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Alexa is coming to Windows 10 PCs from HP, ASUS and others
Amazon's Alexa recently arrived on headphones and even toilets, but it's about to become much more ubiquitous by hitting Windows 10 PCs later this year. HP, ASUS and Acer have revealed that the voice assistant is coming to various models, including ASUS's ZenBook and VivoBook lineup, the HP Pavilion Wave, and select Acer Spin, Swift, Switch and Aspire notebooks. Amazon will release a special Alexa app in the spring, and laptop builders are tapping Intel's Smart Sound tech to make sure that the app can pick up your voice when you're not right next to your PC.
Printed photos can fool Windows 10's Hello face authentication
Windows 10's facial authentication system might be able to tell the difference between you and your twin, but it could apparently be fooled with a photo of your face. According to researchers from German security firm SySS, systems running previous versions of the platform can be unlocked with a printed photo of your face taken with a near-infrared (IR) camera. The researchers conducted their experiments on various Windows 10 versions and computers, including a Dell Latitude and a Surface Pro 4.
Netflix now streams HDR video on Windows 10
You no longer have to turn to your phone or TV to watch Netflix's more vibrant HDR video selection. The streaming behemoth has added support for playing HDR on Windows 10, both in the native Netflix app and in the Edge browser (sorry, no Chrome here). You're already set software-wise if you're running the Fall Creators Update. However, it's the hardware requirements that might leave you hanging -- and we don't just mean the need for an HDR10-compatible display.
Windows 10's 'Timeline' continuity is available for testing
Windows 10's much-hyped Timeline feature didn't make the cut for the initial release of the Fall Creators Update, but you will get to try it over the holidays. Microsoft has released a Insider Preview for Fast Ring testers that (surprise!) finally gives you access to Timeline's continuity. Visit the Task View and you can resume what you were doing on another device, whether it's going back to a website from another Windows 10 PC (using the Edge browser, of course) or finishing work in a Word document that you'd started on your Android or iOS device. Cortana will also suggest tasks to continue, so you might barely have to lift a finger to get back to an earlier task.
Windows 10 included password manager with huge security hole
There's a good reason why security analysts get nervous about bundled third-party software: it can introduce vulnerabilities that the companies can't control. And Microsoft, unfortunately, has learned that the hard way. Google researcher Tavis Ormandy discovered that a Windows 10 image came bundled with a third-party password manager, Keeper, which came with a glaring browser plugin flaw -- a malicious website could steal passwords. Ormandy's copy was an MSDN image meant for developers, but Reddit users noted that they received the vulnerable copy of Keeper after clean reinstalls of regular copies and even a brand new laptop.
Eve V review: The wisdom of the crowd mostly pays off
If you've never heard of Eve, I like to think of it as the OnePlus of computers: By ditching middlemen, this 11-person startup found a way to build and sell premium computers at a significant discount. The difference is, the people in charge didn't draw up a list of specs and start churning out machines. Instead, they left just about every important design and component decision to a coalition of over 1,000 community members. When I first heard about the project earlier this year, I was skeptical -- how good can a crowd-sourced computer be when this many people are involved? Well, it's time for me to eat crow. Though it's not perfect, the Eve V is a surprisingly worthy Surface Pro competitor, especially for a first-gen product.
The first 'Wolfenstein II' add-on pack is available now
Killing Nazis and protesting are two of the most American things you can do. And if you need another avenue for (virtually) doing the former, that's where the first expansion for Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus comes in. "The Adventures of Gunslinger Joe" changes up the base game's formula with a new protagonist who, thanks to his football skills, can run through walls and Nazis alike. Sounds good? There are two more packs incoming, and you can pick them up as part of the $25 season pass.
Pirate simulator 'Sea of Thieves' hits Xbox on March 20th
Rare's cartoony pirate simulator Sea of Thieves sets sail for your Xbox One and Windows 10 March 20th. Microsoft's stab at breaking out of its Forza, Gears of War and Halo release cadence can't get here fast enough, and if you're feeling impatient you can preorder right now to unlock some bonus bits. What're those, pray tell? Access to the shared-world's closed beta in addition to some cosmetic items, according to Xbox Wire.
Next 'GTA Online' heist resets the doomsday clock
We never got the additional story mode heists for Grand Theft Auto V, but Rockstar Games seems to be making up for that with the next add-on for perennial moneymaker GTA Online. From the looks of it, "The Doomsday Heist" is going to be pretty involved. Based on the trailer below, you'll steal a surface-to-air missile truck, explore Mount Chilliad, interact with a snarky AI named Clifford, don a jetpack, take to the sky in a flying car and then use the same car to intercept a submarine. Yeah, there's a lot going on.
