Microsoft admits Windows 10 won't hit 1 billion devices by mid-2018

Remember when Microsoft boldly proclaimed Windows 10 will have 1 billion users by mid-2018? Microsoft isn’t so sure about that anymore, ZDNet is reporting. Now Microsoft says a 10-digit user base total is going to take longer than that.

Part of this is because of mobile: Windows Phones haven’t exactly had a banner year, and they were supposed to be part of this legendary billion. So far 350 million users have Windows 10, which is an unprecedented year so far as Windows releases go, and almost on pace for a billion. But installs will presumably slow down soon, when Windows 10 stops being free.

Not only will Windows 10 no longer be free, but Microsoft’s aggressive “marketing” for the operating system, which caused more than a few users to install the operating system accidentally, will stop at the end of the month. From that point forward new device purchases will make up the bulk of new Windows 10 users.

“Windows 10 is off to the hottest start in history with over 350 million monthly active devices, with record customer satisfaction and engagement,” a Microsoft representative told ZDNet. “We’re pleased with our progress to date, but due to the focusing of our phone hardware business, it will take longer than FY18 for us to reach our goal of 1 billion monthly active devices. In the year ahead, we are excited about usage growth coming from commercial deployments and new devices — and increasing customer delight with Windows.”


That last point about commercial deployments could get interesting. Companies traditionally wait a couple of years before upgrading Windows. In part this is to avoid any bugs that come with new releases, and in part this is because upgrading a bunch of computers takes a long time.

But some large entities have committed early to deploying Windows 10 in a bid to lower IT costs. If enough organizations do the same, Windows 10 could keep growing. We’ll be watching closely.



Source: Zdnet
Via: Digital Trends

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No More Google Search With Cortana On Windows 10

 

In what may come as no surprise, Microsoft won't let you use Cortana to perform a Google search anymore. While the digital assistant was capable of using a third-party search engine on Windows 10, the company announced this week that the "result is a compromised experience that is less reliable and predictable." So, to ensure that everything works well, Microsoft will only allow Cortana to launch the new Edge browser and find answers via Bing.

"Unfortunately, as Windows 10 has grown in adoption and usage, we have seen some software programs circumvent the design of Windows 10 and redirect you to search providers that were not designed to work with Cortana," GM of search and Cortana Ryan Gavin explained in a blog post. "The continuity of these types of task completion scenarios is disrupted if Cortana can't depend on Bing as the search provider and Microsoft Edge as the browser." In other words, using other apps led to a less reliable experience.

This doesn't mean you can't continue to use Google search and Chrome as your primary browser on your Windows 10 machine. You can certainly still do that, and set those and other third-party apps as the default option to hop around the internet. However, you'll want to keep in mind that Cortana will only provide answers to questions and lend a hand with tasks through Microsoft Edge and Bing.


Source:Microsoft
Via: Engadget

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Facebook, Messenger and Instagram apps arrive are now available on Windows 10

 


In Microsoft's early discussions of its Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, Facebook and Instagram were mentioned as upcoming options. Today, the companies announced that new Windows 10 apps for Facebook and Messenger are available on the desktop alongside an Instagram mobile app. If you'll recall, a beta version of the filter-driven photo software arrived back in March, however, the list of devices that support the mobile OS remains limited.

As far as the Facebook desktop app is concerned, you'll be able to keep up with friends and family via Live Tiles. There's also an in-app browser for the News Feed and similar to the web interface, you can employ reactions and stickers to respond to a post, switch on notifications and keep up with events and trending topics. The new Messenger app brings its trademark features like group chats, stickers, GIFs and photo sharing to Windows on the desktop. It also allows you to turn on desktop notifications so you don't miss a note and you can pin a convo to the Start Menu to receive updates on Live Tiles.



