power reference, and we have evidence to prove it.)
The Windows 10 Technical Preview is here!
If you can't wait to put Windows 8 behind you (and you're the adventurous type) you can now download the Windows 10 Technical Preview. As we saw, Microsoft has made the "Modern UI" all but disappear on the desktop and moved it to the resurrected start menu. That gives users a more familiar, almost Windows 7-like, experience. This also marks the first time virtual desktops have been baked into Windows, and you can switch between via a thumbnail in the taskbar. Some features from the mildly loathed previous version, like charms, were retained, but Microsoft said that pretty much everything was subject to change before it launches late next year. If you're ready for a long download and, no doubt, plenty of bugs, have a go here. And if you're still unsure, check out the quick guide to the preview, though be warned, it's a sizable PDF file.
Microsoft's next OS is Windows 10, will ship later in 2015
Instead of announcing the next version of its iconic operating system in front of a massive crowd of thousands, Microsoft chose an intimate venue with 50 or so reporters to launch the new Windows, which it's calling Windows 10. The company looks at the new number (yes, it oddly skipped a number) as an indication of the direction it's taking with the OS; Microsoft says it'll be "the most comprehensive platform ever," featuring a full range of products that'll be placed under the Windows 10 umbrella as part of "one tailored experience." That means it will support everything from the "Internet of Things" to enterprise servers, taking advantage of responsive design. Microsoft's Joe Belfiore showed off an early beta version of the new Windows on stage, which looks very much like the leaked screenshots we saw not too long ago; Belfiore says that the company wanted to bring the familiarity of Windows 7 and combine it with the functionality of Windows 8.
