We’re mere days away from the official release of the Windows 10 Creators Update, but that doesn’t mean Windows Insiders are left out in the cold. Today Microsoft announced yet another Insider update for users on the Fast Ring.
This update features, well, a notable lack of features. According to Microsoft, that’s on purpose. At this point, the Windows 10 development team is focused on making behind-the-scenes changes to the Creators Update, minor tweaks that make everything run a little smoother.
So what does that mean for Insiders who pick up Build 16170? Well, it means you might find some minor issues remedied, but shouldn’t expect any groundbreaking new features. Mostly, it appears Microsoft is focused on making sure OneCore is optimized for the Creators Update release later this month.
That’s not to say there’s nothing in this update. There are a few minor fixes, including a tweak to Cortana’s reminder functionality, which was displaying as a share target in some apps, even if Cortana was disabled. Additionally, turning off a Night Light schedule in the settings app now turns off Night Light if it’s currently enabled.
Alongside Build 16170, Microsoft announced a long-awaited feature for the Windows Insider program as a whole: the aptly named Windows Insider Program for Business. Based on the number of IT professionals who actively use and participate in the Windows Insider program, Microsoft decided to roll out a version of the Insider program designed for its corporate Azure Active Directory customers.
The new Business version of the Insider program provides IT professionals with the tools necessary to offer feedback to the Windows Development Team from a different perspective than typical Insider Program members.
“Windows Insider for Business participants partner with the Windows Development Team to discover and create features, infuse innovation, and plan for what’s around the bend,” Microsoft reports.
That’s about it besides a few other very minor changes and fixes, all of which are detailed in full at the Microsoft blog.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.