Facebook and Microsoft say that Instagram on Windows 10 mobile is rolling out "with all of the community's favorite features." That list includes direct messages, the recent addition of account switching and updated search/explore tools. And yes, video support is there as well. Just like the desktop apps, Instagram also supports Live Tiles, so you can easily keep track of updates on your home screen. All three apps are available for download now via the Windows Store, so you can put them to use immediately.


Source:Microsoft
Via : Engadget

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According to Microsoft,Windows 10 has over 270 million active users

Over 270 million users have either upgraded to Windows 10 or bought a new Windows 10 PC since the operating system shipped in July of last year, a number that Microsoft says outpaces Windows 7 adoption by 145 percent. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says that the operating system is the "fastest growing version of Windows for both consumers and enterprises," and Windows and Devices group VP Terry Myerson says it has been used for more than 75 billion hours.

Windows 10's adoption rate has been brisk since it was released thanks to positive buzz and the return of the Start menu: there were 14 million upgrades in the first day, 75 million in the first month, 110 million installs by early October, and 200 million by early January. Developers looking to build Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps for the Windows Store should be heartened by these numbers—the install base is already quite large, and it's continuing to grow.

Of course, Windows 10 adoption has also been helped along greatly by the fact that the operating system is available as a free download to all Windows 7 and Windows 8 users (in a handful of cases, it has been installed on systems whether users wanted it or not). The free upgrade is scheduled to end in July barring some extension from Microsoft, so we may see this relatively brisk adoption rate drop off after that.


Source: Arstechnica

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Windows 10 apps finally headed to Xbox One

When Microsoft first announced their strategy of running one version of Windows across all devices, the biggest selling point was how "Universal Apps" would run on every platform without needing multiple versions. Developers would only need to create one app using the Universal framework and it would then work on desktops, tablets, smartphones, and even the Xbox One.

We've already seen Universal apps work across traditional platforms like desktops and phones, but it's taken some time for Microsoft to bring these apps to the Xbox One. Windows 10, along with full support for the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), was released in late July last year, and the OS hit the Xbox One last November.

At GDC 2016, Microsoft's Jason Ronald revealed that Windows 10 apps will be coming to the Xbox One beginning this summer. The first step is essentially a merger of the Xbox Store and Windows Store, although it's not clear how closely Microsoft will monitor apps that are available on their console.

Some apps will need minor updates to better target the capabilities of the Xbox One, but in general, UWP apps should work just fine on the console thanks to the flexibility of the platform. Allowing these apps to run on the Xbox will also give developers better reach, as their apps will be available not just on PC, but on phones and the Xbox One as well.

Apps on Xbox One is one of the more exciting developments to happen to the Universal app platform this year, and it's good to see Microsoft take another step towards the goal they outlined many years ago.



Source : Techspot

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Vaio announces its first Windows phone the Phone Biz – a Windows 10 smartphone aimed at business users.

With only 2.6 percent of smartphones worldwide running Windows, and Microsoft’s revenue from the division dropping by 49 percent, you can understand why many are saying that the company may call time on its mobile initiative. But it seems that someone forgot to tell Vaio, which has just unveiled the Phone Biz – a Windows 10 smartphone aimed at business users.


This is the second smartphone to come from Vaio - now a company in its own right after Sony sold off its PC division two years ago. Its first release was the imaginatively-titled Vaio Phone early last year, which turned out to be an almost exact copy of Panasonic’s Eluga U2.

The Phone Biz will be launching in April, but it will initially only be available in Japan. It certainly looks a lot more stylish than Vaio’s first effort, but beneath that sleek aluminum body lies some fairly mid-range hardware.

Along with a 5.5-inch 1080p LCD screen, the Biz features an octocore 1.5GHz Snapdragon 617 processor and 3GB RAM. It also comes with 16GB of internal storage, a microSD slot, a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing version.

While the specs make it less powerful than Microsoft’s Lumia 950 and 950XL smartphones, the Biz still has the hardware to support Windows 10 Continuum mode; being able to run the operating system on a desktop is a feature Vaio will be hoping appeals to business users.