AMD and Qualcomm join forces to power higher-end connected PCs
Qualcomm may have found a worthy ally in its quest to take on the PC market. After unveiling a new stable of Snapdragon 835-powered "Always Connected" PCs from HP and ASUS, the chip-maker revealed a surprise partner: AMD. The two companies are teaming up to make Always Connected PCs on AMD's "Ryzen" mobile platform while using Snapdragon LTE modems to enable gigabit connection speeds. On gigabit LTE, you could potentially download a feature-length movie over cellular data in less than 30 seconds.
HP and ASUS unveil Snapdragon-powered laptops
Since teasing us with a preview of what Windows on Snapdragon will look like at Computex this year, Qualcomm and its partners are ready to reveal actual devices. Today, at Qualcomm's second annual tech summit, we saw the HP Envy x2 and the ASUS NovaGo -- two of the "Always Connected PCs" that Microsoft has talked about since last year. In fact, the ASUS is calling the NovaGo the first Gigabit LTE laptop, since it uses the Snapdragon chipset that enables those speeds.
Microsoft's latest Windows 10 experiment: Running apps in tabs
When it comes to multitasking, few UI upgrades were as helpful as browser tabs. Instead of juggling dozens of windows on your computer, they let you place multiple websites in a single pane. It's the sort of thing we take for granted today -- especially if you don't remember the pre-tab dark ages. With its latest feature in Windows 10, currently dubbed "Sets," Microsoft has taken some major cues from what browser makers learned years ago. Basically, it lets you group together Windows apps in tabs. That might sound simplistic, but Sets (which isn't the final name yet) could fundamentally change the way we work in Microsoft's OS.
Windows 10's 'Timeline' continuity tool arrives soon for Insiders
If you were bummed that this fall's Creators Update for Windows 10 didn't include Microsoft's version of Handoff, we feel you. But if you're a Windows Insider Program member, there's good news: Timeline will soon be available to folks in the Fast Ring. Cool, right?
Windows 10 keyboard offers emoji suggestions in latest preview
Windows 10 Insiders in the Fast Ring were the first to try out Microsoft's emoji 5.0 bonanza in June, before support rolled out widely with the Fall Creators Update. And, the tech giant is bundling yet more emoji goodness in its latest preview, which also packs Microsoft Edge improvements. The new build 17046 brings with it emoji suggestions on the keyboard, with support for over 150 languages.
'Minecraft' now livestreams building sessions directly to Mixer
A large part of Minecraft's allure is showing off your work. And now, it should be relatively easy to do that in real time. Mojang has released an update that lets you livestream directly to Microsoft Mixer (its parent company's service, naturally) from within the game on Android devices, Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One consoles. If you've just finished recreating an entire country, you can take people on a live tour without starting a broadcast in a separate app or service first. And your audience doesn't have to simply watch, either.
Microsoft's version of AirDrop is available to Windows Insiders
AirDrop is one of the most convenient features of being in the Apple ecosystem. It's unsurprising, then, to learn that Microsoft has been working on its own version of the file sharing feature for Windows computers. It's called Near Share, and it's included in the latest build of Windows 10, currently available to Windows Insiders.
Windows Mixed Reality adds SteamVR games on November 15th
Microsoft's stab at building a virtual reality ecosystem will enter an informal beta test starting November 15th. Next week the Windows 10 Mixed Reality SteamVR preview program will go live. If you have Windows 10 running on your machine, along with one of the Redmond-approved VR headsets you'll be able to try it out for yourself according to Rolling Stone. This will act as a sort of crossover piece of software that gives Windows Mixed Reality users access to some 60 VR apps from the Windows Store and the countless VR games available on Steam. There's no timetable for when the full version will roll out to Windows just yet.
Microsoft ends its last free Windows 10 upgrades on December 31st
Microsoft largely stopped offering free Windows 10 upgrades back in July 2016. However, there's been an ongoing exception: if you use accessibility features, you've had an extension of that promo. And now, that last deal is coming to an end. Microsoft has quietly updated its site to reveal that free upgrades for those who need assistive technologies will end on December 31st, 2017. The company hasn't directly explained the timing for the cutoff, but the extension was announced to give extra time to users who had to wait for the July 2016 Anniversary Update before they got promised accessibility features. Given that there have been numerous milestone updates since then, there's a good chance you've already moved to Windows 10 if you were holding out.
Telltale’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ first season ends next week
Star-Lord and crew have one last adventure in them for this season of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series. Season finale "Don't Stop Believin'" debuts November 7th and finds the ragtag group of heroes reuniting to take out galactic adversary Hala. It'll be available on just about every platform under the sun including mobile, PlayStation 4, Steam and Xbox One. Unfortunately, there's no word of a Switch release date just yet.
Windows 10's store app may start selling hardware
When Windows 10's app portal was renamed the Microsoft Store not long ago, it led to people scratching their heads: why change the name of a portal that revolves so heavily around apps? Because it might not revolve exclusively around software, apparently. Frequent code diver Walking Cat has discovered a hidden "Shop Surface" section of the Microsoft Store app that, as you might guess, includes Surface PCs and their accessories. You could shop for a Surface Pro without ever firing up a web browser.
