Windows 10 Anniversary Update: The Road To Redstone
by Brett Howse on August 2, 2016 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Operating Systems
- Microsoft
- Windows 10
Hey Cortana, Remind Me to Explain Windows Ink
Cortana
Microsoft’s digital personal assistant has been updated as well. The most obvious change is that Cortana can now be accessed on the lock screen. If you’re not too worried about others seeing the lock screen, such as on a home PC, you can even have Cortana access your calendar and email on the lock screen. If you enable voice control with “Hey Cortana” you could even ask Cortana to play a song from across the room. It’s a nice feature, but on a PC it may not be that useful. On a tablet or mobile device, it might get a bit more use.
Perhaps the biggest updates with Cortana is just how much Microsoft has expanded the reach. While Cortana began as a feature of Windows Phone, Microsoft now offers it as a downloadable app on Android and iOS as well. That makes a lot of sense considering how the mobile smartphone game has played out, and gives Windows 10 users the ability to have reminders across their devices.
Speaking of across device abilities, Cortana can now send notifications from a smartphone to the PC. You can even reply to SMS messages on the PC using Cortana, which is pretty handy.
One other change has certainly caused some confusion prior to the release. The ability to turn Cortana off completely has been removed from the update, as well as the ability to assign a different browser/search engine via the registry - from now on users will be limited to Edge and Bing. You can opt to sign out of Cortana to remove the personalized features, but Cortana will still be the default search in the taskbar. It’s a change in policy for sure. As always, you can adjust what Cortana knows about you at any time by using the Notebook, and if you sign out of Cortana you’ll get a non-personalized version.
Windows Ink
It’s fair to say that Microsoft has been a proponent of the stylus input on computers for a long time. Over the years, the capabilities of the inking support have grown, and when Windows 10 launched last year, inking was a first class input method, with the ability to use the pen to write on any dialog box, and more. With the Anniversary Update, they are taking it to the next level with Windows Ink.
Windows Ink is a one-stop shop where you can easily access all of your inking apps, like Sketchpad, Sticky Notes, and others. It’s also an easy way to discover more apps built for the pen, and you can configure the pen here as well. It’s a smart idea to help people use the pen to get more out of the experience.
They’ve also added more features to the inking experience, including a digital ruler. It’s one of those “wow that’s so obvious” additions to the pen input, and being digital it can be more than just a straight ruler. Microsoft showed off at Build a version of Adobe CS with a digital French Curve ruler. I’ve actually tried to use an actual ruler with a stylus before, and it’s a pretty frustrating experience. The digital version is much easier to use, and more adaptable.
Some of the inking is even integrated into Cortana, and now Cortana can automatically decipher hand-written sticky notes in the sticky notes app, and create reminders based on them. Sticky notes are still one of the skeuomorphic ideas, but for some people they are indispensable, even as a digital version.
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Agent Smith - Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - link
WoW!Edge is very fast.
Orionsangel - Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - link
I've tried twice already and the install failed. I get the black screen with the circle loading for hours and hours. I'm forced to restore to windows previous version. I've used windows troubleshooter and it detected a problem and it said it fixed it. I'm afraid to try again though. It's gonna try to update on its own though at some point. MS sucks! Fix your Windows 10 updates!azrael- - Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - link
"The Windows 10 Anniversary Update brings a lot of welcome changes to Windows 10..."How about all the unwelcome changes? Forced Cortana, forced lock screen, group policies that no longer work etc.
But hey, we wouldn't want any negativity here. No raining on Microsoft's parade.
xunknownx - Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - link
this is a pretty mehhh.... update. call me old school, i'm a desktop user.i don't use cortana, i don't use edge, i dont own an xbox, i dont use any "apps" from the app store, i dont use the action center.
so this update is meaningless to me.
brucek2 - Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - link
Exactly. And much of the "new" being touted here that is of interest to me, is functionality I've long had from other sources -- Chrome has had extensions forever, I have both extensive Cygwin and linux VM setups, Steam installs games where I want them, etc etc.On there no longer being a local search (cortana force enabled) - were they at least smart enough to have local results returned instantly vs waiting for net response? It's going to be infuriating if everything is laggy every time my ISP is, or there's a DDOS attack in progress, etc.
Socius - Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - link
Also important to note...Windows Store Apps can now be easily installed on the hard drive of your choosing! I realized this when during the upgrade, it told me my copy of Gears of Wars needed to be repaired (which means...downloaded/installed again. fortunately I have a 250mbps connection so the 52GB download wasn't that problematic). To my surprise, when I clicked install, it listed my hard drives and asked which one I wanted to install to. This is a very welcome change.rsouzadk - Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - link
For you guys that updated, Edges now supports full screen mode?dgingeri - Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - link
I've found two problems with this new build, 1 major and 1 medium:1. Major - It enables Windows Defender even if you have an antivirus program already running, causing major file contention. With Eset products, even an uninstall and reinstall does not disable Windows Defender, so I am forced to use Microsoft's crappy protection. I have not found if any other antivirus programs work.
2. Perfect World Entertainment programs, from the Arc client to any of the games on it, refuse to work at all. The repair, installer, or uninstaller also refuse to work. I can't remove it, and I can't fix it. I also can't even run my favorite game, Star Trek Online. Really annoying. Blizzard products seem to work fine, though.
HollyDOL - Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - link
ad 1. - using Avira myself and this did not happen to me... there is a chance M$ is not to blame on that one.ADFGVX - Wednesday, August 3, 2016 - link
Windows Defender is now considered as a backup protection if there exists 3rd party AV by Microsoft , so it is not disabled automatically. You can disable it through group policy though.