Vaio will sell the Phone Biz from about 50,000 yen ($432) unlocked. There’s no word on if or when it’ll be available outside of Japan.


Source: Techspot

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These are the 15 best new features in Windows 10’s biggest update yet

Windows 10 was met with much acclaim (andsome criticism), but one of its most interesting qualities is Microsoft’s promise to make it the ‘last’ Windows. That means updates will come in frequently rather than through major version number changes.

The first big update to Windows 10 for regular consumers arrives today, following the Windows 10 update for Xbox One earlier this morning. Think of it as the first service pack, although Microsoft isn’t calling it that.

If you’ve signed up for the Insider program – basically the Windows 10 public beta-testing group – there won’t really be anything new if you’ve already updated to the latest build. For everyone else, there are some significant usability enhancements that have amassed in the various builds since Windows 10 went live.

Microsoft highlights a four different features in itsblog post about the update:

• You should expect big improvement in performance, with ‘everyday tasks’ such as boot time being 30 percent faster on Windows 10 than Windows 7.
• Cortana is now able to recognize handwritten notes and transcribe them into reminders or phone numbers. Like Google Now, she’s also able to track your event movie bookings, or even order an Uber.
• Edge is also faster and now features a preview when you hover over a tab. It also syncs your passwords, favorites and Reading List across devices, and Cortana will now automatically point you to coupons when shopping online.
• Updates to several apps including ‘Mail, Calendar, Photos, Groove, Xbox, Store, OneNote, Solitaire, and more’

But the official post doesn’t mention many of the improvements insiders have seen since Windows 10 launched in July. Many of them are subtle or small changes that make the OS a lot more pleasant to use.

Some of my favorites, in no particular order:

• Casting in Edge: You can now cast video right from Edge onto any Miracast or DLNA devices, such as Chromecast, Xbox One or Roku. It doesn’t yet work with protected content (sorry Netflix fans), but it handles YouTube and such just fine.
• New Messaging+Skype App: Microsoft has an all new native Messaging app for Windows 10. (including Skype integration) It’s still in preview so it’s pretty bare bones at the moment, but it allows you to reply right from notifications, which is neat. Cortana can also send texts through your phone if you have a Windows device.
• Automatic snapped window resizing:  When you have two windows snapped side-by-side, you can now simply drag at the center to resize both apps at the same time rather than fiddling with the border of each one individually. Previously this only worked in tablet mode.
• Tablet Mode improvements: Windows 10 is great and all, but Windows 8 handled some tablet features better. For example, it used to be easy to replace a snapped window by simply by swiping in from the left, but that feature was lost in the initial release of Windows 10, making it harder to multitask on tablets.
  Thankfully, it’s back now. Also making its return: you can just swipe down to close an app again, yay!
• Quick DPI changes: Most devices with high-resolution screens scale up content so everything doesn’t look tiny. Sometimes, however, you want the extra space benefits of all that resolution. Now when you change the scaling in your Display Settings, changes are applied immediately.
• Colored Windows: While I think everyone agrees Windows 10 looks better than Windows 8, some users missed being able to set app title bars any color they like. Now you can thanks to a toggle in Personalization > Colors.
• Wider Start menu: If you have a bazilion apps, you can now add an extra column to groups in the start menu. Also, the maximum app limit has been increased from 512 tiles to 2048, which is kind of ridiculous, but I’m not complaining.
• Shape-shifting context menus: Context menus (aka-right click menus) will adjust size depending on if you activated
• Memory Manager: Allows Windows 10 to compressed unused pages instead of writing them to your disk. In practice, that means less memory used per process, and better overall responsiveness. Most notable for devices with little RAM.
• Speed Shift: If you have a new Skylake processor, a feature called Speed Shift is being enabled for the first time to significantly improve responsiveness. It doesn’t improve maximum processing capacity, but it allows your computer to change clock speeds much more quickly, making things feel more responsiveness without negatively impacting battery life (and sometimes improving it).
• Nested Virtualization: You can now run a virtual machine inside your virtual machine (cue Xzibit). It’s Windows-ception.

