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Windows 10 will remind you to install the latest major update
Are you still running the original version of Windows 10? Microsoft is about to offer a not-so-subtle hint that it's time to move on. The software giant has revealed that it will start sending notifications to users who are still using Windows 10 version 1507, warning them that the operating system is deemed "end of service" and will no longer receive monthly security patches. You'll see a convenient button to upgrade to the latest release (at present, the Creators Update) if you're part of this group.
Only a handful of Windows phones will get the latest update
Virtually every Windows 10 PC can get the Creators Update, but phone owners won't be so fortunate. Microsoft has revealed that only some Windows 10 Mobile devices will receive the Creators Update when it's ready. The company's own Lumia devices are covered, naturally (from the Lumia 550 and above), but it's slim pickings beyond that -- the Alcatel Idol 4S, HP Elite X3 and VAIO Phone Biz are some of the few third-party examples that qualify. If you ask Microsoft, it's all about setting performance expectations.
Windows 10 can set up a PC using your voice
Windows installations have come a long way over a few decades. It used to be that you had to hand-hold the system, but it's increasingly automatic -- you can even nuke an existing install with relative ease. And now, you don't even need to touch the keyboard for certain manually-guided steps. As The Verge has noticed, the Windows 10 Creators Update brings Microsoft's Cortana assistant into the setup process. You can tell Windows to connect to your WiFi network, choose keyboard options and sign into your Microsoft Account with little to no typing.
Microsoft's Windows 10 Creators Update lives up to its name
The Windows 10 Creators Update, which starts rolling out on April 11th, is more than a mere operating system upgrade. Microsoft wants to make it clear that Windows is not only a platform for productivity apps but also an OS where you can produce all sorts of creative things. That could mean building a 3D model with the new Paint 3D app or kicking off a livestream of your favorite PC game. It's not like you couldn't do these things in Windows before, but now it's easier than ever. And that's an ideal way for Microsoft to encourage kids and traditional creative types -- in other words, the people who typically use Macs.
Windows 10 Creators Update starts rolling out on April 11th
Windows 10 users won't have to wait much longer to get their hands on Paint 3D. Microsoft announced today that the upcoming Creators Update for the OS will be available starting on April 11th. As usual, though, Microsoft is staggering the rollout so it doesn't inundate every Windows user (and its servers) at once. Windows 10 desktop users will have their go at it first, and after that it will head to laptops and mobile devices.
Windows 10 is about to get a high-performance Game Mode
Microsoft made a big fuss out of the Windows 10 Creators Update's gaming features, and it's nearly ready to start delivering on them... including some that have remained mysterious. The company has revealed that it'll start trotting out a largely unknown Windows 10 Game Mode as part of Insider previews "this week." The improvement won't be fully functional until later releases, but Microsoft has at last shed some light on what it is: it'll fine-tune your PC to speed up gaming performance. This mode should help both legacy Windows games (Win32) and modern titles (UWP), so you won't have to be picky about what you're playing to notice a difference. You should "soon" hear a lot more about how it works, Microsoft says.
Windows 10 Creators Update will add tab previews and a night mode
Windows 10's Creators Update will have its fair share of pleasant surprises, apparently. Microsoft has released a new Windows Insider preview that stuffs in quite a few new features, some of which you might just use every day. For one, its Edge browser now includes tab previews. This isn't a novel concept (hi, Opera), but it'll be immensely helpful if you have loads of tabs open and don't want to play a guessing game. Also, Microsoft's Flash crackdown is in full effect: Edge now blocks untrusted Flash content as a matter of course, and you'll have to click to play it.
Microsoft will put Cortana in your smart home
Microsoft doesn't just want its Cortana in your phone or on your desk -- it wants the voice assistant to be a mainstay in your smart home. As part of a WinHEC presentation, the company's May Ji has revealed that Windows 10 Creator Update will bring Cortana to Windows 10 IoT Core devices with screens. Combined with longer-ranged voice detection (key to Microsoft's Home Hub plans), you wouldn't have to be anywhere near a PC to use the digital helper -- you could ask your thermostat about the weather, or add an appointment to your calendar through your fridge. Those concepts aren't new, of course, but Cortana can sync with your phone and Windows PC on a level that isn't possible with most smart home devices.
Windows 10's virtual trackpad turns tablets into mice
Microsoft has begun testing out a new virtual trackpad feature in Windows 10, allowing users to turn their tablets into mice while using external displays. Chances are it'll form part of the OS's "Creators Update" arriving next spring, with the feature now live in the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview release (build 14965, if you're interested). The virtual trackpad is exactly what it sounds like: A square boundary with left and right mouse buttons sitting below it, performing the function you'd expect but using a device's touchscreen to receive inputs.
Windows 10's focus on friends could make it a more human OS
One of the more intriguing things Microsoft announced this week wasn't fancy new hardware. It was a simple addition to the Windows 10 task bar: small icons representing the people you interact with the most. They could be your family or friends, but for whatever reason, they're important to you. Dubbed MyPeople, it's a way for you to easily share just about anything on your computer with those folks, be it files, links or a cute emoji-like notification. And, it gives you a central place to keep track of interactions with those people, whether they take the form of emails or Skype chats.
Watch Microsoft's Surface event in 10 minutes
Microsoft had no shortage of announcements at its big Surface event. The Surface Studio all-in-one was undoubtedly the centerpiece, but the tech pioneer also unveiled a supercharged Surface Book, low-cost third-party VR headsets, the art-oriented Surface Dial accessory and a major Windows 10 update that's focused on creators. It's a lot to digest, we know. Thankfully, you don't have to spend ages reading our liveblog to see what happened. We've recapped the choicest parts of the announcement in a 10-minute video that you can watch right here -- you just have to sit back and enjoy.
Microsoft built Twitch-like livestreaming into Windows 10
Broadcasting live gameplay to Twitch or Facebook isn't easy. It means setting up special capture software and navigating a mire of complicated bandwidth settings. Microsoft is trying to fix that: The next version of Windows 10 is going to integrate game broadcasting directly into the Xbox App. The streaming experience promises not only to be easy, but also to almost eliminate the communication lag between viewers and broadcasters -- but don't expect to use it on Twitch. Microsoft's game broadcasting tools seem to be designed specifically for Beam, the livestreaming service it acquired back in August.
Lenovo, HP and Dell are all working on $300 Windows VR headsets
Microsoft's holographic computing platform will cross over to the world of virtual reality. The company first revealed its hybrid-VR ambitions at Computex earlier this year and today that vision was solidified on stage at its big Surface event in New York City. Microsoft has partnered with companies like HP, ASUS, Lenovo, Dell and Acer to bring a slew of affordable VR headsets, all of which are said to start at $299.
Windows 10 'Creators Update' arrives free of charge next spring
The star of today's Microsoft keynote may be the new Surface Studio all-in-one, but its world still revolves around Windows 10. At today's event, the company revealed a lot of details about the next release, dubbed the "Creators Update." Microsoft started by showing the 3D version of Paint it previewed earlier this month, and it's indeed quite different from the version you may have done pixelated doodles with. As its name suggests, you can scan objects from the real world and bring them into a 3D environment.
