Did you enjoy all the new features that came with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update? You’ve got more to look forward to next year: Microsoft says there will be two more “feature updates” in 2017.
Microsoft releases security updates and bug fixes for its operating systems on a regular basis, but releases updates with significant new features less frequently. The Windows 10 Anniversary Update added new Cortana functionality, new features for Windows Ink users, and a lot of new Windows Hello capabilities. This will be the only feature update of 2016, according to Microsoft, but 2017 will see two such updates.
The first update, codenamed Redstone 2, will come in early 2017, according to Windows Central. The second will come in the later fall or early summer, and is codenamed Redstone 3. While it’s not clear what features these updates will actually offer, we will find out when updates are pushed out to Windows Insider members. That could happen as soon as the next couple of months.
Microsoft announced the change in a Technet blog post that mostly outlined the new features in Windows 10, version 1607, also known as the Anniversary Update. The post ended by saying that 1607 “will be our last feature update for 2016, with two additional feature updates expected in 2017.”
The early 2017 update is rumored to align with an updated version of Microsoft’s Surface line, meaning new features might be specific to touchscreen devices running Windows 10. That would represent an ongoing trend, because many of the most compelling features in the Anniversary Update were tied to Windows Ink, the precision stylus offered with devices like the Microsoft Surface.
But this is all little more than speculation at this point. What we do know for sure is Windows 10 users can look forward to a slew of new features in 2017. We’ll let you know what those are as soon as possible.
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.