It’s been one year (and a few days) since Windows 10 came out, and the Anniversary Update is officially rolling out today.
With new features for Windows Ink, updates for Cortana, refinements for Windows Hello, and much improved window management, there’s a lot to look forward to here. But don’t panic if you aren’t seeing an updated offered: Microsoft is rolling the OS out in waves, meaning some lucky users will get the update today.
Everyone will get the update eventually, but a Microsoft blog post says impatient users can manually install Anniversary by heading to Windows Update and hitting “Check for updates”. “Feature update to Windows 10, version 1607” is what you’re looking for.
If you’ve been ignoring Cortana, the Anniversary update gives you a few reasons to reconsider. Cortana can now mirror notifications from Android, for example, meaning you can read texts without picking up your phone. The virtual assistant can also now handle more complex queries, like pointing out conflicts while you add something to your calendar.
Managing windows gets easier, thanks to multiple changes to Task View. It’s not easier to move windows from one virtual desktop to another, and visualize all of your full-screen windows.
Windows Hello, which uses biometric data like your fingerprints or face to log into Windows, will now work with third-party applications. This means you could, once developers support it, log into apps or websites without a password.
But maybe the biggest updates are exclusive to owners of an Ink-compatible stylus. The update adds a new panel for using the pen, which adds functionality like erasers, pen tips, and even a virtual ruler for drawing straight lines. All this, and there’s a handy new sticky notes app that feels almost like the real thing.
The Annivesary Update is rolling out to PCs first, but updates are also coming to Windows Phone and Xbox One (the Xbox update is called the Xbox Summer Update). Cortana will come back to the Xbox, outside of Halo, helping you find new games and offering tips. You can even ask her to turn your console on, if you want. Xbox users will also get access to some Windows Store applications, and in some cases get a Windows 10 PC copy for games purchased on Xbox.
So there’s a lot to look forward to, but only some users will get access today. Rolling out to hundreds of millions of users can’t be simultaneous, after all, so don’t panic if you can’t see the update yet.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
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.