Six things you need to know about Windows 10 S

Today, Windows 10 S, a new experience in Windows, becomes available to customers around the world through the purchase of Surface Laptop. Windows 10 S will continue to become available on a range of modern devices from our partners later this year.

Our mission with Windows is to build a platform that inspires creativity in each of us. This is the North Star that guides our team in all we do. With Windows, not only do we want to build a platform that inspires creativity in each of us – we also want customers to have choice around the best Windows for their needs. Back in May, we introduced a new set of educational products and services, including the introduction of Windows 10 S. Windows 10 S is the next step of our Windows journey by offering customers a familiar Windows 10 experience, streamlined for security and performance. By exclusively using apps from the Windows Store, Windows 10 S is ideal for students, educators, creators, and businesses alike who prefer longer battery life, faster boot up time, and the peace of mind that comes with using apps that are Microsoft-verified.

Windows 10 S ships with the Windows 10 Creators Update, and includes familiar Windows 10 experiences like Cortana*, Windows Hello**, Windows Ink**, Microsoft Edge, Paint 3D, and more.

Here are six things you need to know about Windows 10 S and some tips for getting started:

• Windows 10 S is designed for superior performance. Start-ups are quick and designed to stay that way.
• Browse the web with Microsoft Edge: a faster, more secure browser. With Windows 10 S, Microsoft Edge is the default browser. Microsoft Edge is built for Windows 10 and offers a secure browsing experience. In fact, Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 S blocks more phishing sites than Google Chrome on Chromebooks. Microsoft Edge is useful for students and home users alike, ensuring compatibility with the sites college students and universities use, like Google Docs. New features in Microsoft Edge–like the new Tab Preview Bar–make it easy for students to research and manage school projects. And, with Windows Ink in Microsoft Edge, students can easily make notes directly on a web page and share them with a classmate. If you’re new to Windows 10 S and Microsoft Edge, visit this post to learn how to import your data from other browsers into Microsoft Edge. With Microsoft Edge, Bing is the default search engine, and you can easily research and save any tabs – including any search engine as your preferred search destination.

• Microsoft–verified security. With Windows 10 S, customers who want to use apps can get them from the Windows Store where they are first verified for security, and then locally each run in a safe “container,” ensuring consistent performance and security for the system. Windows 10 S customers will be protected from malware by default with Windows Defender and can use additional anti-virus software available in the Windows Store if they choose.

• Download the apps you want right from the Windows Store. There are many choices of apps in the Windows Store that are ready for you to download and use with Windows 10 S. Some examples include: Office 365 Personal in preview – available today for Windows 10 S– Hulu, Pandora, Autodesk SketchBook, Netflix, Sling TV, Complete Anatomy, Duolingo, NPR One, Facebook, Instagram, Drawboard PDF, OhBot, Fluid Math, Sensavis Visual Learning, and Twitter. We continue to work with our partners to bring even more apps to the Windows Store over time – Spotify and iTunes are apps we recently announced that will be available in the Windows Store in the coming months. Visit the Windows Store to get started exploring all the content available to download.

• Office 365 and Windows 10 S are Better Together. Windows 10 S runs the rich desktop Office apps including popular productivity apps like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook. The full suite of Office apps in preview are currently available to download today with Office 365 in the Windows Store for Windows 10 S. On Surface Laptop, you can simply open the Start menu and click on any of the Office app icons like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint to launch the download from the Store. For more information on Office 365 Personal in the Windows Store for Windows 10 S, visit this FAQ .
• Built-in Windows experiences to keep you productive and inspire creativity. Windows 10 S offers familiar Windows 10 experiences like Cortana–your digital personal assistant–password-free sign in with Windows Hello, Windows Ink, the Xbox app, Paint 3D, and more.

For more tips on getting started with Windows 10 S, check out our Windows 10 Tips blog posts or visit this FAQ. We are excited to make available Windows 10 S today on the new Surface Laptop, and in the coming months, Windows 10 S will become available on even more devices across a range of price points from our partners.

*Cortana available in select markets.
**Windows Hello and Windows Ink experiences dependent on hardware.

Windows 10: Ten Things You Need To Know About It

Microsoft has unveiled Windows 10, the latest version of Windows operating system for desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Windows 10 is aimed at doing away with the quirky features of Windows 8 and providing a unified platform that pleases both the desktop and touch screen users.

Here is a list of 10 must know features of Windows 10 that will entice you to upgrade your current version of Windows.

1. Start Menu is Back

Window 8 users can sigh a relief as the erstwhile start menu is back in Windows 10. Many desktop users found it difficult to navigate through programs without the start menu in Windows 8, and hence Microsoft has brought back the start menu.

