The Fall Creators Update for Windows 10 is scheduled to drop next month, offering up a new Photos app, a newly refined design aesthetic, a face-lift for the Edge web browser, and lots more. Now, Microsoft has detailed some of the privacy enhancements set to be introduced to its flagship operating system.
The company is making some changes to the setup process to ensure that users are able to fine-tune their privacy settings right from the outset, according to a blog post published September 13. A privacy statement will be available during the procedure, and a page on the privacy settings screen entitled “Learn More” will feature easy access to the various topics covered in the statement.
The update will also add more granular control over what aspects of a device’s functionality individual apps can access. Windows 10 already asks for the user’s permission when software or services want to use location data, but now similar prompts have been put in place for the camera, microphone, contacts, and calendar, as well as some other items.
These new prompts will only apply to apps installed after the release of the Fall Creators Update, but permissions for existing apps can be found in the Privacy section of the Settings menu.
In response to a request from business customers, Microsoft is also introducing the option to significantly limit the amount of diagnostic data shared with the company. It will now be possible to reduce the information that’s beamed back to the company down to the minimum of what’s required for Windows Analytics, a service that provides insights into the cost of deploying and maintaining Windows 10.
The Creators Update for Windows 10 — which launched in April — also made privacy a big priority, offering up more information on what data was being collected, as well as options that allowed users to share less information about their system. It’s great to see Microsoft continue to expand these privacy options, and further pursue its transparency efforts.
The Fall Creators Update for Windows 10 is expected to start rolling out on October 17, and will be a free download for anyone currently running the Creators Update on their device.
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.