Most of these changes aren’t dramatic shifts the every user will notice. In fact, many people will likely upgrade without noticing anything at all: the changes will arrive like any other via Windows Update.

Still, some of the subtle changes will come in handy when you’re not expecting them, especially if you’re on an underpowered computer. Let’s just hope that by the next big update, Edge will finally get extensions.

Source :The Next Web 

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Windows 10 comes to the Xbox One 12th November

Let that sentence sink in for just a bit longer. Windows, an OS mostly associated with desktop and laptops, will be running on a gaming console. A few years ago, that concept might have been unthinkable. But with Microsoft's push to put Windows 10 on every device it can get its mitts on, that is the reality facing Xbox One owners in little over two weeks. Xbox's Phil Spencer announced that the major update will hit consoles starting November 12, bringing a revamped Windows 10 interface and much more.

And by "more", we really mean backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games. Even Sony was taken aback by this early Christmas treat for gamers, impressed with the engineering skill Microsoft was able to muster to make it possible. It is perhaps one of if not the most awaited feature of this Windows 10 update, nearly doubling the number of games available for the Xbox One console.

Of course, that's not the only change. It wouldn't be called "with Windows 10" if it didn't look the part. The entire home interface has been modified, rearranged, and prettified to resemble the same Windows 10 experience desktops and tablets, albeit fine-tuned for large screens. You've got an even heavier emphasis on text, a vertically scrolling home screen, and pull out side panels for notifications and shortcuts, just to name a few.

Microsoft also calls this the most social update to the Xbox One ever. Why? Well, probably because it puts social activity front and center, from your friends and messages to new Game Hubs for keeping track of what your gaming friends are playing. A new community area also a new Community area to keep in touch with the even bigger Xbox gaming world.

While the update does bring many more features, like Game DVR and Windows 10 streaming, not all promised features might actually make it to the cut. Microsoft earlier indicated that Cortana won't be available to the general public until next year, though some users have managed to wake her up from her secret slumber.

SOURCE: @Xbox

Via :slash gear 

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Microsoft will announce a new Xbox One bundle every day next week

Console manufacturers want to convince consumers they’re getting a good deal when they plunk down the cash for a new system, and Microsoft is doubling down on bundles to ensure that its Xbox One looks like a great value.

This morning, Microsoft announced that it will reveal a new Xbox One bundle every single day from Monday, September 28 through Friday, October 2 on its Xbox Wire website. That means the company will have at least five different games packed-in with various configurations of its system in addition to the Madden NFL 16, Forza Motorsport 6, and other bundles already on the market.

While five more different Xbox One on store shelves sounds like a lot, Microsoft has a good reason for doing this. Bundles are hugely popular with customers and they make up a huge portion of new systems sold.

From VentureBeat

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“Hardware bundles gained share of overall hardware sales in June,” The NPD Group analyst Liam Callahan said in a statement provided to GamesBeat in August

NPD, which is an industry-tracking firm, points out that 67 percent of all systems sold in 2015 have come packed with a game.

Microsoft didn’t even hint at what games you should expect to see bundles for, but we can tell you for sure what you shouldn’t expect. Sony has a comarketing deal with publisher Electronic Arts for Star Wars: Battlefront and one with Activision for Call of Duty: Black Ops III. And the PlayStation company has already announced PS4 bundles for those games, so do not expect Microsoft to announce anything with those major releases.

If we were to attempt to guess which games will get an Xbox One bundle, we’d first take a look at the Xbox One exclusives (or timed exclusives) that are coming to the system this holiday. Those include Halo 5: Guardians and Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Microsoft has already announced a Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition package, and today’s announcement very specifically says it’s about “unveiling a new Xbox One holiday bundle.” So unless the company is planning a variation its Halo 5 bundle that comes with more or less stuff, it’s unlikely that is one of the five games.

