It’s official: nothing is sacred. Microsoft is remaking Paint as a Universal Windows App, and a series of screenshots from MS Power User let’s us see just what that looks like.
If the screenshots are to be believed, gone is the Office-style ribbon, which was added to Paint back in Windows 7. In its place is a minimalist top bar, with simple icons and no text, and a colorful sidebar filled with whatever tools the user is currently using. It is, in summary, a Windows Store app.
Microsoft Paint has been included in every version of Windows, dating back to Windows 1 in 1985. Microsoft hasn’t officially announced the updated New Paint, but it was spotted by Twitter user @h0x0d, a constant Microsoft leaker who we’ve quoted here more than once.
lol, so MS will Centennial all the accessories ? WordPad https://t.co/Zj2nL5sVC1 CharMap https://t.co/D6TAyMUnlE etc pic.twitter.com/9omoyUOAb9
— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) May 2, 2016
Microsoft announced Centennial during the Microsoft Build Conference earlier this year. The program allows developers to convert any conventional Windows application into a Windows Store compatible. Since then, Microsoft has been uploading Centennial versions of bundled Windows applications like Wordpad and XPS Viewer. But the Paint version @h0x0d found looked different.
well, MSPaint looks weird https://t.co/6keqizWG3B note this app title used to be "New Paint" and the screenshot was a lousy painting app
— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) May 2, 2016
It would seem that, instead of converting Paint with Centennial, Microsoft intends to release “New Paint,” a Universal Windows App built from the ground up. We can’t be certain, however, because Microsoft quickly covered its tracks. The app has since been renamed “Newcastle,” the download is not available, and the text has been replaced with what appears to be filler text about an English football club.
Microsoft has a long history of using its default apps to teach users — and developers — how UI elements should work. Solitaire, for example, was famously bundled with early versions of Windows to teach users how clicking-and-dragging works. The simple card game built a massive following, which prompted Microsoft to stop bundling it with Windows 8 in the hopes that users will instead install a version from the Windows Store.
Is Microsoft going to attempt something similar with Paint? We can’t say, but the Windows Store could use a boost in traffic, and it sure is interesting that a Universal build of Paint exists. We’ll be watching closely.
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.