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Microsoft's first webcams in years might include Xbox One support
Microsoft hasn't been in the webcam game for a long time, but it might come roaring back -- and with some thoroughly modern hardware, to boot. Sources talking to Paul Thurrott (well-known for his Microsoft connections) claim Microsoft wants to return to webcams in 2019 with two 4K models, "at least one" of which would support Xbox One consoles in addition to Windows 10. This wouldn't necessarily replace the Kinect (you'd need depth sensing for that), but it could offer multi-user automatic sign-ins, Skype video chats and other features that either went away or require a third-party camera.
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.
Microsoft Edge now supports passwordless sign-ins
Edge users will soon be able to securely sign into websites without having to remember their passwords. Microsoft has today announced support for the Web Authentication specification in the browser, which will let you log on using Windows Hello hardware (so that's IR cameras and fingerprint readers), as well as PINs or external FIDO2 security keys, like the one launched by Google last week.
Microsoft’s minimal Modern mouse and keyboard are now available
Microsoft revealed its Modern Keyboard and Mouse last month. Both are styled like the company's Surface devices and the keyboard has Apple-style "chiclet" keys and a sturdy aluminum frame. It also has a fingerprint sensor tucked in between the Alt and Ctrl keys for Windows Hello biometric security. The keyboard and mouse peripherals are now available for $130 and $50, respectively.
Unlock your PC with your Samsung phone's fingerprint reader
Have a recent Samsung phone and a Windows 10 PC? Life's about to get a bit easier. Samsung has updated its Flow app to let you use the fingerprint reader on Galaxy devices running Android Marshmallow or newer (such as the S6, S7 and S8) to log into any Windows 10 PC using Hello, not just Samsung's own Galaxy TabPro S. If you regularly keep your phone on-hand, you won't have to enter your password every time you sit down at your computer.
Windows Hello fully opens up to non-Microsoft devices
Soon you'll have even more options to log onto Windows 10 quickly and securely. Microsoft just announced that it's opening up the Windows Hello Companion Device Framework to other companies, which means their devices will let you hop into Windows just as easily as Microsoft's Band. On stage at Computex today, a Microsoft representative used the Nymi band, an authentication wearable for the workplace, to log into her computer. You can also expect to see things like ID cards, phones and potentially other wearables working together with Windows Hello.
Windows phones will finally let you log-in with a fingerprint
We've know for a while now that Windows 10 would support for alternative log-in options like fingerprint, facial and iris recognition. Thanks to Windows Hello, unlocking a phone with facial recognition is possible, but using a finger to access your device hasn't been an option. Well, that's about to change. At the WinHEC conference this week, Microsoft announced that support for fingerprint scanners will be part of a Windows 10 Mobile update this summer.
Windows 10's 'Anniversary Update' arrives this summer
Just because Microsoft is less focused on monolithic Windows releases doesn't mean it's forgetting to deliver big upgrades. The company has used Build 2016 to announce a so-called Anniversary Update for Windows 10 that delivers some hefty improvements. For one, it brings Windows Hello's biometric authentication to all kinds of apps, including the Edge browser: You can sign into a website with your fingerprint. Pen support also gets its due with a sticky note app, a sketchpad and virtual drawing tools like a ruler and a stencil. The upgrade brings more advanced gestures and pen input, a Linux command-line shell, smarter Cortana commands (such as sending files to colleagues) and unification between the Windows 10 and Xbox One app stores. The Anniversary Update arrives this summer, so it shouldn't be too long before you can give its features a try. Get all the news from today's Microsoft Build keynote right here!
These are the first third-party Windows Hello cameras
Microsoft's Windows 10 computers have a log in feature called Windows Hello, where users are able to access their devices using facial recognition algorithms. On the downside, the feature was only available on newer devices with depth-sensing cameras built-in. That is, until eye-tracking company Tobii decided to change things up by offering support for the service with its standalone cameras.
Toshiba unveils a 12-inch convertible laptop with a 4K display
Toshiba may have been, er, less than original when it unveiled its Yoga-like Satellite Radius series, but the latest model in its laptop-slash-tablet line does quite a lot to stand on its own merits. The newly launched Satellite Radius 12 packs a 12.5-inch 4K touchscreen into a compact convertible that measures a scant 0.6 inches thick and weighs 2.9 pounds. That's more than a little impressive when you consider that Lenovo's equally new (and equally light) ThinkPad Yoga 260 sticks you with a 1080p display. You'll also get your choice of speedier, more energy-efficient sixth-generation Intel Core processors and an infrared camera that can sign you in using facial recognition.
Windows 10's face detection isn't easily fooled by twins
Windows 10's facial recognition is supposed to make it easy to sign into your PC while maintaining security, but just how good is it? Good enough that even your doppelganger might not get in, apparently. The Australian has conducted an informal test where it tried to fool Windows using sets of identical twins, and the software wasn't tricked once -- it had a problem logging in both twins in one instance, but it otherwise allowed only those individuals that had set up recognition in the first place. That was true even when the 'evil' twins attempted to spoof the camera by adjusting their hair or removing their glasses.