So Rise of the Tomb Raider seems like the only sure thing. Other guesses? Well, Microsoft does have a comarketing deal with Bethesda for Fallout 4, and that is one of the most anticipate holiday releases. If Microsoft is helping pay for commercials for the game, it seems like it would have tried to get the open-world post-apocalyptic blockbuster into a box with its system. But that’s not guaranteed.

Other possibilities include Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate or Rainbow Six: Siege. Microsoft has had an Assassin’s Creed bundle on sale for a while now, and it obviously has a close deal with publisher Ubisoft. It’s possible that it will want to refresh that package.

But even if all of the above ends up happening, that only accounts for four bundles (Tomb Raider, Fallout 4, Assassin’s Creed, and Rainbow Six). And I honestly don’t think I’m that good at guessing. Other possibilities for bundles could include publisher Square Enix’s Just Cause 3, EA’s Need for Speed, WWE 2K16, Rock Band 4, or Guitar Hero Live.

Source: Venture Beat 

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Microsoft puts Windows 10 installer on PCs even if you don't ask for it

Taking the idea of "automatic updates" to the extreme, Microsoft has confirmed that it's downloading Windows 10 installation files on PCs just in case you might want to upgrade, The Inquirer reports. As a Microsoft rep tells it, the company is placing the files on computers that have opted into automatic updates through Windows Update. Normally that just entails getting a few security fixes every few weeks, but the Windows 10 installer can take up around 3.5GB and 6GB on your system. That's a lot of precious hard drive space for something you might not even want (though it's definitely worth upgrading). Microsoft probably figures it's worth preloading files to make the Windows 10 installation faster, but it seems like a boneheaded move when storage is scarce on some machines (especially if you're stuck with flash memory or a small SSD). It makes more sense for Microsoft only to preload the files after you've decided to "reserve" the free upgrade.

Basically, it seems like Microsoft is just a bit over-eager to juice Windows 10 installation figures. It already announced that the new OS reached 75 million PCs after just one month, but Microsoft said earlier this year that it hopes to bring it to a billion PCs within a few years. But rather than forcing Windows 10 on people, Microsoft would likely be better off just extending its free upgrade offer for existing Windows 7 and 8 years beyond one year.

If you're on automatic updates and don't want Windows 10 at all, you can delete the installation files (located in the hidden $Windows.BT folder) by following these instructions from Addictive Tips.

Source : Engadget. 

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Windows 10 is on 75 million PCs after only one month

If you're still wondering why Microsoft madeWindows 10 free, just consider the latest stats: It's now on 75 million computers one month after its big launch, Windows corporate VP Yusuf Mehdi tweeted today. In comparison, it took six months for Microsoft to sell 100 million Windows 8 licenses, a more nebulous stat that didn't necessarily include actual installs. None of this is a surprise though: We've written extensively about Microsoft's desire to build a long-lasting Windows platform, and that starts with prioritizing the number of people running Windows 10 rather than mere revenues. Mehdi also divulged some other intriguing tidbits: More than "90,000 unique PC or tablet models" have upgraded to Windows 10; over 122 years of gameplay have been streaming to Windows 10 PCs from Xbox One consoles; and, perhaps most intriguingly, the Windows 10 store "has seen 6x more app downloads "per device than Windows 8."

That last point is likely yet another big reason Microsoft chose to make Windows 10 a free upgrade. Microsoft worked hard to promote the Windows 8 app store, but it never managed to land a killer app (and in many cases, Windows 8 apps were simply worse than their iOS and Android counterparts). Developers waited until people actually started using Windows 8 apps, but that never really happened because there weren't many to choose from. But with Windows 10, there's an influx of new users eager to try out newer apps, and Microsoft has also made it easier for devs to bring over iOS and Android apps.

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