A lot can happen in a week. Seven days might not seem like much, but it can be an eternity in the tech news cycle.
Between Windows news, hardware and software developments and Microsoft's fast-paced movements throughout the technology landscape, it's never easy to keep your hand on the pulse of technology. Not to mention everything that's going on right here at Windows Central!
Every week we're going to compile the biggest stories into one post, so you never fall behind – In Case You Missed It (ICYMI).
Windows
It's been a couple of weeks since Windows 10 was officially launched. After much excitement and discovery, and being installed on more than 50 million devices, this week saw more woe than wonder.
Many Windows 10 users experienced issues with accessing the Store and Mail clients. Microsoft deployed a patch, but that did not fix the problems for everyone.
Word came yesterday that Store sign-in and download problems were resolved. Although that may be the case, here are some steps you can take if you are still running into trouble with apps getting stuck in the Store.
Proponents of privacy got reason for concern when Ars Technica found that Windows 10 connects to Microsoft's servers, even if users enable privacy features. Though much of the communication appears to be harmless, questions remain on the nature of some of the communication.
And there was mixed news for owners of Windows RT devices. Microsoft confirmed that the upcoming Windows RT update will include improvements to the Start menu and lock screen. However, anyone who was optimistic that the update may bring Windows 10 universal apps to their ARM-based device soon had their hopes dashed.
Other notable items:
- Two minutes on the Windows 10 Start Menu
- All you need to know about privacy and settings in Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge
- How to access your music collection from OneDrive with Groove Music on Windows 10
- 9 touchpad gestures every Windows 10 user should know
- Clever Easter egg in latest Windows 10 Mobile build matches Microsoft's Birthday
Microsoft
Microsoft continues their drive for ubiquity. They updated their Cortana beta app on Android, which now lets you replace Google Now as default assistant. The Microsoft wizard still lacks the voice-activated "Hey, Cortana" functionality on Android, but it's a great start.
OneDrive picked up some new file sharing and editing features. Users can now receive notifications when a shared file is edited. They can also search files that are shared with them, including searches based on text contained in those documents.
People running the Office 2016 Preview will also see some new functionality. Microsoft added the ability to collaborate on documents in real-time with those they are sharing with.
It was announced that the US, UK, and Canada will be the first ones to get the Xbox One TV DVR feature in 2016.
And speaking of Xbox and TV, it turns out that the Halo live-action TV series is 'still in very active development' at Showtime.
Exciting stuff!
Other notable items:
- Microsoft's new AI system is learning to be funny with the help of The New Yorker
- Microsoft threw a late Windows 10 launch party in Redmond with Macklemore concert
- Microsoft artist celebrates Windows 10 launch by making a Minecraft-themed custom PC
- The big Surface Hub PCs with Windows 10 won't start shipping until January 2016
- Outlook.com add-ins for Uber, PayPal, and more are rolling out
Miscellaneous
Firefox 40 was released this week. The new version includes new interface changes created for Windows 10 users and has a much more streamlined design to match Microsoft's new OS.
Dell caught some flack after updating their Backup and Recovery app for Windows 10. It wasn't so much a problem with the software itself, but that Dell now wants to start charging money for the things that were one free.
Lenovo, on the other hand, was criticized for their software. It appears that some of their PCs reload a piece of software, even with a clean Windows install. The good news is that there is a fix, a patch that can be downloaded and installed to prevent the installation.
Sony issued a warning to VAIO owners not to upgrade to Windows 10. The company said that their PCs need new drivers, which have not yet been released, in order to work with the new OS. Current VAIO users will have to wait until October at the earliest, though some models don't even have a timeline yet.
Apple, of all companies, may be the only one doing it right. They released their latest version of Boot Camp, which makes it easy to enjoy Windows 10 on a Mac.
Other notable items:
- E-BLUE Mazer Mechanical Gaming Keyboard review
- Windows 10 IoT Core for Raspberry Pi 2 and MinnowBoard Max boards released
- Lenovo's latest mobile workstations offer 4K screens, Skylake-based Xeon processors
- See what Qualcomm's new Adreno GPU will add to next year's Snapdragon 820
- Twitter begins removing 140-character limit from Direct Messages
- Bank of America full steam ahead on upgrading systems to Windows 10
Share your thoughts on this past week of news! And we'll be back again next week to do it all over again.