The tiled interface of Windows 8 has also been retained along with the start menu. In windows 10, you can quickly access popular apps such as mails, weather, finance, maps etc from the start menu. Microsoft has tried to address the problem by providing a feature that will satisfy both desktop and touch screen users.

2. Continuum

Continuum is a new feature in Windows 10, which will detect whether the computer is being used as a desktop with attached keyboard or as a tablet with touch-screen feature. Windows 10 operating system can switch to more touch-friendly user interface when the keyboard is detached. On machines like the Surface Pro, this is a handy feature that provides flexibility to the user.

In Windows 8, the “modern” apps available in Windows store opened in full screen mode. Many users found it really inconvenient to switch between apps. In Windows 10, these apps have been renamed as “universal apps” and they can be windowed like any other normal app.

The traditional desktop interface of Windows is regaining prominence in the latest version. Microsoft has tried to retain the conventional style by tweaking the interface to suit the touch screen users rather than going in for complete overhaul.

4. Multiple Desktops with Enhanced Multitasking

Microsoft is calling its multitasking feature as “Task View” where you will able to view all your open windows in one place. You can also create multiple desktops which will enable users to organize their apps better.

A new “Task View” button is available in the task bar. You can launch the task view interface by clicking this button which will bring up all your open windows on virtual desktops that you have created. When you launch the task view for the first time, you will be prompted with “Add a desktop” option which will allow you to create multiple desktops.

5. Snap Assist

The new multiple virtual desktops feature is further improved by the presence of snapping feature. With this snapping feature, users can now resize windows to fit any part of the screen. It is also possible to place windows side-by-side.

With multiple desktops, this is a cool new feature that will enhance the user experience. The snap assist will be extremely useful for those users who use a tablet as it will be easy to switch between applications and scroll content.

In Windows 10, you can add the Recycle Bin icon to the task bar and the start menu. You no longer have to minimize all your open windows to access the Recycle Bin. It might appear like a minor tweak but a helpful change that is sure to enhance a user’s experience.

It is now official; the Windows 10 start menu is resizable. You can adjust the size of your start menu to fit the left side of your window or shrink it to a strip. This feature will be quite useful for tablet users who have to view in display screens of varying sizes. The ability to adjust the size of the start menu renders more flexibility.

8. Charms Bar Stays

There were widespread rumors that the charms bar will be dropped in Windows 10. But, the technical preview still has a charms bar. Several Windows 8 desktop users have found the charms bar pretty annoying but Microsoft is not ditching the charms bar yet.
The charms bar might undergo few minor tweaks before the release of the final version to suit both the desktop and touch users.

Windows 10 has an updated command prompt that supports proper text selection and pasting a directory with Ctrl + V. We know it was long overdue and Microsoft has finally done it.
Windows 10 supports native text selection and line wraps providing great relief to users. You can paste text in the command prompt without using the traditional context menu as it now supports Ctrl + V option.

In earlier versions of Windows, when you launch the Explorer Window, you will find a list of drives and libraries. In Windows 10, the explorer window has a new “Home” section which shows frequently accessed folders and recent files.
It also shows any location that you have designated as Favorites. The home section is the default landing page when you launch Windows Explorer in Windows 10. This feature is quite useful to quickly access frequently accessed files.

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Last Updated on December 18, 2020

Can Technology have Biases Like Humans?

Chief of Product Management at Lifehack Read full profile

Technology has taken a vantage leap in providing solutions for man. Before now, technology used to appear complex and would require a great deal of expertise to handle solutions available. Today, we have technology applicable in the simplest human activities as smart products with intelligent algorithms powering them as they make error-free judgments and provide intelligent and analytic solutions.

Does technology have all the answers?

This article from Credit Suisse, tells us that technology does not have all the answers because it has been found to exhibit “similar biases,” as humans. No one can discredit the impact of technology, but it is not totally free of human input and this is the reason we experience these biases in many areas we have technology holding foot.

Creating technological solutions transparently

This article suggests that the process of creating technological solutions be made transparent and subject to contribution from many people who would end up as users of the product – male, female, young, old, learned, unlearned and all other preferences as we have them. It also underscores the importance of having women on product development teams. This approach is not sure to eliminate all forms of bias, but it is a good way to start in order to appraise the full benefits of technology.

Technology as the connecting tool

Technology so far has been a major connecting tool amongst us humans. It is used and appreciated by all regardless of race, language and sex. In order to keep it less subjective to these arguments about human biases. I believe we should gather opinions on products and solutions before making them available to the public. This could be done by gathering input from intended target users and receiving feedback across the stages of production.

“Recognizing the problem is a start…success will depend on inclusive technologies that meet this vast untapped market.” This cannot be more apt especially at a time when we look up to technology for solutions. We should not muzzle our progress with technology by battling algorithm bias. The first way to avoid this battle is by reading this article here.